Episode 94. Shopping

“Haa, haaa….”

Slap!

I slapped Liliana’s plump butt as she lay there, catching her breath.

“I got too worked up and now I’m starving. What do you want to order?”

“J-just a moment… let me rest….”

Even though Liliana was clearly wearing clothes, her bare skin was showing everywhere, which was quite a sight.

“From now on, wear that when we have sex. It looks good.”

“You perverted bastard… Ahh.”

I poked Liliana’s sides as she shot glares at me.

Every time I poked her, she’d go ‘ahh ahh,’ which was amusing.

“You should have shown it to Master first, then.”

“Hngh….”

Liliana still seemed caught up in the afterglow of her climax and couldn’t get up, so I opened the delivery app on my smartwatch.

“What are we ordering again?”

As I was choosing today’s menu, Liliana peeked at my smartwatch and said.

“Huh? Well, we have to order something. There’s nothing to eat at home.”

“Sometimes, I want to eat something healthy, too.”

“…What?”

What the hell is this crazy succubus talking about all of a sudden?

Where did ‘healthy food’ even come from?

“I miss the meals Mom used to make!”

“Seriously? It hasn’t even been that long since you were crying over chicken. Are you nuts?”

“I don’t know! I want you to cook for me too!”

Liliana shook her head frantically and clung onto me.

“Ah, crap. Hey, if we’re cooking, you should do it, not me.”

“You should! I earn money for us. I have sex with you. What do you do for the family?”

Liliana said, glaring at me.

“Huh…?”

“You don’t even do chores! I do the laundry. I even run the vacuum sometimes. I earn the money! We have sex together, so what is it that you do!”

“…Is that so?”

I couldn’t think of anything to argue back.

Was it actually me, not Liliana, who was the degenerate?

I live my life diligently in my own way, but what do I do for the family, as Liliana said… Wait, is ‘family’ even the right word?

And why is she suddenly talking about home-cooked meals?

★ Heroine Status Window

[Liliana]

• [Affection: 86] (+0.2)

• [Lust: 74]

• [Appetite: 45]

• [Fatigue: 35]

Current Status: I want to go out with Master for the first time in a while….

‘Ah… she wanted to go out.’

Well, it makes sense to feel cooped up if you stay home every day.

Still, teasing me is unforgivable.

“Sorry… I’ll go grocery shopping and make us a meal.”

I bowed my head with an apologetic expression and got dressed.

“I’ll go with you. It’s pathetic if you go alone.”

She flashed a sly smile, looking like her plan was working. But no way.

“No. As a sign of my repentance, I’ll go alone. Send me a message with what you want to eat.”

“Oh, oh? You don’t have to do that…?”

“I’m going grocery shopping. Send me a message with what you want to eat~.”

I threw on a jacket, headed to the entrance, and started putting on my shoes.

“…Fine! Go on, get out!”

Liliana crossed her arms and glared at me. She must have known I was doing this on purpose, judging by her sulky expression.

Did I smile too obviously?

Besides, taking her would just mean she’d constantly ask me to buy this and that, bothering me without helping with the shopping at all.

“We’ll go out together next time. Wait here today.”

“Okay….”

Seeing her look disappointed made me feel a little weak.

Should I get a place outside the dormitory instead of staying here?

It would be more convenient outside the dorm, not just because of Liliana, but also for meeting other girls.

Now that Liliana’s broadcasts have stabilized, there’s no need to stir up trouble with the cadets anymore.

First, I opened the dormitory door to go shopping.

“…?”

As soon as I stepped out of the room, a strange chill swept over my body.

‘Did I just get goosebumps all over? What was that?’

Is there still a late spring cold snap?

Anyway, I should make that home-cooked meal Liliana wanted.

Since the only home-cooked meal I can make is Kimchi Jjigae anyway. I’ll just make Kimchi Jjigae.

“Guess I’ll head to the supermarket.”

I headed to the large discount supermarket to get that shopping feeling for the first time in a while.

Actually, it’s been a while since I visited a large supermarket like this, either in my original world or here.

