Joe walked through the streets of the crowded town. It was much easier than he expected. Instead of having to push people out of his way, the townsfolk moved aside the moment they saw him coming. They shifted quickly, opening a clear path. The judging gazes he had received earlier were gone. What replaced them was fear.

  At first, Joe was confused. He was just a nineteen-year-old guy looking for a place to eat before his stomach devoured itself. Then it hit him. He was still practically naked, with blood running down his face from the wound on his forehead. His hair was probably a mess too.

  To them, he must have looked like a deranged psychopath.

  “Look at that boy,” someone whispered. “He must have mugged someone. He’s even carrying a bottle full of coins. There’s a platinum piece in there.”

  “Half the bottle’s broken. He must’ve used it to threaten some poor man for his money. Where are the guards when you need them?”

  Joe had grown used to such remarks. After all the whispers he’d endured since waking up, nothing really bothered him anymore. Still, the mention of guards made him uneasy. If he got kicked out of town, he’d have nowhere else to go. This was the only place he knew in this new world. Keeping a low profile would be best, but with his current look, that was easier said than done.

  Fortunately, he soon spotted a small tavern. Smiling, Joe made his way inside.

  The place was lively. A large open space stretched to his right, packed with wooden tables and laughing patrons who were drinking and singing at the top of their lungs. The air smelled of beer and roasted meat. The atmosphere was warm, but it changed instantly when the crowd noticed him. Silence filled the room for a brief moment before laughter exploded from every direction.

  “What happened to you, kid? Got mugged or something?” one man shouted.

  “He must’ve lost a bet and had to hand over his clothes,” another said, wiping away tears of laughter.

  “Look at that bottle! He’s on his last few coins!” added a third.

  Joe ignored them and walked straight to the counter on the far side of the room. The old drunks could laugh all they wanted. One day, when he was rich, they’d come crawling back and begging him for some coins.

  Taking a seat, Joe looked up and saw a beautiful silver-haired girl behind the counter. She wore a black and white maid outfit and looked to be around his age. She smiled politely at first, but her expression quickly darkened when she saw the blood on his face.

  “Are you alright, sir? You’re bleeding a lot,” she said with concern.

  Joe set his bottle on the counter and grinned. “It’s just a flesh wound. Nothing to worry about.”

  The girl didn’t look convinced. “Please wait here. That wound could get infected if it isn’t treated.”

  Before he could say anything, she ran upstairs. Joe blinked, a little stunned. It felt strange to have someone show real concern for him. His uncle would’ve walked right past him even if he were bleeding out.

  Moments later, the girl returned with a small medical kit. She placed it on the counter and took out a clean cloth and a green vial. Pouring some of the liquid onto the cloth, she leaned closer and pressed it gently against his forehead. “Hold this in place,” she said. “I’m not a healer, but my friend is. She says this prevents infection.”

  Joe nodded and held the cloth himself. The moment the liquid touched his wound, a sharp burning sensation spread across his skin. It wasn’t pleasant, but having such a pretty girl treating him made it easy to endure. After a few minutes, she applied an ointment and wrapped his head in a neat bandage. Her delicate touch made him smile without realizing it.

  When she finished, she put the kit away but kept it close this time as she stored it behind the counter.

  “Thank you,” Joe said. “How much do I owe you?”

  He glanced down at his bottle, prepared to hand over most of his coins.

  The girl shook her head and smiled softly. “There’s no need to pay. I always help out injured customers. It happens often here. These guys can be emotional and quick to start fights.” She glanced at the noisy tables.

  Joe relaxed. “If you say so.”

  “Though, I’m surprised you didn’t visit Sophia,” she added. “She’s the best healer in town. She would’ve done a much better job than me.”

  “You’re right,” Joe said, playing along. “I was planning to visit her after eating. I didn’t think a small cut would be life-threatening.”

  He had no idea who Sophia was, but pretending he did seemed safer than inviting more questions.

  The girl sighed. “Men, always so stubborn.”

  Joe chuckled quietly.

  “So, what will you have today?” she asked with a bright smile.

  “Give me your most filling meal. I’m starving.” He placed a platinum coin on the counter.

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  “Coming right up!” she said, cheerfully heading to the kitchen.

  As Joe leaned back, he smiled faintly. If this world had girls like her, maybe this second life wouldn’t be as bad as his first. The bar wasn’t high, but it was a start.

  The girl returned a few minutes later with a steaming plate. She placed before him a hearty spread of meat stew, sausages, bread, vegetables, and a drink. The aroma alone made his mouth water.

  “Thank you,” Joe said, clasping his hands together.

  “Enjoy your meal,” she replied with a gentle smile.

  Joe didn’t need to be told twice. The meat was soft and juicy, the sausages perfectly seasoned, the soup warm and rich. The vegetables balanced the flavors, and the bread tied everything together. Even the drink was refreshing. He devoured everything, and before he knew it, his plate was spotless.

  “That was amazing,” he said with a satisfied burp, patting his stomach.

  “I’m glad you liked it,” she said with a proud smile.

  She handed him a gold coin worth fifty pieces as change, and Joe dropped it into his bottle.

  “If you don’t mind me asking sir,” the girl said, “why aren’t you wearing any clothes?”

  Joe froze as embarrassment hit him like a wave. He had completely forgotten he was talking to her while wearing nothing but his boxers.

  “You don’t have to call me sir,” he said quickly. “Just Joe is fine. And about the clothes… it’s a long story.”

