The chirping of birds can be heard.
Morning.
Last night, I spent the night with Nao.
Next to me, Naois breathing softly in her sleep. As I gaze at her peaceful, gentle sleeping face, I'm reminded once again that the night we shared was real.
I don't know if it was my gaze that caused it, but Naoslowly opens her eyes. Her neatly arranged eyelashes frame jewel-like pupils. Half-asleep, her lips part slightly.
She rubs her eyes and looks at me again, as if wondering whether I'm a hallucination. But she seems to quickly grasp the reality of the situation.
"...M-morning."
Hiding half her face with the pillow, Naomurmurs.
"It's... morning already."
"No idea what time we fell asleep. No clock, so who knows?"
Nao's face turns beet red, like a boiled octopus, and she shoves the pillow into my face.
"Uuuh... uuuuuh..."
"Nao, I can't breathe. Seriously, I can't breathe."
"It was my first time... I-I think I've experienced a lifetime's worth of embarrassment. I'll never be embarrassed again."
I recall that night.
Nao's voice, her body, the softness of her skin, and the sweet, honey-like scent of her.
"I was really happy... but Takumi, was it okay? Did I... cause you any trouble?"
"What trouble?"
"You're so cool, Takumi. But I'm small, and not very smart..."
"Neither am I. I'm not especially tall, not particularly smart, just reading manga and playing games all the time..."
We exchange words like that.
"Man, I'm sleepy... Nao."
"Mmm... I kinda wanna stay like this a little longer."
She nibbles my earlobe and whispers to me.
"I love you."
"I love you too."
"So much."
I want to lose myself in this bliss, but I quickly steel myself.
I don't have time to laze around like this. There's work waiting at the Adventurer's Guild.
Besides, now that my relationship with Tsugumi has improved somewhat, I might even be allowed to operate in a wider area. If so, I could explore dungeons with Kazusa or wield magic swords and holy blades in battle.
Earning a living, saving this world, searching for a way back home—those are the missions assigned to me. Even if the summoning was a rotten experience, the fact remains that the people of this world are in trouble. I can't just ignore it.
I don't have time to fool around in bed with a naked girl.
...That kind of thing can wait until I get back.
"...Nnn, Takumi."
"N-Nao, it's about time for me to... go."
Gently untangling Nao's clinging arms, I sit up from the bed.
Then, I feel warmth on my Shoulder.
Nao.
She's climbed out of bed and wrapped herself around me.
"Nooo, just a little more..."
"H-hey, don't cling to me like that! No, no, no means no! I love you, Nao, but I won't drown in women! I've got work to do!"
"Takumi..."
"It's not that I don't want to! I do, but—!"
Just as I'm about to stammer out excuses—
Creak.
A sound reaches my ears. The sound of the front door opening.
Huh?
Did I lock the...
Oh, right. I didn't. After we tumbled into bed together, caught up in the moment, we never got around to it.
Standing in the doorway is Kazusa, clad in a breastplate and armed with a sword. Looks like she was planning to dive into a dungeon today.
"...Eep."
Kazusa lets out a weird noise and freezes in place. There's no room for excuses in this situation.
"...You two, at it this early in the morning? Ugh, seriously..."
Playing with her ribbon-tied blonde hair, Kazusa averts her gaze. Her lips twitch oddly—whether she's suppressing laughter, stifling anger, or trembling with embarrassment, I can't tell.
Naohides behind me. Seems like even a lifetime's worth of embarrassment wasn't enough to cure her shyness.
"Um... Kazusa, are you... mad? That Takumi and I... did this...?"
"Why would I be? What's there to be mad about?"
"You... like Takumi, don't you?"
"Hah?"
Kazusa makes a face like she just bit into something sour.
D-don't grimace that obviously! A little tsundere reaction like "W-why would I like this guy?!" would've been better.
The unexpected question seems to have snapped Kazusa back to her senses. She straightens up and looks back and forth between me (now dressed) and Nao(still wrapped in the sheets).
"Takumi, huh? He's fun to talk to, and I don't dislike him... but he's kinda lacking in spice, y'know? Not exactly the serious type, not a delinquent either, just... missing that something that makes him stand out."
"Don't make me sound like some generic background character. That kinda hurts."
Well, it's probably a fair assessment. In a way, I get it.
But Naodisagrees. Puffing her cheeks slightly, she tightens her grip on my arm.
"Takumi is the coolest in the world!"
"Hah? What're you even saying?"
"...He is cool."
Gyaaaaaah!
S-stop! That's way too embarrassing! "Coolest in the world" is overkill! At least say "coolest guy I know" or something!
"...Yeah, yeah, Takumi's the absolute coolest. Go gather all the women in the world into your harem, live in debauchery, make the Demon King fall for you, and bring peace to the world. The end, the end."
Waving her hand dismissively, Kazusa lets out an exasperated sigh.
Demon King? More like Demon Dude... No way that's happening.
Clapping her hands as if to declare the conversation over, she looks at me again.
"Suzuna's calling for you. I'm just the messenger."
"Suzuna is?"
Onamaru Suzuna.
The girl who sparked the Magic Revolution—inventing machines that allow women to wield magic. A summons from her carries the same weight as one from Tsugumi.
"Got it. I just need to head to the university?"
"Yep. I already talked to Tsugumi, so... here."
Kazusa hands me a slip of paper—a permit issued by President Tsugumi. With this, I can leave the city.
After saying goodbye to Naoand Kazusa, I set off for the city where the university is located.