kscans

Chapter 37 - I Want to Secretly Hold Hands

Nanapon and I passed through the Gate, returned to the Guild, and walked back to the reception desk to meet Kaede-chan.

"I'm back."

"Ah, Senpai, welcome back!"

When I greeted Kaede-chan, she replied with a cute greeting of her own.

"Who are these people...?"

Nanapon muttered something behind me.

"Oh, Nanaka-chan, welcome back too. I'm glad you were able to meet up safely."

Kaede-chan greeted Nanapon as well.

"Did you know about this too, Kaede-chan?"

I asked, pointing at Nanapon.

"No, Nanaka-chan came after you left, Senpai. We heard about it from the Guild Master together in her office in the back."

So Kaede-chan didn't know either. Well, she would have told me if she did.

"I see. I have some complaints, but I'll save them for tomorrow. I have some things to report, so I'll come with Nanapon tomorrow."

Eleanor-san will be the one coming, but I can just contact them later.

"Nanapon? A raccoon dog?"

"...See, people think I'm a raccoon dog. I'm not fat..."

Do raccoon dogs have a fat image? Besides, Nanapon is slender, not fat at all. She's smaller than Kaede-chan.

"Senpai?"

As I was staring at Nanapon's chest, Kaede-chan's voice turned cold.

"Ah, Kaede-chan, let's go get dinner today!"

"...I have to work overtime."

Ah, crap.

"I'll wait. What time?"

"Around eight, maybe?"

"Okay, I'll come around then."

"Really? Then I'll hurry up and finish my work."

Yes, yes.

"Ah, here, I'm returning this."

I handed over my sword and Status Card.

"Ah, me too."

Nanapon handed over her staff and Status Card as well.

"I'll take these. Now, if you please, your earnings for today."

At Kaede-chan's request, I took out a large number of skeleton swords and had them tallied up. Once that was done, I decided to head home for a bit and walked with Nanapon to the station.

"Um, are you two really not dating?"

Nanapon asked as we walked together.

"Me and Kaede-chan? We've never talked about it."

I don't just want to date her, I want her to be my wife. And Kaede-chan said she'd be my parasite for life.

"I see..."

"Is there something bothering you?"

"No, it's just that Okita-san's mood suddenly lifts, and Asakura-san speaks in a sweet voice I've never heard before, so I was wondering who these two people were."

Hmm.

"What's Kaede-chan usually like?"

"A capable older sister? Something like that."

Capable? An older sister? Her? Hmph...

"Who is that?"

"No, that's what I just told you. I was wondering if it's because you're in a relationship."

"Then you can just assume we're dating."

That's right, we are dating. She's been to my apartment, and we went on a trip to Hokkaido together. And we're going to live together soon. That means we're dating, that's correct.

"Somehow, this is scary..."

"This is what it means to be an adult."

"Adults are weird. What about a confession?"

Leave me alone. I'd fall apart if she rejected me. Just when I was starting to heal thanks to money and Kaede-chan's healing power.

After that, I walked with Nanapon to the station, where we parted ways, and I took the train home.

When I got home, I made a large quantity of Level 2 Healing Potions and put them in my bag. When it was about time, I took a shower, changed, and headed back to the Guild.

I arrived at the Guild around seven-thirty to find that the media who had been milling around in front were gone, and in their place, Kaede-chan was waiting.

Along with Satsuki-san...

"Kaede-chan, you're pretty early."

I walked up to Kaede-chan and called out to her.

"I worked hard!"

Kaede-chan puffed out her chest.

Yes, cute. And a sight for sore eyes. This is healing power.

"Shall we go, then?"

"Let's."

Kaede-chan and I started walking towards the izakaya we went to before.

"The nearby izakaya? It's a good time, I'll go too."

..................

"Why are you here?"

I looked at Satsuki-san, who was following us even though I was trying to ignore her.

"You're going for a drink, right? I'll come along."

"No, go home. You have videos to watch, don't you?"

"Well, I'm sorry about the Yokokawa thing. I wanted to talk about that a bit, so let's go. It's on your boss."

Is this woman trying to steal my right to treat Kaede-chan? Don't take away my one and only weapon, money. That said, I do want to hear about the Nanapon situation, and there's the matter of the Level 2 Healing Potions... Alright, I'll ditch her at the second bar.

