***

Yomite and Hu Tao toweled off, the plush fabric absorbing the moisture that clung to their damp bodies. With the steamy haze of the bathroom behind them, they ventured back to the living room. Hu Tao’s movements were almost trance-like, a stark contrast to Yomite’s clear-headedness despite their recent activities.

Guiding her by the hand, Yomite ensured Hu Tao’s safe passage to her bedroom, lest she stumble on the stairs. Leaving her there, he retreated to his own room, donning a clean black T-shirt and pants before offering his assistance to Tubby in the kitchen.

Meanwhile, Hu Tao, now clad in her pajamas, sat cross-legged at the foot of her bed, her demeanor distant and vacant.

“Hu Tao? Are you alright?” Fischl asked when she saw her sitting there motionlessly without moving.

When it was just the two of them, Fischl and her best friend Hu Tao, Fischl loved nothing more than being around her and switching the way she spoke right into her secret “Amy” mode which she didn’t show to many people. It felt so nice!

Fischl felt a certain kinship with Hu Tao, perhaps more so than with Yomite. Both girls shared similar appearances – slender frames, delicate facial features, and long, flowing hair – and as Yomite once remarked in anger, they were both “girls with issues.”

The pair shared a room, its ample space comfortably accommodating two beds. The furnishings were simple, yet generous, complete with a wardrobe, a desk, an armchair, and a bookshelf brimming with literature awaiting discovery.

“Fishy-Fishy? Is that you…?” Hu Tao said softly, barely able to whisper out those words. “Is this your room…? I thought it was mine…”

“No, um…this is your room too, did you forget?”

“Yes…” Hu Tao nodded quietly, blinking her blank eyes slowly like some kind of strange animal.

Fischl couldn’t understand what was happening here. It didn’t seem to her like Hu Tao was in the right state of mind.

“Where were you the past thirty minutes? Didn’t we agree to play chess? I was waiting for so long…”

“Thirty minutes? It’s been thirty minutes?” Hu Tao looked around, clearly confused. “I don’t remember…I’m sorry…Fishy-Fishy, this might seem like a weird question…but am I dead?”

“What are you talking about?” Fischl frowned, “You’re not dead!”

“Really? Oh, thank goodness…because when people die and turn into spirits, they sometimes forget their memory…”

“…Did you…eat something weird? Like a hallucinogen inducing mushroom?”

“…I don’t know. All I remember is the bathtub, then suddenly I felt like I was falling asleep or maybe dying…and when I opened my eyes again, it was as if I was floating…”

“A bathtub?” Fischl repeated dubiously. “What happened in there?”

“Oh I think I remember…I followed my Assistant inside to punish him…and I think he squeezed the soul out of me…it felt so good…I was on my way to heaven…”

Fischl froze on hearing that and stared at her for a moment before she realized that Hu Tao wasn’t joking and her eyes were completely devoid of any humor or sarcasm. She sighed and shook her head slowly from side to side.

“Jeez! Where do you two even get enough energy to do…’that’ again…my legs are sore from the stairs, yet you’re here enjoying yourself again…” Fischl complained with another sigh.

“Fishy-Fishy…I’m sorry, I’m not in the right mind for chess…I feel like I will be out for quite a while…” Saying that, Hu Tao’s eyelids closed over her tired looking dull eyes, which made them look like they’d lost all their luster and life.

Fischl watched this silently until Hu Tao went back to bed without saying anything else.

“Just what did he do to her in the bathroom? To even knock Hu Tao out cold…”

***

“Master Yomite! You don’t need to help me! I was created just for the sole reason of making you happy!” Tubby said cheerfully as soon as she saw her boss enter the kitchen where she was preparing food for Yomite’s party. “I know how much work you have so please allow me to handle it!”

“I can cook too, you know.” Yomite answered, ignoring the comment, “I’m not some helpless old man who needs his housekeeper to take care of him and change his diapers when needed… Please continue what you were doing before I came in.”

“Mou…but…” Tubby whined, a note of distress in her voice. Her purpose was to serve her master with everything she had, and seeing Yomite usurp her role left her feeling rather unneeded.

“I truly appreciate everything you’ve been doing lately. Thank you,” Yomite said as he affectionately patted her head. Her fur was luxuriantly soft, and she seemed to derive joy from his touch.

“…”

In the end, Tubby didn’t complain and continued working at her chores after a moment.

She was unaccustomed to such tender attention from her owner, but now that she understood he enjoyed her presence, she chose not to resist.

The attentiveness from her master could make a girl feel uniquely cherished, and those additional pats on the head were undeniably pleasant. Tubby savored each touch, though she would never openly admit it.

As she cooked, Tubby devoted even more effort than usual, driven by a desire to impress Yomite. She had observed his exhaustion of late and, although he never divulged the details of his adventures to her, she surmised that whatever he had been through had sapped his strength.

As Yomite and Tubby worked together in the kitchen, the air filled with the scents of a sumptuous meal taking shape. The warm glow of the room seemed to seep into their bones, providing a sense of comfort and familiarity that momentarily pushed aside the exhaustion and strangeness that had enveloped the house.

The tension in Yomite’s shoulders gradually eased as he focused on the task at hand. For a moment, he could forget the bizarre occurrences that had been plaguing his life and simply take solace in the ordinary act of cooking.