Episode 45: Days Like This
“Have a safe trip home, Master!!”
The moment the last customer disappeared from view, all four of us sank straight down onto the floor at once.
Finally… it’s finally over…!
Of course there was a little wistfulness about the event we’d been so looking forward to actually ending, but the sense of accomplishment far outweighed it.
No major mistakes, and above all, the customers had a great time. I lost count of how many times I saw Möbius-san getting excitedly cornered with “What’s the next event going to be!?”
No question about it — Sweet Stella’s very first event was a huge success.
“Ruri’s tuition should be fine too, probably. Haven’t actually run the numbers yet, though.”
Möbius-san gave my head a light pat. Great job, Miyuki-san said, hugging me from behind.
Sora-san, meanwhile, was looking straight at me from the front.
“U-um, Sora-san.”
“What?”
“My front’s open.”
I’m not sure whether it was Möbius-san or Miyuki-san who burst out laughing first. Before I could even register which one, Sora-san had already thrown herself into my chest with full force.
We ended up piled together in a heap, everyone hugging tight with me at the center. Post-event and sweaty, it got a little sticky, but honestly, none of that mattered at all.
“…Ah.”
“Ruri? Something wrong?”
“Möbius-san! What if we all went to the hot spring together after this!?”
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“Ahh… this brings me back to life.”
Soaking in the hot spring water, Miyuki-san stretched her shoulders with a happy smile.
Just like Miyuki-san said, a hot spring after being this exhausted is the absolute best.
“The trains are probably about to stop running too — should everyone just crash at Möbius-chan’s tonight?”
“Stay over, stay over. Going home this late would be dangerous anyway.”
Möbius-san said it while stretching out her own shoulders too. This hot spring, the one she introduced us to, was as empty as ever.
“Alright, I’ll take you up on that. …But no drinking tonight, please. I’m too tired to deal with drunk people.”
At Sora-san’s blunt request, the two older members exchanged an awkward glance and nodded in agreement.
Those two get drunk fast when they drink, but apparently they’re not the type to actually black out and forget things.
“…Now I’m curious what happens if Cosmo-chan ever drinks.”
Miyuki-san puffed out her cheeks, pouting.
“If I’m a lightweight, I just won’t drink enough to get drunk in the first place.”
“You say that, but you always end up drinking more than you meant to! Just wait — once you turn twenty, I’m getting you properly drunk!”
“I’ll help out too. Get ready for it, Hayashi-chan.”
“…Sigh.”
Watching the two of them pile onto Sora-san like that made me laugh, happy.
The three of them looked at me, puzzled.
“Ruri, something up?”
“Ah, no, it’s just… hearing everyone talk like it’s just assumed we’ll still be together when Sora-san turns twenty made me really happy, is all…”
There’s still almost four years until Sora-san turns twenty. And yet everyone was talking about it so naturally, like it was already decided we’d all still be here together by then. That made me happy.
“Ruri, seriously…”
“…Riri-chan, so cute…!”
“…Ruri really does say some pretty calculated stuff sometimes, huh.”
“Eh!?”
Confused by their reactions, I froze up, and Möbius-san let out a big laugh and slung an arm around my shoulders.
“We’re gonna get you good and drunk too, Ruri — look forward to it!”
“Wah, Riri-chan’s getting corrupted by bad adults…”
“You’re a bad adult too, Milk!”
Cheerful laughter echoed through the hot spring. Caught up in the mood, I let a weird little laugh slip out of my own mouth too.
Everyone working hard together, pushing through all the tough parts leading up to the event.
And once it’s all over, everyone relaxing and having fun together, just like this.
I hope days like this keep going, and going, and going… forever.