61. Ranfang (End)
61. Ranfang (End)
"A-are we eating here?"
"Yeah."
Lanfang's eyes went wide as she entered the high-end beef omakase restaurant Hye-yong had reserved.
"Party of three, table three? Right this way."
Her gait as she followed the staff was painfully awkward.
'First time in a place like this, I bet.'
Hye-yong had been the same way the first time Geum Na-rin brought him here.
That sense of not quite belonging, of being out of place.
But after two visits, it becomes habit.
Once inside the Japanese-style private dining room, Lanfang fidgeted restlessly, eyes darting around like someone locked in a secret chamber.
Then their eyes met.
Hye-yong had a pretty good idea what she was about to say.
"H-how much does a meal cost at a place like this?"
He'd called it at about ninety-five percent.
"Depends on what you order, but... around 500 Points a head?"
Lanfang convulsed like she'd just seen a ghost.
"Hyeek! I-I don't have that kind of money! I don't even have a thousand Points to my name...!"
Complete panic.
Exactly as predicted.
'She's freaking out thinking she has to pay for this.'
And no wonder. At every meal they'd shared up to this point, she'd always footed the bill.
Over the weekend, when he'd stuck close to her, he deliberately ate separately and told her to handle her own meals.
All for this moment, to engineer this very misunderstanding.
"Why are you naturally assuming you're the one paying?"
"Huh...?"
Hye-yong wore an artificial but kindly smile as he corrected her assumption.
"You ever see an owner buy their pet dinner and then tell the pet to pay?"
"Ah, uh... I-I..."
I am not a pet!
She seemed to want to say it, but the words wouldn't come out.
This was exactly why Hye-yong had deliberately chosen someplace outrageously expensive.
If she denied being a pet, he might actually make her pay—and so she couldn't make a peep.
The shock of realizing the bill she'd have to cover was close to 1,000 Points.
The relief of learning she wouldn't have to pay it after all.
Lanfang was someone with nearly zero pride.
She couldn't bring herself to speak because she didn't want to leave that state of relief.
Getting her to accept things through these mundane, everyday moments was far more devastating.
"Never been anywhere like this before?"
"F-first time. 500 Points for a single meal... I never even imagined I'd set foot somewhere like this..."
"Today's a special occasion. You did everything I asked for three days straight, didn't you?"
"Y-yes..."
That was enough for now.
The rest could happen while they ate.
Tsssss——.
The lustrous slabs of meat the server brought in sizzled as they cooked, giving off an appetizing aroma.
Lanfang couldn't take her eyes off the spectacle of someone else grilling her meat for her, utterly fascinated.
Judging by the way she kept swallowing, she really wanted to eat.
No wonder.
Current time: 9:20 PM.
This was well past her usual dinner hour.
On top of that, after running around all day, she'd be thoroughly exhausted and languid.
Premium beef, eaten in a drowsy, warm haze after a hard day's work—there was no word for it but bliss.
And with hunger as the finest seasoning, she was bound to be over the moon.
The server deftly sliced the dripping cuts of meat with practiced skill and placed them onto Hye-yong and Lanfang's plates.
Then she gave a small bow and exited the room.
In a few minutes, she would return with more meat to grill.
The kind of restaurant where you paid for the luxury of sitting still and eating without needing to order or lift a finger.
And if you wanted more of something, you could pay a surcharge and they'd bring out and cook as much as you liked.
Utterly extravagant.
"W-wow..."
Lanfang just stared at the steaming beef, drinking in the smell.
Hye-yong couldn't bear to watch. He spoke up.
"What, you're not gonna eat? It's best right now. The flavor's ruined once it cools and the juices drain away, you know?"
"I just... wondered if I was allowed to eat something like this... Getting fed without paying almost feels like committing a crime..."
"Lanfang."
"Yes..."
"When a puppy eats, does it go 'I'm sorry, master, I'm costing you so much' and then eat?"
"N-no, it wouldn't..."
"A pet doesn't know about any of that. You could hand it the most expensive thing in the world and it wouldn't know. It just eats and the message is 'I love you, master.' That's all. And the one doing the feeding is a whole lot happier that way."
Stab!
Hye-yong speared a piece of meat from his own plate with his fork and held it out to Lanfang.
