Chapter 15: Opening Conclusion【P1】

Masaki

Crisp pops…

A warm, oily smell…

A rhythmic scrape of metal on metal...

“No, please! I don’t taste good without my glasses!” I bolt upright, gripping the edge of the giant boiling pot.

“Glasses?” a familiar voice asks.

…

That voice definitely does not belong to an evil goblin…

My eyes jump open.

Griping the blanket in hand with arms forward, I look around and over its edge.

Leisa stands with her back to me, tossing an egg in a frying pan with a flick of her wrist.

She glances over her shoulder with a raised eyebrow. “I didn’t know you were glasses.”

I quickly dive forward, straining to touch my toes to seamlessly transition into the first morning stretch of my life.

“Ah—good morning!” The words squeeze out of my compressed chest. “I usually wear contacts. The glasses are mostly for the evening. ”

“Guess I missed that. When did you get in last night?” She slides the fried egg onto a plate and grabs a can from the fridge.

“Phfff.” I release my toes and stretch my arms toward the ceiling. “Maybe eleven? Midnight? Good to know I didn’t wake you.”

With a few steps toward me, she sinks onto a floor cushion at the low table.

“Well, it is a school day.” She cracks open the tab of her drink and sets it down, completing her symmetrically positioned breakfast setup. “I, for one, prefer to be prepared with a good night’s rest.”

“Half school day, thank you.” I twirl my index finger while springing off the bed, puffing my chest out. “Don’t worry! They will have to throw more at me to take me down!”

A crumpled white blur streaks into my peripheral vision.

Plop.

The paper hits my eye before I can even blink. I double over, cupping my hand over the stinging socket.

“Groceries,” she says without emotion. “Your turn.”

Dropping my hand from my eye, I pick up the up the projectile and smooth it out. A dense column of ingredients and kitchen appliances stare back at me.

“This isn’t a grocery list!” Skimming the lines, my head recoils at the sight the demands. “What does a stand mixer have to do with dinner? And why am I the one paying for it!”

A bright yellow flash intercepts my vision before I can even look up.

Bunk.

A tennis ball rebounds off my cheek and dribbles across the floorboards.

“Hey! Can you stop doing that!” I quickly grab my cushion, holding it against my head as a shield.

“Since you possess zero culinary skills, consider that your contribution to our arrangement.” She takes another mouthful of bread instead of elaborating.

“You can’t just hold my appetite hostage!” I point a finger at the final corner of the fried egg vanishing into her mouth.

“Apparently,” she swallows, offering a serene, eyes-closed smile, “I can.”

My eyes dart back and forth between the two threats.

Do I risk eating nothing but instant ramen for the rest of the semester? Or do I let myself get shaken down by someone who pairs an energy drink with breakfast?

An involuntary shudder ripples down my spine.

Targeting me the exact second I wake up…

How—

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Discover what happens next in: Chapter 15: Opening Conclusion【P2】

Written by Limited_Infinity. Extras, official publishing platforms and updates are publicly available only on the Patreon page “_Limited_Infinity_”

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