*
〈 Chapter 186 〉 Chapter 185 – Date?
*
Oh man, this is a disaster.
I don’t know what to do.
I can’t figure out how to convey this feeling.
My heart’s racing, and I can barely breathe.
But I can’t keep it buried, so I texted the other person as calmly as possible.
Me [Hey, Caressy.]
Caressy [What’s up?]
Me [How’s it going?]
Caressy [It’s crap, obviously. So I’m coming back soon.]
The start was okay.
Caressy didn’t seem to be in a bad mood.
I carefully typed my message.
Me [I have something I really need to tell you.]
Caressy [What is it? Oh! Are you talking about that?]
Me [Actually, you know…]
Suddenly, Caressy started texting like crazy.
Caressy [A guy who’s already got three girlfriends is after you too?]
Me [I should have said it earlier, sorry for springing it on you out of nowhere.]
Caressy [No way! The buildup isn’t even done yet!]
Me [But I really have to say it.]
Caressy wasn’t engaging with me at all.
In my anxious state, I hurriedly called her, but all I got was her cold rejection.
Soon, I received a text from Caressy.
Caressy [Don’t call me. You’re being too hasty.]
Me [Please, just hear me out.]
Caressy’s texting paused for a moment.
Did my desperation get through? Caressy sent one nonchalant text.
Caressy [If you insist, I’ll hear you out just this once.]
Finally, I had a chance to express my feelings.
I maintained my composure and calmly moved my fingers.
Me [Actually, the card you lent me broke.]
Caressy [Pick up the phone, you piece of trash.]
In an instant, I got a call from Caressy.
“You bastard, what the hell did you do?”
“I tried to card slash on the digi-device, and it broke. Evolution failed.”
“Shut your mouth, you bastard! That was a freaking limited edition!!!”
“I’m sorry, but the durability was just too weak.”
At least I managed to convey the apology and regret that I’d been keeping inside.
While Caressy was raging with curses, she regained her composure.
“And why are you confusing me!!!”
“What did I confuse? I was just trying to say sorry.”
“Hah… damn it. Anyway, keep that piece safe.”
“Got it.”
With that, the call with Caressy ended.
For now, I carefully stored the broken card piece in my coin wallet.
Until I met with Caressy, I planned to keep it with me so I wouldn’t lose it.
Well, at least that’s one problem solved.
[Solved? You shameless bastard.]
‘Shut it.’
*
The heroines came back sooner than expected.
As soon as I finished with Caressy, the heroines texted that they were heading back to the academy.
So I went out to meet them just before dinner.
“Why are you back so early?”
“Hah… damn it.”
Hyeji sighed deeply while pointing a finger at Elcia.
“That damn girl emptied half the refrigerator in just one day.”
“Hyeji unni! That’s not true!”
Elcia puffed her cheeks and protested against Hyeji.
“I even emptied the freezer!”
“That’s why my ice cream vanished without a trace!”
“Next time, can I have strawberry flavor, please?”
Hyeji lunged toward Elcia, but I quickly grabbed and hugged her.
Hyeji’s expression softened a bit, but then she growled again.
“Besides, how much delivery must you order to get a voice phishing call!”
“My dad said to order whatever, so I did.”
“You crazy girl! It was because of you that Dad was trembling!”
Then I suddenly noticed Ayeon’s gloomy figure.
“Ayeon, what’s up?”
“……Don’t ask.”
Hyeji smirked this time.
“You bragged about flying with the succubus’s wings.”
“P-Please don’t say that!!!”
Ayeon looked pale and tried to cover Hyeji’s mouth in a panic.
Of course.
“You couldn’t fly because you gained weight.”
“……I’m screwed.”
Hyeji’s mouth moved faster than I expected.
Ayeon slumped down hopelessly.
She didn’t look different outwardly, but it seemed she felt something only she could sense.
‘Should I try poking Ayeon in the side?’
[You’re really great at turning suicide wishes into a joke, huh?]
“This is so unfair! I ate less than Elcia!”
“I eat it all with my chest! Our Ayeon just went around the hips!”
“Damn fat bastards.”
It started with Hyeji teasing, but naturally, the tables turned.
Then Hyeji turned her gaze back to me.
She looked oddly cheerful and happy.
“And today’s an important day.”
“What day?”
“…You seriously forgot, you bastard?”
Things got dangerous.
Thinking about what day it was made my life flash before my eyes.
Then I barely remembered one thing.
“We’re going to the restaurant Professor Kim Ji-sun reserved for us today, right?”
