"Mmm~ The pork is delicious."
The scarecrow measurement is over, and it's lunchtime.
The stir-fried pork at the Es-sol Academy student cafeteria is amazing!
Today, I also bought Hena a seafood pasta, while paying back the money I borrowed yesterday.
I spent a total of 9 coins and now have a balance of 45 coins.
"It's really good…."
"I bought it to repay a favor."
"A favor? …For the boobs?"
Allowing me to touch those breasts was also a favor, but….
"…."
"If you're going to be so shy, maybe you shouldn't say anything…."
"I'm embarrassed…."
"It's a favor for covering for me when I almost got expelled."
The fact that I can live in the academy right now is largely thanks to Hena.
From Hena's perspective, I would have disappeared if she had left me alone. Was that because of the gaslighting?
"Why did you feel the need to defend me?"
"…."
"If it's difficult to say, you don't have to."
It's not a favor that can be repaid with just one meal, so I intend to repay a little more. It feels like I should be by Hena's side. But I'm still not sure if it's a plus or a minus that I, the main character of an adult game, being by her side with her 'fucking erotic body'.
I'm also worried about the random erotic events in 'Onaaka' waiting for me.
"Can I sit here?"
At that moment, Yuuna sits next to me.
"Are those your friends over there?"
I look at her in confusion.
"Today, I decided to have a meal with Hena."
"But why next to me?"
"...."
I feel the inquisitive gaze asking if it's okay to let it slide.
"Should I not sit here?"
"Please have a seat, Princess. I will offer my humble service to ease your anger."
I serve her the pork, which is like my blood.
"Hmm. Is it okay if mine's Mapo Tofu?"
It's time for the expected exchange of side dishes.
"I'm not picky."
"I can't eat spicy food…."
"Then how about I give you dumplings, Hena? Oh, and for me, without shrimp."
"Sure, I like dumplings."
We try each other's dishes.
Mapo Tofu is good too. Next is this.
"Have you both prepared for the next class?"
"What's the next class?"
"You really live casually, did you Kim Sang-hyuk?"
"Was I a bit 'D'?"
Checking the academy app late, I found out that the afternoon class was Dungeon Exploration.
"Want to go outside?"
"Outside? What are you talking about?"
Yuuna, as if recalling my background as someone who refused to attend school, explained in detail. Surprisingly, it seems that there is a system in the academy that creates dozens of dungeon entrances.
Am I the only one attending this academy without knowing about these things?
"Isn't it dangerous? What's good about having a dungeon in the academy?"
"It allows academy students to grow safely. There's nothing as dangerous as leaping onto this ground with bare hands."
"Because it's a somewhat controlled environment?"
"Yeah. Compared to dungeons that occur in various remote places, dungeons within Es-sol Academy have less irregularity. It's a predominant characteristic of the Korean land."
'Less irregularity.'
In other words, there is less possibility of encountering danger internally. That seemed to be the implication.
"Is it different in other countries?"
"It's dangerous. There are cases where transcendent-rank monsters roam uncontrollably, leading to countries enforcing travel bans every month."
"Competent hunters are needed anywhere, it seems."
The status of a hunter is no joke.
It also implies the potential for considerable profits.
'Things are gradually falling into place.'
The protagonist of 'Onaaka' grows through collecting onaholes.
Considering it in my own way, the reason for acquiring such a fraudulent ability is probably to transform the protagonist, who was nothing more than a D-Rank trash, into a respectable hunter. The ultimate goal of this adult game. For the sake of a harem.
There must be many heroines in the hunter industry. Yuuna, considering it carefully, is one of the heroines in that category as she is also a professional hunter. This concludes that it is one of the regular routes of the game.
'This must be the correct answer.'
My roommate Lee Soo-hyun – the player of 'Onaaka' and the one who brought me here – is helpful in moments like this. Seeing that he spent over 200 hours on it, 'Onaaka' is not just a simple adult game. It's a simulation game with the concept of growing the protagonist and heroines….
Then the 'Hunter Route' that demands honest growth is perfect for me.
I've given up on expectations for a straightforward job. High risk, high return. Being a hunter who earns a lot of money is the best.
As long as I avoid events like 'Villain Route' or 'The Onahole Man, the Worst Villain of All Time'…. well, those nasty events.
"Is there anything else you're curious about?"
Despite this and that, Yuuna is a caring person who enjoys looking after others. She was helping me without a hint of annoyance.
Her slightly proud face looked adorable.
"Does 'less irregularity' mean that dungeons in Korea are easy?"
"Yeah. That's why there are many prestigious academies in Korea. It's an environment where relatively weak dungeons appear. In countries like Russia, which starts from at least A-Rank dungeons, nurturing rookies is extremely difficult."
A newly embarked upon adventurer should encounter level 1 slimes, right?
If level 80 dragons appeared from the beginning, everyone would be wiped out. It's welcoming that Korea has a stair-step strengthening environment.
"But, have you been living under a rock during that time? Asking me something that can be known just by watching the news."
"I've been watching anime at home."
Huh. I casually dodge Yuuna's inquiry. She seemed to lose the will to ask further as soon as I mentioned watching anime at home.
Oh, I watched anime at home, what are you going to do about it?
"What anime?"
Then, Hena reacts. An academy female student showing interest in anime topics in front of me.
"Yeah, what anime? What anime?"
It would be a big disappointment if I said I've never seen any anime in this world.
What should I say….
"Hena probably wouldn't know because it's an anime with lots of cute girls."
I tried muttering a genre that no girl would ever watch.
