Yesterday, the Commander gave me an awkward suggestion to please wear some bottoms under my skirt.
But honestly, I really didn’t want to wear them because it felt uncomfortable, so I had no intention of doing so.
I mean, it’s a long skirt, so no one can see underneath anyway. There was really no need to wear anything extra.
It’s not like I was wearing a mini skirt where I’d need to worry about that.
“Yawn… Good mmm… Ah!?”
“Why are you acting like that from the morning? Are you feeling unwell?”
I had arrived at the office before the Commander and was brewing some coffee.
After all, starting morning duties with coffee was the best, and I simply didn’t want Dolores’s version of it.
Since Midori, who was not feeling well today, had just walked in, I thought maybe I should just make three cups.
Well, it’s obvious that Dolores, that maid, would brew her coffee according to her taste anyway, so there was really no need for me to make it.
“Commander!!! I think Lindera has gone crazy!”
“What are you talking about? You’re saying that to someone who’s just brewing coffee.”
“No! You’re not Lindera, are you!? That strange contaminated entity must be pretending to be Lindera!?”
“Ha…”
What kind of anime did she watch to get to this point?
Even if her energy was high in the morning, seeing Midori so over the top was already giving me a headache; if I were on my period, it would probably have been a real struggle.
Well, it’s not that time of the month anyway, so it wasn’t a huge issue.
“Commander! Lindera is really weird!”
“You’re quite rowdy for this early.”
“It’s not being rowdy; it’s just weird, okay!? Am I the only one who noticed?! Are you blind?!”
Midori was thumping the Commander’s shoulder as she said this.
Well, since Midori was an agent, she probably wasn’t really hitting him hard, just adjusting her strength accordingly… But still.
It’s not like it’s normal for an agent to be swinging a fist at someone that’s just regular.
That thought briefly crossed my mind, and I approached Midori, who was whining and hitting the Commander’s shoulder.
“Midori, the Commander looks a bit unhappy; it seems like your punches hurt a lot.”
“Ah. Sorry.”
“It’s fine, it’s not like it was a vital spot, just a light jab.”
“……”
Honestly, Midori’s reaction did seem like she had hit harder than intended.
But since she was obviously stronger than a normal person, it wasn’t that strange.
“More importantly, Midori, why are you acting like this since morning?”
“I’m telling you…! Lindera is acting strange!”
“What’s strange about it? Wasn’t she just brewing coffee?”
That was quite the mystery.
I couldn’t even begin to guess why Midori was acting this way.
I really had no reason to suddenly hear that I was acting weird.
I was just brewing coffee!
“The skirt! She’s wearing a skirt! Lindera wouldn’t know how to wear a skirt like that! And it’s even an official outfit that was set by Marduk! It’s illogical!”
“Oh.”
“Um.”
So that’s what it was.
Thinking about it, the Commander had seen my skirt get-up all the way until last night, but Midori hadn’t seen anything at all.
Usually, I always wore black dress pants, and Midori was only used to seeing me that way….
“That’s how it is.”
“What?!”
“Well, various circumstances… led to this.”
“Ah?! Huh?! What’s going on!? What happened yesterday!?”
Midori was really shocked.
Yeah, she must have been surprised to see me suddenly in a skirt.
I thought it was definitely surprising considering the past two to three months, I had pretty much only worn formal outfits, and I rarely ran into Midori outside of work.
To her, I must have looked like a formal attire-only person, nothing else.
“When did you eat Lindera out, you garbage Commander!!!”
“…Huh?”
“…What?”
*
“…Sniff… I’m sorry….”
Midori raised her hands in the air, apologizing.
To be honest, the only reason her hands were raised was that it wasn’t out of joy but more to ask for forgiveness and come to terms with a punishment.
Seeing Midori like that, we both let out a slight sigh.
There was also Dolores, who tilted her head in confusion, not quite understanding the situation.
“No…. I was just surprised to see her wearing a skirt…. and, well, I… I apologize….”
“……”
The fact that Midori thought I had that kind of relationship with the Commander was shocking in many ways.
It wasn’t that Midori’s words hurt me; it was just jarring to realize that I had given her that impression.
