Inhuman Outing...! # 8
Inhuman Outing...! # 8
"What the hell, you brought eel again?!"
You came to visit a sick friend and you bought something this expensive?!
"Nothing beats eel for getting your strength back."
Well, she's not wrong.
But more to the point, just looking at it is making my mouth water like crazy. That time Leona took me to the sushi place, I absolutely annihilated the eel sushi. Gobbled every last piece down like a snake swallowing an egg.
Ever since then, I've developed an extreme fondness for eel. Looks like she picked up on that and brought some.
Extreme gratitude...!
"Anyway, Lee Si-hoo's here too, so I bought enough for three to share. Plus there's the samgyetang. Plenty for four people. Come on, come on, dig in. Everyone grab some."
Leona settled into a seat and unpacked the food. The smell of eel hit me instantly.
"Whoa, get a whiff of that. Just what you'd expect from our class president! Thanks for the meal!"
Yu-ri must like eel too—she was already licking her lips and reaching for her chopsticks.
"Goodness, this looks absolutely delicious."
Si-hoo also picked up her chopsticks, her face tense with solemn anticipation.
"Thanks, Leona! I'm eating this and getting my energy back, no question!"
My turn to grab a piece!
Perfectly grilled eel, glazed with teriyaki sauce and grilled just a bit more so the sauce soaks into the flesh—supreme technique. Just as I was about to snag a piece of that masterpiece.
"Of course you have to get your energy back. If you eat eel and don't feel stronger, are you even human? Here, put this on top of the porridge and take a nice, solid bite."
—Reach.
Leona picked up a piece herself and held it out to me.
"Okay!"
I scooped up a big spoonful of the porridge Si-hoo made, drained off the excess liquid, and then filled the spoon with the samgyetang broth. Then I set the eel on top.
—Nom.
The moment it hit my mouth.
"Kghhak...!"
Pure, raw emotion burst out.
The porridge grains were perfectly made, soft and smooth. Infused with the rich, savory broth of the samgyetang, and then, on top of that, a piece of tender, sweet grilled eel.
Chewing it all together mixed every element into the ultimate flavor. Whatever worries I had, I pitched them ages ago.
"Leona, you're a goddess...! Sob! So freaking good!"
"Hehehe! See, he knows exactly what's up! Look at this! He eats one bite of eel, gets his energy back, and immediately starts singing my praises and worshipping me!"
Leona yelled proudly.
"See, this bastard's absolutely faking it. Hey, you just gonna ignore the samgyetang I brought?"
"What? I literally just scooped up the broth and ate it."
"Geun-cheol, what about my porridge!"
"Did you not see me scoop the porridge?!"
It's just a full-on Kim Geun-cheol mukbang. Which, I mean, it really is—counting the side dishes, how many menu items is this?
We ate together and talked.
"Seriously, this is insanely good. How do you even think to buy something like this?"
"Well, this much is no problem. Woo Yu-ri, if you get sick next time, just say the word. I'll deliver straight to you."
"Whoa, total mom vibes."
"Let's call it leadership, please."
Yu-ri chatted with Leona, snickering.
"Long live Leona's leadership!"
Anyway.
Can't believe we're all eating together in my room like this.
Outside, it was getting dark, but inside the mood was so bright it felt like midday.
"Hahaha, I ended up mooching a meal, too. Next time, it's on me."
"Lee Si-hoo, just make sure you take good care of Kim Geun-cheol. But anyway, Kim Geun-cheol, feeling some energy coming back?"
"Yeah. I'm pretty much recovered."
If I ate eel and samgyetang and didn't recover, would I even be human?
"Hehehe, see? Even if you feel a little... very lonely and hurt, look at all these friends you have. So lean on us a little more! Kim Geun-cheol!"
At those warm words.
"Ohyeeeeaaaaaarrrggghhh!!!"
I wailed and sprayed tears everywhere!
"Good lord, look at those tears!"
"Geun-cheol! They're dripping everywhere!"
"Hey! Everyone knows tear-soaked eel is the best thing in the world...!"
"It absolutely is not!"
Point is, they wiped my tears a bit.
"Heh-heh-heh, this motherfucker's reactions are insane. Who the hell cries like that?"
"That's just how Kim Geun-cheol is."
"I'm just being honest about my feelings. But hold on. Yu-ri, Leona? What made you think you could break into the boys' dorm?"
"What's the big deal? I had to deliver samgyetang. As long as we don't get caught, it's fine, right?"
I mean, yeah.
"Right. We absolutely cannot get caught this time. Still, for a friend, I can do this much."
Just like an archangel.
Just as I was about to start crying again, Yu-ri spoke up.
"By the way, Leona, what's that invisible thing?"
"Ah, this is a Camouflage Cloak. Expensive piece of gear. Want to see?"
Right, she had that.
"Whoa, this is legit invisibility gear?"
—Rustle.
Just like Harry Potter's Invisibility Cloak—when you get under it, it blends into the surroundings and actually does cloak you.
"Nothing beats this for covert activity. Against giant monsters, monsterkin, villains... useful in all sorts of ways."
"Whew, that's genuinely awesome. Noble families, man. Wouldn't this be unbeatable in, like, a jungle?"
"It would."
Yu-ri seemed plenty interested in the high-end gear too. And Leona, clearly enjoying the explanation, puffed out her chest and rattled off its specs.
"Whatever the case, the fact that we came into the boys' dorm is an absolute secret. If we get caught, it's not just gossip—we'll face disciplinary action."
