“Is today a bit better?”
“It’s still not good, but I took some medicine, so it’s better than yesterday.”
“That’s a relief.”
Right?
Since I took the medicine and kept my stomach warm with a hot pack.
It was definitely more comfortable than being alone in my room yesterday.
Aside from sitting in the office, I owe it to Dolores for helping me like this.
At first, I thought she was a bit strange, but she turned out to be a better person than I expected.
“That’s because Dolores is taking good care of you, right?”
“Sigh… Isn’t the real problem the fact that you wanted to stay in your room even though you weren’t feeling well?”
“That may be true, but it’s not wrong to say that Dolores took good care of me, is it?”
“…That’s true.”
I felt like I should repay her somehow.
Honestly, if Dolores hadn’t mentioned it, I wouldn’t have thought there was medicine for menstrual cramps.
Of course, I would have figured it out eventually, but definitely not now.
I would’ve been stuck just using a hot pack and barely known about the medicine.
“Anyway, do you know that menstrual cramps are the absolute worst?”
“How would I know? I’m a man.”
“Exactly! I didn’t want to know either!”
The commander had a look of disbelief, but honestly, I didn’t want to know either.
I used to think it would just be a normal stomachache, but it was anything but that.
It wasn’t just stomach pain; it felt like my entire body was aching, honestly a milder version of a cold.
Still, the bad feeling was unavoidable.
Plus, I really hated that dizzy feeling that sometimes came with it.
“It seems like being a man is definitely easier.”
“Isn’t that a bit much…?”
“If I think so, then it is.”
Having experienced both, I had to be more certain than anything the commander said.
“Men don’t even have menstrual cramps, so of course, it’s easier.”
In the past, men had to go to the army, but that wasn’t the case here.
So, it was hard not to think that being a man is easier.
If a woman had said something like this before, I would’ve been a little angry, but here I was saying it.
“Well… menstrual cramps are definitely tough.”
“Yes, that’s right. Still… I understand that there are times when it’s really hard for men too.”
But menstrual cramps are still better than getting hit.
Yeah.
No matter how much I was in a woman’s body now, I would never forget that pain.
When friends and I made a mistake while playing on the cloud ladder… I couldn’t even speak.
It wasn’t just that I couldn’t speak; it felt like weird groans were coming out instead of words.
“Getting hit really… must hurt.”
“…Why are you looking over here when you say that?”
I looked at the commander’s face, and he seemed startled as he responded.
I had just thought of him as a man; why did he look so uncomfortable?
“Haha.”
“Don’t smile like that, it’s scary.”
“Yes, I will refrain.”
Anyway, if I didn’t get hit, I really did think being a man is physically easier.
But if something like that happened… um.
“Ha…”
“Anyway, let’s take it easy at work today. You’re not feeling well, so there’s no need to push yourself.”
“Yes, I agree. Even I think… my condition isn’t good today.”
I felt heavy and uncomfortable in my lower belly, definitely not feeling good at all.
Well, it wasn’t like I couldn’t work at all, so I decided to do what I could.
Plus, if I didn’t show up, the commander and the office wouldn’t function properly.
*
“Dolores? Do you have a moment?”
“Yes?”
I was managing some work and stepped in front of Dolores.
I had something to discuss with her.
If she had something else to do, I could wait a bit, but it was better to do it now if she was free.
“Um… I can, but what’s this about?”
“Could you come out for a moment? I have something to say outside.”
“…?”
She looked puzzled, but I understood it.
I had said it suddenly while she was working.
Anyway, I took Dolores outside the office.
She looked confused but fortunately followed me willingly.
“Why did you call me out of the blue…? If it’s about yesterday, I’m sorry…”
“Why would I be in a bad mood?”
“Uh?”
“Uh?”
?
What is going on?
I have no idea why she’s saying something so strange all of a sudden.
Of course, Dolores had said something odd yesterday too, but I didn’t understand this at all.
Why would my mood suddenly be bad?
I only got upset when I was drunk or when I thought about something right before I slept.
“What do you mean?”
“Um… I hope that’s not the case…?”
