The next morning started like any other: me, bleary-eyed, making coffee strong enough to kill a horse, while Mirae scolded me for sleeping on the counter again.
"Your rival spreads rumors, sabotages your deliveries and you... snore through it all?" she said, hands on her hips.
"
"I wasn't snoring...." I muttered. "I was doing... deep breathing exercises. Very advanced."
"Right... and the drool puddle on the counter is what, holy water?"
Before I could argue, the Goblin Coupon Gang burst in again. This time, they wore matching t-shirts that read:
"NOT TOILET WATER."
Globby slammed down a box.
"Boss! We designed a loyalty program!"
I peered inside. It was full of crudely drawn punch cards. Each one said:
"Buy 10 Items, Get Free Toilet Roll!"
Mirae facepalmed so hard I thought she'd break her nose.
"Why are they like this?"
"Because fate hates me." I sighed.
Things got weirder around lunch.
Mirae was wiping down tables in the restaurant section when she suddenly stopped, fidgeting with the rag.
"Hey... Hanseok."
Something about her tone made me uneasy. It wasn't her usual sarcasm laced scolding.
"Yeah?"
She glanced at me, cheeks slightly red. "About... the date. I still like you. Even if you spat coffee in my face."
I nearly choked on my drink again.
"Mirae, I... wait, what?"
She met my eyes. "I like you, okay? And if you're not an idiot, you should know that by now."
I sat there, mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water. My brain was buffering.
"...so... second date?" I blurted.
Her expression shifted from embarrassment to pure disbelief.
"...You're unbelievable."
But then she smiled, a small, genuine one.
"Yes. I'll go."
I nearly fist-pumped the air. Instead, I tried to play it cool by sipping my coffee, only to immediately spill it all over my shirt.
Mirae laughed so hard she had to sit down.
Of course, right when things were finally going well, the air shimmered and Dungeon appeared, arms crossed, looking smug.
"Ah, so the awkward mating rituals have begun."
"Not helping." I snapped, holding a napkin to my coffee-stained chest.
Dungeon ignored me, glancing at Mirae.
"He's slow, isn't he? Took this long for a confession?"
Mirae glared at the dungeon. "Shut it."
Dungeon smiled, turning back to me.
"Oh, by the way, you should probably get ready. Level Three of the Shop is almost within your grasp."
I blinked. "Level Three?"
"Yes. Your deliveries, despite the sabotage, are accumulating strength. A few more and the shop will evolve again."
"Evolve?" I repeated. "Like a Pokémon?"
Dungeon tilted it's head.
"What's a Pokémon?"
"Never mind."
It smirked. "But beware, the rival won't let you reach that milestone without a fight."
With that, the dungeon faded away in a burst of light, leaving Mirae and I staring at each other in uneasy silence.
"...so" Mirae said, breaking it.
"Second date before or after the rival tries to kill us?"
I sighed, slumping back in my chair.
"Hopefully before. At least then I'll die knowing I had a girlfriend."
Mirae threw the rag at my head.
End of Day Balance
• Points Balance: 1,365
• Deliveries Completed: 0
• Rumors Squashed: Still 0
• Second Dates Secured: 1
• Coffee Stains: 3 (all mine)