The Birthday Party at Cafe Serer
It's been about two weeks since I established that implicit rule with Baek Jina, the part-timer who devours everything I cook. In that time, she's come over to my place three times. Even when she's not drunk, she now lies down on the bed and pretends to sleep on her own. But I still can't bring myself to touch anywhere below her chest. Without some special trigger, sex seems unlikely.
"A special trigger, huh..."
How about not cooking for a few days under the excuse of being busy?
Seria's suggestion isn't bad. But if she gets sulky and quits her part-time job because of it, that would be a real headache. Baek Jina has long since become an indispensable part-timer at our cafe. If she quits because of me, I can't even imagine what Park Nayoung would say.
While I was mulling over what to do, a message arrived from someone.
Senior, could I ask for your help again today?
It was Yoo Soyeon, the wealthy young lady and freshman in my department. She was a frail girl who had discovered that kissing me temporarily improved her condition, so she occasionally reached out like this.
Same place as usual?
Yes. I've made a reservation, so just say my name when you arrive.
It was a high-end restaurant with private rooms where we could dine quietly. As expected from a chaebol daughter, every meeting took place here. Even during lunch hour, quite a few people were visiting the restaurant, suggesting it was a popular spot.
I mentioned Yoo Soyeon's name at the entrance and went inside.
"Welcome, Senior."
"Have you been well?"
"Yes, thanks to you, Senior."
When I first met her, her face had been as cold and rigid as an ice princess. But now, color had returned to her cheeks, and her expressions were gradually becoming more varied. It seemed granting her sex power, even temporarily, was having quite an effect.
I sat across from Yoo Soyeon and enjoyed the meal. If we were only talking taste, my own cooking might be better. Still, just like how ramen tastes better when someone else makes it, food prepared by others feels more satisfying than cooking for myself.
After the meal, Yoo Soyeon quietly approached me and asked for a kiss.
"Please take care of me."
Her pale skin and red lips. Today, her lipstick looked especially vivid. My lips met hers. She accepted the kiss without any shyness, as if she viewed this physical contact between the opposite sexes as a form of treatment rather than intimacy. I gently stroked her hair, and she didn't seem to mind. In that state, I channeled sex power into her, temporarily sealing the cracks in her life force.
When the kiss ended and our lips parted, Yoo Soyeon's body swayed slightly before leaning against me. Her lips brushed against my coat, leaving a lipstick mark.
"Ah, I'm sorry, Senior."
"It's fine. This much will wash off with water."
"No, this lipstick doesn't come off easily once it gets on clothes. I'll buy you a new one."
"There's no need for that..."
"I'll buy you a new one!"
Her tone was unusually firm, unlike her usual self. I followed her to a clothing store in front of the restaurant and changed into a new coat.
"Are you sure it's okay for me to accept this?"
"It was my mistake. Please don't feel burdened and just accept it."
She gifted me a coat of similar style but clearly worth several times more. She took my old coat, saying she would dispose of it. For some reason, every time I met Yoo Soyeon, it felt like a toad swapping its old house for a new one—my old clothes kept being replaced with new ones.
"Senior, do you have time this evening?"
"Nothing special. What's up?"
"It's nothing much, but today is my birthday."
"Really? If I'd known earlier, I would've brought a gift."
"I already received a gift..."
"What?"
"No, it's nothing."
She seemed flustered, as if she'd made a slip of the tongue. After calming down, she continued.
"I'm having a birthday party at seven. Could you come?"
"Sure, why not. Where is it?"
"I heard there's a nice cafe near the school main gate, so I rented it out."
Don't tell me...
"Happy birthday! Happy birthday!"
Park Naeun and the other freshman girls gathered to sing the birthday song. When it ended, Yoo Soyeon blew out the candles on the strawberry cake.
"A toast to Yoo Soyeon's birthday!"
"Cheers!"
Park Naeun raised a glass of strawberry juice instead of alcohol and shouted. The other girls followed along, clumsily echoing "cheers." Just as I suspected, it was our cafe. When we first opened, we'd decided to rent out the entire cafe for the first month to attract customers. When I called Park Nayoung, she said the offer was too good to refuse.
Baek Jina, sitting at the counter, spotted me and widened her eyes in disbelief. Someone had paid a hefty sum to rent the cafe, only for that person to turn out to be the owner.
She's probably thinking something like, 'That crazy guy is renting out his own cafe for a fortune,' right?
"......"
Baek Jina was diligently making strawberry juice and coffee while smiling and serving customers. We'd definitely picked a good part-timer. She was perceptive enough not to acknowledge me unnecessarily. I turned to Park Naeun sitting beside me.
"But wouldn't a bar or something be better for a party at this hour?"
"We decided not to even look at bars."
"Why?"
