Me and the Tigress Volume 1 Chapter 3 part6

I’m… surprisingly hard working. Hopefully I didn’t make too many mistakes, especially in the last half of this part. I have all of my translations of chapter 3 on a Google Doc. It’s 109 pages long.

And I’m sorry for the low quality images.

I was a little surprised when I woke up. First: Because I was lying down on top of a mat. Second: Rangii was using my arm as a pillow. And third:

"……"

"……"

I turned my head slightly and saw Saehee staring down at me.

"……What're you doing?"

"I was observing."

"……Really?"

Also, I fell asleep on the bench so how am I lying down on a mat?

"For the sake of Master's and your sound slumber, I moved you two."

"How?"

"With magic."

That magic you're talking about is really amazing. But…… I didn't ask about it, but what's that soft feeling on the back of my head and back? And I feel like someone's hand is on my waist……

I could clearly see that the owner of that arm was Narae. Then that soft, pillowy, cushion-like feeling on my back is?!

While I was speechless, unable to do anything but smile, Saehee kindly explained the situation.

"After seeing the cow-like young master sleep, she decided to enjoy a nap herself."

R, really?!

"And the young master is currently lying on my lap."

Seriously?! That's why your face was so close?

……But since I'm lying on Saehee's lap, and I'm looking up at her face completely unimpeded, that means……

"Do you have something to say?"

"……No."

I stopped thinking.

As a reference, Narae and Rangii got up an hour later.

"Why are you like that if you like it?"

I have nothing to say.

"Ah—. That was fun."

My sorta-kinda date with Narae, Rangii, and Saehee ended at sunset. Rangii was smiling widely, maybe because she played so much, and Narae looked refreshed unlike before. ……Well, after she nearly killed me when we were at the bumper cars, seeing her smile like that is healing my heart. And Saehee? Saehee's behind Rangii with her usual expressionless face. Can no one except Rangii tell if she had a good time or not?

"Then want to go home?"

"Yeah! When we're home I want to bathe, eat, and sleep with you!"

Seeing her like that, I almost said "yeah, that sounds good." Looking like she wouldn't lose to anyone in terms of happiness, she was adorably showing her teeth while smiling widely. But I don't plan on going along with her just because of that.

"I don't know about the first two, but switch that last one with Saehee."

"Eh—. Why're you being like that? I like Saehee too, but I like you more!"

With good timing, Narae interrupted our conversation.

"Don't carelessly say stuff like that."

"Why not?"

"Sunghoon might attack you since he's a lolicon."

"I've been curious since before, but what do you mean by attack?"

Rangii asked innocently. Narae hesitated as even she couldn't answer that. Well, Saehee is probably the only one who could answer. I looked at Saehee to stop her from saying anything weird. And I wasn't able to believe what I saw. Saehee was grimacing.

"……Oi?"

I spoke to her since I was worried, but Saehee ignored me, looked at Rangii, and spoke.

"They have come. They are earlier than expected."

I don't know what she's saying, but seeing Rangii, who'd been giving Narae a hard time, have a serious look on her face, something good doesn't seem to have happened.

"Really?"

"Yes."

Rangii and Saehee were having a conversation only they understood.

"What the heck's wro……"

My words were cut off. At that moment, something unidentifiable to a normal human like me covered my whole body. ……What is this?

"Sunghoon."

Narae's face had turned blue, and she was trembling as she held onto my arm. Her legs are shaking. Even at a glance, it's clear that something's wrong. If I don't do anything!

"Saehee! What is this?!"

"It is a barrier. One that attacks people and disrupts their awareness."

"But what is that?"

"This is the action of the enemy that I told you before."

"Enemy? By enemy, you must mean…… The Bear Tribe?"

"You're definitely a changgwi. Being able to identify this so quickly, you're living up to your name."

On a deserted street, I saw a woman appear from thin air. It was like an invisible person suddenly became visible in front of me.

