“The external reconnaissance squad, including Easter and Aihihorn, just left for exploration activities.”
“If there are any unusual circumstances, report them. Otherwise, just go and come back comfortably.”
“Yes.”
Now that the external exploration team is dispatched, maybe I can take a bit of a break.
Thinking that, I completely relaxed my body and reclined comfortably in my chair.
Next to me was the Commander, who didn’t seem to view this as a major issue.
I didn’t need to seek permission for this; he wasn’t the type to fuss about such things, so I decided to just spend time like this.
After all, I was already tired from my period, so working hard like usual didn’t feel quite right.
“But if you’re so tired, shouldn’t you just not sit in the chair?”
“I’m resting comfortably; what’s that supposed to mean?”
“There’s a sofa over there. Wouldn’t it be more comfortable to rest over there?”
Suddenly, the Commander told me to go chill on the sofa.
Hmm.
As the Commander suggested, resting on the sofa would definitely be more comfortable than awkwardly lying in the chair.
But still, there was a reason I stayed here.
“It’s more comfortable here.”
“…?”
“The sofa feels like a place for just resting, without working…”
“What does that even mean?”
“It just feels more stable sitting here. Let’s leave it at that.”
“……”
The Commander didn’t quite understand what I meant, but explaining it was a bit difficult for me too.
I just felt that sitting where I always sat was indeed more comfortable.
To my left sat the Commander, to my right slightly further away was Midori, and directly across from me was Dolores; that spot was the most comfortable.
I was already accustomed to the environment where I could see the entire office by reclining my chair back, so… I just preferred it this way.
“Oh, by the way, it seems we’ll have to conduct a Purification Operation soon.”
“Really?”
“Yes. We haven’t fully confirmed it yet, but… rumors are starting to spread that contamination is occurring around our area.”
Although it wasn’t certain yet, usually, in most cases, it meant that contamination had happened.
Well… the headquarters would need to confirm it for it to be solidified.
“It’s true… Recently, the Purification Operations have been rather few. I guess it’s about time.”
“Should we prepare 1st Squad and 2nd Squad?”
“Let’s not raise the training intensity immediately. It’ll take time for the headquarters to confirm anything. It’s not like we’re heading out right now, right? Once we confirm the contamination, we can make a plan for the operation and then increase the intensity of training.”
“Yes, understood.”
As the Commander said, there was no rush.
So, while comfortably reclined in my chair, we discussed work-related matters.
Actually, since I had already taken care of my morning duties decently, I could discuss such matters.
The one next to me who was chatting…
Tap tap…
“Ha…”
It was a bit uncomfortable to realize that they still hadn’t finished their morning tasks.
It somewhat bothered me that I was the only one done and lounging here.
That’s why I stopped lying in my chair and sat properly.
“Commander.”
“?”
“Please just give me half of the remaining tasks.”
“Why the sudden request?”
“It just doesn’t sit right with me that my conversation partner is still working. Hurry up and give it to me.”
Honestly, I was just a little annoyed about this.
There was absolutely no other thought, just genuinely feeling uncomfortable.
“……”
“What are you just staring at? Hurry up and give me the work. Isn’t it strange for someone in the Commander position to be the only one working all the time? Let’s finish up and… go out for some fresh air.”
“…Alright.”
Honestly, it would be fine if he just handed it over quickly.
I didn’t get why he was stalling and delaying when it could be given right away.
Although I was in a slightly bad mood because of my period… it wasn’t a difficult task either.
It wasn’t something that required a lot of physical effort; it was just the kind of usual task that could be handled calmly.
It was just because the person next to me wasn’t finishing quickly that I was feeling this way.
*
“…….”
“Today’s coffee is… a bit watery.”
“My bad.”
“Next time, try to make it with less water.”
I was sitting comfortably on the sofa with the Commander.
We’d already had lunch, and it wasn’t quite time to start the afternoon tasks yet.
Moreover, the Commander liked to relax like this rather than work, which was why we were sitting on the sofa.
“Indeed, it feels more comfortable like this. I guess having something warm to drink contributes to that.”
“That makes sense.”
Even though the coffee the Commander brewed didn’t taste great, it was warm, so it was decent.
Sometimes I’d drink cold coffee, but on a day like today, warm was definitely better.
Of course, if it was too hot, my tongue might burn…?
“But why aren’t you sitting in your usual seat right now?”
