24-I wonder if you won't watch Episode 22.

'Oh no, I'm in trouble. It's raining so hard.

Taking off her cloak, Estella wiped her wet hair with the towel Ginette had given her.

But ...... this guy doesn't know what he's talking about. ......

'Estella.

'What is it, Yashiro?

'You're not wet enough!

'............ You don't know what you're talking about.

Estella wasn't wet at all.

It was pouring outside. And it was raining fast.

If that's the case, she should be surprised by the sudden rain, soaked to the skin and rush here in a panic.

And don't you think that the clothes should be soaked by the rain and stick to the body, highlighting the lines of the feminine body that are not usually visible?What do you think, guys?Isn't that right?

And then, when she stares at me, she says, "Oh, please don't look at me too much. ...... It's no fun for you to look at my poor body, is it? I'm not sure if you can say that.

'...... Aside from your crazy fantasies, can you please not make my body look poor?

I'm not sure what to do.

But the fact is, you're poor!

Or what?'I'm great when I take my clothes off, aren't I? You mean?

How can I be great?I can tell even with my clothes on!

'It looked like it was going to rain today, so I put on a cloak. It's good to be prepared.'

'I'm worried, I'm worried!

'Did you ............ want to see me so badly ...... that you ...... ...... that way.'

You're an unemotional guy.

'...... dry goods'.

'That's the first time in my life I've ever heard someone swear at me like that. If it wasn't raining, I'd be out front challenging you to a duel.

Estella's mouth quirked up.

'Oh my God, Yashiro. You can't talk to a girl like that.

Hanging Estella's cloak on the wall, Ginette gives me a warning.

I told Umaro to install a hook on the wall inside the counter of the sunlit pavilion. Now you can hang your coats, hats, walking sticks, and so on.

Like in a hotel, you can keep your coat temporarily and return it when you pay the bill. The coats serve as hostages and may have some effect in deterring people from eating away.

The customer is given a numbered tag and returns the coat in exchange. This way, there is no chance of mistakenly returning a package to the wrong person.

'Now, Miss Estella. Please give this number tag to the counter on your way out.

''Number 9''?Is that my number?'

Estella looks around the store.

'There's no one here, so why '9'?

'That's because ...... Yashiro-san is .......'

Both of their eyes turn to me.

Before Estella's arrival, I had told Jeannette to keep Estella's belongings in 'Number 9'.

In my mind, 'number 9' is the perfect place for Estella.

I lower my gaze just a little and say to Estella.

'It's easy to understand, isn't it, 'Nine'?

'...... I see, so you want to duel in the rain, huh?

Estella holds her 'Nine' breasts and stares at me.

It's so obvious.

'Yashiro-san!Why do you keep saying things like that to Estella? Please repent!

I've been scolded.

'All right. I'll target Jeannette from now on.''

'What?No, no, no, please don't!You really can't do that!

Jeannette hurriedly evacuated behind the counter.

Hmm. Nice reaction. It's quite adorable.

--And as for why I'm doing this: ......

'You're bored: ......'

'There are no customers, you know.

There were currently no customers at the Sunlit Pavilion.

It's been two weeks since the reopening.

In the evening, Umaro and his carpenter friends come here in droves, but during the daytime, the place is completely deserted.

'I guess there's not enough publicity. ......'

The carpenters' march does not have an immediate effect.

Moreover, they move to the 42nd district after work and do not come across customers who want to eat out at this time. Therefore, the restaurant does not advertise at all to the people who should be drawn in at this time.

We should do something about it.

'By the way, you've cleaned up quite a bit.

'Yes, sir. Thanks to Yashiro's design and Torbek's construction.

To tell the truth, today was the first time Estella had been to the newly renovated Sunlit Pavilion.

She hadn't shown her face much recently.

'Estella. Are you done stalking the man you're after?'

'Do you think I've been doing that for two weeks?

'Don't you?

'I've been busy with work. I've been overwhelmed with work. ...... Well, it wouldn't hurt if you could have given me a ............ 'good job' when I finally got some work done and showed up. I'm sorry.

I'm sure you'll agree that this is a great idea.

But more than that, ............ work?

What kind of work does this guy do?

