kscans

Chapter 70 - Waking Up Early is Far More Than a Small Reward

"Senpa~i, it's morning. Please stop completely ignoring your alarm and wake u~p."

I was woken by a cute voice and the feeling of being shaken. Before me stood Kaede-chan in her pajamas, looking at me with a troubled expression.

"Huh? Is Kaede-chan here?"

"Of course I am. We're going to the guild together, right? Please get up."

At her words, I grabbed the smartphone from my bedside table and checked the time. It was just a little past seven o'clock.

"Seven, huh... I'm so sleepy. This futon feels so good."

"I know exactly how you feel."

Kaede-chan nodded in agreement.

"Want to sleep with me? It's warm."

"Please dispel the futon's magic. You're a witch, aren't you?"

Eleanor-san can't use magic... but oh well, I guess I'll get up.

Back in the day, when I woke up at this time, I'd feel like I wanted to die. But it's not so bad now. More than anything, I'm just happy that Kaede-chan went to the trouble of waking me up. Because that means she wants to go with me, too.

"Ah, I'm getting up."

I sat up and pushed the futon aside.

"Good morning."

As I sat up on the edge of the bed, Kaede-chan rested both elbows on the bed, cupped her cheeks with her hands, and looked up at me.

"Morning. You're cute today too, Kaede-chan."

I returned her greeting while patting her head.

"Daily mission complete. That was fast, wasn't it?"

"Well, you know."

The usual stylish Kaede-chan is cute, but the current Kaede-chan is cute too. Especially those stray strands of hair sticking out.

"Well then, I have to complete my daily mission too!"

"You already completed it just by wearing those pajamas."

So cute.

"No way. My pride as Fashion Master Kaede won't allow it."

"Kaede-chan, I think you're stylish, but you don't dress that flashy, do you?"

I feel like she showed a bit more skin and wore brighter clothes back in college.

"The Fashion Master is twenty-four years old now, you know. There's such a thing as dressing for your age..."

So she's become an adult.

"I like your current fashion better, Kaede-chan."

"Well, of course you do. I pick out clothes that I think you'll like, Senpai."

See? She's such a good girl.

"I like white clothes."

"I know. And long skirts, too. Surprisingly, you reacted better to those."

Well, she's not wrong. Short skirts are a treat for the eyes, but I prefer long skirts.

"Oh, and I like that slightly fluffy hairstyle."

The one she had when we first went for drinks after we reunited.

"Yes, yes. Let's go with that today. Now, let's get ready. I'll prepare breakfast, so you go wash your face, Senpai."

"Will do."

I stood up from the bed, went to the changing area, and washed my face at the sink.

"Cold."

But I felt like the coldness woke me up.

I dried my face with a towel and headed to the living room. Breakfast was already set on the table in front of the kitchen. The menu was white rice, salmon, and miso soup.

"Japanese style today, huh."

I took my seat and asked Kaede-chan, who had brought over some milk. She drinks milk every day.

"We had pizza yesterday, after all. Come on, it's a breakfast I poured my heart and soul into."

"You're the best, Kaede-chan. Let's eat."

We began eating our breakfast of frozen and instant foods.

"So, the plan for today is to gather Fluffy Grass at Kunaar Ruins, is that right?"

Kaede-chan confirmed as she ate her rice.

"That's right. I guess I'll look for Fluffy Grass with the Appraisal Glasses while leveling up on Skeletons. I have to defeat about a hundred of them, after all."

"Ah, that's right. One hundred for D-rank."

The condition for ranking up to D-rank that I promised Kaede-chan was to defeat about one hundred Skeletons.

"That's the plan for today. Well, I have the whole day, so I'll just take it easy."

I can't fight for a whole day. When I became an Adventurer, I raised a flag of protest against corrupt work culture. Well, I have Healing Potions, so I don't get tired anyway.

"Understood. My shift ends at five today, so please come back around then."

Five o'clock, huh. If I factor in changing and all that, the timing should be just right.

"Got it."

Having decided on the day's plan, I finished my meal, and Kaede-chan and I drank the coffee she brewed, which was a gift from Nanapon.

"Coffee in the morning is the best. But this is pretty expensive stuff. Nanaka-chan really is a spendthrift."

In the first place, a student doesn't need to be so considerate.

"She can be strangely conscientious about weird things."

"She's a very earnest girl."

I can't agree with that. Earnest girls don't cheat.

Once Kaede-chan and I finished our coffee, she stood up and started gathering the plates and cups.

"It'll take you a while to get ready, Kaede-chan, so I'll do the washing."

For guys, it's quick. We just have to put on clothes and we're done.

"Oh! You're so kind, Senpai!"

"Hmph, you may call me a super-darling."

"If you can earn billions, that alone makes you a super-darling."

I have to agree with her on that. The power of money is great indeed. Maybe I should use this power to buy a dishwasher.

"Well, you can leave the dishes to me."

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

Kaede-chan left her seat and went out of the living room, so I took the dishes to the kitchen and started washing them. It was only for two people, though, so I finished quickly.

After finishing the dishes, I returned to my room and started to get changed. Once I was done, I decided to wait for Kaede-chan in the living room.

"Sorry to keep you waiting!"

After waiting for a little while, Kaede-chan, having finished her preparations, came into the living room.

As I had requested, Kaede-chan was wearing a white sweater and a long skirt. Of course, her hair was also styled in that fluffy way, making for an incredibly cute look.

"Daily mission complete, I see."

"Hmph, this is nothing."

Kaede-chan struck a model's pose. But on the cute Kaede-chan, rather than looking cool like a professional model, it just made her look like a child playing dress-up.

"Well then, shall we go?"

"Okay. Oh, Senpai, you'll be out all day today, right? Please eat this for lunch."

With that, Kaede-chan went to the kitchen and handed me a lunch box.

"Ooh! A bento from my loving wife!"

"That's right. It's a pizza filled with love."

It's yesterday's leftovers.

"Oh well. Thanks."

I put the lunch box into my bag, which also serves as my Item Bag, and slung it over my shoulder.

"You're welcome. Now, let's go."

Kaede-chan replied, then wrapped her hand around my arm, linking us together.

"We're going like this?"

"No, just to the entrance. This is to make up for yesterday's hug."

Just to the entrance... That's so short.

"Alright, a couple's commute to work it is."

"...Well, you're not wrong, but I don't like how that sounds."

To be honest, I bet the guild staff will just think we're a stupid couple who came to work together because we live together.