Chapter 9: The Shopaholic Sister and the Boastful Stranger

With the weapons finally in my possession, a major worry had been lifted from my mind. I could now leisurely select suitable supplies, aiming to fill my spatial inventory to the brim. The substantial sum I spent during this process didn’t pain me in the slightest.

After all, once the zombie apocalypse descended, money would be nothing more than worthless paper. However, while the weapon problem was resolved, a far more significant issue had emerged!

My sister, who always regarded me with an inexplicable gaze, had become a new source of trouble ever since I rescued her by chasing away a group of hooligans at the cafe. Before, she could discreetly conceal her peculiar stares, but now she stared at me with an utterly undisguised intensity.

The newfound obsession in her eyes, however, made me feel incredibly awkward and overwhelmed. It wasn’t due to any other reason; primarily, my current sister was quite different from the sister I remembered.

The sister in my memories, though always looking at me strangely, meticulously hidden her gaze. While she would occasionally make things difficult for me, even when speaking mockingly, she never truly treated me as her elder brother.

But now, she had undergone a complete transformation. Wherever I went, she followed me everywhere like a little shadow. Her obedient and docile demeanor was accompanied by a voice laced with playful cooing and affectionate pleas.

For instance, right now…

“Brother, I think that dress is absolutely gorgeous! I want it!”

“This ice cream is so delicious, Brother, you should try one too.”

“Wow, isn’t this the latest release of my favorite perfume?”

“Brother, come buy lingerie with me!”

Trailing behind my sister through the department store, I had gained a full appreciation for a woman’s frantic shopping desires. She was sweeping through the stores, adhering to the principle of buying anything that caught her eye.

My hands were already laden with countless shopping bags, both large and small. Yet, my sister still wore an expression of utter dissatisfaction, pulling me towards the next store.

“What are you dawdling for, Brother? Hurry up and come buy it with me!”

“Hold on, I need to use the restroom.”

Just as I was dragging my feet, desperate to avoid more shopping, my sister turned back and called out to me, her words clearly urging me on. I grinned, using the excuse of a ‘bathroom break’ to quickly slip away to the restroom.

It was all my fault for making the mistake of asking her at home today, wanting her to come with me to pick out supplies and, while we were at it, choose some things for her to store. But my sister was an absolute shopaholic!

I had been shopping with her for four hours, and she didn’t seem tired in the slightest! Thankfully, I was clever enough to think of hiding in the restroom for a while.

“Ah! Excuse me!”

“It’s fine.”

Lost in thought, I was bumped on the shoulder. I looked up to see a young man wearing sunglasses. After offering a perfunctory apology, he chewed on some bubblegum and walked straight into the men’s restroom.

This guy had some nerve, going into the restroom while still munching on something. ‘There truly are all kinds of people,’ I chuckled softly, shaking my head. Soon after, I entered the restroom, carrying all the shopping bags.

Unfortunately, all the private stalls inside were tightly shut, with no one emerging. There were only two usable stalls, as the others had ‘Under Maintenance’ signs on their doors. Thus, the sunglasses man, who had entered before me, was also waiting in line.

With no other option, I stood beside the sunglasses man, waiting with him.

“Hey, buddy! Pretty good haul today! So many things – did you blow several months’ salary?”

“It’s alright.”

“I’m just saying… don’t spoil women! Otherwise, they’ll walk all over a man. Look at me, my girlfriend bought me quite a few things.”

“It’s alright.”

“Look at these clothes, brand name! And…”

I replied with a strained expression, nodding along with the sunglasses man. At first, I didn’t realize, but now it was clear this guy was trying to show off to me. He had probably seen the brand-name tags on the large and small shopping bags in my hands, and they had made his eyes gleam with envy.

In that case, bumping into me earlier must have been intentional. “So, don’t waste your money, or else…”

Just as the sunglasses man was rambling on incessantly, the stall I was waiting for finally became vacant. Once the person inside emerged, I quickly darted in, finally escaping the persistent buzzing of a fly.

“Hey, hey, hey, hurry up, buddy! Come out, and we can keep chatting!”

To my surprise, the sunglasses man insisted on shouting and yelling from outside, making it impossible for me to stay in peace. I sighed, simply stored all the items in my hands into my spatial inventory, and then walked out.

“You finally cam— hey? Where are your things?”

The sunglasses man, seeing me emerge so quickly, wore a triumphant smirk. Just as he was about to speak again, he suddenly noticed that all the items I had taken inside had vanished. He even peered curiously into the restroom stall but saw nothing.

“No need to be surprised. As someone with superpowers, I’m hardly an ordinary person… so with my abilities, I’m not afraid of how many demands women make.”

I smiled softly, patting the sunglasses man on the shoulder. As I walked away, I left behind the sunglasses man, his face a mask of shock.

“Brother! Why are you so slow! Hurry up, let’s go to the next store.”

As soon as I stepped out of the restroom, my sister, who had been waiting outside, immediately grabbed me, ready to continue her shopping spree. Could I possibly take back what I’d said earlier?

Any request, anything at all, just no more shopping!!!