Chapter 88
) [Illustration]
“Hey, guys, over here!”
“This place feels like a fancy dollar store.”
We arrived at a household goods store.
As we rode the escalator up, a vast store spread out before us.
We proceeded to look around the store.
Goeunbi was very excited.
From the moment she entered the store, her eyes sparkled constantly.
“Hey, guys, look at this! It’s a machine that makes milkshakes! There’s also a machine here for making waffles!”
“…Weren’t we here to buy necessities for living alone? Why are you looking at those things?”
“Because they’re necessary for living alone!”
“Ah… Yeah….”
“There are tools for making triangular kimbap! Oh, I’ll definitely use these often!”
“….”
“Wow, there’s a ramen pot too? I might need this when living alone, right?”
Goeunbi seemed determined to buy everything in the store.
I was bewildered.
“Can you really buy all that? You might end up with no money for donations.”
“Ugh… true. What should I do? I’m really torn… Should I skip a meal?”
I don’t understand why she’s torn.
I regained my composure and watched her pondering, shaking my head.
“Let’s just buy what you really need.”
“But I need everything?”
“Yeah, just buy everything and live on, even if it means going hungry.”
“…Your eyes seem to look at me pitifully.”
“I know it well.”
“But what should I do about this dilemma? Oh Heavens, show me the right answer! If I have to choose only one from all these, what should I buy!?”
“Huh? Um….”
“Oh Heavens, don’t ponder seriously. These are things you can live without even if you don’t buy them.”
“Wow, that’s harsh.”
“I think I’ll buy a waffle maker or a ramen pot. We might not use the shaved ice machine much due to the season, and we can make triangular kimbap even without the tools. But with a waffle maker or a ramen pot, besides making waffles or ramen, we can use them in various ways, right?”
“…That’s a very vibrant response. You’re full of vitality, Heaven. By the way, besides waffles, what else can you make with a waffle maker?”
“If you make glutinous rice cakes or mung bean pancakes with it, it’s easy and really delicious. Oh, I should get one too.”
Goeunbi exclaimed as if lost in thought.
Yeon Haneul placed the waffle maker in the basket on his arm, regardless of the conversation.
I held the basket for him instead.
“Here, I’ll hold it for you.”
“Oh, it’s okay….”
“Instead, you choose my living essentials. You’re good at picking things.”
“Um… Okay, then. I’ll choose for you.”
“Wow… Yeon Woo, you’re so sweet.”
“So, Eunbi, you’re not getting that? The waffle maker seems useful.”
“Hey, don’t you think you’re being too different from what you said earlier?”
“Everyone has something to choose here, right? Let’s go to a different section.”
“Wow, you ignored what I said. Anyway, I should get one too. And let’s go check out the electronic products! I want to buy something there!”
“Why there?”
“To buy a beam projector.”
“…What are you going to use that for?”
“I’ll use it to play games or watch anime when I’m bored.”
“Ah… Yeah….”
Goeunbi is quite generous.
I decided to keep in mind the personality that was not revealed in the game.
“I’m telling you, this isn’t sponsorship money; I’m using my own pocket money to buy this.”
“Sure, sure.”
“Heaven, Lisa! Let’s have parties in the room watching anime together from now on!”
She picked out a beam projector.
Soon enough, we found the cleaning supplies aisle as Yeonha-neul suggested.
“I definitely need to buy this and this… Oh, I need to get this too.”
“Heaven, do we need a magic sponge?”
“There’s a sponge there? Then, Eunbi, could you help us each get one?”
“What’s a magic sponge?”
As Lisa put household items in the cart following Yeonha-neul’s advice, she asked.
She squeezed the sponge Eunbi brought with her hands.
“You wet this and use it; you can clean even stubborn dirt with it. It’s useful for cleaning the kitchen or bathroom.”
“…It’s fascinating. It looks like a simple sponge at first glance.”
“Lisa, keep this too.”
“What’s this?”
“It’s a toilet cleaner. It’s much easier to use than a toilet brush.”
“Oh… so I have to clean the toilet from now on…”
Lisa accepted the toilet cleaner.
Holding the stick part in her hand, she had a deeply melancholic expression.
To her, who had lived relying on others, it was all unfamiliar.
“Can I do this well…?”
“You’ll learn step by step from now on. Even if you don’t think you’re good at it, you’ll get better as you live on.”
“Heaven, can I ask for advice if there’s something I don’t know while living alone?”
“Yeah, I’m fine. Don’t worry and tell me anytime.”
“Let’s consider Heaven as our teacher.”
“…That sounds good. I’ll count on you, Teacher Heaven.”
“Really… don’t mess around for no reason, Gyunwoo.”
