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

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Translator: Vine

Chapter Title: Vacation (1)

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Velvet Hunter Academy's vacation had begun.

Ding-dong~♬

[Grand Master of Magic, Director of Velvet Hunter Academy, Demon Emperor. ~May the children's laughter always be unchanging~]

— [Image]

— Seek out... this place~ I've prepared... what you desire... you... impudent... scoundrel~~!!!

Heh.

I burst out laughing at the message Lina sent.

'It's really awkward to hear her talk like that with her face.... Hmm, is this a map? The location is Seoul?'

The reason I asked Lina to find a monthly rental wasn't complicated.

Even though I considered myself quite experienced with living alone, it was...

There was a bit of a difference between my original world and this one.

Of course, thinking that land prices and housing costs would be the same in Gate-era Korea was a naive assumption.

Rather than signing a bad contract, getting ripped off, and suffering in an overpriced and mediocre place, it seemed better to go to a place Lina recommended and live there for a few months.

'And if I say I'm only staying for three months as a monthly rental, most places won't even show me the room.... But if the Demon Emperor asks, they can't refuse, can they?'

Of course, since it was a recommendation from the Demon Emperor, it would probably be quite expensive.

But now, I had a decent balance accumulated in my account.

The location on the map was in the heart of Seoul.

Myeongdong.

'But there's nothing specific marked as a building on the map....?'

I took a taxi and got off at Myeongdong Station.

As expected, being in the heart of Seoul, people were swarming like ants.

"Hey, hey, did you see the photos uploaded to Jin Yuha's fan club yesterday?"

Among them, the voices of two girls, who sounded like middle schoolers, caught my ear.

"Huh? Photos were uploaded there? You usually can't find any pictures of him, right? He's not someone who gets photographed much outside, so wasn't that place always just for writing fanfiction or drawing fan art?"

"Yeah, it used to be like that. But last night, a ton of photos were released!!!"

"Wha—what?!"

"That 'Yuha's Nose-Bridge Rock Climbing'? The one who's supposedly his number one fan uploaded behind-the-scenes photos from the mid-term evaluations. Seriously insane."

"Really? Let me see."

"Here."

"Kyaaah!!! Insane!!! What is that visual? He's totally crazy hot!!?? He looks so cute sleeping!!!!"

They held up their phones, slapping each other's shoulders and making a huge fuss.

'A fan club? I have something like that? And what are these mid-term exam behind-the-scenes photos....'

Sehee Sehee.... Is it you again?

My interest in the photos they were looking at was fleeting.

I immediately pulled my hat low and put on my mask.

If my identity were revealed here, the surroundings would turn into chaos.

I silently thanked Sophia, who had given me the facial recognition-blocking mask, saying there might be a time I'd need it.

'As expected, with her experience as a model, she's well-versed in these kinds of things.'

I moved my feet diligently, feeling a strange sensation as if I had become a celebrity.

'....Hmm?'

Following the map, I turned through alley after alley.

Gradually, the presence of people around me began to fade.

'It should be somewhere around here?'

I looked around, searching for the house Lina had told me about.

Vwooong—

Then suddenly, the surrounding scenery blurred, and a colossal building materialized.

A building boasting modern architectural beauty, with tall cylindrical pillars and all windows made of full glass.

In front of it, various amenities, starting from a training ground, were lined up,

and the yard was planted with beautiful flowers and trees I had never seen before.

I stared at the scenery visible through the gaps in the gate's bars, my jaw agape.

Even at a glance, I could tell this was no ordinary house.

'Th-This kind of house in the middle of Myeongdong....?'

As I was confused by the differences from my original world,

Creeeeak—

Suddenly, a massive flow of magic was felt, and the main gate opened.

And standing before it was an old woman with white hair and a stern face.

"Greetings."

She saw me and bowed at a perfect right angle.

"Oh, h-hello...?"

I awkwardly returned her greeting.

She was probably the housekeeper.

"I have been expecting you. Please, come inside."

"...Um, is this really the place that Director Lina introduced me to...."

It probably was.

Only she would possess magic of such an extraordinary scale.

However, the development was so vastly different from what I had initially expected that I couldn't help but ask.

"Are you not Student Jin Yuha?"

The old woman asked in a polite yet blunt voice.

"...That's right."

"Then you have come to the correct place. Please follow me."

Click.

Clack.

The housekeeper walked ahead with perfectly measured, precise steps.

As I followed her, I couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't right.

This was just a house where I'd stay for a little over three months, for the duration of the academy's vacation.

Monthly rental contracts for only three months were rarely accepted, which was why I had borrowed the Demon Emperor's name....

'....I thought she'd get me a decent two-room apartment for a reasonable monthly rent. Who would've imagined a crazy house like this!!'

As I followed her inside, I looked at the surrounding scenery and made an absurd expression.

'What's that, a fountain? A valley...? Seriously? Isn't that a virtual training ground?'

From convenience stores to restaurants.

There was truly every conceivable thing inside the house.

