An Unexpected Invitation
I had thought she was an unusually beautiful woman from the first time we met, but it turns out she was working as a model. However, it was unexpected that she was filming adult videos.
“Doesn’t filming adult videos mean recording sex scenes and selling them to unspecified people? Your face will be sold, is that okay?”
“Adult video actors are also recognized as legitimate workers. It’s a legal job recognized by the country, so what’s the problem?”
“Yes.” Her attitude was so confident that I felt strange for even asking such a question.
“Jihye, that’s the problem with being too confident. Even if it’s recognized as a job, the perception isn’t exactly positive.”
“I know, I know. I’ll handle it myself, so let’s just eat. They say the food here is really good.”
Just then, the ordered dishes arrived and filled the table.
“This is mozzarella cheese tonkatsu, this one has a spicy sauce, and this is made by thinly slicing the meat and rolling it into twenty-four layers.”
It was my first time seeing tonkatsu, but I could tell at a glance that it was meat coated in batter and fried. A plate of tonkatsu was placed in front of each of us, but we shared everything together.
“Mmm, it’s delicious.”
“Right? How about you, Elisha?”
“Yes, it’s good. Especially the crispy texture.”
In Eden’s food culture, dishes were usually grilled or boiled; fried foods were extremely rare. Apparently, the culture of frying never developed because edible oil had always been difficult to obtain.
“I’ve been on Earth for quite some time now, yet there are still so many foods I haven’t tried.”
“By the way, tell us more about the Eden dimension. I’m curious.”
“Well… the name ‘Eden dimension’ comes from my country’s name.”
Eunhye also nodded at Jihye’s question, showing her curiosity, so I told them about Eden while we ate. The two of them, who had no reason to visit other dimensions, found my stories incredibly interesting. When I shared more of my experiences as a hunter, they were delighted.
“I envy how hunters can travel between dimensions and have new experiences every time.”
“But it’s extremely dangerous. You never know when something might go wrong and leave you stranded in another dimension, or what kind of bizarre things you might encounter.”
“That’s why I’ve heard it has an extremely high mortality rate.”
While Jihye simply expressed envy, Eunhye took a more serious tone, mentioning the high death rate. Seeing the two of them side by side, it was surprising how different their personalities were, yet they had become close friends.
After finishing our meal, the three of us stopped by the restroom to brush our teeth and touch up our makeup, then continued shopping on another street. We watched a street performance we happened upon and headed to a bar a little earlier than planned.
It was still early, before evening, so the bar was nearly empty. Only the staff controlling entry stood at the entrance. The man at the very front looked ordinary, but the men on either side were clearly security guards given their size. Curious why a bar would need guards at the door, I asked.
“What kind of bar has security guards at the entrance?”
“They usually kick out people who cause trouble when they’re drunk. Oppa!”
“Oh~ Jihye, you’re here?”
Jihye seemed to know the ordinary-looking man at the entrance and called him “oppa” as she approached. He also greeted her familiarly by name, so they appeared quite close. Eunhye and I stood awkwardly as they exchanged an unusual greeting, pressing their cheeks together.
“What brings you here so early?”
“We’re planning to stay and play for a while. These two are my friends! Aren’t they pretty?”
Linking arms with Eunhye and me, Jihye proudly asked if we weren’t pretty. Naturally, the man’s gaze turned to us.
“Oh~ Well now.”
Eunhye looked slightly embarrassed at his admiring reaction. But to my eyes, trained in analyzing others’ gazes and reactions, it wasn’t the usual admiration a man shows toward a beautiful woman. It was the look one gives a fine product.
Hmm. No matter how I looked at it, that was the gaze of someone appraising merchandise. His expression was an ordinary smile, but his eyes told a different story.
“Jihye brought some precious guests. Tonight’s on me, so feel free to enjoy yourselves.”
“Wow~ Thank you, oppa! Let’s go inside quickly!”
