Chapter 56

Yesterday, in the end, I had to listen to Gonzales's complaints for a full hour.

Well, since I usually listen to complaints, it's good to listen to him once in a while.

Fortunately, neither Gonzales nor I drink, so we were able to wrap things up early.

The next morning at 9:55 AM.

In front of the "Playstar House" at the station, I was waiting for Gonzales and Mr. Cruz.

Within three minutes,

"Hey."

"Hey."

Gonzales arrived.

He was wearing black pumps, tight red pants, a white blouse, and a brown coat over his usual outfit that he wears under his lab coat.

"Cruz isn't here yet, it seems."

Just before 10:00 AM,

"Alright, right on time."

Mr. Cruz arrived.

He was wearing sneakers, jeans, a polo shirt, and a light white jacket. His metal mask and gloves were red and yellow, a design I had seen somewhere before.

"First, we need to get the figures of Shinoji and Mitzuki Kaniya from 'Demon Slayer's Sword'!"

"Right off the bat, huh!"

"Then, as a Myas religion follower, I absolutely must get the Frisodé Dress version of Lady Mya from 'Konsuba'!"

As soon as we entered the store, he declared this, ignoring Gonzales's comments, and rushed to the crane games.

Fifty minutes later.

In the end, Mr. Cruz spent a total of 17,000 credits and obtained the figures of Shinoji, Mitzuki Kaniya, and the Frisodé Dress version of Lady Mya.

He also got the victory celebration dress version of Marona Gricia, a character from the social simulation game 'SpeedQueen! The Planet Race,' who was recently chosen as the protagonist for an upcoming anime.

After that, we enjoyed some competitive and racing games, as well as medal games, and left the store a bit past lunchtime.

"Damn! If I had dodged that..."

"Gonzales's timing for turns is a bit off. In that aspect, Mr. Uzus is impressive."

"It's a matter of life and death. But it's a relief that you don't get hurt even if you crash or get shot down."

The last game we played, a dogfight game, was Mr. Cruz's suggestion.

"Well, let's grab a light lunch and then head to 'Anime Member'!"

We've been playing at the game center past noon since our student days, shifting our meal times to avoid the crowds, and we still do it out of habit.

"Let's just go somewhere..."

At that moment, a famous trendy café chain came into view.

The moment we saw it, the three of us, including me, froze.

"Maybe not there."

"No, not there."

"Nope, not there."

During our student days, the three of us had entered this trendy café chain.

At that time, we felt like the staff and customers were glaring at us.

'You otakus shouldn't be in such a trendy café!'

Of course, the staff and customers didn't say anything and didn't even look at us.

Looking back, we were probably just intimidated, but at the time, we really felt that way.

Moreover, just as we were eager to receive our orders and leave, Arodiich Irubugasu came in with a group of girls and started causing trouble, saying, "Hey, why are you losers using such a trendy place?" We had a bad experience and became averse to this trendy café chain, avoiding it ever since.

The coffee was delicious, though.

For these reasons, we decided to go to a familiar fast-food restaurant.

From the outside, it's a striking combination: a clearly otaku me, a man with a metal head and arms, and a beautiful woman with glasses. We must stand out.

Especially Gonzales.

If he were in his original body, he wouldn't stand out, but his current form is very noticeable.

Of course, we wouldn't lose a friend over something like that.

After ordering our burgers and drinks and sitting down, Mr. Cruz spoke to me.

"By the way, Mr. Uzus, did you participate in the terrorist suppression on the planet Teura?"

"Yeah, I managed to survive."

It was news reported across the empire, so it's natural that he knew, and since I'm a mercenary, it's also natural to assume I participated.

"Did you get to see the 'Scarlet Goddess'? Maybe even talk to her?"

I thought he would ask about the reward, but he was excitedly asking about the famous female mercenary.

"I saw her and heard her voice through communication, but I didn't talk to her personally. It's not like I could, you know."

"Right, right."

When I honestly told him the facts, Mr. Cruz easily accepted it.

Since he's like me, he wouldn't be able to talk to someone so shiny.

We both understand this well.

As Mr. Cruz and I slumped, Gonzales asked him,

"By the way, how's the treatment going?"

He inquired about Mr. Cruz's injury.

As someone involved in medicine, he seemed to be concerned and even recommended a cream for burn scars.

Mr. Cruz then became serious and removed the glove from his left hand.

There, a completely healed, smooth left arm appeared.

"Actually, both my arms were fully healed the day before yesterday!"

He removed the glove from his right hand with a happy voice, revealing a similarly smooth right arm.

Both arms were very white, having not been exposed to sunlight for years.

"That's great! Congratulations!"

"Why did you hide it?"

Both Gonzales and I were happy for our friend's recovery.

"Well, my face isn't fully healed yet, so there's a possibility of a relapse. Plus, I feel uneasy without them."

It seems he wasn't completely healed yet, but it was still a relief to see his scars diminish.

"By the way, when are you planning to return to your original body, Gonzales?"

In return for his concern, Mr. Cruz asked Gonzales,

"To return, I need proof of my original body and various other things, and most importantly, the cost..."

Gonzales mumbled this while eating his fries in response to Mr. Cruz's question.

That said, it's his own fault.

"Your own fault. Or, did you buy a dedicated sterilization capsule because you didn't want to return? If the hosting job was your first and you had a bad experience, why didn't you return to your original body and buy a dedicated sterilization capsule?"

I pointed out the reason I had heard before for why he couldn't return to his original body.

"There was a miscalculation. The meetings are monthly and also serve as study sessions. The host is supposed to be a young person within 10 years of obtaining their qualification, so I had another year before it was my turn. But a few people quit, passed away, or reached the 10-year mark, so my turn came sooner."

Gonzales seemed genuinely reluctant, which was hard to believe given his previous lack of desire to return.

This is a report of our game center tour, a bit of news, and some idle chatter with friends.

I posted this early because I won't have time tomorrow due to other commitments.

Mya: Arabic for water.

I welcome any comments, feedback, or corrections.