*

f*ck you.

　Mako was awakened by the noise around her.
　Not only could he hear people talking, but he could also hear the sound of hammers.
　They must be preparing now for tomorrow's spirit festival.
　I know how he feels, but I want him to sleep slowly.
　It's extremely difficult to get back to sleep when you're this May.
　I'd rather get up than spend my time slaving away, unable to sleep.
　Makoto got out of bed and dressed lazily.
　Of course, he didn't wear his basket and leg armor since he was off today.
　He let out a sigh as he walked out into the hallway and heard a clatter.
　When I looked at the direction of the sound, I saw that Fene had stopped moving with the door open.

''Ah, brother!
Fene, good morning.
Oh, good morning.

　Fene's face is bright red, as if she has a fever.

''Ah, ahhh.''

　Fene hides behind the door while raising an incomprehensible voice and glances at me.
　No, not a glimpse, but perhaps embarrassment.

'Aren't you going downstairs?'
No, I mean, it's just...

　Fene is moping.

'I knew it was impossible!

　With that, Fene went back to her room.

'If you're too conscious of it, you'll be even more embarrassed.

　Mako blurted out and closed the door.

'I knew it was a bad idea to hug him back.

　At the time, I thought the natural course of action was to hug her back, but in hindsight, I feel like I went too far.
　The other party is a girl of the age, and I should have acted with a little more thought.
　I don't want to be accused of s*xual harassment.
　Thinking about such things, I descend the stairs.

'Good morning, sir.'
Good morning.

　I returned the greeting to Shelly, who called out to me in the middle of the stairs as usual, and sat down in my assigned seat - the end of the counter seat.

'I heard two sounds of the door opening, what's going on?'
I just ran into Fene.
So, what's going on?

　Shelly put her cup down in front of Mako and leaned forward.

'I'm right back in my room,'
It's good to be young.

　Shelley mutters in a sincere tone.

'Where do you get that impression from in what you just said?
'Isn't it cute that you can't even make eye contact? The first time I kissed him I was too embarrassed to talk to him either.
I didn't kiss you.
Is that so?
Yeah.

　Mako drank the water in a disgusted mood.
　A refreshing sour and sweet taste spread in his mouth.

'Fruit water?'
Yes, we have a spirit festival tomorrow.

　Hmmm, I ministered and sipped the fruit water.
　I felt it when I drank it in the village, but since I had refused sweetness for a while, it was even more delicious.

'You don't have a husband?'
What?
I'm in love with you.

　Shelly folded her hands in front of her chest and said like a maiden in love.

''Hey ... love.
'Love is good. It makes me want to work harder tomorrow.

　With that said, Shelly does front double biceps.
　By the way, this is a pose that creates a force mass with both arms.

'........love.
Don't you have a husband?

　Muttering again, Shelley leaned forward.

'You've forgotten.'
Shit!

　Shelly screams a little louder.
　It's an appeal that she's not really angry, she's angry.
　Or she's pretending to be sulking.

'Have you forgotten how sweet and sour your first kiss was?
You don't remember him.

　Makoto chisels and drinks the fruit water.

I mean, it's like a lethargy, a weakness, you know?
What kind of love?

　Sherry raises her eyebrows quizzically.

'Well, Shelly's right, I think it's great.
Of course you do.
'But what if it doesn't lead to it first?'
What?

　Sherry's eyes widened in surprise.
　I don't have the money for a wedding.
　Even if he got it done with the marriage license, he can't afford to support his wife and children.
　Love is an illusion, marriage is real.
　And reality is relentless.

'Don't take me seriously. It's just bullshit.
I don't think love is a logical choice, though.
I told you not to take it seriously.

　Mako drank the fruit water and put her cup on the counter.

'But then again, women like to talk about love, don't they?
Your husband doesn't like ...
I'm not a fan. I'm not a fan. I'm not a fan.

　The love stories of others and my own are boring.
　Memories related to love have turned into bitter worms.

''--Fuggah!

　A scream rang out and I turned around.
　Then Fene fell.

'Ita-tat-tat!'

