The Slut I Just Bought

At some point, Lee Haerin had stopped talking.

The summer night was sweltering. Clad in her equipment, Haerin was luxuriating in her preferred body temperature — the air wasn't humid, so her skin stayed dry, while I was already sweating through a t-shirt and shorts. The convenience store was five minutes away. I broke the silence, urging the woman strolling leisurely ahead of me.

"Come on, hurry up. I'm dying of heat out here."

Whether my sincerity reached her or not, Haerin lifted her head — and immediately looked away the moment her eyes met mine.

"Are you ignoring me?"

Haerin hesitated, then spoke.

"Oh. The equipment."

"Look how much I sacrifice for my guild members. The least you could do is appreciate it."

She dropped her gaze. What else was there to look at besides her chest? At that size, she probably couldn't ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠even see her own toes. Haerin raised her right elbow and checked her armpit, then shifted her legs, testing the fit.

"It's late July, right? Peak of the season. I didn't even notice with the equipment on."

"Exactly. All that 5-Star gear out there is either clanky plate armor or monster hide with zero ventilation."

"Right? They're always whining about how suffocating it is — and then they won't even take their helmets off when they rest."

Haerin nodded along in agreement.

"Unlike those low-grade rigs, Slave equipment offers not only combat power but comfort as well."

"...I get that. But why are you suddenly bragging?"

I got to the point.

"Let's pick up the pace. I'm about to melt."

"Gasp — we can't have the Guild Master dying on us! Then let's hurry and get the booze."

We quickened our steps, and a bright sign lit up the street ahead. The 24-hour convenience store, Twenty, was open. Haerin and I pushed through the door.

Ding.

"Welcome."

The ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠part-timer greeted us.

"Hello."

"Hi."

We bowed our heads politely. My eyes met the clerk's — and every hole in his face opened wide at once. He was so stunned he simply froze in place.

Haerin seemed used to that kind of stare. She'd been pretty even before her Awakening. The clerk's male instincts had clearly short-circuited his brain; every orifice on his face was pointed at Haerin.

Cute.

Does that guy browse the climbing gallery too?

We're filming the membership video soon, after all.

Might as well advertise in advance.

I walked up to the counter and asked where the alcohol was. The clerk blinked a few times, glanced at me once, and pointed to one side.

"It's over there."

"Thank you."

I bowed, grabbed a basket, and headed in the direction he'd pointed. Haerin was in the household goods aisle. I came up behind her.

"What are you picking out?"

"Hck! You scared me......"

Haerin shot upright like a cat with its tail stepped on, then turned around wearing her displeasure as plainly as she could.

"What was that for? Not funny."

"Are you staying over tonight?"

Haerin had been looking at the disposable underwear section.

"I... I guess so?"

"Because you can't wear underwear with that equipment on, right?"

"Ugh! We're on Earth anyway — so what if I'm a little weaker?"

She really doesn't get it yet. Reduced combat power meant reduced comfort. That was the whole point.

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

"If you wear underwear under it, you won't sleep tonight."

"...Why?"

"Because you'll get hot. There's an AC, but you never know."

I said it like I couldn't care less either way. Haerin let out a low groan.

"Then I guess I don't need any."

She turned away from the underwear aisle. I smiled.

"By the way, you're sleeping over, right? Your place isn't exactly close."

"That! That... you're filming the video today, aren't you."

"It might be over quickly. Doesn't mean you have to stay the night."

"No! ......Hmm. I mean, no, it's fine."

Haerin glanced toward the counter and swallowed the rest of her sentence.

She's already accepted it. Anyone who wasn't an idiot knew why an equipment promo was a "membership video."

Haerin sighed, snatched the basket out of my hands, and headed for the liquor aisle.

Equipment I've never even worn myself. Just how comfortable can it be? One mention of reduced comfort and she turned her head around just like that.I should get a set for myself while I'm at it.

I browsed the aisle she'd been looking at, and something caught my eye. Several small boxes, numbers printed on the front, ten to a box. I picked up every box labeled as the largest size. Then I went back to Haerin.

"I'll carry the basket."

She handed it over with a nod, and I slipped the boxes of ultra-thin condoms inside. Haerin opened a refrigerator, pulled out soju bottles, and dropped them into the basket. Her mood visibly soured; she walked straight to the register without so much as a glance at me. Halfway there, she stopped at the medicine section.

"Should I take a dewormer?"

"...Are you seriously going to keep this up?"

Haerin stuck her lip out. I played dumb right back.

"We did agree you'd eat corridor crab. You'd need a dewormer for that, wouldn't you? Or are climbers too tough to bother? Even whale roundworms get beaten, you know."

"Forget it! I just wanted to look!"

