Simple Pleasures (2)
Simple Pleasures (2)
Two weeks into the vacation.
The weather was slightly muggy.
The sound of cicadas riding the heat-laden breeze announced that summer had begun in earnest.
"You're here."
It was past lunchtime when I visited the temple of the God of Amusement with Claire. Lee Ye-sol, having been informed beforehand and waiting, greeted us casually.
"Hehehe."
When she raised her head, Lee Ye-sol noticed that Claire and I were holding hands and gave her characteristic sly smile.
Sensing that Claire's body temperature was starting to rise through our clasped hands, I naturally let go.
"The items."
"Please wait a moment. And Executor."
Lee Ye-sol, who had been about to go upstairs, turned her head and called to Claire.
"I have something important to pass on."
"...I recall I finished processing all the reports. Is it urgent?"
"Well. You could say that."
"Understood."
Claire gave me a slight bow of her head, then followed Lee Ye-sol up to the second floor.
Thirty minutes later.
"My apologies. The conversation with the Executor went on longer than expected."
"It's fine."
I received a bag full of Slime Queen Essence from Lee Ye-sol, who had come back downstairs alongside Claire, whose earlobes were flushed red.
"Claire."
"......Yes?"
She had been wearing a pensive expression ever since coming downstairs. Now she blinked and looked up.
Without another word, I extended my hand toward Claire.
"Ah, I'm sor—......urgh...."
"It seems you're aware of it now."
"......Y-yes."
She barely stopped herself from apologizing out of habit, gave a small nod, and placed her palm over my upturned hand.
"Keep buying Essence whenever it appears on the market."
"I will do so."
"Then I will visit again next week."
"Take your time going back."
Lee Ye-sol smiled slyly and bowed her head.
"Ah, Executor."
"......What."
I paused briefly, and Claire turned her head to answer somewhat curtly. Lee Ye-sol then covered her mouth with her hand and continued.
"I will send the items along with the children."
"Th-that...!! I-I said I didn't need it...!!"
Claire had suddenly gotten indignant and was about to flail, but then realized her left hand was intertwined with mine. She hastily closed her parted lips and lowered her raised hand.
"Hoho~ Then I shall see you next week."
"Urgh......."
A groan escaped Claire's tightly shut lips.
Leaving behind Lee Ye-sol, who still loved teasing her superior, I walked out of the temple with Claire. The moment we stepped outside, the burning sun and wind hit us with intensity.
Hwoosh.
I drew in the ambient mana and blocked the unpleasant heat and wind.
"Claire."
"......Yes?"
She had been grinding her teeth silently until we left the Street of Light and reached a fork in the road, then flinched and looked up.
"I think you mentioned the snacks had run out."
"Ah, th-that's right. The children keep coming and going, so they run out so quickly... But it's not so urgent that we need to buy them now. There are still some left, so I can go alone later—"
"Enough. I don't see why we should bother going out again when we can take care of it while we're already here."
"Urrr...."
The times I'd forced her to smile had clearly taken effect, seeing her struggle so desperately to hold back an apology.
Unable to find a suitable word to replace "sorry," Claire was left grumbling to herself, and I led her to the mart used by students.
There was a larger shopping mall among the central amenities, but since we were only buying light snacks, the mart was enough.
"Welco......?"
Stepping through the slowly opening automatic doors, the employee at the counter started greeting us and then froze.
-Whoa.......
-It's a date, right?
Some students who were still on campus using the facilities noticed us and started whispering among themselves.
'Seeing this, she's not a bad actress.'
Once inside the mart, Claire had already hardened her expression and was looking straight ahead with her characteristic cold gaze. If one looked closely, they might notice her earlobes and the back of her neck were flushed crimson, but I doubted any student would be bold enough to look directly at her.
"This should be enough."
Claire had filled the basket with chocolates and drinks.
"This should be fine for a week."
"...A week, huh."
They weren't even meals, yet snacks of this quantity only lasted a week.
"D-d-do you need a bag...?"
While Claire paid, my gaze happened to land on the instant coffee boxes lined up beside the counter.
"130,000... huh?"
The employee was startled when a coffee box suddenly flew onto the counter.
Claire casually brought it to the barcode scanner.
"The total."
"Ah, 140,000......."
While she paid, I lifted the bag and the box of coffee I'd added using mana.
Afterward, we left the mart with the employee's farewell.
"Is there anything else to take care of?"
"...No."
With all outside errands done, I took her hand again and headed back to the mansion.
·
·
·
We crossed the maze without any particular conversation, arrived at the mansion, and opened the front door to enter.
-Peep?!
"......?"
Claire, who was about to take off her shoes and change into slippers, flinched at the Fairy's chirp beneath her feet and quickly stepped back.
It was a small accident that happened because the Fairy's presence had grown so faint that even Claire couldn't detect it without concentrating.
"Dangerous......."
-Shh!!
As the flustered Claire tried to bend down, the Fairy, which had poked its head out from under the slipper, brought a tiny finger to its even tinier lips, signaling her to be quiet.
It was easy to guess what it was doing without explanation, so I changed into my slippers and used mana to catch the Fairy hiding in Claire's footwear.
-Peek?!
The chick, still not the least bit mature, chirped and flew right into Claire's tied-up hair.
"P-Professor...?"
