“All right!” Miia declared, bursting into the fully-decorated living room. There were plates of food set out like a buffet, and the girls stood around with drinks in their hands. “Tonight, we’re celebrating our successful entry into the work force! Awesome work, everybody! Special thanks to Darling, of course! Cheers!”
Everyone clinked their glasses together with an echoing “cheers!” and tipped back a mouthful of non-alcoholic champagne.
“Milord, I could not have weathered that trial alone. You have my gratitude,” Centorea said.
“I got fish from home, Beloved!” Mero bragged.
“Yes, and the meat and eggs are from the farm we visited a while ago. As fresh as possible.”
On top of making the dinner, Miia had taken pains with how she plated and arranged the food—though Rachnera had probably helped. Kimihito felt bad as he took a piece of roast beef from the display, but his guilt disappeared as he bit in. The texture and the flavor were both exceptional. “This is incredible, Miia,” he said, finishing his mouthful.
“Hee hee heeeee. Darling likes my cooking! ♪” Miia’s whole body began to wiggle with joy.
“Hey, Miia, didn’t you have something else to say to him?” Rachnera asked.
“I’m not an idiot!” Miia clapped back. “Uh, um…sooo, Darling…” She squirmed bashfully. “Nooo, I’m too embarrassed!”
“If you won’t do it, I will.”
“Huh?” Kimihito said.
Rachnera reached below the table to pick something up. It was a wine bottle with a ribbon around the neck. “Here, Honey, it’s a present from me to you.”
“A present? Wait, did you use your money for—”
“Bingo. We each picked our own gift and then organized this party together. It’s a token of thanks for your hard work every day.”
“Really?” Kimihito exclaimed. Finally, he knew their secret. They’d been so dutiful at their placements, and this must’ve been the reason.
“There’s not much for us to buy for ourselves, anyway. It made more sense to do something nice for you,” Rachnera said and handed the bottle over. “Save it for a special occasion. You’ll have to include me, of course.”
“Ahhh! I was going to give him my present first!” Miia started to sniffle.
“Should’ve slithered in faster.”
Kimihito accepted the wine. “Thanks, Rachnee. I look forward to drinking it.”
“Of course, everyone else has a gift, too.” She gestured around to the rest of them. Centorea and Mero both took out presents of their own.
“Milord! Given your practicality, I felt it best to gift you something useful. These are sneakers. May you wear them on your journeys,” Centorea said.
Mero went next. “I bought a glassware set! If you’re ever game, I’d love to share a drink in the—”
“Come ooon! Everyone’s jumping the line!” Miia shouted, finding herself at the back of the group as they crowded around to give him their presents.
He didn’t even have time to thank everyone as they bombarded him with gifts.
“Papi bought a new game system!” She’d opened it, too, and taken a controller out. She waved it over her head in excitement.
“Suu bought…a raincoat.” Suu snuck an appendage into Papi’s box and took the other controller. It seemed dinner was over.
“Behold! An ominous death’s head charm, as befits yer cursed soul. Like a psychopomp forever at your side, memento mori,” Lala said, offering him a silver skull accessory.
Present after present was stacked in his arms. Each of them had thought about what he would want. Between that and the surprise party…he felt himself tearing up in appreciation. “E-everyone, thank you so much,” he sniffed.
“Oh my. Honey, are you crying?” Rachnera teased.
“No way!” He was definitely crying. He tried to wipe away the evidence.
“Oh, no, Darling,” Miia said, hugging him around the neck with her arms while her tail coiled around his legs.
“Guh!” Before he could process his feelings, she’d enveloped him in her love.
She dragged him across the floor. “Finally! Here it is!” She grabbed something and waved it around.
“W-what’s this?”
“It’s a wallet!” She moved the sealed box in front of him. “It’s your perfect match! Please use it! Maybe even put a photo of me inside, huh?”
“Cut it out.” Rachnera tugged Miia away before she could crush him.
He caught the package and removed the tape. Inside was a wallet, as promised—exceptionally well made from vibrant red snakeskin. Of course.
“Heh heh,” Miia laughed, “since I’m a lamia, I can say for sure that’s top-quality leather.”
“Does it not make you feel as though you were made into a wallet yourself?” asked Centorea.
“Huh? But I’m not really a snake. We just look alike.”
Overwhelmed by their generosity—almost literally, given how many gifts he was balancing—Kimihito smiled. “Thank you so much, everyone.”
The girls smiled as well. Just as he was always thinking of them, they were thinking of him, too. That was what made him happiest. He thought back to when Smith had asked him to pick a bride from the group. You know, he thought, I couldn’t possibly choose between them. Each one of them was endlessly charming, and they all had hidden charms still to be found. He felt bad for Smith, but he couldn’t be forced into a decision yet.
“Well, don’t stop the party! Papi, Suu, no video games until after dinner!”
“Okaaay!” they sang in unison.
“Miia, are you absolutely certain this food is edible? I have a sensitive stomach which won’t tolerate anything…dubious,” Centorea said.
“I told you, it’s perfect! Darling said it was delicious! Weren’t you listening?” Miia replied.
“You’ve had more than your share of failures in the past.”
“What do you mean, ‘failures’?”
“Calm down, I made sure to test it—” Rachnera interjected.
“I arranged everything, Boss!” Papi crowed.
“Suu helped!” Suu asserted.
“Heh heh. These decorations were handcrafted tae bring comfort tae your weary soul… Look on me works and rejoice,” Lala said.
It was a bustling party. How could it not be, with seven liminal girls hosting? But these days were precious to Kimihito, and he refused to take them for granted.
I’ve got to pay them back somehow… he thought, though he did worry it’d create an infinite payback cycle; constantly paying each other back for being paid back. What’s the best way to do this? Each of their gifts had been so thoughtful and personal. Wait.
Come to think of it, he had those resort passes from Polt! It was an experience that could handle all seven of them, and since it was run by the Kobold Company, it would definitely cater to liminals. “Hey, everybody?”
“What is it, Darling?” Miia replied.
“As a thank-you, I’ve got these.” He fanned the tickets out in front of them.
The girls’ eyes sparkled, and within minutes, the trip was planned.
✦ ✦ ✦
Not long after that, Smith and the MON members came by for dinner, too—as soon as they had the night off work.
But that’s a different story.
This has been a story of Kurusu Kimihito’s everyday life…with monster girls.