Especially here, where I get 3 million won a month for ‘personal expenses,’ it’s easier to just order food and daily necessities.

Since there are many cadets like me, this supermarket is actually frequented more by locals than by cadets.

I actually came here just to get the vibe of pushing a cart and shopping; otherwise, I would never have come.

“The recipe for Kimchi Jjigae calls for kimchi, beef bone broth…”

I checked the Kimchi Jjigae recipe on my smartwatch and bought the ingredients one by one.

It felt nice, remembering when I first lived alone after a long time.

I lived really diligently for the first month… although eventually, I got lazy and just ate delivery food.

---

『Sub Quest Transmitted.』

[Help Nam Daeun]

It’s incredibly awkward when you don’t have enough money at the checkout.

Please help her get through it smoothly!

• Reward: Random Stat +1

---

“Huh?”

A sub quest just popped up?

I quickly scanned my surroundings to find Nam Daeun.

Soon, I saw Nam Daeun pushing her cart towards one of the checkouts.

Her ideally sculpted figure and black hair reaching her waist were captivating.

★ Heroine Status Window

[Nam Daeun]

• [Affection: 11]

• [Lust: 10]

• [Appetite: 30]

• [Fatigue: 83]

Current Status: Gotta buy Dahee’s favorite snacks… and I need shampoo since I ran out.

No wonder she had a faint smile, unlike her usual melancholic eyes; she was going to see her sister.

I naturally followed behind Nam Daeun, pushing my cart.

Nam Daeun’s cart contained snacks and daily necessities.

The snacks for her sister were expensive chocolates and boxed treats, but the shampoo for herself was the cheapest brand.

She didn’t even have body wash or facial cleanser, just a bar of soap rattling around.

Even the toilet paper was the cheapest kind, marked with a sale sticker.

“That’ll be 13,200 won, ma’am.”

“Just a moment. I’ll pay in cash.”

Nam Daeun has all her ‘personal expense’ money taken by the guild, leaving her with only the bare minimum allowance to live on.

Seeing her pull out crumpled 1,000 won bills and 100 won coins from her worn, pink wallet made my heart ache.

“One, two, three….”

“Ma’am, you’re short on the payment….”

“Ah, I’m sorry….”

Nam Daeun hesitated, then finally decided to remove the shampoo she needed, instead of her sister’s snacks.

It seemed she tried too hard to buy her sister’s snacks and miscalculated the total.

Her face turned bright red, probably embarrassed by the situation of being short just 13,200 won.

Now’s the time to step in.

“Nam Daeun.”

“Huh…?!”

Nam Daeun seemed incredibly flustered when I suddenly appeared behind her.

“Still haven’t found that lost card? Excuse me, sir. Please charge this.”

I held out my smartwatch to the cashier.

“Yes, certainly.”

“No… Th-thank you.”

Realizing I had stepped in to help, Nam Daeun accepted my offer.

Then, holding the shopping bags, she waited in front of me until my transaction was complete and spoke to me.

“I’ll definitely pay you back next time.”

Holding the shopping bags with both hands and bowing her head deeply, I wondered if this was the Nam Daeun I knew.

“You must really like snacks. Enough to remove your shampoo instead of the snacks.”

“…They’re for my sister. I haven’t seen her in a while.”

“Oh really? Then buy some more. I’ll pay for them.”

“You don’t have to go that far. It’s a burden.”

“Still, if you haven’t seen her in a while, it’d be nice to buy more. Your sister would like it too.”

Hearing that her sister would like it, Nam Daeun hesitated slightly, then sighed and said.

“It’s okay. Thank you so much just now. Actually, I have a lot of expenses this month, so I’m out of money. I’ll definitely pay you back next month.”

“You don’t have to pay me back. We’re in the same group, right? Just cooperate a bit more next time. It’s for your own good too, so please.”

“…I’m sorry. But I have to be first place.”

Nam Daeun’s expression stiffened slightly.

She was probably thinking about her hospitalized sister.

“Why are you like this? What’s so important about being first place?”

