Chapter:12 Eggs

Renko smirked down at Yuki.

"Well, you're close enough, aren't you?"

Yuki huffed, playfully punching Renko in the waist while shouting 'Take that you big meanie,' Hori couldn't hide the small smile creeping up on her face. The trio continued towards their class, navigating through the growing crowd of students.

As they entered the classroom, Renko couldn't help but notice the curious glances she received from her classmates. The scar on her face seemed to be the center of attention, and she could hear whispers as she walked by. Renko brushed it off, used to the occasional stares and gossip that surrounded her.

The morning classes progressed as usual, and Renko found herself daydreaming at times, her mind wandering to the events of the previous night and the mysteries surrounding her newfound abilities. Maybe she could try out some MMORPG to get an idea about how to proceed with her abilities.

During the lunch break, Hori and Yuki joined Renko at her table,

"So, spill it, Renko. What happened last night? You look like you've been through a war,"

Hori said with a concerned expression.

Renko chuckled, deciding to keep the details to herself. No need to ruin the peace of her friend's life for some selfish purpose.

"Just a bit of trouble at home, nothing I couldn't handle."

Yuki eyed her with suspicion.

"Trouble at home? You sure you didn't join the Yakuza or something?"

Renko shot her a playful glare.

"Maybe I did?"

She gave a cheeky smirk in response, earning a sigh from Hori and a smug smile from Yuki.

"Eh, don't sweat it, I'm fine, you don't need to worry about it."

Renko said, with a reassuring tone in her voice.

Hori, however, was not convinced by her response. One of her eyebrows rose and she gave Renko a look that screamed disbelief. Renko decided to change the subject,

"Anyhow, how was your morning?"

Hori sighed, realizing she wouldn't get a straight answer.

"Well, fine I guess. But I still wanna go home early today."

Renko nodded,

"Yeah, me too."

After all, she was nearly out of eggs again and there was a supermarket deal going on today. Even though she was rich, Renko still preferred to keep her household expenses at the minimum possible amount.

After the lunch break, the school day continued, and Renko's mind drifted back to her abilities. She decided that after school and egg shopping, she would experiment with her cursed technique to understand its capabilities better. There were still unanswered questions, and Renko was determined to find clarity.

As the final bell rang, signaling the end of the school day, Renko gathered her belongings and met up with Hori and Yuki. 

Hori seemed to be in a rush but an announcement over the intercoms froze her in her tracks,

"Student Council Members. As Soon As Homeroom Is Over, Would You Please Assemble In The Audio-Visual Room?"

Hori slumped down on her desk before jumping up and hastily writing sending a text.

To who?

Renko didn't notice it; she was too busy rushing out the door with less than thirty minutes left until the sale ended.

As Renko exited the school, she noticed the crowd of other students all exiting with the same intent as her. There was an energy in the air as everyone was hurrying to their next destination as soon as possible.

But Renko was unconcerned about the crowd.

Because she had another mission today!

Get the eggs!

By the time she managed to waddle through the crowd of students, another five minutes had passed and she was running low.

No choice now, she gotta use it.

'Cursed Energy Reinforcement!'

[+0.7 STR]

[+0.9 VIT]

[+1 DEX]

[-10CP/Per Minute]

OK! She has ten minutes to reach the supermarket.

*While a meager 1 point may not be a lot, it's still crucial to notice that a normal human's stat wary from 5 to 20. Even the world's top athletes, save some, had physical stats of less than 15 points.

So, with a whopping 10(+1) points in her Dexterity, Renko was undoubtedly going at a pace certifiably recognized as the level of a national athlete!*

"Hey..."

"Watch where you going!"

"Was that...?"

"Hey, slow down!"

Renko ignored all the people calling out to her as she rushed towards the supermarket. She was in need of those eggs and nothing would stop her from getting them.

As she neared her destination, Renko noticed a small crowd gathered near the entrance of the supermarket. What was going on there?

"WHAT! Cabbages are 100 Yen a piece! Shopkeeper Get me 3!"

It was Tatsu, her neighbor, Yakuza turned househusband. Buying groceries at a speed that left many seasoned housewives in the dust.

Renko raised an eyebrow at Tatsu's antics as she made her way closer to the supermarket entrance. She decided to ignore all the commotion for now and focus on her mission to get the eggs.

As soon as she entered the store, Renko began scouring the shelves for eggs.

"Where... Where are the eggs?"

To her surprise, no matter where she looked, she could not find them. All other groceries were present, except... Eggs.

"What?! Why are there no eggs here? But the sale... It should still be going..."

Then she saw it, in one corner of the shelves, were half a dozen packs of eggs!

Renko's eyes lit up as she spotted the precious packs of eggs. She quickly made her way towards them, weaving through the aisles with the agility granted by her enhanced Dexterity. As she reached for the last pack, she noticed another shopper eyeing it.

An amateur, she could see fear in his eyes as she neared the shelve just as he was about to reach it. A silent, unspoken duel commenced. Renko and the other shopper locked eyes, each determined to claim the last pack of eggs. The tension in the air was palpable, and Renko's competitive spirit kicked in.

Without hesitation, she lunged forward, grabbing the pack of eggs before her competitor could react. A triumphant grin spread across Renko's face but she noticed the boy's school uniform... which was surprisingly the same as hers! And in that moment of hesitation, she lost half her haul to an amateur.

Sighing, Renko headed to the checkout counter, she couldn't help but revel in the satisfaction of a somewhat successful mission – eggs acquired.

With the eggs safely in her possession, Renko approached the cashier to complete her purchase. However, her victory was short-lived as she overheard a conversation between the cashier and another customer.

"Did you hear about the sale? The one that ended just five minutes ago?"

Renko's eyes widened in realization. The sale had ended just moments ago, and she had barely made it in time to secure the eggs.

'Phew, that was a close call'

"Talk about cutting it close,"

she mumbled to herself, shaking her head.

After paying for her groceries, Renko exited the supermarket, feeling a sense of accomplishment despite the chaotic rush. She carefully stored the eggs in her bag and began making her way back home, eager to continue her experiments with her cursed technique.

But, there was something else that was bothering her. 

She couldn't shake off the feeling that she had seen that boy somewhere before, but where she couldn't remember.

"What was it about him that was so familiar? Maybe I've seen him around town or school..."

Renko wondered as she headed off on the path back to her home. She was eager to continue experimenting with her ability but could not help but ponder over the boy she had encountered.

And lo, just around the bend was the dark-haired boy, huffing and panting as he clutched the egg packs to his chest. Stumbling along the road. 

Poor guy.

Maybe she should follow him.

Not because she was curious or anything! Just cause she was concerned that he might faint mid-way.

Renko decided to stick with the boy to make sure that he wasn't in danger as he staggered along. Her curiosity wouldn't let it go, especially when she had seen the boy or at least someone who looked like him, somewhere before.

She continued along, following the boy with a curious look on her face, making sure not to fall too far behind.

The boy, of course, did not notice that he was being secretly followed. He was too tired to even notice his surroundings as he made his way home. He eventually stopped in front of a house and knocked on the door, leaning against the wall to keep himself from falling.

A couple of seconds later, the door opened and the one who came out was...

'Hori?'

Renko squinted her eyes, trying to comprehend the situation. Indeed, the person who opened the door was Hori, her friend and classmate. The boy handed the egg packs to Hori, who looked surprised and then burst into laughter.

"You actually got them Miyamura!"

Renko wondered,

'Who?'

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[Notification]

[Cursed Energy Reinforcement(1): +10 EXP]

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