Chapter 6
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 6
Chapter Title: How to Get Close to a Witch
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I'd decided to get a little 'creepy' on purpose.
Why, like someone who used to sleep in every morning but suddenly heads to the bus stop early to match the time their crush goes to school.
Or receiving a birthday gift they don't particularly like but smiling brightly and saying it's more appreciated than the others.
Or blurting out "I like that too-" despite no overlapping hobbies.
That kind of creepy stuff, right?
The creepy desperation of flailing around to somehow win someone's favor.
My first meeting with Neria had been the worst, but put another way, that meant it couldn't sink much lower.
She probably still had me pegged in her head as something like 'the civil servant dying to creampie a witch'... So for now, the goal was to tack on at least one positive descriptor.
Like 'a lowly race with tastes similar to mine.'
Or 'perverted but actually kind.'
'My obedient pet'... wasn't totally bad either.
After devouring the comics in the room for a good while...
I'd produced a short research finding.
"Doesn't the genre lack too much consistency?"
I'd investigated the bookshelf in hopes of getting a glimpse of Neria's tastes, but contrary to expectations, the comics were excessively diverse.
One was a rom-com. Another was a mystery. Yet another a typical shonen battle manga.
That alone was dizzying, but there were even sports-themed ones mixed in.
This felt less like peeking at Neria's preferences and more like someone had just hauled over a random bookstore shelf.
My head throbbed as a result.
"Hoo."
Still too early to lose heart, though.
She might just like comics, period.
In that case, there had to be her own way of enjoying them.
So maybe showing her me reading comics with genuine fun—
I was pondering a performance for Neria when, as I tidied the stack beside me...
"...Wait."
Suddenly, one of 'Neria's hobbies' I'd seen back at the office nagged at me.
One was definitely gaming. The other... comics? I wasn't sure.
After racking my brain for a bit with no clear recall, I pulled out my smartphone.
"...It says 'reading books' here."
The personnel file photo I'd saved of Neria.
No mention of comics in the hobbies section.
Just vague, catch-all phrasing.
...I'd ignored the densely packed 'things Neria hates' below for now and turned off the screen.
"Hmm."
In hindsight, I'd naturally assumed she liked comics and had stocked them here accordingly.
No extra explanation needed—that felt the most straightforward, didn't it?
Otherwise, why would comics be in her house?
At most, a few study-related books, like anyone else.
But reconsidering now, she'd never once said she liked comics.
Games seemed legit from her reactions, but zero mentions of comics.
So where'd these come from?
Couldn't easily chalk it up to magic, right?
"......"
I sat on the soft bed, pondering briefly.
Then I picked up one comic I hadn't reshelved yet.
It starred a boy who tore apart demons with a chainsaw while turning into a drooling mess around girls.
Anyone else, maybe—but it didn't scream 'Neria's favorite.'
I checked the second comic next. Then the third.
Same story.
A subtle mismatch for something she'd supposedly like.
"......"
And one more nagging detail.
I hadn't thought of it before, but the comics were in near-pristine condition.
Less 'well-maintained' and more 'recently bought.'
"......Not certain, but..."
That line of thought naturally led me to replay our first meeting.
Neria, over the intercom, had been kinder than expected.
I'd braced for 'fuck off,' but she'd just asked me to wait a moment.
She'd scorned me as a male prostitute later, sure—but still kinder than I'd thought.
Specifically, she'd cared about my well-being.
Whether I got fired or not shouldn't have mattered to her. Yet she'd considered ways for us both to thrive.
For a 'haughty apprentice witch,' that made her pretty saintly.
Preparing a room for me.
Telling me to nap comfortably.
When I grasped at gaming to connect, holding her temper and telling me to scram to that room.
Even coming to wake me after about three hours.
Looking at each one...
"...Hmm."
This girl—just a bit foul-mouthed...
Isn't actually super nice...?
A tailored strategy for Neria wasn't hard then.
The greatest weakness of a kind person? Nothing beats exploiting their pity for others' suffering.
