Chapter 28

Starting from today, it's another three episodes. (1/3)

"Good morning!"

The next morning, when I opened the association's door, Maki greeted me with a dazzling smile. It seemed she had been waiting for me in the entrance.

"O-ohayo, Maki. Were you waiting for me here?"

I was so taken aback that I flinched. Although I felt our relationship had deepened yesterday, the way she closed the distance between us far exceeded my imagination. After exchanging greetings, Maki ran over to me and stopped just a nose's length away. It was a distance where I could touch her without extending my hand, and I could even feel her breath.

Even closer than yesterday! The sweet scent is making me lose my mind!!

I have to keep my composure...

"Yes, Shouta-san, my sister said you always come at the same time, so I thought you would be here at the same time as yesterday."

"That's right. I didn't tell you when I would come, but I'm glad you waited for me."

"Yes! Let's go to the meeting room right away! I have something to show you!"

With that, Maki grabbed my hand and pulled me along. It seemed she hadn't noticed my tension and was eager to show me her results. She was walking faster than usual, radiating a joyful aura. The gap between her usual self and this behavior left everyone in the association speechless, and there were no jeers, tongue-clicking, or even jealousy today. As we approached the floor with the meeting room, I heard a scream from behind, but I decided to ignore it.

◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇

When we arrived at the usual meeting room, there were unfamiliar weapons and armor, and a person who shouldn't have been there was waiting.

"Hi there! It's been three days, Shouta-kun."

"Eh, Aki-san!? If you're here, does that mean you're slacking off?"

"Hey, what do you mean by that? I'm here for work too, you know."

"Then, what about the 777th branch?"

"I left it to a junior. When I told her she could get paid for just sitting around, she happily took over. That's what you call popularity, right?"

No, I think anyone would take over a job like that...

"So, I'll be dropping by more often from now on."

"Eh...?"

"Don't make such a disappointed face. It hurts, you know. ...Oh, I get it. You don't like it because you can't spend time alone with Maki, right?"

"Hey, sister..."

There she goes, teasing me again. But I can't just let her get away with it in front of Maki. Today, I'm going to fight back.

"That's right."

"Eh?"

"Today, Maki said she made a bento for me, and I was looking forward to it. Ah, I can't wait to eat Maki's homemade bento. So, when are you leaving, Aki-san?"

When I said that, Aki-san looked stunned. After a while, she started to tremble and, to my surprise, her eyes filled with tears.

"...Huh?"

"Uwaaan! Shouta-kun is being mean!"

Then she started to cry loudly, tears streaming down her face.

"!?"

"Here, here, I have your favorite cookies, sister."

"Uuuu~"

Maki was comforting Aki-san as if she were used to it, but I was shocked. What is this creature? What is this small animal wearing Aki-san's skin? Who is it?

"Shouta-san, my sister was really lonely without you. So, please be kind to her."

...But does this person even have a sense of loneliness?

I always thought she was just pretending to be human. But I've never seen her cry like this before. If Maki says so, it must be true. ...But it's so different from the Aki-san I've seen before that I'm still confused.

"Uu...munch munch"

Aki-san started to eat the cookies like a small animal. Hmm, looking at her like this, I can't help but find her cute...

Anyway, I learned that it's better not to fight back against Aki-san's teasing. It seems to erode my mental state even more.

As she ate the cookies, Aki-san seemed to calm down. But the atmosphere still felt heavy. Since I made her cry, I need to change the topic...

Looking around the room, I noticed a crack in the wall near the ceiling that wasn't there yesterday. What happened? Was there an explosion?

"Maki, what's that?"

"...Oh, that was me."

"Aki-san?"

Did you cause a commotion? I almost said it out loud but managed to hold back.

"Yesterday, I was listening to Maki's story about the branch manager eavesdropping on conversations in the room. I thought he might do something like that, so I looked around. Sure enough, it was only in this room. It was cleverly hidden, but I destroyed the wall and the device. He's really paranoid, you know."

"The branch manager's concern is appreciated, but this is a bit too much. Shouta-san, you noticed it too, right?"

"Um...?"

What is she talking about? I understand that Maki is angry, and Aki-san seems exasperated.

Looking at the cracked wall again, I saw a broken device that was still glowing. The shape and the reflected light... it looks like a lens. So, it's a camera.

"I see, a camera. I didn't notice it, but I had a bad feeling about it."

"Well, I'll complain to the branch manager directly. But, Shouta-kun, haven't you been getting sharper lately? Like sensing danger or strange feelings, noticing small details, or feeling that a place is dangerous?"

"Eh, ah... Yes, I think so."

In the dungeon, that sense has saved me many times. Outside the dungeon, I usually only feel it from Aki-san and the branch manager. And this room too.

Come to think of it, this room is also related to the branch manager.

"There's an interesting report from the main headquarters. It says that the 'Luck' status is not just about 'Luck'."

"Not just about 'Luck'?"

Is this some kind of philosophy?

"Right. The report suggests that increasing 'Luck' might also raise other invisible factors that aren't covered by the usual six stats. For example, what Shouta-kun has been feeling could be described as 'intuition.' It also mentions that 'Luck' might enhance the ability to read subtle cues and respond calmly."

"The report suggests that 'Luck' might affect 'sixth sense' or 'perception.'"

"Most people don't focus on raising 'Luck' to the extreme, so it's more of a guess... or even a tall tale. But, Shouta-kun, have you had any experiences where you remained calm in situations that would normally make you panic?"

"..."

Now that you mention it, there are a few instances that come to mind.

First, the battle with the 'Murder Rabbit' yesterday. Despite the imminent threat of death, I remained calm throughout. Maybe it was because I hadn't experienced life-threatening situations or serious injuries, but I was unusually composed. I might have even enjoyed it.

The battle with the 'Hobgoblin' on the first day was similar. Even though I was confident in my skills and stats, I didn't consider keeping my distance from an attack that could shatter bones. I just kept dodging and attacking at close range.

And the most composed I've been was probably during the slime incidents. At first, I panicked every time a different colored slime appeared, but when I first encountered the 'Rainbow Slime,' I was unusually calm. Even though I was dealing with an abnormality, I was too calm.

"Still, reading the 'subtle cues of women' is a bit beyond me!!"

"Hey, sister!"

"..."

I still can't get used to this teasing.

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