I was able to get two pieces of information from Seo Ga-eul by temporarily sacrificing two marbles.
A perfect 2 for 2 exchange.
This is capitalism.
“So first, tell me why you were put on 「sick leave」.”
“I don’t know.”
Seo Ga-eul crossed her arms and took a completely exclusive stance.
The sacrificed marbles seemed to be crying.
“Hey, you promised to tell me honestly.”
“I don’t know.”
“Hey, are you going to act like that? If you’re going to talk like that, apologize to my sacrificed marbles!”
Drip-. I took off my school uniform pants and showed Seo Ga-eul my tiger underwear.
As soon as Seo Ga-eul made eye contact with the tiger on my lower body, she trembled violently like a fox caught by a hunter, seemingly frightened.
“Ah, shit, those damn tiger underwear. Change them! Don't you have any other clothes?”
“No. Apologize, quickly.”
Apologize to my marbles, or honestly give me information.
Seo Ga-eul had only two choices.
Seo Ga-eul, who had been having a staring contest with my tiger for a while, finally seemed to realize that my will was firm, and let out a deep sigh, as if it was rising from deep within her stomach.
“Ha... I really don’t know why I’m on sick leave. I want to know what’s going on in that man’s head, my father. His daughter was kidnapped by a pervert, and he puts her on 「sick leave」? Fuck, that son of a bitch. Tell him not to be ridiculous.”
Crunch-. Seeing Seo Ga-eul clenching her jaw so hard that her molars seemed to be cracking, it didn't seem like she was joking or lying.
Of course, no one can lie in front of my 'Tiger of Truth'.
“Son of a bitch!”
Seo Ga-eul continued to curse her father in vulgar terms after that. It was a story too delicate to write down anywhere, so I was letting it in one ear and out the other when─Seo Ga-eul spoke.
“So when are you going to kidnap Yoo Yeo-reum? It would be better to hurry up, wouldn't it? She’ll be put into action soon. I guarantee you, Yoo Yeo-reum, she might die this time?”
“What? Die?”
“There are many tricky concept holders in 「Villainerz」. They’re our seniors, so they have much more practical experience. Even if it’s Yoo Yeo-reum, can she handle such guys?”
Swipe-. Seo Ga-eul was rubbing my shin with her stocking-clad foot. Swipe- Swipe- Swipe-.
“I was supposed to be deployed with her to supplement that. Ah─, because of some perverted bastard, I’m trapped in the basement, so Yoo Yeo-reum has to face the Awakened alone? Even if someone else replaces me, will they really support her as well as I do-.”
In other words, it meant that Yoo Yeo-reum might die or be seriously injured in this operation.
Someone might dismiss it as a joke, but it didn't sound like a joke to me. Because I heard Yoo Yeo-reum’s name for the first time when I came to this school.
Yoo Yeo-reum’s name wasn’t among the 「Supernova」 of the future that I knew.
There must have been a reason why I had never heard of Yoo Yeo-reum, who should have shone brighter than anyone else like the August sun.
...Will Yoo Yeo-reum really die?
Then the promise with Seo Ga-eul, who said she would cooperate with my training if I kidnapped Yoo Yeo-reum, will also disappear.
“Think. Think.”
Yoo Yeo-reum is going into action starting next Monday, right? Then, the time I have left is about tomorrow, Saturday and Sunday?
That's enough time to have sex, eat, and shit.
Tap- Tap-.
I decided to use my smartphone to summon the 「No Leftovers Day」 group.
This is what group chats are for.
「Looking for party members to beat up villains in my neighborhood tomorrow.」
# # #
“Whew, they eat well, eat well.”
━Kyu-ing.
Late at night.
Inging-i was frantically eating the ramen I boiled.
Slurp- Slurp- Chomp- Chomp- Chomp-
Watching him eat well made my stomach feel full as well.
“Eat a lot. You have to eat a lot now.”
Because in a year, this ramen will be a luxury ingredient that costs 10 bottle caps per pack. But Seo Ga-eul refused this delicious food without even appreciating it.
“I won’t eat!”
“Hey, you'll get sick if you do that.”
“Give me something normal! Not this dog food!”
Dog food? That’s harsh.
