A Stroll
"By the way, Elisha."
"What?"
"There wasn't much left in the fridge. Did you buy everything yourself?"
"Yeah, so?"
—Clatter, clatter
"In that case, I'll pay for everything."
"No..! What are you talking about?"
"Exactly what I said. The ingredients looked pretty expensive."
"It's fine. What money? You barely have any, that's why you're working part-time, right?"
"I'm not that short on cash."
"It's okay. I bought it with the money I'd saved up. It's not like I've had anything to spend it on lately anyway."
"I see."
—Clatter, clatter
Once the conversation died down, the only sound left in the kitchen was the clinking of dishes being washed. Elisha handled the dishes while I assisted from the side. It wasn't much—just stacking plates or wiping away moisture. Since she'd told me not to get my hands wet until the potion healed my wounds, I had no choice. I'd offered to do the dishes myself, but Elisha had said, "With your hands like that, what do you think you're going to do?" and ended up doing almost everything on her own.
Even though she was the youngest and had been spoiled, I thought she wouldn't be good at housework. Yet she cooked well and handled chores just fine. Discovering this new side of her that I hadn't known about felt strangely refreshing.
This world was real. So there were bound to be far more things I didn't know than the ones I did. Still, learning something new about her made me feel good.
After we finished cleaning up, we sat at the table and gazed out the window. While we stared outside without a single thought in our heads, Elisha spoke up.
"Vern."
"Yeah."
"We've finished eating. Want to go for a walk? It's been a while."
"Sounds good. I was planning to head out for potions and weapons anyway. Wait here a moment. I'll change and come out."
....
I went into my room and started changing. It wasn't much—just a white shirt and black pants. Once I was dressed, I grabbed my coat and a few other things before heading back to the living room.
Inside, I saw Shady sitting on the sofa and Elisha in the chair by the window. I approached Shady first.
"You're still being targeted by Requiem, so stay here. It'll be safe."
"..Understood."
"And I'll buy you some clothes while I'm out. For now, just grab some pants from the closet."
"I'll handle it myself."
"..Got it."
I tossed her a blanket and pillow, then walked over to Elisha. She was staring out the window, looking like she was posing for a photoshoot. I approached her and asked,
"What are you looking at?"
"Nothing, just the sky. The sky's always the same. Sometimes clouds cover it or rain makes it dark, but it always returns to how it was. And looking at that blue sky puts my mind at ease."
"I see."
So there was someone else who thought like me. The sky, huh. Just as she said, it was always blue and unchanging. I knew that feeling well—the way simply staring at it blankly brought a sense of calm.
Still, as nice as it was to keep gazing at the sky, we needed to get to the shops and buy supplies.
"Elisha, get up. Let's head out."
"Okay."
"Before that, put this on."
"Huh, this is..."
"Just a coat. It might be a bit chilly after the rain. Going out dressed like that would be cold, wouldn't it?"
"Pfft, thanks. Even when you act all blunt, you can't shake old habits, huh? So that's why you were so sweet to the other girls~?"
"Stop talking nonsense and just wear it."
"Tch, fine."
She started putting on the coat I'd given her. It was a little big—the sleeves were too long and the hem nearly touched the floor. I was about to find her another coat when she whined, "No, I'll just wear this! Let's hurry up and go!" So we headed outside.
There weren't many people inside the dorm, so I hadn't noticed, but outside, far more students than I'd expected were strolling the streets. Some looked like couples, while others seemed to be out with friends. This was the freshness of spring. Students of all kinds enjoying their spring days. A school life that felt both short and long. After first year came second, then third. And once they graduated, everyone became adults and got worn down by society. On days like that, this kind of freshness would feel incredibly nostalgic. Even if you wanted to go back, time that had passed would never return. That was why this moment felt all the more precious.
Anyway, Elisha and I walked the streets together, looking around. I'd wanted to head straight to the shops, but Elisha's strength was something else. She kept dragging me along by force. Not that it was unpleasant. Strolling leisurely through the park, taking in the beautifully blooming flowers and the green grass, put my mind at ease.