　The quintessential level 20, I should say.
　Fane stood up as if nothing had happened and ran off somewhere.

''Could it be that you jumped down because it was awkward for you to face me?
I don't know what to tell you.

　Shelley raises her eyebrows in annoyance.

'Isn't your husband going to the Spirit Festival with Miss Fene?
Fene can't do it for family reasons.
Where are Yuka and Liv?
They'll be at their leisure.

　Aside from Liv, there was no way that Yuka was going to the Spirit Festival with him.

'What about Shelly?'
Me?　I've got my hands full with the inn.
No, no, no.

　Mako waved her hands from side to side with a pat on the back.

'What do you mean?'
There's a reason it's so sweltering out there.
'Sir, it's called a lively one.

　Shelley gave her a dumbfounded look.

'It doesn't make a difference either way, does it?'
We'll change.
How?
I'm not feeling it.

　Shelley assured me.
　'I feel like I've been told that snails and escargots are two different things.

'Well then, let's get busy. It looks like they're getting ready for the festivities outside, but Sherry doesn't do anything?'
As I said before, I have my hands full with the inn. Well, well, I used to at least decorate it when my dad was alive.
Hmmm, I see.
....

　Shelly looks at me as if she wants to say something.
　Maybe a man who can do it would move without being appealed to.
　Come to think of it, I wonder how those guys who pour beer and become potbellies at drinking parties get their timing right.
　Whenever I saw such people, I thought I was not suited to be a businessman.

Shall we decorate?
'Oh, is your husband going to do this for you?'
Well, you're welcome.

　I don't really want to do it, but I'm the one who dumped the story and I'm bored anyway.
　I'm bored, I told myself.



　Sherry led me through a door behind the counter - and I went through the door.

Welcome to the Secret Garden.
It's just a shed.

　Mako poked at Shelly, who was spouting thoughtful dialogue.
　Past the door behind the counter was a storage room.
　At the far end is a commercial refrigerator - a magic item that looks like a commercial refrigerator - and the shelves are cluttered with spices and ingredients.
　In addition, there are a number of large cloth bags piled up on the floor.

And don't make that kind of joke because it's too much of a reaction.
You're not very flippant, are you, sir?
It's not that I'm not flippant, it's that I don't like s*xual jokes.

　They look at me weird when I tell them I don't have a woman in a relationship, and when I'm a little more insensitive, they ask me about my experience with women.
　I'm not bothering them, so I want them to leave me alone.

'So where are the decorations?'
It's under the cloth bag.

　When I looked at the cloth bags, I saw a frame that reminded me of underfloor storage.
　Though I couldn't see half of the whole thing because of the pile of cloth bags.

'Are you okay?'
Well, it's all right. Sherry will stay away.

　Shelly moved to the back and Mako put her hand on the cloth bag.
　When he exerted himself, the cloth bag lifted up with ease.
　It must have weighed twenty kilograms, but it was light as a feather.
　It was so light that it felt like lifting an empty plastic tank.

'Where do you want me to move it?'
Put it in the back, please.
Okay.

　Mako flips on the spot and places the cloth bag on the floor.

'Is it light enough for two at the same time?'
Sir, please don't do anything rash.

　I lifted the two cloth bags and placed them on top of the first one.
　As I expected, the cloth bag is light as a feather.
　I got carried away and lifted three cloth bags.
　It's normal to make mistakes when you're on a roll, but that's not the case, and I was able to load the bags on top of each other safely.

Can I open them?
Yes, please.

　Mako opened the lid and found the stairs there.

'Sir, let's go.'

　Shelly turns on the lamp, wondering when it was ready.
　She continued down the stairs and Mako followed her.
　When they descended the surprisingly long stairs, they found themselves in a rather large space.
　There were several pieces of old and broken furniture on the floor.
　For some reason, there were even swords and long-handled weapons.

''The weapons were left behind by the adventurers.
Did they foreclose on you?
Well, sort of.

　Shelley chuckled and went to the shelves in the back.

'Sir, please hold the lamp.'
I'll do it.
I can't let you go that far.