You can find a lot of people who are looking for a job that will allow them to be free for two weeks if something goes wrong. ............ detective?

'Hey, you. What kind of work do you do?'

'I'm not going to tell you.'

'A job that you can't tell people about ............'

'Can you please stop tarnishing people's images like that?'

'Is it an erotic job?'

'Of course it's not!

There was a rather serious denial.

If not that, what kind of job do you want to hide?

In the first place, the reason for hiding your job is ............ Oh, I'm a con artist. Now I work in a restaurant.

Either way, I can't think of anything other than something related to a bad job.

'Estella-san, aren't you from the Sea Fishing Guild?

Ginette didn't know Estella's occupation either.

Incidentally, there is no possibility that she is a member of the Sea Fishing Guild.

'This guy used to fish with a permit, didn't he?

That's the one I got and used for the emblem.

'If he's a member of the Sea Fishing Guild, he should be able to go fishing like Magda without a permit.

'Oh, that's certainly true. ............'

Ginette put her finger on her chin as she thought about it.

Estella pats him lightly on the shoulder and smiles at him.

'Well, it doesn't matter what it is. I'm just me.'

'Well, yes. No matter what kind of work you do, Estella is still Estella, isn't she?

I guess only Jeannette would be fooled by such words.

But it's not like I really want to know either. It seems that Estella has a lot of things that she keeps secret. ...... It would be a lie to say that I am not curious, but it would be a shame to destroy our relationship because of my curiosity.

No, it's not that I have feelings for Estella or anything like that. ......

Estella is ...... a very convenient guy for me, although it's a bit ...... strange to put it this way.

Her knowledge of the world, her ability to read the thoughts of others, her ability to understand and explain what I'm looking for, and her skill in various procedures. These are things that Jeannette, Magda, and everyone else I've met in this city can't do.

It's in my best interest to continue my relationship with this guy.

Above all, it's best not to make enemies with this guy.

A smart guy will turn on you the moment you make an enemy, no matter whether you keep him around or away from him.

In particular, this guy knows my Achilles heel: ......

Fortunately, Estella also seems to want to continue the relationship with me,......, and if that is the case, it's best not to step in without warning.

If you poke around in the bushes, all that comes out are snakes. You may find 100 million yen in very rare cases, though.

I'm not willing to take chances of less than a few tenths of a percent.

Nothing good will come from upsetting Estella.

Let's be friends.

'Estella.

'What is it?

'You don't have to get wet. I'm not expecting it at all.

'You're making it your life's work to piss me off, aren't you?

Funny ......, I was trying to be friendly.

'Totally ...... excuse me for a moment.'

With that, Estella made her way to the counter.

'Ginette. I'm sorry, but can I have my cloak back, please?

'Then I'll take your number tag to .......'

'...... for a number tag for 'Nine'.'

'I can hear you even when you whisper, Yashiro!

He's got a good ear.

'Are you leaving already?

'No, I'm not leaving yet. I haven't even eaten Ginnette's food yet.

'So you're satisfied now that you've seen my face?

'I said I'm not leaving!

'Then why are you wearing a cape? ...... Oh, that's right, it's okay, sorry, sorry!

'You really have no sense of decency, do you, Yashiro?

Estella's face is red and her shoulders are upset. So she's right.

Toilet.

You have to go out of the store and go around the back to use the restroom, so you need a raincoat when it rains. There's a lot of room for improvement in the restroom.

'In that case, I've got something for you. Please wait a moment.'

With a clap of her hands, Jeannette walked behind the counter.

'Yes, Jeannette?What's the good stuff?

'Diapers.'

'Shut up, Yashiro!There's no way Jeannette would recommend something like that to me!

I don't know.

There are no absolutes in this world, you know.

But I guess not.

Maybe it's that thing I made the other day.

'Try this.

As I had expected, Ginette held out a ...... umbrella.

'What's this?

'It's a tool that Yashiro-san made for you to keep the rain off. If you press this button, the umbrella will open and ......'.

Ginette is happily teaching Estella how to use the tool she just learned the other day.

She must be feeling a little superior.

'It's like a roof over your head, so you can move around in it and not get wet!

That's a great discovery. He finished his explanation in an excited tone, as if to say, '......'.

