episode_0043

The rain falls.

The sky is covered with clouds, blocking the light, and the birds hide under the roofs to avoid the rain.

On days like this, even I feel like doing nothing and just rolling around in my room.

Just a moment ago, my head was spinning at the thought of going to school.

Thanks to the chaos caused by Shadi yesterday, they say the academy is closed today.

Perhaps it’s because of traces of dark magic that they decided to cancel classes.

Anyway, I couldn’t rest properly and felt tired.

They say we will resume classes normally starting tomorrow, so let’s rest well today.

However, Elisha hasn’t come out of the room.

I can’t sleep even though I want to.

Even when I try to sleep on the sofa, Shadi has already dozed off leaning on the armrest of the sofa.

So I can’t sleep on the sofa or the bed.

“Ha, I can’t kick her out either. I guess she’ll have to stay in my room for a while.”

Shadi must be really shocked.

She must have been tired from yesterday’s events.

Let’s just let her sleep.

I took a blanket from my inventory and covered her with it.

Shadi was wearing only a shirt that was too big for her, so she looked a bit cold.

– Purr, purr

After covering her with the blanket, she seemed to relax, making cat-like sounds as she slept comfortably.

“Just looking at her like this, she seems like an ordinary girl.”

That’s why the surrounding environment is really important.

If she hadn’t lost her family and if demons and humans had good relations, wouldn’t she also have attended this academy?

Although she’s called a descendant of demons, in the end, we are all the same people.

Anyway, even though I want to sleep, I’m not allowed to rest in peace.

I knocked on the door of Elisha who wouldn’t come out of the room and said,

“Elisha, I have something to tell you.”

– What, what is it..!

“School is canceled today. It seems to be because of what happened yesterday. Classes will resume from tomorrow.”

– Oh, really?

“Anyway, come out of the room. Are you dressed?”

– Well, that’s… not yet…

“There are clothes in the closet that you haven’t worn, so put those on quickly.”

– Oh, okay…!! Just wait a moment..!!

No, then what have you been doing in the room all this time?

It’s unreasonable. Even though I can sleep, not being able to sleep is a huge embarrassment.

After counting 60 seconds in my mind, I said to Elisha,

By now, she should have put on all the clothes.

There were quite a few clothes in the closet that I usually didn’t wear and left lying around.

From robes to coats, and even shorts, there were various clothes available.

Now she must have really put them all on.

“Elisha, I’m coming in.”

– Ah, wait a moment..!!

– Click

Hmm, you’re all dressed, right?

“You seem to be all dressed.”

“Don’t talk to me, idiot…”

Surprisingly, she was wearing normal clothes.

A loose white t-shirt and very short shorts.

Wait, I didn’t have such outfits in my room, did I?

“Elisha, where did you get those clothes from?”

“I took them out of the magic bag in my backpack.”

“I see.”

Her bag must have had some protective spell on it since it was almost intact, so she brought it with her.

After arriving at the dormitory, she kept her bag next to her, so she probably took them out from there.

But, a white t-shirt and dolphin shorts…

Although not exactly the same design, there were similar things here too.

It feels like acquiring new knowledge.

While thinking about this, she suddenly asked me,

“How do I look? Is it weird…? It’s my first time wearing these..”

“It suits you well. Your hanger is pretty, so anything you wear looks good.”

“What, what’s that supposed to mean.”

Well, I thought it was a decent comment from my perspective. Was it bad?

Anyway, Elisha got up and changed her clothes.

There’s no reason for Elisha to stay here any longer.

In short, the bed is mine.

“Elisha.”

“Yes?”

“Get out of the room.”

“?”

“‘What’s that supposed to mean?’ She had a similar expression. This is my room, and now I need to rest a bit too.”

“Well, yeah.”

“Coincidentally, the academy is also on break. Elisha, you should go back and rest as well. You probably haven’t rested properly.”

“Okay..”

She seemed somewhat disappointed after hearing my words.

“..Elisha, if you want. You can come here anytime. I’ll give you a spare key, take it.”

-Snap

“Well then, Bern. What about our engagement…”

“No, we’ll keep the engagement going. For both your sake and mine. That’s for the best.”

“Fine.. I get it. I’ll head back for now. You need to rest too.”

As she finished speaking, she picked up her bag and headed towards the front door.

Just as Elisha was about to put on her shoes and leave, she turned back to me and asked, “Oh, by the way, Bern, what happened to the school uniform I used to wear?”

“It was in pretty bad shape, so I just threw it away.”

“Oh, really? Oh well, nothing to be done about it. I have a few more sets in the room anyway. I’ll go check them out when I get back.”

“….”

Is it right to let her go like this?

I grabbed her hand as she was about to leave and said, “Wait, Elisha.”

“Huh? Why, Bern?”

