LIGHTNOVELSTORY Chapter 15: Baek Ah Young
“Ha, you stupid son of a bitch.”
I only came to realize what I had done on Saturday morning, as if I was a drunk regretting the night before.
I was so ashamed of myself. I had fallen for the old trick in the books: beauty.
What could I do? It was already done.
If I were to think positively, I had made a connection with a professor. It was up to me to do well. I just had more to study now.
“Ha….”
There were no classes on the weekends. Most students rested, trained, or went out with their friends, but I had lots to do.
The first place to visit is the black market, then the orphanage.
Oh, and the date with Rumy on Sunday.
“Ah, so much to do.”It was complicated. I had to organize everything.
——————-
Goals.
- I need to become strong (for my own safety).
- I need to seduce the heroines (so that I don’t die).
—
So there were two goals. It was important to seduce the heroine, but my own strengths mattered as well.
For this weekend, I should focus on seduction.
I trained all week last week, and I still had time before I was threatened.
“I need to make money too, what should I do?”
Should I sell information? But to whom should I sell? There was a method in the informational guild, but those guys wouldn’t believe me with all the auditing they do.
I could just jump into fire but I didn’t want to risk it all.
“Well, I guess then I have to earn a scholarship. I should first head out.”
To prevent myself from getting expelled, I had to work hard.
After brainstorming, I went into the tub to get ready.
*
Shops near the academy.
Contrary to the sunny area with great infrastructure, the shaded area between the alleys of the buildings was dark and dreary.
“It should be somewhere here…”
I gathered pieces of information from the game.
The location of large buildings, the location and angle of the shadows depicted in the game, and even each telephone pole, if they have appeared in the game, I could remember them in detail, so I came to a place that was roughly similar.
Creeeeak
“Found it.”
The alley between building 23 and 24.
The only door that opened among all the shut doors. Although it was disguised as a bar open only at night, it was actually a place that sells black market passes.
Even though it was bright daylight, the atmosphere inside the bar felt like nighttime. A single dim light illuminated the dark space.
Squeak squeak
Across the bar was an old man full of white hair wiping glasses.
The old man glanced at me and then sighed.
“Phew, nowadays anybody comes to visit. Hey, I don’t know from who you heard about it, but you should go back if you don’t want to get in trouble.”
I ignored his comment and ordered a cocktail after sitting at the bar.
“Whatever, get me anything. Make it as strong as you can.”
I placed 1500$ in cash on top of the bar that I had grabbed.
The man saw the money then gave me a drink and went inside the kitchen after grabbing the cash.
Underneath the glass was a small coin.
“What a dumb method to do this.”
I grabbed the coin and headed towards the street.
Unlike the bar, it was filled with bright energy and laughter.
And in the middle was the Three Way Shopping Center. I headed to their emergency staircase.
On the door to the basement, it was written employees only. I ignored the sign and headed inside.
There were two giant guards blocking the entry, and they moved when I showed them the coin.
In the underground shops with a mirky smell, there were rows of open shops waiting for customers.
‘Now, where is the pharmacy?’
The place I was looking for was the ‘pharmacy.’
Of course, not for cold medicine.
“Found it.”
It was a shabby pharmacy with a sign that seemed as if it was going to fall off. I remember that this was the only place in the shopping center that used this name.
Crack. Ring ring ring-
When I pushed the glass doors and entered, a pharmacist in a white jacket greeted me.
“A customer for the first time in a while. Welcome. What are you looking for?”
“….I would like some weakening drug.”
“Oh, you came to the wrong place. We have sleeping pills and other drugs, but we don’t touch those. It’s because if you get caught with it, it’s over.”
“I know. I just came to see what kind you are carrying.”
“We like making money, too. We would like to sell it, but it’s really hard to trade them and there’s not much of a margin…we only sell other drugs.”
“I came referred to by Hyun Seok Park. I just came to browse.”
“Damn, you should have led with that, kiddo. Pfft.”
“…”
The pharmacist spat on the floor and grabbed a cigarette from his pocket and lit it.
“Ssssp. Hoooo.”
I was flustered by his reaction. As a reference, Hyun Seok Park was an extra character who was arrested for using the weakening drug.
“Sorry for that. They send a lot of fake customers from the organization. I made a mistake, so take this.”
He pulled out a ball of calming medicine from his other pocket. Was he saying that I should ease off?
