NOVEL NEXT Chapter 161: The Worst Timing, The Worst Situation
Alex and Menchi step into his room within the Realm, making their way to the small platform that teleports players back to the real world.
As they stand on the platform, Alex reluctantly stretches out his hand to Menchi, worried that the small platform might only teleport him and leave her behind.
Menchi, however, smirks at his hesitation. Ignoring his outstretched hand, she steps closer to Alex, wrapping her arms around him in a close embrace.
Despite spending months with her, Alex can't help but blush as she pulls him this close. Her beautiful face is mere inches from his, her body pressing lightly against him. Why does she always do this?!
To hide his embarrassment, Alex looks away. Menchi, however, grabs his face with both hands, forcing him to look directly at her. She leans in, her lips almost brushing against his, but at the last second, she kisses his cheek instead and pulls back with a teasing smile.
"Oh, did you expect something else? We'll have to save that for later!" Menchi says, smirking mischievously.
Alex blushes even harder, grumbling: "1337, what the fuck are you doing? Teleport us already!"
[This scene was too funny to interrupt. Teleporting now.]
"..." Alex can only glare in silence as his annoyance boils over. This system is so messed up. I love that it's clearly on my side, but I hate its sense of humor.
"I love your system! 1337, you are awesome!" Menchi declares cheerfully as the teleport activates, and both of them disappear from the platform.
… … …
Alex's vision blurs as the teleportation ends, and the two of them reappear inside his newly purchased penthouse apartment.
Menchi looks around curiously, walking from room to room. "Oh, not bad. This is a nice place. It's not comparable to our apartment on the 237th floor of Heavens Arena, but it's way cozier."
"Yeah… it's exactly how I like it," Alex replies. "I have this whole floor to myself. Everything looks clean. I let my parents find and hire a trustworthy housekeeper, and it looks like they did a good job keeping the apartment in good shape; well, it's only been a week, but still."
"I can't wait to meet your parents as well. I wonder what they look like!" Menchi comments, her tone playful.
"No way!! Sorry, Menchi, but I'll never let that happen!" Alex blurts out. "How would I even introduce you? Also, my parents, like many older Europeans, don't speak English. You might've noticed that you automatically started understanding and speaking English when you entered our world, but here in Germany, most older people don't speak it very well."
"... Is that so?" Menchi questions, clearly skeptical but letting it slide for now.
Alex sighs in relief, sitting down on his couch. He turns on the TV and grabs his smartphone to catch up on some news.
Meanwhile, Menchi walks onto the large balcony, taking in the view of Alex's hometown. The city is one of Germany's largest, but it pales in comparison to the fantastic cities of her own world, like Heavens Arena with its towering megastructures. Hunter x Hunter's world feels like something out of a dream compared to this.
Alex's hometown, part of Germany's industrial belt, has a long history of coal mining that has gradually shifted to other industries over the last 30 years. Still, the influence of its past remains. The city isn't filled with skyscrapers or enormous buildings like an American city but is instead dotted with parks and trees. Most of the buildings are only two stories tall, giving it a unique charm.
Alex grabs one of his smart pads, joins Menchi on the balcony, and hands it to her. "The technology here is a bit further advanced than what you're used to because your world was created in 1998, 26 years ago, when tech was way behind today's standards. This is a smart pad, it's like a miniature computer. I'm giving it to you because I installed an app on it that lets you read various mangas. You can also access the internet through it. You might be interested in taking a look at… well… your world," Alex explains, adding, "Of course, your actual world is real. It's been given life by millions of fans worldwide and empowered by the Realm. But this is what created your world and what millions of people know about it."
Menchi takes the smart pad excitedly and smiles. "Thank you… I can't say I'm not curious to take a look!"
As Alex walks back to the couch and lies down, all he wants is to close his eyes and relax. He stretches out, slowly getting comfortable, and is just about to drift off to sleep when the doorbell rings.
"..."
Alex stares at the ceiling, a single tear sliding down his cheek. My peaceful life… he laments. I just want to sleep, watch TV, surf the net, and game. But with these two literal knife wielders around, I always feel like I have to watch my back. I wanted to play some games from F95… forget it for now.
The doorbell rings again.
"Yeah, I'm coming already…," Alex mutters, cursing under his breath as he gets up.
He opens the door, and less than a minute later, Tereza enters the elevator leading up to his penthouse with two large bags and two suitcases.
"Wait a minute… you… said 'visiting,' right?" Alex stutters, staring at her luggage in disbelief.
"I lied. I'm moving in. It's a nice place," Tereza says nonchalantly as she forces her way into Alex's apartment.
"... What did I do to deserve this?" Alex mutters, looking completely defeated.
"Stop whining already," Tereza says, rolling her eyes. "You should be jumping around in joy like a little kid. Not just one, but two beautiful women are moving in with you! It's way too much for an inexperienced guy like you, but look at it as an opportunity to finally grow up, huh?" she says cruelly, a smirk plastered across her face.
