Although the mushrooms looked intimidating enough to make one hesitate, as Argo had said, they were indeed just creepy in appearance — completely non-poisonous… at least, so far.
In terms of taste, this restaurant was actually quite good, but in terms of presentation and the psychological impact, it was truly hard to accept — the person who designed this place must have had a serious case of morbid humor.
After lunch, Akimi and Asuna decided to first take the things they had bought that morning back home and arrange them.
What disappointed them a little was that Noch wouldn't be able to finish making all the furniture until tomorrow.
When Argo heard Asuna mention that they were heading back to their new home, she immediately slapped the table, raised her right hand high, and loudly declared, "I'm coming too! I want to have a good look and see what kind of taste you two have, Aki-bou."
At first, Akimi was a little reluctant, but in the end, he couldn't withstand Argo's persistent pestering and gave in.
Asuna just shrugged, tacitly approving Argo's request to visit.
After returning to Karluin via the central transfer gate in Lombard, it took them four or five minutes to walk to Akimi and Asuna's new home.
Along the way, Argo kept glancing left and right.
When Akimi stopped in front of the door and took out his key to unlock it, she complained, "Hey, Aki-bou, you took the long way just now… Also, this place is kind of remote, you know? It's more than half a town away from the item shop and the blacksmith. The only nearby shop is that restaurant…"
"Argo, could I trouble you to be quiet for a moment?"
Akimi smiled at her, but his voice was completely flat, and his grip on the key grew tighter.
"Ha… haha… alright, no problem." Using her keen ability to read the mood, Argo picked up on Akimi's irritation.
She raised both hands in a mock surrender and laughed dryly. "I won't say anything…"
Asuna also gave her a helpless look and lightly flicked her on the forehead, making Argo instantly clutch her head and put on an exaggeratedly pitiful expression.
But this time, neither Akimi nor Asuna paid her any mind — Argo's drama-queen tendencies were nothing new, and they'd long since gotten used to them.
Argo herself didn't feel the least bit embarrassed, chuckling twice before finally quieting down.
Once inside, Argo gave the place a cursory glance, rubbed her chin, and said, "This house actually looks pretty decent… plenty of space, good lighting, the room layout is… passable."
Hearing this praise, Akimi tilted his head up slightly, a small smile forming on his face as he proudly said, "Of course — you think just anyone has my eye for quality?"
At that moment, Argo sighed again, spread her hands in a regretful gesture, and said softly, "The only downside, it seems, is that the person who bought it… isn't so great."
That twist immediately froze Akimi's expression.
"Pfft…"
Yes, it was Asuna stifling her laughter behind a hand — after all, she wasn't the one who bought the place.
Her only job was handling the furniture and interior design.
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May 18th, 2:00 PM.
"Akimi's body temperature has gradually returned to normal… but the cellular activity hasn't decreased. Still, overall, it's not a bad thing."
As she meticulously sorted through the new test report for Tomioka Akimi, Tomioka Kiyoshi spoke to Hashibara Aoba beside her.
"Ah… I-I see… That's really good news." Aoba could only rub his nose and say something dry.
He couldn't help it—he really didn't know much about the medical field and couldn't think of anything professional to say.
After those words, the office fell into silence.
The awkward atmosphere made Aoba feel uneasy.
He kept rubbing his earlobe before mustering the courage to ask softly,
"Uh… since Akimi's pretty much recovered, can I leave now?"
It wasn't that he wanted to slack off—he was just extremely socially anxious.
The feeling was like being forced to discuss work with a younger relative, and he really couldn't handle it.
Kiyoshi gave him a strange look, then removed her glasses and said seriously,
"First of all, I haven't kidnapped you. You're free, and you don't need my permission to do whatever you want. Secondly, if you're tired, you can go back and rest, but there's still one more experiment I need your help with—regarding the mechanism of how wisteria flowers affect Akimi."
"Uh… oh, okay…"
Aoba, who had just stood up, slowly sat back down again.
His green eyes looked as if they were about to turn into fried eggs—utterly pitiful.
"Heh—no wonder that brat Yoshiteru called you a 'delicate beauty,' Aoba-senpai."
Aoba blinked and asked blankly, "Who just said that?"
"It's nothing… you must've misheard."
Kiyoshi replied with a straight face, but the faint upward curl at the corner of her lips made it obvious she had been the one who said it.
"I… I see…" Aoba scratched the back of his head in confusion. "Still… feels kinda weird…"
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