Chapter 22: Reward (2)
Chapter 22: Reward (2)
The quest left me with a mountain of questions.
[Purchase condoms at the cruise convenience store with your second noona, Kang Yu-min.]
[Reward: Automatic Contraception function added.]
First, I couldn't tell if this contraception function was limited to the game or if it applied to reality as well.
Second, I didn't know if I could toggle this function on and off at will, or if it was just going to turn me into a eunuch.
…No, that couldn't be it. Even if this game clearly wasn't just a game and produced countless effects that defied my understanding.
So far, the game hadn't done anything to disadvantage me. It was a hopeful and optimistic outlook, but the way I saw it…
It was likely a perfect contraception function that I could configure through my smartphone or PC. Considering even condoms aren't 100% effective, having such a failsafe was definitely a benefit.
The problem was the content of the quest. I stole a glance at Kang Yu-min over the top of my smartphone.
"Pervert."
The insult flew the moment our eyes met. It was unfair, but there was nothing I could do. Yu-min still firmly believed that all of this was a manifestation of my own mental imagery.
Even though we’d been playing the game together for a month and she must have realized that might not be the case, she continued to think that way—perhaps because it was more convenient for her.
I tried to hide my bitter expression and spoke up.
"…I’m telling you now, I never had those kinds of thoughts."
Yu-min’s expression shifted. It was a look that was hard to meet head-on.
I looked away and added, "But, I can't deny that this function seems more useful than I thought… Should we just get it for now?"
"Well, if my little brother wants it so bad, I guess I have to do it as his big sister."
It was the classic reaction people have after watching a horror movie or a scary game. I let out a hollow laugh. She was clearly the one who wanted it.
"And I’m telling you this in advance, too—I have no intention of actually using them just because we’re buying them, okay? We can just take them back and make water balloons or something."
"Who said I’d let you? I don't want to do it either, okay?"
Her words said one thing, but her expression looked strangely dejected. Ignoring her, I started getting dressed.
I put on the casual clothes I had unpacked earlier.
As if she had planned this all along, Yu-min pulled out a fresh set of clothes instead of the ones she had taken off.
"How do I look?"
"Like you’d smell like sweat."
"Wh-what? Did you smell me? Did you?!"
She tried to suppress my honest opinion by shoving her armpit in my face, but fortunately, there was no smell.
In fact, she smelled quite nice since she had just showered, but telling her that would only make her more arrogant.
"Ah, you don't! You don't smell!" I shouted, pushing her away.
"Making up lies like that… I don't remember raising you to be like this."
"Who raised who? Da-mi Noona raised me, not you."
"Uh-huh, talking back to your sister now?"
"You talk back to your sisters too."
Bickering, we stepped out of the room. Fortunately, we didn't run into Yu-ri or Da-mi Noona.
I grabbed my cruise card and took a deep breath, slowly exhaling as I gestured with my chin toward Yu-min.
"Lead the way. Whether it's a convenience store or a duty-free shop or whatever."
"It's a convenience store."
"Whatever."
"Make sure you follow close, okay? I don't want to hear an announcement looking for a lost child because you wandered off."
"Please. You’re so tiny you’re the one who’s going to get lost among the foreigners."
"Huh? I’m actually on the tall side!"
We continued our banter as we walked through the cruise ship.
There wasn't anything like a duty-free shop on the 18th floor. Consequently, we had to take the elevator down.
During the ride, I prayed we wouldn't run into Eldest Noona or Yu-ri.
I prayed fervently.
If we ran into them, we wouldn't be able to go buy condoms, and if we couldn't buy them…
Wait, hold on.
Now that I thought about it, if we couldn't buy them, we just wouldn't get the reward. It wasn't really a problem, was it?
Realizing I had been getting swept up in the pace of the game, my thoughts shifted.
I’d rather run into Eldest Noona or Yu-ri. Then I could just say we were going to the convenience store, and we’d all go together.
Despite my hopes, no one else boarded the elevator until we reached the 4th floor, where the duty-free shops and convenience stores were located.
Why? As I looked at Yu-min in confusion, she was wearing a smug, mischievous grin.
"They said a famous singer is performing for the first-day show. I don't know much about singers, but I bet even Eldest Noona went there with her eyes wide."
"…What?"
"It’s probably the same for everyone else. That’s why there’s almost no one around right now."
I wondered for a moment if Yu-min had planned for this quest as well, but that was impossible.
Even if the game truly reflected mental imagery, it was impossible for Yu-min to manipulate it at will. If she could, those kinds of quests wouldn't have popped up in the first place.
…Or would they? Maybe this was reflecting my own subconscious desires.
The elevator stopped amidst my thoughts, and Yu-min led the way.
"Let's buy some stuff for you to eat while we're at it. Or maybe some late-night snacks?"
"Aren't you watching your weight?"
"You really don't know anything. You don't manage your physique just by starving yourself, okay? You have to eat well, but eat good things in moderation."
"Spoken like a true PE major…"
Yu-min puffed out her chest with pride, and I read between the lines—she intended to stay in my room.
