Hiki and Hiki

So. New day. New me. Same healing water.

The Angel drifted on my surface, wavy pink hair spread out like flower petals, admiring the gemstones she found in my walls. She’s been here for… how long now? I couldn’t tell. Time in Dungeon Core form was weird.

Bloop*. A bubble popped. That was my only entertainment.

I’d complain, but right now, I was more focused on my latest accomplishment: My first ever sign.

Yes, a grand NEW opening sign!

I crafted it by swirling minerals and spring water at the cavern entrance, eroding the rock face until it indented and changed color. “Neat, right?”

[WELCOME TO KAZUKI SACRED SPA]

Humans & Monsters, All Are Welcome.

No fighting, no peeing in the pool.

It’s perfect! Direct, polite, and firm about the important rules.

She floated closer. “Hm? Your version? It’s ugly.”

“It’s charming! It sets the tone!”

“Tone? You’ll need more than a rock scribble if you plan to host every filthy traveler and stinky goblin who stumbles in here.”

“Hey! My spa is open to everyone. Even Goblins!”

“By going too fast, you’ll invite trouble. Why not be niche?”

I hated to admit it, but despite her sloth, she had a good point. If I really wanted this to work, I needed a strong direction. Guards. Staff. A whole spa system to keep this place clean, calm, and lucrative.

“I can’t go niche…”

“Hm? Why?”

“Everyone loves a good, relaxing bath.” This was true, but it wasn’t the primary thing I was after. “Or rather, aren’t you too lazy? The humans from before said they’d be back to claim me.”

“They did.”

“What did they mean by that?”

“You’re a healing core. An unclaimed one, and super easy. Of course, the humans want to party and dip into you. They’ll have the nearby Adventurer’s Guild come in droves.”

“Wonderful! Beyond wonderful! Let’s make peace with them.”

“I don’t wanna.”

“We need customers! Or hire more reliable people!! Fly to the human village and apologize for earlier!”

“You fought them too!”

“You Fallen Angel! Have more of a backbone as my business partner!”

“How can you be so rude! You weren’t like this before!”

“Go and apologize!”

“I said I’m not going.”

“Why? Pretend I’m as stupid as you are, so explain.”

“You’re worse, you don’t appear to know a single thing about this world!”

“Cause’ you set me here?!”

“You think it’s odd for an Angel to enjoy a spa?”

“Yeah, I do.”

“Yes, it is! It’s odd for an Angel to have the privilege of not being a worker for every human prayer. They treat me like garbage! We don’t get to rest. We just answer prayers 24/7. Our population is in decline because of overwork, when I get to my cloud, all I can think of is wanting to wash away the dirty things of this world. And, and…! I’m on strike, okay?!”

Huh. That was unexpected.

“Besides, why do you wanna be claimed by the humans so badly? Once your Core is locked by them, you’ll be bound to only heal their species.”

“Huh?”

“Those adventures are getting ready to cause trouble, you know, once they lay hands on you, you’ll have no choice but to follow their orders, the same as me!”

“WHAT?! Why didn’t you say so sooner?!”

“Everyone knows this. You’re the oddball for not knowing!”

“You bitch! No, you’re tricking me! Tricking me to remain lazy!”

“Am not!” Her expression clearly stated otherwise.

“When you touched me, nothing happened!”

“Well, I didn’t hold you for long enough. And I’m unique. Even though I’m divine, I don’t have the kind of privileges a baby human has.”

I bubbled in panic. This was horrendously worse than I imagined!

I was only a shiny red rock, a fountain, an altar that anyone could plant a flag on. If an adventure claimed my territory, or if a monster claimed me, it was One Step for Mankind and bye-bye to all my remaining dignity and freedoms!

“So, we really do need help! Guards! Staff! A front desk! A no-loitering policy–”

“Too much.”

“You’re floating! You’re doing nothing! You won’t help me, that’s fine. But since you’re in such a useless mood, I’ll use the chance to worsen things now rather than later.”

“What do you mean?”

“I do love the spa idea – love the Fifty-fifty split… not really, but! My point is, I want my body back! I can’t do it alone.”

“Where do I fall into this?”

“Did you really just say that? I’ll ruin your precious sanctuary.”

