kscans

Chapter 106 - Kaede-chan is Cute When She Rolls Up Her Sleeves to Do Housework

After finishing my ramen, I took a picture with the ramen shop owner, then parted ways with Claire and Harry. Once I was alone, I hurried home and decided to spend my time making and experimenting with potions until Kaede-chan got back from work.

The time ticked past six, and as the sky grew dark, Kaede-chan returned from her job, so we had dinner together.

"Senpai, is your contract with Claire-san finished now?"

Kaede-chan asked while slurping the udon I had made. The way she tucked her hair behind her ear was so feminine and lovely.

"It's all done. We did the deal in the usual taxi. I'll show you the 1.4 billion yen later."

"Ooh! Amazing! You almost never get to see 1.4 billion yen in cash, right?"

That’s certainly true. People don’t normally deal in cash. I imagine it must have been a lot of work for Claire.

"Right?"

"But Claire-san works fast, doesn't she? Did you know, Senpai? This afternoon, she already announced the sale of the Level 2 Healing Potions and an auction for the Translation Potions."

So fast! This afternoon was when we were meeting. Did she do it while we were eating ramen or something?

"She probably had it all prepared beforehand. She did say she’d already reached out to several companies and wealthy individuals."

"She must have been eager to sell them right away. It was all anyone could talk about at the Ikebukuro Guild, too."

"I bet Satsuki-san's phone was ringing off the hook."

My apologies.

"Satsuki-san took the afternoon off and ran away."

Give me back my apology.

"So you and the others had to deal with it… you poor thing."

"We just don't answer the phone…"

The Ikebukuro Guild is so laid back. Is that really okay?

"Won't you get in trouble for that later?"

"Nah, it has nothing to do with us. It's just something an A-rank adventurer from another country got from a Slime, right? We don't know anything about that."

Well, yeah. In that case, I don't know anything either. Still, I should probably finalize the deal with the department head, or rather, Yoshino-san, as soon as possible.

"I'll try giving Yoshino-san a call later."

"I think that's a good idea. Oh, by the way, I brought home some Fluffy Grass today. There are about thirty bundles."

Since it’s a pain to go gather Fluffy Grass myself, I’d put in a request for it.

"That’s quite a lot."

"Well, people can gather it in their spare time."

But this means I can make some Buff Potion (Defense). I gave all the ones I made before to Nanapon, so I was running low.

"I'll make some later… Ah, I need to look for Sparkling Grass and Silken Grass, too."

"Maybe you could find them on Mireille Road? There are plants growing all over the place there, right?"

Mireille Road has a path, but the rest is just rivers and grasslands, so there are plenty of plants.

"Last time, I didn't really have a chance to look, and we left pretty quickly."

The time I went with Yoshino-san and Lin-san was my first time on Mireille Road, and I couldn't search with them watching. The second time, with Nanapon, was her first time, and I had just leveled up and unlocked Level 3 Healing Potions, so it wasn't really the right atmosphere to be looking for Sparkling Grass or Silken Grass.

"Want to go look for some?"

"Nanapon said she wanted to go to Frontier tomorrow, so maybe I will…"

She contacted me this evening. Apparently, Nanapon wants to level up, too. I put her on hold because I didn't know Kaede-chan's work schedule.

"I think that's a good idea. I'm curious about the other buff potions, too."

Well, so am I. I don't know if they increase strength or speed, but I am a little curious.

"What about you, Kaede-chan? Do you have work tomorrow?"

"I do."

Alright, I guess I'll go then.

I took out Eleanor-san’s phone and sent a message to Nanapon.

'Looks like Kaede-chan is working tomorrow too, so I'm in.'

'Yay! Then let's go in the afternoon!'

Nanapon is as quick to reply as ever.

"Eleanor-san and Nanapon are going tomorrow afternoon."

"Roger that. And thank you for the meal. You're a great cook, Senpai."

Kaede-chan seemed to have finished her udon.

"Well, I'm pretty good at boiling noodles, you know."

"Ooh, amazing! We're so alike."

Sure we are. I imagine most people can boil noodles.

"I'm good at pasta, too, you know."

And Kaede-chan is good at ordering delivery.

"Me too, with soba! Senpai, I'll do the dishes, so please go call Yoshino-san."

