Translator: mii
Editors: sleepchaser, con
Sig was acting strange, so I chased him out to the bathroom. The living room was quiet now, and I held in a yawn. A mug of coffee and a notebook sat on the table. As usual, it was time to record the balance of today"s activities.
At that moment, I noticed something strange about my PT earnings for the day. Not that it surprised me much anymore, though.
“But I wonder what this means?"
[Tender Care Rank C: 3000 * 1 = 3000 PT]
It was recorded before the "Share a Bed" task, so it should have been something I had done last night. Even so, I didn"t remember how I obtained it, just like the previous times.
Since I received a Rank C, I must"ve done something on the same level as wiping his body. Though, Sig probably didn"t stroke or touch me while I was asleep.
“Let"s just pretend this is a bug. I"d just be giving myself more trouble by thinking about it too much."
That being said, I opened the status screen, all the more curious despite knowing it would be scary and unpleasant.
Even if it were a bug, who cared?
As soon as the screen flashed before my eyes, that gung-ho att.i.tude immediately transformed into deep regret.
Name: Minoru Occupation: Hero"s Treasure
Strength: 85/90
Energy: 35/65
Horticulture: Lv.4 1500/2500
t.i.tle: Herb lover
Environment: Lv.6 10935/13000
t.i.tle: Do-it-yourself
Cooking: Lv.5 1700/2500
t.i.tle: Foodie
Care: Lv.10 65600/85000
t.i.tle: Lovesick
My occupation wasn"t even a living creature anymore.
I wasn"t put off, but if I were his treasure, he should treat me with a little more care, okay? The swelling on my right temple was still painful when I touched it.
And the "care" level that continued to improve had also updated its t.i.tle. The bittersweet "Unrequited Love" had turned into "Lovesick."
It was getting worse rather than progressing. It was stressing me out.
Please explain this to me, G.o.d. I"m begging you…
Careful not to make any eye contact with Sig, I went to take a bath once he was done.
After washing off my sweat in the shower, I soaked myself in the bathtub. It felt as if the hot water were washing away the day"s fatigue, and giving me enough energy to take on the following day. Taking baths like this used to be my habit back when I was chased by deadlines.
The only thing left to do was to have a good night"s sleep.
By the time I got out of the tub, I was so exhausted that the liquor matter had been pushed to the back of my mind. Thinking Sig was already asleep, I went to have a drink of water in the living room.
As if to prove me wrong, Sig opened the door and approached me. "You"re fast," he said.
“Ah, yeah. I just wanted to wash up and warm my body a bit."
Ahh… There went my plan in sneaking in next to him. Now what was I supposed to do?
I"d almost forgotten, but Sig was the type of person who slept naked. Although I hadn"t seen him sleeping since he woke up, I was very anxious since whenever I asked G.o.d about what to do with Sig, about sleeping in the same bed as him, G.o.d would basically brush me off. Or give me a non-answer.
Sig waited for me to finish my drink before he said, “Minoru… Do you think living here is fun?”
My heart jolted at his unexpected words.
He asked me whether it was fun… To be honest, not always. And of course I was also anxious to get home, but―
“I feel fulfilled every day," I said, looking down at my toes.
Growing vegetables, repairing the roof, living together with a handsome blond. Even though these actions had all been fueled for the sake of money, they were still experiences I"d never had before. It had been a long time since I worked so hard on something.
It certainly was fulfilling. That wasn"t a lie.
Sig smiled a little at my answer, before that smile faded into a look of self-depreciation. It was the first time I"d seen him make that kind of expression.
“I really don"t want to force a child like you. But—”
“I told you I"m not a child, right?” I said, making sure to emphasize the word "child." Being treated as such was wholly uncomfortable. I was sure that any man would feel the same.
“Also, it"s true that it"s unreasonable how I came to this world and have to work to return home, but I"m not being forced. It might have been different if the owner of this place wasn"t you, but―”
“Minoru.”
This time, it was Sig who had interrupted my words. By the time I noticed just how close Sig"s face was to mine, he had grasped my upper arm. There was a desperate look in his eyes, like he was striving his best to endure something.
“L-let"s sleep, Sig.”
For some reason, Sig turned his face away as he urgently dragged me to the bedroom by the arm. As if respecting the owner"s desire to sleep, the room remained dark, ignoring the light of the lamp outside the door.
But that wasn"t what"s important. Rather, what was with that look in his eyes?
He was practically holding me in his arms as we lay down on the bed. No, looking at this posture, I was the only one laying on the bed.
He"d pushed me down.
I was so confused that I could only open and close my mouth like an idiot.
Sig pressed my wrists into the mattress, leaving me no room to escape. His tongue dove into my mouth with a fierce pa.s.sion, almost violent in its intensity. It could have just been my imagination, but I thought I caught the scent of the red wine we"d drunk earlier.
His hold was painful, digging into my skin, and I tried pushing his hands away to no avail. Every time I struggled, there was only the sound of rustling sheets.
Maybe because I had just taken a bath, but my body felt strangely hot. The room spun in circles.
Why did he suddenly do something like this?
My ears caught the sound of ringing nearby. A gentle, familiar sound.
My phone notification.
After recording the day"s balance, never had I expected to earn more PT today.
Tender Care Rank B: 6000 [Note] Grooming by something other than hands