Wearing glasses and giving off the sense of intelligence, a woman who looked to be in her 20s with something that was attracting my eyes to nowhere else but her…… Her breasts were big. No, I'm not talking about where a teenage boy is looking first, I'm saying that her breasts were that prominent! Enough to make my eyes go nowhere else! Although she was wearing a woman's suit, the top of her button down shirt was unbuttoned so a bit of her bra was showing, and I'm paying way too much attention to that! The Bear Tribe really does have large breasts! No, this isn't the time to be admiring.

"How dare you run that filthy mouth!"

Rangii stood in front of me and shouted.

"I clearly warned you while you were running away! Can you not remember me telling you If you troubled me again, I could not guarantee your life?!"

The woman from the Bear Clan, now shortened to bear woman, bowed deeply to Rangii.

"I apologize for my extremely late greeting due to your changgwi's barrier, tiger-nim. I am Jeongmi, the head of this generation of bears. And while I remember clearly your roar at the seal, despite my regret, members of the Bear Tribe, we had no choice but to find you even after we were driven away."

"I don't care about your circumstances!"

The head, Jeongmi, scowled.

"We truly have no interest in the circumstances between you and Ungnyeo-nim. However, this cursed blood will not disappear."

Rangii clicked her tongue.

"Then tell that damn woman this. I haven't the slightest hint of affection for either you or him! The man who will become my husband is Sunghoon; this man is the only one for me!"

"I am sorry, but she is not someone to listen to a joke."

"How dare you! What do you believe when you're flapping your lips?! I will forgive you just this once as I am looking at Sunghoon, but turn back now! I do not wish to taint my hands with blood on such a happy day as today!"

"I am sorry, tiger-nim. We have no choice in the matter. If we were to miss this chance after 300 years……"

Tears fell in a line from one of Jeongmi's eyes.

"We would be unable to escape this cursed blood."

The second Rangii's body shook,

"Attack!"

Jeongmi ran towards Rangii. At that moment, I saw something insane. Even though it was completely deserted, dozens, no, hundreds of women appeared from out of nowhere with all kinds of weapons and ran towards us. This is an extremely detailed illusion. They all had large breasts, and eyes devoid of any consciousness. I felt an instinctual revulsion and fear when I saw their expressionless faces, ones even more terrifying than Saehee's. Um, this is a dream, right?

"It seems you have prepared quite a lot."

"The fools cannot tell the difference between a puppy and a tiger."

Only Rangii and Saehee understood this illusion to be reality and moved. I was frozen, unable to do anything, and Narae was trembling while holding on to me.

"……Saehee."

"Yes, Master."

"Don't harm them enough to kill them. They are pitiful."

"……Understood."

Rangii moved her hand. She swung the gigantic tiger's front paw that had taken the place of her hand. An unbelievable sight unfolded as she broke the laws of the conservation of mass as compared to her body proportions. There's no way something like that is possible. But aren't they phantoms because they can do these impossible things? The bear women who were unable to dodge Rangii's paw were swept away as if they were baseballs hit by a baseball bat, defying gravity as they hit the wall, the tree, the ground.

……Did they die? They didn't. Even while they were throwing up blood, with their arms twisted in bizarre positions, or even their legs were broken, they got back up again. Maybe they didn't feel pain because faces didn't change at all. They just set their broken bones, spit blood, and rushed at Rangii just like before, their eyes completely vacant.

"You, if only you were gone, none of us would have to go through this!"

Jeongmi was striking down with a huge bat, no, a bone shaped club that was bigger than she was tall. Even in this situation, something about seeing a woman like Jeongmi wield such a contrasting club almost made my mind go blank. Rangii raised her hand to block it, but she felt something and immediately dodged. The club pulverized the road.

"So that's Ungnyeo's bone."

"I brought this especially to combat the tiger-nim. Even if you are the tiger-nim, if this touches you while you are in your spiritual body, you will receive a terrible wound."

"Tch. How tiresome."

