"Who comes to a buffet and eats pizza?"
"You don’t?"
"...Fine, just one slice."

Or,

"Wow, someone here is taking two servings of pasta at once. Is that even possible?"
"They usually don’t make this, but they gave me some as a special service for being a manifestation user. Want a bite?"
"...Just a small bite, I guess."

Slurp.

The creamy sauce, diced bacon, and tender onions were mixed into the pasta, all melding together in an explosion of flavors as they entered Dice’s mouth. After chewing a few times and swallowing, she spoke with a slightly dazed expression.

"...Well, it’s good. How could it not be—wait, where did that plate go!?"
"I ate it all. It wasn’t that much."
"Do you even chew before you swallow?"

In three bites, Yujin had finished an entire serving of pasta. She was now dipping a baguette into the creamy sauce at the bottom of the plate, crunching on it as the bread crumbled. The same process repeated a few more times, leaving the plate clean enough that it seemed like it didn’t need to be washed. Her fork then moved to the second plate, piled with a hearty ragù sauce. It disappeared just as quickly, though perhaps at a slightly slower pace than the first.

"I’ll take these dishes for you."
"Oh, thank you."

After finishing two plates of pasta in mere minutes, a staff member promptly arrived to clear the empty plates from the table. Yujin, tail swaying lightly, stood up and headed back to the buffet for more food. It wasn’t long before she returned with a plate holding a lobster tail, and another with beef tenderloin, tomahawk pork chops, spare ribs, and lamb chops, all slathered in various sauces. She began slicing the meat, prompting Dice to speak.

"You don’t need to give me any. I can get my own food."
"Don’t worry. I’m eating all of this."

"Of course, you are."

Honestly, I was already feeling a bit full. Caught up in the pace of eating with her, I had indulged a bit more than usual, even with just the appetizers.

Yujin, having eaten all the best parts, now seemed to be working through as much of the buffet as possible, grabbing small portions of various dishes. Meat, Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Indian food—it seemed endless. As I watched her return with a plate piled high with crispy, golden-brown tempura, I unconsciously shook my head.

Just that one plate must be over 1,500 calories.

"...Wow."
"They just restocked the shrimp tempura, so I grabbed some."
"I envy you, Yujin. You can eat whatever you want. If I ate like this, I’d gain a kilo a day."
"But there’s still dinner to come."
"Ugh..."

Life really isn’t easy.

Ultimately, I settled on having some more meat. I had a feeling that tonight’s dinner was going to cost enough to rack up some serious airline miles, but what could I do? Second place in the KSM wasn’t something to take lightly, and it was all thanks to the person in front of me.

Over an hour passed like this. Yujin had long since cleared more than seven plates, as she’d boasted, while I was barely holding on, clutching my stuffed belly and struggling to catch my breath. I hadn’t eaten this much in ages.

Meanwhile, having conquered nearly every dish at the buffet, Yujin was now leisurely sipping a drink with her legs crossed, her belly showing no sign of even the slightest bloat. Our eyes met, but... was she looking at my stomach?

"...I’m not that bloated, you know?"
"I didn’t say anything."

...Was she fishing for a reaction?

Anyway, my bloated belly was definitely noticeable. Despite being diligent with diet and cardio, as a pro gamer, I’m naturally not as active as some others. Without strict control, fat tends to cling on. My slightly rounded stomach was evidence of that gap in discipline.

Honestly, though, that’s just an excuse.

"Looks like I’m almost done too. I’m feeling pretty full."
"Finally!"
"Now it’s time to try all the desserts. Do you want anything? I’ll grab two of everything, so it’s not a big deal."
"...You’re really doing this, huh..."

What should I do?

But the part of me that craved dessert couldn’t resist. After all, there’s always room for sweets, right? Though, to be fair, Yujin had filled even that extra room to the brim today.

Still, I felt bad about letting her go alone. Plus, moving around might help with digestion.

"I’ll come with you."
"Finally feel like moving?"
"I need to walk some of this off. I don’t want to feel sluggish later and ruin my day."
"Good thinking."

I stood up.

As expected, this place was a paradise for desserts. All kinds of chocolate, macarons I had never even seen before, jellies, cakes, tarts, puddings, six flavors of gelato, donuts, traditional rice cakes, shaved ice...

There were also four or five types of beverages and teas, along with various coffee options. And of course, Yujin planned to try every single one. We ended up spending nearly an hour and forty minutes just eating. It felt like we were at some sort of fine dining experience.

As we were eating, familiar faces passing by would make the occasional remark that stung a little.

"Wow, you’re still eating?"
"Someone take her away! She’s going to conquer the whole buffet!"
"The conquest is already complete."

Yujin, picking at pieces of five different cakes and continually commenting on how delicious they were, didn’t seem to mind. By now, nearly everyone who had come with us had either returned to their accommodations or gone home.

Considering how long it took for others to finish eating and chat before leaving, our meal time was absurdly long. The buffet had a two-and-a-half-hour time limit, and we only had about forty minutes left.

One by one, people left until it was just the two of us.

The conversation gradually flowed again.

"So, what did you do with Harmony back then? You didn’t just have dinner, did you? Don’t tell me you took her to a shooting range?"
"..."

"Why aren’t you saying anything?"
"..."

Ugh.

I looked at Yujin with a bewildered expression, but she just added, with her usual confident tone, without a hint of embarrassment:

"We wouldn’t have gone if she hadn’t agreed. I brought it up, but Harmony was the one who wanted to go. We had fun."
"Well, you are pretty considerate when it comes to things like that. But a shooting range alone would’ve been boring. You must’ve gone somewhere else, right?"
"We did. Have you ever been to an animal café?"