But even though I caught on, I couldn't turn her away. I didn't exactly dislike spending time with her, either.
If we got bored, we could always play the Family-Friendly Game.
"And you must be hungry too. You haven't eaten anything."
"Wow, look at you acting like a real sister for once."
"Well, I do have an excellent older sister to look up to."
"That’s true."
Following a conversation that started with bragging and ended with sister-worship, I spotted the convenience store standing out unnaturally.
It was… a literal convenience store.
I wondered how they handled logistics and the staff's commute, but I figured they had their own ways of making it work.
I was about to follow Yu-min inside when…
"Oh, right. You have to scan your card outside before entering."
"Huh?"
"It's unmanned."
"Ah, I see."
An unmanned convenience store made sense. That solved the staffing issue. People wealthy enough to be on a cruise generally wouldn't resort to shoplifting, and requiring a cruise card for entry eliminated theft concerns.
Nodding in agreement, I scanned my card and entered. I watched Yu-min hum a tune as she looked around.
"Let's pick out some food first."
"Sure, sure. You’re paying, right, Noona?"
"Only calls me 'Noona' at times like this. Unbelievable."
Despite her words, Yu-min was beaming.
She even seemed pleased by me calling her "Noona," pulling her cruise card out of the cardholder she kept tucked in her cleavage.
I decided to milk her for all she was worth and started picking out various items.
"Do you have any of those recipes you used to eat in the military?"
"I do. Why, you want me to make something?"
"That’d be great. Honestly, no one else in the family is going to the military, so you should show off a bit since you’ve been."
"I don't know about showing off that 'soldier smell'…"
"Whatever."
I gathered cream udon, various frozen foods, light snacks, and some beer, placing them at the counter. Then, my eyes landed on an item sitting prominently by the register.
It was condoms. A large 8-pack box labeled 'Ultra-Thin.'
Wait, why that one?
"Shouldn't we get a smaller pack?"
At my words, Yu-min’s face flushed slightly.
"…I-it’s not that small. In fact, I don't think anything smaller would even fit…"
"No, no. Not the size. Wait, is it the size? Anyway, I meant buy a pack with fewer of them."
Yu-min realized she had misunderstood, her ears turning bright red, but she didn't put the condoms back.
"Ugh, whatever. Just buy that one. I have plenty of money, and I’m the one paying anyway."
With her taking such a firm stance, it wasn't like I could secretly swap them. In the end, I let her buy the condoms.
The moment she paid with her cruise card, I pulled out my smartphone. Yu-min clung to my arm, poking her head over to look.
[! Quest Complete!]
[Purchase condoms at the cruise convenience store with your second noona, Kang Yu-min.]
[Reward: Automatic Contraception function added.]
[Automatic Contraception]
[You can freely toggle contraception on and off within the 'Family-Friendly Game M' on your smartphone!]
[Regardless of the method, this function drastically reduces the movement of the user's semen, guaranteeing 100% contraception no matter what happens!]
I couldn't help but let out a bewildered laugh.
It felt like the game wasn't even trying to hide its nature anymore.
Then again, it hadn't felt realistic since the moment I first received it. The person who delivered the game was an otherworldly being with a level of beauty not found in the mortal realm.
The game itself was built with technology far beyond human capabilities, and rewards were granted even without an internet connection.
It was easier to just view it as something supernatural. I chuckled dryly at the reward, which felt like a declaration that it would no longer hide its true colors.
"…Is it talking about the game?"
I started to answer Yu-min, who was tilting her head beside me, but then stopped.
"I don't know. Why, you want to find out?"
"Wh-wh-what?"
Yu-min stammered, her face turning a deep shade of crimson. I reached out and playfully ruffled her hair.
"Ugh, hey! Stop it!"
"Pervert."
"Urgh."
I tucked my phone away, took the bags Yu-min handed me, and headed back to the room.
On the way back, there was still no sign of Da-mi Noona or Yu-ri. It was just the two of us. We occasionally saw cruise staff, but they paid us no mind, and we felt the same.
[9:27 PM]
Not much time had passed by the time we returned to the room. It had been around 9:10 when we finished showering.
We had nothing but time. It was only natural to think about eating first before deciding what to do next. I tossed the bags onto the bed and took off my jacket.
"Yu-min, give me your jacket. I'll—"
I was going to tidy up like Eldest Noona taught me and then get the food ready.
"Oh…"
But Yu-min was already tearing into the condom box as if it were more urgent than anything else.
A pale pink, rubbery object. It was still in its wrapper, but the wrapper was transparent, making the condom inside clearly visible.
I froze, and Yu-min, seeing my reaction, giggled.
"Hey, you know…"
In the midst of my silence, Yu-min tore open the transparent wrapper and made a request.
"I’m just curious."
My second noona looked up at me with a flushed face, acting as if she could hide her embarrassment behind that tiny condom.
"Can't you just try it on once?"
Her words were an invitation for my bloodline to finally cross the ultimate line.