Ginette seems to love the Japanese culture I bring to her. ...... Well, umbrellas are relatively easy to make and can be found in any country. ...... Anyway, the culture that Japanese people know in general seems to be interesting in this world.

Whenever I started to make something, Jeannette began to look forward to its completion.

'It doesn't get wet at all!It's amazing!

'Oh, Estella. It's not that versatile, is it?'

'No, well, I can usually tell. ......'

Estella seems to be a little overwhelmed by Jeannette's enthusiasm.

By the way, I made a simple umbrella similar to a guard umbrella. If I could make a jump-up umbrella or a folding umbrella, I could make a fortune.

'Well then, I'll borrow it.

'Oh. Don't get distracted by the umbrella and get your feet stuck in the muck. ...... I said it well.'

'Baka~ka'.

He gave her a light smile and stopped moving with the door open before Estella .................. left the dining room.

'...... What is it?

'...... I'm just asking to make sure.'

He moves his head slightly and stops at an angle where his gaze may or may not be directed at you. It's a good idea to keep your eyes on the road.

'...... Did something happen while I didn't show my face?

'No, nothing!Nothing at all!

'Yes, nothing!No, nothing!

I'm not worried about the fact that I almost kissed Jeannette the other day, or the little things that happened after that.

Those things are nothing, they are just a form of communication. When you're a man of my age, you've experienced a lot of things like that.

It's just that I'm a little bit surprised right now because Estella is asking me some sharp questions.

So it's nothing. He's not lying. That's not something that counts as 'something', ever.

'.................. huh. Yeah.'

Estella said quietly, and left the dining room. As the door slowly closed, the sound of the rain became louder and louder.

...... d*mn.

I'm not a real high school student, and I'm not going to be sweet and sour about something like that.

It's just that Jeannette is more nervous than she needs to be, and it's making me nervous.

And when I looked at Jeannette, I saw ......

'～～～～～～～～............!

She was holding her face with both hands and squirming.

You can clearly see that his ears were bright red.

...... Don't do that.

............ The embarrassment is contagious.

'Haha .................. hot'.

Use a hand fan to cool the rough heat on your face.

That's the way it is. It's not like me.

Yeah. I'll be careful. If we get caught up in Jeannette's pace, even the good-natured ones can get bitten.

Pull yourself together, me. Don't ever lose sight of your purpose.

............ All right. I'm calm.

It's business as usual from here on out.

Business as usual. Let's just be mature and let the young girls have their fun.

'Ginette!

'Hiya!

...... Don't make any funny noises.

'...... Ahh ...... sorry.'

Ginette nods her head, her shoulders slumping, her head down.

Her shoulders slumped, she turned her head and ...... stubbornly kept her gaze off the road so as not to look at you.

...... Please make it normal, it's hard to do.

It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're doing.

'Yes, that's right!It's a little late, but let's have lunch!

I'm sure you'll be pleased to know that I'm not the only one who has a problem with this.

...... Are you okay with that guy?

I'm sure you'll get used to it.

When a new change occurs in the world in which you have existed, you focus your consciousness on that change in order to respond to it.

A transfer student is a good example of this, and the inclusion of an alien in a previously peaceful class creates in everyone the fear that the balance that has been maintained will be upset. So, whether it is pandering, rebelling, recruiting, or seducing, ...... people take some action.

A state in which interest is focused on a single point. This state is often mistaken for love.

This is called the "suspension bridge theory of love. ...... The point is that people mistake the burden, stress, and tension of an unprecedented situation for the thrill of love.

This is exactly what Jeannette is going through right now.

In the face of the sudden appearance of Obayashiro, she is tense and surprised, and her consciousness is simply turned toward him.

Besides, I've taken a few actions that have brought about the result that Ginette wants.

I've acted in ways that have been 'kind' in the eyes of Jeannette.

I'm aware that she likes me.

But it's not love.

To put it simply, it's a misunderstanding.

One day, the fever will cool ...... and you will realize your mistake.

Until then, just leave it alone.

Someday the dream will wake up and the ...... dreaming girl will grow up.

By that time, her current feelings will have been sorted out and may even be forgotten.

Well, that's fine then.

In the empty cafeteria, only the sound of rain echoes.

'..................'