She swam closer. “So, you’re not doing this for slow-life escapism? I totally thought–”

“No! This is pure strategy! I ran from responsibility before. Not anymore. I’ll run the best monster-human spa resort this world has ever seen – and squeeze every relic, rumor, and clue I need to fix this miserable no-body problem. I can absorb powers that way, right? Like how we did in the fight!”

“Tch. Too savvy.”

“[Natural Heat Level 10]”

“Ouch! Ouch!”

“I miss my body, you know?! I can only experience this spa through your enjoyment. Do you know how jealous that makes me?! I could heat this place up like a volcano!”

“Don’t, really don’t!”

“I hope to attract as many creatures as I can to find out how to get out of this predicament. Don’t you get it? If those adventurers claim me, not only do you lose this precious stayaway of yours, but we’d have no choice but to discriminate against our patrons!”

“So what? It’s not my problem.”

“It is your problem! You’ll be shunned from this palace! We’ll lose at least 90 percent of our business! Think of all the lost coin!”

“Hm… hmmm…” She turned away.

“There’s something seriously wrong with you. I thought you were slothful, but it can’t be that you’re prideful too? This should be easy to realize – it’s only an apology. Yeah, I messed up my first life by running away from everything! But I won’t do it again, and you shouldn’t either.”

She froze mid-paddle. “What do you mean?”

“You’re hiding here, aren’t you? Pretending this cavern is your personal pillow fort. But what’s the point if we’re just waiting for someone to claim me and drag you back to your duties, too?”

“It’s none of your business.” She huffed and sank halfway under. “I like it here. It’s relaxing. Nobody prays at me. It’s perfect.”

“It’s pathetic!” I blurted. Bloop. There went my last polite bubble. “You talk like you’re better than me, but you’re just another shut-in! You ran away too, didn’t you?”

“Shut up, spa rock!”

“No! I’ve run away all my life, and I was making a change for the better, so I’m not going down any other path! You think a spa will heal mental scars? Foolish! Hiki-Angel, you and I are one and the same. Go to the village, talk to the humans, sort things out! Show them you’re not some free blessing they can drag around!”

She crossed her arms, wings fanning out in soggy defiance. “I said no! I’m done doing favors for people who toss me aside the second they’re happy. I’m done being useful for once.”

“Then be selfish! Let’s make them pay for every soak, every prayer, every drop! But do it out there, and not rotting in my healing waters like last week’s convenience store bento!”

She dipped under completely. I saw bubbles of rage. Or maybe sulking. Probably both. When she popped back up, her wings were limp. “…It won’t work,” she whispered, quieter. “I’ll get used up. Just like you will.”

I saw this look on her beautiful face as she grasped that my [Healing Flow] ability won’t solve this.

‘I can’t do it alone.’ She seemed to say.

Was it because she was in my water for a long time that this thought resonated with me? Was it because I exclaimed a moment prior that I couldn’t get my body back alone either, that I needed her help? Or was it because I was once a NEET too and was imagining things?

I thought of all the letters that suddenly started appearing on my food tray. If Mom and Dad hadn’t reached out a helping hand to me, if they hadn’t remained as my tether to the world, I wouldn’t have ever left that room.

If I can just…

“Then help me prove you wrong.”

“Hm?”

“Take me with you.” I exited the Dungeon Core and sloshed my essence into the spring, and then into a flask sticking out of a pouch one of the adventurers left behind. “I’ll be your secret weapon! I can’t do anything except talk and maybe warm your body, but I’ll be there.”

She poked the flask. “You look ridiculous.”

“Be grateful! I’m portable now! Can we try now, at least?”

“Pass.”

“I’ll kill you–!!”

She sighs and hoists me under one arm. “Fine. Let’s fly.”

“Let’s make this quick.”

“Naturally!” She haughtily soared through the tunnels, actually looking like a divine, trustworthy, gorgeous Angel. Her wings slammed into a stalactite. Bonk.

“…Ow. … …Sob*. Uuhh*. I can’t even blame you for that one.”

“Good start, useless business partner.”

She dragged me under her wing. “May I drink you to heal?”

“That’d be terrifying. And let’s pause the name-calling for once. What’s yours?”

“Sharlotte. I’m Sharlotte d’Empyrean.”

“Well then, Sharlotte,” I gurgled dramatically inside my flask. “I’m the past-human, now-Dungeon Core, Kazuki Susu! And we’re gonna build our own Heaven, one bath at a time! Befriending the humans in the first leap, got it?! Taking all their money too!”