　When Mako takes the lamp, Shelly gets on the crate and reaches for the shelf.
　Maybe it's her eyesight, or maybe it's because the crate is old, but it's not safe.

'You remember it well,'
That's because I've been looking forward to the Spirit Festival since I was a little girl.

　Shelley said happily.

'We're an inn, so we didn't get to go out and play. We had a lot of familiar guests when Dad was alive...'

　That's where I cut off the words.

'You know what?　When we put up the decorations, the spirits gather around and it's just so beautiful.
I want to see it.
Yeah, have fun with it.

　Shelley pulls the box from the shelf.

'Oh, there's--!
Hey!

　Shelly's body leaned limply and flew in the air.
　Mako threw the lamp away and held Shelly in place.
　The lamp broke as it fell, or maybe it was broken, but it didn't affect Mako, who had acquired night vision (skill).

''........Mister?''
I'm here for you.

　Shelly calls out to Mako heartily.

'Let's put it down?'
Yeah, yeah, take your time.
Of course.

　Mako slowly lowered Shelly off her feet and onto the ground.

'I didn't feel alive.
It's mutual. Are the decorations from the box you just touched?
'Yes, but...'
I can see in the dark and I'll be fine.

　Makoto hiked over to the wooden box and picked up the box on the shelf.
　When he opened the lid, he found a string and a piece of metal inside.
　It looks a lot like the squeaky wards you took from the zombies in the Skeleton King's dungeon.

'Duh, sir?'
'Don't sound so heartbroken,'

　Mako descended from the crate and grabbed Shelly's hand.

''Um ... um ...''
I'll take you to the light.

　Mako walked off without saying a word.
　Oh shit, he remembered the feeling of holding Shelly in his arms.
　The feel and smell of a woman was powerful enough to shake reason.



　Mako climbed down from the chair through the loop on the end of the decoration on the hook.

'Thank you, sir.'
I didn't do anything to deserve your thanks.

　Shelly thanked me and scratched her head.
　In fact, it wasn't a hassle to decorate.
　It was just a matter of threading the string through the hooks that were already in place.
　Would this be okay?　Makoto looked around the store.
　'It looks like a narcissus or a shimenawa, and I can't connect it to the word beautiful.

'There's one bottle left, though?'
I'll take that to the front of the store, please.
Okay.

　Mako went outside with the decorations and a chair.
　Looking at the shop wall, he saw that there was another hook here.

'Let's get on with it.'

　The decorations were quickly finished without the need to get into it.
　Just when I was reaching for a chair to go back inside the store--

''If.........''

　Someone called out to me.
　I turned around and saw an old woman standing there with a cane in her hand.
　Her hair was pure white and wrinkled like a mummy's, but she was somehow graceful.

'What is it?'
Are you the gentleman who's staying here?
Yes, I do.
Are you planning on staying here for a while?
Well, unless you're on a mission.

　I may leave a few days free if asked, but I will be based at the 'Golden Sheep' pavilion for a while.

''What about it?''
I've known him since my grandfather's time.

　The old woman suddenly said something like that.

''It's such an old building, isn't it?''
No, no, the building was rebuilt.

　When Makoto looked up at the inn, the old woman corrected him, looking somewhat flustered.

'The undead appeared in the city once, and it was destroyed.

　My house was then, too, and he twisted his face a little painfully.

'That was hard, wasn't it?'
'A lot of people were gone, my house was gone, and I thought I was going to lose it. But I can't just sit here and do nothing. Because I'm alive.
Come in.
Thank you.

　It was going to be a long story, so I offered her a chair, and the old woman sat down quietly.

Sherry's grandfather worked twice as hard as we did. He worked twice as hard as we do. He rebuilt the inn and raised his son with just one man, he was a fine man.

　The old woman spoke as proudly as she was of herself.

'Your son was married very early, but he didn't have much luck with children. He was so happy when little Shelly was born.

　The old woman's eyes narrowed as if nostalgic for the past, but her expression quickly changed to one of somberness.