In the ruined world, so many people couldn’t even eat that dog food.
But was Seo Ga-eul different?
Seo Ga-eul was a Supernova who operated based in Korea’s last shelter, the only functioning 「City」.
I couldn't buy citizenship to enter the 「City」, so I lived in a garbage dump on the outskirts, but I heard that people inside the tall and large walls could bathe in warm water, eat food made with uncontaminated ingredients, and still use electricity to light up the night.
They could even sleep comfortably in clean beds and use medical facilities, albeit partially, so it was also called the only paradise left in the ruined world.
I loved watching the last remaining city lights from the roof of the shack in the junkyard.
Someday, I will collect bottle caps and enter there─I used to strengthen my resolve like that.
But look at me now.
Beyond the shelter, I returned to my warm and comfortable home.
This must also be the grace of Goddess Seo Ga-eul.
“I don’t need food. Give me a bath.”
“A bath? You don’t need that.”
Seo Ga-eul had acquired the new concept 「Chaste and Virtuous Maiden」 after having an overwhelming desire for cleanliness.
Perhaps that's why, despite living in this place far from cleanliness, Seo Ga-eul's body emitted a sweet and refreshing apple scent rather than a foul odor.
Sniff-.
“Why are you sniffing, pervert!!! Anyway, this is a matter of feeling, okay? Even if I know my body won’t get dirty, I feel refreshed after taking a bath! And while I’m taking a bath, you have to stay outside the bathroom!”
The water supply to this next-door house was cut off.
To give Seo Ga-eul a bath, I have to take her to my house. Give Seo Ga-eul a bath in my bathroom, and I have to stay outside the door?
It all felt fishy for some reason, so it was a suggestion I didn't like.
“Hey, pervert. You said it yourself. We’re going to see each other for a long time. Then wouldn’t it be good to cooperate and be friendly with each other? A bath isn't that difficult, is it? Right?”
Seo Ga-eul had a point.
However, there was a high probability that this girl would suddenly go crazy when she went outside the basement, so I had no choice but to flatly refuse.
“Let's take a bath on the next full moon. When your power weakens.”
“......”
Seo Ga-eul frowned.
「Name: Seo Ga-eul
Possessions: Click to Expand ☜
Status: 《Dissatisfied》 - Upset about things not going her way. Will not talk to you for the next two days.」
She’s really sulking.
Should I give her a present to comfort the sulking Seo Ga-eul?
I was originally going to give it to her to commemorate her next 「Concept」 manifestation.
“Have you ever been to a restaurant? There are buttons on each table in restaurants, right? This is that. When you press this button, a bell will ring in my house, so tell me if you need anything.”
In other words, it’s a 「Call Bell」.
Of course, Seo Ga-eul, as if to protest that she wouldn't even listen to me, turned her back and lay down on the mat.
“......”
# # #
Ding-dong- Ding-dong- Ding-dong-.
Oh shit, I need to sleep, but the 「Call Bell」 I installed in my room kept ringing, so I couldn't sleep.
It was Seo Ga-eul’s fault for pressing the 「Call Bell」 all night.
The problem was that whenever I went over and asked, “Do you need anything?”, Seo Ga-eul would turn her back on me as if she didn’t know anything about it and wouldn't even answer.
Then, when I went back home, after about 5 minutes, ding-dong, ding-dong- she would ring the bell again.
Ding-dong- Ding-dong- Ding-dong- Ding-dong- Ding-dong-.
Ding-dong- Ding-dong- Ding-dong-.
Ding-dong- Ding-dong- Ding-dong- Ding-dong-.
This can't go on. Using the call bell I installed out of goodwill like Dooly?
I was about to go out and give her a good spanking on the thighs with 「Love Whip」 when...
“Hey! Ha Nam-jjin! Why are you so late! How many times did I ring the doorbell!”[TL]The Nam-jjin is intentional, not a typo. Was going to make it Nam-chin but it just looks so wrong even though I feel it's a bit more intuitive. Might revert back to that if I get feedback.[/TL]
“Did you just wake up? Weren't you the one who called us to beat up the villains!”
“......”
Baek Yeo-ul, Chang-sik, and Deok-sun-i were standing right in front of our house. Now that I see it, it wasn't Seo Ga-eul who rang the bell just now, it was Bangdeng-i and her friends.