“It’s kind of funny to say this now, but I’m on your side. So, if you ever have a hard time, just tell me.”

“Hehe. Bern, what’s gotten into you?”

She started laughing loudly, tears welling up in her eyes unexpectedly.

After wiping her eyes with her hands, she continued, “Bern, now that I have someone I can talk to openly, you suddenly become affectionate? You’re saying the same things you told me before.”

“…..”

“Well, Bern. Thanks. Thanks for being honest with me. I’m on your side too. Just trust me! Hehe,” she said, laughing softly.

I guess I should respond as well.

“Thank you, Elisha.”

“…Well, Bern, let’s catch up later~.”

With those words, she pushed my hand away and left.

-Thud

She’s gone.

I couldn’t just let her go, even if it felt a bit awkward.

Seeing her trembling hand, I couldn’t just let her leave.

No, I didn’t want to let her go.

I didn’t want to see her struggling.

I wanted to say something that would give her strength.

Fortunately, it seemed to have worked, as she appeared to be feeling better.

“Phew, now I can really relax.”

Returning to the living room and looking out the window, I noticed the dark clouds slowly clearing up, and the heavy rain had stopped.

The sun, hidden behind the clouds, began to rise.

….

“Hmm… What time is it now?”

Next to the bed, I looked at the clock on the table.

It was 9:35 AM.

I woke up after sleeping for about 4 hours.

“Hmm….”

Should I sleep a little more?

No, maybe I should drink some water first.

After waking up from sleep, my throat felt incredibly dry.

-Hehehe, heh

I could hear some strange humming, maybe it’s just my mood.

Ignoring it, I headed to the living room.

As I walked, scratching my messy hair with my right hand and rubbing my stomach with my left, I felt at ease knowing that Shady was the only one in the living room.

Or so I thought.

“….”

“Elisha, what are you doing here?”

Elisha, wearing an apron, was preparing something in the kitchen.

The delicious smell indicated that whatever she was making must be really tasty.

“I hurt my hand, so I thought it would be difficult to cook… I tried making something myself.”

“I see.”

“Come and eat with me.”

“Sure.”

“Shadi, did you say Shadi? I’ve been awake the whole time, you know. Come and eat too. It won’t taste good if it gets cold.”

“…Got it.”

And so, a very peculiar combination was born.

“I’ll enjoy this meal.”

“I’ll… enjoy this meal…”

“Yes, eat plenty. There’s still a lot left.”

The food spread out on the table was quite diverse.

From potato soup to sandwiches, pickles, and even orange juice.

There was even steak cooked that cost 100,000 coins per kilogram!

The smell and visuals resembled those seen on video platforms in the past.

With the sizzling sound of cooking, just looking at it made one salivate.

Wait, can I really eat all of this?

Did Elisha really make all of this by herself?

Was Elisha’s cooking skill that good?

Well, I’m hungry, so let’s start eating.

First, the tender, freshly grilled steak.

I pick up a perfectly sliced piece of steak with my fork and take a bite.

“!!”

“!!”

Shadi also takes a bite and seems quite surprised, her eyes widening.

Oh… wow.

“Hehe. Bern, how is it?”

“It’s incredibly delicious. So delicious that it almost feels wasteful to eat.”

As soon as the meat enters my mouth, it starts to melt.

It was already well-seasoned, with just the right balance of savory and flavorful tastes.

The meat wasn’t tough at all; it melted like cotton candy!

Unable to contain my curiosity, I asked her.

“Elisha, did you really make all of this by yourself?”

“Yeah, I put in some effort after a long time.”

Nodding at her words, I started tasting the other dishes as well.

“….”

“….”

As some time passed, Shadi and I couldn’t say a word.

The food was so delicious, it felt like someone had made it with love.

Eating such a warm home-cooked meal was a rare treat.

I couldn’t say anything.

It seemed Shadi felt the same way, alternating between looking at the food and Elisha, her mouth agape.

Still, I should thank Elisha for her hard work.

“Elisha.”

“Yeah, how was it?”

“It was amazing. I might not be able to eat any other food from now on.”

“Really? Thanks for enjoying it~. I might have made some mistakes since it’s been a while.”

She was radiant.

Suddenly, it seemed like there was a halo behind Elisha as she spoke.

It was so bright that it felt impossible to look directly at her.

If it weren’t for this place…

I might have proposed to her right then and there.

Beautiful face, great personality, good at studying, and even cooks better than a chef.

A more perfect partner than her will never exist, not now or ever.

Anyway, let’s keep those thoughts to myself.

Unintentionally, my feelings slipped out a bit.

“If I could have this meal every morning, I wouldn’t have any wishes left.”

“W-what are you saying! Seriously!!”

“Hand me the plates! I’ll do the dishes!” she said grumpily.

But somehow, she seemed pleased.

Morning was drawing to a close.