*

Sir, I need you to wake up.

　Mako's consciousness was brought back to the real world for half a minute by Shelly's voice.
　The other half was drifting through the dream world.

'Sir, please get up quickly.'

　Shelly stood by the bed and shook Mako.
　That brought the other half back to the real world.

'Good morning, Shelly,'
Good morning.

　Shelly returned the greeting with a sigh.

'Is everyone here already?'
No one's here yet.

　Shelly sat up in bed as Mako rubbed her sleepy eyes as she sat up.
　Unfortunately, she was dressed.
　She must have woken up a long time ago because she smells faintly of soap in the air.
　What a shame. A shame, indeed.
　If I had woken up a little earlier, we could have had a fight.

"Then let me get some more sleep.
I thought you'd say that, so I called on you early.
They're starting to catch on to your patterns of behavior.
'You should be able to do this if you see each other every day.
Okay.

　Mako hugged Shelly from behind while stretching absently.
　Shelly jerks slightly, but quickly stops moving.
　She closes her eyes quietly.

'Sir, you can't go to sleep, can you?'
No, I'm not sleeping.
What's going on?
Yeah, well, sort of.
It's quite a disgusting thing to have in your hands for some reason. What will you do if I get into it?

　The back of my hand hurt. Shelly pinched it.
　Liv would say, 'Oh, let's do it!' I'm sure he'll respond, but he's a rather sensible guy.

I don't want you to rub it in with another woman in mind.
You know what I'm talking about.
Yeah, I know.
Scary.

　Terrible intuition - a psychic level, frankly.

"I'm sure Liv would love to do it, but...
Shit!

　Shelly raised her voice a little.
　She wasn't really angry, it was probably just an appeal.
　As Mako lay down on the bed again, Shelly turned around.

'Da, nah!'
No, I'm not going to sleep. I just laid down.

　My eyes have glazed over and it's going to be hard to fall asleep twice.

"...Shelly.
No.
'Of course. I just wanted to give you a little top up.
Sir...

　Shelly made a pitiful sound.

''Well it can't be helped, can it? We'll just have to ride, okay?
Oh.

　Shelly said with a sigh and got on top of Mako - around the bottom of her navel.
　Her skirt rolled up, exposing her thighs.

'What a nice thing to do, isn't it?'
I don't know what to say to you.

　Shelly raised her eyebrows in annoyance.

'I meant this kind of sloppiness is nice.
Sloppy? I'm a good worker.

　Shelley's lips twitched in a sultry way.

'Should I help you?'
What's going on?
No, I'd say I'm working.
It would be a shame for me if I had to help you with your work on top of the money you're paying for.
Then you don't have to tell me.
I was pointing out the facts.

　'Oh dear,' he says in a tone of voice that says, 'Oh dear.

'But, well, I guess I'm going to get bored.
For what?
To the slow life.

　I could slack off for a year or two, but more than that and I'd have a lot of time on my hands.

It was your husband's dream, wasn't it?
'It's a dream, yeah, it's a dream. Come to think of it, Shelly wasn't going to go along with my dream--
I don't have one.
Yeah.

　I hope you'll hear the end of the story, but Shelly's dream was to take over her father's inn.
　It would be too selfish to make her give up her dream for herself.

'Then you'll be living the slow life here at the inn.
Aren't you supposed to be enjoying your life in the country?
It's not like I have a thing for the countryside.
I don't know about this.
Call me flexible.

　Mako crawls her hand over Shelly's thighs.

'But that's a bit of a stretch...'
Is there a problem?
What's the problem, like a piece of string?
I'll always have your money.
I know.
So it's not a pimp.
Yeah, that's true.

　Mako grunted.
　'If you pay your lodging fees, you wouldn't be called a pimp, but--'

'I mean, to someone who doesn't know what's going on, he looks like a pimp.
I didn't expect you to care.
Surprise is superfluous.

　I'm not a great communicator, but after twenty years in the workforce, you can learn to socialize to a certain extent.

'Doesn't that bother you Shelly?
You shouldn't have to worry about it all the time.
You think so?
That's about it. People are supposed to be funny and cheerful.

　Shelley said in a slightly rugged tone.

