NOVEL NEXT Chapter 18 - Nap Time
Nap Time
Lunch was delicious, but oh my, it was a lot of food! Way too much for a child’s stomach! But Schlie-san polished off everything I couldn’t finish. I was a little worried he was pushing himself, but he said something about how he should have ordered more, so it seemed fine.
He eats a lot for someone so slender. It’s easy to be deceived by appearances, but Schlie-san is a man, after all.
“Now then, I’d love to have some dessert, but Meg, you must be too full, right?”
“Ahh, yes…”
Ugh, dessert! I wanted to eat it, I wanted to summon my second stomach, but it was simply impossible. Just look at my tummy! Round and full. Sad.
“Well then, let’s have it as a snack after your nap. Then, we can study some nature magic.”
“Nap…?”
Now that he mentioned it, I was quite sleepy. I could probably stay awake, but this was the kind of sleepy where you’d pass out mid-meeting if it were the afternoon. In short, I was extremely tired.
Don’t underestimate an office worker… I had the skill to subtly pass out without anyone noticing, then snap back to consciousness the moment someone spoke to me, smoothly playing it off.
However, this wasn’t my adult Hasegawa Megu body. Pushing myself could affect my growth. I still had a chance to achieve the “sexy body” I never had in my past life, so I had to avoid overexerting myself!
“Yes. Eating well, sleeping well, and playing a lot. That’s Meg’s job. We can study a little at a time, in between. We have plenty of time.”
He was absolutely right. That was the ideal way for a child to be. Besides, I was an elf now, which meant I had a long, looong life ahead of me. There was no need to rush.
But I wondered if I’d be able to shake off my deeply ingrained office worker mentality. Ahaha, I might need to constantly remind myself not to rush and just take it easy. I never thought I’d struggle with relaxing. I was always wishing for more free time and more sleep, but now that I had the perfect environment for it, I couldn’t relax. How troublesome, this Japanese temperament.
“Well then, shall we head back? Fufu, you seem sleepy. Would you like me to carry you?”
Even though my mind was racing with thoughts, my body was honest. Just like yesterday, I started nodding off.
“But you already treated me to lunch…”
It’s true. I never imagined I’d be taken to such a fancy restaurant, and I felt incredibly guilty. But there was no other option but to be treated. Because currently, I was unemployed, penniless, and lacking in stamina… How pathetic.
“Honestly… Gil was right. You should rely on adults more, don’t you think?”
Schlie-san chuckled, seemingly finding me amusing, and gently scooped me up in his arms. He was more slender than Gil-san, but incredibly stable. Was he secretly muscular?
And he smelled so good. Some kind of herb, maybe? Uoooh… the relaxing effects…
Sleepiness, I concede defeat once more. Good night.
I felt my consciousness slowly returning. Was I waking up from a dream? It was a nice dream, though.
About the first time I made tamagoyaki (rolled omelet) for my dad. I was in second grade. Dad would come home tired every day, so I decided to wake up early and prepare breakfast. There was freshly cooked rice, instant miso soup… and a messy tamagoyaki. I remember apologizing through tears. I tried so hard to cheer Dad up, but no matter how many times I tried, I couldn’t make it properly.
…What happened after that?
I sat up. It seemed I’d been put to bed. Maybe that’s why I felt so well-rested. I stretched with a hearty “Nggh~.” Ahh, a good night’s sleep!
I looked around, but there was no sign of anyone. I could tell I was in some kind of room. It must have been inside the guild, right? What if it wasn’t? Well, I’d worry about it then…
I carefully slipped out of bed and put on the shoes neatly lined up on the floor. I remembered that I was supposed to have a nature magic lesson with Schlie-san in the afternoon. Would he be there when I left the room? Thinking this, for some reason, I tried to be quiet as I carefully opened the door. I mean, it would be fine even if I made noise, but it felt right to be quiet.
Apparently, I’d been sleeping on the second floor of the building. And judging from the interior, this was the guild. I thought so, but it was a relief to confirm it.
I carefully made my way down the stairs. The steps were a bit high for my child-sized body. As I was slowly descending, holding onto the handrail, I spotted Schlie-san and Juma-kun on the floor below. Seeing them, I breathed a sigh of relief once more.
“Oh, kiddo’s awake!”
“Hi, good mowning… !?”
Juma-kun, who seemed to have noticed me, called out a casual greeting. Just as I was about to reply, I must have missed a step.
“Nyaaa…!”
“Meg!!”
Everyone’s panicked voices rang out in unison. To notice such a trivial thing when something far more important was happening… Was this that slow-motion phenomenon you always hear about?
I squeezed my eyes shut, bracing for impact, but all I felt was a whoosh of air. And then, the warmth and firmness of a broad chest and strong arms. Huh?
“Whew… That was close! Bwahaha! Hey, Meg, thanks to you, I experienced that heart-stopping feeling for the first time in ages!”
“I agree… It’s been a while since I felt such a chill.”
Juma-kun’s voice was from above, and Schlie-san’s breathy voice was from right in front of me. They’d reacted very differently, but I’d definitely given them a scare.
“I-I’m sho shawry…! Ah, thank you!”
I hurriedly apologized and thanked them. It was a mistake to move as I normally would. My body couldn’t keep up with my reflexes; I was a “child who trips easily.” I was being careful, but when something else caught my attention, I became careless. I was such a troublesome burden. Reflect, reflect, reflect. I hung my head dejectedly.
“No, it was my fault for calling out to you. I’m the one who should be apologizing.”
“That may be so, but it was my fault for letting her rest on the second floor. It was irresponsible of us to not be by her side when she woke up. Meg, I’m so sorry.”
N-N-N-No way! This was entirely my fault. As I was flustered and at a loss for words, a sharp clapping sound, “Pan Pan!” rang out. Turning around, I saw Saura-san smiling wryly as she clapped her hands.
“We all have things to reflect on! Let’s be more careful from now on. Schlie, Juma, Meg-chan’s feeling troubled!”
“Oh, sorry, kiddo! Well, let’s be more careful next time!”
“My, my, Meg is such a kind child. Let’s all be more careful.”
Ahh, they’re so kind… I wish I had bosses like them. I replied with a bright smile, “Yes!”