Claire blinked at me, flustered because I had suddenly hidden the Fairy in her hair.
-Find me?
-I hid well, right?
-Hehe, I'll tickle you a lot!!
Then, three voices echoed loudly through the hallway.
Thinking that was explanation enough, I left the dazed Claire and walked with the bags to the kitchen.
"Whoa?!"
"Oh, you're back...?"
"Ah......."
Just then, the three of them were coming out of a room and each reacted differently upon seeing me.
"Don't mind me. Keep doing what you were doing."
"...Is it okay to go into the study?"
"Yes."
"Phew......."
Once I gave permission, Baek Ha-na let out a sigh of relief.
After that, while I was setting down the bags in the kitchen, I heard the children greeting Claire. Soon after, Claire came into the kitchen.
-Heehee.
The Fairy poked its head out through Claire's long tied-back hair and smiled innocently.
-Where are they?
-She hid well, don't you think?
-Maybe she's hiding in the bedroom again.
As the children's voices drew near, the Fairy ducked back into Claire's hair.
They searched only wrong places, never dreaming the Fairy was hidden in Claire's hair.
Meanwhile, Claire organized the snacks from the bag into the cupboard and finished lining up the drinks in the refrigerator.
-Peeheehee~!
Only after we entered the study did the Fairy sneakily reveal itself and land on the desk. Then it stretched out its tiny hands toward me and chirped demandingly.
-Pwease~!
Having learned some words from the children and Claire over the past few days, the creature now had some grasp of polite speech, and its eyes sparkled.
-Fank you!!
After receiving the Slime Queen Essence from me, the Fairy bowed deeply, then plopped down on the floor, clutching the jelly to its chest, and nibbled.
-Piuung~
Claire watched with a complicated expression as the Fairy puffed out both cheeks and nibbled the jelly. But only for a moment.
Tap, tap.
She pulled out her smartphone from her pocket and began filming the Fairy eating the jelly. She probably already had several videos of the same angle and scene, but she didn't stop recording, just like I kept a journal about Baek Ha-na.
Swiish.
When the Fairy had eaten about half the jelly, the study door slid open and Baek Ha-na poked her head in.
"You!!"
-Peep?!
The Fairy flinched at Baek Ha-na's voice.
-Piuuuung!!
It frantically stuffed the remaining half of the jelly into its mouth.
"Pfft......."
A laugh burst from Claire as she watched.
"What? What is it?"
Baek Ha-na, who couldn't see the Fairy's back and had no idea what was going on, quickly approached. Then, upon spotting the Fairy with its cheeks puffed out like a chipmunk, she burst out laughing.
But.
-Peeooop?!
The creature, which had shoved a jelly as big as its head into its mouth and was trying to swallow, suddenly jumped up and started thumping its chest while mumbling.
"B-Big Sis Ha-na?!"
"No, I... wait, hold on......."
Even from a glance it was clear it was choking, but because the creature was so tiny, the two who had been laughing were now both flustered and panicking.
-Peep?!
"Wh-what do we do?!"
"Ugh, that, P-Professor......."
-What's going on?
-What, what?
Then I heard the other two children running to the study.
"Woo-jin!!"
"Professor...."
As if on cue, Claire and Baek Ha-na each grabbed one of my arms.
"Hah."
I looked at the Fairy thumping its chest, shook my head, and moved my mana.
'Not a single day goes by quietly...'
I just wished vacation would end already.
**
Late evening.
"See you tomorrow~"
"Night."
"Go to bed early, okay?"
-Bye-bye~
Baek Ha-na left the mansion, leaving behind the Fairy, which was sitting on Claire's shoulder and waving cutely.
"Phew~ Today was rewarding."
"Right? To have this much fun without even playing a game."
Walking through the maze where the quiet chirping of nameless insects could be heard, Idni and Maria smiled happily.
"Ha-na."
"......Huh?"
Baek Ha-na, who had been deep in thought, came to her senses at Maria's call and looked up.
"What are you thinking about so hard?"
"Oh, just... wondering if I should buy some doll clothes."
"......Hah."
Maria, who had been walking through the maze, suddenly stopped.
"Hey, that's dangerous, don't stop so suddenly."
"......Why didn't I think of that."
"What? What are you talking about sudd—"
"Dolls......!! New clothes...!!"
"Huh? Hey, hey!!"
Idni shook her head in disbelief as Maria suddenly shouted and ran off on her own.
"I swear, she's impossible to figure out. Don't you think so?"
"...Well. Sometimes, yeah."
Baek Ha-na couldn't bring herself to deny it.
"By the way, is Lee Na-young busy?"
"I'm not sure. She said she has a lot of experiments to do during the break."
"Still, can't she hang out at least once a week? She's so busy. We only live once, she should take a break."
"You're the one who only wants to slack off."
"Ehehehe~"
"What~"
"Puhaha~!!"
As Baek Ha-na chatted idly with Idni and they exited the maze, the smart watch on her wrist lit up.
"What's this?"
"Looks like I got a mail."
Baek Ha-na operated her smart watch and opened the newly arrived message.
Idni, who was watching from beside her, peeked and asked.
"Who's it from? Professor?"
"No. Seo-hee."
"Nam Seo-hee? Why her?"
Baek Ha-na answered Idni as she sent a reply.
"She says she'll be back at the dorm tomorrow."