'Could it be that I'm the reason for all the weird rumors?'
It sounds like you're said to have done a good job. Well, if you find a young man who is a great adventurer, it's understandable.

　Shelley said with a sigh.

'Don't give me a hard time,'
'I don't have a hard time with it. I'm just grateful to have such an old man.
She's very young for my standards.

　He rubbed Shelly's ass as he said it.
　Her skin is fine and the surface is as soft as a marshmallow.
　Maybe it's because she's standing, but she pushes back when she puts more pressure on it.
　Oh, and Shelly presses her mouth.

'What?'
No, I thought my husband was starting to get it.
I'm capable of learning, you know.

　I can at least know that if I affirmed Shelly's words, I would be offended.

'Should I buy some clothes or something?'
I just did the laundry.
Well, you know, like a gift?
You don't have to worry so much about it.
It's not that I care.
I don't want any dirty underwear.

　Shelly raises her eyebrows.

'I'm the one who wants to give it to you.
How's that for a windbreaker?
Well, sort of.

　If there's a reason, it's because I didn't have money and I couldn't buy my old girlfriend a present.
　I couldn't give her anything, let alone a gift.

'Also, weren't you thinking about another woman?'
You know, I remember when I was a woman and I was poor.
...I see.

　Shelley muttered in a subdued tone.

''Well...''
What, you're all alone in this?
I just figured you wanted to do something normal.
Is two-timing normal?

　Shelly crossed her arms and pouted her lips in a sultry way.
　But that didn't last long.
　Her mouth broke out in a smile.

'Well, but I think I know what it is,'
So don't get your hopes up.

　Yes, yes, Shelly said as she let out a sigh.

*

　When Makoto entered the dining room wearing his gear, Yuka, Fene, Liv, Laura, and Fujika were seated at a table in the center.
　Shelly, as I said, was washing dishes at the counter.

'Come on, let's go.'

　Yuka stood up without complaining.

'You don't complain, do you?'
"-Oh!

　Makoto muttered, and Yuka glared at him with a snap.

'Anyone who comes out of the back of the store will know what they've been up to!　So I went through with it....

　Yuka turned over and shook her fist with a buzzing motion.

'Anta!　I'm trying to avoid s*xual topics, so why do you bother with it?
He went ballistic.
'Ah!　I already know!　It's just that you're an old man in your own right, and you enjoy watching me squirm in my own home!　I thought I couldn't be sued for s*xual harassment, so I did it recklessly, and now, d*mn it, I'm done!
You're really excited this morning.
It's your fault!

　Mako muttered sincerely, and Yuka shouted, her face turning red.
　I wish I could share just ten percent of that tension.
　That way, I feel like I'll be able to wake up refreshed.
'It's a time when we have the internet and smartphones.
Not every high school student in the country has the benefit of the internet.
Yuca's house is a poor place.

　I could have stopped it, but Fujica opened her mouth.

'You are annoying, you bourgeois!　As I told you before, my family is poorer than the average family!　Sorry?
It's not so bad.
'Tsk, look down. This is why I don't like rich people. "Pupu, Kenky for Christmas? Or so he must be thinking.
It's hard to answer that question in a double sense.

　Fujica grunted.

'In your case, I don't know if it's because you're rich or because you're a Christian,'
Like, what's the right thing to do?
It's a minefield.
Ugh, it's like a nasty quiz with no correct answers.
If I had to say, you were right to keep your mouth shut.
Like it's too late.

　Fujica's shoulders slumped disappointedly.

'Come on, let's go!'
You're early today.
You didn't have a story, did you?
They're always arguing.

　When Yuka stood up, Fene, Liv and Laura also stood up.
　Apparently, all three of them are getting used to this situation.
　It's really encouraging.

''Today we're going to the fifth level, to the fifth level!
You're fired up!
I'll do my best!
Let's hope there are no surprises today.

　Yuka, Fene, Laura and Fujika head outside.
　For some reason, Liv refuses to move.

'Go on, mister,'
Yeah, I'm off.

　I scratch my head, feeling somewhat embarrassed, and Shelly giggles.
　I walk away, aware that my cheeks are getting hot.
　A thud hits my shoulder.
　She was slapped by Liv.