"Okay, I'll leave it to you then."

"You can count on me!"

Kaede-chan is such a good wife. I mean, she's cheerful and cute.

Leaving the dishes to Kaede-chan, I headed to the sofa, picked up Okita-kun's phone, and sat down. I operated the phone and called Yoshino-san, and the ringing stopped after just a few calls.

'Hello?'

Of course, the voice belonged to Yoshino-san.

"Good evening. Is now a good time to talk?"

'Ah, it's you, Okita-kun… It's fine. I'm at home right now.'

She must have been wondering if it was me or Eleanor-san.

"This number is mine."

'So that's how I should think of it?'

"Basically, think of us as different people. And please, never think you sense me when you're talking with Eleanor-san."

You absolutely must not think, Man, he's talking like a girl, but that's just Okita-kun underneath.

'Hmm… I'll try my best.'

"Please do. Oh, so, the reason I called is that I finalized the contract with Claire today."

'I know. Claire made an announcement. Thanks to that, the department head has been swamped with phone calls.'

That department head is a serious guy.

"I heard Satsuki-san ran away."

'I know that, too. The department head was furious. He was all, ‘That vixen!’'

Can't be helped.

"Sounds like it would be better to sign the contract sooner rather than later, huh?"

'I suppose so. In fact, they're rushing me.'

I knew it. Since Claire made her announcement so quickly, it looks like it was snatched out from under them. Which, to be fair, is exactly what happened.

"When's good for you? I'm ready on my end."

'We're ready too… Hey, are you at home right now?'

"I'm home. We just finished dinner… Wait, are you thinking of coming over?"

'I want to get the contract done quickly, and I don't want anyone seeing me and Eleanor together at a time like this.'

Well, she is technically hiding the fact that she's one of the department head's subordinates.

"Just a moment…"

I pressed the hold button on my phone.

"Kaede-chan, Yoshino-san wants to come over now to do the contract."

I called out to Kaede-chan in the kitchen.

"I don't mind."

She seems to be fine with it. If I were in her shoes, I wouldn't want another woman coming over to the house. I wonder if this is just a difference in our personalities? Well, Yoshino-san did come over before…

"She says it's okay."

I took the phone off hold and gave Yoshino-san the go ahead.

'Ah, so you were checking with Kaede…'

"Yeah. Kaede-chan might get jealous, after all."

'Hmm… Well, maybe.'

She totally thinks Kaede-chan wouldn't.

"Normally, she wouldn't?"

'I can see you getting jealous. You seem like the type to get extremely jealous.'

"What's wrong with that?"

'I think it's fine. Some girls like that sort of thing… though I don't.'

I don't care what you think. She's getting cocky just because she's got a pretty face and a big chest. I'll never yield to her!

"I'll try to tone it down. Don't want her to start hating me."

'Well, there are limits to everything… It's seven now… I think I'll get there around eight, is that okay?'

"That's fine."

'Alright, I'll head over once I'm ready. If possible, I'd prefer to deal with Okita-kun. Eleanor is a little scary.'

Well, there's no reason to become Eleanor-san, so I'll stay as I am, but she's saying the opposite of Nanapon.

"She's not scary."

'No, I can't tell what she's thinking, she's creepy, so she's scary. In that respect, you're easy to read.'

We're the same person, though…

"I don't really get it, but okay. I'll wait for you just like this."

'Yeah, alright, wait for me then.'

With that, Yoshino-san hung up.

"Kaede-chan."

I called out to Kaede-chan, who had finished the dishes and was now wiping the table with a cloth, sticking out her proud posterior.

"What is it?"

Kaede-chan replied without looking at me.

"Is Eleanor-san scary?"

"She can be scary sometimes. But there are also times I think, what an idiot."

How mean.

"When do you think I'm an idiot?"

"Early Noa, when you were completely giddy and blinded by money."

What the heck is Early Noa…

"Hmm… So, am I easy to read?"

"You're staring at my butt right now, aren't you, Senpai!"

Even though she wasn't looking at me, Kaede-chan guessed that I was staring at her butt.

"Amazing!"

"What's amazing is what's going on in your head…"

"Kaede-chan, you have a nicely shaped butt."

"I know, right!"

Kaede-chan turned around with a huge smile on her face.

What's going on in your head is pretty amazing, too.