Pulled along by the delighted Jihye, we entered the bar. Inside, another door appeared. The man guarding it saw us and opened it. The moment it opened, we were hit with loud, fast music. A quick glance confirmed it was a soundproof door, thick enough to keep the music from leaking out.
There was a large, stage-like space in the center with considerable height, and tables and chairs arranged on both the first and second floors. Jihye led us confidently to the second floor, taking the seats closest to the stage. From there, looking down, the stage was clearly visible.
“This is the best spot.”
“It must be the best view from downstairs too. We’re the bait, aren’t we?”
“Oh? You noticed right away.”
Jihye’s eyes widened in surprise at my words.
“I’ve run something similar to a bar for a short while. Usually, the more handsome men and beautiful women there are, the more customers come.”
“Hehe, but in exchange we get free drinks, so it’s good for everyone.”
“I’m a bit uncomfortable with this kind of setup. I thought we were going to a regular bar…”
“What’s wrong with this place~ Just enjoy the drinks and music. If someone nice shows up, you can hang out together~ And if you like them, spend a hot night together~”
Jihye hummed as she spoke and winked at me. She seemed to be subtly seeking agreement, so I just smiled. Unlike me, Eunhye made a disgusted face and waved her hands.
“Are you suggesting a one-night stand right now? I don’t like that kind of thing.”
“Why are you so stiff? If you were born with such beauty, you should know how to enjoy it. You’ll regret it when you’re older. No one says anything about consensual relationships between adults.”
“So I can refuse if I want?”
“I don’t like men who force themselves on someone who says no either. If anyone causes trouble, the oppas will take care of it. That’s the advantage of this place’s thorough management~”
“Really? Hmm…”
Eunhye seemed to be gradually swayed by Jihye’s persistent persuasion. More than anything, the assurance that she could refuse if she didn’t like it seemed to put her at ease. As for me, even before meeting Gwangnam oppa, I had met Suho to relieve my sexual desires, so I had no aversion or prejudice in that regard and felt indifferent. Just as Jihye said, if I didn’t like it I could refuse, and if a man met my standards I was willing to spend the night, partly to collect his genes as well. Of course, it was unlikely that any decent men would be among those trying to spend a night with a woman in a place like this.
One thing I found curious was why, in a Korea where prostitution was so widespread that there was even a public brothel system, men would bother looking for women in bars to have sex.
“But if they just want to relieve their sexual urges, couldn’t they just buy a prostitute?”
“Using the public brothels leaves a record, and besides, it feels more like you’re enjoying yourself rather than just relieving an urge, so it’s a slightly different feeling.”
“I see.”
Personally, I didn’t think there was much difference, but since my values as an angel doll weren’t ordinary, I just let it pass.
The snacks and drinks Jihye ordered filled the table one after another, and we chatted lightly while eating and drinking. Jihye was so good at talking and kept bringing up new topics that even though we spent a long time just conversing, it never felt boring. I noticed several male customers who came in glancing at us on the second floor and making phone calls somewhere, but since we were getting free drinks in exchange for being bait, I ignored it appropriately.
As time passed, evening came and the bar gradually filled with people. The music grew louder and more boisterous accordingly, so we had to raise our voices to talk.
“Shall we go down and dance a bit?”
“I’ve never danced before.”
“Come on~ Just move your body a little to the music. Come on, Elisha, hurry up~”
Jihye, with her incredible sociability, had already become close enough to speak casually with me. At her urging, we stood up together and headed to the stage on the first floor. From the moment we left our seats, I felt the number of male gazes watching us increase as we descended the stairs and blended into the crowd on the stage.
Jihye began moving her body to the fast, flashy music, and Eunhye awkwardly tried to follow. I also started swaying slightly. I was scanning the movements of the women around me and copying them when I sensed that men who had been gradually approaching were now surrounding the three of us.
Jihye, noticing the men hesitating due to their own wariness of each other, smiled with dimples on her sweaty cheeks and took the initiative. She naturally approached a handsome man with a clearly superior height and build, pressing her body against him lightly before pulling away, dancing in a seductive manner. The man she had targeted also smiled with satisfaction and danced more boldly and actively with her.