"You should speak again after you see what you have caused to these children."

Jeongmi spoke while pointing at the other bear women. Even though they were getting hit by Saehee, having their joints snapped, throwing up blood, and getting so damaged that they collapsed, they kept getting up and attacking with blood flowing down. Is this some kind of horror movie?

"Are you saying that what's happening to these kids is my fault? None of you have changed at all in the last 300 years! Didn't what I say get through to you? I just want to live my life!"

"That is a curse to us. Because just your staying alive means we will be used like dolls! Me as well! And my little sister! And everyone!"

……What the hell is she saying.

"As this is unrelated to you two, please leave for now. Although these numbers are nothing to Master and me, but there is such thing as a worst case scenario. If you were to leave the barrier, you would be safe in the eyes of the public."

Despite having just been beating up bear women, she was suddenly next to me. There were still lots of bear women, it didn't seem like they planned to approach us carelessly.

"I will lead you outside of the barrier. When there, please avoid places with many people. I will find you when this disturbance has been dealt with."

Saehee was being rational. This isn't something a human like me could do anything about. This is a fight between phantoms and those that are close to phantoms. Narae and I would just be burdens if we stayed here. However…… I already knew. No, I just realized.

"Can I stay here?"

"Sunghoon?"

Narae squeezed my arm that she was holding. I know what you want to say. But I told Rangii back then. That no matter what happened, I would protect her. How could I just run away at the first chance I got? Since this all happened because of me.

I realized that this all happened because I brought Rangii with me to Seoul without thinking. The instigator of all this is me. ……However, Rangii. How can this be a small problem? I'm asking what you consider to be a big problem!

Saehee looked at me and smiled. To be able to smile while she's surrounded by enemies, she's definitely not human.

"It seems you have now begun to use your head. But you are still foolish. While the young master is here, Master cannot use her full strength."

And as if she read my mind, she said,

"Protecting Master does not solely encompass her body. Thus, please leave."

She made it so the only thing I could do was leave. There's no way I can respond if you put it like that. I nodded my head.

"Then I shall open a path. I hope you do not fall behind, young master."

While Saehee was moving, more than a dozen bear women charged at us from all directions. And Saehee…… oi, you're joking, right?

Saehee's clothes, without a doubt, split in half from front to back and began to move on its own. But she wasn't in her underwear or naked despite that. Saehee was still fully clothed. I'm saying she was wearing two sets of clothes. For her to have clothes on under her clothes in such hot weather. I couldn't even imagine.

"This is a simple magic. I can keep them occupied for now, so let us go now."

"Aren't you actually super strong?"

I followed behind Saehee while holding up Narae as she wasn't able to walk properly.

"Because I am Master's attendant."

"……How strong are you saying Rangii is?"

Saehee answered while throwing the bear women who'd dodged her clothes aside with one hand.

"If you exclude Ungnyeo, no one could stand up to Master."

Saehee was talking while repelling two bear women that attacked her from both sides with just a swing of her arms.

The only reason these things are still alive is without a doubt due to Master's gentle nature."

……It seems I shouldn't hit Rangii on the head anymore.

After throwing bear women like that and guiding us, Saehee suddenly stopped. I was definitely holding Narae up by this point, and I stopped too.

"……Why?"

"We have arrived."

Eh? What do you mean? Nothing's changed…… No, something's changed. The weird energy that was covering me had inexplicably disappeared. Does that mean we're outside the barrier? But I can still see Rangii and the bear women far away?

"That is because you witnessed what is happening while within the barrier. I do not have the time to explain in detail, but please avoid places with many people. Such an event will not occur, but Master will be worried."

"Y, yeah."

Narae nodded and pulled on my arm. She looks better than before, so it looks like she's feeling better.

"Sunghoon, let's hurry and go. My head's been strangely hurting since earlier."

Even so, she clearly looks worse than normal. Of course she wouldn't feel good after seeing the bear women move so inhumanly. No, I also don't want to see something like that.