'Mako, now we're going to--'
There!　No erotic talk!
Yeah.

　Yuka shouted sharply, and Liv gave an interminable reply.

'Well, that's why I'll be there today or tomorrow--'
I told you no erotic talk!
Hey, hey.

　Yuka shouted, and Liv still responded with an interminable reply.

'Yuka says no erotic talk, so refrain from it.
No choice.

　Liv walked off, raggedly scratching her head.

*

　When Mako and the others arrived at the usual open space, they formed a circle with Yuka at the center.

'Let's check our belongings before we leave.'
It's out of the blue.
I just thought of something.
Well, yeah.

　Yuka was reluctant, but she nodded.

'You have two bottles of water pills (potions), right?'
I do.
Of course.
I didn't use it.
Yes, I have it.
It's all there.
Hey, boy.

　Mako nodded, noticing Laura's lack of energy.

'Laura, is something bothering you?'
Oh, no, no, I mean, I... I just thought I'd buy the magic item.

　Laura turned over and shook her fist.
　Apparently, she's worried about the fact that the magic item's aid allows her to use healing magic, but the wear and tear is too intense to be of any use.

''Magic items are so expensive~''
'Yes!'

　When Liv agreed, Laura raised her voice.

'It was so high!　And yet, it's not too much of a stretch to say that water pills are more useful!
In your case, it's because you're using magic items to force yourself to use magic.
But it was expensive!

　Laura said as if she was pissed off.

'Laura's magic is a last resort, you know.
I had hoped that I'd get more opportunities to play.
I don't want to be in charge of the water potion or the healing magic, though.
'It was certainly better not to use it, but I also longed for it.

　Laura giggled.

'And I know the feeling. I admired it too when I was little.'
It's not what you long for, I'm sure.

　Yuka said dumbfoundedly to Fujika, whose eyes were shining.

''P--''
It's disgusting.

　Yuka frowned.

'I haven't said anything yet.'
'I said pu, pu. I was going to tell you about the cartoons on Sunday morning.
Yeah, I was going to say that.
'It's weird. You're not going to tell me you watch it every week, are you?
You're either working or sleeping at that time of day.
Really?
'What's the point of lying about this?'

　Mako let out a small sigh.

''Oh well, like girls adore princesses and magical girls.
I don't have a crush on you.
Yuka's a bit special.

　When Yuka returned it with a straight face, Fujika awkwardly turned away from her gaze.

'I mean, even Laura doesn't long for princesses and magical girls.
Yeah, I guess so.
"-Oh!

　Yuka stared at Laura with a giggle.

'Well, I didn't expect to be a magical girl--'
No!
I'm so relieved.

　When Laura denied it, Yuka patted her chest.

'But you mean you have princess wishes, right?
"...Ugh.

　Yuka raised her eyebrows quizzically and Laura grunted.

'Oh, it's not so much a princess wish...'
Or not?
I was just wondering if you'd be willing to come and get me.

　Laura turned over and muttered a gurgle.

'You have surprisingly good taste in girls.'
"Surprised?
'No, no, no, not really. Girls are like girls at any age.
Goo-ha!

　Laura clutched her chest painfully and repeated her wild breathing.

'What are you going to do about the chase?'
No, I was just saying, like, a woman never forgets her dreaming heart, no matter how old she gets.
...Ugugu.
Stop, Laura has zero HP.

　I don't think I'm old enough to care about my age, but if you think about it, maybe I shouldn't be halfway through the year.

''What about you........what do you think?''
I've got it.

　Fene said, somewhat proudly.

'Is that so?'
Yeah.
Isn't that too much to ask?
Not really.

　After saying that, Fene turned his attention to Makoto.

'When I was in debt, I was wondering if someone could help me out~'
Isn't that wrong?
It's the same. They helped me, I'm out of debt... it's perfect.
I see.

　Satisfied, Liv crossed her arms and nodded.

'So that means I am too?
Ew.
Don't I?　Mako saved me in a pinch.
Well, that's good to know.

　Liv said as if she was miffed, and Fene easily affirmed it.

''Well come to think of it, so do Shelly and Laura.
Backwards. Backwards.
What?
I met Master Makoto before you did.
'Yes, yes, so did Laura and Shelly. Shelly beat me to it, though.
Ugh!