I wonder how long I'll be here.

That thought suddenly crossed my mind.

Until I can establish a foundation for my life in this city. ......

Until I gain knowledge of the Judgment of Spirits and Forced Translation Magic: ......

When is that: ......?

How long will I be here ............?

I'm not sure what to say.

It was while I was pondering these endless thoughts that I heard a scream from outside.

At the same time as the scream, I heard a loud sound of water.

What is it?--As I was wondering, the door opened and ............

'............Ugh ...... I'm in a bad way ......'

Estella came into the cafeteria soaking wet, her whole body covered in a brown, dirty liquid.

I quickly picked my nose and said to Estella.

'Don't you know how to use the toilet, do you?

'This didn't happen in the toilet!

What? Didn't you get stuck in the toilet, or did you do that when you fought in the toilet?

'I fell in that puddle!What the hell!You should be worried about me!

I'm not sure if it's because I'm soaking wet, but Estella's eyes are a little teary as she stares at me.

I'm not sure what to do. I'm worried.

'Did the umbrella break?

'Yashiro, ......'

'Just kidding!I'm just kidding!I was just trying to make you laugh.

No, your eyes are serious.

Well, when someone makes a joke in a situation like this, 'Oh, ......, that sucks! It's a joke in a situation like this that makes me want to kill you. Yeah, I get it. I know what you're feeling right now. I'm sorry. So don't stare at me like that.

'What's wrong with you? ...... What?Estella, are you okay?

Ginette came out of the kitchen and ran up to Estella, who was soaking wet.

'Uu......Ginette-chan~chan......'

She may want to hug her, but Estella is trying to hold back from staining Ginette's uniform with muddy water.

'Ginette, go and get her a towel. And boil some water for her.

'Yes, sir!Yes, sir. Right away!

Ginette hurriedly retreated to the back.

If we leave Estella like this, she'll catch a cold.

It would be better to give her a bath or something.

We don't have a bath, but there's a big camado in the courtyard for boiling water.

You can boil the water there at once, put it in a bucket, and wipe yourselves in your rooms.

There is also a large tub, so you can take a quick soak in the water. ...... but it will take a long time.

'Estella, are you cold?

'......It's very cold.

It must have been more than a month since we came to this city, but the climate shows no signs of changing.

It's warm and sunny during the day, but cold in the morning and evening. Perhaps there are no four seasons in this city.

And on rainy days like this, it is chilly all day long.

Estella, with her whole body soaked, must be feeling the unbearable cold.

'You'll catch a cold if you wear wet clothes. Take them off.'

'Aaahhhh!There's no way I can do that, no way!

'I'll be fine!I'll only look at you s*xually!

'That's why I said you can't!

You can't have your ...... pride hurt when you're saying you're going to give a flat-chested guy like you a good huffing and puffing.

'It's usually because ...... Yashiro said something strange that this happened, I'm sure .......'

'Strange things?What did I say?

'So you're saying I should get wet. ......'

Oh, by the way, ......

And when you look at him wet, you'll see that he's ............ The clothes stick to him and he looks pretty s*xy.

'Oh, please don't stare at me too ...... much!

'It's no fun for you to look at my poor body, is it?

'I won't say that line even if I die!

I'll give you a 30. The second half is the main part.

I'm tempted to give you a make-up lesson.

'Well, I've put some water on the fire for now. But it's going to take some time for it to ...... boil.'

Ginette comes back with an apologetic look on her face.

She takes a towel and starts wiping Estella's hair.

Estella bends down to hug herself, shivering from the cold.

...... This is a serious problem.

If you leave it like this, you could seriously catch a cold.

'Jeannette. Lend him some of your clothes.'

'Um, ...... that's ............ the laundry that's been piling up in this long rain. ...... ......The only thing I can lend you right now is my uniform. ......'

'That's fine.'

'No, wait a minute!

It was Estella who stopped him.

'No, you can't wear that ............ little ......'.

She looked down at her chest and her expression clouded over.

'You know what, Estella?

I'm going to say this out of the kindness of my heart to Estella.

'I understand how you feel, but this is not the time for that, is it?You're not the only one who cares about your body. Jeannette and I don't want you to catch a cold, either.

'Yashiro......'

