Chapter 7

"Hehe. We got pretty wet, didn't we...?"

"Sorry. I should have noticed it earlier."

"Oh no, no, no! Being invited to your house, Goushi, is such a thrill!"

"Is that what you're happy about?"

Goushi and Mizuri were having this conversation at the entrance of the house.

They had been caught in a heavy rain, and both were drenched.

"By the way, Mizuri-san...?"

"Hehe. Just 'Mizuri' is fine, Goushi."

"Got it. Um, do you have any spare clothes, Mizuri?"

"Ah, I didn't bring any. But don't worry! I'm usually well-trained, so it's fine."

"No, you might catch a cold if you stay like this. And, well, I'm not sure where to look..."

"..."

Mizuri was currently wearing a short skirt and a thin white blouse, which had become see-through due to the rain.

Goushi thought it was something he should avoid looking at directly.

He also felt it would be cruel to leave her wet, so he tried to walk without looking at her.

Then, he pulled out the newest shirt he had and called out to Mizuri.

"I've washed this one, so you should change into it. We can talk after that."

"Really? Is that okay?"

"Ah, but you might not want to wear an old man's shirt... Wait a moment. I'll ask someone in the village to lend you some women's clothes—"

"No, no! I prefer this!"

"R-Really? In that case, I'll go outside for a bit."

After making sure Mizuri was happy with the shirt, Goushi decided to go outside.

Even after Goushi finished changing outside, the rain continued to pour.

According to the weather forecast from the fortune teller this morning, the rain was supposed to be temporary. It should stop soon.

"Still, that girl is incredibly straightforward..."

Muttering to himself, Goushi looked up at the sky.

"..."

Goushi had a secret "dream."

Back when he was part of the "Flame Sky Serpent" guild and the guild leader, Asers, had piled on unnecessary tasks, making his work life extremely demanding.

He would just complete his tasks, return to the dormitory, and sleep.

He often wondered if there was any meaning to such a life, living in a constant state of melancholy.

—The turning point was a video stream he watched during one of those days.

Goushi, as usual, returned to the guild dormitory exhausted and, out of curiosity, watched a video stream that was trending on Fairy Tube that day.

A famous streamer was singing.

Thinking it was a young female streamer who was recently popular, Goushi found himself drawn to the stream.

Perhaps it was because his heart was worn out from fatigue, and her radiant smile contrasted sharply with his own state at the time, which drew him in.

—He didn't know why.

He didn't know why, but it felt like he had been saved.

From then on, Goushi started watching her streams every day.

And before he knew it, he began to want to do something similar, to deliver something to the people watching, just like her.

This desire has remained unchanged in Goushi's heart.

"If I want to be like her..."

Goushi muttered to himself again, and a resolve began to form in his mind.