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When Ethan woke up, he was groggy and disoriented. The first thing he noticed was that he wasn't in his own bed—or even his own room. Everything around him was unfamiliar: the walls were soft pink, the furniture was delicate, and a big, plush stuffed animal sat smiling at him from the bedside table. It looked like the kind of room that could only belong to a sweet, girly girl.
"Huh? Where… am I?" he muttered, rubbing his head. "I remember going to that tavern last night… drinking a bit… then meeting that cute little maid, Sayuriko. And then… wait—"
He sat up quickly. A girl in a maid outfit was sleeping with her head resting by the bed.
"Sayuriko?" Ethan blinked. "What's she doing here? No, wait—what am I doing here? Don't tell me this is her house… her room? A pink room, huh. Figures—so totally her style."
The girl stirred, then jolted upright when she saw him awake.
"Ah! You're awake! I—I'm so sorry! I was supposed to be watching over you, but I must've fallen asleep! I'm really, really sorry!" she said, bowing over and over, her voice panicked.
Ethan chuckled. "No, no, it's fine. You don't need to apologize. This is your room, right? Actually, I should be thanking you. If it weren't for you, I'd probably have passed out in the street somewhere."
He swung his legs off the bed with a relaxed grin.
The little maid immediately got busy, bustling around to fetch him water to wash his face, a toothbrush with toothpaste already squeezed out, and a towel. After that, she went straight to preparing breakfast—all without him asking for a thing.
Watching her dart efficiently around the room, Ethan couldn't help but sigh in admiration. "She's incredible… the perfect maid. If only she had better combat ability, she'd be flawless. Absolutely flawless."
Breakfast was simple but delicious. The aroma filled the room, and the first bite melted on his tongue. If this story were a gourmet novel, Sayuriko's cooking would've been described as radiant.
"Thanks for the meal, Sayuriko," Ethan said, patting his stomach in satisfaction.
"As long as you're satisfied, sir!" she replied with a bright smile.
"Oh, right—" Ethan reached into his coat and pulled out a check. "I heard your father's still in the hospital and struggling with medical bills. Take this as payment for taking care of me."
Sayuriko froze when she saw the number on the check. Her hands trembled. "Th-this amount…! I can't possibly accept this! It's way too much! I only helped you because you once saved me, remember? I can't take your money!" Her tone was firm, but her eyes shimmered with gratitude.
Ethan waved a hand casually. "Don't worry about it. It might seem like a lot to you, but to me, it's nothing."
"But still—"
"Your father needs treatment, right? What's more important—your pride or his life? If you can't pay, they'll kick him out of the hospital, and then what? Just take it."
Sayuriko's eyes filled with tears. She bowed deeply. "Th-thank you! Really, thank you so much! If you don't mind… from now on, Sayuriko will be your personal maid!"
Ethan laughed. "That won't be necessary—it wouldn't be proper. Now go take care of your father. I should get going."
He waved her off and left the house.
As he stepped outside, he couldn't help but smile. It had been a while since he'd experienced genuine maid service, and from someone that perfect, too. Even though he'd spent a hefty sum, it didn't feel like a waste at all.
"That was perfect," he said to himself. "My future maid's gotta be at least as good as Sayuriko—well, stronger, obviously. Damn this stupid special trait of mine… it just keeps attracting trouble."
His tone stayed calm as he walked leisurely down the street. Without even glancing to the side, he lifted one finger and jabbed it forward, instantly killing a strange monster that had appeared nearby—as casually as squashing a bug.
"Still," he muttered, "the fact that no monsters showed up last night was a blessing. If one had, Sayuriko might've been caught up in it. Guess I got lucky."
By the time he reached home, Ethan suddenly noticed how messy his own place looked. Normally, it didn't bother him—but after seeing Sayuriko's spotless pink room, his house looked like a disaster zone.
"Man… what I really need is a maid," he sighed loudly. "If I had one, this place would sparkle!"
"Hey, Ethan!"
He turned to see Saitama's blank, emotionless face staring at him. "What the hell are you yelling about? And where were you last night? You didn't even come home."
Ethan smirked. "Had a little taste of real maid service, that's what. Now I realize—I need a maid in my life!"
"A maid, huh? You're still obsessed with that? Even if you hire one, she'd probably die in a couple of days," Saitama said flatly.
"Shut it, you damn baldy. Nobody asked you."
"I told you—don't call me baldy!"
"Fine, fine, I get it, baldy."
"I said don't call me baldy!"
"Yeah, yeah, sure thing, baldy."
"…"
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