Common Sense Hijack System-Chapter 139: Cultured Friend

Karl kept walking.

Curtis quickly caught up, eyes wide. "Wait, wait, wait. You serious?!"

Karl smirked slightly but didn’t answer.

"Nah, bro, you gotta tell me," Curtis pressed, grinning. "What kinda stuff we talkin’ here? Classic doujins? Monster girls? Some good ol’ vanilla? Or are you into the crazy shit?"

Karl chuckled, shaking his head. "Wouldn’t you like to know?"

Curtis put a hand on his chest dramatically. "I—Karl, I misjudged you. I thought you were this cold, heartless bastard, but you... you’re cultured."

Karl rolled his eyes. "I regret saying anything."

"No, no, you don’t get it!" Curtis grinned. "I thought I was the only one left! Everyone acts like they’re too busy ’surviving’ and ’fighting for their lives’ to talk about the real important things!"

Karl scoffed. "Oh yeah, hentai is top priority in the apocalypse."

"Exactly!" Curtis nodded seriously. "It’s about escapism, man. When the world’s gone to shit, you gotta hold on to the things that make you happy."

Karl gave him a look. "So you’re telling me hentai makes you happy?"

Curtis shrugged. "Keeps me sane."

Karl couldn’t help but laugh at that. It was stupid, but at least the guy was honest.

"Fine," Karl finally said. "But if I ever catch you trying to ’hold on to happiness’ near me, I’m throwing you into a snowdrift."

Curtis snickered. "Noted. I’ll keep it in the private archives."

Karl shook his head, still smirking. "You really are hopeless."

"And you’re just mad I’d probably appreciate your collection more than you do."

Karl elbowed him. "Shut up and keep looting."

"Yes, sir!" Curtis saluted before shoving another bottle of painkillers into his bag.

As they continued looting, Curtis suddenly stopped, looking at Karl with a sly grin.

"Alright, now I gotta ask—what’s your favorite genre?"

Karl barely glanced at him, grabbing a box of antiseptic wipes and stuffing it into his bag. "Not answering that."

"Oh, come on, man." Curtis whined. "You already admitted your collection is better. You can’t leave me hanging now."

Karl sighed. "If I answer, will you shut up and focus?" ƒreewebɳovel.com

"Maybe." Curtis smirked. "Depends on the answer."

Karl finally gave him a blank stare. Then, without hesitation, he said, "Netori."

Curtis froze.

His face slowly twisted into a mix of shock, disbelief, and admiration. "Hold up—what? Netori? Like, stealing other people’s women Netori?"

Karl smirked slightly. "Yeah."

"Bro... what the actual hell," Curtis said, grinning like an idiot. "I knew you were cold, but damn. I was expecting some dark fantasy, maybe some monster girls, but you? You went straight for homewrecking mode!"**

Karl shrugged. "It’s entertaining."

Curtis laughed, shaking his head. "This explains so much about you. No wonder you don’t give a shit about people—you’ve been mentally training for the apocalypse with Netori."

Karl chuckled. "Maybe."

Curtis wiped an imaginary tear from his eye. "Man, I gotta respect it. You’re out here living the fantasy—got a milf and a younger girl in your bunker, and now I find out you’re into stealing women? Bro, you’re built different."

Karl rolled his eyes. "Don’t start making comparisons."

"Oh, no, I’m just saying—if Evelyn ever gets a boyfriend, I better keep an eye on you." Curtis waggled his eyebrows.

Karl punched his arm. "Shut up and grab more supplies."

Curtis laughed through the pain and went back to looting. "Man, this is the best conversation I’ve had in weeks."

Karl just shook his head, smirking to himself.

As they finished looting the pharmacy section and made their way back to the others, Karl found himself unexpectedly enjoying the conversation.

It had been a long time since he had talked to someone like this—like a true cultured man.

Most people in the apocalypse only talked about survival, food, or danger. But here was Curtis, casually discussing hentai genres and the art of Netori like it was just another part of life.

Karl smirked slightly. "Alright, since we’re already on this degeneracy train, I gotta ask—who’s your favorite MILF in the apartment complex?"

Curtis’s face lit up instantly. "Oh, easy. Julia."

Karl raised an eyebrow. "Huh. Good taste."

Curtis groaned. "Dude, she’s perfect. She’s got that soft, caring vibe, you know? Like the kind of woman who’d cook for you, take care of you, and still look hot as hell doing it."

Karl nodded. "Can’t argue with that."

