Getting out of bed was no easy feat, but it was especially difficult in the winter. Although Byeol wasn’t very sensitive to the cold, stepping out from the warm blankets always made her feel the chill in the air. Reluctantly, she burrowed back under the covers and dozed off again. Finally, her stomach growled, and after fidgeting for a while, she rolled out of bed, landing on the floor with a soft thump. She opened the door and went to the living room. Do-Jun was sitting at the dining table reading the newspaper. He looked up and smiled when he noticed Byeol. Seeing her daddy, Byeol’s mood brightened, and she toddled over to climb onto his lap. Whenever she leaned against his chest, she noticed that his heartbeat was slower than that of other people. When Byeol’s hand brushed against his neck, she blinked. There was no warmth there—only stark coldness. With a serious expression, she climbed down from her father’s lap. Do-Jun tilted his head in confusion but quickly went back to preparing for work. At the Fissure Management Division at Seoul City Hall, employees started arriving at the office around 8:40 AM. Do-Jun, who had arrived early, was reviewing the ranks and stats of the contracted Hunters when a middle-aged man walked past him and took his seat. Do-Jun greeted Cheol-Soo with a slight bow. “Good morning, Chief.” “Ah, morning. Brr, it’s freezing today. Look at all that snow.” Cheol-Soo shivered and quickly turned on the heater by his desk. He was wearing a padded jacket over his suit, along with a scarf and gloves for extra warmth. The morning temperature had fallen below -10°C, and it showed. “Do you agree that it’s cold, Do-Jun?” he asked, skeptical. This text is hosted at n͟o͟v͟e͟l͟f͟i͟r͟e͟.net “Yes...? It’s definitely a little chilly.” “Oh yeah? To me, it doesn’t look like you’re cold at all.” Do-Jun’s attire was quite minimal—a white dress shirt paired with a navy knit sweater. His coat hung over the back of his chair. Despite the office being chilly, since the central heater wouldn’t turn on until 9 AM, Do-Jun seemed completely unaffected by the cold. “You should turn on your heater, too, or you’ll freeze to death,” Cheol-Soo told him. With a chuckle, Do-Jun obliged and switched on his heater. By 8:55 AM, Hyuk-Soo hurried in, his ears and nose bright red from the cold. His body language screamed that he was freezing. He wasn’t wearing a padded jacket, but he did have gloves and a scarf on. “Aren’t you cold, Do-Jun...?” he asked, noticing Do-Jun’s rather light attire. Hyuk-Soo glanced at Do-Jun’s desk, where only a single coat was placed. He seemed about to say something, but stopped himself, clearing his throat instead before sitting down. Since realizing Yong-Yong’s true identity, Hyuk-Soo had been acutely aware that Do-Jun wasn’t an ordinary person. “Hey, there aren’t many things in this world that are worse than catching a cold in the winter. At least wear a scarf in the morning. Being sick sucks,” Cheol-Soo said while wiping his nose with a tissue. After Do-Jun left for work, Byeol put on her little outing outfit and headed into the city, carrying her favorite bear-shaped wallet. She made her way to the central shopping district and stepped into Park Deok-Bae’s clothing store. The sound of the door chime caught Park Deok-Bae’s attention as he looked toward the entrance. “Hello!” Byeol greeted cheerfully. “Haha, you’re early today.” On Mondays, Byeol made her “Hello” rounds at the central market, greeting every shopkeeper and brightening their day. Park Deok-Bae prepared a perfectly warm cup of yulmu tea—not too hot or too lukewarm—and handed it to her. “Thank you!” Byeol said happily. Park Deok-Bae smiled at her impeccable manners. How could a little girl be so polite? Byeol finished every drop of the yulmu tea, then wandered around the store with her hands clasped behind her back. She eventually stopped at a display of scarves, lingering as if evaluating each one. “Are you looking for a scarf?” asked Park Deok-Bae. “Take your time and look around. How about this one? It’s a cute scarf with Pororong on it.” The scarf, adorned with an image of the bespectacled penguin, caught Byeol’s attention. Her eyes sparkled for a moment, but she soon shook her head. “It’s not for me.” “I came to buy one for Daddy today.” “Oh, you’re such a thoughtful little one! You want to get a scarf for your daddy?” With that, Byeol began meticulously examining the adult scarves. She touched a blue scarf, rubbing it between her fingers. “What’s the matewial on this thing?” “Well, it’s not bad.” Byeol pressed the scarf to her cheek, then pulled it away without any visible excitement. It seemed she wasn’t impressed. She moved on to a long black scarf. “What about this one?” “That’s cashmere. High-quality wool.” “I see.” When she pressed it to her face, its soft texture felt wonderful against her cheeks. Byeol grinned brightly, clearly happy with this one. “So, why are you suddenly buying a scarf for your dad?” “Daddy’s neck is cold. He needs a scarf, so he doesn’t catch a cold.” Park Deok-Bae, currently single, suddenly felt