Why Is Everyone in This Dating Sim Trying to Kill Me?!

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Translator: Vine

Chapter Title: My Sister Eats Too Much (3)

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Smack!

"Yikes!"

I gave this childish older sister, who was shouting, 'Magestone Replication!', a firm flick on the forehead.

"Ow… That hurt…"

Perhaps the blow was stronger than expected, as tears welled up in Im Ga-eul's eyes.

"Of course, if it's you, junior, you can hit me as much as you like… But at least tell me why you hit me."

She asked, rubbing her reddened forehead.

"You're asking that because you don't know?"

'Ugh, this airhead.'

"You deserve that, Senior. We still don't even know where to get a magestone charger."

"…Really?"

"Yes, and even if we did get one, it would take about two weeks to fully charge it with a single top-grade magestone."

"…Two weeks? Two weeks seems like enough, doesn't it?"

I looked at her with cold, unimpressed eyes.

Since it took about a week to use up one top-grade magestone this time, she probably thinks she can make it last two weeks if she uses it a bit more sparingly.

But I knew very well that would never happen.

Her current fervent wishful thinking reminded me of my own past self from long ago.

—Whew, I really have to get it this time. I've collected a truckload of attendance rewards. If I can just get it with these, it's free.

Velvet School Life is a gacha game featuring cute girls. You have to pull characters and items from the gacha, but theoretically, you could leisurely enjoy pulling with the rewards given for attendance.

—Last time I got it on the 80th pull. This time, let's get it in just 40! Please, just come out!

But did it ever go as planned?

Human desire isn't that rational. It's closer to that of a beast.

—…Oh, um. All the attendance rewards are gone? Ah, I admit, trying to get it with only free pulls is pretty shameless.

100 pulls.

200 pulls.

300 pulls…

A runaway train that had started its sprint.

The meager savings, collected little by little from an already small and cute 200,000-won salary. That meager pocket emptying was truly in the blink of an eye.

—Whew, w-well, it's still okay. If I pull it now, it's like buying it at cost. The expected value was originally 500,000 won…! It's not a loss! Not a loss!

—I've already spent 700,000 won, I can't stop here. Let's just spend up to 1,000,000 won and try to get it.

—I've already invested this much, I can't give up now… If I'm a fool whether I win or lose, I should at least be a fool who won!

—Damn game… Don't mess with me. Don't mess with me!!!

The emptiness of having blown an entire month's salary in an instant.

Im Ga-eul, who had depleted a top-grade magestone in just one week and was now shouting 'Another one!', seemed no different from myself back then.

'Hmm, but maybe this isn't entirely a bad thing after all…?'

Though the first button was buttoned wrong, what was Im Ga-eul's character like to begin with?

It was 'gentleness', 'acceptance', and 'inclusiveness'.

From what I heard, Im Ga-eul was currently addicted to 'helping others'.

She suddenly gained power, and she could have easily retaliated against those who had ignored her, boasted, and taken advantage, yet she actively used it to help others. What can I say?

Truly, it was so like her, yet…

'And she probably doesn't really intend to rip me off.'

She probably figures that if she can't repay it with magestones, she can just pay it back with money. She's also a well-known 'silver spoon' in her region, so she probably gets a good amount of allowance from home.

"Senior, you know that top-grade magestones aren't just gems that are readily available, right?"

"Uh-huh, I know… Even when I tried to find them for sale, there weren't any…"

Since magestone inflation hadn't happened yet, top-grade magestones weren't something you could just buy easily, even if you had the money. Since I was essentially the only supplier, it meant her addiction could be easily cut off by simply 'not giving them to her'.

But I decided to use her 'desire'.

"Alright, I'll give them to you."

"…Huh!? Really?"

Perhaps not expecting such easy permission from me, Im Ga-eul's eyes widened with a sparkle as she spoke.

"Of course, I can't give them to you right now."

"Aww."

At that, she made a dejected face again.

I let out a small chuckle.

"First, when we're on official activities, I'll provide you with top-grade magestones, and I'll collect them back once the activity is over."

Her abilities are needed for things like dungeon clearing, combat, and practical gate training.

This was also the bait.

If I cut her off completely, there would come a time when she'd think, 'Hmm, I must have been crazy for a moment. Can't I actually manage with low-grade magestones?'

So, by letting her use a top-grade magestone once a week, I'd keep her craving it.

"…Then normally?"

"You'll have to endure with low-grade magestones through sheer willpower."

At that, she made a resigned face, as if there was nothing she could do.

Come on, you should always listen to someone until the end.

"And, I'll give you one top-grade magestone based on your achievements, Senior Ga-eul."

"…Achievements?"

I curled up the corners of my lips into a grin.

The reason I set these conditions.

Originally, Im Ga-eul had a gentle and inclusive personality, generally possessing a relaxed and leisurely disposition.