"Well then, I guess we'll go."

"I suppose we have no choice."

Kaede-chan and I reluctantly agreed, and the three of us headed to that izakaya. We started walking and arrived at the izakaya in less than five minutes.

We were led by a staff member to a private room with just seats. Kaede-chan and I sat next to each other, and Satsuki-san sat across from us. It was a fresh feeling to have Kaede-chan sitting next to me, and I was thinking it was nice, but Satsuki-san across from us was staring intently at me and Kaede-chan.

"What is it?"

"Well, it's the same in the branch manager's office, but you two just naturally sit next to each other. Shouldn't Kaede be over here?"

"She belongs over here. Next to me."

We're lovers!

"It doesn't matter either way, does it? Guild Master, what would you like to drink?"

"Don't call me Guild Master. It makes the sake taste bad."

"Then, Satsuki-san, what would you like to drink?"

"A draft beer."

"Okay."

Kaede-chan called over a waiter and ordered three draft beers.

"Guh... She ordered without even asking what Okita-kun wanted. I don't like this feeling."

The one with the bad feeling is clearly you.

"You start with a draft beer."

Though I stick with draft beer the whole time.

"Satsuki-san, you've been really annoying lately."

Even Kaede-chan was finally complaining.

"Hmph!"

This woman is hopeless...

Soon after, the draft beers arrived, so we toasted and started drinking.

"So what was that about Nanapon? You could have at least said something."

I took a sip of beer and asked Satsuki-san.

"Nanapon? Yokokawa... Nanaka. Ah, Nanapon. I see... Well, actually, right after I had you look at the Status Card, I contacted Nanapon."

Satsuki-san is calling her Nanapon too.

"Right away?"

"I thought sooner was better. She surrendered immediately and spilled everything. She begged me over the phone, 'I'll do anything, just please don't tell my parents and the university.'"

So it really was an adult manga situation.

"And that's why she's with me? She was spouting some nonsense about teaching me."

Don't underestimate me.

"Yeah, well, that was just a bonus. The real reason was I wanted her to be Eleanor's eyes."

"Eyes?"

"Yeah. Nanapon's Clairvoyance is pretty amazing. So she can help you avoid any weirdos in Frontier."

It's true that when we were together today, she found monsters for me and told me where other Adventurers were.

"I see. That might actually be a good idea. Senpai, or rather, Eleanor-san can be a bit of a klutz."

Kaede-chan laughed.

"No, I'm not."

"Weren't you messing up all over the place at first?"

"I just got a little carried away."

"Riiight."

Kaede-chan laughed again.

"Tch! Ah, you two want another round?"

As Kaede-chan and I were talking, Satsuki-san, who had finished her beer mug, asked.

So fast! She must have chugged it. Also, stop clicking your tongue.

"Yes, please."

Satsuki-san ordered two more draft beers, and the waiter brought them over right away, so we started on our second glasses.

"What happened after that?"

I continued the conversation while drinking my second beer.

"For the time being, I told her to team up with Okita-kun, but she said she needed some time to think. Well, I wasn't in a hurry at the time, so I thought it was fine. Then I got busy with the sale of the Healing Potions and preparations for the auction, and I completely forgot about Nanapon."

Hey!

"Don't forget..."

"That's terrible."

Even Kaede-chan was blaming her boss.

"My bad, my bad. Then, just before noon today, I got a call from her, and she said it would be okay if it was Eleanor-san. For a moment, I had no idea what she was talking about."

"Apparently, that girl is my stalker."

"I thought she was going a bit far too, but it made the explanation easier. So, please take care of Nanapon. While you're at it, train her and aim for A-rank together. You two with your rare skills can do it. Show up Yoshino, who spouted off about how she couldn't grow or earn money at this guild."

Her personal grudge is intense.

"Well, I don't know if we can make it to A-rank, but I'll do my best. That kid was bragging about being D-rank today, and it really ticked me off."

"Ah, come to think of it, she was D-rank, wasn't she."

"She stopped coming right after she made D-rank."

Well, well.

"Considering her blank period, wouldn't it be better to demote her to E-rank?"

Drop her, drop her.

"I think that would be better too."

That's my Kaede-chan!

"Hmm... I guess I'll do that."

Yes!