But Hana! What about ordering groceries online? Well, you see, you either have to go to the store to pick up the order and have to talk to someone, or some annoying delivery boy keeps knocking on your door wanting you to sign the delivery off while you hide behind the sofa and freak out.
With self-service checkouts, you avoid human contact altogether… unless you buy a bottle of rosé and a supervisor walks over to ask for your ID…
A bag of groceries in hand, I pull my hood up—because wearing a hood in a shop is “socially unacceptable”, or something—and start walking back to my apartment.
The full moon brightly illuminates the street. It is quiet, except for me. Not even a car in sight. Just the faint hum of traffic on the main street a few streets down. One of the benefits of going out at night, even if it is more dangerous.
My phone screen lights up as I plug an earbud in one ear. It shows art of my favourite while her beautiful voice tears through my brain, screaming how society should just shut the fuck up! You know, normal girl music. I'd discovered her a few months ago, and immediately fell in love with the retability of her song lyrics and just her voice. Her deep huskiness contrasts my own squeaky and mousy voice. Yet another reason why I dislike talking to people.
I turn off the street into an alley that leads to my apartment, still looking at my phone. There's an earlier message from Jake, my bestest friend in the world. And only friend. We'd known each other as nextdoor neighbours since childhood, so we kinda drifted together.
Jakeron: hey
where r u rn?
heard a dungeon showed up near u
u ok?
stay put
im coming
That's Jake, more commonly known to the world as Jakeron, an A Rank hunter and #32 in Oceania. I'm just a civilian, and a weak one at that, so he's always been protective of me, even before he became one of the top hunters in the region.
I quickly message him back.
hanablossom: I'm fine.
Just heading back from the shops.
The messages appear in red. No connection?
I look up. The small alleyway expands into a rge tunnel with cave walls. A small info box appears in the air in front of me.
[You have entered
[Dungeon Rank: D]
I quickly turn back the way I came, only to face a wall of golden light blocking my way out of the alley.
Okay, okay, I tell myself. I just need to wait for Jake to get here—
Scittering noises come from further ahead, quickly getting closer.
Well, shit.