Chapter 14: Departure from the Wisu Area
A status window suddenly appeared.
Name: Jeong Sora
Gender: Female
Age: 27
Height: 165cm
Weight: 54kg
Favorability: B
Current Sexual Desire: C+
Fetish: Fat Admirer(Lower), ???(Middle)
"Gasp!"
I was so startled that I involuntarily gasped.
"What's wrong?"
"Are you hurt, sir?"
Jeong Sora looked at me with confusion while Lee Junghoon expressed concern.
"Oh, it's nothing. I'll go organize some things first."
Leaving the two behind, Seo Juhwan took his leave. He needed to find a quiet place to collect his thoughts. He moved to the smoking area and took a long drag from his cigarette.
'Seeing someone else's status window... is that even possible?'
Moreover, Jeong Sora's status window was completely different from his own. There were items like favorability, sexual desire, and fetish that he never saw on his own status window.
'So this is the power of a Dream Demon God...'
The skill and blessings lived up to the name, and even the status window was proving its worth. Really... it was desirable. He started to think that even a lifelong virgin like himself might not find it difficult to charm women. Though Jeong Sora still seemed like an impossibly high mountain to climb.
But there was one mystery: why did her status window appear out of nowhere?
'Does it only show for women?'
That might be it. After all, the biggest difference between her and others was gender. But why didn't it appear before now?
'There must be some condition...'
It wasn't through contact. If that were the case, it would have appeared when she put a patch on me or when I caught her from falling. So what was different from before?
As I pondered this, something came to mind.
"Paper cup?"
The status window had definitely appeared when I brought the paper cup to my lips. That was the only anomaly at that moment.
'Could it have been activated through saliva?'
I wasn't certain, but it seemed highly probable. If my guess was right, it was a rather troublesome condition.
'But that's not important right now.'
There was no one else to experiment on anyway. I decided to stop thinking about the conditions for activating the status window. My current priority was Jeong Sora's favorability, sexual desire, and fetish shown on the status window.
'Favorability B, Sexual Desire C+, Fat Admirer Lower Grade?'
I understood favorability and sexual desire. But the fetish labeled "Fat Admirer"... could it really mean what it says?
"A fat admirer? What is this..."
I became curious about the other fetish marked with a question mark as well.
*
Perhaps because it was the day after training ended?
The officers didn't touch the soldiers. Thanks to that, today I could rest comfortably in the barracks.
[Ahem, we're announcing from the command center. All personnel on weekend leave, please come to the command center right now. I repeat...]
As lunchtime approached, an announcement for those on leave played.
Seo Juhwan said goodbye to Lee Junghoon beside him and left the barracks.
"I'm going now, hyung."
"Okay. Hey, don't forget to buy cigarettes!"
"Roger that."
He answered casually and headed to the first floor.
It was time for weekend leave.
***
Including Seo Juhwan, there were five people going on leave today. They received formal briefing at the command center and came out. As soon as they stepped outside, the soldiers made a fuss.
"The outside is really different! Just one door difference but it's so different!"
"That's right. Ugh. Is this the air of society?"
The lower-ranked privates were particularly loud. In contrast, the corporals and sergeants casually unlocked their phones and called taxis. Then a sergeant whose eyes met mine spoke to me.
"Seo Juhwan, did you come out alone?"
"Yes. Min-gu seems to have come out with his squad mates?"
"Ha ha. That's right. All guys from my squad. Anyway, taking a taxi alone will cost a lot. Want to share one with me?"
To get to the city, you had to call a taxi. Taking one alone would cost over 10,000 won. So usually those on leave who came together would share a taxi.
But couldn't four people fit comfortably in one car? It seemed like he was being considerate.
Seo Juhwan shook his head with a smile.
"Thanks, but it's okay. Go with your juniors."
"Really? It'll cost quite a bit..."
'He's a really kind person.'
Even though we weren't close, seeing him be considerate made him seem like a good person. If we had been in the same company, we probably would have gotten close.
But today it was fine.
"Juhwan, have you been waiting long?"
"Kangchul. No sir. I just came out."
Because Jeong Sora promised to pick me up.
"Let's go. Get in."
"Roger that. Min-gu, excuse me, I'm leaving first."
"Oh, yes..."
The four soldiers stared blankly when they saw Jeong Sora in civilian clothes.
"Was the company commander really this pretty?"
"I knew she was pretty, but..."
"Wow..."
The car departed, leaving them behind.
*
Seo Juhwan glanced sideways with just his eyes.
'Wow. Breathtakingly beautiful.'
Even without makeup, I thought she was a beauty, but seeing her with makeup, she could pass as an actress. Jeong Sora was twenty-seven, right? Since the year was almost over, she'd soon be twenty-eight.
