While Heddy's offer to help might have had a hint of self-interest, there was no reason to complain since she was willing to promote the Video Store.
Any help right now, with no high-income source available, would be very useful.
However, there was not much they could do at the moment, and just as Wise was about to step outside, he received a message.
"Hm, what's wrong, Brother? You look serious. Is something important happening?" Belle asked, her voice full of concern.
Wise shook his head to show it wasn't a big deal and replied, "It's a message from 'Shepherd.' He wants me to meet him at the coffee shop. I don't know where he gets all his information... Anyway, I'm heading out for a bit. You watch the store."
"Got it! Oh, and Brother, don't forget to bring me back something delicious!"
"Alright, alright, you're impossible," Wise said with a smile.
"Yay! Be careful on your way!"
Wise nodded and headed straight out, while Belle stayed behind, happily waving goodbye.
On his way to the coffee shop, Wise noticed a familiar figure standing by the roadside.
'Hm? Isn't that Ellen? And those girls with her must be her classmates, right? Should I go say hello?' Wise thought.
He and Ellen weren't very familiar yet, and approaching her out of the blue might get her teased by her friends. It wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing, but it could make her feel uncomfortable.
Just as Wise was about to pretend not to see her and head straight to the coffee shop, Ellen spotted him and waved.
At that point, he couldn't ignore her anymore. Walking over, he was greeted first by Ellen.
"Hello, Wise. What a coincidence running into you here again. Oh, and these are the friends I mentioned before, the ones interested in videotapes."
Ellen's tone was calm, and she still looked a bit listless, but there were no dark circles under her eyes. It wasn't surprising.
She went to school during the day, worked at night, and still found time to go shopping with her best friends.
If she could keep up that kind of schedule and still have energy, she certainly wasn't an ordinary person. Then again, a Shark Thiren could hardly be considered normal in the first place.
"Yes, it's really fate that we meet. And to Ellen's friends, if you're interested in videotapes, you're always welcome at our Video Store. We can meet any of your needs."
Although Wise lived nearby and meeting up wasn't a big deal, he certainly couldn't say that out loud.
The girls around Ellen looked a little surprised. In fact, they had already noticed Wise even before he walked over.
His handsome appearance had them whispering and exchanging glances, which was exactly why Ellen had called him over. She figured that since her best friends were curious, she might as well bring Wise along.
After all, weren't they interested in videotapes?
Ellen did just that, and when her best friends saw Wise approaching and talking to her, the girls immediately began speculating about their relationship, countless scenarios flashing through their minds as they exchanged curious glances.
Their whispers only stopped when Wise addressed them, prompting one of the girls to speak up.
"Handsome Big Brother, are you and Little Dried Fish… uh, Ellen, friends? When did you meet?"
The girl with bright yellow hair, full of energy, looked at Wise with wide-eyed curiosity, clearly hoping for an exciting answer.
But her hopes were quickly dashed when Wise calmly explained that he had met Ellen at the arcade in the most ordinary way possible.
"So that's how it is. I thought our Little Dried Fish had finally come to her senses and was going to betray our organization."
One of the girls standing beside Ellen, a Thiren with small horns, sighed and added her own comment.
As for the "organization" they were talking about, it was easy to guess.
They were all single female students.
"What are you talking about? Weren't you the ones who wanted to check out videotapes earlier?" Ellen asked, her voice tinged with slight fatigue and exasperation.
"That's true, but if I had known the Video Store's owner was such a handsome boy, I would have gone there myself," the black-haired girl with glasses whispered, giving Ellen a knowing look and making an OK gesture with her hand. "But in this case, I'll let you have him, Ellen. Even if we haven't had any real experience yet, don't worry. We have plenty of theoretical knowledge."
- RUBY | MONA | LYNN[1]-
But all she got in return was Ellen's bland reply.
"Thank you for your kindness…"
Glancing at her best friends beside her, Ellen sighed helplessly. At the same time, she noticed Wise standing awkwardly on the other side.
'Hm, he really is quite handsome, but that's not the point. If this keeps going, things could get complicated. It's better to find an excuse to part ways quickly.'
Just as Ellen was thinking this, Wise seemed to notice her dilemma and spoke up first.
"I'm sorry, ladies. I'd love to chat more, but I have something I need to take care of, so…"
Since he had made his point, the understanding girls knew when to stop. They exchanged contact information and then parted ways.
After Wise left, Ellen looked at his retreating back and thought that he was indeed a good person.
[Ding! Target: Ellen has increased her favorability toward the host by 20. Her current favorability is now 40. Additionally, 500 Emotional Value has been obtained.]
"Hey, Ellen, stop staring. He's already far away."
Reminded by her friend, Ellen finally came back to her senses, only to be met with the mischievous grins of the three girls.
"Even though she acts like she doesn't care, Ellen's body really gives her away, doesn't it?" the girl with horns teased.
"It looks like you didn't want that store owner to leave. If we'd known, we would've stepped out first to give you two some privacy," the girl with bright yellow hair said, smiling.
"Oh, I know the perfect outfit for Ellen! She'd look amazing in it, and no boy could resist," the girl with glasses who had given Ellen advice earlier said, pulling out her phone to show a picture.
It was a cute maid outfit, clearly designed to charm anyone who saw it. Ellen's expression immediately tightened, while her other two friends gushed over how adorable it was.
They seemed determined to convince Ellen to try it on, but she shook her head apologetically since she had already worn it many times before.
Even though wearing it one more time wouldn't hurt, Ellen firmly refused.
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