Chapter 40

How did it end up like this?

Drawn by Alice’s warm hand, I suddenly had that thought as I walked forward.

Come to think of it, it all started when our base got trashed and we ambitiously went out looking for a new place.

But after wandering around for ages and failing to find any decent spots, I ended up heading to Greg’s general store with tears in my eyes. That’s when I ran into Alice.

And after she noticed I was kinda homeless, she half-kidnapped me… and here we are.

“Come over to my place.” If Alice had asked if I wanted to come over, I would’ve firmly refused because I didn’t want to impose.

But with her tearful face gripping my hand and dragging me along, I couldn’t exactly resist, could I?

Jeez. So now I’m forced into her care, huh?

This person is seriously scary.

“…”

“…”

Alice and I walked silently through the city streets, pacing ourselves to match my short strides.

As the night deepened, the temperature seemed to drop, and the snowstorm grew slightly stronger than before.

But maybe because I was wearing Alice’s coat, I actually felt much warmer than before.

By the way, that peachy scent coming from Alice wasn’t perfume—it was her natural body fragrance.

Feeling that sweet aroma strongly, I secretly buried my face into the coat.

The mask got a bit in the way, but the scent was so strong it didn’t really matter.

We wandered through Night Haven’s neon-lit streets for who knows how long.

With my face hidden in the coat, staring at the ground, I bumped my forehead into Alice’s back when she suddenly stopped.

“…?”

“We’re here. This is it, my place.”

At Alice’s words, I lifted my head.

What came into view was a familiar-looking apartment building.

Oh wow, this is exactly like the one from the original work!

As I marveled at the uncanny resemblance of the three-story apartment building…

For some reason, Alice’s expression darkened slightly as she patted my head and said,

“You don’t have anywhere to go, right? Stay here tonight.”

“…!”

“No refusing! Come on, let’s go inside!”

“…”

Ugh, trying to escape was clearly impossible…

I quietly sighed inwardly at Alice’s firm attitude.

I mean, I wasn’t completely clueless about her feelings.

Thinking back, seeing myself wandering alone in the snow probably looked pretty pitiful from an outsider’s perspective.

Even I would’ve asked a coworker what was wrong if I saw them wandering the streets late at night in the snow.

But since I’d promised myself not to get involved with the protagonist group when I first arrived in this world, I couldn’t help but feel conflicted.

First getting dragged into the office, and now being invited to Alice’s house…

Why do I keep getting tangled up like this?

“Nothing’s going according to plan. Maybe getting involved with Greg was the start of the problem.”

Feeling somewhat defeated, I stared at Alice’s back as she led me by the hand and wondered:

If it hadn’t been me wandering around, would Alice still have brought whoever it was home?

Yeah, she probably would have.

This person can’t stand seeing someone in trouble without stepping in.

For some reason, thinking that made the heavy burden in my chest feel a little lighter.

If it’s a hand that would’ve grabbed anyone freely, then maybe it’s okay for me to share in its warmth just for a moment.

“And… anyway, once my part-time job ends, we’ll naturally drift apart.”

Taking a small deep breath, I decided to take things lightly.

I still didn’t particularly want to get entangled in the main storyline.

But even if I relied on her now, we’d naturally grow apart in two weeks.

So there was no real need to make excuses and push her away forcefully.

I don’t care anymore. This time, I’ll just take what’s offered.

Don’t expect me to repay this favor!

“I’m home~”

“…”

Alice’s place was a fairly pricey-looking modern apartment.

A spacious living room big enough for a family of four, with two bedrooms attached.

It seemed a bit excessive for one person, but considering Alice lived with her sister Lily, it was probably comfortably cozy.

“…!”

However, as soon as I entered the door, I froze at the sight before me.

The living room was a chaotic mess, clothes and underwear scattered everywhere.

Whoa… why are those undergarments so huge? They could cover my entire face!

“Ahh! Ahaha… um, looks like it’s messy, huh? Yuria, can you wait here for a moment?”

Perhaps she’d completely forgotten about the state of her place due to the sudden guest.

Blushing furiously at showing such an embarrassing scene, Alice hastily left me at the entrance and dashed inside, gathering armfuls of clothes and disappearing somewhere.

She was probably planning to shove everything out of sight.

Her usual perfectionist self seemed nowhere to be found, which made me chuckle involuntarily.

“Yuria, come in. Take off your shoes… you can sit on the couch for now.”

“…”

“If you’re bored, feel free to watch TV! I’ll clean up quickly and be right back!”

Alice disappeared into the room so fast that my hair fluttered as I sat down on the couch.

The living room was already a disaster; the rooms were probably worse.

I had a feeling it would take quite a while, given the mental image I had.

“It’s common when you first start living alone. But… is Lily not home?”

Sitting quietly on the couch, swinging my legs and feeling the air gradually warm up from the heater, I suddenly remembered the other resident of this house.

I knew this apartment was shared by Alice and her sister Lily…

The heating was off, and it was quiet, so maybe she was out.