“Anyway, the reason I called you here is… to say thank you.”
“Yes?”
Why is she so surprised that I’m grateful?
I’m not a weirdo; I’m just someone who knows how to be thankful.”
“You told me about the medicine yesterday, and you informed me about the things I should be careful about during my period.”
For example, drinking the day before makes it worse.
Dolores had told me a lot of things in various ways.
“So, as a small token of gratitude… I want to buy you something at the convenience store. It’s not like I have a huge paycheck.”
“Ah…”
“Shall we go?”
Personally, I would love to repay her more, but I wasn’t in a position to do so.
I wasn’t in combat and was just an ordinary human vice commander, so I didn’t earn as much as the commander or other agents.
“I heard there are some delicious snacks at the convenience store right now.”
“Haha… more than I expected…”
“Yes?”
“Oh, nothing. Shall we head to the convenience store first?”
“Yes, let’s do that.”
This was a way of repaying what she did for me yesterday.
It might be a small gesture, but it was really important to give back.
After all, we would be working together in the office from now on, right?
The commander had been taking care of me a lot, and Midori could be considered someone I was pretty close with after him.
Unlike those two, I hadn’t been particularly close with Dolores until now.
Sure, I helped her out when she was drunk the other day, but that didn’t mean we had a close relationship.
Becoming closer like this would surely lead to better efficiency in our work together.
*
“What were you two talking about?”
“Um… Just a normal conversation.”
“…What kind of conversation?”
As soon as we entered the office and sat down, the commander suddenly started asking questions.
I had just talked a bit outside; why is he acting like this?
“Can’t I talk outside?”
“That’s not the issue, but it’s sudden.”
“Commander, you don’t have to worry too much. It was just normal.”
“Hmm…”
It really was just a normal thing.
I simply went out, bought a sandwich from the convenience store, and came back.
It wasn’t snacks, just a sandwich or something I grabbed, and I returned.
“Is something wrong? Were you worried about me?”
“No, I was worried about Dolores.”
“…Huh?”
What the heck?
Why is he asking me like that when he was worried about Dolores?
Seriously, what a crazy guy.
Why the heck was he asking me?
I was in a good mood before, but now it had suddenly plummeted.
“……..”
“Don’t look at me like that; it’s scary.”
“Yes, I’m sorry. I really apologize for being such a dangerous person?”
“What are you even talking about?”
“Nothing at all.”
I was weaker than the commander, so I really had no idea why I was treated like this.
Honestly, wouldn’t it be normal to worry about Dolores, an agent, instead?
No matter how I looked at it, I could not understand why I was being treated this way.
I was weaker than the average person; there was no way I should be treated like this!
“…But really, why did you call me?”
“I just wanted to repay you for what happened yesterday. It’s not bad like you think.”
I unconsciously whined a bit while saying that.
But it felt like I had every right to complain.
Why was I being treated like some dangerous character?
“That’s right. Lindera just bought something for you!”
“Exactly! Dolores said it, didn’t she?”
“Uh…”
Dolores, who had been sitting at her desk, jumped in with a great assist.
My feelings, which had been really frustrated, couldn’t help but become better after that.
I was really feeling wronged, and I was just relieved she said that.
I never thought I’d hear this nonsense from the commander, who was closer to me and spent more time with me.
“Ha… This is ridiculous.”
“…I’m sorry.”
“Why the heck are you worried about the agent more than me? Doesn’t that seem a bit unreasonable?”
“That much is true.”
“Really, why? We had lunch together yesterday, and I would never bully Dolores, who helped me with my menstrual cramps!”
Seriously, I couldn’t help but be angry at the commander’s baseless claims.
I’m just an ordinary human, not some war machine with weird gadgets popping out of my arms.
There seems to be a problem with the commander’s common sense.
“But…”
“?”
As the commander started exhaling heavily, Midori suddenly stood up from her seat and seemed like she was about to say something.
What’s with this sudden change?
Was Midori trying to make some statement about the commander’s common sense?
“Weren’t you all eating without me yesterday…?”
“””Ah.”””
I completely forgot.
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