I glared at the pink slime that looked so innocent, and we began a staring contest.

What exactly is this slime made of?

Of course, this creature wasn’t a real monster. There was no interface popping up.

The only weapon I had to defeat this mysterious slime was a spoon.

I gently tapped the slime with the spoon.

The slime smoothly twisted its body, dodging the sharp edge of the spoon.

It’s more elastic than I thought.

Gripping the spoon a little tighter, I attempted to slice the slime in two with all the finesse of swordsmanship.

*Thunk!*

"Oh."

The spoon pierced its body surprisingly smoothly. The slime trembled as if in its death throes, like prey caught by a predator sinking its teeth in. I continued to ravage the slime's body with my spoon.

The pink flesh of the slime lifted on my spoon. I swallowed hard and popped the piece into my mouth.

"Wow!"

I couldn’t even fully close my mouth before letting out an exclamation.

The initial taste was soft and creamy. It was like fireworks of sweet fruit exploding in my mouth.

The slime slowly melted on my tongue, spreading the flavor of strawberries. It tasted like biting into a perfectly ripe strawberry, fresh and sweet.

Nom, nom.

I kept eating the slime’s soft flesh, which had been reduced to a pitiful state.

Chris smiled at me as I fought this battle with the slime.

"You look like someone tasting pudding for the first time."

Chris chuckled, and even Beimerung gave me a faint look of amusement.

But I was too busy savoring the slime’s sweet flesh to care. My mind was entirely focused on the overwhelming sweetness.

This dessert, this refreshing drink—I had never felt this kind of joy before in my life.

Who knew food could make a person so happy?

Maybe I should indulge in sweet things more often.

Beimerung, who had been watching me with a slightly concerned expression, turned to Chris and spoke.

"Chris, is it possible for someone to skip meals because they feel full in virtual reality?"

"Hmm, depending on the synchronization level, it's not impossible. There was a big debate about it with highly synchronized life-simulation VR worlds. But even then, if someone doesn’t eat, the real body sends signals that it's low on energy, so no one can actually starve to death. There are also safety mechanisms in the capsules that forcefully disconnect users based on their biological signals."

Chris took a sip of her lemonade and continued.

"Even before VR capsules, people who played PC games for days without sleep sometimes died. But that didn’t mean PC games were banned. It’s ultimately a human problem, not a technology problem."

"Hmm."

Beimerung nodded at Chris’s words but still seemed unconvinced. She turned to me, who was still battling the pudding.

"Rain, are you eating well in reality?"

What was her intention in suddenly turning the question toward me after chatting so comfortably with Chris?

I stared at Beimerung, my mouth full of pudding. She suddenly giggled.

Why is she laughing? I’m just looking at her.

After swallowing the pudding, I answered.

"I’m eating well."

"What do you usually eat?"

"Uh, lately, pizza and chicken mostly."

Beimerung looked somewhat relieved.

In truth, I had been leaning more toward pizza lately.

Chicken tends to dry out and harden after a while, but pizza, when heated in the microwave, tastes almost like it was just delivered. It’s also good for eating over several days.

It’s cost-effective too. One or two slices are enough to fill me up. A regular-sized pizza can last three or four days.

*Nom*. The last piece of pudding disappeared into my mouth, and Chris smiled at me.

"Rain, did you enjoy it?"

I nodded.

Today's café visit had been very satisfying. I nodded again, expressing my contentment with a small smile.

"Do we still have time? There’s another place I want to visit today."

"Sure."

I had decided to go along with whatever Chris wanted today.

Since the café was great, I had high hopes for the next spot too.

---

"Ah..."

Sweat trickled down my forehead as I surveyed the shop.

There were frilly dresses, gothic lolita outfits, extravagant gowns, and even clothes that barely counted as underwear.

"See, aren't these clothes so pretty? Beimerung thought of you right away when she saw this shop!"

"This place is run by a user, too. The clothes are a bit pricey, but you can try on all sorts of outfits designed by players."

I took a step back and shook my head.

Sure, I liked collecting in-game outfits, but I had never worn such frilly clothes.

I preferred outfits that suited a swordsman—cool uniforms like a desert admiral’s or an orc warrior’s cloak.

But here, all the clothes were clearly made for women.

Chris noticed my reluctance and gave me a slightly worried look.

"Don’t you like these clothes?"

"Oh, no! I do like them!"