But then Curtis’s expression soured. "Only problem? Her husband."

Karl chuckled. "Yeah, that guy’s rough."

"No, bro, he’s worse than rough. He’s literally a real-life Ugly Bastard trope." Curtis grumbled. "I mean, how the hell does a guy like that end up with a woman like Julia? It’s a crime against humanity."

Karl smirked, completely agreeing. "I thought the same thing. Every time I see them together, I get secondhand disgust."

Curtis threw up his hands. "Right?! It’s not fair, man. Julia should be with someone who appreciates her."

Karl gave him a side glance. "You mean someone like you?"

Curtis grinned shamelessly. "I mean, I wouldn’t say no."

Karl laughed, shaking his head.

At that moment, something clicked between them—a true connection.

A connection between two degenerates.

Karl finally sighed. "Alright. I’ll admit it. Julia’s my favorite too."

Curtis’s eyes widened. "No way. You too?"

Karl nodded. "If we’re talking MILFs in the apartment, she’s the top pick. Evelyn’s hot, sure, but she’s too much work. Julia? She’s got that gentle, nurturing thing going on, but you just know she’s holding back some kind of hidden desire."

Curtis snapped his fingers. "Exactly! You just know she’s got that secret freaky side!"

Karl smirked. "A waste on Ugly Bastard."

Curtis sighed dramatically. "We are men of culture, Karl. I’m glad I met you."

Karl chuckled. "Same, Curtis. Same."

For the first time since the world ended, Karl felt like he had a true bro.

As Karl and Curtis made their way back to the front of the supermarket, their backpacks filled with medical supplies, they saw Evelyn and Emmet already waiting near the entrance. Their bags were stuffed with whatever food they could find—canned goods, dried pasta, bottled water, and even a few snacks that had somehow survived untouched.

Evelyn was checking their haul, her sharp eyes scanning the supplies with a satisfied look. "Not bad. We got enough to last for a while."

Emmet nodded. "Still can’t believe this place was untouched. Feels too good to be true."

Karl and Curtis dropped their bags near the pile of supplies they had gathered in the center of the store.

"We got the medical stuff," Karl said simply.

Evelyn glanced at their bags. "Good. Anything weird back there?"

Karl exchanged a quick glance with Curtis, who grinned like an idiot, clearly still thinking about their earlier conversation.

"Just a dog," Karl finally said. "Nothing else."

Curtis snorted but managed to hold back his usual inappropriate comments.

Evelyn raised an eyebrow. "A dog?"

"Yeah, poor thing was stuck inside. Looks like it’s been surviving off whatever scraps it could find."** Karl shrugged. "It followed us out, but it didn’t seem aggressive."

Emmet looked toward the front doors, where the thin, shivering mutt was cautiously waiting outside, watching them.

"Damn," Emmet muttered. "Poor thing must be starving."

Evelyn rolled her eyes. "Well, we don’t have the luxury to take in strays. We barely have enough food for ourselves."

Curtis scratched his chin, thinking. "I mean... it could be useful. Dogs can sense danger before we do. Might not be a bad idea to keep it around."

Karl didn’t say anything. He wasn’t exactly an animal person, but he also wasn’t against the idea. If nothing else, the dog had already survived this long—it had instincts they might need.

Evelyn sighed. "We’ll decide later. Right now, we need to get moving before it gets dark."

Everyone nodded in agreement. The sky outside was already turning a dull gray, and the last thing they wanted was to be caught in the open at night.

--

They quickly secured their backpacks, adjusting the weight so they could move efficiently. Emmet started up the snowmobile, the engine roaring to life in the otherwise silent world.

Curtis stretched his arms. "Man, we really hit the jackpot today. Feels weird having a win for once."

Evelyn snorted. "Don’t jinx it. We still have to get back in one piece."

Karl double-checked his knife, making sure it was easily accessible. He had a bad feeling, but he wasn’t sure if it was just paranoia or if something was actually watching them.

"Let’s go," he said, climbing onto the snowmobile.

The others quickly followed. Emmet took the driver’s seat, while Evelyn sat beside him, keeping her rifle ready. Karl and Curtis squeezed in behind them, holding onto their supplies.

As they pulled away from the supermarket, the dog hesitated for a moment before suddenly darting after them, running through the snow.

Curtis grinned. "Looks like we’ve got a new party member."

Karl just smirked. "We’ll see if he survives the trip back first."

With that, they sped off, disappearing into the frozen wasteland, heading back to the only home they had left.