Perfectly Fine

***

We were meeting in Laska’s kitchen, where the two of us would prepare the Fresh Potions.

With Laska's meticulously assembled ingredients list in hand, I intoned each item while she retrieved them from the fridge, placing them with care on the kitchen table.

“Healing Herb?” I began.

“3 sprigs, here!”

The rare herbs were known for their natural healing properties.

“Crystalized Spring Water?”

Gathered from a sacred spring found deep in the forest, this water was imbued with magical energies.

“1 vial, here!”

“Sun-Kissed Honey?”

“Oof, I remember how those bees chased me around, hahah. But here! Two tablespoons will be needed.”

“Mystic Lotus Petals?”

“It said 5, but I found 10, so here they are!”

These petals had to be plucked under a full moon, otherwise, they would have no effect on the potion.

“And finally… one Phoenix Feather… here.”

I retrieved the item from my inventory, leaving the other two untouched.

“So! Let’s get this started!”

Firstly, we gently crushed and chopped the herbs to release their natural oils. In a small cauldron, we heated the crystallized spring water until it simmered.

“Avoid boiling vigorously to preserve its purity!” Laska warned me.

Then we added the sun-kissed honey and stirred it, allowing it to dissolve into the simmering water.

We sprinkled the mystic lotus petals into the mixture, stirring clockwise to infuse their magic. We then proceeded to add the crushed healing herbs.

“It stinks like used socks!” I grimaced with my face.

“My socks never stink like this. Not sure where you’re from, Kiss, but back in our world, we have these magical items called ‘washing machines’.”

She teased me and then laughed infectiously.

Her voice was so angelic… unlike anything that I ever heard.

Then, in a moment of reflection, my thoughts wandered to something else I'd once found mesmerizing.

Bohyňa's voice.

I wondered where she was now.

“And now~, let’s bless it with the Phoenix Feather. It needs to be submerged into the mixture and we have to let it soak for exactly three minutes!”

“While we’re waiting… can I show you my new skill?”

“Huh?”

“’Touch Language’!”

[Skill activated.]

I reached out with my hand and patted Laska gently on the top of her head.

She closed her eyes and smiled. “That’s… so comforting…”

I gained some experience, propelling me to level 29.

Spending time with Laska was the easiest way for me to level up. But we couldn’t just spam our skills, which was the game’s way of preventing us from grinding like this forever.

“Alright, now we just remove the potion from the heat and let it cool. Do we have the potion bottles?”

“Yup, they’re right here!”

“Let’s wait a little until it is completely cooled down.”

“Laska…?”

“Hmm?”

“I… I know your socks don’t stink.”

I wanted to say something different, but this is what it came to.

“Pffft!! Ahahaha! You’re such a romantic!”

I couldn’t blame her bursting into laughter.

“Hey, it was supposed to be a compliment! Anyway, here are the potion bottles, let’s finally finish this.” I grabbed two bottles from the table and let Laska pour the potion into them.

[Fresh Potion acquired!]

After what felt like an eternity… we finally managed to prepare the potion, one for each of us.

“Thank you, Kiss, for doing this with me!”

“No, it’s all thanks to you, Laska. I didn’t do that much.”

“What are you saying? You defeated the mythical Phoenix and hatched these feathers!”

Her admiration warmed my heart.

“Now, let me use this potion on you.”

“What? Why?! I’m fine, don’t use up your potion on me!”

“As your friend, I can see the state of your HP, you know… now be a good boy and open wide~.”

She moved in to administer the potion, but I leaped away, waving my hands defensively.

“No, no, no! I’ll be fine, I will use my potion on me when the time comes!”

“Why are you so stubborn?!”

“I’m not, it’s just… we don’t know what this Brain Eater even is. We might need these potions later.”

“Uhm, you’ve got a point. But you won’t stop me using this on you if I deem it necessary, got that?”

Laska's tone was almost threatening, but I knew her concern was genuine.

