As I opened the glass door and stepped inside, the rich aroma of coffee hit my nose.
Afternoon sunlight poured through the big windows, making the natural wood tables and chairs glow.
The green plants scattered around the cafe looked more vibrant than usual today.
Is it because I awakened? The world actually looks different.
"Ah! Welcome. You're here again today?"
The cafe owner greeted me with a bright smile.
She had the kind of look that was anything but ordinary at a glance.
Shimmering silver hair down to her waist.
Snow-white skin without a single blemish, and black sunglasses with vivid red lips that popped in contrast.
With half her face covered by those sunglasses, I couldn't see her features clearly, but I could tell she was a beauty just from her sharp jawline and straight nose.
And that wasn't all. She looked stylish even in just a white short-sleeved t-shirt and jeans.
If it weren't for the AA-cup chest and the fact that she's married, she'd be absolutely perfect...
Of course, even if she were single, I wouldn't have the guts to confess to the owner-nim.
I'm just jealous.
Thinking about how a woman like her probably sways her hips for her husband...
Thinking about how she probably kneels obediently and sucks his dick without shame...
"Would you like the same as usual today?"
"Ah, yes. Please."
"Okay. Please wait a moment."
The owner-nim started making coffee.
The whole scene looked like something out of a commercial.
If I stare too obviously, she'll notice, right?
I let myself enjoy the view of her ass — round enough to grab — and her shapely legs before I forced my head to turn.
There were four other customers inside.
Sitting in this expensive cafe drinking coffee... Are they Hunters?
A group of middle-aged women who looked to be over 40.
Maybe just rich housewives.
Not that I should talk, since I buy coffee here every day, but Cafe "Awakening" is shockingly expensive.
Take the menu prices of a normal cafe and add a zero. That's roughly the base price here.
And that's before any buffs.
Depending on what effect you add to the drink, the price climbs without limit.
The "Deep Sleep" or "Increased Stamina" buffs I usually order are relatively cheap because they're not combat-related.
Buffs that raise stats or reduce fatigue? Whole different price bracket.
I guess it can't be helped since other skills have usage limits too, just like Time Stop.
All skills work the same way: the more you use them, the more the usage count increases.
But it's not like it goes up steadily after a few uses.
Sometimes it takes dozens or hundreds of uses to get one more.
In that sense, the buff coffees and buff breads sold at Awakening are limited editions.
Once the owner-nim or her part-timer hits their daily buff limit, that's it.
After that, they just sell normal drinks like any other cafe.
"Iced Americano is ready. That'll be 250,000 won."
I confidently handed over my card.
250,000 won a day isn't much of a burden.
It's not like I have a girlfriend, and I don't travel or shop.
"Your girlfriend must be happy."
"Huh?"
The owner-nim whispered as she handed my card back.
She'd lowered her voice so the other customers wouldn't hear.
"You get the stamina buff every time. There aren't many people like that. I might get a little jealous?"
My heart skipped at the sight of her winking from behind her sunglasses with a sly smile.
I know it's just a married woman's playful joke, but I can't help it.
Just like a frog can die from a stone thrown as a joke, a guy like me gets flustered helplessly by a flirty comment from a beautiful woman.
"Bring your girlfriend sometime. I'll give you a discount."
"Ah... yes. I will."
I answered yes without thinking.
Even though I don't have a girlfriend...
Because I can't exactly say I get the buff every day to jerk off alone, even if my mouth gets torn up...
She'll give me a discount...
I know.
I know she means she'll sell me coffee at a discount.
But in my head I was already picturing the owner-nim saying, "You brought your girlfriend∼. I'll let you cum inside like I promised~," and pushing her ass out at me.
.
.
.
"Hoo... the buff effect is good..."
Maybe it was the stamina buff, but my dick didn't go down the whole way home.
That sweet voice whispering 'I'll give you a discount' kept echoing in my ears.
I'll let you cum in my mouth at a discount.
I'll let you go bare at a discount.
My ass is still brand new, I'll let you cum inside at a discount.
Because of those fantasies, my dick wouldn't lose its strength.
"If I had any Time Stop uses left, would a lewd mission have popped for the owner-nim too?"
I tossed the plastic containers in the recycling area in front of the apartment complex and went upstairs.
Top floor of a 20-story building.