“It’s a trial version. It’s about 3 steps out of 10, so try it out and see.”
I felt like I knew how step 10 would be.
“…and the price?”
“It’s 300$ for a single dose. Better ones are more pricey, but you won’t regret it once you try it.”
I should grab it, since he said it’s a trial. Free things are always good.
“There are powdered versions that don’t show, and there are many others… but looking at your face, I don’t think you would be in a position to have non-consensual sex, so I gave that one to you. Do you want to change it?”
“No, I’ll just take it.”
“I thought you would be rude being a visitor to this kind of place, but you have manners. I feel more sorry for earlier.”
“Excuse me?”
What kind of bullshit was he spitting? Did he have anger management issues?
“Here, take this too.”
“Am I allowed to take so many as a trial run?”
“Those are actual calming medicine balls. It relaxes you.”
“…”
“heheheh…”
What a crazy old man.
Well, whether it’s a calming medicine or a trial drug, I didn’t know when I would use it, but it could come in handy someday.
“Come again. All who try the trial version do.”
I got out of the black market, putting the creepy pharmacist behind.
“…Something feels off.”
I didn’t want to ever come back, but you never know in life. It might be good to know a pharmacist.
Next up was the foster home.
I was going to the foster home to actually volunteer.
The gate, which was created in the middle of Gangnam, Seoul, disappeared after causing huge casualties and property damage. The middle of the city became a bare field, and the Victoria Academy was established on the land.
As it is located in the middle of Seoul, the surrounding shopping districts were originally developed, and there were many facilities such as nursery schools and shantytowns in the outskirts.
The place I was going to was called ‘Sunshine Nursery School’.
It was a place that took care of kids whose hunter parents passed away in the gate or dungeons.
And it was also the place where the heroine Baek Ahyeong went on the weekends.
On my way, I grabbed some snacks that little kids would like from the corner shop, and let them know of my visit with a call ahead.
I changed out of my casual attire and got into the school uniform.
The building was surrounded by white fences. I entered through the main entrance and rang the bell..
“What brings you here?”
A woman who appeared to be a teaching assistant came out. She didn’t seem too alarmed, looking at my uniform.
“Hello, I am the one who called earlier, about sponsoring personally.”
“Ah! Hoyeon Lee, right? Welcome in.”
Inside was well cleaned and organized. It was not big, but looking at the bright expressions on the kids and the teachers, this must be a good place.
“This is the principal’s office. Go ahead inside.”
“Okay.”
Knock knock.
“Come on in~”
When I entered through the doors, a man with a warm face was sitting.
“Welcome. Oh, Hoyeon, I thought that your voice sounded young, but didn’t expect you to be one of the students at the academy!”
“Yes, as I said in the call earlier, even if it’s a small amount, I wanted to sponsor a bit. I will also volunteer when I get time.”
“We are thankful, of course. We were getting concerned from the reduced donations these days, and want to thank you. Would you like a cup of tea?”
“I’m okay. Can I see the kids by any chance? I would like to know more about the kids who I am sponsoring.”
“Hmm….well we don’t really allow outsiders to watch the kids…but we have one here already, and since you are a student at the academy, I will trust you. Please follow me.”
“Thank you.”
It was not an easy task to watch kids in foster care.
If you were to quit in the middle, the kids hurt their feelings, and there was a risk of bad people going around children.
It was not easy to know from first glance whether or not you can trust the person.
This time, I got lucky because I was wearing the uniform.
“There is also a famous hunter who is here to volunteer. Hey, kids! There is a new brother here!”
The kids who were playing in the field all looked towards my direction.
Among those glances was Baek Ahyeong, who was sending a curious expression. She must be popular amongst kids, from looking at how she was surrounded by them.
“Hey, guys! How are you doing?”
I took the courage to say hi, but they had lukewarm reactions. I guess they weren’t at the age to be surprised by the uniform of the academy.
———————-
『The sub quest has been sent.』 [Serious spirit of service!]Baek Ah-young wants someone who enjoys helping others, just like herself!Successfully serve Baek Ah-young and win her favor! – Reward : Random skill set 2
———————-
However, I had prepared a special move, knowing that this would happen.
“Heh heh, I think the kids are still awkward with Mr. Hoyeon. It’s like this at first.”
“It’s okay. Guys, would you like to see this?”
Frrrr-
3 balls of fire appeared on my palms.