***

“…and that’s why you keep working on your relationship even after years of marriage!”

Svet-sensei just finished his lecture about our sixth subject - marriage.

“I wonder why Nebo and Burka are missing again,” Laska whispered to me.

“They’re pretty irresponsible. How will they clear the next exam if they skip class?”

“If there are no questions, let’s get ballin’, shall we?!” Svet-sensei waved his hand to signal us that it was time to hit the playground behind the school.

***

As we followed our classmates and teacher outside, Laska and I lingered at the back. Then, we saw them—Burka and Nebo, in the midst of an intimate moment.

“Oh my god, they’re kissing right next to that fence!” Laska gasped, her cheeks turning red.

“Looks like they’re using the Versus Mode. I guess, that’s one way to get stronger before our quest.”

I tried to appear nonchalant, but inside, I envied the ease with which Nebo and Burka expressed their feelings. It made me long for a similar connection with Laska.

As we approached the familiar heart-shaped doors, we braced ourselves for another dimensional leap. Soon after, the lovers appeared as well.

“So? What were you guys doing?” I teased them.

“Nothing,” Nebo replied coldly.

“Well, my dear dudes and dudettes, here’s your assignment for today’s exam: Reignite the fire!”

Svet-sensei sent us off and then the change of dimension occurred like we knew it.

***

I spawned in another dimension, nestled in a comfortable bed. It was a deep night and The scene before me was unlike anything I'd ever witnessed.

There was Brana… a girl… sleeping… right next to me.

My heart pounded as loud as if drums were beating inside of me.

A distant cry from another room jolted Brana awake.

“I’ll go calm the baby…” She got up, her silver eyes glinting with weariness.

“The… baby?” I felt chills down my spine, “I’m too young to be a father!”

As I scanned the room, my gaze landed on wedding pictures. Me and Brana were married.

I should have figured that much, we were just studying marriage after all.

Everything felt so… normal.

Well, beside the fact that a teenager like me was a father.

Brana returned to the bedroom and lied down next to me again.

I didn’t know what exactly I should do. This woman was my wife and we had a child.

She looked a little sleep deprived, but that’s to be expected when you wake up in the middle of the night because of a crying baby.

A green HP bar was floating above her name.

I decided to try out something and see whether one of us loses any HP.

“’Heartfelt Compliment’!”

[Skill activated: Craft a compliment.]

“Brana… you’re as beautiful as on the day I married you.”

“Thank you…” She replied half-asleep.

I waited for any kind of reaction from the system, but neither me, nor her lost any HP.

Okay, I’ll try to offend her this time. Let’s see what’ll happen.

I don’t have any skill suited for that, so I’ll just say it.

“But… you know… it seems you gained some weight, your butt is a little bigger than before.”

I’m so sorry Brana, I don’t mean it! Even if it was true, I wouldn’t mind, any body shape is beautiful!

“What do you expect after giving birth and taking a break from working…” She said back to me, with no reaction from the system yet again.

I thought that maybe the baby was the key to this, so I stood up and went to another room.

There I saw it. A little miracle of a life sleeping calmly in its bed. He even had an adorable sleep cap on his head. How cute~!

The baby’s name was… NPC no. 48?! Screw this game!

“Okay… the baby sleeps. He does have an HP bar but I guess that doesn’t mean anything.”

I decided to take him into my arms, he woke up and cried again. I gave him a sip from his milk bottle and then put him back into the bed, asleep.

No HP was deducted from the baby’s bar, nor from mine.

When I came back to Brana, she was also already sleeping, so I rested as well.

On the following day, I woke up completely refreshed.

Brana wasn’t lying next to me but I heard somebody downstairs. I found her preparing the breakfast.

“Good morning, darling!” She smiled at me warmly.

“Oh, good morning…!”

No matter what I said or did, it had no impact. No system messages appeared.

Everything was just… perfectly fine.

CHAPTER 15: END