Heroine App 4

Chapter 4 – Episode 4 – The Aspiring Protagonist

“Okay. Good work. Go home safely.”
“Yes, Manager. See you next week.”

I bowed politely and left the convenience store.

– *Jingle jangle*

“Ugh. Finally done.”

The morning after I made plans with Yujeong noona.

After finishing my night shift at the convenience store and handing over to the manager, I dragged my weary body back home. The location was in a corner of an alley, and it wasn’t particularly busy, but I was always tired after work.

‘Is it a date?’

After a quick shower, I lay on my bed and stared at Yujeong noona’s profile picture on CocoaTalk.

‘She looks pretty even in a selfie.’

I had to send her the specific time and place for our meeting by this evening at the latest. I had succeeded in making a dinner appointment, but I hadn’t made any plans on what to do.

‘Just eating and parting ways might not count as a date….’

And the biggest problem of all was the kiss.

How on earth am I supposed to get a kiss?

I took out a candy from my pocket and stared at it.

“This darn thing only lasts for three hours….”

Somehow, I managed to make the appointment, but when the day actually came, there was a high chance we’d just eat and then part ways.

In the first place, the favorability towards me that had risen with the candy would have returned to normal by now, so if it was really bad, noona might even cancel the appointment herself.

“Knowing noona’s personality, she wouldn’t cancel an appointment once she’s made it, though.”

Anyway, it was a very awkward situation.

“I don’t know what to do~~.”

I rolled around on the bed and stared at my phone.

Even searching the internet for first date course recommendations was of no help.

Those were made for people who were at least in the ‘some’ stage. In the end, the only thing worth searching for was nearby restaurants.

“Ah, it would be nice if there was some new item or something.”

Just as I was muttering to myself, an idea suddenly popped into my head.

‘Come to think of it, the candy generator was a quest start reward, wasn’t it?’

I quickly went into the Heroine App and looked at the quest I had accepted again.

——————————————————————————-
[ Promotion/Rank-Up Quest: ‘Aspiring Protagonist’ → ‘Level 10 Protagonist’ ]

〈 Quest Grade: Tutorial (Level 11) 〉
〈 Quest Type: Retry Available (2 times), Non-Repeatable (Cannot Retry Upon Clearing) 〉

– You have been chosen as a candidate for the world’s protagonist. Let’s see if you have the qualifications and worth to become a protagonist…

◆ Quest Reward (Start Reward)
1. Acquire ‘Random Romance Support Option Item Box (Grade: Tutorial) [Quest Exclusive]’

…….
——————————————————————————-

“Ah.”

It was indeed a quest start reward.

And as I was reading the quest, my eyes stopped at one place.

Retry available 2 times.

If there was no limit to retries, I was planning to repeat quest forfeits and retries until I got the item I wanted, but it seemed they had blocked that.

“Well, at least I can do it twice.”

It seemed like they were giving two more chances in case a really bad item came out or the quest was failed.

‘Then I should make use of that.’

[Item, ‘Sweet Love Candy Generator [Quest Exclusive]’ has been materialized.]

I went into my inventory and took out the candy generator.
There were a total of 8 candies inside the generator.

‘Hmm. It seems candy generation works even when it’s in the inventory.’

I took out all 8 candies from the container.
Yesterday, I took 5 with me to work and used 1, so now I had a total of 12 candies.

“This many candies should be enough.”

I went into the quest and pressed the ‘Forfeit Quest’ button.

[You have forfeited the quest, ‘Aspiring Protagonist’ → ‘Level 10 Protagonist’.]
[Item, ‘Sweet Love Candy Generator [Quest Exclusive]’ is being retrieved according to the ‘Quest Exclusive’ option effect.]

– *Shhh*

As I pressed the forfeit quest button, the ‘candy generator’ next to me turned into countless particles of light and flew into the air, disappearing as if sand was being blown away in the desert wind.

I had hoped there might be a bug where it wouldn’t disappear, but the Heroine App was thorough.

Fortunately, the 12 candies I had taken out beforehand did not disappear.

‘Phew.’

It seemed that the quest exclusive option was only attached to the candy generator itself, and the candies that had already been generated and taken out were not affected.

I felt a little sad that the candy generator, which was a pretty good item, had disappeared, but I could just get a better item. I went back into the quest.

——————————————————————————-
[ Promotion/Rank-Up Quest: ‘Aspiring Protagonist’ → ‘Level 10 Protagonist’ ]

〈 Quest Grade: Tutorial (Level 11) 〉
〈 Quest Type: Retry Available (1 time), Non-Repeatable (Cannot Retry Upon Clearing) 〉

– You have been chosen as a candidate for the world’s protagonist. Let’s see if you have the qualifications and worth to become a protagonist…
——————————————————————————-

The number of retries available had decreased to 1.