  The girl tilted her head, clearly still concerned. “Come with me, Joe,” she said softly. “I might be able to help you out.”

  The girl led him up the stairs to the next floor, and with each step, Joe felt his heartbeat quicken. The only times he had ever been invited upstairs by a girl were when they were heading to her room. It was always for something related to schoolwork, since Joe never really talked to girls outside of that.

  Although, there had been one exception. A girl who was always kind to him for reasons he never quite understood. She sat beside him whenever she could and once even asked him to come to her room to help with homework that was barely challenging. Joe was terrible at math, yet even he understood some of the questions she claimed to struggle with.

  He tried explaining the problems to her in the clumsy way he understood them, describing the methods he thought worked best. He was terrible at teaching, but the girl listened eagerly. When she tried solving the questions after his poor explanations, she got nearly all of them correct. She was even better than her supposed teacher, Joe, who barely managed half.

  Only now did he realize that she probably had not needed help at all. She had simply wanted to spend time with him, maybe to get closer. Joe cursed himself for never noticing. The girl could not have been more obvious unless she had told him directly that she liked him.

  He knew he was dense, and his lack of a social life was to blame, but he had never realized how bad it truly was until this moment.

  The fact that he had died a virgin only made it worse. Knowing that he had once had a genuine chance with someone was just salt on the wound.

  "Hurry up, Joe."

  The girl’s voice snapped him out of his thoughts. He shook his head and jogged to catch up.

  The second floor was a narrow hallway lined with rooms facing one another. A single door stood in the middle, at the end of the passage. The wooden floor beneath his feet was solid and spotless, clearly made with fine craftsmanship. The girl opened the second door on the right and gestured for Joe to enter.

  As he stepped inside, he realized his earlier worries had been completely misplaced. The girl had not brought him to her room but to what looked like a massive storage closet. His eyes widened in awe as he took in the sight. The space was far larger than he expected, and sunlight from an open window filled the room with warmth and brightness.

  The girl showed Joe a wide range of clothes. Shorts, jackets, cloaks, pants, everything one could imagine.

  "Find what you like and put it on. Don't worry about the sizes, most of them have built-in Resizing enchantments," she said with a warm smile.

  Joe stepped forward and ran his fingers along the fabric of a jacket. "You're really going to let me choose from all these?" he asked, still a little stunned by the sheer quantity of clothing on display.

  "It's fine," the girl said. "Most of these were left behind by customers who spent the night drinking. It's more of a lost and found room, but since no one ever comes back for their things, we keep them here for storage. My mom usually takes them and gives them to the homeless kids at the end of the month though, so you're in luck. Her next visit to the orphanage is tomorrow.”

  "I see," Joe said with a small nod. In truth, he was no different from those kids. He had no home, no family, and no clothes of his own. He fit the description perfectly. After looking around for a while, he finally chose an outfit.

  He dressed in baggy black pants, a black vest, and a black jacket with matching boots. He had nothing against bright colors, but black had always felt right to him.

  Just as the girl mentioned, the clothes adjusted and tightened to fit his size. The experience was surreal. As the enchantments activated, faint white runes shimmered across the fabric before fading away. Everything fit perfectly, and Joe could move freely without any discomfort. It felt incredible. The pants even had a small pouch attached, which the girl pointed out.

  "Nice choice," she said. "That pouch has a special enchantment. It can store any nonliving object regardless of size. The only limit is the amount of mana infused into it. In theory, someone really powerful could make it infinite, but most people use it like a regular sack since maintaining it drains a lot of energy."

  Joe absorbed every word. Everything he had seen and heard so far confirmed his growing suspicion. This world was not only different from his own, it was magical. The realization sent a thrill through him. His heart pounded in excitement, and he could not stop the smile forming on his face as he thought about all the possibilities.

  He asked the girl if he could store a few extra sets of clothes for later, explaining that he was in a difficult situation financially. She agreed without hesitation and even helped him pick out pieces she thought suited him best.

  Her kindness made Joe genuinely happy. She was the first person he had spoken to properly since arriving in this new world, if he ignored the humiliating scene in the town square.

  As he placed a few more clothes into the sack, Joe glanced at her and asked, "What's your name, by the way?" It was a simple question, yet his pulse quickened. His palms were sweaty, and he could barely look at her. He had been doing fine earlier, but the memory of the girl from his old life suddenly made him feel awkward again.

  "It's Jenny," she said softly.

  Joe looked up in mild surprise. "Would you look at that. I'm Joe and you're Jenny…" He trailed off when she gave him a blank stare. Realizing how ridiculous he sounded, he lowered his head. "Never mind," he muttered in embarrassment.

  Jenny giggled a moment later, and Joe lifted his eyes to her, startled.

  "You're funny, Joe. A little awkward, but funny. It's kind of cute, actually."

  When she noticed the small smile forming on his face, she quickly added, "I don't mean it like that. I'm just helping you because you're one of our customers, that's all." Her voice wavered slightly, as if she was embarrassed about the last part.

  Her clarification did nothing to stop Joe’s grin. ‘She called me cute. Let’s go!’ He clenched his fists beside him in quiet celebration. It was the first time a female had ever said something like that to him, besides his mother, of course.

  "By the way," Jenny said quickly, changing the topic. "If you're struggling for money, why not join the Adventurer's Guild?"

  Joe’s eyes widened