Regarding the Matter of Beautiful Girls Relentlessly Seeking My Body (Experience Points)
Three days had passed since I had spent a sweltering night in a dim confessional with Honoka-san. When I arrived at my part-time job, I found Chika-san sitting in a chair with a dark expression on her face.
“Good morning! Chika-san, is something wrong?”
Hearing my voice, Chika-san jumped to her feet.
“Mura! Have you seen Honoka? Three days ago, she left a paid leave request at the office, and she hasn’t been seen anywhere since!”
“Ah… well…”
If Honoka-san wasn’t around, it probably meant she was diving into a dungeon. My lack of surprise seemed to tip Chika-san off that I knew something. She moved in close, glaring at me.
“Mura, you know something, don’t you?”
“Uh, yes, a little. I think she went to the dungeon to catch a Dungeon Turkey.”
“Ridiculous! That girl’s practically a novice who’s barely entered a dungeon before! She’d die before even getting there!”
“What floor is the turkey on?”
“The 77th floor!”
Well, if that’s the case, there’s no problem. Honoka-san’s level has reached 206.
Of course, Chika-san wouldn’t know that. She panicked for a while before crouching down and covering her face with her hands.
“That foolish girl… She told me not to push myself too hard, and now she’s doing something suicidal herself…”
The usually strong-willed Chika-san spoke in a despairing voice, tears falling like raindrops.
“Honoka always seemed so clever… but now she’s gone and recklessly thrown herself into danger. She’s even more foolish than I am…”
“Chika-san…”
After crying for a while, Chika-san wiped her tears with the back of her hand and looked at me with red-rimmed eyes.
“Sorry, Mura. No work today. Let the other employees know when they arrive.”
“Chika-san, where are you going?”
“Where else? To the dungeon. She might be lost and crying in the lower floors. She’s not necessarily dead yet, so I have to look for her.”
“But your license has been revoked, hasn’t it?”
“Like I care. I’d risk losing my license a hundred times over for that foolish girl. The staff managing the dungeon’s entrance are just weaklings. I’ll break through if I have to.”
A mother’s love is powerful. No one could stop Chika-san from heading to the dungeon.
Though, in this case, it wasn’t really necessary.
“Honoka, I love you. So please, stay alive…”
“I’m back!”
The tense atmosphere in the office was shattered by Honoka-san’s carefree voice. The door opened with a click, and in walked Honoka-san, carrying a large sack like a Santa Claus. Chika-san, with her tear-streaked face, froze at the sight of her.
“Ah, I’m exhausted. Dungeons are tough without a bath. Oh, Mom, I got the turkey! Now the Christmas buffet next week is all set!”
Chika-san opened and closed her mouth, speechless. Finally, she managed to croak out a question.
“Ho… Honoka… how…?”
“Huh? I told you I’d go to the dungeon since my level was high, didn’t I? Oh, wait… did I not? Um… maybe… I didn’t?”
As she recalled her failure to inform Chika-san, Honoka-san’s cheery tone grew quieter. After a brief silence, she stuck out her tongue and playfully tapped her head.
“Oops, I forgot to mention it!”
“You… idiot daughter!”
“I’m sooooo sorry!”
A comical fist landed on Honoka-san’s head, straight out of a manga.
For thirty minutes, Chika-san scolded her, leaving Honoka-san sitting in tears by the end.
“Honestly, you really worried me. But I’m glad you’re alive. And…”
Chika-san broke into a smile and gave her a thumbs-up.
“Good job, Honoka. Thanks to you, we can have the best Christmas buffet ever. We’ve got one week until the 24th—let’s get to work!”
“Yeah!”
“Alright, time to start prepping… wait…”
Peeking into the bag Honoka-san had carried back, Chika-san froze.
“Honoka… this is…”
Chika-san pulled out a bird from the sack. White feathers, a pinkish beak—it was unmistakably…
“This is a goose.”
“…Huh?”
It seemed Honoka-san was a bit more of an airhead than expected.
Two days later, with Chika-san’s diver license reinstated, the two of them hurried to the 77th floor, safely retrieved the Dungeon Turkey, and managed to prepare for the Christmas buffet just in time.
