That dungeon dive was hard. I hesitated, weighing which was better: life as a dungeon diver, or life as a normal salaryman. After about an hour of pondering it in the bath, I realized it was a stupid argument.
"Only success mattered in the end." Just like with any other job, there were poor adventurers and rich adventurers.
"Makoto. Um… are you okay? You skipped school yesterday." Sakura came over as we walked toward our classroom. Just like yesterday, she seemed to be waiting for someone at the gate. It wasn't as obvious this time, but when she saw me, she headed over.
"Yeah. I was dungeon diving," I answered.
"I see. I'm glad you're safe. Makoto… do you have plans today?"
"What? Do you want to play? Sure! i have time. When?"
"Not that, you idiot!" She punched me right in the solar plexus, anyway.
"Gofuh!" I doubled over as my stomach absorbed the full blow and I dropped to one knee. Despite my enhanced stats, surprise attacks were deadly. She didn't hold back at all. This world was shit. How could women get away with assaults like this while men couldn't? If I fought back, I'd get suspended.
"I mean, just hang out at a restaurant and stuff," she continued.
"But you're paying for your own food, alright? I'm not treating you," I scoffed.
"Geez. You're so insensitive. No wonder you're unpopular!" She tapped her foot in frustration. "…Alright. I'll treat you. Let's go to a family restaurant at the mall after school."
I didn't ask her to treat me. I just didn't want to pay for her. Women—there had to be something wrong with their ears. Why did she want to ask me out for lunch anyway? And at a restaurant, of all places.
"Alright. See you after school," I answered, albeit hesitantly.
When classes began, my mind drifted between Sakura's date and the dungeon. The school day passed just like that. Thanks to Nijima gossiping that I was a weak adventurer who might croak at any moment, my popularity had plummeted.
Girls no longer looked at me with hungry eyes. Nijima might be a bitch, but at the very least, she had some use. Who wanted to go out with materialistic and abusive girls like them, anyway?
"Makoto, was dungeon diving hard?" Sakura asked as she scooped up a parfait. After school, just like she promised, we ate at a café in a mall. I glanced at the menu, expecting exorbitant prices, but it turned out to be reasonable. A fried rice set was only five dollars.
As expected, Sakura wasn't like Nijima. She wasn't a materialistic girl—or was it because she was the one paying?
"Yeah. It was quite difficult. But the rewards were promising. Yesterday, I got around a hundred bucks even though it was only an F-rank dungeon. I was hesitating over whether I should take this seriously. Yesterday was hard in more ways than one, and I didn't know whether they'd continue partying with me," I said as I scooped my fried rice. Now that she brought it up, I found myself interested in her future. "What about you? Do you have plans for the future?"
"Hm… I'm planning to take a loan and go to medical school. Do you think that would be good for me?" Sakura asked.
If I were being honest, I'd prefer her to stay at home and be my sex slave—but I had no right to say that when I could barely make minimum wage with my current income. I needed to get stronger and achieve financial freedom first.
"Medical school? You want to become a doctor?" I frowned.
"Um… yeah."
"Doctors might sound lucrative, but isn't it tough? Can you really do it?" I asked, concerned. And a loan, on top of that? "What kind of loan? Did you get a scholarship or a student loan from the government?"
I blinked. Sakura's grades were certainly good, around the top five in class, but I didn't think that would be enough for a scholarship, especially for medical school. They were famous for being expensive.
"Erm… no. Um… my aunt's friend offered me a loan," she said. Her eyes flicked away. I caught the hesitation in her gaze.
"I see. Can we still play if you become a doctor? I heard it's exhausting," I sighed. This was the real world, not hentai. Sakura had her own dreams. She was a friend. It would be a bummer if she lost her dream, she would be nothing more than a dead husk. I am such a contrarian. On one hand, I wanted her to be my personal slave, but on the other, I didn't want to deny her dreams and freedom.
"Of course. I'd make time for you. I promised," Sakura said. She blushed there for a second.
I tilted my head, confused. What did she mean by that? Had she finally gotten addicted to pleasure?
Hm… but that wasn't exactly what I wanted. I didn't want an independent woman who could put food on her own table. I wanted a harem that existed solely for me.
