Peculiar Dating Norms in a Modern Fantasy World
In the modern fantasy world, the weird stuff was just common sense when it came to dating.
Ren Tsuchimikado voiced the reason she was surprisingly deflated.
"What's with that look? Do you really think it's something so trivial?"
"Um…."
I couldn't exactly say yes.
She'd dropped all pretenses and was glaring at me with a fierce expression.
It felt like all the pent-up grievances she'd suppressed until now were exploding at once.
"Back in Japan, even brushing fingertips with a guy got me the rod. And around me were these crazy bitches calling themselves retainers, swarming everywhere…! All while they snuck off behind my back to enjoy their youth to the fullest!!"
——I don't want to die an old spinster like this!
The woman who wanted no part of becoming her family's breeding stock wailed with tears welling in her eyes.
Ren had shown massive aversion to the idea of stealing family secrets, even resorting to a fake engagement.
If she abandoned that duty, her future held nothing but life as unsold merchandise.
After graduating the academy, she'd probably have to tour the world hunting for a man.
Until she grew too old to hold any value as a woman.
It was a wild speculation, but for someone managed as meticulously as her, it rang true.
"…Can't you just date someone?"
"That's why I'm seducing you!!"
Ren shot back fiercely at my offhand retort.
"It's a fake engagement anyway, so I should get to pick my partner! Out of everyone at this academy, you're the only decent guy left! And yet you treat me like some object…!"
Her rapid-fire rant shifted to Japanese, leaving me unable to parse it fully.
I couldn't exactly discipline a sobbing woman with a beating, so I sank halfway into the sofa and waited for her to calm down.
One minute, five, ten… Her tear-choked voice gradually softened in volume over time.
…Even then, her words never once stopped.
"…Got it? You're average-looking with a crappy personality, but to me, you're the highest-rated option. No family ties as an independent, skills that go without saying, and during the selection matches, you didn't even glance my way before slicing me apart? Guys immune to looks like mine are rare."
"Why not just date and marry at the same time? Good for the family, satisfies your urges."
"Don't say something so creepy. I'd have to spend my whole life pregnant just to pump out heirs! To expand the branch families with new blood…!"
Ren shuddered violently, clutching her stomach as if envisioning her future as a living incubator.
This no, that no.
After cycling through rejections and compromises, she'd apparently settled on me as the most tolerable guy.
Not even as a proper lover, but as a partner for four years of faux-dating via fake engagement.
That explained the oddly submissive vibe from our first meeting.
"So I can't accept this cold transactional setup. Dates at least three times a week. Check messages often. Depending on satisfaction, I'm even open to offering my virginity. It's not like I'd give it to any other guy…."
"…Ask for more Onmyodo instead."
"No."
Ren shook her head firmly and thrust her smartphone at me.
Truly a modern fantasy world.
Her narrative and boldness were worth every bit of her beauty.
In wuxia martial worlds, they warn you to beware old folks, women, and kids.
Here, I decided to revise that: be wary of anyone stunningly attractive.
It wasn't the danger itself—it was the utter unpredictability of what chaos they'd unleash.
But I silently entered my number into the keypad she'd shoved my way.
"…I figured you'd keep making excuses to distance yourself. What changed?"
"Dunno."
Pity for her, maybe. Or calculating the pros and cons of leveraging her status.
Or perhaps eyeing that curvaceous body for convenient fun, discardable without baggage.
If the relationship soured, I could just announce the breakup publicly and cut ties cleanly.
I wasn't hiding my power like before, nor did I crave a steady second life.
This looked fun.
Reason enough to live a little.
Beep-boop!
Hearing the ringtone and buzz from my pocket, I gazed at Ren's thrilled expression.
"Not sure about constant contact, but how about a date tomorrow?"
"F-First date…! Where to?! I'm new to Korea!"
As she fumbled to open her map app in excitement, I handed her a map.
The Hwaseong Group intel scattered on the table.
Tucked inside: a map dotted with red marks.
"To date worry-free, don't we clear these out first?"
"…You're saying our monumental first date involves a bloody slaughter?"
"Can't help it with the fiancé you picked. If they leave me be, I will too."
Touch them rashly, and I'd get tangled in politics, branded a criminal.
The modern world, with its robust laws and forensics, was a pain that way.
In the otherworld, I'd just kill 'em all and play dumb.
I ignored Ren's uneasy look and plotted our route.