“What do you mean?”
“Weren’t you saying this morning that the chair was more comfortable than the sofa? That’s why I came here.”
“Well… it feels more comfortable here now.”
“…?”
The Commander was staring at me strangely, but I brushed it off.
He had a point; I couldn’t even understand why I was saying such things.
In the morning, the spot next to the Commander was more comfortable, but after lunch, this felt better.
“Do you dislike me sitting here?”
“That’s… not it.”
“Good then. I thought you didn’t like having me beside you.”
“…….”
Of course, the Commander wasn’t the type to feel that way.
“Sigh…”
“Why are you sighing now?”
“I have my reasons…”
“?”
What’s going on?
Suddenly, the Commander, who was sitting next to me, let out a sigh, and I was curious about why.
He was reluctant to respond, seeming annoyed about something.
What’s up with that?
I haven’t done anything wrong, so why is he suddenly not answering properly?
“Is there a reason you can’t tell me? Why not explain…”
“…It’s nothing serious, so it’s not worth mentioning.”
“…Is that so?”
Why doesn’t he want to say?
I briefly thought about why the Commander wasn’t sharing his reason, but not many ideas came to mind.
In fact, the lack of thoughts only increased my curiosity, making me unable to find an answer.
Why is he not telling me… I thought we were somewhat close.
“Hmm…”
“It really is nothing serious… so don’t make that face.”
“What face am I making? I was just sitting normally.”
“…Then that’s fine.”
By the way, why isn’t he revealing it to me?
I kept glancing at the Commander sitting next to me, but… I felt like I couldn’t figure it out.
In fact, it felt so strange that I had to stop looking.
“…”
It felt a bit unusual, but I decided to just move on.
It felt somewhat inappropriate for me to keep looking at a man like this!
That’s probably why I felt something weird about staring at the Commander.
Honestly, directly staring at a superior like this was a bit rude, right…?
Well, I thought that could happen and moved on.
“So, why are the others taking so long to arrive…?”
“…I don’t know either.”
“Could something have come up? It’s almost time for the afternoon tasks.”
“…Isn’t there still some time left? They should be arriving soon.”
Is that so…?
With just the Commander and me in the office, it felt a bit different from usual and rather awkward.
It had been so long since it was just the two of us quietly alone like this.
While it had been a fair while since the Commander started working on the ship, being alone together like this had become rarer.
Since Midori and Dolores had been working in the office for a long time now… it was kind of surprising to have this situation.
It wasn’t that the alone time with the Commander had decreased but rather just that it was unusual to be in an empty office together.
“…….”
“…….”
This felt quite awkward.
It wasn’t that I hadn’t spent time alone with the Commander; in fact, there were times when we went into individual rooms together.
But just sitting together like this on the sofa in an empty office felt unusually awkward.
“…Lindera.”
“Y, yes?”
While I was quietly holding the warm cup of coffee with both hands, gazing at it, the Commander suddenly called my name.
What could it be this time?
“Do we really need to be so close together…?”
“Oh. I’m sorry… I didn’t realize.”
“…….”
Did the Commander think we were too close?
For now, I distanced myself a little from him but… I was a bit surprised.
I mean, I’d even shared a bed with him before and often sat next to him.
So, while it felt unnecessary to space ourselves out like this on the sofa, I thought nothing of it.
“Did you perhaps dislike it? I didn’t mean to get too close… we usually sit right next to each other, and last time we shared a bed…”
“…I’m sorry.”
“Yes?”
“It’s just… um… afraid coffee might spill while drinking…?”
“…What’s that supposed to mean?”
Why is he suddenly talking about coffee spilling?
I couldn’t understand why coffee would splash.
The Commander wasn’t drinking his coffee in some bizarre way; he was just drinking it normally.
“It’s just nothing serious… if you want to sit next to me, that’s totally fine.”
“…Oh.”
I couldn’t grasp what he meant, but sometimes the Commander would say odd things.
So, I decided to let it go.
Then I moved back next to the Commander.
“…Are you wondering when they will arrive?”
“What? There’s still some time before work hours begin. They’ll come eventually.”
Answering the Commander’s question, I took a sip of the insipid yet somewhat sweet coffee.
Hmm.
I guess it’s settled; I should be the one making the coffee.
Support me by donating at least $10, and you'll have the right to request any novel from Novelpia (excluding 19+ content) using a newly developed tool.