a strong desire to marry and have a child. He couldn’t help but smile as he watched this pure and kind-hearted child. The cashmere scarf Byeol was admiring cost 59,000 won—far too expensive for her to buy. After a moment of thought, Park Deok-Bae pulled out a piece of paper from the drawer beneath the register. “Byeol, was I your first ‘hello’ today?” Byeol nodded. Park Deok-Bae’s store was the first one visible upon entering the central market. “Could you do me a favor? I’ll give you this paper, and if you get signatures from every shop you visit today, I’ll give you that scarf as a reward.” Byeol carefully accepted the paper. “I’ll be back!” “Good luck and have fun.” The shopkeepers of the central shopping districts were sweeping the area in front of their shops. After a heavy snowfall overnight, the sidewalks were covered in snow, and though clearing it was a bothersome task, the shopkeepers diligently swept it away with happy smiles. The reason was nothing other than the early arrival of the “Monday Fairy.” The last thing they wanted was for her to slip and fall in front of their stores. Choi Ye-Rim, who ran a hair salon in the shopping district, spotted Byeol toddling toward her. A bright smile spread across her face. “Hello!” Byeol greeted her with a polite bow. Choi Ye-Rim took out her smartphone and took a picture of Byeol. She decided to set it as her wallpaper—a memory to cherish. “Haha, hello to you too, Byeol.” “You got my hello, wight?” Byeol asked. In Byeol’s small hands was a piece of paper that listed shop owners’ names in the shopping district, with blank spaces next to them. “The clothing shop mistah asked for this,” Byeol explained. “Yes. If I do this, he’ll give me a scarf.” “Ohoho, well, of course! I’ll sign it for you.” Choi Ye-Rim guessed the “clothing shop mister” was probably Park Deok-Bae. She stared at the paper for a while, wondering what good it would do him, but soon realized his intention. She chuckled to herself, thinking he just wanted an excuse to give Byeol a gift, and signed her name. “Thank you!” Byeol bowed deeply in gratitude. “You are so precious,” said Choi Ye-Rim, smiling. After getting Choi Ye-Rim’s signature, Byeol wandered through the shops, greeting store owners and gathering signatures. She visited convenience stores, bakeries, cell phone shops, Chinese restaurants, cafés, noodle shops, and more. Every merchant she greeted signed with a smile, often giving Byeol candies or chocolates as a small treat. Finally, Byeol returned to Park Deok-Bae’s clothing store, happily sucking on a lollipop. “Mistah, I got all the signatures!” Park Deok-Bae had already prepared the cashmere scarf, carefully folded and packed in a plastic bag, before placing it into a paper bag. He barely skimmed the paper Byeol handed him and then said, “Thank you! You saved me a lot of effort, Byeol.” “Did I do a good job?” “Haha, of course you did! Here, your gift as promised.” Seeing the black scarf inside the paper bag, Byeol was extremely overjoyed and hopped with excitement. When Do-Jun got home from work, Byeol eagerly ran toward him. He chuckled and patted her on the head. “Daddy, I have something nice for you!” she said. “Yes!” Byeol brought out the paper bag she had left behind the sofa. Inside was the black scarf. Do-Jun pulled it out, noticing a letter tucked between the folds. It was from Park Deok-Bae, explaining that the scarf was a gift to thank Byeol for completing his request. He mentioned that he wanted to write the letter to ensure there were no misunderstandings or feelings of burden about the gift. “Now that you have a scawf, you’ll be okay?” Byeol asked Do-Jun earnestly. “You won’t catch a cold now, wight?” Do-Jun recalled Byeol touching his neck earlier that morning, blinking with a serious look. It turned out she was worried about him. “Yes, you’re right. Now that I have this scarf, I’ll be fine.” Do-Jun felt his heart warming up. Once again, it snowed steadily today. Do-Jun stepped off at Seoul City Hall Station, walking along the snowy sidewalks with a faint crunch underfoot. His outfit hadn’t changed much—a dress shirt and tie under a sweater, topped with a coat. The only difference was the scarf around his neck. The elevator doors opened with a ding, and he reached his office. After hanging his coat and scarf on his chair, he turned on his laptop. Then, he made a cup of tea and started working. With the start of the new year, the schedule for the Hunter ranking evaluation tests was announced. Do-Jun began assigning test schedules to contracted Hunters according to their ranks. With a faint buzz, the automatic doors to the Fissure Management Division slid open, and a middle-aged man in a padded jacket hurried in, shivering. “Good morning, Chief,” Do-Jun greeted. “Ah, morning, morning. Goodness, this cold weather is something else... huh?” Cheol-Soo paused as he passed by Do-Jun, looking at the scarf draped over his chair. “Do-Jun, you’re wearing a scarf today!” “How does it feel? A scarf makes all the difference, doesn’t it?” Do-Jun smiled and nodded. “It certainly does.”