Annoyed at their brazen encirclement after trying to kill me first.
Something to do before suspension lifted.
The morning after Ren insisted on crashing at my dorm under the fiancée pretext.
We'd split briefly to prep, now regrouping at the academy's main gate.
"Good morning, Siwoo. Wait long?"
"Nah, right on time."
"…More touched than I expected. Such a clichéd greeting. Next date, something normal? I bought cute outfits just for this."
Seeing her properly again, she'd reverted to elegant poise.
I was casual, but Ren stuck to her modified miko outfit.
With combat expected, prioritizing sorcerer gear made sense.
"Doubt it. Hwaseong Group's eyes are already bloodshot. More importantly, who's the entourage?"
"…The retainers I mentioned. Not academy students, but registered as guards and servants."
Behind Ren stood women with distinct looks, quietly asserting presence.
Judging by their auras, three 1st Grade-level sorcerers.
Stoic faces, but sharp eyes scanning me.
"What, maids?"
"A bit petty. Everyone else has boyfriends, so I switch my direct retainers' uniforms regularly. Last was bunny girls, FYI."
"Ah."
Too bad.
They looked ninja-esque; missed kunoichi bunnies.
The chatty-seeming maids stayed silent to the end.
Trained not to speak unless spoken to, probably.
"Don't stare too much. I'm your woman."
Ren forcibly turned my head to her and yanked my arm.
We headed opposite the morning class-bound students, out the academy gate.
"Skipping classes two days straight—feels like I'm a delinquent."
"I am a suspended delinquent."
We bantered pointlessly as we strolled the quiet morning streets.
Post-commute and school rush, crowds thinned.
Remaining stares locked on us.
Plain guy leading, miko behind, silent maid squad trailing.
Like performance art or cosplay parade—surreal vibe.
"You picked the destination, right, Siwoo? Where to…?"
"Electronics market."
"First date spot is the electronics market…? Sigh…."
Her meaningful sigh noted, but plans stood.
Not here to play; date was incidental.
"Also to show how useful my Onmyodo is. Plenty doubt like your maids."
"Ignore them? They're not green enough to question my calls."
"Closer they are, more suspicious—right? Might be spying, reporting back."
Ren glanced back dubiously; maids frantically shook heads.
Grinning at their fun reaction, we entered our first stop: the electronics market.
"Can you really blow that much cash so casually?"
"Bought it."
"Paying without hesitation—that's so manly…."
After feeding her my Onmyodo, what was this nonsense?
Universal Onmyodo at secret-art level—priceless, even with endless funds.
Chewing out my fiancée over pocket change got results.
Forced high-end digital camera and drone as gifts.
"My savings…."
Clutching the card, tallying remnants—she treated it as big money, noble or not.
I had funds, but fencing otherworld gold was riskier than expected—not for frequent use.
Call it necessary investment.
I led glum-faced Ren—date joy soured— to a quiet park.
"Sorcery evolved from ancient rituals with sacrifices, right?"
"So…?"
Brushing off her icy tone, I activated Onmyodo using her purchases as catalysts.
From subspace: sleek sniper rifle.
One from my black-market gun collection, bought smuggling gold occasionally.
"Ah?!"
"Still old-school, though. Modern machine civ's advanced, yet you pull supernatural from souls or elements."
Not that dismissible.
Sorcery tweaks were generational feats, if any.
Even I just cross-verified magic and sorcery mechanisms for efficiency hacks.
My easy mods stemmed from innate genius and magic's alien theory.
"Infuse joryeok into lifeless machines like this, imprint traits, transmute."
Shikigami originally tamed yokai-like weirdos.
Evolved modernly, expanding to granting will to inanimates.
Like otherworld golems.
I pushed further.
Modern machines with compound traits, not single materials.
Like combiners: inert gadgets became talisman catalysts, merging.
"Impossible…. This borders creation…."
"Not flawless. Iron lumps suck efficiency. Even max focus, maybe 3rd Grade?"
Self-indulgent sorcery, destined for obscurity.
High utility, low output—tragic flop.
Machine from sorcery materials? Costs outweigh benefits.
Better invest time elsewhere.
First time dropping this cash, so maybe different.
"Impressive…."
We finished tuning, beholding the fully metamorphosed shikigami.
Autonomous-flying sniper rifle. Crude scope cam functional too.
Means ready.
Test performance on our blatant tail? Perfect.