"Y-yes?" Dravin stared at the woman with a slight shock, not because she had greeted him, but because this woman, who was only shoulder height, had a voice that was incredibly melodious and soothing to his ears, and her naturally flushed cheeks added to her effortless cuteness.
"Ah, did I startle you? I'm sorry. It's just that I'm so happy to see someone I know here. Do you also shop here often?"
Dravin gasped in realization when his memory told him that she was his neighbor who had just moved in a month ago.
And, of course, he remembered his callous dismissal of the cute woman who had so kindly introduced herself and greeted him.
"Oh no, no… You're good. It's just that sometimes I need a moment to admire a beauty."
Ding!
Dravin raised both eyebrows as the annoying blue screen appeared.
He then turned and found the woman beside him looking down, biting the corner of her lower lip. He chuckled inwardly.
"I don't shop here too often either. It's because I'm having a guest, so I needed to." He continued, and his gaze fell onto her grocery bags, which looked heavy.
"Are you going home now? Let me carry your grocery bag, Miss… Siena."
The woman stopped and turned to Dravin with a stunned look.
Ding!
Ding!
Ding!
Dravin stopped in his tracks, caught off guard by the sudden string of notifications.
Despite not yet knowing the function of the stats, seeing the numbers increase gave him a slight boost of excitement.
But more than that, couldn't this notification be muted? It was satisfying yet annoying him more.
"D-do you remember my name?" the woman beside him, who exuded an aroma of vanilla mixed with jasmine, stammered.
Dravin quickly took the grocery bag she was carrying without waiting for permission. He held his own bags in his right hand and carried Siena's bags, which were heavier than his, in his left arm.
"Of course… you've introduced yourself two times already. How could I forget a charming lady like you?"
One, two…
Ding!
Dravin smirked a little because the system behaved exactly as he had predicted. Did this woman like him?
Based on his memory, the Dravin from this world's attitude and appearance over the last few months were not likable at all.
"That's because you looked so aloof and annoyed when we met, so I thought you hated my presence or something. But today you seem different, ever since I saw you correcting the butcher earlier."
Siena's explanation stunned Dravin, but he continued to walk, and she followed beside him.
"You saw that?" he asked.
"Ah… yeah… I wanted to just mind my own business, but you seemed so lively, not like usual, so I couldn't stop myself from looking." Siena paused for a moment as if realizing something.
"Oh, I might sound like a stalker, but no, I didn't follow you, and I went on with my own shopping when you left the meat counter." Her fingers fidgeted with her clothes.
Dravin chuckled. "I didn't say anything."
Of course, a creepy feeling took over Dravin when he heard that someone had been observing him in such detail.
It reminded him of when die-hard fans started following his private matters after he became famous.
But judging by her shy expression and her anxiously darting pupils, this woman's blunt confession seemed to be part of her innocence.
Dravin cleared his throat and continued, "Well, it's so thoughtful of you to notice my mood of the day. My mood has been going downhill for the past few months. You can just say hi next time if you want. I won't bite."
"Ah… y-yes… I'll keep that in mind. But… What should I call you? You haven't given me your name."
A pang of guilt struck his chest. He had always been so indifferent, immediately withdrawing when Siena had tried to get to know him as a new neighbor.
"Dravin, my name is Dravin." He said it with enthusiasm, and Siena responded with a sweet smile.
From the way Siena walked with her hands clasped in front of her and her head bowed, Dravin guessed she was a shy girl.
But her blunt honesty about watching him created an oddity that told his gut something was wrong with this girl.
It wasn't typical for someone in Vitaronia to be as straightforward as Siena.
But what intrigued Dravin about Siena was that her actions were affecting his stats. Especially his charisma. Should he test it?
"Siena, are you home tonight? Can we meet around nine after my guest leaves? I have something for you as a thank you for your candy jar when you first moved in. And… my apology for being so distant and maybe annoying." Dravin probed.
"Ah, no… no… you don't need to go to any trouble." Her voice stammered. "And… and… I won't be home tonight. It's fine, Dravin, you don't have to repay anything. I gave candy jars to all the apartment residents."
Siena seemed to be stuttering as if pushing Dravin away.
"Alright, if you say so." He coolly ended his flirting attempt.
There was no notification for a charisma increase, which meant she wasn't flattered or happy with his offer.
So, his theory about whether she liked him was wrong. Because the trick Dravin used should have worked on a woman who liked him.
Hmm… do tricks like that not work here? But she blushed just because I remembered her name. Why wasn't she impressed when I asked to meet and wanted to give her something?
Dravin looked inside Siena's grocery bag, which was filled with factory-made instant diet food. There was almost no real food inside except for strawberries.
"Do you like strawberries?" he asked.
Siena turned to Dravin, startled.
"Ah no. I don't— I mean, yes, I like it. Yeah, of course I bought it because I like it."
Ding!
What the hell?