Morning Rain
The morning rain falls. The sky is shrouded in clouds, letting no light through, and the birds have taken shelter under the rooftops to escape the downpour. On a day like this, even I feel the urge to do nothing at all and just laze around in my room. Until just moments ago, the thought of heading to the academy had left my head feeling heavy, but thanks to Shady causing such a ruckus yesterday, the academy is closed today. It's probably because of the traces of black magic. In any case, I was exhausted and hadn't gotten any proper rest. Since classes are resuming normally tomorrow, I might as well rest properly today. But Elisha still hasn't come out of the room, so even if I want to sleep, I can't.
Even if I try to sleep on the sofa, Shady has already dozed off leaning against the armrest. So I can't sleep on the sofa or the bed. "Ha, it's not like I can kick her out either. I guess I'll have to let her stay in my room for a while." Shady must be pretty shaken up too. Yesterday's events probably left her exhausted as well. I'll just let her sleep. I pulled a blanket from my Inventory and draped it over her. She was only wearing a shirt that was far too big for her, so she looked a bit cold.
—Meow, meow. After I covered her with the blanket, she let out a cat-like sound, as if she felt more comfortable, and drifted into a peaceful sleep. "When she's like this, she just looks like an ordinary girl." That's why the environment around someone matters so much. If she hadn't lost her family, and if demons and humans got along better, maybe she would have been attending this academy too. In the end, even if they're called demon descendants, they're all just people. Anyway, even though I want to sleep, the people around me won't let me. I knocked on the door of the room Elisha still hadn't left and called out to her.
"Elisha, I have something to tell you."
—W-what is it..!
"Classes are canceled today. Seems like it's because of what happened yesterday. Lessons will resume tomorrow."
—R-really?
"Anyway, come out of the room. Are you dressed yet?"
—W-well... not yet...
"There should be some clothes in the closet you haven't worn. Put something on quickly."
—O-okay...!! Just wait a moment..!!
Then what has she been doing in there all this time? This is getting ridiculous. It's a huge ordeal to not be able to sleep even when I want to. I counted to sixty in my head before speaking to Elisha again. By now she should have finished changing. The closet had quite a few clothes that were usually left untouched—robes, coats, even shorts. She must be dressed by now.
"Elisha, I'm coming in."
—Ah, wait just a second..!!
—Rattle. Well, you're already dressed, aren't you? "Looks like you're all dressed."
"D-don't talk to me, you idiot.."
She was wearing surprisingly normal clothes—a loose white T-shirt and fairly short shorts. Wait, I don't think I had anything like that in my room.
"Elisha, where did you get those clothes?"
"I took them out of the magic pouch in my bag, obviously?"
"I see." Her bag must have had some protective magic on it, because it was barely damaged. We'd brought it along with her. Since I'd left it next to her after arriving at the dorm, she probably pulled them from there. A white T-shirt and dolphin shorts... The design wasn't exactly the same, but it was surprising that something similar existed here too. Felt like I'd gained some new knowledge.
While I was thinking that, she suddenly asked me, "H-how... do I look? Is it weird...? It's my first time wearing something like this.."
"It suits you. With a figure like yours, anything would look good."
"Pfft, what kind of compliment is that."
Well, that was my best attempt at a compliment. Guess it didn't land. Anyway, Elisha was up and changed now, so there was no reason for her to stay here any longer. In short, the bed was mine again.
"Elisha."
"Yeah?"
"Get out of the room."
"?"
"You look like you're thinking, 'What the heck is he saying all of a sudden?' This is my room, and I need some rest too, don't I?"
"W-well, that's true."
"Since the academy's closed anyway, you should head back and rest too. You haven't gotten any proper sleep either."
"Okay.."
She looked strangely reluctant after hearing my words. "..Elisha, if it's you, you're welcome here anytime. I'll give you a spare key. Take it."
—Snatch. "Then, Vern... does that mean our engagement.."
"No. The broken engagement stays broken. It's better that way—for both you and me."
"Tch.. Fine. I'll head back for now. You need rest too."
With those words, she picked up her bag and headed for the front door. Just as she put on her shoes and was about to open the door and leave, she turned around and asked, "Oh, right. Vern, what did you do with the uniform I was wearing?"
"It was in pretty bad shape, so I just threw it away."
"Really? Can't be helped, I guess. I still have a few more in my room anyway. Well then, I'll be going."
"...."
Was it really okay to just let her go like this? I grabbed her hand as she tried to leave. "Wait, Elisha."
"H-huh? Why, Vern?"
