A Tiger Rolled Into My Life, Bringing Chaos With It - Chapter 23

Sigh.

Tinya let out a long sigh as she pulled her slipping bag strap back onto her shoulder. After several days of being unable to hide her gloomy mood, the bathroom shelf had become lined with various glass bottles.

Though there were more of them now, and some were said to actually make skin softer, somehow her mood wouldn’t improve. Instead, thinking of the gift she hadn’t even properly held in her hands made her sink deeper. She had been so preoccupied with the oil that the night she spent with him didn’t even rise to her consciousness.

Would she have felt this much regret if she had owned it for a week? Tinya shook her head. She probably would have felt the same longing even after a year.

If she had known it would be like this, she should have searched through the recycling area that morning. Unfortunately, that happened to be collection day, so when she returned from work, there wasn’t even a trace left.

‘Still, I need to let it go now.’

She couldn’t keep watching Cher feel uncomfortable because of her unnecessary emotions. Yes, forget it completely. It was never mine to begin with. That’s how she should think about it. Tinya forced herself to walk with vigor.

As soon as the grooming shop opened, the door to her section opened. Since customers rarely came right at opening time, Tinya hurriedly extracted herself from the container box. Soon, a bright smile spread across her face.

“Leona!”

It was her regular customer, the lion shifter Leona, whom she hadn’t seen in a while.

“It’s been a while, Tinya.”

She approached with a leisurely gait as she greeted her. Her large strides, though seemingly lazy, strangely created tension. The golden fur shining over the contours of her sleek muscles flowed elegantly along the grain, radiating dignity with every movement.

When those sharp eyes turned toward her, Tinya’s heart reflexively jumped. Her fur bristled even though they had only been apart for a few days. Tinya silently took a breath, then scurried toward Leona.

“Welcome.”

“Have you been well?”

“Yes. How about you, Leona?”

“I’ve been doing reasonably well. Can you brush me right away?”

“Of course.”

Tinya guided her to a seat, then prepared various tools with practiced movements. Being a regular customer, she could estimate the condition of the fur with just a glance. The first thing she picked up was a brush with dense pins. It was chosen to groom the back and waist, which had a large area and where fur tended to clump.

Swish, swish.

As the delicate brushing continued, a satisfied “grrrr” sound flowed from Leona’s mouth. At first, she had been scared, thinking this growl was a signal of displeasure. The memory brought a smile to her face. The faint gloom she had been feeling subsided a little.

“Mmm, I’ve missed this brushing so much. With the rainy season and having a lot on my mind lately, I regret not being able to come often.”

“Have you been busy?”

“Nothing special. But speaking of which, Tinya. Has your regular tiger customer been coming lately?”

At those words, Tinya’s face fell. Leona, facing forward while being brushed, couldn’t see this change.

“No. He seems to be busy these days.”

After swallowing her disappointment and responding calmly, Leona let out a small “hmm.”

‘So he’s not coming here either.’

Since he had been coming and going more than herself, who had introduced him, she thought he would visit at least once. Could it be true that he had fled Greyden as rumored?

For a moment, an impudent face flashed through her mind. Hmm, what a funny thought. He wouldn’t flee so quietly. She would bet that if he were to escape, he would find her hidden safe, take just enough not to make her angry, and leave a cheeky note saying, “I’ll put your money to good use for my relocation expenses.”

It was a luxury even to worry about such a rascal. Leona shook her head, dismissing thoughts of him, and opened her mouth to speak about what was actually her main point today.

“Then Tinya. Would it be all right if I introduced another customer to you?”

“I’m always grateful for customer referrals.”

Though she said this, Tinya already had quite a few customers. Among those interested in grooming shops, word of mouth had already spread.

While there were many skilled groomers, none were like Tinya, who never mentioned tips or refrained from socializing. That’s why customers who just wanted to quietly get their fur groomed insisted on Tinya. As a result, while she might not have the most customers, she had the most loyal regulars.

What Leona didn’t know was that spraying scent neutralizer before receiving customers also played a role. Carnivorous shifters with strong territorial instincts particularly disliked smelling other carnivorous shifters. Although being outdoors meant scents clung less, it wasn’t easy to avoid picking up scents when brushing at close range for extended periods.

In contrast, Tinya didn’t smell like other carnivorous shifters, so they unconsciously felt more comfortable. This wasn’t Tinya’s calculated strategy… it was simply because she was afraid of having the smell of carnivorous shifters on her body or nearby.