'How can she have that face at her late twenties.'
Career military personnel usually looked older than their actual age, but Jeong Sora looked at most like her mid-twenties.
Seo Juhwan marveled internally and pulled up Jeong Sora's status window.
Gender: Female
Age: 27
Height: 165cm
Weight: 54kg
Favorability: B
Current Sexual Desire: B
Fetish: Fat Admirer(Lower), ???(Middle)
Seo Juhwan's eyes widened as he confirmed the status window. Could it be because the pheromone effect was working in the enclosed space? Surprisingly, Jeong Sora's sexual desire had risen one level since yesterday.
"Juhwan?"
"Yes? Yes!"
Seo Juhwan snapped out of his thoughts at the sound of her calling him. Looking to the side, she was watching him with a puzzled expression. He quickly changed the subject.
"Um, company commander. Are you going somewhere important today?"
"Huh? Why are you suddenly asking that?"
Jeong Sora answered with a noticeably flustered voice to the unexpected question. Her tone was higher and more feminine than usual, perhaps because we were outside the base. Even her manner of speaking seemed softer.
"It's because I haven't seen you like this before. You're especially pretty today. I'd believe it if someone said you were an actress."
"Aha ha. You're exaggerating. But thanks anyway."
She didn't deny it strongly, which suggested she was well aware of her own beauty. Though it seemed she had no intention of telling me where she was going.
'I don't need to be told anyway.'
Jeong Sora was going on a blind date today. Well, I'm not exactly sure if it's a blind date. Since I picked up rumors in my past life, it might have been a boyfriend.
Either way, what mattered was that she was going to meet a man today, and the outcome wouldn't be good. According to the rumors, Jeong Sora would be rejected today. And that's when I planned to make my move. After all, isn't it said that people who've been stood up have open hearts? I wasn't sure if it was actually true, but it was worth trying.
"Juhwan, where should I drop you off?"
"Oh. Turn right at the intersection and go straight. Just drop me off in front of the mart."
"Love Mart?"
"Yes. That's correct."
"Got it. We'll be there in about 5 minutes."
"Roger."
The conversation ended there. Seo Juhwan wondered if there was anything else to talk about. But he couldn't think of anything. I should have talked to women more. Besides professional matters, he was a hikikomori who didn't even talk much with people of the same gender.
Then Jeong Sora glanced at him and said.
"Juhwan. Can I ask you something?"
"Oh, yes. Feel free to ask anything."
"What cologne are you wearing?"
"Excuse me? I didn't catch that?"
"Hmm. I'm curious what cologne you're using. Did you bring something during your last vacation? The smell is really nice."
There was a faint blush on Jeong Sora's face as she said this. Her breathing seemed slightly elevated.
As expected, when I checked the status window, favorability and sexual desire had already risen to B+. The pheromone skill's effect was more powerful than I thought.
"I don't really use cologne..."
"Really?"
"Yes."
"Then did you recently change your body lotion or shampoo?"
"I'm just using the same stuff as always."
"That's strange... It wasn't like this before."
Jeong Sora tilted her head as if genuinely confused. Even so, her nostrils flared as she sniffed the air.
'She has a nose like a dog. Is the pheromone scent that strong? I can't really tell myself.'
I tried smelling my forearm, but since it was my own body scent, I couldn't really detect any major difference.
About 5 minutes passed like that, and we arrived at the destination. Jeong Sora, who had stopped the car, warned me.
"You're a sergeant, so you know without me saying it, right? Don't cause any accidents."
"Yes. Don't worry."
"Good. Have a good time on your weekend off."
"You too, company commander. Have a nice weekend. Kangchul."
"I'm off."
The car quickly disappeared from sight. Before leaving, Jeong Sora's face was still slightly flushed. Watching her drive away, I felt a slight worry that I might be accidentally doing some guy who didn't even know her face a favor.
Once Jeong Sora's car was out of sight, Seo Juhwan quickly hailed a taxi.
'Can't waste what I've made.'
Speaking in a determined voice, he said to the taxi driver.
"Sir, please take me to Yeongyang County."
"What? Yeongyang County?"
"Yes!"
"That's not normally a destination. It'll add quite a bit of extra fare..."
"Hmm."
I hesitated for a moment. Taking a taxi from Uljin to Yeongyang County would be quite expensive. With the extra fare, it would probably cost almost 100,000 won.
But I couldn't skip it either. With Uljin's terrible public transportation, taking another route would take at least six hours. A taxi would only take two hours.
"Damn it. Just take me there anyway."
The money would definitely come out of my pocket.
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