'After all these years, I found out that little Shelly has a bad eye. It's hell from heaven. Made all the more so because of all the shady talk about the lack of piety from those who don't talk.
Faith.

　This kind of thing seems to be the same in every world.

You can get married with a bad eye, can't you?
I wish people thought of it that way.

　The old woman laughed weakly.

'So I was happy when I heard you had found someone nice.
What kind of person is Shelly's good guy?
They were a couple of fledgling adventurers and a good match.
So, who is this guy?
I wonder what they're doing now.

　The old woman let out a sigh.

'Have you broken up with him?'
'If that was the case, I'm sure he would have stepped out. I heard he said he was going to be a top-notch adventurer and left.
....

　Mako let out a small sigh.
　Well, it could be anywhere.
　I don't know if he meant it or if he was just lying on the spot.

'Maybe Shelly is still waiting for her lover, huh?
It's awful.
Yes, it's awful. Well,

　The old woman stood up slowly, using her cane for support.

'You could take it a little slower, couldn't you?'
No, I'm done with my business take care of Sherry.

　The old woman raised her head deeply and started to walk towards the front street.

''... what was that?''

　Mako returned to the store with a chair and found Yuka and Liv sitting at the counter.

'Sir, good job. Is there something wrong?
I was talking to the neighbor's grandmother.

　Mako put the chair back in its place and took her usual seat.
　As if to thank him, Shelly placed a cup of fruit water on the counter.

'Liv, what do you want to do about the spirit festival?'
I'm going to have a drink with a bunch of mercenaries.
Are you okay?
'I just got out of there to say hello, so I don't have a single thing to worry about just because you're being nice to me.

　Then Liv laughed.

'What about Yuka?'
A festival. I've never been to a festival in my life, you know.
Okay.

　Mako countered and closed her mouth.
　The restaurant was silent.
　All you can hear is the sound of gurgling soup simmering.

'Say something,'

　Unable to bear the silence, Yuka leaned forward and slapped Makoto's second arm with the back of her hand.

'Should I have asked you to come with me?'
I don't need you to ask me out.

　Yuka's lips quirk up in a way that doesn't seem amused.

'She's such a pain in the ass,'
What?　That's it, all of a sudden.
'If I ask you out, you'll swear at me. I know that.
Okay, now I know what kind of image you have of me.

　Yuka snapped her fingers with a snap.

'Wait, you really haven't been to a festival before?
His mother was busy with work.

　Yuka said in a huff and brought the cup to her mouth.

''You ... have a mother?''
Of course I did. Did you think I came from a tree crotch?
No, I don't think so.

　He didn't say anything about his father, so maybe he was a mother and son.

'If you've got a mother, you've got to get back to your world.
'I'm going back without being told. I'm worried about my mother, and besides...
And?
All that hard work will have been for nothing if I can't go back to my world.
"Hmm, you go to a good school?
Yes, it's a very famous school. I go to a very famous school.
Once is enough.
I said it twice because it's important to me.
What's your name?
Do you know it's called Okawa Gakuen High School?
Only in name, you know.

　Okawa Gakuen High School - even Makoto knows it's a very famous high school in Tokyo.
　It's a manga-like high school for political and business tycoons and their children.

Are the entrance fees and tuition fees okay?
Smart students like me are exempt. Well, I'm sure those rich people think they're giving handouts to the poor.
Either brag or be sneaky.
You'll be able to lick my shoes someday.
I'm scared.

　Why is this guy so vengeful after he got his admission fee and tuition waived?

''So, are you going to the festival or not?''
"If you're willing to pay for it,
You're talking about money all of a sudden?
Money is important to you, right?
Come to think of it, it's not like I want to go to the festival with you.
You gave it to me.
It's just an appointment.

　Tsk, Yuka clicked her tongue.
　Just when the atmosphere was beginning to get grim, Shelly opened her mouth.

Well, well, well, don't be such a pussy, why don't you just go ahead and do it?
"I'll give you some money. I'll give you some money, let's go to the festival.
You'll see. You'll see.

　Yuka said in a voice that seemed to resonate from the depths of the earth.