"Hey, you think I don't know that? Don't worry, we came in without anyone seeing."
"I can trust Woo Yu-ri. Ah, that aside, it's my first time in Kim Geun-cheol's room. I'm surprised at how clean it is."
Leona looked around my room.
"Hey, you clean every day?"
"Major cleaning is like every weekend, I guess. But I don't really make a mess in the first place."
"It's nice to see you working hard to keep it clean."
"Huhuhu, right?"
Got a compliment from Leona.
"It's a bit barren, though, since there's not much stuff... Huh? Hey, what's with the cola?"
"Ah, that. Last time, Ryu..."
...carpet-bombed the place with it.
"I bought him one cola and I guess he took offense, saying he wouldn't accept something like that, so he went and bought me a ton? Probably something like that."
"Anyway, that guy's a nutjob too. Hah."
Among our classmates, Ryu is classified as a monsterkin as well.
Well, Yu-ri and Leona explored my room a bit.
"The fridge... ingredients are well-stocked. No need to fill it for a while. Kim Geun-cheol? You're ventilating properly, right?"
Is she seriously my mom?
"Rest easy, Leona. If there were problems, I wouldn't be able to live here like this."
"That's true enough. Ahh, shall we head back then?"
It's already that time?
It was getting a bit late.
"Yeah. Take care, Leona. You too, Yu-ri. Thanks for bringing all this stuff. Next time you get sick, call me. I'll give you the most extreme level of nursing care."
"Hehehe... but what exactly is 'extreme nursing care'?"
"You'll see when you get it."
"Then maybe I'll receive it sometime."
"Woo Yu-ri, let's head back together. Let's try using this."
"Can two people fit under it?"
"Like this."
—Swish.
Leona and Yu-ri slipped under the camouflage cloak. I could see their feet a little, but in the darkness, this much was enough camouflage.
"Oh shit. It works. It actually works."
"The performance is reliable. Then, see you tomorrow!"
"If you fake being sick again tomorrow, you're dead!"
After shouting that, the two of them—
—Leapt!
...right out the window.
"Oh!"
Looking at that, they're basically special forces operatives. Already impossible to find. Just how strong is a superhuman with proper gear?
"That thing is seriously fascinating."
"No kidding."
"Anyway, Geun-cheol. Somehow I ended up stuffing myself completely full. What incredible luck."
"Hehehe, samgyetang and eel. I'm about to burst."
"Aren't you a little too popular, Geun-cheol?"
"You really think so?"
My popularity explosion?
* * *
After that, I hung out a bit more with Si-hoo, then sent her home.
—...
Once all my friends had left, silence crept back in.
I missed that boisterous atmosphere from just moments ago, but—
This Kim Geun-cheol had already
achieved a full recovery via the power of friendship.
"Alright!"
I can't just stay curled up in my room in the dead of night.
How long are you gonna act like a cripple, Kim Geun-cheol?!
My friends went out of their way to boost my spirits!
And this Kim Geun-cheol, having gathered all those feelings, is still cowering like a limp-dick loser?
"I won't allow that."
Shake off the fear.
Stand up.
"Kim Geun-cheol, fully resurrected."
No more trembling from fear of abduction.
Analyzing this calmly, Void Princess knows something about me. So she probably has no intention of eliminating me. Plus, in those videos, Void Princess acted openly, committing terrorism in spectacular fashion. Yet now, she seems far removed from that kind of thing. Right now, instead of acting in the open, she's moving covertly, hiding something.
That's the situation.
And Kitty likes me, so I'm not going to die. Hell, thinking about it differently, if they wanted me dead, I could drop dead at any moment. So there's no point in trembling. What's the use of shivering if you're dead anyway? Better to spend that time on something else.
Therefore, I—
"Status window."
—Ding.
I need to use this power to get stronger. Faster. More effectively. More efficiently. I've worked hard up to now. Trained hard, cultivated my stats and senses.
But now, I need to push even harder than before.
"Hmm."
What should I do?
What can I do to grow more effectively?
Quests haven't really been popping up lately. My stats occasionally go up during training, but that's not super frequent. Similarly, earning coins through hunting has... an absolute limit. It's not like I can just enter dungeons like in a game.
"Let's think while I wash up."
Truly deep contemplation.
—Shhh.
I brushed my teeth and showered, seriously contemplating my growth methods. After finishing up, I dried off with a towel and walked out to the living room wearing only boxers.
"What's available?"
Towel around my neck, I approached the fridge. Opened the door. Grabbed the water bottle inside and gulped it down.
—Thunk.
The moment I put the bottle back and shut the door—
—Slide.
"Huh?"
Suddenly.
Suddenly.
Suddenly.
—Slide.
A small, pale hand slid out from behind my back and wrapped around my waist—
"HWOOOORRK?!"
SOMETHING'S ON MY BAAAAACK?!
"Geun-cheol."
"Huh, wha, HWAAAH?!"
Kitty?!
"You're too loud."
"Hup...!"
I clamped both hands over my mouth...!
N-no!
No!
What the hell is this?!
Kitty came to my room?!
"Anyway, Geun-cheol."
"...!"
"Hi?"
Why are you casually saying hi!
"It's a nice night. You can talk now."
"No, hey! Hey! Wh-what! How did you...!"
I started to ask, but I realized instantly.
Kitty can use a gate.
And she can summon one into my room.
"Geun-cheol. Were you surprised Kitty showed up all of a sudden?"
—Squeeze.
Kitty hugged my waist even tighter...!
