The First Event

“Huh?”

One of the boxes vanished, replaced by an icon that looked exactly like a textbook.

Clean Unboxing…

Was this the equivalent of a jackpot success in other games?

Either way, getting an item one grade higher was definitely good news. I clicked the icon with a happy heart to check the details of what I’d received.

“Heavenly… Flame Qi Technique?”

I’d never heard those words before. It sounded like something straight out of a martial arts novel…

Was this actual martial arts? Out of nowhere, qi techniques?

I had questions, but I nodded anyway.

Well, if there were magical items that belonged in a fantasy world, there was nothing strange about having martial arts too. Since there was no mention of romance assistance options, it made sense that this kind of thing could come out of the boxes.

“Let’s open the last remaining box too.”

This time I used the box that had the romance assistance option attached.

“Virginity Detector Glasses?”

Unfortunately, it looked like Clean Unboxing hadn’t triggered this time.

Still… it could tell if someone was a virgin?

…What?

I clicked the glasses-shaped icon to check the information.

“……”

I couldn’t help but think there really were some bizarre items out there.

A 47-year-old virgin wizard, though. That was way more pathetic than me.

Still, if he’d stayed a virgin for forty-seven years, it made sense he’d invent something like this.

Should I test it right away?

It was still early morning and I was sitting in a quiet corner of the bus, so no one would notice me summoning the item.

I carefully materialized the glasses and put them on. Since I didn’t usually wear glasses, they felt a little uncomfortable.

Let’s see…

When I looked out the window, I could see women walking along the street. As soon as I focused on them through the lenses, floating messages appeared above each one.

“……”

It really was just a simple pair of glasses that only told you whether someone was a virgin or not.

What am I even supposed to use this for?

Still, I figured it might come in handy someday, so I put the glasses back into my inventory.

Next up is the Heavenly Flame Qi Technique…

I got off the bus and went inside the house. Then I immediately materialized the Heavenly Flame Qi Technique item.

— Thud.

A neat-looking book and a small wooden box fell to the floor.

I picked up the book first and flipped through it.

“Whoa.”

It was about the thickness of an average high school textbook. As I skimmed through the pages, I saw that the explanations were incredibly detailed.

It wasn’t just text either—there were illustrations of human figures showing exact postures and incantations, all laid out neatly and precisely.

“If I learn this, will I be able to use some kind of internal energy?”

The item description clearly stated that this Heavenly Flame Qi Technique was the foundational mental method of something called the One Flame Divine Style. In martial arts novels, mental techniques usually referred to breathing methods used to gather internal energy. If my guess was right, that was probably it.

“Looks like I actually have to study this myself.”

All the items I’d gotten so far—the Candy Generator, Laser Stick, Desire Water Converter, and Virginity Detector Glasses—had magical effects built into the items themselves. But this book was different.

I had to learn the contents directly.

I’d secretly hoped that the moment I picked it up, all the information would flood into my head, but that didn’t happen.

That was probably why this item didn’t have any options while the others did.

As for the pill…

I set the book down and opened the small wooden box that had fallen with it. Inside was a single large, round, reddish bead. It was about the size of a thumb joint, and I could instinctively feel that it contained some mysterious energy.

I probably shouldn’t eat this right now.

Just looking at the pill gave me a bad feeling—like I shouldn’t consume it yet. The book was so dense that even skimming it once left me completely lost.

I’ll read it carefully later.

I decided to study it when I had time and moved on to using my coins.

First, let’s raise Kang Sujeong’s affection a little.

I checked her current status in the Heroine App.

“Her affection hasn’t changed at ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠all.”

It was still sitting at 19.

I’d raised it from 8 to 19, then summoned her and forcibly taken her. The fact that it hadn’t dropped into the negatives meant she hadn’t recognized my transformed appearance as me.

In other words, affection only applies to what she consciously perceives.

It was exactly what I’d expected, and it was good news.

I tapped her affection stat.

I’d planned to raise her affection all the way to 50, but a message popped up before I could continue.

“Event?”

Before I could even question it, a new Event section appeared below her current status.

“Hmm. 11:32 today… that’s four hours from now.”

Yellow Villa was the name of the multi-unit building I currently lived in. I was in room 401.

If it’s an event… does that mean if I’m ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠standing in front of my door in four hours, I’ll run into Kang Sujeong?

I wasn’t exactly sure what an event was, but I had a strong feeling that was the case.

I’d been planning to find her anyway to check the changed affection value, so this was perfect timing. A natural encounter was always better.

“Let’s raise her affection a bit more.”