　Laura grunted again as Yuka blurted out.
　There seemed to be a minefield in Laura's mind as well.

'And so does Yuka!'
You're right, I could use the help.

　Yuka raised her eyebrows and touched her temples.

'And Mako-san appeared in a pinch in style.
Well, it wasn't too bad-looking.

　Yuka was anything but crisp.

'Love?'
I'm gonna put you down...
Does that happen to you, Makoto-san?

　Fujika ignored Yuka and turned the conversation over to Makoto.

'Is that what you mean?'
Like a boy at any age ... stuff.
That's the story.

　I'm going to go into it, in case you were wondering.

Like a safe house?
My pa ... my dad said there's a hideaway or not, too.
I thought this wasn't your mistress' house?
It's too rude!

　Fujika's voice trailed off at Yuka's words.

'There wasn't a store like that. But I've always wanted to go somewhere far away.'
Like an adventurous spirit?
I just wanted to get away from it all. And then I realized...
Hmm. What do you want?
Not for wanting to go somewhere far away, but for wanting to go somewhere where no one knows who you are.
No, no, that's not a good response.
You know, it happens.
I don't have any hope.

　I swallowed the words, "There's no such thing in the beginning.

'There's no such thing in Mako's life.
Well, I can't imagine that's too much to ask.
'Mako is a struggling person who couldn't go to college because of her parents' debt, got a job after graduating from high school, and spent ten years paying off her debt. He's a different class of person than you.
Why are you so proud of yourself?

　Hmph, I'll shove it at Yuka, who sniffs proudly.

''Besides, I'm living a life of tears, tears to hear and talk about how the debts caused you to break up with your girlfriend and by the time you finished paying them off, your energy was atrophied.
Well, I feel sorry for you, Makoto.
But it's okay.

　It's better than no sympathy.

''Well it would have been nice if your father was the president of the company where Makoto worked.
You said no erotic talk.
I'm not talking about pornography!
"-Oh!

　Fujika's face turned red and she yelled at him, and Fujika narrowed her neck.

'So, but with that development, yeah, like there's only an erotic development?
'Geez, there's a development. God, it's disgusting to hear a young lady from a good family talk about how pink her fantasies are.
I'm sort of embarrassed, you know?
I know you're sorry to hear that, Makoto.
I'm grateful to the boss for that, though, right?
What?　Are you nuts?
'I'm not an idiot. I owe you a debt of gratitude for hiring me during the employment ice age, and it's not like the boss was harassing me for power.

　I thought he was an idiot when he said he was going to turn a complaint into an inspiration, and I was unhappy with his treatment and the nature of the company, but he was a benefactor.

'This is why the company's bastards. So you won't get your revenge even if this guy is the CEO's daughter?
I'm willing to help you for once.

　Well, the president's daughter is already in the business, so it's a meaningless question - but it's a meaningless one.

'Just once?　You owe me a favor, don't you?
One time is enough.

　You owe me zero for this.

For a guy who says he owes me a favor, that's pretty light.
If you had your eye on me, I'd try harder. That's about it.
Well, yeah.

　Yuka showed a slight pretense of distress before nodding.

''Then it's time to--''
"I need a minute!

　Fene raised his hand.
　She clutched the bottle, but--'

I bought a bottle of nourishing medicine (Stamina Potion). Of course, I've already replenished the magic items.
How did you have time to buy it?
I used the name Black Flame.

　Mufu, Fene let out a snort.

''How much was it?''
"500 A per bottle.
That's a lot of money.
Are you sure you're okay to give this to Fujica?
That's why I got it.

　Fene walked over to Fujica and handed her a nourishing potion.

'Thanks and all!'
It's your duty to take care of the newcomers.

　Fujica tucked the nourishing medicine into her pouch.

''You're here to mount me for the sake of clarity.
...you are...

　I get a headache from the effects of the Yuca filter.

'Alright, let's go this time.'
All right. Luno Cuesta Agata--

　Yuka readies her staff and begins to chant.

'Manifest!　Transfer (teleportation)!

　The spell was completed and Mako was overcome with dizziness.