Honestly, that was for the best.

There’s nothing more awkward than visiting a friend’s house and meeting their family. Plus, Lily wasn’t exactly the type of person I wanted to get close to.

“She’s nice, but… the whole Menhera-stalker thing is a bit much…”

Not to mention, she kept removing the small cameras from the office.

What if she held a grudge about that? I definitely didn’t want to meet her.

As I thought this, feeling the increasing warmth, I neatly took off my coat and placed it on the couch.

In the meantime, Alice emerged from the room, dressed in a yukata much lighter than usual, looking sheepish.

She had the air of a puppy worried it had done something wrong.

What’s with the sudden change in atmosphere? I tilted my head at Alice’s odd behavior.

“Um, well… thinking about it, I kind of forced you to come here… I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to pity you or anything! It’s just, uh…”

Ah, I see.

I understood why she was acting strangely.

After cleaning the room and changing clothes, her mind must’ve calmed down a bit.

She probably realized she’d forcibly dragged me here without asking.

Well, she wasn’t wrong.

She literally didn’t ask for my opinion once and kidnapped me.

What if I had some inferiority complex about my unfortunate situation?

It wouldn’t have been strange for me to throw a fit and resent her.

But I’m not the type to dwell on such things.

I dislike receiving help because I hate owing something in return, not because of pride or anything like that.

And knowing that Alice’s actions stemmed purely from her desire for everyone around her to be happy—not hypocrisy or pity—

I couldn’t hate her even if she strangled me.

“Seriously. I was already prepared to stay the night, and here she is worrying.”

Silly girl.

Casually rising from the couch, I strode over to Alice, who was nervously glancing around.

And without hesitation, I pulled her into a light hug.

Maybe because I’d never initiated contact before.

Alice froze like a rock at my sudden embrace.

“Eh, um… Yuria? Are you forgiving me?”

“…!”

Forgiveness? I was never mad in the first place.

You’re doing fine. Keep it up.

As if to say “what’s with all these unnecessary worries,” I nuzzled her stomach with the top of my head.

Did my intended meaning get across?

Alice cautiously wrapped her arms around my shoulders and whispered a barely audible “thank you.”

Why is she thanking me when I’m the one receiving help?

Smirking, I leaned against Alice and indulged in the sweet peach scent that felt even stronger now.

Satisfied, perhaps.

She released me from her embrace and we both sat comfortably on the couch.

The previously tense atmosphere vanished as if it had never existed.

Alice, back to her usual self, smiled and asked,

“Yuria, how’s the temperature? Should I turn it up?”

“…”

“Are you okay? That’s good. I was worried you might catch a cold since you were so cold earlier.”

Actually, my body had warmed up completely thanks to Alice’s hot coat earlier.

But seeing her genuinely concerned look made me feel strangely emotional.

A cold? Who cares if I catch one.

Oh right, I should return this. I picked up Alice’s coat from the couch and handed it back to her.

Watching me quietly, she received it and suddenly spoke with curiosity.

“Come to think of it, this is the first time I’ve seen you in casual clothes. What is that? Pajamas?”

“…”

“Hmm, isn’t it a bit short? The material doesn’t seem great either… Do you have any other clothes to change into?”

Other clothes? I threw them all away.

Feeling awkward as I fiddled with my neck, Alice suddenly leaned in close. Wait, too close…

Sniff sniff. Alice brought her nose near my head and smelled.

Eek! A shiver ran up my spine.

“Maybe it’s because Yuria’s natural scent is faint, but I don’t smell anything… Anyway, it’d be good to take a warm shower. I’ll lend you some of my clothes.”

“…?!”

“What’s wrong? Worried they’ll be too big? It’s fine. You can wear them like a dress, and they’ll fit roughly.”

No, no, I was asking why I needed to shower here.

You understand everything else so well, but not this?

Flustered, I waved my arms around and looked up at Alice.

After a brief moment of contemplation, she spoke with a determined expression.

“Oh… do you not want to shower? That won’t do. You need to wash up on time, or you might get sick staying dirty. To be honest, I wanted to give you a bath, but I figured that might be too much, so I’m holding back.”

Hmm, she’s not wrong.

And it wasn’t a bad offer for me either.

Until now, I’d only cleaned myself by moving mineral water with telekinesis.

I’d never properly showered with proper plumbing.

The only thing bothering me was that this was Alice’s house.

Still, it was a precious opportunity to wash with warm water for the first time in a long while.

Perhaps sensing my indecision, Alice clapped her hands as if a brilliant idea struck her.

“Ah! How about we shower together?”

…Huh?

My gaze unconsciously drifted down to Alice’s chest.

And upon confirming the overwhelming presence there…

I shook my head violently, my hair whipping around.

No, absolutely not!

My tiny conscience triangle spun wildly.

Fortunately, my fierce resistance seemed to be accepted.

Alice’s suggestion was declined, and I ended up showering alone.

Thank goodness for that.

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