My Childhood Friend’s Stock Will Never Fail Chapter 54

A little while ago, when they were about to part ways, Joohoon had stopped Yoohee and asked her to change the light bulb in his dorm room.

 

He could manage his daily life, but since his left shoulder had not completely healed yet, he was having trouble changing the light bulb. At first, Yoohee had cautiously worried that she might be visiting Joohoon’s room too often, but she also knew that she was the only person Joohoon could ask. And since she didn’t want to be alone either, she had agreed.

 

“Oh, since you’re already here, have some tea before you go.”

 

Wanting to give her something at least, Joohoon headed toward the kitchen. Yoohee hurried after him and tried to stop him.

 

“No, you’re hurt. You don’t have to prepare anything for me.”

“This isn’t enough to make me hurt.”

“Still—ah, then I’ll do it.”

 

She tried to squeeze past Joohoon, who was standing in front of the kitchen table. But Joohoon was stubborn about things like this too, and he was in no hurry to move aside.

 

“I just want to do something for you.”

“I told you it’s fine.”

“You changed the light for me too. The guest should be resting on the sofa.”

“The guest says she wants to do it?”

 

As she pushed against Joohoon’s right shoulder, which refused to budge, she accidentally twisted her ankle. She stumbled awkwardly, about to fall, but Joohoon’s arm wrapped around her waist and firmly caught her.

 

“That’s why you should go to the sofa.”

“No……”

“Come on, hurry.”

“……”

“Or are you going to stay like this?”

 

Joohoon was still holding her around the waist and back.

 

With Joohoon blocking the way between the table, Yoohee couldn’t move an inch like this. At that moment.

 

[At the request of the Constellations supporting Joohoon, the fifth Main Scenario has been opened!]

 

I was wondering why I hadn’t heard that sound lately.

 

—Fifth Main Scenario~ I’m on the Next Level~

 

Difficulty: D

 

Objective: Have physical contact with Kim Joohoon beyond a cheek kiss

 

Time Limit: Within 3 minutes

 

Reward for Success: Pet Tracking Detector

 

Penalty for Failure: Soul Wedding Ending with Joohoon Confirmed

 

Host Constellation: Constellation ‘Happy Kiss Ghost’ will observe the reward and penalty.

 

Wait a second…… wh-what did it say?

 

As expected, Yoohee had figured this wouldn’t be a normal scenario, but this went beyond common sense. The penalty for failure was…….

 

‘A soul wedding with Joohoon?!’

 

The scenario itself was one thing, but the ridiculous penalty left her mind completely blank.

 

A soul wedding—in other words, didn’t that mean getting married after dying?

 

“Ah…… Yoohee, are you okay? Did I scare you too much?”

 

Joohoon, who had no idea that a status window even existed, obediently began to release his arms. Yoohee’s eyes widened, and she grabbed onto Joohoon’s arm.

 

“Um, so…….”

 

What was the scenario objective again?

 

The shock of the soul wedding had been so overwhelming that the objective had completely vanished from her mind.

 

She checked the status window again, but…… ah, that wasn’t easy either.

 

“Hm? Why? Is there something you want to say?”

 

When Joohoon tilted his head, the close distance between them became even more noticeable.

 

“Um…….”

 

If she lifted her head just a little, her lips would be close enough to touch his cheek. But how was she supposed to kiss his cheek without making it weird? Even though they were best childhood friends, they had never done anything like kissing before.

 

“Oh, Joohoon, did you always have a mole here?”

“Hm?”

 

There was an extremely tiny mole on his clear cheek. Or maybe not—it also looked like something might have gotten on it.

 

“Th-this…… do you think something got on it?”

“Huh? Is there something on my face?”

 

Joohoon raised one hand and rubbed his cheek. The tiny mark disappeared without a trace.

 

‘Why did it come off so easily?’

 

Her lips were getting terribly dry. If there had been something on his cheek, she could at least have pretended to touch it or wipe it away.

 

Tick-tock, tick-tock.

 

Time was still passing.

 

To complete the damn scenario, she had to hurry up and kiss Joohoon on the cheek.

 

“Ah, no, it’s still there. C-can you close your eyes for a moment?”

 

She forced Joohoon to close his eyes.

 

There was nowhere else for her to retreat.

 

This sudden move would obviously startle and confuse him, but……

 

‘I’m sorry, Joohoon……!’

 

Smack.

 

Yoohee’s lips briefly touched Joohoon’s cheek before pulling away.