I accepted the quest again, received the quest start reward, and used the box.

[Item, ‘Random Romance Support Option Item Box (Grade: Tutorial) [Quest Exclusive]’ is being used.]
[Congratulations! You have acquired the item, ‘Desire Water Converter [Quest Exclusive]’.]

At the same time as the message appeared, a transparent bottle-shaped icon appeared in the top left of the inventory.

“Hmm.”

I couldn’t really tell just by the name.
I touched the icon.

[Desire Water Converter]
◆ Grade: Tutorial (Level 11)
◆ Category: Storage Container
◆ Description: A converter that an alchemist invented while researching to cure her husband’s erectile dysfunction… was the model for this item, which was self-produced by the Heroine App. Make progress with your desired partner through the changed water.
◆ Options [-]
1. Transformation
– If you put water inside the item and wait for 5 hours, the water you put in will transform into ‘Desire Water.’ If 5 hours have not passed, there will be no effect.
2. Desire Water
– The person who drinks the Desire Water will have a slight increase in libido for 3 hours. The standard is 30ml.
3. Quest Exclusive
– If the quest is forfeited or failed, the item will be retrieved.
– If the quest is successful, this option will be deleted.

“Libido, huh….”

This could be quite useful. The desire to kiss could also be seen as a kind of libido.

I took the item out of my inventory.

[Item, ‘Desire Water Converter [Quest Exclusive]’ has been materialized.]

“Oh. It’s bigger than I thought.”

A transparent bottle was summoned.

It was a large bottle that could probably hold about 1L of water.

“And it already has water in it.”

That was good.

The bottle was already full of water. I searched the house for a large water container and transferred the water into it.

“Alright. Should I drink some myself to see if it works?”

– *Pour pour*

I poured 30ml of water into a measuring cup.

– *Gulp gulp*

“Hmm… it’s not just water?”

The water had a slightly sweet taste. It was a taste that was a good mix of sugar and honey. It was like a soda that had lost all its fizz.

But there was no big change in my body. I felt a little uplifted, but I didn’t feel a rush of libido or anything.

“Should I drink a little more?”

I poured another 60ml of water into the measuring cup this time and drank it.

I was also curious if the effects would stack.

– *Gulp gulp*

“Haa….”

After drinking an additional 60ml of water, the effects finally started to appear. My body felt a little excited, and I had a lot of thoughts about women in my head.

From Yujeong noona to idols, the pretty customer I saw in the early morning, and even the face of the woman upstairs, all floated into my mind.

In particular, noona’s lips when she was eating the candy during the handover last night lingered in my mind. Maybe it was also the influence of the quest.

I felt blood rushing to my lower body.

If I didn’t know that it was because of the ‘Desire Water’ effect, I might have taken care of it myself.

‘But I have a lot to do right now.’

I went back into the quest again and pressed the forfeit quest button.

[You have forfeited the quest, ‘Aspiring Protagonist’ → ‘Level 10 Protagonist’.]
[Item, ‘Desire Water Converter [Quest Exclusive]’ is being retrieved according to the ‘Quest Exclusive’ option effect.]

Just like with the candy generator, the bottle turned into particles of light and disappeared into the air.

Fortunately, this time too, the water I had transferred beforehand remained without disappearing.

“Is this the last one now?”

I accepted the quest, received the start reward, and immediately used the box I received. The number of retries available had naturally changed to 0.

[Item, ‘Random Romance Support Option Item Box (Grade: Tutorial) [Quest Exclusive]’ is being used.]
[Congratulations! You have acquired the item, ‘Charm Laser Stick [Quest Exclusive]’.]

The icon was shaped like a lipstick. I touched the icon to read the detailed description.

[Charm Laser Stick]
◆ Grade: Tutorial (Level 11)
◆ Category: Cosmetics
◆ Description: A popular product from a cosmetics brand, a stick that nobles often use for special play… was the model for this item, which was self-produced by the Heroine App. Appeal to your charm points and get the desired results.
◆ Options [-]
1. Charming Point!
– If you shoot the laser stick on the desired body part for 3 seconds, the opposite sex will feel a strange charm and attraction when they look at that body part. The effect lasts for 2 hours.
2. Quest Exclusive
– If the quest is forfeited or failed, the item will be retrieved.
– If the quest is successful, this option will be deleted.

“Oh.”

After reading the description, I cheered inwardly.

It wasn’t particularly better than the candy generator or the desire water converter, but it was the perfect item for the current situation.

‘Maybe this could make it possible….’

I nodded.