The Reserve Protagonist
“Yeah! Hurry up and get here… Huh? Dinner? What’s this all of a sudden?”
“No, it’s nothing. I just felt really bad about being late.”
“Hmm. Really? Well, you don’t have to go that far. At least you feel guilty. Fine. Just get here quick! A customer came in, so I’m hanging up!”
“Okay.”
- Click
The call ended.
“Haa……”
I let out a sigh.
‘Where did that courage come from, Jinhyun?’
Thinking back, this was the first time I’d ever asked a woman out to dinner—aside from when I was a student. I’d blurted it out just to complete the quest, but now that the call was over, a wave of worry hit me.
Could I actually finish this quest?
Even the promise to buy her dinner might not happen.
And even if it did, even if we somehow went on a date… would I realistically be able to kiss her?
My heart pounded uneasily.
“…Plus, the definition of a ‘date’ is pretty vague.”
I stared at my phone.
What exactly counted as a date in this app?
Would just eating together count?
I had no idea.
“I should just go.”
If I kept overthinking here, I’d only be even later—and that would make me a real jerk.
I finished getting dressed and glanced at the heart-shaped container sitting nearby.
‘Love Candy, huh.’
Come to think of it, I still needed to test its effects. The Heroine App was real, but I couldn’t be sure about the candy yet.
I took out about five pieces and slipped them into my pocket, then returned the container to my inventory through the Heroine App.
After that, I left the house.
“Whew.”
It was late at night, but the summer breeze felt pleasantly cool. I took the bus, walked a bit, and arrived in front of the convenience store where I worked.
By the time I got there, it was almost 11 p.m.
“Shit……”
Feeling guilty, I peered through the window and saw a woman ringing up a customer.
‘She really is pretty.’
She had a short bob that fell just past her shoulders and a refreshing, cool impression. Though she was on the shorter side, her face and figure were lovely. It was Yujeong noona, the one I’d just called.
“Calm down.”
- Ding
After taking a deep breath, I opened the door and stepped inside.
“Welcome—! Oh, it’s you~!”
Yujeong noona had started greeting me out of habit, but the moment she saw me, her eyes narrowed.
I quickly bowed and hurried to the back to change into my uniform.
‘Thankfully, she doesn’t seem that angry……’
She’d sounded a little upset on the phone, but it looked like her anger had cooled over time.
Was she a saint or something?
‘If it were me, I’d be furious.’
Good thing she had such a nice personality.
When I came back out, Yujeong noona looked like she was about to say something, her lips parting slightly. But before she could speak, I held out a piece of candy right in front of her.
“Here.”
It was one of the heart-shaped candies from the generator.
This was my chance to test its effect.
“Huh? What’s this?”
Yujeong noona tilted her head, a question mark practically floating above her. I answered with a calm expression.
“Candy. Eat it.”
“You’ve never done this before. Hmm… Ah! Don’t tell me you’re trying to buy your way out of being an hour late with this?”
She narrowed her eyes.
“No way. I’m just giving it to you. It’s good.”
I waved my hands in denial. She let out a small laugh and accepted the candy.
“I’m kidding~ Still, I’ve never seen this kind before.”
“My relative overseas sent it.”
“Really?”
I gave a vague answer. After all, it was a brandless candy—if she asked where I got it, lying was the only option.
Yujeong noona studied the candy for a moment, then unwrapped it and popped it into her mouth.
“Well, thanks. I’ll enjoy it.”
‘She ate it……’
I swallowed hard as I watched.
Her lips looked especially vivid today as she took the candy in.
Those cherry-red, alluring lips.
‘A kiss……’
I imagined kissing her—our lips meeting, feeling her breath. Just the thought made blood rush downward.
‘…Stop it.’
I shook my head.
To even have a chance at those lips, I first needed a date. And for that, the candy’s effect had to be real.
The effect made the person who ate it feel a slight attraction toward whoever they looked at the most while the candy was in their mouth. If that person was the opposite sex, the effect doubled.
It only lasted three hours, but if it worked, getting a date during that window might not be impossible.
“…Why are you staring like that?”
While I was lost in thought, Yujeong noona tilted her head and asked.
“Oh, no reason. Just thinking for a second.”
I laughed awkwardly, trying to play it off.
“Anyway, I’m glad you came… I’m letting it slide because this is your first time being late! Got it?”
“Yes. I won’t be late again.”
“Good. Let’s just do the handover properly.”