"I brought you here because I wanted to watch you enjoy your food. That, and nothing else. Here, Lanfang. Say ahh."
Lanfang hesitated, but when a bead of red juice began to drip from the meat on the fork, she seemed to panic at the thought of letting it fall and hurriedly brought her mouth to it.
She took it in with her small mouth, chewed thoroughly, and gulped it down.
Her face bloomed with surprise and happiness.
It was the brightest expression he had seen on her yet.
"I barely even chewed and it just melted in my mouth! It's so insanely good..."
"Right?"
"I think this is the best thing I've ever eaten in my entire life..."
"There's plenty left, so eat without worrying."
Lanfang wore a complicated expression, but one that unmistakably held happiness, as she speared the meat on her own plate with her fork and ate.
"It's also good if you dip it in the sauce on the side."
"Mmnn——!! It's so delicious!!"
"Shall we have a drink too? The plum wine here is really good."
"A-alcohol? I've never even had alcohol before..."
"You'll see once you try it. It's super sweet, you can drink it like juice."
"Th-then just a little."
He spent a pleasant dinner with Lanfang.
-
"Euuu... gotta go back to the dorms..."
Lanfang slurred her words and staggered.
She'd been sipping away because it was sweet, and now she was thoroughly drunk, apparently.
An Awakened could, if they made an effort, largely nullify the effects of alcohol.
The fact that she wasn't doing so meant she rather enjoyed this tipsy, floaty state.
Of course, there was a reason she was enjoying it so much.
[ Joy ]
Stamina Stat Increase Level 1
Joyful Feeling Level 5
Joyful Emotion Amplification Level 3
Target Unaware Blessing Is Active
Rian Pang Exclusive
He'd kept the joy-inducing buff running all through the meal, the drinking, and the chatter—so of course she was happy.
Hye-yong supported Lanfang as they walked.
"You seem a bit drunk. It's late. Want to just duck into a hotel somewhere and sleep?"
"Yeah... wanna lie down on a fluffy bed..."
If she were stone-cold sober, she might have thought twice, but the current Lanfang seemed to find everything perfectly fine no matter what happened.
Once you left the Facility building and came out onto the street, unmanned hotels weren't hard to find.
If you stayed out too late and missed the shuttle bus, these hotels were where you had to spend the night.
Entry was simple.
Just scan your terminal, Points would be deducted, and for the designated time window, only that terminal could unlock the door.
This was Hye-yong's first time actually using one, too.
First, he laid Lanfang down on the hotel bed.
"F-fehe... so full... happy."
Drunk on alcohol and buffs, she seemed content just lying there.
She looked ready to drift off if left alone, so he stroked her chin as he always did.
At that, eyes still closed, she smiled at the touch and then went completely still.
Being praised by Hye-yong had become her comfort state, so she had fallen asleep almost instantly.
'Huh? I was just trying to wake her up...'
A flustered Hye-yong woke Lanfang and crafted a sobriety buff for her.
Naturally, he didn't forget the hiding function.
"Uunn..."
Lanfang sat up and rubbed her eyes tiredly.
He had set the sobriety buff's level quite high, so he watched as the alcohol flushed clean out of her system in moments.
She came to her senses and looked around.
"This place... where is it?"
"A hotel. You were about to keel over, so I brought you here."
"Oh no, it was my first time drinking, I think I had too much... I'm sorry."
"It's fine. Looking after the pet is the owner's job, too."
"Ahaha..."
Lanfang laughed awkwardly.
Hye-yong decided to get into the real conversation now.
"Lanfang, how was today?"
"Huh?"
"How does it feel, putting in a fulfilling day's work and then eating something delicious?"
"I-it was nice. It was really, really fun."
She'd gained in proportion to her effort, and it was thanks to that effort that she'd gotten to visit a restaurant this expensive.
From the midpoint on, she'd felt nothing but pure enjoyment, free of any worry or concern.
This might have been the single most joyful moment she'd experienced since entering the Facility.
No—maybe the most joyful moment in her entire life.
'I never even dreamed I could have fun being with this person.'
Not knowing in the slightest that the feeling was amplified by a buff, Lanfang could only conclude that being with Hye-yong was simply enjoyable.
'If days like this could keep going from now on...'
There'd be nothing more to ask for.
"Glad you had a good time. Because this is the last day I'll be calling you out."
"What?"
