Her consciousness instantly returned to her room. At the end, she had definitely made eye contact with the man. It might have been a coincidence, but she had felt like he was looking straight at where she was.
"What a coincidence. Blue eyes again."
How many times would one encounter blue eyes while living in South Korea. Naturally, Go Daehan came to mind. The blue-eyed man who had suddenly appeared out of nowhere.
'Could Go Daehan be the man in the fragment?'
Baek Dan had called him a friend. He was happy to see him. She wanted to think not, but wasn't the timing of his appearance too abrupt?
And most decisively....
"The voice was too similar."
It was a bad habit to suspect without reason, but she didn't want to be negligent when it came to Baek Dan's safety.
If Go Daehan was indeed the man in the fragment, what was his reason for approaching Baek Dan?
'I'll have to find out gradually from now on.'
Baek Eun felt her head ache at the thought of approaching Go Daehan as well, and squeezed her eyes shut.
***
The next day.
Baek Eun caught Baek Dan, who was about to leave for the guild, and sat him down on the living room sofa.
"What's with that look? You're going to nag again, aren't you! This brother is busy. Let's talk next time."
"It's not nagging. Just sit still for a moment."
Pressing down on the shoulders of Baek Dan, who was trying to jump up, to make him sit again, Baek Eun sighed.
"Did you meet your friend well yesterday?"
"Go Daehan? Yeah, well. Had a simple drink and parted ways."
"How did he know our house? Did you tell him, Baek Dan?"
"Yeah. Back when we were in school. But what are you doing now? Did you grab me since morning with such a serious face just to ask that?"
Baek Dan chuckled and leaned back against the sofa in a relaxed posture.
After briefly contemplating, Baek Eun spoke in as casual a tone as possible.
"No, just. After I awakened, we decided not to invite anyone to the house. I was curious how he found it."
"So you were surprised? Our Peanut has a small heart too. We exchanged contact info so there won't be any more meeting in front of the house. You don't need to worry now!"
Baek Eun sighed internally looking at Baek Dan, who seemed completely at ease without knowing her inner thoughts.
'Sigh, that rascal.'
What's the use of having good awakening abilities. He's so carefree and oblivious to the world.
"You must be close with that friend? For you to exchange contact info, Baek Dan."
"Yeah. Just, I received some help from him in the past. But what is it. Why the sudden interest?"
"He's handsome. Introduce me next time you meet."
"..."
Baek Dan, who had been sitting sprawled on the sofa chuckling, instantly straightened his face and looked at Baek Eun.
His brow twitched as if something displeasing had happened.
"Wake up from your dream, Peanut."
Then he jumped up and moved toward the entrance.
Dumbfounded, Baek Eun shouted at the back of his head.
"Ah why again! Where are you suddenly going while we were talking!"
"I'm going to work! And there's no decent guy among handsome men!"
Baek Eun made an absurd expression looking at the front door that closed with a bang.
"Really. I told you not to act like a siscon."
He said they exchanged contact info, right?
If you don't help me, I'll raid your phone when you're showering to find out.
With that resolve, Baek Eun shook her head and went into her room.
***
Several days passed.
Not going to school, Baek Eun took a leisurely nap and woke up, then came out to the front yard.
Six days after discharge, it was finally time to harvest the tomatoes.
"Hmm hmm. I heard it's delicious dipped in sugar. Looking forward to it."
And I can finally eat french fries with ketchup too...!
[Your constellation 'Judge of the Dead' drools.]
Baek Eun hummed as she harvested the tomatoes. The red, plump, ripe ones made her heart feel abundant just looking at them. Carefully harvesting the tomatoes without crushing them and moving them to her inventory, she immediately went to the kitchen.
She mixed the tomatoes cut to appropriate sizes with prepared sugar. And the moment she took a bite and put it in her mouth.
"...Uwaa!!!"
There was no need to explain in words.
[Clap clap clap! With the recognition of proxy of ■■, effects are granted to the tomato!]
Item Description
Name: Tomato
Grade: A
Description: Freshly harvested, ripe tomatoes. When consumed, skin becomes soft and smooth for 5 days.]
[Skin improves due to Tomato (A) effect.]
Quest completed!
Try granting effects to potatoes and tomatoes too.
Success reward: 100 experience points, cabbage seeds, chili pepper seeds, skill: Watering
[Acquired 100 experience points.]
[Acquired cabbage seeds.]
[Acquired chili pepper seeds.]
[Added Watering (C) to skills.]
"What is this harmony of freshness and sweetness? It's insane, really. My brain feels like it's melting...!"
Baek Eun shed tears of emotion and kept stabbing the remaining tomatoes with a fork.
[Your constellation 'Judge of the Dead' envies you.]
"Judge oppa. Don't you have tomatoes there?"
