Episode 15: Celebration Parfait

After returning home, we were at a nearby café.

To celebrate our dungeon conquest.

"Good work, today was exhausting."

Sipping on melon soda, Shiha was smiling. Despite her appearance, it seems she can't drink coffee. Just like me.

"Yeah, it was tough!"

Kokonami-senpai... was drinking a huge strawberry milk. The sight of her guzzling down the pink liquid poured from the pitcher was quite a spectacle. With that much strawberry milk, the calories must be incredible... Ah, now I understand the source of her figure.

"Oh, yeah, good job. You worked hard."

I was sipping on cola.

Because I like it.

"Thanks to you, we were finally able to conquer the dungeon. Let me thank you again. Thank you!"

"T-Thanks to you, Shion-kun, I... I've become even stronger! Thank you so much!"

"No, it's just natural. We're friends and a party, after all."

They are my first friends, after all.

"Hehe, friends, huh?"

"W-What's wrong, did I say something weird?"

"Shion, haven't you noticed that you've been dropping the 'san' when you call me?"

"...Ah."

That's right, come to think of it, I used to call her Shiha-san. But somewhere along the line during our dungeon conquest, I started calling her just Shiha without the honorific. Maybe because I felt we were becoming closer.

"Sorry, I guess I got too familiar."

"No, it's okay. We're friends, after all."

Good, she's tolerant.

"I-I also want you to call me Amurin!"

"Huh, but... you're senpai, right?"

"I-It's okay!! Because we're friends!!"

"Then... Amurin."

"Ehehe... Fufufu...!!"

Kokonami-senpai... no, Amurin, was she really that happy?

Well, I guess so. When someone calls you a friend.

I understand very well, because I feel the same way.

"By the way, I never expected our rank to increase just by conquering one dungeon. I wonder if it's easier to rise in rank than I thought."

"Y-Yeah! It's cost-effective!"

I increased my rank just by conquering the tutorial dungeon, but it's probably best not to tell them about it. It might come off as bragging and ruin the relationship we've built up.

Their rank probably increased because they were both F-rank. Just like how less experience points are needed to level up at lower levels, it seems that just acquiring a skill or two can increase your rank at lower ranks.

"The young ones seem happy."

At that moment, the waiter uncle approached us. He seemed very cheerful and in a good mood.

"Oh yes, something good happened!!"

"I see. In that case, this is on the house."

The uncle said so and dashed to the kitchen. And a few minutes later, what the uncle brought back was... a gigantic parfait. Not just any parfait, but a colossal one, with fruits piled up to the point of obscenity.

"What... is this, uncle?"

"It's on the house!! I want you students to enjoy it!!"

"Can we... even eat this much?"

"Wow!! Looks delicious!!"

Kokonami and I were puzzled. But the uncle's smile and Amurin's smile were at opposite ends of the spectrum.

Well, it looks delicious, but... can we finish it?

"The smiles of students are the source of my energy!! Now, dig in!!"

Unable to defy the uncle's gesture, we started on the parfait.

---

"Phew... I'm so full."

As expected, the parfait was too much.

The sweet cream and acidic fruits, each of them filled up our stomachs... It's uncomfortable. Every step we take, the cream and fruits inside our stomachs make a squishy sound.

Kokonami and I managed to eat about 500 grams each, but the parfait didn't seem to diminish no matter how much we ate. It was fortunate that Amurin ate about 4 kilos, but without her, we wouldn't have been able to finish it.

"Ah, after eating something sweet, you want something salty, right? Shall we go eat ramen?"

... What did Amurin just say?

Go eat ramen?

... Is she serious?

Despite eating over 4 kilos of parfait, her stomach is bloated. She unzipped her tracksuit, revealing her white belly peeking out from her shirt. Her stomach, swollen and hard-looking.

Even so, she can eat ramen? What's going on with her stomach? Is she a monster?

"Amurin... you'll get fat, you know?"

"B-But..."

"Your weight has been over 120 kilos recently..."

"P-Please don't say any more than that!"

Amurin's voice echoed in the café.

...Huh, she weighs that much?

...Well, her chest is big. And she's tall.

"You should hold back a little."

"U-Ugh..."

Amurin looked dejected.

Somehow... she's cute.