After that, I received the shift handover.
Luckily, no customers came in.
Ever since Yujeong noona ate the candy, I’d been conscious of her gaze. Maybe because we were the only two in the store, she kept glancing at me without realizing it.
‘This should be enough……?’
About five minutes had passed.
Since sucking on the candy would’ve taken around ten minutes, I’d told her it tasted better if you chewed it, and she’d followed my advice.
‘She should’ve finished it by now… but when should I bring it up?’
I was struggling to find the right moment.
I’d mentioned buying her dinner over the phone, but from the way she’d said she’d overlook my lateness earlier, it felt like she’d indirectly turned down the offer.
Was it okay to bring it up again now?
And more importantly—did the candy’s effect even work?
If it didn’t, she’d definitely refuse.
Unable to make up my mind, I kept hesitating as time slipped by.
I needed to speak at the right moment, but I couldn’t figure out when.
Once the handover was done and she left, my chance would be gone.
Just as I was fidgeting anxiously, a voice suddenly came from beside me.
“Hmm. By the way, Jinhyun… didn’t you say you’d buy me dinner earlier on the phone?”
‘What?’
Startled, I turned to look at her.
Yujeong noona was staring at me with a perfectly casual expression, as if she’d only just remembered.
‘Did the candy’s effect kick in?’
She seemed like her usual self, but something felt slightly off.
‘It’s not like anything obvious changed.’
Her face wasn’t flushed or anything dramatic. Still, the atmosphere between us felt subtly different.
‘Now that I think about it……’
It was strange. Given her usual personality, she wouldn’t have brought it up herself—she would’ve just let it go.
While I was thinking that, she must’ve taken my silence as a denial, because she spoke again.
“What~ So it was just something you said?”
“No, of course not. I’ll definitely treat you. When’s good for you?”
I couldn’t let this opportunity slip away. I answered quickly. She pressed her index finger to her lips and thought for a moment.
“Hmm. How about the day after tomorrow?”
“…The day after tomorrow?”
“Why? Is that bad?”
It wasn’t bad. I was just surprised it was so soon.
“Today’s Friday, and we both have the day off tomorrow and the day after. You’re working the night shift, so you’ll be tired. Skipping tomorrow and doing the day after tomorrow sounds perfect.”
It was a very logical explanation. I nodded.
“Okay. Let’s do the day after tomorrow.”
“Yeah. Sounds good. Just text me the time and place later.”
“Got it.”
With that, Yujeong noona finished the handover, changed clothes, and came back out.
“There’s drinks and sandwiches in the fridge, so help yourself. I’m heading out.”
“Okay. Get home safe.”
- Ding-ding
Once Yujeong noona left, I was alone in the store.
In a dazed voice, I muttered,
“It worked……”
All I’d done was give her a single piece of candy, and now we had a dinner date.
Until now, we’d only ever talked during shift handovers.
‘There really is some kind of effect.’
I looked at the candy in my pocket with wonder.
It might be even more powerful than I’d thought.
‘I need to look into this more.’
I nodded to myself. Maybe—just maybe—I really could kiss her.
******
“Why did I say that all of a sudden?”
On her way home from the convenience store, Yujeong questioned her own actions.
He was just a younger coworker at the same store. Yet suddenly, Jinhyun’s face had looked strangely attractive, and before she knew it, she’d spoken up.
Even when he’d offered to buy her dinner over the phone, she hadn’t planned on taking him up on it. But then she’d gone and made plans herself, using it as an excuse.
She’d stayed late, sure, but she’d get paid properly for the overtime, and she’d already received a proper apology. There was no real reason to let him treat her.
“Yeah. He was even late today……”
When he hadn’t shown up past ten and she’d heard he was still at home, she’d been pretty annoyed. Even after her anger faded, there was no reason for her to suddenly find him appealing.
But strangely, even now, whenever she thought of Jinhyun’s face, it felt oddly attractive.
Was she going crazy?
His face was completely ordinary—not particularly handsome—yet today, she felt an inexplicable pull toward him.
“Hmm. Maybe it’s because he gave me that candy?”
Yujeong recalled the candy she’d received earlier. It had been unusually thoughtful of him—he never did things like that. And it had tasted good, too.
But still, one piece of candy couldn’t possibly make someone look more attractive……
“Well, I’ll find out when we meet on Sunday.”
She might as well just go home and sleep.
Yujeong headed home with light steps.