Yeonha-neul, holding the basket in both hands, pinched my exposed side as she leaned over.
I subtly distanced myself.
A while later.
After finishing our business in the cleaning supplies aisle, we explored another corner.
There were triplets in the doll section.
“What are you doing here?”
“We were searching for a good doll to cuddle in bed.”
“It’s a souvenir for coming to the academy city.”
“We’re contemplating what to get.”
The triplets seemed determined to buy dolls.
Normally, they would be focused like this during training, but their eyes while choosing a doll seemed different.
However, it wasn’t just them whose eyes seemed different.
“….”
‘Why are they like this.’
Go Eun-bi, Lisa, and Yeon Ha-neul.
Even they, who had found the doll corner, were staring with keen interest.
They seemed determined to buy a doll.
Seeing others behave the same way made me feel like I was the odd one out.
‘It seems like they’re going to spend a lot of time here.’
My prediction was not wrong.
Everyone except me was focused on choosing a doll.
“The Shiba Inu is cute. But we already have a Welsh Corgi doll in the room… They probably won’t fight even if we put them together, right?”
Do dolls even fight each other?
They aren’t even real living dogs.
I shifted my gaze away from Go Eun-bi.
“Wow… They only sell the Goraepduck doll at the Academy City. It’s cute.”
Lisa was looking at a yellow duck doll with her hands on her head.
Its eyes were big, but I couldn’t understand why the pupils were so small.
It looked dumb at first glance, but the more I looked at it, the more endearing it became.
On its head, there were three strands of hair.
I thought it over from my past life; maybe Goraepduck is not balding after all.
‘If it evolves into Goldeok, it will become completely bald.’
Instead of evolving into a smart Goldeok, maybe it gave up its hair.
To gain something, you must be willing to pay an equivalent price.
The basic principle of alchemy applied to Goraepduck and Goldeok as well.
Anyway, after much contemplation, it seemed like Lisa had made up her mind to buy the duck doll.
She hugged the doll tightly.
Meanwhile, Yeon Ha-neul was examining various rabbit dolls nearby.
“Ha-neul, are you getting one too?”
“Yeah, it seems like everyone’s buying one for commemoration, so I’m thinking of getting one too. How about this?”
Yeon Ha-neul took out a rabbit doll from a shelf at eye level.
She showed me the doll.
With a smile on its face, holding a carrot sword and wearing black sunglasses, it was a peculiar rabbit doll.
“It looks strange.”
“Don’t you think it resembles you?”
“This? It doesn’t resemble me at all. Do I look like this?”
“I think it does resemble you…. Yeah, looking at it like this, it does.”
Yeon Ha-neul nodded her head while holding the rabbit doll next to my face.
I couldn’t help but find it amusing.
“Yeah, I’ll choose this one. Gyun-woo, you’re not going to pick one?”
“I don’t hold and sleep with dolls.”
“Still. Wouldn’t it create a nice atmosphere in the room if we put them there? You’ve only been choosing functional and necessary items since earlier, right?”
“I’m not interested in decorating rooms….”
“It won’t work. Let’s buy one now. I’ll buy it for you.”
“Why suddenly talking about buying one?”
“Oh, come on, just choose one quickly. You can choose more if you want. I can easily buy it with my allowance. I’ve saved up a lot.”
“Use that money for whatever you need. Still, since you’re offering, should I choose one?”
A doll….
I, who had never bought a doll for myself in my past life or present life, was lost in thought.
I was grateful that Yeonhae was offering, but truth be told, I wasn’t really interested in dolls.
But then, at that moment, there was a doll that caught my eye.
“I think I’ll go with this one.”
“Is it the one next to the doll I picked? Did you choose it randomly?”
“I did look at other dolls, but this one caught my eye the most.”
“You really like rabbits, don’t you?”
“It looks just like you.”
“Huh?”
It was a rabbit doll with flower petal hairpin on its head.
I brought the doll to her face as Yeonhae did a while ago.
“Yeah, it really does resemble you.”
“…Do I look like this?”
“That’s how I see you.”
Yeonhae gazes at my doll.
Then, she shifts her gaze towards the doll that she said resembled me a while ago.
Soon, she softly muttered.
“They make a good pair.”
—
The long shopping spree came to an end.
By the time we left the home goods store, it was already evening.
Feeling hungry from all the shopping, we decided to have dinner.
I took them to a place Cityeun had recommended before.
“Even in this alley, there are places like this. It must be a hidden gem unless you live in the academy city.”
“The omelette rice sauce is really delicious. It suits my taste. The presentation is also nice….”
“Cityeun knows hidden gems because she’s picky about food.”
“I thought I’d take you to a rice soup place, but luckily there was a proper place.”