“The person I want to introduce is my younger brother.”

“Your brother, Leona?”

Tinya’s eyes widened. Though she had known Leona for a long time, this was the first she’d heard of family relations. Since they had met at work, their relationship wasn’t that deep despite the familiarity. For example, Tinya had never seen her human form.

It wasn’t disappointing since they lived in completely different areas. However, she couldn’t deny feeling curious. As her tone automatically rose, Leona gave a subtle smile.

“Yes. He’s quite disobedient. If he acts a bit fierce, don’t be scared. Despite appearances, he’s not one to harm others.”

“Are there any other precautions I should take?”

“Just don’t tell him he’s unpopular, and you’ll be fine.”

“Pfft.”

As if she would say such a thing to a customer. Beyond that, Tinya could hardly imagine a carnivorous shifter concerned about popularity. But since it was Leona saying it, she decided to take it to heart. After all, the advice she had given when introducing the tiger shifter had been very helpful.

“He greatly dislikes noise.”

Each customer desires different interactions. Some want conversation to avoid boredom, while others prefer silence until they initiate talk. However, even the latter type of customers rarely remain completely silent throughout the long grooming time.

The tiger shifter was the first and last to break that pattern.

He maintained silence to an astonishing degree. He even placed grooming orders through Pupu, barely giving Tinya a glance. She was actually grateful not to receive attention from a carnivorous shifter, but she was secretly worried.

Wouldn’t he be bored?

Having conversed even with bear shifters known for their reticence, she was particularly concerned. But to her surprise, two days after his first visit, he returned to the shop. Since even regular customers typically came once a week, considering the fur tangling and cost, his quick return was surprising.

Tinya was taken aback but didn’t show it and diligently brushed him. To be honest now, there wasn’t much to groom for a customer who came after just two days…

Thinking he would probably space out his visits from now on, her prediction was proven wrong once again. He appeared again three days later. It was practically an unspoken announcement that he would continue this pattern.

Indeed, afterward, the tiger customer’s visit cycle varied, but the interval never exceeded a week even once.

‘Plus, he always left a tip whenever he came.’

Though he didn’t show it through words or expressions, he demonstrated his satisfaction with Tinya’s brushing through generous tips and frequent visits. …Though lately, he rarely showed up.

‘I hope he’s not sick somewhere?’

Extremely few words, slow movements. Gathering these clues, Tinya had guessed the customer to be elderly. She became even more convinced after seeing Pupu use extremely honorific terms.

She worried he might have passed away, but if that were the case, Leona would have informed her.

‘If only it weren’t the carnivorous district, I could make a house call.’

Most customers disliked fur falling in their homes, so they preferred coming here, but occasionally elderly or mobility-impaired shifters requested house call services. This was a service Tinya could never provide since she wasn’t allowed to go to the carnivorous district. Of course, even if she could, she would be too scared to go…

“Finally, I’ll spray some oil mist.”

“Alright.”

The grooming had reached its final stage. Tinya lightly sprayed the glossing oil on the back of her hand to check the concentration, then focused on spraying it on the exposed back and tail areas.

The fur, now gleaming with light, became even more lustrous than before, and each time she stroked down the back with her hand, the grain was smoothly arranged, gently reflecting the sunlight. Especially the shimmer spreading from the tail tip drew soft curves like silk, enhancing Leona’s dignity even further.

All done.

For large shifters, an entire bottle of oil spray was needed to properly bring out the luster in their fur. Having put in extra effort due to the long absence, beads of sweat formed on Tinya’s forehead. She wiped the sweat with her arm and straightened her posture, kneeling.

“Would you like to look in the mirror?”

“Of course. I should see how well you’ve done before I leave.”

Leona stood up and sauntered toward the mirror. After turning her body sideways and swishing her tail, she nodded with satisfaction.

“I’m very pleased. Make sure you do exactly this for my brother, too.”

“Yes. I’ll do my best.”

“Hehe.”

Leona’s tail lightly brushed against Tinya’s cheek as she passed by. Tinya bowed to see her off. Afterward, she ate the lunch Pupu provided alone, then soon welcomed her second customer. Perhaps because the weather was clear, the stream of customers was unending. By the time she finished brushing the third customer, the sun was already setting.