Wait. I might be able to make this work. Just because she had a job didn't mean she wouldn't depend on me, right? As long as her body was conditioned to only feel pleasure from me, she wouldn't leave. That would be perfect. I don't have to cater for her, we will only come together for a play.
Now that we were here, should I start completing that mission? The one that made her climax in public? That would earn me another hundred shards. Or should I go hardcore? Nah—twenty climaxes in a row was impossible for the current Sakura. I wouldn't even try.
This mission's difficulty spike was like a cliff.
"I see. Good for you. But what if you became an adventurer, Sakura? What if you got a blessing?" I asked. I'd never do that myself—taking a loan just to chase a dream. I'd rather live in peace as a cashier or janitor. It wasn't like I had a dream, anyway.
"Well… dunno. Being an adventurer is a huge risk. You could die anytime."
"Yeah. The worst part isn't dying—it's when people die because of you," I nodded. That was why I didn't want to register with a guild.
"Hah… now that you mention it, I wonder if I even want to become a doctor at all…" Sakura said.
"Is that your dream?"
"Not really. It was just an interest. Saving lives sounds cool and all that. Do you think I'm being shallow?"
"Not really. I became an adventurer for the money as well, not for glory or the adventure like others. Saving lives is cool, you shouldn't be ashamed of that," I shrugged. "But can you handle the pressure? I mean, that's a lot of responsibility."
And the worst part? I didn't think people would even thank you for the job. Doctors were expensive, so patients felt they were paying for a service. The money then flowed to top doctors—surgeons and the like. If you got stuck as a general doctor, you were out of luck. Even if you graduated and became a surgeon, not many hospitals would pay for such an internship. You needed connections. I knew. my father was in the same boat after all. He struggled to found employment after that incident.
I kept my mouth shut, though. If I said any of this out loud, I'd be seen as too much of a cynic.
"Yeah. That's what I was thinking as well. So… are you fixated on being an adventurer?" Sakura asked.
"Not sure. We'll see how it goes. If my ability grows, I might stay. If not, I'll look the other way. I'm not signing any contracts right now," I said.
"What a flippant attitude. It must be nice to have so many options…" Sakura said.
"It must be nice to have a dream. My father was a doctor too—just like your mom. I wonder why I never thought about becoming like him."
"Maybe because your grades are awful? It's good to know your limits," Sakura chuckled.
"Oi! It's not that bad! I always pass my remedial tests!"
"The fact that you even take remedial at all shows you're unqualified to become a doctor!" Sakura smirked.
"Geez. So arrogant." I sipped my milk tea as she savored her pancake. After a parfait came pancakes, huh? Did all girls have a sweet tooth?
"Sorry. That was a bit out of line. And… sorry for abandoning you all this time." Sakura said. We have known each other since kindergarten, but she never talked to me after we went into junior high.
I didn't hate her for that. It was natural—we lived in different worlds. She was smart, beautiful, and popular, while I was just an average guy in class. If not for my abilities and blessing, we wouldn't even be talking now. Our interests and hobbies just happened to align.
"So, is that all? Did you come to me for a consultation session? Is there anything else I can help you with?"
"Well… that's basically it. Talking with you made me feel so much better. If it were Nijima or others, they'd just say, 'Go for it!' or 'Find a hot guy!' or something like that. Don't you think that kind of attitude is a bit… you know? Unfaithful?"
"It's called being a whore. You basically sell your body and love for money," I said. Nijima might be cute, but her attitude was the worst. I thought the receptionist at city hall was the same. I needed to be careful not to get close to people like that—they were parasites.
"Whoa, you didn't mince your words, huh."
"Alright. I'm paying for my own lunch. That's my principle," I said as I slurped the last drop of my milk tea and cleared my plates. "Waitress, split bill, please."
Girls somehow loved this kind of small talk. I didn't particularly hate it, but I didn't see the point either. In the end, you chose your own life. I'd been alone for five years already. Nobody helped me. I could see it in their eyes—they only wanted to help me for money. None of them was sincere.
"Ah, wait. We still have some time. Um… how about I come over to your house?"
My ears perked up at once. "To play?"
"Um… just a little?"
My smile widened.