With omelette rice as the main dish, the restaurant also served tasty pasta.
Goeunbi, Lisa, and Yeonhae, who shared the table with me, all praised the food.
On one side, the triplets, each sitting at a separate table, were eating.
“Didn’t Dogyeonwoo say he’ll treat us?”
“The food is delicious, let’s order more!”
“They also have potato fries, should we order some?”
Unlike us, savoring our food,
the triplets were focused on clearing their plates.
‘Even if I burst, I won’t know.’
Glancing at them, I chuckled.
Since I had a lot of luggage, I planned to take a taxi back, but I might as well ask the triplets to come along while they digest their food and maybe train.
With that thought, I devoured the half portion of omurice.
It was then that Goeunbi brought up a new topic.
“By the way, did you hear about this? I overheard it at the dorm earlier, looks like Tugwi’s disciple is enrolling this year. Through special admission.”
The topic was about the protagonist of the game “Brave Hearts,” Kang Hanbyeol.
Just like the rumors and information she inquired about in the game, she seemed quick to catch his news.
I eavesdropped on their conversation.
“Special admission? I heard they didn’t have to take an entrance exam before, so they just get admitted?”
“I’m not sure, but people say there might be some sort of deal between Tugwi and the chairman. In fact, Tugwi’s disciple went to meet the chairman today. While rumors about Tugwi’s disciple were rampant, if they end up as our fellow students, we might get to see their face, right?”
“Although I was young back then, the Grace Empire received a lot of help from Tugwi. I also received help. If Tugwi’s disciple enrolls as our peer, I’d love to meet them if given the chance.”
The game “Brave Hearts.”
If Kang Hanbyeol went to meet So Hye-ryul, it meant the game story had just begun.
“No, it should be called a tutorial.”
Having lost her family in an accident and plunged into despair, Kang Hanbyeol, upon meeting Tugwi Seojungjin, gained a new life. Descending from Taebaeksan to the Academy City marked the prologue.
Getting admission approval from So Hye-ryul was akin to the tutorial players encountered before playing the game.
“They must be tackling the gates by now to prove their skills.”
In the tutorial, players learned basic controls like how to move the character, engage in combat, and pick up dropped loot.
Since it was just a tutorial, the difficulty level wasn’t high.
It was rare for Kang Hanbyeol to die in the tutorial, considering her abilities.
She would surely pass So Hye-ryul’s admission test safely.
I wasn’t overly concerned.
“Yeah. I’d like to meet them too.”
The day to see Kang Hanbyeol was approaching.
Meeting the protagonist was something to look forward to.
—
The Grey Gate, the goblin’s den.
Summoned to the damp and humid cave, Kang Hanbyeol had to conquer the gate as per the instructions provided.
Three attack conditions were relayed in order.
In the process, he had to endure attacks from Rank 1 Goblins and Rank 2 Hobgoblins several times.
Ultimately, he had to defeat the Rank 2 boss monster, Hobgoblin Chieftain, living deep in the lair.
Kiryuk…
“Hoo….”
The strategy was executed without delay.
Kang Hanbyeol remained calm and used the narrow space to kill the creatures.
And finally, he could subjugate the boss monster.
Although the pressure from them was an issue, he managed to subdue them somehow.
At that very moment.
[Gate Conquered.]
As the message appeared before his eyes, particles of light gathered.
The light particles transformed into a gate key and fell into Kang Hanbyeol’s palm.
He lost strength and showed the transparent gate key to Oh Seung-ah.
“Is it over with this? It’s my first time conquering a gate, and it’s fascinating and fun. Here, the gate key.”
“…There’s no need to see more of your abilities. I will report to the director.”
He hadn’t planned to conquer the gate.
It was difficult for a first-year student with average skills to conquer a solo Gray-rank gate.
Moreover, wasn’t it his first time entering a gate?
So Oh Seung-ah only intended to roughly assess Kang Hanbyeol’s abilities.
If he couldn’t handle it, she was ready to help.
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But she didn’t have to step in.
He had only used the potion she had given him beforehand.
“I guess I’ll have plenty of opportunities to compete against the prestigious family members who are enrolling this time. As a disciple of Master Tugwi, is this the level I should be at?”
Oh Seung-ah received the gate key.
With such skills, even the directors opposing Kang Hanbyeol’s special admission to the academy would have to acknowledge it.
He passed.
After coming out of the gate, So Hyeryul, who received the report, reached the same conclusion as her.
“Congratulations on getting into Geumgang Academy, Kang Hanbyeol.”
Meanwhile, information was updated in the status window invisible to Kang Hanbyeol.
[Acquired a Skill.]
[Determination Lv 1]