Pruru, the Helper Pruru
Seo Dan-bi had Kang Geon's broadcast playing as she got ready to head out. 'Just throw on any clothes, too lazy to shower, so hat it is.' She quickly finished prepping and tapped out a message on her phone.
Seo Dan-bi didn't want to reveal her identity. It wasn't because things were awkward with Kang Geon. Their connection was just too thin and faint. Same high school, same class. A shared hobby of drawing. Short chats now and then sharing sketches. That fragile thread was all that linked them.
She imagined how she might look in Kang Geon's memories. Probably a blurry watercolor wash. They'd only swapped numbers by chance during festival prep. Too distant for "friends." Too connected for total strangers. That ambiguity kept her from coming clean. Maybe he wouldn't even remember her—that fear gnawed at her. She didn't want the shock.
Long time no see, Geon. It's Seo Dan-bi!
Seo Dan-bi? Who's that?
If that happened, it'd scar her deep. So she decided to stay hidden.
With the house address from Kang Geon, Seo Dan-bi headed out right away.
Seo Dan-bi arrived at a rundown one-room building. A five-story brick eyesore. It matched Kang Geon's address.
"Super shabby," said Hwang Mi-reu, her friend who'd come along, peering up at it.
Hwang Mi-reu knew the deal. Seo Dan-bi had told her about helping a friend broadcasting from another world. She'd doubted it at first—couldn't see the stream herself. But now she believed. She'd witnessed something undeniable: Dan-bi snaps a pic of an item on her phone, it blurs and vanishes. Gone to her friend, apparently. No trick could fake that. Dan-bi wasn't some magician anyway.
"Dan-bi, this is definitely your friend's place?"
"Yeah, address checks out."
"Alright then. Let's head in."
Seo Dan-bi nodded and stepped inside, firing off a chat as she went.
End of the fourth-floor hall. Seo Dan-bi punched 0000 into the door lock at 404. A cheerful beep, and it swung open.
She exchanged glances with her friend and stepped inside cautiously. A faint lavender scent tickled her nose. Surprisingly roomy and tidy.
Seo Dan-bi and Hwang Mi-reu glanced around slowly. Right wall: small dresser. Neat desk beside it. Left: single bed, tiny painting on the wall above.
"Dan-bi, your friend draw this?"
"Probably. Style matches."
"You weren't kidding. Draws better than you."
"Told ya."
Seo Dan-bi stared blankly at the painting.
Lost in admiration, Seo Dan-bi snapped back and remembered the favor. She opened the dresser and checked inside.
Possible. The labyrinth analyzed his phone to send invites.
Seo Dan-bi giggled as she typed. Total joke.
A bit spooked now, Seo Dan-bi.
Support items arrived from Pruru. Digital clock, mattress, blanket, pillow. All sorts of daily necessities. My entire savings, parked at the bank, were now charged as coins by Pruru.
"Nah. Hold onto 'em for now. Don't know what to spend on yet."
Coins on request as needed. Until then, use for supply fees.
'Asking for stuff feels less burdensome now.'
I stacked the boxes neatly. Placed the mattress right beside. Wanted a bed, but frame fee was 7 coins—mattress solo it was.
"Nah. Fee's too steep."
Mattress alone suffices. No need for frame.
"You seemed most reliable."
"Nah."
"Yu-mi's a doc, probably busy. Didn't wanna bug Mysti. So you."
Pruru edged out Mysti in trust, naturally. First helper. Doubted at first but jumped in readily. Identity unknown, but solid for handling my assets. Mysti helped too, but emoji-only chatter? Not asset-level trust.
As I laid the blanket on the mattress, another message popped.
"Huh? Why?"
"Shady person?"
Smart not reporting. Cops would hunt the owner—me. Pruru might get pegged thief or kidnapper.
"Lulu, what'd she look like?"
"Sounds familiar."
"Not really. Someone who's tailed me forever."
"Never harmed me, ignored it. Didn't expect house-breaking tho."
"Nah. Don't risk injury."
Stalker? Ignore. No valuables left anyway.
"Thanks anyway, Pruru. I'll repay somehow later."
For the final probe of the day, I led the monsters into Passage 7. Chatting with helpers, about 20 minutes in.
Something caught my eye on the cave wall. Rectangular metal case. Two meters tall, meter wide. Glass front showing goods inside, digital displays blinking top and bottom.
"What's this doing here?"
A vending machine had appeared.