"I'm not complaining about your looks but about your per… just forget it. Welcome, I guess," Alex groans. "Menchi is reading at the moment… better not interrupt her. Let me show you to your room. We have a slight problem, though. While this apartment is pretty big, it only has two bedrooms. You… might have to share with Menchi."
"No problem," Tereza replies boldly. "I like her a lot. I'd love to spend some time with that lovely girl… sharing a room is a great opportunity!"
"You… are you b—b—interested in women as well?" Alex nervously asks, his face turning red.
"Yeah. So what?" Tereza responds bluntly.
"... It might be awkward for Menchi. I don't know how she'll react… it might get weird," Alex stammers.
"It'll be fine. If she's not interested, I promise she won't feel awkward at all," Tereza says with a confident expression that somehow instantly convinces Alex.
Looks like she has a lot of experience… weird woman, Alex thinks to himself.
… … …
A few hours later, as the sun sets, Alex, Tereza, and Menchi are lounging on the couch, watching a movie after setting up the second bedroom.
Another tear slides down Alex's face, not because of the movie but because he can't enjoy it at all.
Menchi and Tereza constantly question every single scene, making snide comments and joking around. Instead of focusing on the movie, they take every opportunity to tease Alex, asking him random questions, tickling him, or even using their feet to annoy him.
At one point, Alex finally snaps. Grabbing Menchi's leg, he attempts to get some revenge by giving her a snake bite. But before he can succeed, Menchi easily pulls her leg back. In the same instant, Tereza grabs Alex's legs, and the two of them gang up on him, putting him into a ridiculous leg lock.
As Alex struggles helplessly, he hears their laughter echoing around the room. The movie is completely ruined for him.
This couldn't get any worse… I hate this so much, Alex thinks, tears welling in his eyes as he mourns his sad fate.
At that exact moment, the lights flick on, and Alex's parents enter the room.
"Alex? What are you doing?" his mother asks in German, her voice tinged with both confusion and concern.
"..."
"..."
"..."
Or perhaps… it could get worse, Alex thinks as the two women stop laughing, turning to face his stunned parents.
"..."
"..."
"..."
It takes Alex almost 30 minutes to come up with a ludicrous, obviously fake explanation for the situation.
Alex uses his newfound wealth to introduce Tereza and Menchi as his business partners. To Alex's total surprise, Tereza transforms completely, acting like a top-tier female CEO or an experienced politician. Her sudden shift into a serious, competent, almost godlike presence leaves Alex utterly gobsmacked.
She commands respect effortlessly, exuding trust and intelligence. Within minutes, she manages to charm Alex's parents, who are both impressed by her worldly image and exotic but pleasant-sounding dialect.
Menchi, however, remains her cheerful self, not bothering to change her demeanor. But she's much more passive, partly due to her lack of German language skills, which limits her interactions.
Suddenly, her ears perk up at the mention of "food." Alex's parents explain that they came by to fill up his fridge with fresh groceries, not sure when he'd be back.
The moment his mother finishes her sentence, Menchi jumps to her feet, seizes everything, and declares, "I need one hour!" before vanishing into the kitchen.
Alex, Tereza, and his parents chat while waiting. Though Alex's parents don't fully believe his explanation about the situation, they feel happy and reassured seeing their son surrounded by what they assume are intelligent, impressive women, a first for them.
An hour later, Menchi emerges from the kitchen with a feast. The smell alone captivates everyone, and as they sit down to eat, the food completely steals the show.
Alex's parents, along with Tereza, are utterly baffled by the incredible quality of the dishes. The table is emptied in minutes, leaving everyone stunned.
"What kind of cooking was that? Asian? South American? It tasted so good; this might have been one of the best dishes I've ever eaten. Thank you so much… Menchi, right?" Alex's mother says, her face filled with amazement.
Even Alex's father, an extremely picky eater who typically only tolerates a limited range of dishes, eats without a single complaint and even praises the food.
Menchi proudly explains the dishes while Alex translates, his parents growing even more impressed as they learn about the thought and skill behind the meal.
Shortly after finishing dinner, Alex's parents say their goodbyes, insisting they don't want to "disturb" him any longer. Clearly relieved that their son is back safe and unharmed after his unexplained absence, they head for the door.
As they leave, Menchi and Tereza teasingly call out, "Goodbye, Mom and Dad! See you soon!"
Alex cringes hard, his face flushing red as he quickly retreats to another room. At the same time, his parents laugh and smile, clearly pleased with this hypothetical "family" dynamic.
-------------------------------
A/N: Always thankful for Power Stones, Comments and Reviews. Thank you for reading!
If you are interested, then please support me at patreon.com/FRWriter
Only with your help can I keep writing this story at this pace!
40+ Early chapters available - I will still release on WN daily!