I continued increasing her affection. Since I had plenty of coins, I could spend them freely.

But once it hit 30, I couldn’t raise it any further.

“Damn.”

I’d thought it was going too smoothly.

So I have to build up Fated Connection through events if I want to raise her affection more?

I clicked my tongue in disappointment and closed the app.

For now, it looked like I needed to meet her first.

******

Four hours later.

“Alright.”

During the four hours until the event, I showered, closed my eyes for a bit to shake off my fatigue, and finished preparing to go out. Then I stood right in front of the front door, pressing my ear against it.

The current time was 11:31 and 30 seconds.

I waited quietly in front of the door a little earlier than the event time. Finally, I heard the door upstairs open and the sound of someone coming down the stairs.

— Thud, thud.

She’s here.

The ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠footsteps approached slowly. She was descending the stairs at a very sluggish pace.

I waited patiently until the footsteps finally reached right outside my door.

At that moment, I casually opened the door.

— Click.

“Ah……”

“Oh. Hello?”

Just as expected, Kang Sujeong was standing right in front of my door.

When I suddenly opened the door and stepped out, her eyes widened into perfect circles. She stared at me for a moment before returning the greeting.

“Yes… hello……”

Whoa, jackpot.

It wasn’t her usual sharp, aggressive tone. Instead, it was polite and courteous.

It was clear that reaching 30 affection had changed things. Her attitude was completely different from the blatantly hostile demeanor she used to show.

But something feels off…

Even though the hostility was gone, there was no strength in her voice.

Wow.

Sensing something was wrong, I took a closer look at her. Upon closer inspection, her eyes were puffy and she looked extremely tired, like she hadn’t slept well.

She was even leaning against the stair railing, as if she could barely hold herself upright.

I asked her with a concerned tone.

“Um, is something wrong?”

“Ah, n-no, it’s nothing.”

At my question, her body flinched. For a brief moment, a sad expression crossed her face. But she quickly changed her expression and forced a smile.

Hmm. I guess I was pretty rough with her yesterday.

When I’d taken her, she must have felt intense physical pleasure, but it had still been her first time and it was rape. The mental toll must have been significant.

Plus, the cream that converted pain into pleasure only lasted for three hours.

While the cream was active, the pain had felt like pleasure, but once the effect wore off, it must have been brutal—like the anesthesia wearing off and all the pain hitting at once.

Ugh.

Seeing her like this made me feel a little guilty. But I quickly shook my head.

I can’t afford to regret this.

I had already chosen the path of trash.

Once I decided to walk the path of trash, I had to walk it to the end—thoroughly and without compromise.

Regretting it now would only make things more half-hearted.

But I don’t want my heroine to carry trauma.

In that case, the only thing I could do was give her even more intense pleasure—enough to completely overshadow that pain.

In my transformed form, I would give her supreme ecstasy. In this form, I would approach her kindly and gently.

I put on a genuinely worried expression.

“You really don’t look like nothing’s wrong. Did you fight with your friend?”

“Ah. Yehwa… no, it’s definitely not that!”

“Still, something did happen, right? Is it because of that red thread thing?”

“Red thread? Ah!”

She tilted her head for a moment, then spoke as if she’d just remembered.

“It’s not that either. And… I’m really sorry about back then. I must have been a bit sensitive.”

She was apologizing to me. That was something I couldn’t have imagined back when her affection was still in the single digits.

“No, I should be the one apologizing. I think I was too cold to you that time.”

It would be rude to pry any deeper, so I returned her apology and stayed quiet.

“……”

“……”

We stood there silently for about ten seconds.

She must have found the atmosphere awkward because she fidgeted with her fingers before speaking first.

“Um… you can go ahead if you want.”

“Wouldn’t you like to go together?”

“Eh?”

She looked startled by my words. I smiled and shook the grocery basket I had prepared in advance in front of her.

“I’m actually heading out to do some grocery shopping. I noticed you’re also holding a basket, so I thought maybe you were going shopping too.”

“Ah… yes, I am. I’m going grocery shopping right now.”

“Perfect timing then. Would you like to go together? You don’t look like you’re feeling well. I can carry your things for you.”

She looked slightly surprised, then nodded.

“…Alright. Thank you.”

In truth, I usually just ate cup ramen or delivery and rarely went grocery shopping, but since the event keyword was “grocery shopping,” I had stuffed a basket in my room in advance.

And when I came out the door, I saw the basket next to her handbag and realized that had been the correct choice.

So that’s how events work.

“Then let’s go.”

“Okay.”

I smiled inwardly as I supported her and began walking down the stairs one step at a time.