“To me, first place holds great significance. I’m truly sorry. I’ll definitely repay you for today later.”

“Forget it. We’re in the same group. See you around.”

I left Nam Daeun standing there and walked out of the supermarket.

[Quest Complete!]

“I tried probing a bit, but she didn’t take the bait after all.”

It’s a bit disappointing, but the fact that I managed to talk for so long with someone so closed off is a success in itself.

Plus, I managed to plant a good impression.

That’s how you get someone to open up little by little.

She’ll probably work harder on the group assignments next time. I even bought her snacks.

When I returned to the dorm, Liliana greeted me.

“You’re back?! Did you buy what I asked for in my message?”

“Are chicken and pizza considered home-cooked meals? Today, I’ll show you the true essence of home cooking.”

“Hmm… Okay.”

Leaving Liliana lying on the bed with a dubious expression, I started cooking the Kimchi Jjigae.

It’s been a while since I cooked, so I’m a bit out of practice.

Still, as the bubbling Kimchi Jjigae filled the dorm with its aroma, Liliana, who was lying down, slowly crept closer.

“What’s this? It doesn’t look like Tteokbokki.”

“Ah, this is something called Kimchi Jjigae.”

“What are you talking about now.”

I presented the Kimchi Jjigae I personally cooked to Liliana.

Warm rice and Kimchi Jjigae – this is home cooking.

“Agh! It’s spicy! What is this!”

“Spicy? What are you talking about, it’s refreshing.”

“It’s just hot and spicy, how is that refreshing! Are you crazy?”

This crazy succubus is making a fuss even when I cook her a home-cooked meal.

“This is K-home cooking, kiddo. If it’s too spicy, eat it with the fried egg.”

“Hmm… It tastes good, I think. Or maybe not.”

It certainly looked awkward, a succubus munching on Kimchi Jjigae.

I stared blankly at Liliana for a moment, then noticed the window was open.

“Liliana, I told you to always close the window. What if someone peeks inside?”

“Huh? I didn’t open it?”

“I closed it when I left. If it wasn’t you, then who was it?”

“Really? I think I might have….”

Seeing Liliana frown as she tried to recall made me start to worry.

Is she already getting dementia? Well, she is getting on in years.

“I don’t like the look on your face. You’re not thinking weird thoughts, are you?”

“Not at all. Just eat your Kimchi Jjigae.”

*

“Forget it. We’re in the same group. See you around.”

Lee Hoyeon said that, waved, and left the supermarket.

“Haa….”

Nam Daeun sighed, looking at the snacks in the shopping bags she held with both hands.

‘To be jealous of someone so kind. I’m trash….’

Thanks to Lee Hoyeon saving her money, she bought a few more snacks for her sister and Nam Daeun returned to the dorm.

After showering and changing into comfortable clothes, Nam Daeun lay down on her bed.

“She probably wants to be first place too… Rumor has it she’s a promising prospect.”

She opened EveryDay and searched for Lee Hoyeon’s name, bringing up numerous posts.

Most posts praised Lee Hoyeon, but some contained baseless criticism.

“Why are people so selfish….”

What did Lee Hoyeon do to those malicious commenters to deserve such criticism?

It seems she doesn’t have an easy life either.

“Ugh….”

Nam Daeun, her mind unnecessarily complicated, sent a message to her sleeping sister.

• Me: [Photo] I’ll buy lots of snacks! Let’s see each other on the weekend!

I hope Dahee smiles a little more seeing this.

Tomorrow was the day of the 1-on-1 duels.

Until now, she had easily maintained her top spot in practical skills without using her full strength.

“Will it be possible this time too?”

She wanted to reduce the profits of the Buyer Guild and Mr. Min-gyu, who held her sister captive.

That’s why Nam Daeun was only showing enough skill to maintain first place, but Lee Hoyeon certainly seemed strong.

“We’ll probably meet in the 1-on-1 duel… I hope we meet in the finals, though.”

That way, she could at least give him the runner-up spot.

Nam Daeun fell asleep worrying about tomorrow.