“But… Lindera also said something weird, didn’t she….”
“Yes?”
“If she wore a skirt, suddenly there are ‘various circumstances’…?”
“….”
“I’m sorry….”
It seemed like Midori was not merely pure and bright after all.
Maybe I had been too stuck on her appearance and hadn’t considered that she was an adult.
The thought of pairing me with the Commander was a little, no, genuinely far-fetched, but I decided to let it slide.
After all, she was at that age where she liked creating such connections.
It’s common for people in their early twenties to enjoy that kind of thing anyway, and it’s not like it was real.
“Sigh…. It’s fine. It’s just a minor misunderstanding. It’s not like any of it is real, anyway. Let’s just move on.”
“Really? You’ll let it go?”
“Yes, let’s just move on. Otherwise, I’ll seem like the bad guy.”
“Yay…!”
Since the age gap wasn’t that significant,
Midori and Lindera were only a year or two apart, at most.
Considering that there wasn’t much of a gap in their twenties, I felt overly apologetic.
Of course, the topic of misunderstanding was a bit concerning, but still, she seemed profoundly apologetic.
“I was just trying on this skirt because the Boss is supposed to visit soon. It’s absolutely not what you’re thinking, Midori.”
“Uh-huh! I know! If Lindera had that kind of intention, she would have been systematizing things with the Commander by now!”
“Midori….”
“Oops.”
It was a bit chaotic in the morning, but at least there was one relief.
The good news was that she didn’t find my wearing a skirt comical.
Of course, the Commander had reassured me yesterday, but still, I was a bit worried.
In the end, she was just shocked to see me in a skirt.
“Anyway! Um, it’s a good thing that you two are clear about this… right?”
“That’s right.”
“Well! While we’re at it, let’s optimize our work. I have no idea when the Boss is coming, but they said they’d be here within the week, so let’s get to it.”
They would probably notify me on the day they come, so that was that.
Our headquarters are busy; the Boss was a person generally busier than us with a lot on their plate.
Of course, unless it was something super crucial, it was fine to delegate to others in a pinch.
*
“……”
“Commander~ When do you expect to finish your work? If you still have time, can I help you?”
“Can you even do that?”
“Of course~ I don’t have all that much work anyway. After all, I’m a ‘colleague’ sharing the office with you, right?”
Chatting away from the side.
She talked a lot.
Well, if she was acting this way because she had finished everything else, I suppose I could understand.
I mean, it’s not strange for coworkers to help each other; that’s quite a normal thing.
“The Vice Commander beside you still has work left, and I wanted to help on what the Commander is doing~.”
“If an agent like you assists me, I’d appreciate that.”
“Hehe. I can’t do anything too difficult, but… Commander, if only you could…”
The maid subtly perched her behind on the Commander’s desk.
I really wondered why she couldn’t just voice it rather than doing subtle moves and gazing at the Commander from above.
Maybe it was challenging to look down because she was taller, but that didn’t justify her actions at all.
“If you could sit beside me, I think that would be fine.”
“Hmm… I definitely haven’t experienced all the tasks in the office, so it seems challenging.”
“Yes, so could you maybe… help me out from a little closer?”
Was it because he was good-looking?
Or was it because he held a high position as a ship’s Commander?
To think I’d see such blatant flirting in front of me.
Sure, Soan and a few other agents usually showed interest, but today seemed a bit over the top.
“…Dolores.”
“Yes?”
“If you’ve finished your work, could you make some coffee? The Commander’s coffee is all gone.”
“……”
“Oh, is it a problem since you’re a maid to ask this of you?”
“…No, coffee and tea are fundamental traits of a maid. It’s not hard for me.”
“Then… I’d appreciate it if you could make mine as well. And, Commander, since you like sweet things, could you add some sugar?”
I hadn’t intended to make her handle this kind of task.
But since she kept lingering around, it didn’t sit right with me either; I felt uncomfortable.
It wasn’t a holy situation per se, but it was work hours, and since she had little to do, I wasn’t into that vibe.
“Ugh, hwa~ Midori-chan is the scariest….”
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