“Right. Good to know you remembered.”
Hyeji’s expression returned to normal.
Of course, my heart raced even more.
[Such a shame. If he had died right there, a protagonist switch might have happened.]
‘Damn, you’re really hoping I die, huh?’
I decided to subtly gaslight HAL about the piece again soon.
Meanwhile, Hyeji shot a fierce look at Elcia and Ayeon.
“Today’s my date with Shinwoo, so if you butt in, you’ll be dead, you bastards.”
“I’ll be good if you pack up the pre-meal bread for me!”
“I’d like a cake too, please.”
“Fine, damn girls.”
Elcia and Ayeon looked a bit reluctant but seemed to accept it for now.
Nothing should go wrong… hopefully.
“Master! Play with me until the appointment time!”
“I’d like to join too.”
“Get lost, you damn girls.”
Hyeji dragged Elcia and Ayeon away to prevent them from doing anything silly.
Then she turned her head slightly and smiled at me.
“I’ll see you later. I’m looking forward to it.”
Seeing that smile made me feel like I had to prepare.
Since it had come to this, I didn’t want to disappoint Hyeji.
*
After getting my outing pass from the academy, I headed to the restaurant Professor Kim Ji-sun had mentioned.
Dressed in a suit, with dress shoes ready for any situation.
Plus, gloves to cover the magical power tattoo on my hand.
I arrived a bit early, about 30 minutes before the reservation.
The place was a large restaurant that radiated an old-school charm.
It looked expensive at a glance.
[You’ll totally flop here. With your tattoo, you might as well go eat kimbap or something.]
‘If I do that, Hyeji will really kill me.’
What was strange was that there was no one around.
I expected to see people waiting or coming out, but there was nobody.
As I pondered this, I suddenly felt something hard smack into my back.
Thud.
It felt like concrete pressing against me.
Without turning around, I naturally said, “Flying concrete. That’s definitely Hyeji.”
“Die.”
“Damn.”
Fortunately, it ended with one hard smack on my back.
Feeling a sharp pain, I shifted my gaze to Hyeji.
Instead of her usual twin tails, she had long, flowing red hair.
In contrast, she wore a black off-the-shoulder dress.
She also had footwear resembling high-heeled leather sandals.
She had put in a lot of effort into her outfit.
As I focused on Hyeji, she shyly looked down and mumbled.
“W-What are you staring at? Is there something weird?”
Seemed like she wasn’t confident about her outfit as she hesitated a bit.
Seeing her like that, I smiled and asked innocently, “How did you hold up an off-the-shoulder dress without a chest?”
[You’re definitely in the wrong here.]
Hyeji silently hurled a punch into my gut.
She had leveled up her punches compared to before.
I instinctively lost my breath.
Before the barrage continued, I quickly took a breath and then said my real thoughts.
“That was a joke. You look pretty. It suits you.”
“Yeah, it’s crap… but thanks.”
I subtly extended my arm to Hyeji.
She shyly laughed and gently hooked her arm around mine.
Together, we started walking slowly toward the entrance of the restaurant.
A blissful smile graced Hyeji’s face.
But unfortunately…
“Why the hell can’t we get in!!!”
“I’m s-sorry!”
That smile didn’t last long.
We suddenly hit a wall when it came to the entrance.
I bet entering a club wouldn’t be tougher than this.
“Don’t just say sorry, tell me why!”
“W-Well, it seems a suspiciously rich person booked the place for the whole day! I’m really sorry!”
Somehow, I felt a bad vibe.
Someone was on my mind.
Meanwhile, Hyeji’s eyes dimmed as she prepared to summon her firearm.
“Hyeji! Don’t use it outside; you’ll get arrested!”
“I don’t care! If I can’t go in, I’m breaking everything!”
In that moment, a person who seemed to be the manager burst out from inside.
He trembled and urgently spoke to Hyeji.
“They said it’s fine if you go in! Please, come in!”
He grabbed Hyeji’s shoulder, which was visibly irritated, and pulled her closer to me.
Hyeji’s happy smile returned.
But when we checked inside, both Hyeji and I couldn’t help but stiffen.
No wonder.
“Hyeji, come over here! And you, stick your head in the dirt, you bastard.”
“Oh, it’s you again, unni! And Master!”
“Cough! I didn’t expect to run into you here.”
Unexpected people were waiting for us.
That suspiciously wealthy person from earlier was probably Caressy.
I sighed and spoke to Caressy.
“Seriously, it’s you again, Kyaru?”
*
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