It even felt like everything was operating autonomously.

Wouldn't the maintenance costs alone be astronomical?

Faced with this preposterous sight, I couldn't help but feel intimidated.

"....Excuse me, the monthly rent here must be expensive, right?"

It was a rather pathetic question, but what could I do?

If I just stayed here mindlessly, all the money I'd saved up would be gone.

"Hmm, monthly rent.... I've never calculated it that way, so I don't know. But perhaps around this much."

She replied without turning around. Two fingers on her hands, clasped behind her back, spread open.

'Oh, two million won a month?'

At the mention of two million won for monthly rent, my face immediately brightened.

'Wow, two million won a month. It's quite a bit more expensive than I expected, but if I can use facilities like this for that price.... Hmm, not bad. No, it's actually great!'

Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.

It's really great.

It's just a house I'll be living in for three months anyway.

If it's around two million won a month, it's a level I can fully afford with the money I have now!

Just as I was nodding in relief,

a thunderclap of a statement dropped.

"Ah, my apologies. You said monthly rent. That was the price per night."

"!? Wha—Two million won for one night....?"

I asked with a dumbfounded expression, but

the shock didn't end there.

"What do you mean by that?"

"Huh?"

"It's twenty million won per night. If you calculate it as monthly rent, it would be around six hundred million won."

"...."

Now I was so dumbfounded I couldn't even speak.

Monthly rent of six hundred million won?

What kind of world did Lina live in, exactly?

Perhaps I had been underestimating her too much because of her child-like appearance.

'It's not like the house is built with gold bricks! What the hell, twenty million won per night!!!'

As I silently poured out my resentment towards Lina,

I let out a deep sigh.

'Tsk, there's no way I can live in a place like this.... I guess I'll have to apologize and decline.'

Just as I was about to call out to the housekeeper,

she suddenly said something incomprehensible.

"By the way, why are you asking about monthly rent? Ah, perhaps, after the vacation ends, are you planning to lease this place out for lodging, Master?"

"....Huh? Master?"

"Of course, as the owner of this house, I know you have the right to interfere with my duties, but frankly, I cannot recommend it."

"....Who? Me?"

"This place is where Director Lina's magical essence is infused. Among the outsiders who visit, there will surely be those with impure intentions."

Our words were crossing paths.

I looked at her with a bewildered expression.

'No, this person. She seems to be greatly misunderstanding something right now? I'm just going to live here for three months and then leave.'

Could she possibly be mistaking me for the building's purchaser?

"Wait a minute, I, I have no intention of buying this house! I don't even have the m-money for that!"

At that, the old woman frowned deeply and turned back to me.

'As expected, she looks angry. Still, it's a relief to clear up the misunderstanding now....'

"Hah, did the Demon Emperor not even explain that?"

"Huh? Wh-What do you mean...."

She sighed deeply and shook her head.

And then she uttered the most unrealistic words I had heard all day.

"As of today, this house belongs to you, Jin Yuha."

"......Whaaaat!?!?!?!?!?"

* * *

On the way home for the first time in a while, for the vacation.

Vroooom—

Lee Yuri, gripping the steering wheel of her truck, felt incredibly lighthearted.

Returning home in triumph.

She, a rookie hunter who originally only cleared E-rank dungeons, had returned after just a few months at the academy as the tank for the hottest party right now.

It was no wonder Lee Yuri felt a surge of pride.

The money she received from clearing dungeons once a week with the Utopia Party was

different in magnitude from the money she used to earn by scrimping and saving.

She sent the money she earned each week from the academy back home.

As it accumulated, in just a few months, it had already reached one hundred million won!

By now, her strained household finances must have significantly improved.

'Jin Yuha even said that amount would grow even bigger. He said it was still early, so they had a lot of money to invest, which was why they couldn't give her more....'

"Hehe~♬ Heheee~♬"

A cheerful tune spontaneously flowed from her as she thought of that brilliant future.

'When I go back this time, I should buy my siblings all the things I couldn't get them before.'

Screech—

Lee Yuri parked her truck in front of her humble house and got out of the vehicle.

'....But why is it so quiet?'

She had sent a message saying she was coming, so she expected them to be waiting outside, but?

Her parents would be at work, so they wouldn't be there, but her siblings should have been waiting for her at home.

"Lee Yuna!!!"

She called her younger sister's name, but received no reply.

Creeeeak—

Lee Yuri frowned and opened the door.

The room was chillingly cold, devoid of any human warmth.

Click—

She turned on the light.

Immediately, her eyes widened.

"Th-This.... Wh-What in the...."

The sight that met her eyes.

"W-What on earth...."

The house was a complete mess, as if a thief had broken in.

Torn clothes.

Smashed furniture.

"What happened here?!!!!!!!!!!!"

Lee Yuri let out a furious roar.

Ding-dong~♬

[Sword Ghost] — ....Hey guys, um, I need to discuss something briefly. Can we meet up for a moment?

It was a message from Jin Yuha.