'But I can't say that's entirely a good thing.'

Gukbap was originally a diligent character who never neglected training and self-improvement. As for Kang Do-hee, well, if you just give her a rival, she'll naturally burn with fighting spirit and grow rapidly. Shin Se-hee also manages herself meticulously if you just help her with her mental state.

However, in Im Ga-eul's case, her motivation and will were quite lacking.

In other words, her training efficiency was significantly low!

Furthermore, for the other party members, I had set their schedules, thus guiding their growth direction, but I couldn't touch the schedule of a senior who was a year above me.

'So, I'll tame that relaxed personality through desire.'

I was already wondering how to foster this older sister's growth, and this method seemed like it would work perfectly.

"Yes. I'll provide one top-grade magestone every time your total stats in the status window increase by 10. Oh, and naturally, magic power is excluded."

"!"

I can get magestones just by my stats going up!?

"J-junior. That's too good… Why are you doing so much for me…? As you said, they're not just readily available gems."

Im Ga-eul asked with a bewildered expression. The woman who was just shouting 'Magestone Replication!' was now hesitating when actually offered one. Why does she seem to dislike it when it's just given for free?

"Well, Senior Ga-eul plays a very important role in the Utopia Party, as she's responsible for the speed of dungeon clearing. It's worth investing top-grade magestones."

"…Then can't I just raise my skill proficiency like now?"

What a clueless thing to say.

I shook my head.

"If you only raise your skill abilities, the party members' clearing speed will get faster, but will you be able to keep up with us? It was quite hard for you to keep up this time too, wasn't it?"

Even in the Thorny Plains Dungeon this time, unlike Gukbap and Kang Do-hee, who had the stamina to back them up, she, as a supporter, had pushed herself quite hard just to keep up with us.

"So, what you need to raise right now, Senior, isn't your skill proficiency, but your basic stats."

"…Ah."

"Rather than repaying with money, repay with effort. How about it? It's pretty reasonable, right?"

Im Ga-eul nodded vigorously.

"Uh-huh! I'll work hard!"

"Alright, cheers?"

I raised my beer glass and lightly clinked it against her empty one.

***

One glass.

Two glasses.

The light drinking session, which started with just the two of us, continued for quite a while.

Gulp, gulp—

Empty glasses piled up in front of Im Ga-eul.

Ehehe.

Hmm, this older sister drank more than I expected. Not just magestones, but she drinks a lot of other things too, huh?

"Junior, I really feel like I'm dreaming these days~"

Im Ga-eul, seemingly in a good mood, said with a relaxed voice from the seat next to me.

"Having such a cute junior, I love it so much! I'm so happy! I never imagined a day like this would come!"

Thump.

She stopped drinking and grabbed both of my cheeks with her hands.

"You know, I was always just a burden to others, right?"

"…Senior?"

"I got chewed out in class, chewed out in training, and when I was in the same group as others, everyone would just sigh… I could see everyone avoiding me, and all I could do was apologize."

It's fine to suddenly start with drunken confessions, but I wish you'd let go of my cheeks first. People are staring, Senior.

"But thanks to you, junior, I learned about my ability, and now I can use this ability to help others… I feel like I've become useful, and that makes me so, so happy."

"Well, I just told you about the ability you already had, Senior."

Even if I hadn't told her, Im Ga-eul would probably have figured out how to use magestones on her own. After all, she appears using magestones even in the character gacha.

"No, this is all thanks to you."

But Im Ga-eul shook her head as if to say that wasn't true.

"Thank you so much, junior."

Saying that, she suddenly pulled my head into a hug.

My face was buried in her chest.

"Mmph!"

I tried to get out somehow, but the grip of her hands, holding my head, was stronger than I expected.

"Actually, I've always wanted to tell you how grateful I am, junior. If it weren't for you, I'd probably still be unable to do anything, just like in my first year… and be treated like a nuisance, right?"

"Mmph mph!"

"Hmm, and eventually, I wouldn't have been able to endure it and would've gone back to my hometown to live a life making bread. Of course, making bread is fun, but I really wanted to become a Hunter who could directly help people."

I twisted my face, creating a space to breathe.

"As I told you, I didn't really do anything…"

Squeeze—

"Mmph!"

"You say you didn't do anything, junior. N-no, you're wrong. If it weren't for you, I probably would have never known about my ability my whole life. How big of a help is it to tell me that!"

Gasp!

I finally escaped from her chest and gasped for air.

At that, Im Ga-eul made a disappointed expression.

Then she spoke to me in a serious voice.

"Thank you… Junior, for taking care of such a useless senior. Actually, I called you today because I wanted to say this."

"…Senior Ga-eul."

I stared intently into her eyes.

"You came here to ask for magestones, so don't try to set a mood now."

"Oops."