With that, the incident came to a close. Although they hadn't successfully retrieved the contents of the safe, at least everyone was safe.
"By the way, Belle, have you eaten tonight?"
"Not yet, brother. How about you make that hamburger from last time again?" Belle's eyes lit up as she recalled the taste of the hamburger, but unfortunately, her suggestion was not to be.
"Probably not. We're out of ingredients at home. How about ramen instead?"
"...Ramen again. Fine, I'll go buy it." It was clear Belle didn't really want to eat it. It wasn't that Chop's cooking was bad, it was simply that back when Wise didn't cook, they ate ramen almost every day.
[Suggestion: Assistant No. 2 can choose to switch to a different flavor.]
"As if I haven't thought of that. I've tried every flavor of ramen at Chop's place."
Seeing Belle's disappointed look, Wise felt a bit guilty. In the end, he decided to go out and buy ingredients himself. "I'm heading out."
"Hm? You're going out now? Are you sure you're feeling okay, brother? Should I go with you?"
"Don't worry, I'm feeling great. You should just stay home and watch the shop, Belle."
Although Belle was still a bit worried, hearing Wise say this, she could only reluctantly give up.
Mmm, I'll buy a few more ingredients this time. Since Belle doesn't like ramen, I should just cook from now on.
As Wise was thinking, he headed towards the supermarket to buy ingredients. As he passed by the arcade, he inadvertently saw a black shadow swaying back and forth on the side of the road.
Hm? Is that... a Shark-person? She looks kind of familiar. What was her name again?
Wise looked at the Shark-person girl in a JK school uniform in front of the arcade machine. He remembered there was an agent like her in the game, but he couldn't recall her name. Fortunately, the system was helpful. After Wise noticed her, the system provided a panel.
[Current Favorability Target:]
Name: Ellen
Gender: Female
Charm: 95 (PS: This charm value is based on the author's own preferences, so it may not be accurate.)
Defining Traits: Has sharp teeth and a strong tail. Always appears sleepy. I wonder if she's like that at that time too?
Hobby: Sleeping, sweets
Current State: Slightly tired, slightly excited, moderately focused.
Current Favorability Towards Host: 0 (Stranger)
Evaluation: Her first impression is always one of laziness and coldness. She always complains that things are a hassle, but she will always put her heart into things she has agreed to do. Also, special note: be careful not to get scratched or broken~
Inner Thoughts:This game is pretty hard. How did this number one player get such a high score? They're pretty amazing.
Seeing this, Wise also got a clear look at the game she was playing. He recalled that he had played this at the arcade before, and at the time, his score was number one. It seemed to be double the score of the second-place player. But it's been so long, someone must have surpassed it by now, right?
Wise was no longer in a hurry to go to the supermarket. After all, if he waited a little longer, the ingredients would be on sale. Buying them then would be much cheaper. Who could blame him, now that he had an artificial intelligence at home that cost five times the electricity, and he no longer had his Phaethon account? If he weren't a little more frugal, he would probably have to exchange Emotion Value for Dennies.
"Hm? Is my tail blocking your way?" Noticing Wise had approached and was standing beside her, Ellen mistakenly thought he was a customer wanting to enter the arcade. Just as she was about to move aside, she suddenly noticed Wise's appearance, and her eyes widened by a few pixels.
He's a pretty good-looking guy. Does he live around here? If the others saw him, they would definitely not be able to resist asking for his contact info.
The "others" she was referring to were, of course, her classmates and good friends.
[Ellen's favorability has increased by 20 points. Current favorability: 20. 200 Emotion Value obtained.]
"No, I just saw you playing this game." Wise pointed to the mini-game displayed on the screen of the arcade machine in front of Ellen. Seeing this, the latter explained nonchalantly, "Oh, this? I just saw it on my way home from school. It looked pretty interesting, so I came to play for a bit."
"Is that so? Coincidentally, I've played it too. Want to have a match?"
"Hm? Can you?" As Ellen spoke, she looked Wise up and down again. He didn't seem like the type who was very good at games.
Hearing Ellen's words, Wise was immediately displeased. What did she mean, 'Can you?' "Don't underestimate me. Although I don't play games often, my skills aren't bad."
Hearing this, Ellen didn't say any more. She moved aside a little, giving him space, and looked at Wise, clearly gesturing for him to try. Wise immediately stepped up to demonstrate. Because it had been a while since he last played, his skills were a bit rusty, but thankfully, he didn't mess up.
"Oh, impressive. I didn't expect you to be the player with the highest score, beating second place by almost half."
Wise didn't feel embarrassed by Ellen's praise, but he knew he should still be a little humble. "Not really, I'm just more familiar with it. And I saw you were playing quite well too. Oh, I haven't asked your name yet. My name is Wise, and I'm the owner of that video store over there."
"The video store?"
"Mmm, what's wrong?"
"No, it's nothing. My name is Ellen. I'm currently a student. Also, if it's not too much trouble, can I have your contact information?" As she spoke, Ellen took out her phone. Seemingly afraid that Wise would misunderstand, she added, "It's because I have a friend who seems to have recently gotten into watching videotapes. I thought it would be more convenient if I had your contact info."
"I see. Of course, that's no problem. If you need anything in that regard, you can contact me anytime, or come to our shop to choose. Our internet speed there is very good."
Ellen nodded upon hearing this, and the two exchanged contact information. Afterward, Ellen left first, using the excuse that "it's getting a bit late, I need to hurry home."
And at this point, it was the perfect time for Wise to go to the supermarket to buy the discounted ingredients for the day. He bought a little extra to put in the fridge so they could eat it tomorrow as well.
He got the discounted ingredients and also got Ellen's contact information. Everything seemed to be going smoothly, but Wise had forgotten one rather important thing.
After returning to the video store...
"Hm? Why does my brother have the scent of a girl on him again? Mmm... and it's not Anby's!"
Oh no. Did it rub off when I accidentally bumped into Ellen while playing the game?
"So, how can you even smell it?"
"Don't change the subject! Explain yourself clearly!"
[Suggestion: The host could take a shower before returning home next time. That way, you won't be discovered.]
"Fairy, stop adding to the chaos!"
--------
Enjoying the story? Support the author and get access to early chapters by joining my Patreon!
Find me at My : pat*eon*com/RuneA
Zenless Zone Zero: I'm a Succubus in Sixth Street (50 Chapter)
Reborn in Type-Moon, My Sister is Aoko Aozaki (50 Chapter)