The Reality of Living Together
Do we really have to live together? After the morning’s romp concluded and we lay there, the stark reality of the situation hit me. My bank balance was 1.8 million won. Considering payday was only a week away, I was in a decent spot, but with a roommate who had appeared out of thin air, there were so many things to buy. Plus, with two people living here, the electricity and water bills would be impossible to ignore. If she could just pop back and forth to the Demon Realm, it would be one thing, but since crossing over was impossible, I had no choice. The standard contract only granted her the right to stay in the human world, so I wasn't technically obligated to provide housing, but I couldn't just kick her out of my place, could I? If I told her to find her own place, I could clearly picture what would happen next. She’d end up sitting in front of Konkuk University station like a runaway teenager, and if someone offered to buy her a meal, she’d follow them to a motel for the night! It was a scenario I didn't even want to imagine. So, for now, we were living together.
I wondered if Yerim was hungry. "Yerim, is there anything you want to eat?"
"Hmm... if you have oatmeal, that would be great. Potato or bean soup would be nice, too. Actually, I’m not picky! In the Demon Realm, I’d sometimes get scolded for eating so much, even as a low-level succubus."
Oatmeal...? I’d tried it as a breakfast substitute once, and it tasted like soggy cardboard. And the other two things she mentioned were basically survival crops. Was the Demon Realm really that barren? I felt the need to get her a proper breakfast. Inside the fridge, I had some bread and eggs left. There was jam and butter, too! In that case, breakfast would be toast!
As I fried eggs in the kitchen and toasted the bread in butter, Yerim followed the delicious scent out. Naked. Damn it.
"Yerim, go put some clothes on."
"Okay."
I placed the golden-brown toast on a plate and spread the jam. Then, I topped it with the eggs! Yerim sniffed the air, her eyes widening as she saw the food I brought over. "Oh my god! Is this... jam? And eggs? Look at how white the bread is! This is wheat bread, isn't it? Are you actually a lord or something, Oppa?"
Taking a bite, Yerim nibbled on it as cutely as a squirrel. She seemed to find it incredibly delicious, furrowing her brow and closing her eyes. Even as she tried to take a big bite, she seemed to savor it, nibbling away as if she were afraid the food would disappear. Feeling sorry for her, I fried a few more eggs and toasted more bread.
"Eat more. I’ll make plenty. Does the Demon Realm really not have things like this?"
"Hmm... honestly, I... what chance would I have to see such luxury items?"
Char—or rather, Yerim—hesitated, as if she had something she wanted to say. After a long pause, she finally opened her mouth. "Oppa, are you really okay with me being a low-level succubus?"
"Who cares about low-level or mid-level? Succubi are rare to begin with. And besides, just being with a beauty like you is enough for me."
Yerim beamed. It was a refreshing smile, like the one she’d give when something good happened at a cafe. "I’m so glad the person I met in the human world is as kind as Kangmin Oppa! Plus, I’ve already gathered 4 Aether of magical power! Of course, since this is a human body, the efficiency is a bit lower."
I didn't know how much 4 Aether was, but since we’d had sex about four times so far, did that mean I provided 1 Aether per session?
"So... how much is 1 Aether? What can you do with that?"
At that, Yerim seemed excited and began to explain enthusiastically. "1 Aether is roughly... the amount of magical power a low-level succubus like me earns in a month of work! By giving dreams to low-of-the-low demons like imps in a brothel, or showing simple erotic dreams to goblins. It would be better if it were an orc, but the smart customers like orcs are all taken by my seniors or mid-level succubi."
Huh, orcs are considered the smart ones? The Demon Realm really is a strange place. Intrigued by her story, I asked a bit more. "Orcs are smart?"
"Yes. Orcs are at least somewhat intelligent. Their dreams are more filled with desire. More desire produces more magical power. Of course, the best thing is direct sex... but having sex with imps or orcs is a bit... you know."
It was getting more and more interesting. And I had essentially earned her four months' worth of magical power in a single day. Well, the same thing happens on Earth. It’s like a Southeast Asian laborer earning 80,000 won a month coming to Korea, working overtime and extra shifts to make 4 million won—earning four years' worth of wages in a single month. No wonder her sister told her to jump into any gate she saw! But what do you even do with magical power?
"Hmm... you use it to learn new magic, or to evolve into a higher existence. Like how I used it to make your penis larger yesterday. But usually, we sell it to shops to pay rent, buy food, and after all that, we’re lucky to have 0.1 Aether left."