The kids who were scared to approach me now were all paying attention.
“Here it goes!”
I threw one of the balls into the air, and caught the one I threw before with my other hand. Again, I threw the ball on my right hand and then caught the one I threw beforehand.
In other words, I was juggling fire.
“Wo..woahhh!”
“Cool!”
“Oppa, can you do it with 4 balls instead of 3?”
I practiced for 30 minutes in the morning to juggle. It was not too hard, since I was using mana to control the falling movements, but I felt good seeing their fascination.
“I brought snacks, too. Who wants some?”
*
The sun was slowly setting.
The tired kids were taking a break inside.
“Good job, Hoyeon.”
“No, you worked harder, Ahyeong.”
“Pfft. I don’t think that’s something for you to say after juggling for an hour straight.”
『Quest complete!』Baek Ahyeong and I were resting on the couch inside the foster center building. We became close from watching the kids together.
“Why did you come to volunteer? I heard that you are also sponsoring. How do you get the funds to support the kids as a student of the academy?”
Baek Ahyeong was someone who was nice from birth. She was volunteering out of good will. This made her feel positively towards people of similar nature.
“I am still using the monthly fees I get. I was always interested in volunteering.”
“Oh, but they don’t give you a whole lot. Do you have enough time to study?”
“You are asking a lot of questions. I feel a little weird, what kind of interests do you have in a student? I’m a minor, lol”
“I have just graduated from the academy, too. Geez.”
“Just kidding, just kidding.”
“You are so fascinating. Most volunteers lose interest in the kids once they spot me, but you seemed more interested in the kids than me.”
This was of course a planned strategy. I had seen it in the game, and there was a hint in the quest as well. Ahyeong was into guys who had a pure heart and felt joy from volunteering.
Of course that wasn’t the case for me, but knowing this I put on a show.
We had become pretty friendly, so now it was time for the finale. I made my eyes red after rubbing them until they got irritated.
“Actually, I’m an orphan. I lost my parents at the gate.”
“Ah, that’s why you were here….sorry. I didn’t realize it was one of your painful memories, sorry for asking so many questions.”
“I don’t really remember much anyways.”
I continued talking with the most sad gaze I could make.
“I was also from one of these orphanages. I got into the school by giving it my best. I thought that after getting into school, I would be set for life, but that wasn’t the case.”
“…”
“Not only was it hard financially, but I also was having social problems. I couldn’t laugh when others were, worrying about if I had enough balance whenever I ordered a drink from the cafe, and endured hunger by filling myself up with water if I ever went out somewhere with my friends. Well, I guess it’s mostly a financial problem now that I look at it. I didn’t want the same for the other kids.”
This was a sad story even for me, who was acting. Of course, this was true in the game. My parents had passed from the gate incident and he was an orphan. He was raised in an orphanage, although I wasn’t sure which one.
“Those kids did nothing wrong, you know.”
Pfft. With a slight grin, I ended my show with the last blow of sensitive words.
From the eyes of Ahyeong, moist and hot water filled. Now she looked at me with a warm gaze.
“Hoyeon…do not worry. All will be good. I will make sure of it.”
Strike!
★ Heroine Status
[Baek Ahyeong]
– [ Friendliness : 50 ]
– [ Sexual Desire : 30 ]
– [ Hunger : 20 ]
– [ Tiredness : 70 ]
Current Status: Enjoying the time with a junior classmate of her alma mater.
Shit, it was only my first time meeting her and the friendliness score was up to 50. This was worth the acting.
“It’s getting late, and you look tired as well. Shall we get going?”
“Yes, but you mentioned that you are a freshman, Hoyeon?”
“Yes, that is correct.”
“Then we will see each other soon, hu hu.”
“Hmm? Where?”
“It’s nothing. See you next time~!”
Hop hop
Ahyeong Baek headed out with an excited stride.
I knew where I would run into her next. At the practical dungeon training, the guild hunters were to visit. Baek Ahyeong of the healing properties would come to support.
“Should I go?”
I headed out. I didn’t realize how difficult it was to play with friends. Should I not come to volunteer and just sponsor them?
“Brother! Get home safe!”
“Oppa! Show us 5 balls next time!”
When I looked behind me, two kids who were following me best were waving now.
“Okay! See you next time!”
Well, since Baek Ahyeong can’t get too suspicious, I should make a couple more visits.