The bell sounds were the same, so I got confused. I should change the sound later when I have time.
The problem was that Bangdeng-i and her friends barged into our house.
“Hey! Ha Nam-jjin! You haven’t had breakfast yet, right? I brought tteokbokki from our refrigerator!”
Stride- Stride-.
Bangdeng-i came in as if our house was her own and occupied the kitchen.
Then, she put water in a pot and started boiling it with the sauce, but I don’t know how she cooked, but black smoke started pouring out of the pot.
“Kyaaaaaaaaaaaak!!!!”
Baek Yeo-ul screamed, her face contorted as if her eyes were stinging.
I don't know if it was my imagination, but she was getting weirder every time I saw her.
Anyway, I was worried about my friends being at my house right now. Because Seo Ga-eul is next door, right?
She hasn’t pressed the call bell or attacked with 「Moaning Sound」 despite all this commotion, so she must have fallen asleep after bothering me all night.
But if we keep making noise, she might wake up.
“Ugh, the smell! Hey! Everybody out! We'll suffocate if we stay here!”
I first turned off the fire on the blackened pot and led everyone outside.
Baek Yeo-ul’s misfortune of ruining the dish turned into a blessing in disguise for me. Of course, Baek Yeo-ul, as if she had come to her senses, scratched the back of her head awkwardly.
“This... This is strange. It worked fine when I cooked it alone at home.”
So we went out to the park.
We bought cup ramen at a nearby convenience store and ate it deliciously.
Now that everyone seems to have finished eating, I guess I can ask.
“Didn’t Tae-seong-i come?”
“Didn’t Tae-seong say in the group chat that he couldn’t come because he had a part-time job today?”
“He’s amazing! He has three part-time jobs on the weekend!”
Did he?
I didn't have time to look at the chat room yesterday because of the call bell war with Seo Ga-eul.
“So, my friend, what do you mean by beating up villains?”
I see. It seems like everyone just gathered because I told them to, without knowing exactly what we were doing today.
It’s a fun Saturday, but everyone was bored because they didn’t have any friends.
Lucky them.
“I’ll tell you why I called you all here. There are many empty houses near my house, right? I wanted you to investigate who is illegally occupying those houses.”
“I see, vigilante activities? I remember the seniors who caught robbers received certificates of commendation. They also got a lot of reward points and the right to use 「Treasures」.”
“「Treasures」? What’s that?”
Deok-sun-i, who knew a lot, kindly answered Bangdeng-i’s question.
“It refers to... tools imbued with concepts... like the 「Cutting Pen」 that the Captain has. You can... rent such items from the Hero-mili School Treasure Hall starting from... the 「Knight Brooch」 rank...”
“If this external activity ends successfully, we might also acquire the 「Knight Brooch」 like the Class President and obtain treasures suitable for our concepts from the Hero-mili School Treasure Hall!”
“Vigilante squad! I really wanted to do something like that! I want a tool imbued with a concept too! Me too!”
Bangdeng-i, Chang-sik, and even Deok-sun-i showed more enthusiasm than I expected.
It's a relief that they are motivated without me having to persuade them, but aren't they going to cause trouble?
I called everyone today for 「investigation」, not 「raid」.
“Then let's move in pairs of two. There might be dangerous guys, so don’t ever attack first even if you see lawbreakers. We’re here to ‘investigate’ only.”
We will ‘investigate’ the whereabouts of the illegal Awakened in advance, and later I will Swipe- them-.
That way, Yoo Yeo-reum's operation will be much easier, won't it?
I’ll also accumulate reward points and if I acquire the 「Knight Brooch」, I can get something called 「Treasure」, so my combat power will also increase.
How many birds can I catch with one stone?
It's beyond killing two birds with one stone; it's killing nine birds with one stone.
As expected, I'm a genius!
“Th, then I’ll go to the left with Deok-hee.”
“......”
Chang-sik paired up with Deok-hee first.
Then the only one left is Bangdeng-i.
“Ha Nam-jjin!!!! I’ll carry you!!!!”
The key to this investigation mission will be how Bangdeng-i’s 'Misfortune' works.