NOVEL NEXT Chapter 106: Weekend (5)
Weekend (5)
“Pork belly costs 2,200 won per 100g, while pork neck is 2,100 won. It’s a bit cheaper, but I really want to have pork belly… Hmm.”
After meeting her little sister yesterday and spending money on transportation, Nam Daeun found herself with only 3,000 won left. The academy offered free meals in the student cafeteria during the weekdays, but during the weekends, she had to use the dormitory cafeteria, which wasn’t free.
She usually saved some food from the student cafeteria and stored it in the fridge to sustain herself. However, occasionally, she had days when she wanted to indulge.
“What should I do… If I buy this, I’ll have almost no money left for next month.”
She owed about 10,000 won to Lee Hoyeon, and her monthly allowance was around 50,000 won. But her dignity maintenance fee had been deducted by the guild, supposedly for her younger sister’s medical expenses. When she tried to argue, they insisted the academy provided meals for her and she didn’t need the money, so she gave up on the argument, knowing it wouldn’t get her more money.
“Ugh… Fine. Today, I’ll just have rice with water.”
There was a water purifier in the dormitory corridor, so if she mixed the remaining frozen rice with water, it would still be somewhat edible. And if she added the salt she had sneaked from the cafeteria, it would be a delicacy.
“Haa…” Nam Daeun put the meat down and turned around.
“Hello?” Standing behind her was Lee Hoyeon.
***
“Hello?”
“Eeek…!”
Nam Daeun jumped in surprise, her mouth hanging open.
“Uh… Sorry about that. I was just trying to say hi.”
“It’s okay…” She placed her hand on her chest and took a deep breath.
She’s quite expressive these days. She used to be pretty reserved with others, but around me, she seems to loosen up a bit.
★ Heroine Status Window
[Nam Daeun]
[Affection: 48]
[Lust: 15]
[Appetite: 85]
[Fatigue: 33]
Current Status: I’m really surprised… Why did he suddenly show up like that?
Luckily, by letting her have the first place, I earned a good amount of affection. It’s a win for me. After the survival test, the grades will be announced during the festival. Maybe her affection will increase even more? For now, I’ll just keep a friendly relationship with her. After all, conquering her will take some time.
“Are you here to buy meat?”
“I just came, uh, to browse.”
“I see.”
I left Nam Daeun standing there and went to check out the meat. Since the test environment isn’t ideal for cooking, I went for smoked meat and instant food. Storing them in the subspace pouch would keep them fresh longer.
“I guess I should buy about 20kg for a week?”
I won’t be the only one eating it, so buying a bit more should be fine. I filled my cart with most types of instantly edible meat. There was plenty of smoked duck and smoked pork belly, so I grabbed as much as I could.
“Huh…?”
I heard Nam Daeun’s surprised voice from behind. Well, with this much in the cart, it’s no wonder she’s surprised. I couldn’t tell her that the survival test starts tomorrow, so I decided to be straightforward.
“I just happen to have a hearty appetite.”
I did buy a bit more than expected, but it’s better to have too much than too little. I also grabbed some instant rice from the next corner. Koreans love their rice.
“I see…”
Is she buying that explanation, even after seeing the camping gear? Or is she just letting it slide because I said so? I’m not sure.
★ Heroine Status Window
[Nam Daeun]
[Affection: 48]
[Lust: 15]
[Appetite: 85]
[Fatigue: 33]
Current Status: He must have his reasons too.
She was just letting it slide, as I suspected. I appreciated that.
Now that I think about it, her appetite is at 85. When I consider that the heroines have a lust level of 85, I can’t even fathom how hungry 85 must be. Does she stay hungry all day long?
“Did you have lunch? How about we grab a meal at the food court? My treat.”
Recalling her contemplation over the 2,000 won meat tugged at my heartstrings. Even if sharing a meal might not get me closer to conquering her, I could at least buy her lunch.
“It’s okay.”
“Friends can share a meal, right?”
“You think so…?”
Sensing her unease, I used the term “friends” to ease the situation. Hunger can make people less concerned.
“Yeah, and there’s something I wanted to discuss.”
I had something that had been on my mind since the one-on-one duel final. She followed me with a puzzled expression.
The camping equipment and food cost over a million won. I never expected the tent to be so pricey. Maybe it’s because it’s an automatic pop-up tent. I purchased various seemingly unnecessary items like a gas mask, so my expenses ended up higher than expected, but it’s an amount I can handle without much worry.
Nam Daeun silently observed me calculating the total from behind.
***
“Isn’t this too much…?”
“Nah, I’m just really hungry. Let’s feast.”
I went for a variety, ordering everything from pizza and chicken to bake with meat inside bread. She thought it might be excessive, but her appetite meter on the status screen told a different story. I simply went all-in with the orders.
“Thanks…”
The food arrived promptly, and we took our seats to start eating. Originally, I had planned to talk while eating, but Nam Daeun was eating so enthusiastically that I couldn’t get a word in.
Nom Nom Nom Nom
She couldn’t be bothered earlier, but once the food arrived, her hands didn’t stop moving.
“I’ll just finish eating, and then we can chat.”
I couldn’t keep up, so I grabbed a slice of pizza and took a bite.
***
“You ate well.”
“You didn’t have to get all this.”
In the end, the two of us made quick work of two pizzas and two bakes. The pizzas were so big that it was a struggle to move afterward, but Nam Daeun seemed unfazed.
