"Wha...? Where am I?!"
I woke up with a start as an alarmed voice rang out, looking around frantically before calming down as the owner of the voice came into sight.
"Oh, hey...good morning," I greeted Ariella with a yawn.
"Huh? Uh...yeah, good morning, Kai. Where am I?" She responded in bewilderment.
"You passed out at the bar, and I had no idea where you lived, so I brought you to my place," I informed her, as I rubbed my eyes sleepily.
"What? Wait...I remember, you asked me for my address and then I-...I-I'm so sorry!" She exclaimed, a mortified look on her face as she bowed her head apologetically.
"Hey, it's fine, no worries."
Looks like it's just past 11 AM.
After she fell asleep, I tried to wake her, but despite my best efforts, it was no use, she was well and truly out cold. And with no way of finding out her address, I was left with no choice but to take her back to my place.
I put her on my bed while I took the floor, which turned out to be surprisingly comfortable. I mean, I did set down a comforter, plus I made copies to get extra pillows, so yeah.
"No, I...I should've been more careful. I really am sorry, you even gave me your bed while you're on the floor in your own home," She replied, looking really guilty.
"Seriously, it's cool. I was pretty drunk myself, so I conked out in no time. Plus, you're pretty light, so I didn't have any trouble carrying you."
"C-Carry...?! Y-Yeah, I suppose you would've had to...," She muttered as her face turned red.
"Got some weird looks from the taxi driver who drove us here though...to be fair, a drunk guy carrying an unconscious girl isn't exactly a great look," I responded sheepishly.
"D-Don't worry, if you get in trouble or something, I'll vouch for you!" She assured me without hesitation.
Wow, she doesn't seem to have any suspicions that I might have done something to her while she was passed out. I didn't, of course, but I wouldn't blame her if the thought crossed her mind.
And while I do appreciate her trusting me, I'm kinda worried, she might be a bit too trusting.
"Sure, I'll count on you if it comes to that. Also, not to tell you how to live your life, but you should avoid making a habit of passing out drunk around guys.
While no half-decent guy would do anything, there are plenty who might try to take advantage of you in such a vulnerable position," I advised her.
"Yeah...I'll be more careful. I'm really sorry, but also, thanks...you didn't have to trouble yourself this much on my account, I appreciate it," She smiled gratefully.
"Oh, uh...no problem, don't mention it," I nodded in response.
"Crap, my grandma is probably worried, I bet she called me a whole bunch of-...! Huh? Weird, no missed calls," She frowned, before tapping on her I-Watch display, calling her grandmother.
"Hello?"
"U-Uh, hey, grandma...I'm sorry for not getting back home last night, I was-...," She began.
"Oh, it's alright, dear. You're at that age, after all. Actually, I'd say it's about time."
"What? N-No, that's not-...! I wasn't-...I did end up sleeping at a friend's place, but only because-...!"
"You really don't need to explain, Aria. You're an adult, and to be frank, I'd rather not hear the details of your sex life-..."
Ariella moved with blinding speed to hang up the call, a mortified look on her face.
I pursed my lips and averted my gaze, doing my best to hold it in, before failing as a stifled burst of laughter escaped my lips.
"S-Sorry...," I stuttered as I tried to compose myself, her face turning bright red.
"H-Hey, don't laugh!"
"I-I'm not...!"
"You are!" She protested with an indignant pout.
"O-Okay, yes, but...in my defense, that was pretty funny," I chuckled, before she threw a pillow at my face with a huff.
"This has to be the most embarrassing moment of my life, I'll never live this down," She groaned as she buried her face in her hands.
"I mean, it's not like I'm going to tell anyone, you know," I replied, reaching over and patting her arm.
"Yeah, but...I just know I'm going to cringe every time I look back at this," She sighed, before adding as she glanced at the time, "Crap, I should get going, it's almost midday! I promised my grandma I'd get some chores done around the house today."
As she got out of my bed, she grimaced slightly and looked down at her waist, before loosening her belt.
"You okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine, the middle of my waist is just a bit sore from my belt buckle, it must have been pressing into my skin all night."
"I did consider loosening your belt last night, but the thought of messing with a sleeping girl's clothes felt kinda creepy. Also, I was afraid you might wake up while I was doing it and misunderstand what was going on," I informed her with a sheepish smile.
"Heh, yeah, that is a pretty common trope," She giggled in response.
"Oh, I almost forgot! Here," I remarked, taking a small box out of Treasury and handing it to her.
"Hm? What's this? Oh, it smells good," She replied, sniffing the box as she took it from me.
"An order of chicken strips, you asked for some before you passed out."
"Uh...okay, now that you mention it, that does ring a bell. Wait, how is it warm? If you bought it last night, then-...hold on, can your Treasury Skill, like, preserve stuff?" She realized in fascination.
"You're way too sharp, you know that?" I sighed wistfully.
"Heh, thanks. Well, don't worry, as I promised before, I'll keep everything I know about your powers to myself," She smiled in response, before stretching her arms up.
"Appreciate it."
"Well, I should get going now. Guess I'll see you next at our graduation, huh?" She mused, following after me as I led her to the door.
"Mhm, that's on the 31st, right? I'll see you then," I nodded with a smile.