[That's not it, but I want to taste the tomatoes you harvested, says your constellation 'Judge of the Dead' while drooling.]
"Hmm. Hmm hmm. Really good."
While Baek Eun was happily thinking about making ketchup and tomato sauce.
- Ziiing. Ziiing.
Vibration rang from her pants pocket.
"Huh? Who is it?"
Swallowing the tomato that was melting in her mouth, Baek Eun looked at her phone screen. It was Lee Dojae.
"Hello."
- It's me, Lee Dojae.
"I know. What is it?"
Gently placing the fork she held on the plate, Baek Eun stood up from her seat.
- Have you been well? I was curious since there was no contact. We agreed to meet twice a week.
Right. She was going to contact him today anyway, but didn't expect Lee Dojae to call first.
"I was taking care of tomatoes after being discharged. Don't you have classes today?
- I'm on my way home after finishing. Haha, aren't you too uninterested in me?
'Hmph, what is he saying.'
Should I have his lecture schedule memorized? I'm taking his class but that's different.
Baek Eun grumbled internally while looking at the traces of tomato on the plate.
"Shall we meet today? I have something to give you too."
- I've been waiting for you to say that. How about 7 PM?
"Good."
- I'll pick you up in front of your house. Send me your address.
"Yes. See you later."
After hanging up, she sent her address via text.
'I need to deliver potatoes to Lee Eunjae too.'
She had given some extra boiled potatoes when he was discharged, but he had probably finished them by now.
"Hmm. Should I boil them, give them as is. Or, should I make french fries."
While she was contemplating.
Quest arrived!
Congratulations. You've already granted effects to 3 types of crops!
Raw agricultural products are good, but wouldn't they be more delicious made into food?
Who knows? New effects might appear!
Create a proper 'dish' using crops with effects!
Who knows? New effects might appear!
Clear condition: Receive recognition from 100 people
Progress: 0/100
Success reward: 300 experience points, skill: Root Digging, trait: Novice Cook
Failure penalty: None
Since there is no penalty, the quest is automatically accepted.
They really do all sorts of things....
Now after farmer, they're trying to make me a cook?
Tch, grumbling alone, Baek Eun jumped up after some thought.
It was still 3 PM. She had never properly cooked before, but there was enough time to make food.
Baek Eun searched for tomato and potato recipes on a portal site.
Though she had to search for a while since they had been extinct for so long, information still remained.
'I think I can get these at the department store.'
Roughly gathering her clothes, Baek Eun headed to the department store alone.
***
Baek Eun, who had quickly finished shopping, entered the kitchen.
First, she washed several well-ripened tomatoes clean and put them whole in a pot to boil.
Meanwhile, she diligently chopped onions, garlic, olives, etc.
"I wanted to add carrots too...."
Carrots were extinct crops, so unfortunately she couldn't get them.
After chopping various vegetables, she poured olive oil into a pan.
'Who knew olive oil was so expensive.'
500ml of oil for 500,000 won, is this a joke or what.
Shaking her head, Baek Eun gathered the vegetables together and fell into thought.
"Hmm. Do I just mix everything now?"
Honestly, she had never made tomato sauce before so she didn't know what to do.
Baek Eun just threw all the chopped vegetables and meat together and stir-fried them haphazardly.
Then she poured it all over the boiled, thickened tomato porridge(?).
Finally, adding basil and boiling a bit more, the tomato sauce was complete.
Baek Eun, who tasted it with her finger, tilted her head.
"Is this the right taste? It's sour."
You'd have to have tasted it to know.
Muttering, Baek Eun roughly mashed boiled potatoes and put them in a bowl.
Then she added stir-fried bacon and mushrooms, mixing them with fresh cream.
Finally, she poured tomato sauce and cheese over it and put it straight in the microwave.
It would be best to put it in the oven, but unfortunately, there was no oven at home.
As time passed, a savory, rich smell filled the kitchen.
"Hmm. Is it done?"
Baek Eun, who took a spoonful to taste, opened her eyes wide.
"OMG. What! It's tastier than I thought!"
[Your constellation 'Judge of the Dead' pleads that you please leave some for him.]
"Huh? Can you even eat if I leave it?"
[If you put it in 'World's Strongest Baek Eun's Garden', I can come get it while you're away, whispers your constellation 'Judge of the Dead' quietly.]
"OMG. That subspace had such a function? Then the opposite? Can Judge oppa leave items and stuff too?"
[Your Constellation inform you that it's possible as long as you grant access to the 'World's Strongest Baek Eun Garden.']
"Oh...."
She felt like she had heard something important.
'I can use this someday.'
Grinning, Baek Eun raised her spoon again. For now, savoring her moving self-made dish was more important.
And at that moment.
[Waste products in blood vessels are removed due to the so-so edible Tomato Potato Gratin (D) effect.]
Comments Box