Indignity slammed into me so hard that my cheeks burned hotter than a furnace.
Midori's white dress shirt had slipped lower, her smooth bare shoulders gleaming under the slanted sticks of sunlight peeking through her window blinds.
With every movement, her clothes rustled.
Wow, her shoulders and her neck are so pretty… who made Midori's model? Was she modelled after a real person?
No, that'd be insane.
But then again… this was Lucidia Online. With its reputation as one of the highest quality MMORPGs, I could 100% see the devs cramming in realism nobody asked for.
But still…did they seriously code NPCs changing clothes in a fantasy MMORPG? Like—why? This isn't a dating sim—okay, well, even though I came here looking for waifus, the point still stands…
Then I glimpsed a thin, black fabric that led up into two straps over Midori's shoulders.
…
Oh, no. Nononono. Abort. Now I was officially crossing into creep territory. Even I knew that. I eased the door shut, praying it wouldn't squeak.
With my luck, it was a lot worse. I love you, life!
CLACK.
…Shit.
My pulse spiked. I heard Midori pause—then I heard soft steps approaching.
I fumbled desperately with the UI as I pulled down the menu with a *ping*.
Work, stupid fingers, work—ugh, you can do surgery, why the FUCK IS OPENING THE UI SO HARD FOR YOU NOW???
My heart jumped into my ears as I heard the door knob click.
Logout button, logout button, WHERE IS THE LOGOUT BUTTON—
The door creaked open.
"Hello?"
I yelped, fell flat on my ass, and slammed my eyes shut.
"…Ms. Hiyomi? What are you doing?"
Hearing my name in Midori's calm, silky voice made my whole body seize up.
I stammered some excuse.
Fuck, I don't even remember what I said.
Midori didn't sound convinced. I couldn't blame her… but instead of scolding me, she only sighed. "Stand up. It's okay. We're both grown women. Nothing's going to happen. Stay put—I'll finish changing."
I obeyed and kept my eyes screwed shut until she finally came out.
When I dared to look, Midori was already dressed: she wore a sleek white button-up under a fitted blouson along with a pencil skirt. A slit like a qipao slid up the skirt and brushed over black tights while her low heels tapped against the floor.
She looked so professional, so composed—while I stood there trembling, sweaty, drowning in shame. Some genius I was. A doctor. A prodigy. And apparently, a pervert.
…But then her words came back to my head. It's okay. We're both women. Nothing's going to happen.
We're both women?
Nothing would happen?
It's okay?
My stomach twisted.
No. That wasn't true. It wasn't okay—not for me. Not at all. If I stayed quiet, I'd be letting her think I was harmless, that I couldn't possibly see her that way.
But I did see her in that way. God help me, I did…
Suddenly my guilt was unbearable. My conscience tugged the words out of me before I could stop them.
"I… what you said earlier, it being okay, and us being both women… I can't just let that sit. I'm sorry, Midori. I-I… like women."
I braced for disgust or anger, but Midori's face didn't so much as flinch. Her voice was flat, almost bored. "…How annoying."
Something inside me cracked. She didn't yell, didn't even look upset—just turned and locked the door with a quiet click. "It's not that big of a deal, no matter your… preferences. I understand that it was an accident. Next time, maybe knock. Others might not be as forgiving."
I nodded listlessly. I followed her like a ghost, staring at the floor. Midori's heels clicked faintly as she walked. Downstairs, she pressed a warm mug into my hands. "Please, cheer up, Ms. Hiyomi—I told you it was fine."
I clutched the cup. My fingers shook. My chest ached. I tentatively took a sip. It was warm and mildly sweet. The drink was… oddly smooth, the liquid running soothingly over my tongue. It probably should have been comforting, but I didn't say anything. My mind repeated itself over and over. I'm a filthy pervert. Some genius I am… My shoulders shook.
Suddenly, Midori's arms gently wrapped around my shoulders as she pressed her head into my neck. She was back hugging me, I slowly realized.
"E-Ehh???"
I jolted and my cheeks grew warm. (No. Just no. Still the cheeks on my face, stop asking please and thank you.)
I felt a thin, guilty, degenerate thread of neediness work itself up inside my chest. No matter what had just happened, my body was reacting on its own. And—oh god, what is happening—she's so close, too close—
She smells so good…
"Ms. Hiyomi, please look at me."