Convenience stores don't sell any form ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠of contraceptive. Same category of "medicine" — which was probably why her eyes had drifted there in the first place. Haerin stomped her foot and marched to the counter, arms crossed, glaring daggers at me. I conceded defeat, showed her my empty palms, and walked over.

I set the basket on the counter. Nothing in it but booze.

"Ring it up, please."

"Sure."

The clerk pulled out the bottles one by one, scanning the barcodes.

"One plastic bag, please."

"Of course."

He scanned a soju bottle, then pulled out a box. The moment he saw it, his hand froze. Haerin saw it too. She thrust her hand into the basket, pulled the box out — hesitated for a moment — then shoved it right back in.

The clerk stopped moving the instant she grabbed it.

"Ah — sorry."

Haerin apologized.

"No, no......"

He scanned the rest of the items. Haerin kept her head buried the whole time. I snorted, looped my right arm around her shoulders. Her body flinched — but she didn't shove my arm away. She just muttered don't while weakly tapping my forearm.

The clerk's hands slowed. Of course they did — his eyes were fixed dead ahead. And I, in the mood to film a teaser, filled my whole hand with her breast.

"Mmph!"

Haerin swallowed a moan.

Thud! Clatter!

That was the sound of the clerk dropping a soju bottle and fumbling to catch it.

"Gah — s-sorry!"

He bowed his head in apology — and never once lifted it again. Riding the momentum, I squeezed her harder a second time.

"Ngh... hahh......"

Haerin let out a teary whimper. The clerk sped up.

The gallery's going to be on fire tonight.

I hoped the part-timer would leave a good review.

He finished scanning and bagged everything up.

"That'll be 69,500 won."

Four boxes of condoms and five bottles of soju. I handed him a hundred thousand won in cash, and when he tried to give me the change, I waved it off. He thanked me profusely.

He passed me the bag with the handles turned for an easy grip. I took it in my left hand and thanked him in return. Haerin smacked my right arm away and stormed out. I followed her out of the store.

Outside, Haerin stood there in a full sulk — weight planted on one foot, arms crossed, glaring at me like she wanted me dead.

"What the hell is wrong with you!"

"What's wrong with me?"

I asked right back. Haerin grumbled, her whole body radiating frustration.

"Ha — shit. Of course. I'm the idiot for actually thinking it'd be fine."

The guild recruitment notice, the shop interior, the application she'd signed with her own hand, the way she'd acted on stream. Haerin had finally caught on that she couldn't screw me over. When she came today, she'd probably figured a few flashes of cleavage would settle it. If that were all it took, why would I have let you into my guild?

Haerin paced in a tight circle, biting her nails. From a distance, she must have looked exactly like an angry girlfriend throwing a tantrum.

Will it take a while? She won't like that her first time is happening like this. A woman's first time matters, after all. And so Haerin stomped the ground and clawed at her hair, while I went to check whether the part-timer had taken the bait well enough.

It was already up on the gallery board. Next, I opened my channel. Three million subscribers already. A channel on the dark side of the web growing this fast was unusual — which meant the subscribers and membership members had high expectations. Membership had quietly hit one million. In money, that came out to fifteen billion won. Fully kitting out a 3-Star climber ran about a hundred million, and since parties were usually five strong, that put together thirty sets. Enough for one hundred fifty female climbers. There were four hundred 3-Star female climbers in total.

The acceleration was beginning. Tonight I'd take Haerin, push to Floor 5 fast, and start recruiting 3-Star climbers.

We were practically halfway there already. With enough coins, everything sorted itself out.

That was when it happened. Haerin's expression cleared, almost enlightened, and she turned to me.

"Promise me something."

"Like what?"

Haerin said:

"Take me past Floor 10, guaranteed. No — Floor 20 and up! And invest heavily in my weapons and accessories too. I'll bring in tons of coins."

She'd thrown in the promise of coins at the end. In other words, she had calmly accepted it all.

"All right, Haerin. I'll carve your name into the Floor 20 zone myself."

"It's a promise. You'd better keep it!"

"I said I got it."

Haerin let out a short sigh and walked pressed close against my side. I played with her adorably converted chest all the way back to the guild.

The drinking party didn't last long. Climbers barely get tipsy off Earth liquor anyway. The first guild dinner was a formality, nothing more.

We'd finished off every last side dish. I told her:

"Let's get started. The subscribers will be asleep at this rate."

"......Okay."

I turned on the stream and set it up. Haerin sat on the bed, knees drawn together, hands rubbing restlessly on her thighs, eyes fixed not straight ahead but on the ceiling.

"My face is definitely hidden, right?"

Haerin continued:

"Then what are you worried about? Everyone already knows who you are."

"So what, you want to do a full face reveal?"

"I'm not doing that......"

Haerin's voice trailed off.

I finished the setup and posted the announcement.