“By the way, how’s your sister?”
She talked about going to see her sister. It seemed like she had a good time; I could only hope for no unexpected events.
“I saw her yesterday. So, didn’t you mention something you wanted to discuss?”
After treating her to a meal, she became somewhat reserved. However, it appeared that she hesitated when it came to her sister. Was showing her sister in a video call just a spur-of-the-moment decision? Perhaps I should take her to the Korean restaurant I visited with Moon Soorin next time. It might be effective.
“I do have something to discuss.”
I’ve been pondering it. Even if she’s been hiding her skills, it’s astonishing that she can already wield a skill intended for a year from now so proficiently.
If she’s been concealing her strength to such a degree, there’s no way she would have lost to the protagonist from the original story. After all, I’ve already reached the same level of strength as the original protagonist. The idea of an even stronger Nam Daeun a year later losing is absurd. So, there’s only one conclusion. The original 2nd-year Nam Daeun and the current Nam Daeun are on the same level.
“You won’t be giving up on training, will you?”
That’s the conclusion I’ve come to. In the original story, due to her exceptional talent, she reached a high level at a young age, but she realized that becoming stronger was pointless. She likely viewed herself as destined to be a guild tool. Perhaps she believed there was no need to improve. So, she completely stopped training. That’s why she lost to the protagonist in the 2nd year.
“What are you talking about…?” Nam Daeun seemed puzzled by my sudden words.
“I don’t know your circumstances, but keep pushing yourself. I’ll be even stronger by the next test. I won’t take it easy on you next time.”
Nam Daeun stopped training after losing to the protagonist and being completely saved. Even so, if the incredibly strong Nam Daeun starts getting stronger from now on, I can’t even imagine the outcome. That’s how crucial this one year at the present moment is.
“Right… When the time comes, I’ll definitely fight you fair and square and win. And I’ll make sure to repay what happened last time.”
Fortunately, she responded positively to my words. I was worried about what would happen if she yelled at me, asking what I knew about her, and stormed out, but it seems that buying her food had a significant impact. Instead of her usual expressionless demeanor, she had a faint smile on her face.
“It’s okay. We’re friends. I should get going now. See you next time.”
“Goodbye.”
We cleared the table and left our seats. As Nam Daeun left, she seemed a bit more determined than she did initially.
***
I got back to the dorm and reorganized my stuff again.
“Why did you buy so much? Can you eat all of this by yourself?”
“Well, if there’s any left, I can share it.”
Liliana came over, surprised by the amount of meat I’d bought.
“The pork belly looks delicious. Can I have a bit?”
“…Sure, let’s put it in the fridge.”
If Liliana wants some, I should save a portion for her. We usually rely on food delivery, so the fridge is often empty.
Wait a minute, I just realized I won’t be in the dorm for a week. If food gets delivered during that time, it’ll look suspicious if it’s just for my room while the whole first-year dorm is empty.
“Liliana, you should order in advance.”
“What…?”
“Food delivery. If you order now, it’ll arrive by tomorrow morning. Don’t have food delivered here while I’m away for a week.”
“…Then I’m coming with you!” Liliana hesitated for a moment, then declared.
“I said no!”
“Don’t you even care about our family? You bad person!”
“Why are you bringing ‘family’ into this? Don’t use that word!”
Hearing such words made me feel like a truly inept man.
“Anyway, I’ll take you out and have fun with you every day when I’m back. Just wait.”
“Really? I wanna go out and play!”
“Alright.”
“Yay!”
Excited, Liliana cheered, and I realized I needed to find a place for her to stay soon. Luckily, during the festival season, it’s okay for her to be outside since there are so many people. If she wears a mask, no one will recognize her. Or she can wear sunglasses; that should work. If I protect Liliana well with my Rune Barrier, there shouldn’t be any concern about her unique hellish mana revealing her identity.
“Take care of the house. Got it?”
“Got it.”
I patted Liliana’s head.
“But…”
“Yes?”
“Tonight… a week’s worth of…” Liliana blushed and clung to me.
“…”
I checked the time. I had about three hours before my evening appointment with Moon Soorin.
“Okay, let’s settle it for the first two days portion first.”
“Huh? Okay…”
I should try to wrap up the dinner appointment as quickly as possible.
***
“I’ll be right back. Wait for me.”
“Yes… Master…”
I gently laid Liliana, who was gasping her breath, on the bed and made my way to the meeting spot with Moon Soorin. Since I’d been there once before, I wasn’t too flustered.
“Has Moon Soorin arrived?”
“Ah, Lee Hoyeon. Yes, this way, please.”
Stepping into the room, I greeted her, “Hello, Soorin Noona”
I felt a sense of anticipation as I took my seat, reminiscing about the delicious meal from our previous meeting.
“Welcome, Hoyeon. You did great in the 1v1 duel, even if you didn’t clinch the top spot.” Moon Soorin greeted me with a smile.
“Well, second place isn’t all that bad, is it?”
“Hehe, you’re right. Food’s on its way. But before we eat, let me give you the millennium ginseng.”
She reached for a box on the side.
“Open it up.”
With excitement, I opened the box.
“Whoa…”
Inside was ginseng radiating a blue mana.
“Thanks a lot, noona. I’ll make good use of this.”
“No, it’s thanks to you that my job has become a lot easier. I’m determined to repay this favor.”
“…?”
What on earth did I do?