🦊 🦊 🦊
THE next day, I quietly gather my belongings, trying not to wake Claire or Candice, and sneak out of the bedroom. Seeing the two of them sound asleep together in the same bed was adorable. Last night, Candice showed up at our door, clutching her pillow and wanting to chat. The two had been sitting on Claire’s bed, and they must have fallen asleep like that. I’d been chatting with them from my own bed, but I must have drifted off at some point, which is why I have no idea when they fell asleep. Considering how dead to the world they are now, it’s clear they probably stayed up pretty late.
It was the first time we’d ever spent the night chatting with a friend, which was a lot of fun! Candice seemed to be enjoying herself as well, and I hope we’ll have more days and nights like that one. At the very least, I’ll let the two of them sleep in a little longer.
Which means, I’m in charge of making breakfast! It’ll be f-fine. I can do that much, at least. I’m not completely useless! As long as I stick to the basics, I can do this. Toast and eggs should be good, right?
I descend the stairs to the first floor as I plan breakfast out in my head.
“Well, well. You’re up early, Miku.”
“Eeep! R-R-Rinny?!”
I turn the corner, all pumped up over my breakfast menu, when I immediately come face to face with a very unexpected sight. Hearing my name, I turn to greet him but instead let out a surprised yelp. Right there, in front of my eyes, is Rinny, dressed in nothing but a towel!
Oh my gosh! I have no idea where to look!
“Hrm? What’s wrong, Miku? You look flustered.”
I feel myself panicking at the sight of his half-naked body, but he seems completely unconcerned. In fact, he begins approaching me without a care in the world, causing me to let out another squeak.
“Eep! P-P-Please put some clothes on! And don’t come any closer until you dooooo!” I cry.
“Huh?”
I purposefully look away, flailing my arms in front of me in an attempt to keep him back. He seems genuinely surprised by my outburst.
I’m still a girl, so at least have a little decency!
“Oops. Right, right. Sorry. I’m so used to living with only dudes, that I guess I forgot. Not even a good morning, though? Am I that terrible looking? Wow, I’m kinda hurt here…”
“I’m j-just not used to it!”
He’s clearly teasing me as he walks off, chuckling to himself.
He’s probably heading back to his room. This isn’t funny at all!
I glance in the direction he went, but he’s already gone.
Whew! He’s going to give me a heart attack this early in the morning!
Rubbing my flaming red cheeks vigorously with both hands, I get myself back together and start making breakfast.
I decide to scramble some eggs and fry up some bacon, along with a couple of slices of thick-cut bread and a simple salad.
It might not be enough for someone like Macro…but this is the best I can do. I’m not very good at making stuff from scratch, like soup. And anything with a knife is out! Paring knives are fine, but anything bigger than that is too scary for me. The more I think about it, the more amazing Claire is in my eyes. Honestly, I admire anyone who can handle any sort of knife or sword.
“Wow! Something smells good.”
“Rinny!”
My ears swivel in his direction as he once again calls out in his loud, jovial voice. I’m on edge because of what happened earlier, but when I turn, I see he’s dressed in his usual clothes, and I feel my body instantly relax.
Whew!
“Can I have some? I’m starvin’.”
“Of course. What about everyone else? Are they still asleep?” I ask Rinny, who’s beaming happily as he carries a plate piled high with food to the table.
“Macro usually sleeps in until noon, when he’s got nothing planned,” he explains. “And Ektor takes his time in the morning.”
“Hmm… I see. They’re usually awake and out of bed really early when they have work to do.”
It’s interesting to see this different side to them.
Hearing me say that, Rinny screws his face up in annoyance. “That’s not how they are at all. Getting them up in the morning is a huge pain! You gotta practically smack them awake! You should help me drag them outta bed sometime, and then you’ll really understand how I feel.”
“Seriously? I think I’ll pass, then.” I automatically turn down his offer after hearing the seriousness in his voice.
“Awww!” Rinny cries out in frustration, causing me to giggle as I pour myself a cup of coffee.
“Oh, Rinny! Do you want some coffee, too?” I ask.
“Ooh! Thanks! Black’s fine.”
“Sure thing.”
So, Rinny takes his coffee black, huh? He did say he doesn’t like sweets. I should try and remember that. I love coffee, but I can’t drink it without a bit of sugar and milk.
He watches as I add three cubes of sugar to my cup.
“Do you want some coffee with that sugar?” he asks, teasingly. “But yours will still probably taste like coffee, unlike Macro, who takes five cubes!” With coffee in hand, he begins digging into his food.
Wow, Macro has a serious sweet tooth!
“Are you always up this early, Rinny?”
Wanting to learn more about Rinny, I start asking him questions about himself. Nothing too serious, just your run-of-the-mill icebreakers, like morning routines or favorite things. The more things I know about him, the easier it’ll be to live together. I’m pretty useless on the job front, but I can make sure everyone’s comfortable while they’re at home!
“I usually go for a jog around the neighborhood every morning to keep in shape. The day hasn’t officially started until I’ve worked up a sweat first!”