"It's a bit late to say this, but I'm on your side. So if anything's bothering you, tell me anytime."
"Pfft. Vern, what are you saying?" She started laughing loudly, even shedding a few tears—completely unlike her usual self. She wiped her eyes with her hand and spoke again. "Vern, now that I have someone I can talk to honestly, you've suddenly gotten all gentle? You even said that thing you used to tell me before."
"....."
"Whew. Yeah, Vern. Thanks. For telling me the truth. I'm on your side too. You can count on me! Hehe." She smiled brightly as she said that. I should give her a response too.
"Thanks, Elisha."
"...W-well then, Vern. See you later~."
With those words, she shook off my hand and walked out. —Click. She's gone. I couldn't just let her leave like that, so even if it was a little cringey, it had to be done. Seeing how her hand had been trembling, I couldn't just send her off. No—I didn't want to. I didn't want to see her struggling. I wanted to say something that might give her strength, no matter what. Thankfully, it seemed to have worked. She looked like she was doing better now.
"Whew, now I can finally rest." I returned to the living room and looked out the window. The dark clouds that had filled the sky were slowly receding, and the heavy rain had stopped. The sun, hidden behind the clouds, was beginning to rise. .... "Hmm... what time is it now?" I glanced at the clock on the bedside table. It was 9:35 a.m. I'd only been asleep for about four hours before waking up. "Hmm...."
Should I sleep a bit more? Or should I get some water first? My throat was incredibly dry after waking up. —Humming, humming. I thought I heard some strange humming, but it was probably just my imagination. Ignoring it, I stepped into the living room. As I walked, I scratched my messy hair with my right hand and lifted my shirt with my left to scratch my stomach. Since only Shady was supposed to be in the living room, I'd been scratching myself comfortably—until I wasn't. "...."
"..Elisha, what are you doing here?" Elisha was wearing an apron and cooking something in the kitchen. The smell was incredible—even without seeing it, I could tell it was going to be delicious. "Y-your hands were hurt, so I figured cooking would be hard for you... so I made some.."
"I see."
"Come on, let's eat together."
"Sure."
"Hey, Shady, was it? I know you've been awake for a while now. Come eat too. It'll taste bad if it gets cold."
"...Understood."
And so, a very strange combination was born. "Thanks for the meal."
"...Thanks for the meal.."
"Yeah, eat up. There's still plenty left."
The table was spread with a variety of dishes—potato soup, sandwiches, pickles, orange juice, and even steak that cost a hundred thousand coins per kilogram! The aroma and presentation looked like something straight out of a cooking video I'd seen on a streaming platform. Steam was still rising from it, making my mouth water just looking at it. Wait, was I really allowed to eat all this? Did Elisha really make this much by herself? Was her cooking always this good? Well, I was hungry, so I might as well eat. First, the tender, freshly grilled steak. I speared a piece that had already been cut into bite-sized portions with my fork and took a bite. "!!" "!!" Shady also took a bite and looked quite surprised, her eyes widening. No... wow..
"Hehe. Vern, how is it?"
"It's incredibly delicious. So good that it almost feels like a waste to eat it."
The moment the meat entered my mouth, it began to melt away. It was already seasoned, with just the right balance of saltiness and umami. And it wasn't tough at all—more like cotton candy, melting on the tongue! I couldn't hold back my curiosity and asked her, "Elisha, did you really make all of this by yourself?"
"Yeah, it's been a while since I put in this much effort."
I nodded at her words and started trying the other dishes too. "...." "...." After some time passed, neither Shady nor I could say a word. It was so delicious, and having someone cook for us felt so rare, that we simply couldn't speak. The same seemed true for Shady—she alternated between staring at the food and Elisha with her mouth hanging open. Still, I should thank Elisha for her hard work. "Elisha."
"Yeah, how was it?"
"It was the best. I might not be able to eat any other food after this."
"Was it really that good? Thanks for enjoying it~. I might've made a few mistakes since it's been so long."
She was radiant. It almost looked like there was a halo shining behind her as she spoke. The light was so bright I could barely look at her directly. If we weren't here, I might've proposed to her on the spot. Beautiful face, good personality, excellent grades, and cooking skills better than most professional chefs. There probably wouldn't be a more perfect bride candidate ever again—not now, not ever. While I was thinking that, my inner thoughts slipped out without me realizing. "If I could eat breakfast like this every morning, I wouldn't have any wishes left."
"W-what are you saying! Seriously!!"
"Just give me your bowl! I'll do the dishes!" she grumbled, but she looked oddly pleased. The morning was coming to an end.