An apartment exclusively for Hunters where I live alone with my younger sister.
Though Ji-soo is so busy it's basically like I live alone.
"She said she won't be back for about a week. I can enjoy myself."
To celebrate the freedom, I stripped as soon as I got inside.
Tossed my clothes in the laundry basket and walked to my room naked, straight through the living room.
"I should enjoy myself to the fullest until dinner."
I opened the capsule-type VR device next to my bed.
This capsule is the latest VR machine — you get in naked and play.
The greatest invention of mankind, combining cutting-edge tech with Awakener skills.
An essential item for singles who want a virtual world that's almost indistinguishable from reality.
"It's expensive, but it's worth it. I really don't regret spending the money."
I climbed into the egg-shaped capsule and closed the lid.
Immediately, the custom onahole inside wrapped snugly around my dick and balls.
You can cum as much as you want in this machine.
Sweat as much as you want.
The machine cleans your body periodically, so the player just has to relax and enjoy the virtual world.
"I should start with Ms. Baek Bo-ra, right?"
The cafe owner-nim is attractive too, but she's no match for Baek Bo-ra's tightly closed pussy.
First step was to rescan my body.
My dick grew by 0.5cm.
To properly enjoy virtual sex, the basic step is to customize the world to match reality exactly.
Until now I'd been covering the parts hidden by clothes with my imagination.
But today, because of the 'Sudden Mission,' I had no choice but to see Baek Bo-ra-ssi's pussy with my own eyes and take pictures on my phone.
"I can raise the sync rate even more..."
Of course, it's illegal to overlay a real person's image onto a VR eroge.
If you get caught, you can't just apologize and walk away.
Especially if my younger sister finds out...
"It's okay. I won't get caught. I won't get caught."
Animal hospital nurse Baek Bo-ra, reading room manager Bo Ji-an, and the cafe owner-nim whose name I still don't know.
I customized all three to look as close as possible to how I saw them today.
The theme was, of course, Time Stop.
.
.
.
The next morning.
I woke up after about 8 hours of deep sleep thanks to the 'Deep Sleep' buff and went to the study room.
Even though I'd cum and sweated that much, I felt like I was in peak condition after a nap.
"Aish... that woman didn't turn off the lights again."
The hallway lights between the elevator and the study room were blazing.
Just in case, I opened the study room door. It wasn't locked.
Worse, there were hairs and empty plastic bottles rolling around in front of the shoe rack.
"This is basically picking a fight with me."
It's not about the electricity bill.
It's not about someone stealing money from the counter.
I'm worried she's so tired she forgets to clean up and just leaves.
"But that should only happen once or twice! This is the seventh day in a row! If you make a rule, you have to follow it, right?"
I was a fool to even debate whether to carry out the new mission as written.
[Skill is activated!]
[Mission!] [Use the Time Stop ability to steal the dildo from Bo Ji-an who is masturbating!]
[Hint!] [Bo Ji-an masturbates every day in the women's restroom and the building's emergency staircase! Take advantage of that opportunity!]
[Face Score + 1 point]
[Face Score - 1 point][Success][Failure]
"A reading room manager is masturbating in the library restroom and the building's emergency staircase?"
I can maybe give her the benefit of the doubt for the restroom.
But the emergency staircase?!
"That's just yano. Yeah, I knew it from the moment she came to work without a bra... I knew it from the moment she disappeared for an hour or two without saying anything..."
I finished prepping the study room for customers and sat at the counter, thinking.
Bo Ji-an works the counter from 1 PM to 1 AM.
She'll leave the counter several times during that, but it's hard to pinpoint when she'll masturbate.
"The restroom seems hard... I guess I should aim for the emergency staircase?"
There's a CCTV camera that shows the hallway in front of the elevator.
If I watch that, I can see when someone uses the emergency stairs.
Simply put, I have three chances.
Because I can stop time three times a day.
But I wanted to succeed in one go.
"I have to succeed in one go to get more missions."
This reward was 1 point to my face score.
My current face score is 42 points.
Slightly below average.
They say I'll get more handsome if I clear the mission...
They say I'll get uglier if I fail...
This is a no-brainer!
"Bo Ji-an. Honestly, if you'd just cleaned up in front of the shoe rack, I wouldn't even be thinking about this... It's all your fault..."