I got home, changed, and was sipping the strong bancha tea Ruri had brewed in the living room. "*Sigh*... I only intended to say hello, and out of the blue I get hit with such a proposition..." "The village chief stuff? Why not just accept it, meow?" Miriam responds with little care. "I lack the necessary talent and skills, plus I've already got a job." Me, the assistant manager. "You don't need to do much, meow. Quit being a corporate drone and take up the role of village chief, meow. If you make the village thrive, it'll be like having your own domain, meow. You'd be an impressive landowner, and filthy rich to boot, meow!" Become a noble, you say? "Filthy rich... Is this the currency they use over there?" I say that as I place the gold coin given by the village chief onto the kotatsu table. "Exactly, meow. It's a gold coin, genuine gold, meow." That's insane. "It's no use being rich there if it doesn't translate to wealth here. There's so much I need to pay for." Groceries, utilities, taxes, and more... "I see..., so you're thinking of turning it down, meow?" "Well, I'm leaning towards that... though I don't mind helping out a bit." It might be good practice for my magic, and it could be fun to watch the village grow. "Can't this gold coin be sold? I've heard that gold goes for a high price in this world..." Ruri inquires, examining the gold coin. "I fear it's impossible. A recycle shop might buy it if it's a small amount, but if it's enough to live on, it'd raise suspicions. Plus, I don't have the connections for that." I'm just an average office worker. "Is that so... Earning money is hard, isn't it? If only there was some way I could help." "No, you've already been a huge help. You do the chores and teach me magic. Oh, and speaking of magic, could you teach me that healing magic? I'm actually really curious about it." "Certainly." Ruri smiled with delight. ◆◇◆ I spent the weekend learning magic from Ruri. Thanks to that i was able to learn healing magic; it not only healed wounds but also seemed to alleviate fatigue. However, it couldn't cure the weariness inside my mind. So, on Sunday night, I numbed my heart with a 'strong zero' beer to face Monday. "Ugh, so tired." I let out a sigh without thinking. "Well, please do your best."

Ruri handed me my bag with a word of encouragement after making breakfast. "Ah, my bad, my bad. Mondays are always tough for me. Anyway, I'll be going now." Taking the bag, I watched as Ruri began to carry the dishes to the kitchen to wash them. "Yamada, may I tag along with you, meow?" Miriam climbed up my body and settled on my shoulder, asking if she could come with me. "To the office, you mean?" "Yes, meow. I'm curious about your job." A cat at the workplace? Hmm... well, it's fine, I guess. "Make sure you're invisible, alright?" "Understood, meow." Miriam lifted her tail. She must have used magic, I suppose. "Shall we head out then?" "Let's go, meow." "Take care!" Ruri waved us off as she washed dishes and we departed from the living room. At the entrance, as I put on my shoes and was about to leave, I noticed something was inside the mailbox. "Hmm?" It was a brown envelope in the mailbox. Upon checking the recipient and sender, it was for my grandfather, from something called the Timer Association. "What is this?" Timer? Like... a clock? Did grandpa have that kind of interest? "Yamada, we're going to be late!" "Ah, right." After slipping the tea-colored envelope into my business bag, I left the house. While putting my mask on, I started walking to the station. Arriving at the station, I found many others like me, fellow corporate drones, waiting for the train. "…Their eyes are all so lifeless." Miriam whispers from my shoulder. "It's Monday, so that's to be expected."

I whisper back to her. No one can hear us like this, and the mask hides our lips. "Life might be more affluent here, meow, but the smiles..." They're absent. Middle-aged men, women, and young people alike, none of them are smiling. Their eyes are just dead. Such is the reality of a Monday morning. We boarded the train, only to be nearly crushed to death by the crowd. Then, upon reaching the station near the office, I begin walking towards work. "I nearly died back there, meow... what was that?" Come on, you simply escaped to the overhead rack! "A slave ship." "It's no laughing matter, meow..." I cringed at my own words. After arriving at the office, I got to work. Today, like any other, I juggled my boss's nagging and my subordinates' questions while getting on with my tasks. While working I was petting Miriam, who curled up on my desk, for some peace of mind. When lunchtime came, I decided to take her to the park nearby, a haven for businessmen, for our meal. I found a quiet spot away from the crowds, pulled out the bento Ruri had prepared for me, and began to eat. "What would happen, if you really quit your job, meow?" As I ate my bento, Miriam, sitting next to me, brought up this idea. "I'd love to. I bet everyone does. But we need money to live." "I get it... but it's sad to see someone with your magical talent reduced to a corporate drone, meow..." "The thing is, in today's world, magic doesn't pay the bills." I could try beeing a Magician? Or maybe a streamer? Other risky options like courier services or back-alley doctoring also cross my mind. The truth is, I can think of quite a few potentially lucrative things, but they all seem fraught with danger. "It's hard, isn't it meow..." "I'll keep at it. It's not as tough as it used to be, plus I don't have rent to worry about now. And when I go home, I have you two waiting for me. It's a world apart from my days alone in that shabby apartment." I say as I continue to pet Miriam. "Yamada..." "Thank you." She feels so comforting under my hand. "...And where's my lunch?" Ups, I completely forgot... Sorry about that...