Entertaining a Small Thought

1st Arc Part 9: A Win and a Loss

Running to make sure I didn't lose her, I soon caught up to Miu.

"Hey, Miu! Haven't seen you since yesterday. How are you?"

"Heeh? What the hell do you want?" She asks oh-so-politely.

"C'mon, don't be like that. We don't talk much, so I wanted to see how you're doing. You seem to be off somewhere, so where are you going?" I then notice she's carrying some sort of mechanical device and equipment. "And what is that?" I asked, pointing to the device.

"Oh? You interested in this?" Miu asked while holding it up proudly. "Well... I suppose I could let you in on what I'm planning, but I'm not sure you can handle how bombastic this baby will be once I finish it!" She boasts. "As for where I'm going, I'm heading to the dining hall so I can eat while I work. Why? You planning to stalk me or somethin'?"

"Why would anyone want to stalk someone like you?" I bluntly asked without thinking. Too late to take it back, as Miu shrieks a bit at my response and recoils a little.

"Wh-What?"

"F-Forget it. I was being rude. I'm heading to the dining hall too, so we might as well go together. Is that ok with you?" Miu hesitantly nods a bit before seemingly returning to her normal demeanor.

"I-I suppose I could grace your presence for a bit. It's probably the closest you'll ever get to gettin' any action, so you better be grateful." Miu said.

I sighed a bit but chose not to say anything. Miu's the kind of person I can't stand. If I try to say anything to her, it'll probably end up turning into something rude and offend or hurt her. But even with Miu, I don't want to be rude or offensive. So, I walked with Miu to the dining hall, trying my best to listen to her go on and on about how incredible the machine she was working on will be.

Thankfully, it doesn't take too long to reach the dining hall. We enter the dining hall and see Tsumugi and Kiyo sitting at the table eating while Kirumi is cleaning. Surprisingly, it seemed as though the Monokubs were the ones preparing the meal. Not sure if eating whatever the hell they made is a good idea, but whatever. Miu took a seat at the table and started tinkering with her device. The Monokubs brought her a bowl of what looked like pasta. Seeing as she took a few bites and didn't seem to react negatively, I guess it's fine. Still not gonna eat it myself though.

But this is perfect. The remaining 4 are here. All I need now is... but who should I ask? I only thought about it for a few more seconds. The answer was obvious. One person here strives to fulfill any request, after all. I walk up and greet Kirumi as she cleans.

"Kirumi, how are you?"

"I am fine. What about you? You seemed a little strange this morning." She asked me.

"Oh that? Don't worry about it. I didn't get much sleep last night, so I was probably a bit more agitated than I usually am. Sorry for worrying you. Mind if we talk for a bit, though? I know you're cleaning, but..."

"I do not mind at all. It is not an inconvenience." Kirumi said with a smile.

We started to talk a bit as she cleaned. I offered to help, but she declined the assistance, as expected. After talking for a bit, I noticed Kirumi seemed troubled by something.

"Is something wrong Kirumi?"

Kirumi then sighs but immediately grimaces at it.

"My apologies... It was rude to sigh in front of you..."

"No, I don't mind. If you're worried about something, maybe I can help."

"That does make me feel better. To be honest, I am worried about something." Kirumi then made a distressed face as she thought about it. "But I don't want you to hear me complain. I would fail you as a maid if that were to occur."