"Yeah. Saehee, take care of Rangii."

"Yes."

Saehee bowed slightly, and when I blinked my eyes, she was suddenly within the barrier, fighting the bear women. This isn't the time to be relax and watch. Even if we're outside the barrier, we're in the same danger. I held Narae's hand and ran to leave this place.

It was then. Jeongmi, the head of the Bear Clan, shouted.

"I command you as the head! Awaken the blood of the Bear Clan, Seo Narae, and kill that man!"

I heard a strange sound from behind me. What's with that sudden nonsense? You're telling Narae to kill me? I grabbed Narae's hand and tried to run away. ……That was a mistake.

"Narae?"

Narae held me still with what felt like inhuman strength. I naturally looked behind me when I was stopped, and I saw Narae with an emotionless face, vacant eyes, and clenching a fist. And as I was unable to dodge such a fast punch, I got hit……

"No!"

The instant her fist was about to make contact with my head, Narae was sent flying. I'm not kidding, she was sent up as high as my height. She looked like she was hit by a truck. Seeing Narae broken, seeing her collide into the tree, this all felt unbelievable. But Narae's clothes was turning red.

Rangii stood where Narae used to be.

"Are you o……"

"Narae!!"

I slapped aside Rangii's upraised hand and ran to Narae. She wasn't moving, but I put my hand over her nose. Thank God. She's breathing. She didn't die. Along with my sense of relief, a great rage surged up within me at Rangii. You damn brat, what the hell did you do?!

"Go away! It's dangerous!"

Rangii grabbed my body with her human arm that was covered in white fur. The strength was monstrous, but I strangely didn't feel it. Since she's a phantom. But Narae! What about Narae!!

"Let go! What're you saying is dangerous! You're the dangerous one, idiot! What'll you do if Narae dies!"

"I held back! Now that she has awakened her Bear Clan blood, she won't die from just this! Right now you're in more danger than Narae! I just realized! I'm not their target; you are!"

"What's that nonsense? Is that important? Narae just got hurt! She might die!"

"Didn't I say she wouldn't die? Calm down! Even I can……"

"What do you mean she won't die! Hey, you little crap! Does it look like I can calm down? I'm asking if it looks like I can calm down when Narae is throwing up blood and unconscious after she got hit by a phantom!!"

The moment Rangii's grip loosened, I shook her off and ran to hug Narae. I heard that it's not good to shake someone when they're like this.

"Narae! Narae! Are you okay? Narae!!"

I shouted Narae's name at the top of my lungs.

"Uu…… Sung…… hoon?"

Thank God. Narae's conscious. I'm about to cry. (tn: either there's a spelling error in the book or my Korean's insufficient. Guess which one's more likely? …the second one)

"Run…… away. My body…… m, moving on…… it's own."

"Narae? It's okay. I'll take you to the hospital so……"

Before I could even finish that sentence, Narae's eyes went blank for the second time and she grabbed my neck. Why? Why is Narae doing this? Narae didn't answer. And the when she was about to strengthen her grip…… Rangii grabbed Narae's hand. No, she broke it. Narae's arm was bent where it shouldn't have been, and her arm was dangling in accordance to gravity. I couldn't even scream after seeing that grotesque scene.

"Didn't I tell you?! Narae's dangerous right now!"

But Rangii was different. She pushed Narae away from my chest, and Narae collapsed onto the ground again.

……What just happened? She can't get up. She's not moving, just as if she died. She twitched on the ground, throwing up blood.

"But the Bear Clan's control is still weak so if you take her away……"

"What the hell have you done!"

I shoved Rangii away.

"……Huh?"

Rangii sat on the ground, her eyes empty.

I don't care. Right now, Narae comes first. I went up to Narae and put my hand over her nose. Thank God. She's breathing. But the blood on her mouth, her pale face, her broken arm. She's clearly in danger. I need to hurry and take her to a hospital.

