"Ta-da~ What do you think?"

Seomun Ye-jin proudly presented herself in her newly changed outfit, standing in front of me with an expectant expression.

She wore a sleeveless white dress that made her look even more elegant and pure. The dress exposed her shoulders, revealing her flawless, porcelain-like skin and delicate collarbone.

Her ample chest created a noticeable cleavage, and the hem of the dress was so short it sat far above her knees, revealing her thighs. It was a look that balanced an innocent charm with an understated allure.

"So, Miss, do you want the short version or the long version?"

"The short version first, please."

At her request, I nodded.

"Alright. You're beautiful."

"…Is that all?"

She puffed her cheeks slightly and gave me a playful glare. Her expression practically screamed, "I’m not satisfied with that!"

I chuckled softly.

"You said you wanted the short version."

"That’s too short! Fine, then. What’s the long version?"

"You look graceful yet subtly captivating. Honestly, you’d look good in anything because of your natural beauty, but this dress suits you particularly well."

I spoke with a soft smile, and my words seemed to hit their mark. Her face turned bright red.

"Hmph, umm… uh…"

She let out a strange, embarrassed sound and froze in place.

Smiling, I stepped closer and placed my hand gently on her shoulder, maintaining my calm expression.

"I’ll be counting on you today, Miss."

"Y-yes… of course…"

How ridiculous, came Ramisa’s faint voice, left behind at the house.

But I chose to ignore her entirely as we headed out together.

***

Across from me, Seomun Ye-jin was happily eating her ice cream with a spoon, her expression pure bliss as she savored each sweet bite.

Watching her enjoy herself, I found no reason to complain about being here.

However, I did have a complaint about my own ice cream.

If only they’d leave out the chocolate chips, I thought, staring at my mint chocolate ice cream.

The chocolate chips disrupted the pure mint flavor, their texture and taste overshadowing the refreshing sensation I craved. Why ruin the mint with chocolate? I’d never understand it.

Meanwhile, Seomun Ye-jin was engrossed in her cherry-flavored ice cream, exclaiming, “Delicious~” after every bite.

I’m not the type to go out of my way for ice cream, I mused, watching her with mild amusement.

At times like this, I’d prefer a hot cup of black coffee.

With such trivial thoughts passing the time, we soon finished our ice cream and stepped outside the shop.

“Ho-jun, what about this?”

She almost called me by my real name but corrected herself to the alias in time. She pointed to a clothing store displaying a wide variety of apparel.

The shop specialized in clothing designed for Mana Awakeners. Though they didn’t look much different from regular clothes, they had special enhancements—durable enough to withstand intense combat and even monster attacks.

Naturally, such clothes were expensive. Even for someone like Seomun Ye-jin, a well-known Awakener and part-time model, it wasn’t easy to pick something out without considering the cost.

“Hey, isn’t that Seomun Ye-jin?”

“It is! Look, over there!”

Being near the Mana Awakener boutique drew attention. People quickly recognized her.

This’ll attract villains, I thought.

While the mall had Mana Awakeners on security duty to deter trouble, it wasn’t guaranteed protection.

To be cautious, I extended my senses discreetly, scanning the area for anyone suspicious. So far, I didn’t detect any villains inside the mall.

Attention is inevitable, I conceded.

As a model and well-known figure, Seomun Ye-jin naturally drew eyes wherever she went. Still, she didn’t seem bothered by the public nature of her outing with me.

“Who’s that guy with her?”

“A friend?”

“Wow, already got a boyfriend, huh?”

“Well, with a face like hers…”

People speculated, whispering among themselves. Though she was only fifteen, they seemed convinced she was dating someone.

Not like their opinions matter to me, I thought.

As long as no one badmouthed her, I didn’t care what they thought of me.

But then I felt something unpleasant—a sinister gaze directed at Seomun Ye-jin.

One man, in particular, was ogling her with a vile expression while typing something into his phone. Curious, I probed his device with my senses.

The message he sent was revealing:

[Seomun Ye-jin spotted. Currently at XX Mall. Tracking her movements. She appears to have no immediate protection despite her previous connection to a powerful ally who killed SS-ranked Park Ji-hoon. Precise planning required for secure capture.]

The man was clearly an informant for a villain group. Though he appeared ordinary, he was feeding information to criminals.

He didn’t have much karmic residue from evil deeds, nor did he seem like someone with blood on his hands. Still, his lecherous gaze and whispered words annoyed me.

“Damn b****… flaunting herself in that short skirt, hanging around a guy. F***, I’d love to have a taste.”

Though he lacked the courage or ability to act on his disgusting thoughts, his words alone sealed his fate.

He’s as good as dead.

I discreetly extended my energy, weaving it into his body without him noticing.

It wouldn’t activate right away but would take effect the moment he ventured somewhere isolated.

He’ll disappear without leaving a trace.

He was just a small cog in the villainous machine, but even cogs deserved to be crushed.

“Ho-jun, what do you think of this outfit?”

Unaware of my actions, Seomun Ye-jin was already selecting clothes and seeking my opinion.

“Pick whatever you like,” I replied.

“Okay! I’ll show you!”

She dashed into the fitting room and returned shortly, having tried on a bold outfit: a tank top that exposed her midriff and emphasized her cleavage, paired with short denim hot pants.

Her playful grin matched her daring attire, a stark contrast to the pure white dress she’d worn earlier.

“How do I look?” she asked, her confidence radiating.

I glanced around at the nearby shoppers, noting their subtle stares, before shrugging.

“If I gave you my thoughts here, wouldn’t it cause a scene? I don’t mind the attention, but would you? Should I praise you like before?”

“N-no! That’s okay!”

Her confidence wavered, replaced by embarrassment as her cheeks flushed.

“Are you going with that outfit?” I asked.

“U-um, can I try on more?”

“Take your time.”

Letting her enjoy herself, I watched as she tried on several more outfits, eventually settling on a few she liked.

As we left the boutique, I teased her, “Hot pants again, huh?”

“Well, skirts aren’t exactly practical for combat, are they?”

She had a point. Skirts could hinder movement in a fight and leave one vulnerable to embarrassing situations.

“Good choice,” I said.

We still had errands to run—registering a new phone and setting up an identity under my alias, Kim Ho-jun.

As for my declared Mana Awakener rank?

I’d keep it at SSS for now. After all, this was just an alias.