Mastore 104 - Dumpster

Magic Realm Convenience Store – Ch. 104

Pure Meeting with a Chihuahua (3)

“Where I live…?”

I deliberately repeated the question to buy time to come up with an excuse.

Where I live. Just a five-minute walk from here, along an ordinary street lined with a small park and roadside trees. But it exists in another dimension. The only way in or out is through this convenience store.

It's a secret I've kept for a whole month, and except for the manager, it's a question I've never answered for anyone. I have to lie.

I’m going to lie, but what should I say? That it’s not a great place? That it’s far? Or—

“Ouf.”

“Oh.”

A wave of intoxication hit me. I feel dizzy and feverish. If I took my temperature now, it might precariously exceed 38 degrees. Just a guess.

Instinctively, I grabbed my cup and took a sip to soothe my throat. After emptying half of what remained, I looked at Elena, who was repeatedly fanning her neck area. I asked first,

"...Was that just now the side effect? Did you feel it too, Elena?"

“Yes. Um, Chan. I’m sorry to ask, but…”

“No need to apologize. I was about to lie.”

The moment I confessed, I felt the rush of intoxication and dizziness completely vanish. We just stared at each other for a few seconds in silence.

It got slightly awkward. To break it, I asked,

“Come to think of it, I’ve heard about the side effects, but I haven’t heard what happens when the side effects are completely resolved.”

"Ah... you mean when the drug is completed?"

"Yes. Just now, thanks to the side effects, you knew I was about to lie. Once all these side effects are eliminated, how would you know someone was about to lie..."

“Ah. I didn’t explain that part. Well, here’s how you’ll know.”

Apparently, what I just experienced wasn’t actually a side effect. It was just that the medicine was working too well.

"When people are in love, various physical changes occur, right? Your heart races, you sweat, you stutter, your mouth gets dry—”

Some of these symptoms were intentionally triggered in what we just felt as side effects. Why? Well… say two people realize they’re lying to each other. Would that feel good?

Probably not. We might get awkward or angry. Worse, we might argue and break up.

The potion prevents that by using its effects—intoxication or dizziness—to manipulate your physical reactions and keep you in a state of mutual affection. Like a placebo effect.

“Right now, the potion isn’t fully complete, so instead of feeling affection—”

“It just feels like a really bad cold.”

"Exactly. It turned into something like a bad cold."

After that explanation, silence fell again. Even more awkward than before.

It wasn’t that I had nothing to say, but I deliberately stayed quiet because Elena seemed like she wanted to say something. Just as I was about to speak after waiting over ten seconds with no response, Elena hurriedly asked.

“That. That lie. How big of a lie was it in Chan's heart? If we rated it from 1 to 10?"

"Why... ah. Do stronger lies cause stronger side effects? You need to record this?"

“Yes. We adjust the dosage of the supplement based on that number.”

I understood. In this case, lowering the number would only make you more drunk.

“It’s a 10. No exaggeration, a solid 10.”

"...That's high..."

"I'll omit the reason. It's a precious secret to me."

I honestly admitted that I was hiding something. Since I wasn’t lying, the intoxication didn’t hit me. After confessing, I noticed she seemed like she wanted to say something..

“…Thank you, Chan. And also, um…”

"You can speak comfortably. Oh, do I need to say more?”

"No! That's not it, just a moment. Let me record this first!"

Elena clutched her tablet frantically and scribbled something on the screen. As soon as she finished typing, she slammed the tablet down and apologized.

"I'm sorry. I asked a weird question..."

“It’s not a weird question. I’m the weird one for keeping secrets like this.”

"Still... You seemed troubled..."

“If you really feel that way, let me satisfy my curiosity. Why did you ask where I live?”

I'm asking out of genuine curiosity. She's definitely not the type of succubus who would indirectly ask about someone's house to gauge their wealth. She's almost frustratingly pure and kind.

But aside from that, I couldn’t think of any reason. It’s not like there’s a golden calf in my house or anything…

“Why? Um, it’s just a really trivial reason....”

“If it’s such a trivial reason, why are you so flustered?”

"Well... That! If Chan-ssi lives nearby! We'd have more in common— Hic."

By that logic, all 15 million people in Seoul would be neighbors.

It didn't sound like an honest answer. The potion seemed to think so too, as it started coursing alcohol through various parts of my body the moment Elena finished speaking.

"Hic. A- Actually, that's not it. I wanted to have tea at Chan's house—"

The potion declared this was also a lie. My nose stung, and now that the effect was stacking, the intoxication hit twice as hard.

“Wow, I don’t think I can even look at the alcohol aisle for a while.”

“Hic. The reason… the reason is… really nothing special…”

Elena's manner of speaking reverted to a familiar tone. The tone she used during our first meeting and when she came over drunk. It seems the side effects finally got to her.

“I just, hic, wanted to go. I really like it when Chan listen to me …”

“Ohh…”

“It’s nice and comfortable… If I finish work and Chan finish work, and we go to Chan’s place… we can talk all night…”

“We can stay up all night even now. I’m on night shift, after all.”

“No. No, that’s not the same. Need to have pitcher beer... need to have nachos..."