"During the first week of school, there was a freshman welcoming party, so we went with the others. But those so-called seniors kept forcing drinks on us, you know? Saying that once you're in university, you should at least be able to handle a drink or two, and pushing it on us."
Last time it was some professor causing trouble, and now it was these so-called seniors. The pattern was the same.
"Next time you run into guys like that, just ignore them."
"That's the plan. A few of our girls forced themselves to drink and ended up throwing up everywhere—it was a mess."
"Yeah, let's drop that topic."
Talking about vomiting was bringing back unpleasant memories. She grumbled while cutting into the cake.
"Wow, it's delicious!"
Park Naeun still didn't seem to realize this was her sister's cafe. She drank the juice and ate the cake with relish, clearly enjoying it. The other girls also seemed satisfied. I grabbed a slice of cake for myself when I heard whispering nearby.
'Why is that senior guy here?'
'I don't know. Soyeon probably invited him?'
Everyone gathered here except me was a freshman girl. I'd thought Yoo Soyeon had invited the Saeteo group, but that wasn't the case. I was the only guy, and there were freshman girls I'd never seen before. Even Lee Yujin, who had been a group leader with me, wasn't here. In this situation, a male senior like me had joined. It was like some guy barging into a garden where girls were playing without any tact.
Not only the other girls, but even the ones I was friendly with were giving me dirty looks.
'Just give her the gift and leave.'
Slipping out in the middle of a party would be rude, but no one would complain if I left. They might even be relieved. Gifts were being exchanged at that moment. The girls handed over ordinary presents, seemingly unaware that Yoo Soyeon came from a wealthy family. When my turn came, I took out the gift I'd prepared.
Grade: Special
Effect: Gradually releases stored sex power, providing continuous benefits to the wearer.
It was a necklace I'd obtained from a point gacha. Its only function was basic body temperature regulation—it was just pretty. So I'd made some adjustments. Since mana stones could store energy, I'd filled it with plenty of sex power. Wearing it would let sex power flow out little by little, which would be quite helpful for her. Since I'd already received a gift from her earlier that day, I decided to give it to her as a present.
When the girl I'd never seen before saw the necklace I took out, she asked,
"Wow, a necklace. Which brand is it?"
"Just something my friend and I made casually."
"Ah, I see?"
Upon hearing it wasn't a luxury brand but a handmade necklace, her reply carried a hint of mockery. At the same time, she subtly showed off the necklace around her own neck. Derkyan's necklace, crafted by the finest artisan, was far more beautiful than most luxury brands, but to that girl, only whether it was a famous brand seemed to matter.
I handed the necklace to Yoo Soyeon.
"Well, it's not expensive, so if you don't like it, you can just throw it away."
"No, Senior. I'll treasure it."
Unlike the other girl, Yoo Soyeon seemed even more pleased upon hearing it was handmade rather than a luxury item. She immediately put on the necklace she'd received from me. A soft glow emanated from between her pale collarbones.
"Wow, it's beautiful."
They say the finishing touch to fashion is the face—while the necklace itself was lovely, it looked even more stunning on Yoo Soyeon's neck. In contrast, comparing that girl to Yoo Soyeon made it seem like a pearl necklace on a pig. The girl must have felt it too, as she frowned and took out her frustration on the cake with her fork.
I chuckled and said to Yoo Soyeon,
"Well, I've given the gift, so I'll be heading out now."
"You're leaving already?"
I lightly ignored Park Naeun, who was whining beside me asking me to make one for her too, and stood up.
"Something urgent came up."
"Then at least take a photo before you go."
"You want me to take one?"
"No, let's all take one together."
At Yoo Soyeon's words, everyone's expressions soured. The girls who had been in our group during Saeteo looked relatively okay, but the freshman girls I'd met for the first time today looked far from pleased. Their eyes were telling me to leave quickly, but since the birthday girl herself had suggested the photo, they couldn't say anything.
"Could you take a photo for us?"
"Yep, just a moment."
Baek Jina hurried over and took the smartphone.
"Okay, I'll take it. One, two!"
Click—
The smartphone's flash went off a few times, and the photo session ended. The girls squealed as they looked at the pictures. There was one odd person in the shot, but the photo itself wasn't bad.
"I'll be going then. Soyeon, happy birthday."
"Yes, Senior. I'll wear the necklace well."
"Wearing it will help with your health, so put it on at least once a day."
The luxury-brand-loving girl, who had been listening nearby, muttered just loud enough to be heard.
"Hmph, saying a necklace will make you healthy. It's not like some germanium bracelet or something."
Still dissatisfied, she kept grumbling. Yoo Soyeon, who vaguely knew I possessed a special power, nodded and saw me off. As I left the cafe, I felt someone's gaze from behind. Glancing back, I saw Baek Jina at the counter watching me leave with a complicated expression.