A few days later, kneel before her, spin a tale of getting busted lying and facing dismissal.
Layer on the tragic backstory, empty bank balance, crocodile tears—and boom, 'Ah, damn... fine, just once!'
Easy solve.
"But this feels a bit..."
Doing something bad while knowing the truth sat uneasy with me.
I shelved it as a last resort and decided to test my hunch today by taking the long way around.
"Yo, male prostitute. Three hours up."
True to yesterday, Neria knocked and entered right on the mark.
Opening without waiting for a reply was pure witch—but always knocking first was pure Neria. I nearly laughed.
Managed to keep my expression neutral.
I closed the comic I'd staged open for effect and cautiously asked the Neria before me.
"Witch Lady. One question..."
"Out of nowhere? What?"
"These comics you prepared in the room. They're not your usual reads—you got them just for me, right?"
"Yeah. Figured you'd get bored."
"...Aha."
...But her admitting it so straightforwardly nearly left me speechless instead.
"Saw them all. Wasn't into comics much, but plenty of fun ones."
"Good. Internet said guys like that stuff. I prefer novels myself. Ngh..."
They really were bought for the guy stuck in this room.
That old saying 'kids are sweet' fit a girl like Neria perfectly.
As I chuckled awkwardly amid stray thoughts, she approached with a light stretch and snatched the comic from my hands.
Well, it was hers to begin with, so not really 'snatched.'
"You like this stuff? Some rom-com..."
"Turned out fun reading it."
"Yeah...?"
Part truth, but the real reason for picking that genre was bigger...
No need to hide it.
It was all because of Neria right here.
Truth be told, I leaned toward sweat-and-passion sports or ones starting with humans sliced like bugs.
But those wouldn't help chat with Neria.
...Unlike them, a rom-com gave at least some talking points.
That simple reason for holding that comic.
"Recommend you try it later, Neria. Fun up to where I read."
"...For real? You don't seem the type..., ...Still, last time I checked, rom-coms ranked high for guys."
"Haha..."
...What? Implying my face doesn't match rom-coms?
I pondered how to take that as she flipped through the pages right in front of me.
If luck held, maybe this'd spark her curiosity about the opposite sex...
"Ew. Cringe."
"......"
Nope.
Resigned, Neria thrust the comic at me.
Like offloading an unwanted bungeoppang bag.
"You said it was fun? Want it?"
"Appreciate it, but no real spot at home. And leaving it rolling around feels tough under your watchful eye."
"Such smooth talk... Sigh. Fine. You'll be coming here regularly anyway."
"Thank you."
Couldn't rely on luck anyway.
Plus, I'd always seen myself as unlucky, so no real disappointment.
...Friendship with Neria could build meticulously, slowly anyway.
Surprisingly, she was one of the nicer witches—just rough around the mouth.
This modest gain was plenty to be grateful for.
"Makes me realize you're way kinder than I first guessed, Neria."
"Right? Finally opened your eyes?"
"Yes. Other witches wouldn't bother with comics or what you just said—those little things."
"I'm a top-tier witch, told ya. Got it? Now nail the acting I asked for. If Master questions you direct, just say you're trying hard but no progress."
"Something like 'strong intent to get used to men, but no advancement yet'?"
"Yeah. Close enough."
"Understood, Apprentice Witch."
"Good good. Finally getting through."
I buttered her up maximally, bowing and scraping. Satisfied with the inferior one's attitude, Neria nodded with arms crossed under her chest.
...Unfortunately prominent chest drew my eyes naturally, but luckily she was too busy nodding happily to notice.
Had she, my rating would've plummeted ten notches.
I quickly recovered my gaze before she caught on and tried squeezing in one more exchange before getting booted.
"By the way, what novels do you like...?"
"Huh? Not telling. You'd just fake common ground again."
"N-no, just curious."
"Yeah, right. Gimme 10 seconds—out. Gonna game now."
Regrettably,
Day 2's harvest ended there.