Dew-like droplets clung to the flowers and trees, and the sky after the rain was incredibly clear. Not a single cloud, just like the sky after a typhoon had passed. I lowered my gaze and looked at Elisha. She was jumping over puddles as she moved forward. If she'd been wearing boots, she would've stepped right through the water, but since she had sneakers on, she had no choice but to avoid them.
While dodging the puddles, Elisha suddenly stopped and turned to me, letting out a childlike laugh. Then, with a bright smile, she called out loudly,
"Vern! Come here quickly!"
"Got it."
We kept walking. People passing by seemed to be saying something, but I didn't bother listening. As we wandered through the park, Elisha suddenly crouched down. She seemed to be looking at a small flower that had bloomed. Watching her smile while pointing at the white flower made me smile without realizing it.
"Pretty."
"What? Vern, what did you say?"
"Nothing."
"Yeah? Okay then."
"Elisha, get up now. We have a lot to buy."
"Fine, whatever. Hup—! Ah!"
She stood up too quickly and lost her balance, wobbling. The ground must have been slippery—she was about to fall. I caught her just in time. Elisha ended up in my arms. I spoke to her.
"Be careful, Elisha."
Her face flushed, perhaps embarrassed by her own mistake.
"Th-thanks, Vern. I got too excited and..."
Did Elisha like the rain? Or maybe she liked what came after. After it rained, the air felt fresh and the sky turned clear. Anyway—
"Just be more careful next time."
"Yeah.."
Had I sounded too scolding? She suddenly looked deflated. It had been a rare break and walk for her. Even her misunderstanding with me had been cleared up, so she'd come out in a good mood. Maybe I'd been too unresponsive and blunt. I felt like I'd gone a bit too far. So, to lighten the atmosphere, I spoke up.
"I just meant you should be careful since I won't be there to catch you."
"Saying something like that so casually..."
"Elisha, what did you say?"
"N-nothing? Nothing at all? Let's just hurry up and go!"
"Alright."
We left the park and entered the shopping district. It was just as crowded here.
"There are so many people."
"Should we hit the weapon shop first?"
"No! Let's buy your clothes first!"
"?"
"Why the look? You don't have many clothes, do you? I've got quite a bit saved up from my allowance and work. I'll buy them for you as a big favor!" she declared, puffing out her chest.
I didn't have many outfits, but it wasn't to the point of shortage. Vern had prepared enough that I hadn't felt lacking.
"Elisha. No matter how much money you have, I can't just keep accepting things like this. Not after everything I've done."
"Just say 'thank you~' and take it when someone offers!"
"Understood. Elisha, I'll definitely repay this debt."
"S-sure, whatever!"
With that, we headed toward the clothing store.
....
"These shirts and pants will be enough."
"What about underwear? And pick something decent. Don't just grab the cheap stuff."
"...Haa, fine. Wait here."
After a long, careful selection, I managed to find some good value clothes. A shirt for 50,000 coins, pants for 50,000 coins, and underwear for 60,000. Elisha had told me to get something high-quality even if it cost more, so it took some time. But since she offered to pick out clothes for Shady as well, the timing worked out perfectly.
Elisha still didn't seem to fully trust her, but after hearing that Shady had been abandoned by Requiem and was a war orphan, it must have weighed on her mind. She'd decided to choose the clothes herself. Though she was a year older than us, her actions made her seem like a big little sister. Maybe that was why Elisha was paying extra attention to her.
War orphan, huh... The war between humans and demons. Though a peace treaty had been signed, relations weren't great. They still snarled at each other like they wanted to kill on sight whenever they met. That said it all.
Anyway, just as we finished buying my clothes and Shady's and were about to leave—
—Ding, ding
The shop door opened and someone walked in. She had very dark black hair and black eyes.
"Welcome, customer. How can I help you?"
"Just looking around for some clothes."
"If that's the case, you can go over there."
She wore a tight white shirt, a short skirt, and a leather jacket casually draped over her shoulders.
"Vern? Let's pay and go."
The moment Elisha saw her, she started urging me to hurry. I stood frozen in place, unable to do anything. Then the girl noticed us and began walking toward us.
"What, you? Since we already did it once, you're done? You were so persistent about joining the club before, and now you're pretending not to know me?"
Her grumbling tone and frowning face belonged to Celia—the boss of Act 2, the half-human, half-vampire hybrid.