"You obviously hate me, right? I figured I'd at least end things on a good note."
"H-huh?"
Just as that thought settled in, the words hit her like a bolt from the blue.
Last... the last day!
"What do you mean...?"
"I do find you cute, like a puppy. But you're a person. I can't just treat you like an animal forever. Right?"
She couldn't process Hye-yong's words.
After treating her like a pet all this time, now he was suddenly talking like this?
"So I decided to stop as of today and be satisfied with that."
Why...?
Lanfang found the thought rising without her permission.
"Now that I don't dislike you anymore, there's no reason for me to keep summoning you and tormenting you."
He couldn't.
"You hated being treated like a pet, didn't you? Starting tomorrow, you don't have to worry about being called out anymore. Just live normally."
Normally... normally?
Go back to living like before, where there was nothing but worry, anxiety, and self-loathing?
'No, I hate that, I hate it...'
[ Growing Anxiety ]
Stamina Stat Increase Level 1
Anxiousness Level 5
Anxious Mind Amplification Level 3
Target Unaware Blessing Is Active
Rian Pang Exclusive
The buff Hye-yong had secretly cast crept into Lanfang's heart, and anxiety began to slither upward.
"Hah, hah..."
The anxiety had been there to begin with, but the buff had amplified it into something far larger, making her mind so unstable she became short of breath.
Before long, a sensation like her chest was being constricted washed over her.
She felt as though she would drown, plunged into fear of the future.
'You said you'd help me. You said we'd party together...'
Over three days of hard work, she had earned about 1,100 Points.
The final tally wasn't in yet, but factoring in the spoils, upwards of 1,000 Points was guaranteed.
If she included the price of the artifact Hye-yong had given her, it came to almost 1,700 Points.
Far more than she had ever made in her original party.
Of course, it was all legitimate compensation for her efforts.
Hadn't she run until her feet cramped, hacking and slashing and hacking again to earn those spoils?
But what if she had been alone?
Even with all that effort, would she have made fifty Points?
'No... by myself, I can't even clear an F-rank otherworld properly...'
The value of effort is never equal.
Some earn over 1,000 Points with a single sword swing, while others can work themselves half to death and not make 100 Points.
'I was only able to get my effort's worth because he was there.'
The greatest source of the lethargy Lanfang suffered from was the fact that no matter how hard she worked, the reward was too paltry.
She knew, even then, that the right thing to do was to keep working hard and slowly improve.
But the human spirit is not made of steel.
When you feel you've already been left far behind by everyone else, it's crushingly hard to find that resolve.
If she were left alone like this, she would go back to those days without a shred of hope.
Back to her utterly listless normal self, never to rise again.
'It hurts, my chest hurts...'
On top of the anxiety she already felt, Hye-yong's buff layered and amplified the dread until it was so agonizing she could barely breathe.
If this was how she had to live—if every day was going to feel like this—!
She'd rather—!!
Sensing the violent turmoil in her heart, Hye-yong casually let a single sentence slip.
"Though, I suppose it'd be a different story if you stayed as my cute little pet."
"!"
Lanfang looked at Hye-yong's face like one bewitched.
'If I say it, I can feel better. If I give in, I'll feel better.'
Under the ceaseless onslaught of anxiety, only one thought remained in her head now.
Having steeled her resolve, Lanfang climbed off the bed onto all fours.
She crawled forward, stopped in front of Hye-yong, and pulled his right hand beneath her chin.
Watching this, Hye-yong suppressed the smirk trying to break out and slowly stroked under her chin.
Accepting his touch, Lanfang smiled a warped smile, equal parts anxiety and hope.
"Please... keep me. Please be affectionate to me..."
"I'll serve you as my master, so please don't throw me away."
"I am, Lanfang is, a pet dog who will do whatever my master tells me."
The moment Lanfang finished speaking, Hye-yong lifted the Growing Anxiety buff.
Then he created and cast a new one.
[ Great Relief ]
Relief Level 8
Relief Amplification Level 3
Target Unaware Blessing Is Active
Rian Pang Exclusive
Hye-yong stroked under Lanfang's chin with the expression of someone gazing at a truly adorable puppy.
"That's right. Good girl, Lanfang. I'll take responsibility and look after you."
At that single sentence, Lanfang's face flooded rapidly with relief.