'Your body is also mine now, you know.

'That's not true, is it?I'm going to play with you.

It's my daily routine to play with you.

I don't think I'm wrong.

'Estella-san. Yashiro-san is right. For the sake of your body, you may not be happy in my clothes, but please use them as a temporary measure.''

'Ginette-chan, ............Yes, that's right, .............'

That's right. I'm only wearing it for a short time while my clothes dry.

'Don't worry if your breasts are too big and skimpy. We're the only ones who can see such a miserable situation anyway. We all know you don't have breasts, so there's no need to be embarrassed now. ............ You're staring at me like I'm scary!

A true swordsman's killer spirit is probably something like this.

I'm not sure what to make of it, but I'm sure it's a good idea.

'...... stay wet'.

'Estella-san!......Oh, Yashiro!

I'm not sure if this is a good idea.

...... I think I misspoke. I was trying to cheer her up, but...

They're a little big.'

'No!I'd rather be naked than wear your ...... clothes.'

'Okay!Then I'll be naked!'

'I refuse!

'You're being unreasonable!

'Yashiro-san!

Ginette's pissed at me again .

'Estella ......'.

'I'm sorry, but I can't let you catch a cold doing a joke.

I spoke to Estella in a serious voice.

'...... Why do you hate being naked?

'Do I need to explain?

'All right!If you don't want to be alone, then Ginette and I will both go naked!

'No, you won't!

'For Estella's sake!

'It's only in your best interest, that situation!

I thought it was the best idea. ......

'So, then. How about Magda's uniform?Magda is away at the hunting guild today, and I'm going to borrow it for a little while. ......'

Magda has been away at the hunting guild since this morning.

Due to the heavy rains, the hunting grounds have become a no-go zone. He said there would be a meeting to discuss this and to share information.

I'm not sure if I'm considered a full-fledged member of the group, but ...... Magda was very confident before she went out, and ...... she seems to have gained confidence in herself since she came here. I'm sure she'll be fine. ...... Let's trust and wait.

That's why Magda is out of town for the day.

...... dinner, maybe Umaro won't come. It's raining hard, and Magda's not here.

'The size may be a little small, but ...... Estella is slim and I'm sure it will fit. ......'

The uniforms in the store are made to fit the body.

It's not a tight fit, but it's designed to allow you to work while wearing it for long periods of time.

It would be possible for Estella to wear Magda's clothes if she pushed herself a bit.

'............ Well, then, ............ that's it.'

After pondering for a while, ...... Estella nodded her head, shrinking even more, ...... as if she was still cold.

However, wearing a uniform with a dirty body seems to be uncomfortable. ......

I'm not sure what to do, but I'm sure it's a good idea.

'But it's going to take quite a while ......'.

'Heh, I'm fine. ...... I'll just stay like this for a bit ............ and sneeze!

Wow, that's a cute sneeze.

d*mn.

I don't know what's okay with you. ......

'Come here a minute, Estella.'

I grab Estella's trembling hand and pull her forcefully.

'Hey!Where are you going?

'My room.'

'Aaahhhh!

I pulled her arm and tried to make her walk, but Estella stomped her foot and refused to move forward.

'What are you doing, d*mn it!

'I said I'll warm you up in my bed!

'Nah!What are you trying to do?Let go of me!

Oh, God, this guy!

'I don't care if you don't like me or not, but if you catch a cold, Jeannette will be worried!Even if you say it's okay, me and Jeannette won't allow it!You can go warm yourself in my room until the water boils!

I'm forcing Estella to come with me.

You might get beaten up later, but right now it's an emergency. I have no choice.

I pick up Estella's body.

It's called a princess hug.

'Ginette, get the store and hot water.

'............ Ah, yes!

With that, I left the restaurant.

'Wait, wait, Yashiro!All right!I'll walk by myself!

Estella is screaming in my arms, but it's too late now.

...... Estella's body has become quite cold. Her body is trembling in small increments. There's not a moment to lose.

Completely ignoring Estella's pleas, I ran through the kitchen, through the rainy yard, and up the stairs.

Perhaps she was afraid of the stairs, but when Estella squeezed my neck, I was ...... unintentionally thrilled.

...... What are you doing that's so girly?

