NOVEL NEXT Chapter 33: Emotional Value
At this moment, Marcus hailed a car and set the destination to the charcoal-grilled meat restaurant that Xanthia had specified. It was only then that he realized the restaurant was quite far away. However, he didn't mind this in the slightest.
Xanthia had intentionally chosen the farthest restaurant listed in the task. She believed that tackling the furthest one first and working her way back was the most efficient approach. After all, it’s always best to handle the hardest tasks first.
While they were in the car, the atmosphere was somewhat awkward. With Xanthia, a girl, present, Marcus and the other two boys, Leon and Miguel, seemed noticeably restrained.
Leon and Miguel were still somewhat bewildered. They didn’t know Xanthia's true identity, but they noticed that the usually arrogant Marcus was being exceptionally cautious around her. Observing this, they naturally adopted a more subdued and careful demeanor.
Xanthia was also aware of the unnatural tension in the car. In the past, she would have remained silent, letting the awkward atmosphere continue. But now, she had the "Social Butterfly" skill, and since she was benefiting from this interaction, she felt obliged to provide some emotional value to these "tools."
So, she took the initiative to break the ice, chatting about topics that interested the boys, such as games, anime, e-sports, and traditional sports.
Fortunately, Xanthia was quite knowledgeable about these subjects. Despite her current appearance as a beautiful girl, her interests were still very much aligned with typical male hobbies. If she had to discuss fashion, makeup, and other topics popular with girls, she would have been at a loss.
Marcus, overly concerned with Xanthia’s presence, still found it hard to relax. However, Leon and Miguel gradually eased up and began to chat more freely thanks to Xanthia’s efforts.
Leon was an avid fan of League of Legends e-sports. He was well-versed in various memes from the e-sports community and had a strong sense of pride for the LEC (League of Legends European Championship) region. Unfortunately, the LEC often underperformed at the World Championships, leading to frequent ridicule from fans of the Korean LCK (League of Legends Champions Korea).
Xanthia understood all these references. Although the e-sports players in this world had different names and faces, the legendary figures like Clearlove, Uzi, and Rookie still existed. Without them, the e-sports community wouldn’t have so many interesting memes!
The Korean e-sports god, Faker, also existed here, and his win rate against the LEC was intimidatingly high.
When Leon and Xanthia started talking about famous numbers like "4396," "2200," and "1557," it was as if they were speaking in code. They clicked instantly, and the conversation flowed effortlessly.
Leon couldn't help but marvel internally at what a gem Xanthia was. She must be a high-ranking member of the community, someone whose unassuming appearance belied her deep knowledge.
While chatting with Leon, Xanthia didn’t neglect Miguel, who turned out to be an anime enthusiast.
This was yet another area Xanthia was familiar with.
Since arriving in this parallel world, Xanthia had not only immersed herself in the new games available here but had also caught up on anime. These activities brought her joy and were certainly not a waste of time.
She was simply continuing her previous lifestyle. In her past life, she would spend her evenings at home, indulging in games, anime, and novels. These hobbies were inexpensive but provided her with immense mental satisfaction.
When Miguel started talking about anime, he initially intended to stick to popular mainstream series to be polite. To his astonishment, as the conversation deepened, he discovered that Xanthia was well-versed even in obscure and niche titles!
As their conversation turned to Naruto, the topic naturally shifted to Boruto. The meme "Better than Boruto" was quite popular, poking fun at how disappointing Boruto was compared to its predecessor.
"Luckily, the latest Naruto game introduced a new character, 'Uchiha Hikari.' You know, I’ve been a die-hard fan of the Hikari-Uchiha pairing since Boruto series!" Xanthia suddenly exclaimed.
Hearing this, Miguel was stunned for a moment, then his eyes lit up. He responded eagerly, "You don’t say! I’ve always been a Hikari-Uchiha fan too. Their chemistry is off the charts! I can’t wait to see Uchiha Hikari in the main storyline. As for Sarada and her captain, good luck to them."
After this exchange, they both laughed. The secret code had matched perfectly—Hikari fans unite!
Miguel couldn't resist diving into a long-winded analysis of why "Uchiha Hikari" was so popular. He concluded that it was because she embodied the true essence of the Uchiha clan. If you turned Madara, Obito, and Sasuke into women, the Naruto series would have been perfect long ago.
Miguel was now completely engrossed in the conversation. It was the first time he had felt such a deep connection with a girl. She understood everything so well; she was practically a soulmate!
Marcus was flabbergasted. In his eyes, both Leon and Miguel were notoriously difficult characters who rarely paid any attention to girls. Yet, they had folded instantly in front of Xanthia, the eldest daughter of the Papadopoulos familia!
Throughout their childhood, neither of them had ever been treated kindly by girls.
Girls found Leon's brash and foul-mouthed nature unbearable, especially since he loved using obscure memes. Even the girls who liked e-sports couldn’t stand him because he constantly used derogatory nicknames for their favorite players.
As for Miguel, he could be summed up in one sentence: "Otaku are gross." He, in turn, looked down on real-life girls, considering them inferior to his two-dimensional goddesses.
Yet here they were, a brash, foul-mouthed guy and a hardcore anime fan, hitting it off perfectly with Xanthia. They even exchanged contact information, with plans to play games together in the future.
Seeing this, Marcus finally relaxed. He was a "noble boy" who loved the NBA, though he was a LeBron hater and a Curry fan.
Xanthia wasn’t particularly knowledgeable about the NBA, but she spent enough time online to catch on to basketball memes like "stiff-leg dribble," "no root," and "old 1.5." She was also an avid reader of online novels, including those written by haters about basketball, such as "Bunny Comes to Mow the Grass." The humor in those novels was incredibly entertaining.
Therefore, Xanthia had no trouble finding common ground with Marcus as well.
As time passed, Xanthia naturally integrated into the group.
When they arrived at the restaurant, they decided to wait outside for the others instead of going in immediately. Xanthia had no objections. She was here for a free meal; as long as she got to eat, it didn’t matter when.
When Dionysios arrived at the barbecue restaurant, he witnessed an unexpected scene—
The sister he thought needed protection, who was fragile, introverted, and socially anxious, was chatting animatedly with the boys, all of whom were wearing bright smiles.
It was clear that the emotional value Xanthia provided had deeply resonated with them.
