It was pitch-black when I came to. This isn’t my room. Oh, this is Minerva’s house. The familiar lines of his guest room confirmed it. Oh, I vaguely remember now. I stumbled drunk into Minerva’s house and crashed.
When I looked myself over, I noticed my shoes and shirt had been removed, and I had been made much more comfortable. Considering how my things were arranged neatly on some hangers, Minerva had likely helped me out of my clothes. I had once again caused trouble for him. Tomorrow, I’d have to make it up to him by offering to make breakfast. He got really happy even when I just poured him some coffee. His appearance and voice were intimidating, but he had his cute side as well.
Outside the window, the stars were twinkling. Although I’d woken at a weird time, somehow my head was crystal clear. I did stumble a bit when I stood up, but I felt all right.
“I want water.”
All the water in my body had probably been used up trying to break down the alcohol in my system. Every single cell in my body was begging for moisture. I usually had Minerva make me water using his magic, but he was probably asleep at this hour. I guessed there might be some left over in the kitchen, so I staggered out of the bedroom.
I found some water in the kettle and downed it in one gulp. Delicious. In this world they apparently had a saying—“The first sip of water after a night of drinking is worth a thousand rims.” But at that moment, I would have gladly paid more.
I may as well take a bath while I’m at it.
Minerva had told me I was free to use the bathroom whenever I wanted, and whether I stayed awake or went back to sleep, my desire to feel refreshed remained the same.
Oh right, Minerva normally doesn’t go into the hot spring. Aside from that one time we had gotten in together, he hadn’t used it even once. Perhaps it really was true that he didn’t like getting in with everyone?
When I got to the bath, the light was on. It appeared he’d forgotten to turn it off before going to sleep. I took off my clothes and opened the bathroom door.
Huh?
There was something black undulating in the round bathtub—someone’s long hair. Underneath it was a white body swaying in the water.
There’s a woman here?!
I averted my gaze the moment our eyes met.
“I’m sorry!”
I shut the door in a panic and threw my clothes back on.
What the hell?! Was that Minerva’s girlfriend?
I thought it was common sense to not bring his girl over on a day he’d invited me to stay the night, so I was a little pissed off. But he probably has his reasons. Still, this was awkward. That wasn’t just anyone’s naked body I’d just glimpsed. She was my best friend’s girlfriend of all people. Although it had been just for an instant, I had even gotten a good look at her breasts.
Man, I messed up...
I needed to cook up a proper apology, so I waited in the kitchen for her. I took out some of Meryl’s beloved Mini Mini Cola and tossed back seven beads at once. These things had a calming effect. As I crunched on the ramune-flavored beads, the pounding of my heart subsided.
I won’t make any excuses. I’ll just apologize with all the sincerity I can muster. With that intention in mind, I waited for her. A lot of time had passed before I finally heard the bathroom door open.
“I’m sorry for earlier!” I said, bowing my head deeply to the woman who entered the kitchen.
Now that I was getting a second look at her, I saw that she was rather beautiful, with long black hair; she looked to be in her midtwenties. Her expression seemed a little stiff. Figures. She must be mad that I saw her naked.
“I’m Yahagi Yusuke. I’m a good friend of Minerva’s.”
“Yusuke...”
“Yep, that’s my first name.”
Huh, I felt like I’d seen her somewhere before. Um, actually, I felt like I’d seen her several times. Was she one of my customers? No way, I would definitely remember her... Then was she an adventurer I’d seen around the dungeon? I felt like that wasn’t it either. If I remembered right, she was in the Menko...
“Ah!” I shouted without thinking.
After all, the person standing right before me was the woman from the wanted poster, the witch Michelle. Now that I thought about it, Minerva had said something to the effect that Michelle was an acquaintance of his. They were both remarkable adventurers, so that might have something to do with it.
“Um...are you Minerva’s friend or something?”
“Yusuke, no, that’s not it...” she said, taking an awfully familiar tone for someone I’d just met.
“What do you mean?”
“It’s me.”
“Who is ‘me’? I don’t think we’ve ever met...”
“I’m Minerva,” said the witch Michelle, looking like she was about to cry.
Then that means...this is what Minerva looks like under that silver mask?!
Minerva was one of my regulars. He was always kind to me, and he’d become my closest friend as of late. We were together every day, and he cooked for me, and even with his scary voice, he’d talk like a girl sometimes and act weird whenever I noticed. We had even gone into the hot spring together... That whole time, Minerva had actually been the witch Michelle?!
“I did think something was off a few times, but I ignored it, thinking there was no way...”
“I’m sorry. That’s probably what my cognitive obstruction spell had you think. But I really wanted you to find out, so I’ve been weakening my magic recently.”
And yet even after she’d done that, how dense was I that I still hadn’t realized it until she’d come out to me herself?! No, that just goes to show how powerful her cognitive obstruction spell is. I had even thought her hair was short before this, but now that I looked at her, she actually had long black hair. I’d had no idea at all.
“Who would’ve guessed my best friend, who I thought was a guy, was really the witch Michelle...?”
“Do you hate me now?” Minerva...no, Michelle asked me with a sorrowful expression.
I once again took out my Mini Mini Cola and tossed some back. I didn’t bother counting how many. Their unique fragrance filled my mouth as I crunched away.
“Not at all,” I assured her. “Sit down. Do you want some of these? It’ll calm you down.”
She accepted the bottle I had offered her and also put the ramune-flavored candy in her mouth. The bottle was empty when she returned it.