Right then, Rangii was unexpectedly near me and spoke.

"Wha, what's wrong?! This was all for your sake; there was no helping it! I also hate doing this! But why are you getting mad at me?! Did I do anything wrong?!"

I responded to Rangii’s childish tantrum by saying,

"Did you do anything wrong? Are you kidding? Do you really not know what you've done wrong?"

Saehee suddenly appeared and was standing in front of Rangii. How did you…… I saw the collapsed forms of the Bear Clan behind Saehee. Ah, so that's it. You're an impossible strong phantom as well.

"Master made the correct decision."

"The correct decision? To send a girl flying and break her arm?"

"B, but if I didn't you would have been in dang……"

"You didn't have to do that! Aren't you two strong? Aren't you a great phantom? You're the tiger from the myth!"

Among all the Bear Clan members who targeted Rangii, not a single one of them was properly on their feet. The head that looked like she had something was leaning on her club, breathing heavily. If you guys are that strong,

"Is this all you can do? Was this the only solution?"

"Th, there was no helping it! If I was even a little late, you would have died!"

"Then you! So if I was like Narae and was a threat to Saehee, you would try to kill me?!"

"Th, that's not it. There's no way I could do that to you, Sunghoon!"

"I'm saying that Narae is that kind of person to me! But, but what did you say? You were thankful?"

Rangii looked unusually confused. She opened and closed her mouth, clenched and unclenched her fist, and spoke after working hard to figure out what to say.

"I, I just…… For your sake, I didn't want you to die because of Narae; I didn't want you to get hurt so……"

But, when she said that,

"Because of Narae?"

I lost my sanity.

"Don't screw with me! My almost dying, that's your fault! It's your fault!"

By the time my sanity returned, it was too late.

Suddenly, the great phantom who had overwhelmed the Bear Clan was replaced by a girl who looked like she got hurt after getting rejected by the guy she liked.

"……Ah."

I feel like I have to say something, but nothing came out of my mouth.

"……You're right."

Rangii clenched her fists.

"Everything is…… my fault."

Her huge amber pupils were shaking. Blood spilled from Rangii's hands even though the hundreds of Bear Clan members had been unable to harm her.

"Resent me. You have the right to do so."

"Master. However……"

"Enough! It is not your place to speak."

"……Yes."

Unlike her usual self, Rangii smiled sadly.

"I understand. Ha…… After this, I now know what I have wished for. Truly, this is why they gave up their own lives. Now I understand. It was too late, but thank goodness. As I have realized what I must do for the person I love."

She laughed bitterly. She had on a smile that didn't match her.

"Saehee."

"Yes, Master."

"I entrust these two to you."

Saehee's face froze.

"But Master. I……"

"Since when were you able to talk back to me?"

Saehee bit her lip.

"Understood, Master."

"I'm sorry, Sunghoon. Because of me, the person you, you like got hurt."

"No, wait. Um, Rangii."

I wanted to tell her something, apologize, say I was too harsh, that this isn't your fault, that I know you did this all for me, but…… My mouth wouldn't move. Rangii didn't permit those words.

"I will not trouble you any longer. I will go back to my land……"

The tears hanging near her eyes weren't able to stay put any longer,

"The time I spent with you was the happiest…… of my life. Thank you, Sunghoon."

And they fell.

"You absolutely need to be happy."

Tears were falling.

And so, my first kiss was sweet, but at the same time it tasted salty.

"I love you, Sunghoon."

Rangii spoke softly and smiled. A sad smile, like a farewell, that was tearing her heart apart. And then I realized. That Rangii was about to leave me, and that if I didn't grab her now, I might never see her again. I grabbed Rangii's hand and shouted.

"Wait, Rangii!"

But I only grabbed air. She was looking at me directly just before, but she suddenly disappeared. Unable to feel Rangii's hand, to feel her warmth, the truth caused me to despair, and my anger at myself caused me to hit the ground.

Chapter end