When Claire and Alice set up their bank accounts, we added some of the money we earned, but we also threw in a little extra cash.
It wasn’t a massive amount. I contributed a sum and divided the total money by three.
The utility bills and food costs were manageable with the money I earned, and considering the savings I’d built up while working, it wasn’t a big issue.
Anyway, it wasn’t an amount that could be considered “huge,” but still enough to buy “something nice.” While not enough for the latest smartphone, you could get a decent coat, branded sneakers, small accessories, or a pair of Bluetooth earphones.
So, I was curious about how the two would spend the money.
They might use it on street food when they go out or pop into an accessory shop to buy earrings, rings, or necklaces, or even cosmetics—but aside from food, this country’s culture was vastly different from the Empire of Aetherna, and everything they’d see would be brand-new to them.
But then I thought, would cosmetics from this country suit them? I don’t know much about skin tones, but apparently, there’s a noticeable difference between Eastern and Western skin tones. Even if they looked similar, they might lack melanin or something.
…Well, if they had experience with makeup, they probably knew more than I did. I didn’t wear any even when Grace’s voice rang like a black lily.
A day passed after I had that thought.
So, to put it simply, it was the day right after I handed over the check cards.
“I want to go somewhere,” Alice said to me, surprising me a bit.
I thought Claire would be the first to say something like that.
“If it’s a place we can return to before the broadcast time, I don’t see why not,” I replied.
Since there hadn’t been any announcement about taking a break, I figured it was fine. If someone was actually sick or an urgent issue popped up that prevented them from broadcasting, then I believed a notice should be up the day before.
After all, I had never been late until now.
Once trust is broken, all the built-up reliability can collapse in an instant.
“I know that.”
And Alice was not the type to ignore that fact. In fact, she was far more meticulous about such things than I was.
With the exception of that time we played a horror game and stayed up late, Alice and Claire always woke me up early in the morning.
Ever since I got them smartphones, their alarms were always set for the exact same time.
At least Claire wasn’t waking up as early as when she was doing requests.
After getting familiar with this neighborhood, they would go out for a morning breeze and light exercise together. Sometimes, they’d even bike around Yeouido Park like before.
Anyway, as long as they come back by dinner time, it’s all good.
“Okay. Then let’s get ready and head out.”
I had already showered in the morning, so all I had to do was get dressed.
Although Alice looked a bit tense, which made me feel a little nervous as well.
Well, would Alice really take us somewhere strange?
*
It wasn’t a strange place.
Or rather, it might seem strange to certain people.
These days, it was a spot where couples went on dates, but if you were to ask whether it’s a weird place in this modern age, it would definitely raise a few eyebrows: the International Electronics Market, commonly known as “Gukjeon.”
For reference, it was almost an hour away by subway from where I lived, so in Seoul residents’ sense of distance, it was quite far.
But I didn’t really care about that.
“Were you interested in this sort of place?”
If that was the case, they should have said so beforehand!
Though I may look nonchalant on the surface, deep down, a flame of otaku passion was still burning.
Even after returning here, I hadn’t bothered to look for new releases, but if I started, I would definitely binge a few titles. Plus, I was at an age where I would normally start feeling aches and pains, but becoming Sylvia Fanggriffon had corrected a lot of those issues.
“…Not yet.”
“Not yet, but coming all the way here shows interest, doesn’t it?”
“Hey, where is this place?”
“It’s a place where I can buy the game packages I have or a little Alice at my house.”
Of course, I rarely bought anything here. I sometimes dropped by to treat myself and picked up a couple of dumped games.
There’s a store that offers discounts for cash purchases, but honestly, it’s better to buy online and earn points instead.
Still, I wouldn’t deny the appeal of seeing and purchasing something right in front of me.
Anyway, I was an otaku, so…
“Oh.”
Claire’s eyes sparkled at my explanation, but Alice frowned.
“So that’s a no.”
But to me, imagining taking Alice to a doujinshi event was all that mattered.
But then I thought, do the three of us have to cosplay if we attend? I heard they charge a separate registration fee.
Given how we looked, I didn’t think they would believe us if we claimed we just came to look around. The event had a somewhat haphazard organizational style.
Well, that’s a story for another time.
“Have you been here before?”
When Alice asked that, I nodded.
“Then, could you possibly guide us? I know it’s the 9th floor…”
Alice said a bit shyly, and I nodded in agreement.
“Of course.”
It’s always welcome to have more companions.
It was still morning. It wouldn’t take long to look around before heading out.
Perhaps we’d hit Hongdae or Yongsan in the afternoon.
As I pondered seriously, I led the two toward the elevator.
*
As soon as Alice and Claire stepped into the 9th floor, they were both a bit shocked.
“Uh…”
“So, um…”
They might not have realized it when looking at just a single figure in my room, but there were countless other figures in the world.
For example—
“Cough.”
Claire made a sound as if her throat was choking, and when I looked over, I found the exact Claire figure I had missed out on before.
Seeing the price tag on the figure meant it was likely a second-hand item.
Claire’s expression made Alice strangely satisfied as she led the way into that store.
“Hey, wait—”
Claire looked a bit flustered, but she didn’t hesitate to follow.
As is typical for stores in this kind of market, the interior was quite cramped. However, among similar stores, this one was relatively large, but with all three of us, plus the people already inside, it felt packed.
Furthermore—
“Yikes.”
Even Claire’s reaction was enough that everyone in the store turned to look at the three of us.
Alice, who had gone in first, looked a bit stunned as if she couldn’t dare to enter.
…Well, I get it.
The three of us looked like we were dressed up for cosplay.
In terms of subculture, the Chronicles of Aetherna doesn’t take up a large space. It’s a fairly popular game series, but it’s not like it reached a phenomenon level in Japan or held a large share at doujin events.
But this place is also famous for game sales.
Our eye-catching appearance would practically make it impossible for anyone who recognized us to look away.
It’s amusing that all three of us are the actual characters.
As I gently nudged Alice forward, she finally seemed to snap back to reality.
“Um, uhh…. What brings you here?”
The middle-aged man at the cash register stood up and asked.
Alice hesitated, moving her lips a few times before pointing at me with her finger.
…Huh?
Is she signaling me to speak for her?
Surprisingly, the man seemed to get it, nodded, and turned around.
After rummaging through a large box, he asked,
“Huh?”
He pulled out a sizable figure box.
…And on that box was a drawing of none other than me.
“Is this what you’re looking for?”
The cashier said that, then quickly made an awkward expression. Given our apparent foreign status, he must have hesitated.
“Yes, that’s right.”
But Alice calmly confirmed it and visibly relaxed.
The figure was priced at a little over 100,000 won. That amount was enough to buy it and still have some leftover from the money I had put in Alice’s account.
And it was only then, while staring blankly at the payment process, that I realized why Alice came here.
…Is she planning on getting back at me?
For buying her figure?
Or perhaps, did she see it on the broadcast?
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