I hastily denied it.

Chris had brought me here because she knew I liked outfits, so I didn’t want to hurt her feelings.

Squinting, I glanced at the clothes around me. Most were frilly dresses, but I did see a few outfits I might be able to wear without too much discomfort.

"Right? These are great, aren’t they? Rain, try this one on! You’ll look like a doll!"

"Ah..."

Before I could choose anything, Chris had already picked up a white dress and held it up against me.

A ‘Try On’ button popped up on the interface in front of me. It seemed I could try it before buying.

"Come on, Rain! Try it on! Should we look for a fitting room? Want me to help you put it on?"

Chris, puffing out air from her nose, glanced around excitedly. Beimerung, who had been watching her with an exasperated look, sighed.

"Chris... this is a game. You just press the button and it puts the outfit on automatically. What are you expecting?"

"Ah, right."

Chris smacked her lips in disappointment. I closed my eyes tightly and pressed the ‘Try On’ button.

*Swish.*

The light white dress fit perfectly onto my body. I could see Chris and Beimerung’s eyes widen.

"Ah... ah...!"

"Oh my, oh my, oh my."

They suddenly covered their mouths and made strange sounds.

"Is it... weird?"

They shook their heads in unison.

Chris, who had quickly come closer, bent down to look at me directly, her eyes sparkling.

"Rain, why do you only wear boyish clothes? I’ll buy all the outfits here for you! Just wear them for me, at least once in a while!"

"Gah..."

She’d buy them all? And I’d have to wear them?

I stepped back from Chris and shook my head.

"O-one is enough."

Frantically, I glanced around the shop. Finally, I spotted something decent and pointed at it.

"T-that one! Please just get me that one!"

The outfit I pointed at was a simple, white hooded set. Out of all the frilly dresses, it seemed like something I could actually wear.

I hurried over and pressed the ‘Try On’ button, and the outfit was quickly applied to my avatar.

"Ah... ah!"

"Whoa!"

It was just a casual, hooded outfit, but why did their reactions seem even more exaggerated than before?

Chris approached, looking as if she could hardly breathe, and carefully reached out to touch something on my hood.

"It’s... it’s a cat pajama! It has... ears!"

"Kyaa...! It even has a tail!"

Beimerung, who had snuck up behind me, was now fondling the tail attached to the outfit with a blissful expression.

"Oh no..."

I didn’t realize it came with these extras!

---

"Today was so much fun!"

"It was nice to take a break in the city for a change."

In the end, I left with the dress, the gothic lolita outfit, and the cat pajamas, all of which Chris had insisted on buying for me.

She stuffed them into my inventory with the condition that I wear them when hanging out with her.

"You’ll thank me later, won’t you? This is my request for today. You’ll keep your promise, right?"

"Y-yes."

Chris grinned. Her smile was infectious, and I couldn’t help but feel good too.

If this was how I could repay her for her kindness, it wasn’t a bad deal.

"Tomorrow, we’ll be running the Aspero Citadel bus. You’re free, right, Rain?"

I nodded.

This was the main reason I needed to maintain my relationship with Chris. I couldn’t run the bus alone, so I needed her help.

We parted ways at the fountain where we had first met, promising to meet again tomorrow.

I waved until they disappeared from sight.

---

*Splat.*

As I emerged from the capsule, I suddenly noticed a nosebleed and quickly pinched my nose.

I hadn’t even exerted myself that much today, but my body was already sending warning signs.

Why was my recovery so slow lately?

"Should I... go to the hospital?"

I muttered to myself.

The hospital.

I had spent a long time there when I first returned to the modern world. But after I was discharged, I hadn’t gone near one since.

A few months ago, I wouldn’t have cared what happened to my body, but lately, I had started finding joy in life.

After all, the real ‘Lee Seulbi’ needed to be alive for ‘Rain’ to keep existing in Astria. Even if this body was useless, it wouldn’t be good if it broke down completely.

But with

 bus runs being so expensive right now, earning money had to be my top priority.

If I had to go through tests at the hospital, it would take a lot of time. Worse, if I got hospitalized, I wouldn’t be able to earn money at all.

I let out a light sigh.

"Haah..."

For now, I’d focus on running the bus, and when things got a little less busy, I’d visit the hospital.

 

 

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TL NOTE: Please don't skimp on the stars for the translation - it inspires me and gives me the strength to write more. Thank you~!