I dragged my eyes to hers. She was smiling. Her grin was bright—too bright for me, after all those countless sleepless nights overtiming at the hospital.
My heart trembled. I didn't know how to feel. I accidentally peeped on her and saw her in that way, she called me annoying, but now she's looking at me and hugging me like this?
Her scent wrapped around me, and my stupid, perverted heart began to jump, thumping against my chest faster and faster.
After a while, Midori laughed, a clear, lilting sound that was like music to my ungrateful ears. "You know, Ms. Hiyomi, you're really pretty. And cute. Has anyone told you that?"
…
?????????
Sorry???
I flushed tomato-paste red.
"W-What are you saying…"
"So compliments and hugs cheer you up. I see. Well, aren't you needy, Ms. Hiyomi?" Her voice was soft in my ear.
"W-WHAT???"
She smiled evenly, trying to gauge my reaction. "Oh. Unless I'm crossing a line… I'm sorry for before. I wasn't sure how far to take what you meant by me being mean…"
She let go.
My mental had completely changed and done a 180 as my heart pounded like it was trying to break its way out of my ribcage. Heat flooded my face. God, I hate myself. ///
Deep breaths, Hiyomi. (shesaidthatIwasprettyohmygod)
I was simping so hard, but honestly? Who cares?
I cupped the mug in both hands, sneaking glances at Midori. She caught me and flashed that radiant smile of hers again. She was gorgeous—her grin warmer than the afternoon sun pouring through the pistachio-green glass windows. Our eyes met, hers glistening like pearls in the light.
It didn't matter if she was just doing this or if it carried any implications. I couldn't take it—Midori was so unfair. How could any players' hearts ever stand a chance? Though I'd like to think that I'm the only one so far who has interacted with her in this way…
AHHHHHHHHHHH ///
Midori turned away, returning back to her receptionist counter, her heels clacking against the floor. She paused mid-way behind the counter.
"Oh?"
There was the rustling of paper as Midori picked up two letters that hadn't been there earlier.
She turned them over, regarding them this way and that, before pulling on a pair of white gloves and slitting the envelopes open with sharp scrapes from a letter opener.
I slid over, curious. I drained my mug and set it on a nearby coffee table.
Midori slid on a pair of thin rimmed glasses. The silver rings glinted in the sunlight. "We've got requests from both the Agëmon Royal Academy and the Royal Hospital for potion resupplies. They're marked urgent, and they'll be sending people to pick them up later."
…
Huh.
I definitely remembered the Royal Academy from the base game—it was where you learned and upgraded abilities, even if it wasn't part of the main progression.
But the Royal Hospital? That was new.
Midori sighed, rolling open a drawer and pulling out a thick register. Flap, flap, flap… The pages flew under her fingers before she stopped, putting her glasses down to rub her eyes.
She breathed a heavy sigh. 100% Relatable.
"We're short a lot of vials," she muttered. Then she hesitated, and straightened up, looking at me apologetically. "...I know you only just enrolled today, but we're really low on staff. Would you be willing to help me with the orders, Ms. Hiyomi?"
I blinked. Well… it was a chance to spend more time with Midori. "Sure. I'll do my best."
Her lips curved faintly. "Thank you, Ms. Hiyomi."
*Ding!*
My second quest window in Lucidia Online popped up. I tapped [Accept].
———
Quest: [Vial Shortage Crisis - Alchemism School Exclusive]
Objective: 1) Deliver available potions to the Royal Academy or to the Royal Hospital, 2) Obtain 127 Common Healing Vials 3) Deliver remaining 127 vials to the Royal Academy and Royal Hospital.
Time limit: 24 Hours.
Reward: ???
Description: The Royal Academy of Agëmon and the Royal Hospital of Agëmon have both sent in resupply requests, and are running low. Resolve this issue with Midori, the Receptionist.
———
"Please follow me, Ms. Hiyomi." Midori guided me into a back room and stopped before a heavy hatch set into the floor. With a sharp *click* of the key, she heaved it open and the trapdoor hit the boards with a solid clunk.
No dust puffed up—unlike other areas of the school, this area was clean and well-used. It also looked by far the most well-maintained.
"These are our potion stores," Midori explained, heels clicking faintly as she descended into the cellar.
I trailed close after her, the air cool and faintly herbal as it drifted up from below.
…
Wow.
Inside, it was completely silent, save for Midori's footsteps echoing through the room.