She mumbled like she was throwing a drunken tantrum, just like the first time, pouting with her cheeks flushed. Isn't this dangerous if left unchecked? I'm starting to worry about my liver count—

"These past few days, that's all I've thought about... but Chan..."

She’s saying this for me to hear. I looked at her, then froze.

Elena's posture was such that she had just lifted her lowered head to look up at me.

Her hands were clutching her knees, sweat glistening on them, and between the strands of her slightly messy bangs, her emerald eyes were—

"Maybe... doing that with me... do you dislike it...?"

“.......”

“Hiccup.”

Her eyes were brimming with tears. This is definitely dangerous.

Reflexively, I reached out and grabbed her arms.

“Ah.”

“I don’t dislike it. I don’t.”

Her unfocused eyes cleared up. It seemed my constitution did its job. After pulling two tissues from the box on the table and handing them to her, I continued.

"Wipe your tears, and let's give the alcohol some thought first. Elena."

“Huh? Tears? Drinking?”

She looked confused for a moment, then gasped as if she’d just realized something.

"Chan, did I talk about drinking? Just now?"

“You said you wanted to come over with a pitcher of beer and nachos. Just now.”

“Wha- What? Ugh, I wasn’t going to say that!”

"You also said you've been thinking about it for days— and asked if I disliked hanging out with you—"

"Stop. Please stop..."

No. I just felt a threat to my life. I was in danger. Me.

"I haven't answered yet, and I cut you off because the side effects made you seem not yourself."

"...Ah, yes. Side effects do vary by race... Thank you, Chan."

“What’s there to thank? You’re the expert.”

With that, silence settled between us. Elena, glancing at me, picked up her tablet and started scribbling down the things I told her she’d said.

Glancing sideways, I could see the lie rating was 10.

After finishing writing and placing the tablet on the table, Elena straightened her posture and asked me:

“I’ve written all that down… Chan. Um…”

"You want to know what my answer is?"

"...Yes."

She hangs her head low but doesn't deny it. I guess she thinks it’s only fair to get an answer since she brought it up. I answered immediately.

“It’s hard. Right now.”

"Right now?"

"I'm sorry for the ambiguous answer, but yes. I'm being honest."

Wanting to come over to my place—that part is fine with me. I like staying up all night drinking at home too. It’s just that I don’t have anyone to drink with in my world…

But now it's the opposite. I have a succubus willing to drink with me, but no house to drink in. Thinking about it, I can't even tell what kind of absurd situation this is.

“If it’s difficult right now, then, um…”

“Later?”

“Yes. Later.”

I don’t know. With all the bizarre things happening day after day, how can I give a definite answer about the future…?

“I’ll think about it. Positively.”

Home. I need to think about it. Positively.

“Yes.”

Elena gave a short reply. Even though I didn’t give a definite answer, she looked grateful just that I’d consider it. That’s really…

“Then next time, um…”

"Shall we take a break? Feels like I've downed three bottles of soju right now."

"Ah, yes."

We both agreed and fell into silence.

Saying it felt like three bottles of soju was no exaggeration. But if my tolerance is high, I can handle about six bottles. It means I don’t plan to stop.

Still, the reason I paused was… damn, how am I supposed to talk about this? Normally? What even is normal?

Just do it like always. My head knows this. I even made that resolution. But right after that conversation, I can't fathom what kind of courage made me make that resolution.

She said she wants to stay up all night talking to me. That she’s been thinking about it for days. She was worried I might dislike it, and just now, she asked me with tears in her eyes.

And I couldn’t even give her a clear answer. I feel sorry now for saying ‘later’. I don't even understand what about me, someone who's not even from this world, makes her feel comfortable, and I should feel sorry about this too. I should have told her I feel equally comfortable.

It's too late to answer now. Still, shouldn't I be the one to break the ice? I’m older, and I should be the one to take the lead. Feeling lost, I glanced at Elena, and our eyes met.

“Um…”

“Yes?”

"That, no. I'm sorry."

She looked like she wanted to say something but just couldn’t bring herself to. I understand how she feels because I’m in the same boat right now. I shook my head vigorously and took a sip of coffee to soothe my dry throat.

Should I ask why she’s apologizing? No. Seeing her drink coffee made me thirsty too. I tried to drink, but the melted ice made the coffee watery. How's it any different from water?

After drinking, I looked out the store window. If pretending to be in love is this hard, how do people actually fall in love?

I really don't know. How should I start talking?

"Oh, fuck."

Elena jumped in surprise, and this time I was startled too. I turned around to see the Chihuahua about to slam his laptop keyboard. Judging by his expression, his anger level was around a 9.

“Goddamn it, getting stuck on some dumb detail pisses me off even more.”

“That, are you having trouble with your work?"

“Why the hell do you care, punk?”

No, you're the one who spoke loud enough for us to hear...

I don’t know. I waited, thinking that letting him vent a little might clear his head, but the Chihuahua slammed his laptop shut and turned toward us.

And then he suddenly asked me this.

"You two, how the fuck did you end up spouting all that nonsense in a damned convenience store?"




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