 

“I-I wiped it off.”

 

The smooth yet cool sensation of his cheek still lingered on her lips.

 

Her heart was pounding like crazy. Unable to bring herself to meet Joohoon’s eyes, she lowered her gaze.

 

[Congratulations! You have completed the fifth main scenario!]

[As a reward, you have received the Chickie Location Tracking Detector.]

[The Chickie Location Tracking Detector has been stored in your inventory.]

 

When the scenario completion status window appeared, she changed the subject out of embarrassment.

 

“T-The tea is fine. I’ll head back before it gets dark.”

 

And then she hurried out of the dormitory as if running away.

 

***

 

‘Phew…….’

 

She took a breather after stepping outside the dormitory.

Joohoon’s cheek had been firmer than she expected. When they were young, she used to poke it with her finger, saying it was soft like a glutinous rice cake, but now it felt completely different.

 

‘Isn’t this way too bad for my heart?’

 

She couldn’t let her guard down, not knowing when or where another damn scenario might appear.

Still, she supposed she should be grateful that she had avoided the soul wedding.

 

“Ah, right. The Chickie Location Tracking Detector.”

 

The Chickie Location Tracking Detector she had received as a scenario reward. If she had this, perhaps she could finally find Chickie.

 

She called out her inventory and quickly took it out.

 

—When the detection target is nearby, a sound will be emitted. The closer you get, the more rapidly the sound will repeat.

 

Apparently, she had to walk around while holding the device to search. It was already late, but she turned on the power button first.

 

At the same time, the detector began making a beeping sound.

 

‘It’s nearby?’

 

She walked while holding the detector, and the beeping rapidly accelerated.

 

Beep-beep-beep-beep-beep!

 

She stopped and looked up. Chickie was perched precariously on a branch of a huge pine tree.

 

“Chickie!”

 

How long had it been since she had last seen Chickie?

 

“Damn it, you really got yourself caught.”

 

Even its raspy voice was unbearably adorable. But how had it even climbed onto the branch when it couldn’t fly?

 

“Stay right there! I’ll rescue you!”

 

Calling out to Chickie, she immediately reached for the tree trunk. It looked like she could climb up by stepping on the nearby trash can and the thick branches.

The rough bark scraped against her palm, but she put strength into her arms and climbed the tree. Before long, she came face-to-face with Chickie, trembling on a high branch.

The moment she saw those round black eyes again, she nearly burst into tears of joy.

 

“……Let’s go home.”

 

Holding onto the tree trunk with one hand, she reached out with the other. Chickie moved its trembling legs. Flapping its flightless wings frantically to keep its balance, it climbed onto her palm.

 

“G-Go down already! Human!”

 

Apparently, it hadn’t climbed all the way up here of its own accord. Once on her palm, Chickie puffed up all its feathers and desperately demanded that she take it down.

She first placed Chickie on her shoulder so she could use both hands, then slowly retraced the path she had taken to climb down.

 

Now, all she had left was to step onto the trash can.

 

“Huh?”

 

The lightweight trash can, apparently almost empty, wobbled beneath her.

 

“Ah!”

 

With a short scream, she landed hard on her butt on the grass.

The pain in her backside was secondary; she hurriedly checked for Chickie, who should have been sitting on her shoulder.

 

Huh?

 

Her shoulder was empty.

 

“Are you seriously not going to behave?”

 

A puff of pink fluff came bouncing across the ground toward her.

 

She had thought Chickie had disappeared again.

 

“You made me worried.”

 

Even though she had fallen, a smile escaped her lips.

Chickie was really right in front of her eyes.

 

“Why are you grinning like that? Hey, snap out of it.”

 

Just as she brushed off her clothes and was about to get up, an unexpected status window appeared.

 

[Congratulations! You have found all of the hidden fortune cookies!]

[Due to the luck of the fortune cookies, a development outside the scenario will occur!]

 

What?

 

She reached into the pocket where she had put the fortune cookies. Her fingers caught the remains of a fortune cookie, now reduced to crumbs, along with the slip of paper inside.

 

I’ll come to see you soon.

 

What was this? What the hell was this supposed to mean?

 

It was supposed to tell her fortune. Instead, there was a message that sounded almost like a letter.

And what did it mean by a development different from the scenario?

 

[There is a Constellation who has been watching you all this time in order to speak with you.]

[Would you like to meet the Constellation?]

[yes/yes]