This one’s a bit short.
Two weeks had passed since then, and I was still stuck in bed.
「Man, I’m so bored…」
With nothing else to do, I was halfheartedly working on the school handouts Hikari had brought me.
I’ve never been a fan of studying, but there’s only so much thumb-twiddling a guy can take, so I gave in.
My injuries had actually healed already, but after some discussion between the doctor and Tsuzuri-san—along with Ootori-san, who had come to visit with Hikari—they decided I should remain hospitalized.
Apparently, if word got out that someone had access to healing magic, it could cause all kinds of problems.
Technically, I was still enrolled in my current school, but in reality, I was waiting to transfer to a new one. So for now, I was stuck living this dull, in-between life.
As for the incident during the transfer entrance exam—the one involving that irregular monster—it was kept completely under wraps.
According to official statements, there’s simply no precedent of a high-level monster appearing in a beginner-level dungeon. Even using this as a case study, it was considered a complete anomaly.
Because of that, while I did pass into the Special Class, I was still officially classified as just a regular 【Warrior】.
Not that I mind—I haven’t run into any problems so far.
Oh, right. I also received a pretty hefty reward—about ten million yen.
Apparently, that’s based on the estimated damage costs if the same type of ogre had shown up in other countries.
It’s kind of ridiculous, but hey, I’m not complaining.
Maybe I should buy something for Hikari, Haruka, and Touka…
Though before that, I probably need to pay a visit to their parents.
…Wait, I’m not gonna get murdered, right?
I was spiraling down that terrifying thought when a sudden knock at the door pulled me back to reality.
I glanced at the clock—about time for Hikari’s visit.
「Come in」 I called out.
But it wasn’t Hikari who walked in.
To my surprise, the girl who stepped through the door was someone else entirely.
「H-hello, Yuuki-san!」
She bowed politely, her black hair tied neatly in braids swaying as she moved.
「Areh? Tomoe-chan? This is rare. You usually come with Haruka and Touka.」
「Ah, well… the two of them caught colds.」
「Oh no. That sucks. So then, what brings you here?」
「Ano, I… brought this!」
She held out a white box—the kind you usually see at cake shops.
「This is for me?」
「Yes! I like baking as a hobby, and I often make sweets for Haruka-chan and Touka-chan. But I made too much this time… so Touka-chan suggested I bring some to Hikari-san and Yuuki-san too…」
She handed me the box, and when I peeked inside, I saw five servings of pudding with caramel sauce in separate containers.
(That’s… kind of a lot, isn’t it?)
Just then, the door opened again—and right on time.
「Yuuki, sorry I’m late—huh? Tomoe-chan? Long time no see!」
「Ah, yes! It’s been a while, Hikari-san.」
「Hey Hikari, check this out. Tomoe-chan brought us pudding. Look.」
I opened the box to show her.
Hikari peeked inside and her eyes lit up.
「Whoa, this looks amazing! Super legit! You’re incredible, Tomoe-chan!」
Tomoe-chan blushed, looking flustered but pleased.
「Alright then, why don’t we all dig in? I’ll make some tea. Yuuki, you still prefer coffee, right?」
「Yeah, thanks Hikari.」
At that moment, I noticed Tomoe-chan staring at us with her mouth slightly open like she was watching something unbelievable.
「H-Hoeeehh…」
…She actually said it. That wasn’t just a sound effect?
「Tomoe-chan, do you want green tea, black tea, or coffee? It’s all instant though.」
「Huh!? O-oh, um, I’ll have black tea, please!」
Still dazed, Tomoe-chan scrambled to answer.
Hikari smiled and replied, 「Got it」 before moving smoothly to prepare everything with practiced ease.
Once she had poured the drinks, the three of us sat down and said, 「Itadakimasu」 before diving into the pudding.
I took my first bite without adding any caramel. The rich vanilla aroma and sweetness filled my mouth. It was slightly firm—just how I liked it.
Then I poured the caramel sauce over the rest. The bittersweet taste enhanced the pudding’s sweetness even more. Delicious.
When I glanced over at Hikari, she was kicking her legs in delight like an excited little kid.
Tomoe-chan watched her, visibly satisfied with the reaction.
After polishing off the pudding, Hikari and Tomoe-chan started chatting over their tea, smiling and laughing.
I let them be and quietly went back to working on the school handouts Hikari had brought earlier.
Then suddenly—
「Ano, so… I heard you two… are married!?」
A bomb just went off in this room.
I slowly turned around to see Tomoe-chan’s entire face flushed red all the way to her neck.
Hikari wasn’t faring much better—her ears were glowing crimson.
「Aaaand where exactly did you hear that from? I think I can guess, but…」
「U-uh… from Haruka-chan and Touka-chan…」
「Those two, huh… yeah, that tracks… but man, this is so embarrassing…」
Alright. Before I get caught in the crossfire, time to make my escape.
While the two of them flailed in embarrassment, I quietly pulled out my wireless earbuds, popped them in, and turned on some music to escape reality.
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