Chapter 41

New chapter. Today is episode 2 (1/2)

Maki, who replied to the morning greeting with a voice so small and weak, stirred my sadistic side.

"Good morning."

"Y-Yes."

"You need to get up, don't you?"

"Y-Yes...?"

"I want to stay like this, but what do you want, Maki?"

"Wh-What!?"

Usually, Maki is proactive, but she is completely the opposite right now.

Is she weak in the morning, or just weak when pushed? Or perhaps... she remembers everything that happened yesterday?

"Hey, Maki."

"Y-Yes."

"About the number of children..."

"!!!!!"

Maki jumped up, shook off my arm, and fled.

She crouched at the edge of the bed, trembling.

"Uuuuuu!"

It seems I was right, but I might have gone a bit... no, quite overboard with the joke.

"Embarrassing..."

"Ah, Maki, I'm sorry."

"Good morning!!"

...At the worst possible moment, Aki entered the room.

This is not a matter of 'luck.' No, now is not the time for jokes!

"Wait, why is Shouta here!?"

Moreover, Aki seems to be the type who doesn't remember at all.

"Breaking into a girl's room, what are you doing..."

"No, it's that..."

"Sniff"

"Furthermore, furthermore...! How dare you make our Maki cry!?"

"I-I'm sorry!!!"

"Apologizing won't make it better!!!"

With Aki, who was as angry as a Renge, and Maki, who was trembling, I could only keep apologizing.

◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇

A few minutes later.

Maki, who had calmed down, prepared breakfast.

There's even my share. It seems she forgave me.

Yeah. I shouldn't have said such things without properly confessing. I'm reflecting on it...

As for Aki, after we explained yesterday's events, she vaguely remembered and understood why I was in the house. She's still a bit angry about making Maki cry, though.

I really feel bad...

"Thanks, Aki, for remembering."

"Hehe, sorry. ...Wait? Name...?"

"That's what Aki said. She wants to be treated the same as Maki."

"Seems like I said it, but... I'm happy if you don't mind, Shouta."

Seeing Aki's bashful smile, my cheeks relaxed.

It seems that when she drinks a lot, she really loses her memory. It might come back gradually with time, but when she wakes up, she doesn't remember anything at all.

On the other hand, Maki remembers everything that happens. It's rare for her to get drunk like that, but they are truly opposite sisters.

For Aki's sake, I'll forget the word 'three children.'

"So, what are you going to do today?"

"What do you mean today?"

"Because, Shouta, you've been working non-stop lately, right? You defeat a rare monster every day, don't you?"

"Well, that's true, but..."

But, it has been like that since the 'Unlucky Hole.' I've been fighting rare monsters every day, even if they are just different colors. So, what I'm doing in this dungeon is, in a sense, routine.

"Aki, you know, I haven't taken a day off from the dungeon in three years."

"That's true, but taking a break once in a while is good for your health, you know?"

"Hmm, I've never gotten sick from it... Oh, could this be an invitation to go on a date?"

"Ah, I wish you could say that, but I didn't plan to take a day off."

At that moment, Maki, who had been silent, started making a phone call.

"Hello, branch manager. Yes, it's Maki. Good morning. Shouta is taking a day off today, so both of us, as his dedicated staff, will be taking the day off to help him recover. Yes, that's right. As dedicated staff, it's our job to take care of his health. What? Yesterday? Nothing special happened. Yes, yes. Thank you."

After hanging up, Maki smiled at us, who were stunned.

"Is this okay?"

"Is it really okay?"

"Well, the receptionist's job is quite flexible. We can change our days off quite freely. Plus, Maki and I are workaholics and rarely take days off. So, using our dedicated rights, we can get away with this kind of behavior. But if we cancel at the last minute too many times in a month, we might get a reprimand. ...I never thought serious Maki would resort to such measures."

I'm more worried about the branch manager being concerned about yesterday.

But, it seems the two of them aren't worried, so maybe it's just a waste of worry.

"Also, sister, the branch manager said you don't need to go to Branch 777 for a while. They'll assign your junior to that branch, so you can operate as part of Branch 525 for a while."

"Really? Then we can be together!"

"Yep! Let's go on a date right away! Zoo, aquarium. A dungeon date sounds fun too!"

A dungeon date, what's that!?

"Wait, since we're taking a day off, a dungeon date... Shouta, you're getting excited! It's written all over your face!!"

"Hehe, if Shouta wants to go, I'd be happy to accompany him. Just protect me from the monsters, okay?"

"I won't let a single hair on Maki's head be touched."

"Shouta...!"

"Sorry to interrupt your enthusiasm, Shouta. How much do you know about dungeon dates?"

"Nothing at all?"

"Don't be so proud. In simple terms, it's a place where the monsters are very weak, and it's safer than a beginner dungeon. It's a scenic spot suitable for tourism. Even couples who aren't registered as level 1 adventurers can go there safely. Of course, you need to pay to hire adventurers."

Wow, such a place exists.

A dungeon where two complete beginners can walk freely. That means it's spacious like the second floor, with few enemies or non-aggressive monsters.

But if there are monsters, that means there are rare monsters too, right?

"I really want to go!"

"Hehe, I understand. I'll prepare a lunch box!"

"Sorry to burst your bubble, but there are no rare monster sightings at that dating spot."

"Eh?"

Is that possible?

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