An arcane window contraption of sorts shone sunlight—real sunlight—down on us, even though we were underground.
I felt its warmth as I padded after Midori.
Rows upon rows of potions were stored in crates, each marked neatly and separated by lanes.
It was about the size of a small bookshop, and it certainly fit the vibe. The seemingly ever-present potted plants sprouted all around the cellar, and books (presumably lists or registers of the potions) were layered on top of tables at every aisle.
Fittingly, there was also the smell of worn pages and other scents I didn't recognize—spicy, sweet, exotic…
While it was true that nature was seemingly ever present around the alchemist school, the potion stores had a certain clinical, hyperorganized feel to it.
"Ms, Hiyomi, please keep up."
I snapped back to reality. While I'd been gawking, Midori was already half-way down the aisle.
"S-Sorry!" I scrambled after her.
We stopped at a row marked with a brass plaque. It read 'Potions de Guérison – Potions of Healing'.
Midori exhaled, and I followed her gaze. My jaw dropped. The shelves stretched wall to wall, crammed with crates upon crates of neatly packed vials, the glass catching the lantern light like a hundred tiny suns.
"Midori… w-we have to move all this? By ourselves? You're joking, right?"
Uhhhhhhhh. Hell no? Girl, I didn't sign up for this, hello?
Midori just turned, lips curling into a smile, and—without a word—dropped a massive record-keeping tome into my arms with a weighty whoomph. The weight nearly toppled me.
"You were joking, r-right???" I repeated dumbly.
Midori's smile only sharpened as she turned away.
"R-Right??????"
"I'll tell you a secret when everything's done, Ms. Hiyomi. Think of it as a reward~"
…
Guess we're moving all of them. Sigh.
A minute later and I was keeping records while passing crates one by one to Midori's. She hauled them upstairs, her heels clicking in rhythm with the thud of my boots on the old wooden boards.
Meanwhile, my numbers brain refused to shut up. We were already 127 potions short. The Royal Hospital alone had ordered 250, which bled us dry and left us with a 27-potion deficit. Then the Academy wanted another 100 on top of that.
Ugh. My temples throbbed.
Why was I hunched over bookkeeping on my so-called break?
Cwyge.
Eueueueueue…
Soon enough, though, all the vials had been lugged upstairs and stacked neatly in the lobby. Midori turned to me, wiping her forehead with the back of her hand, as sweat rolled down her brow. I emerged out into the lobby, carrying the last crate.
"Ms. Hiyomi, could you give me a recount of our numbers, please?"
I rattled them off the top of my head.
"The Royal Hospital ordered 250 healing vials. The Royal Academy requested another 100. We have 223 healing vials total in our inventory, which places us 127 short—"
BANG.
The front door slammed open so hard it rattled the glass panes, interrupting me.
Midori flinched, stepping in front of me just as two men barged in mid-argument.
One was dressed in long, pompous black scholarly robes; the other wore something that looked suspiciously like… oh my lord, were those fantasy scrubs? ...Hey, don't ask me why this world even has scrubs. Maybe the devs ran out of ideas for 'generic doctor outfit?'
Either way, neither spared either of us a glance before launching straight into demands.
"In the name of the Agëmon Royal Academy, I hereby seize these potions—"
"Are you insane? The hospital is drowning in patients already, with the surge in monster attacks these past weeks—"
"Oh, pish posh, they can wait. A little pain builds character—"
Wait. What?
I hadn't even caught the full conversation, but that single line made my blood boil. Maybe the average player wouldn't have cared, but me? A doctor? Absolutely fucking not.
From what I could tell, the professor was trying to hoard the potions for the academy, dismissing actual suffering patients as if they were just statistics.
Before I could explode, the man in scrubs retorted. "Oh, shut the fuck up, professor. We have people dying."
"EXCUSE ME?!" the professor sputtered. "Mind your attitude and language, young man!"
Midori, bless her, raised her hands in a 'please-let's-all-get-along' way. "Sirs, you've both placed requests. We can fulfill them both—equally. If we just sit down, we can create a fair distribution plan—"
Huh?
Wait, wait, wait. Hold up. Pause.
"No." The word slipped out before I even realized I was speaking, my voice taut with anger. I stepped forward. "No, there will be no equal distribution."
My lip curled as my face twisted into one of anger and disgust. I pointed straight at the pompous professor. "You. Get the fuck out." I growled.