"Are you talking about the ones with raccoons, cats, and dogs?"
"Yes, exactly. There were also snakes and desert foxes. We stumbled across the place while walking around. And we saved some money, too."
"Saved money? How?"
"They had a promotion—free entry for manifestation users and their companions on their first visit."
"..."

Who knew places like that existed?

Before I could recover from the shock, Yujin pulled out her phone and sent me a few photos and videos.

And the moment I saw them, I spat out my drink.

Pffft!
"Whoa, I didn’t expect such a strong reaction."
"Hahaha, what is this!? A raccoon sliding down your tail like a slide—haha! Hahhahahaha!"

Of course, that wasn’t all.

There were also many cute photos, like one of Yujin cradling a chubby raccoon in her arms—it seemed to have eaten so much that it had gotten quite plump. There were also photos of her... bonding? Well, doing something with a snake.

Apparently, it was a ball python. It looked surprisingly cute for a snake, with round eyes and a calm demeanor. I wasn’t usually fond of reptiles, but... wait, was this Yujin’s influence? I felt like my tastes were being altered.

...This was all because of that mesmerizing tail of hers.

"Anyway, we’ve almost finished. It’s about time to head out. Where should we go next? I’m fine with the shooting range or an animal café. Or would you rather watch a movie? There’s also escape rooms and board game cafés... really, I’m up for anything."
"You’ve been around quite a bit, huh? That’s quite a list of options."
"Well, living in the dorms, I’ve had plenty of chances to explore Seoul. If we can’t decide, we could always just take a walk around Gyeongbokgung Palace. I don’t mind."

Rustle.

Since we were about to leave, it was time to touch up my makeup.

I pulled a mirror from my shoulder bag and checked my face. The air conditioning had kept everything intact, but I figured I should touch up my lips—still, makeup just wasn’t something I was used to.

As I pondered what color to use for a natural look, I caught a glimpse of Yujin’s face in the mirror. I hadn’t noticed it before, but after reapplying my lipstick...

Wait, did she put on makeup?

"...What is it?"
"How do you do your makeup, Yujin? Your skin is so dewy, and your lips look great. But it doesn’t seem like you did any eye makeup. Do you just use really good products?"
"Hmm... I just did my usual skincare routine and put on sunscreen."
"...Excuse me?"

Clatter.

I suddenly stood up and leaned closer.

This is your natural state? Seriously? How? Her skin was flawless, like marble—smooth and radiant with not a single blemish in sight.

But that wasn’t the issue here. I slumped back into my chair and asked:

"...Have you really never tried color makeup? No contouring or highlighting? I was convinced you had spent hours getting ready!"

Our eyes met.

For once, Yujin looked a little awkward, avoiding my gaze as she muttered:

"...I don’t know the first thing about that..."
"Oh."

But at that moment, I couldn’t help the smile that spread across my face.

All those potential plans for our next destination instantly evaporated from my mind, replaced by a single thought as the navigation interface popped up automatically. The destination was none other than a nearby department store.

Given that we’d just eaten at a luxury hotel buffet, it was only natural that there would be a high-end department store within walking distance—just 350 meters away, in fact.

As we headed out, Yujin’s voice sounded uncertain.

"...Why?"
"Yujin."

And with a surprisingly bright tone, I added:

"Are you ready for a makeover?"
"No. Absolutely not."
"Starting is half the battle! Let’s go!"
"I don’t even want to start! Ugh!"

But there was no escape.

The counterattack had begun.

As expected, the customers of luxury department stores were incredibly diverse.

Occasionally, those who couldn’t even be called "customers" were turned away right at the entrance, but as a multi-functional facility, the department store attracted people of all ages. Celebrities, public figures, influencers, entertainers, wealthy individuals stopping by for a meal, office workers... an uncountable variety of visitors roamed the department store, numbering in the hundreds of thousands daily.

Therefore, the employees who attended to these customers were also accustomed to dealing with all kinds of people. After all, that's just the nature of the service industry. These employees were well-versed in maintaining their composure even in front of celebrities, tycoons, and other high-profile individuals.

However...

"Hello, we’re here to look at some makeup products. Do you have a makeup room where we can try them out after purchasing? I won’t be buying for myself, but I’d appreciate it if you could recommend some products for this person."

"Ah, yes. I... I understand. Please, have a seat."

Pointed ears protruding from her head. Sapphire-colored eyes with vertically slit pupils like those of a snake. And finally, a large, imposing snake tail that dominated her lower half.

The staff in the first-floor makeup section were about to have an experience like no other in their lives—a once-in-a-lifetime moment they were unlikely to forget. One thing was clear: whether at a bar or anywhere else, talking about this event beyond these walls could lead to serious consequences.

As the employee, still startled, spoke in a shaky voice, Yujin glanced at the chair before her with a slightly dissatisfied expression.

"Is there something wrong, ma’am?" the staff member asked, noticing her hesitation.

"Do you have a chair without a backrest?"

"A chair without a backrest... Oh! I’m so sorry! I’ll bring one right away!"

The staff had overlooked the second unique issue. Yujin simply couldn’t sit comfortably in a regular chair with a backrest. For someone like her, most chairs were bound to be problematic.

As the staff member quickly disappeared to fetch the chair, Yujin let out a small sigh and flicked her finger against Dice's side. Of course, even this "light" flick was no joke in terms of strength.

"Gaaah! That hurts! It hurts so much!"

"If you had just behaved and taken me somewhere else, you wouldn’t be suffering. I really went easy on you. It won't even leave a bruise."

"...How strong is your flick?!"

"Uh..."

If I used full force, I could break bones.

Naturally, Yujin kept this thought to herself.

Just another ordinary Saturday.