NOVEL NEXT Chapter 95.1
Mantis Shrimp
This is the usual classroom at the chiropractic school.
"Whoa, super fine vibration blast! (Trembling…!)"
"Oh, that's great, Muto-san!"
For some reason, the older man, Muto-san, showed strong interest in my invented super fine vibration blast. Thanks to repeated guidance and his unwavering effort, Muto-san was starting to master the [Moderate Vibration Blast].
"Wow, Zucky, we finally made it this far, thank you!"
"Congratulations, Muto-san! (High-five!)"
When Muto-san opened his practice, he wanted to make this vibration blast his selling point. He started his second life after leaving his corporate job, and I hope he does well.
However, he might want to lose a little weight. The flesh under his chin quivers when he releases the vibration blast and can't help but induce laughter.
After enjoying our time at the chiropractic school, we took a bath at the hot spring public bath.
With my newfound muscular physique, I couldn't fit in my home bathtub without transforming. So, going to the public bath became a daily routine.
"Phew, what a nice bath. It's best to stretch your limbs in a spacious bathtub. Huh…?"
As I prepared to take out my motorcycle after coming out of the bath, I noticed a message from Serai-san.
It's 6:00 PM, and I received a message about ten minutes ago. It says, [Master, can I come over to hang out?] Well, [Sure, but there won't be a bath or dinner tonight], I replied. Serai-san responded with, [That's fine].
What could it be? It doesn't seem like he's after a bath or a meal. Oh well, either way, I'm not very impressed. It's not easy for me to endure, you know.
Anyway, after finishing my shopping and returning home, changing into casual clothes, Serai-san knocked on my door without prior notice. Huh, he's early. Could it be that he was already on his way when he sent the message?
"Knock, knock. Hey, come on in."
As he opened the door, Serai-san, dressed in a brown jacket and jeans, entered the hallway carrying the belongings he uses for university and a shopping bag filled with vinyl.
"Good evening, master. It gets suddenly chilly when the sun sets. Oh, can I use your bathroom? I got cold for some reason. (Rustling)"
Serai-san handed me the items he was carrying and went straight to the bathroom. I left the items in the room and checked the contents of the shopping bag, finding some snacks and a few sour drinks. Serai-san likes beer but often buys easy-to-find sour drinks for home drinking. As for me? I mostly drink beer at home. Occasionally, I buy whiskey.
"Ahhhhhh!"
Suddenly, a woman's scream pierced through the air.
Wait, this is Serai-san's scream from the bathroom.
"Serai-san! Are you okay? (Bam)"
"Huh! Wait, don't open it! (Gulp!)"
I rushed to the rescue, and Serai-san was pushing the door from the inside. What on earth is happening in there?
"Bang, bang, bang! Serai-san! What's wrong!?"
"Master! Why are there so many small shrimp in the bathtub?! You scared me!"
Oh, that. About that…
"I caught mantis shrimp."
"Huh? Why are they in the bathtub?"
Oh, I'm cleaning the mud out of them. Gotta make them spit out the mud and poop. If you eat them right after catching them, they might have a strong smell…
"Ugh, seriously, don't scare me like that… (Shivering…)"
(What!? Wait, Serai-san… could she be doing it while talking!?)
No way! Serai-san, how careless… Wait, this is something regular people can't hear, right? It's because I'm about 20 times more sensitive than normal people…
Oh no! If Serai-san knew I heard such embarrassing sounds, he might be mortified. Yeah, I didn't hear anything! La la la! I didn't hear anything!!
Coughing exaggeratedly, I arrange the things Serai-san bought on the table.
"(Clink! Knock, knock…) Ugh, I thought I was going to wet myself!"
"Sorry about that. There wasn't time for an explanation…"
But I'm just relieved that Serai-san didn't turn it into a disaster.
If Serai-san had ended up in a real mess, I would have to dash out to buy replacement pants, and Serai-san would have to shower in the cramped space between the mantis shrimps' filled bathtub and the toilet.
"Mmm… So, what about these little shrimp?"
Serai-san glares at me with a serious expression.
"They're mantis shrimp… I caught them in a nearby river after dropping you off the other day. I thought we'd have them for dinner today…"
"Huh… So you mean we're going to cook them?! I want to do it too! (Yay!)"
Ah, Serai-san's mood brightened up when she found out we were going to cook. She's really easy to read at times like this.
"Great! Let's have you help, Serai-san."
"Yeah! What can I do?"
Serai-san is really excited now that she knows we're going to cook.
Alright, let's cook together then. Let's get cooking!