"Maybe 'Roughly a Love Story from Another World'?"
However, it seems I underestimated Hena's otaku power. The fact that the title of a cute girl anime comes to mind so suddenly. Is she one of us?
The dormant anime fan inside me trembles slightly.
"What? Do you like the title?"
"It's an incredibly popular series. Ranked first in the annual Anime Pro Awards! If you haven't seen it yet, you must watch it!"
Indeed, major trends exist in this world too. I was worried that the world of 'Onaaka', shining as the top in the adult game industry, might be into things like hypnotism, NTR, or tentacles. I had a sense of relief, somehow, realizing that affectionate relationships[/efn_note]Chastity, purity, vanilla/pure love romance.[/efn_note] were still universal values.
"Haven't seen it yet? Then, want to watch it together at my place? I have the complete set from episode 1 to 152, the director's cut. Let's binge-watch it together!"
"No, not that many at once…."
Hena, weren't you the character who spoke with a bright and cheerful voice!
"Then let's at least try a few episodes. Starting from episode 1, no, from the third episode where 'that scene' appears. At least until episode 3. The animation and direction in the third episode are amazing because Director Sakamoto is in charge. The female lead is so cute that it's dangerous for the heart…!"
In the midst of Hena's animated talk about anime, I lost words and watched her. Yuuna, unable to join the discussion, alternated between eating Mapo Tofu and watching me and Hena.
'So this is her taste….'
For some reason, the setting made sense. When I only saw her body and the face hidden by the bangs, I wondered why she came out as a nerd-concept heroine. There was a plausible reason.
I, being a considerable otaku myself, felt a sense of camaraderie1. I knew how disappointed she would be if I refused her offer to watch anime together.
"Okay. Let's try watching together."
"Really? Really? When, at what time? I already know the ending, but I'll stay quiet as if I've never seen it!"
"This weekend?"
"Yeah! This weekend!"
Suddenly, I found myself organizing an anime viewing party with a fellow female classmate (estimated K-Cup). There's no reason to refuse if it's a pure love genre. After making the choice, I couldn't help but think this might be a route event that leads to marriage, which was a somewhat laughable thought.
"Hehehe."
If that's the case, it's almost the expression of someone considering marriage. I'm genuinely concerned. What if she ends up getting attached to some mediocre guy? I need to look out for her.
However, that doesn't mean I'm planning to take advantage of the opportunity to touch her chest. If we have a normal friendship, there's no reason for that.
Although our first meeting escalated a bit….
If I'm careful, I should be able to get through without triggering any random erotic game events and maintain a reasonable relationship.
'I hope nothing weird happens in the dungeon.'
It would be fortunate if the two heroines stronger than me don't catch any strange ideas.
Afternoon class.
Class 2-F moves back to the indoor training ground. Each student brought the necessary items for dungeon exploration from their lockers. Hena held her reddish-brown wooden staff, and Yuuna, unlike the sudden exploration last time, was meticulously armed with a custom belt and gloves to protect her hands on top of her school uniform.
Still, in my eyes, despite the careful preparation, going into the dungeon in a school uniform with bare thighs exposed looks both precarious and tough.
The important thing is that their readiness is better than mine. I was the only one standing alone in a hoodie with nothing.
"What's up, Kim Sang-hyuk? No personal equipment?"
Yuuna asks, surprised.
"…."
I do have a lewd magazine featuring an idol resembling the student council president, 'Rizuna Mei', in my locker. Would that be of any help? I felt like a pitiful student who couldn't bring expensive gear due to family circumstances. And, it seems that such a pitiful aura triggered Yuuna's class leader sense.
"….Since we still have time, follow me!"
Snap.
Yuuna grabs my hand and pulls me along.
"Uh, uh. Hena, I'll be right back."
As we exit the indoor training ground and turn a corner in the hallway following Yuuna, there's a girl guarding the door who looks like she's suffering from lack of sleep.
"Yuuna? What's going on?"
"Chen, can you check Kim Sang-hyuk's equipment for him?"
"Kim Sang-hyuk? Isn't he D-Rank? It's still a little too early."
"Well, he doesn't even have basic equipment. Look."
I feel somewhat embarrassed. The girl addressed as Chen scrutinizes me from head to toe and sighs.
"You probably don't know how to use anything anyway… But still, give it a try."
"Got it!"
As Chen opens the door she was guarding, I'm taken aback. A weapons warehouse…? An enormous variety of weapons and armor is neatly displayed by category. Students, presumably belonging to the 'craftsman' category, are checking weapons and managing inventory.
"This is Academy B's Workshop. It probably has the most variety of equipped weapons here."
"You can buy weapons here?"
"Yeah. How about something like this?"
Yuuna immediately picks up a sword. Honestly, I don't have the confidence to handle a sword as well as Yuuna. Above all…
'It doesn't match the 'Personality Excretion'.'
I haven't dealt with it enough to be an expert, but Personality Excretion goes well with blunt weapons. It doesn't go well with sharp weapons. While contact may induce some level of personality excretion, it's most satisfying when delivering a shock to the opponent's body.
That's why I worked so hard when I was practicing with the scarecrow. Because it would be challenging to implement that in real combat.
"Take a look around."
At that moment, a weapon caught my eye. A Modern Panacea, a gun. In my mind, I imagine myself as John Wick in the Personality Excretion industry—a professional killer from some action movie.
'Personality Excretion Double Tap, Personality Excretion Mozambique Drill….'
Isn't that awesome?
(End of Chapter 18)
relatable; mutual trust and friendship among people who spend a lot of time on similar things together.