It was a truly tear-jerking story. But she said earlier that the human body had lower efficiency for magical power. She also said she’d used up almost all the magical power she’d accumulated over 20 years just to obtain a human body. According to Yerim, the human body seemed to have nothing but disadvantages.
"Why didn't you keep your succubus form?"
"If I did, I might get hunted down by the Cathedral Knights! They’d spot my horns or wings! I didn't come down into a human body for no reason."
Wait, Cathedral Knights? Where would something like that exist! I was about to say that, but I shut my mouth. If there is light, there is darkness, and if there are demons, there must be gods, right? I was an atheist by default, but Yerim’s existence was enough to change my mind. Hmm, maybe there really are gods, or god-like beings.
"Besides, if it’s discovered that you’re hanging out with me, you’ll be branded as a demon worshipper and burned at the stake right along with me."
That was a strangely realistic statement. Well, I suppose. It might be a bit weird if Yerim had horns on her head right now. No, maybe it would be cute. A tail, or wings... but something felt a bit lacking. As I examined Yerim’s body, I felt a sense of incompleteness. Since she was wearing my t-shirt, I couldn't properly see her figure! And I’d put the underwear she’d taken off yesterday into the washing machine. Did that mean she wasn't wearing any underwear right now? I looked closely at the t-shirt and saw her nipples poking out beneath the white fabric.
"Hmm, Yerim. Now that I think about it, we should buy you some underwear, right?"
Yerim nodded. "Should we buy something similar to what you wore yesterday?"
She hesitated. "Well, while those kinds of racy undergarments are definitely necessary, they’re a bit uncomfortable to wear on a daily basis..."
Damn it, is that how women are? They don't usually wear that kind of underwear! As I panicked, Yerim giggled. "It’s okay. Who knows everything from the start? And it’s only because I suddenly ended up living with you that it’s like this. Usually, not knowing is normal."
Is that so? My heart eased with a sense of relief. When we weren't having sex, Yerim felt like... well, it really felt like I’d gotten a girlfriend to live with. Alright, let’s go out and buy some clothes! But I hit a snag before we could even leave. Even if she wore the jeans, she needed underwear.
"I’ll go buy some underwear."
I went down to the convenience store on the first floor to look for a panty and bra set. AA, B, C, D... Huh? There’s nothing after this? I rummaged through the shelves and approached the part-timer at the counter.
"Excuse me, do you happen to have a 65H bra size?"
The part-timer looked at me as if I were ridiculous. "65H cup? We don't sell things like that here."
"Oh, uh, then where should I buy one?"
The female part-timer scanned me up and down. Her eyes were filled with suspicion, wondering if I was trying to sexually harass her. No, we’ve been seeing each other for three months, what do you take me for! I desperately tried to explain. "That’s not it, uh, my girlfriend came to visit, and somehow I ended up washing her clothes..."
"Ah, in that case. Well... maybe... Amphi or Victoria’s Secret? You’d have to go to a store like that. There probably isn't one nearby."
"Thank you."
I paid for just the panties and opened the door to leave, catching the reflection of the female part-timer in the glass. Judging by how she was looking at the front of her own uniform, she was probably wondering how big a 65H would be. Hmm. I’m sorry for giving you such a pointless dilemma. When I went back upstairs and told Yerim there were no bras, she made a mysterious expression. Hmm. What should I do? Should she go to a store wearing only a sleeveless turtleneck without a bra? That would be really weird, too...
"Hmm, then Oppa. Would you like to try connecting to the Akashic Stream with me? We can check if it opens well from here, and look for magic that can solve this problem. In exchange, you can replenish the magical power I used to connect today!"
Akashic Stream? She said it was like a magical library used to open gates yesterday, right? My curiosity was piqued. Since having sex once meant I had enough magical power to connect to the Akashic Records, I figured one more time would do it.
"Sure, I’m curious about what kind of place it is."
"Great. Hold my hand."
Her white, slender hand softly interlaced with mine. Suddenly, my heart started racing. Even though we’d already had sex, I couldn't believe my heart was racing just from holding hands like this...
"I’m connecting."
In an instant, the world went dark. We flew past countless planets, over burning auroras, and into the pitch-black darkness. It was like when the Ancient One separated Benedict Cumberbatch’s spirit in the Doctor Strange movie. We passed through countless reflecting mirrors, spun through black holes, and my body stretched out, long, long, long, beyond the point of knowing where it began or ended. It was cold, then hot. Swimming through the hearts of stars and passing through a waterfall of galactic stardust—I slumped into a chair in an endlessly unfolding library.