Watching Jihye, two men began dancing competitively around the hesitant Eunhye. At first startled, Eunhye gradually started to join in, apparently not entirely displeased. Even after the two of them began dancing with the men, no one approached me. It felt like they were hesitant, or perhaps intimidated. They seemed to want to approach when I wasn’t looking, but whenever I glanced their way they flinched and backed off. It kept repeating.
Hmm, was it because of my height? I wasn’t sure of the reason, but having mostly experienced men who approached without hesitation, this reaction felt rather novel. So I simply watched Jihye and Eunhye dance. Their contact with their dance partners grew increasingly intimate until they were dancing with their bodies pressed blatantly together. Jihye was grinding her hips against her partner’s lower body, while Eunhye, unaware that her breasts were touching the men’s shoulders and chests, danced energetically. The men, clearly enjoying the sensation of Eunhye’s breasts, struggled to suppress their rising smiles whenever their eyes met mine, then quickly looked away with straight faces.
In the end, no man approached me until Jihye, tired from dancing, left the stage first and we returned to our seats. Jihye, who had tied up her long hair because of the heat, gulped down a glass of iced liquor and spoke.
“Kyah~ That’s refreshing! How was it? Fun, right?”
“Yeah, more fun than I expected. Whew.”
“Since we dedicate our youth to the military, we need time to rest like this! How about you, Elisha?”
“It was enjoyable. But why didn’t any men come to me?”
“They were probably intimidated. You look like a foreigner at first glance, plus you have a tail, you’re tall, and your figure is great.”
“There’s something about her that feels overwhelming. No, it overflows.”
Eunhye, still awkward about dropping formal speech, used polite language before quickly correcting herself. Overwhelming? Unless there was an error in my expression management program, I should have been smiling pleasantly.
“I was smiling happily though. You felt overwhelmed?”
“How should I put it… Your smiling face looks fine, but when all the conditions come together, it’s a bit… you know?”
“Yeah, it feels like ‘know your place compared to me,’ or something like that.”
“Instead of waiting for men to approach, it might be better to go up to someone you like first, like I do.”
“Hmm.”
Even if I were to approach first, there wasn’t really any man who caught my interest, so I wasn’t particularly motivated. There were plenty of handsome men, but their builds were lacking and their muscles looked like they’d only exercised moderately for appearance’s sake, which wasn’t very attractive. Moreover, after being conditioned by Gwangnam oppa’s body, honed through intense training and hunter life, the difference felt even greater when compared to Korean men. As expected, even if oppa’s looks were a bit lacking, his body was outstanding. As I nodded while recalling oppa’s muscular physique in my mind, a staff member approached and asked Jihye.
“Jihye. There’s a meeting request. Are you interested?”
“Who is it?”
“Among the VIP guests…”
He whispered the rest into Jihye’s ear. The surroundings were so noisy that I couldn’t hear, but from Jihye’s constantly changing expression, it seemed like quite a big shot.
“Hee~ That man?”
“He seemed to like you. If it’s okay, your companions too…”
“Of course, okay!”
“Great, then I’ll go relay that.”
After watching the staff member leave in good spirits at Jihye’s approval, I asked.
“What’s going on?”
“Men who liked us suggested we hang out together. Remember the guy I danced with?”
“Yeah, that guy.”
“He invited us to the VIP room where he’s hanging out with his friends, so I accepted.”
“Huh? I’m going too?”
Eunhye asked in surprise at Jihye’s words. She seemed to have only just realized the situation.
“Of course. They invited all three of us.”
“That… a VIP room is usually a closed space, right? Being in a place like that with men we’ve never met before is a bit…”
“You don’t need to worry too much. We’ll just drink together and chat. Elisha’s coming too, right?”
“Yes, sure.”
I was confident I could safely extract myself from most situations, so I felt nothing, but Eunhye seemed reluctant about the idea of drinking with men in a closed space. Still, when two out of three agreed to go, Eunhye reluctantly followed along.