As soon as you enter my room, I lowered Estella to the floor and immediately gave her instructions.

'Take off all your clothes and get into bed.

'What, what, what, what are you doing?

'I'm going to warm you up.'

'Hey, ......!You can't do that,......, you can't do that,......, you can't do that!

His tone is strong, but weak.

Her face is very red.

I hope she's just embarrassed, but it's possible that her fever has risen. We can't be too careful.

'Take off all your wet clothes and put them out in the hallway. I'll be on the other side of the door, so if anything happens, call me right away.'

'............ huh?'

'Also, you can make a mess on my bed, so don't worry about it, just crawl in there. Make sure you have a quilt on to keep your shoulders cool.

'............ Yashiro, are you in the hallway?'

'Yeah. I'll take your wet clothes to Jeannette and stay in the hallway just in case. You don't feel safe, do you?'

'.................. Yeah.'

Estella, who had been in a panic, muttered helplessly.

The expression is a mixture of relief and weakness.

'...... What the hell. Did you want me to get into bed with you and warm you up with human skin?'

'Hmm!No, of course not!Come on!I'm going to change my clothes, so get the hell out of here!

Estella threw the towel that Jeannette had given her and yelled at her.

I wonder if she realizes that she was using a girlish tone.

As if pushed, I was sent out into the hallway and the door was slammed shut.

You can't ...... be embarrassed.

I sat leaning against the wall and let out a sigh.

If this were Japan and you were a woman I didn't care about,...... I wouldn't hesitate to get into bed with you and warm you up.

But ............ not so.

Estella is not a woman to be treated lightly like that.

To me, ...... well, she is a rare ............ and dear friend.

Besides, there's Jeannette. ......

'I don't know. ......'

Ever since I came to ...... this world, or maybe since I came to this sunny pavilion, ............ my senses have been thrown off.

Hey, God, ...... are you seriously going to make me start over?

You've brought back these adolescent feelings. ............ You can't call it love now. ......... ...

"............ Yashiro

I'm not sure what to do.

'Move to a position where you can't see into the room, and don't ever look inside. ......

'Hey, hey.'

'.................. absolutely. If you see it, you're out of luck!

The door was gently opened after the reminder.

Then the wet clothes were pushed out into the hallway.

'...... Give my regards to little Jeannette.'

'Oh. I'll give it to her.'

I reach out my arm and take the wet garment, trying not to look into the room.

I call out to Estella on the other side of the door and stand up.

'............ Thank you. And I'm sorry.

Estella muttered in a low voice and ...... slowly closed the door.

............ I don't know.

I try to keep a level head to shake off the bewildering and inexpressible emotions swirling in my chest.

I'll go give the wet clothes to Jeannette.

If you wash and dry them immediately,......, they will be dry by the end of the day, right?

I look at Estella's clothes.

It's a well made dress. The top is a comfortable shirt like a blouse and the bottom is pants like chinos.

And between the shirt and the pants, there is ............

'What's this?

A pair of shiny, pure white pants!

Silk?

It's silk?

There are silk pants in this world too?

''Oh no!Puberty!The puberty in me!

Oh, God. ............ How far will you test me? ............

If I was in junior high school, I'd be ripping my pockets off right now!

But I'm an adult. ............ I'm not going to do anything unethical like that. ............ ...... No, my body is a high school student. ............ If you are a high school student, you are protected by the Juvenile Law... I'm an adult. ............... Oh, my God. ...... So this is how you test one more naive person. ............

If you're going to steal in this situation, you're going to be found out immediately. ............ I'll just burn it on my eyelids.

What do you think, God, of the judgment of a rational adult?

I will not bow to you!

Jesus Christ!

Overcome by God's test, I went downstairs with a lingering sense of victory.

I'll let my eyelids burn a little longer before I hand this dress over to Jeannette at .............

Oh, yeah, there's silk: ............

Ginette's been very good to me.

I'll give it to her when I save up. Yeah, I'll do that.

And so I have one more goal.

It's good to have a goal. It's a good thing to have a goal.

As I walked into the kitchen humming a tune, I didn't think the continuous rain was too depressing. I was only conscious of the fact that it would not stop.

At that time, I had no idea that this long rain would cause such a trouble later on.