The short yet long vacation of Jin had come to an end.

Jin, who usually spent a full week sick, recovered in just one day and returned after a truly restful week.

This time, he didn’t have the vivid nightmare that would haunt him like clockwork around this time of year.

He also managed to eat all the food that was delivered at set times each day, which he usually couldn’t swallow and would send back.

He spent such peaceful days that it almost felt wrong.

Thanks to this, Jin arrived at work earlier than usual, and as he opened the door, he noticed a round figure on the bench in the entrance hallway.

When he got closer, it was an unexpected presence.

“Why are you…”

It was Rodi.

She was curled up in an uncomfortable position, deeply asleep.

It seemed she had been there for quite some time.

Jin looked around with Rodi right in front of him.

No one would have told her to sleep here, and he couldn’t figure out why she was sleeping like this.

Jin looked at her with slight difficulty for a moment, then, deciding he couldn’t leave her there, he supported her head with one arm and lifted her body with the other.

She was surprisingly weightless.

Jin carefully went upstairs to the second floor, taking care not to make any noise with his footsteps.

When he knocked on Rodi’s door, Bender’s voice was heard from inside and the door opened.

“Oh my.”

Bender was startled to see Rodi sleeping in Jin’s arms.

“She was asleep at the entrance. Do you know why?”

Bender, who had looked surprised, smiled awkwardly.

“Well, she asked me to wake her up early in the morning so she could greet you when you came to work.”

“Me?”

“Yes, she said today was the day you’d return from vacation, so I woke her up. She went downstairs after getting ready, but it seemed she fell asleep while waiting. My goodness.”

“….”

Jin was at a loss for words, realizing she must have been there for at least an hour.

If he had known, he would have left even earlier.

Jin carried her into the room and laid her on the bed.

After covering her with a blanket, Rodi settled into a proper sleeping position and began sleeping soundly.

“….”

The greeting could wait until later.

Though the mornings were no longer cool as it had become quite warm, he still worried about her catching a cold.

“Please don’t wake her up.”

“Yes, I understand.”

Jin greeted Bender and quietly closed the door as he left.

As he turned away, a brighter smile than usual spread across his face.

***

Rodi finally woke up after sleeping until lunch.

“Guild blankets are nice…”

So fluffy.

Rodi was wiggling under the blanket with a broad smile instead of getting up immediately when her smile suddenly stopped.

“Gasp!”

Then she sat up like a roly-poly toy.

Why am I here?

I was waiting for Jin!

Somehow she had been teleported to the bed.

Rodi got out of bed and dashed out.

“Oops.”

Horas stepped back as he collided with the small head the moment the door opened.

It looked like a large predator startled by a small animal.

“Where’s Jin?”

Horas shrugged at Rodi, whose neatly tied twin tails from the morning had become half-loosened.

Both ends of Rodi’s eyebrows drooped sadly.

It seemed he had already left because she was too late.

She had waited to greet him cheerfully in the morning but fell asleep.

It was all because the bench was too comfortable.

Horas was smiling, unaware of Rodi’s feelings.

“I’m right here, Rodi.”

When she heard a voice from behind, Rodi spun around.

Jin was right behind her.

She immediately threw herself into Jin’s arms.

“I missed you!”

“Wow, are you welcoming him back from vacation? What a warm welcome. You’re lucky, Jin.”

Horas watched their reunion with a chuckle.

Though he didn’t show it, Horas was also happy to see Jin return in good spirits.

Jin smiled and patted Rodi’s back.

“You shouldn’t come out too early in the morning. You’ll catch a cold sleeping in the hallway.”

Jin’s voice had completely returned.

A soft, youthful voice, yet pleasantly deep.

A voice that perfectly matched Jin’s polite and calm demeanor.

“I wanted to welcome Jin back, but I fell asleep.”

Huh?

Rubbing her eyes, Rodi looked up with round eyes.

But how did Jin know?

“How did you know?”

Instead of answering, Jin just smiled slightly.

With that smile, Rodi realized.

That it was none other than Jin who had teleported her.

***

With Jin’s return, Cheiles’ executives were all together again.

The executives, who had returned to their normal routines and exchanged greetings, went off to their respective schedules, and Rodi was also busy with her duties.

“This one’s for the East Wing. This one’s for the West Wing…!”

Rodi tucked a document under each arm.

Alright, today’s mission begins!

Today’s task was to deliver the appropriate documents to the East and West Wings as requested by Padrid.

At first, Padrid wouldn’t have asked her to do such things, but now he occasionally gave Rodi these kinds of tasks.

It helped her learn the routes, and since she was now staying permanently at the main building, it also helped her get to know the faces of other employees.

“Did the general affairs manager send you?”

When Rodi entered the East Wing, someone recognized her.

It was a man with light blue hair and ten jeweled accessories on each ear.

“Yes, here it is.”

Rodi placed the document she had tucked under her right arm on the counter.

“Thank you. Could you wait a moment? We actually have some documents to send to the first floor of the main building. Could you take those too? You’re going back to the main building, right?”

“Yes! After I go to the West Wing!”

“Then have this while you wait.”

“Is that okay?”

“Of course. You can eat it all. Just a moment, please.”

“Okay! Thank you!”

“Don’t mention it.”

The person who recognized Rodi was Courtney, an employee of the East Wing’s management department who had become quite friendly with Rodi.

Courtney said she had a younger sibling at home who was the same age as Rodi.

That’s why, despite not having met many times, she was kind to Rodi and even provided snacks like this.

Rodi waited with her hands on the counter, looking around.

One employee saw Rodi, seemed startled, quickly turned away, and disappeared.

Rodi didn’t pay much attention and turned her head in the opposite direction.

“Here you go. Would you like me to put them in an envelope so they’re easier to carry?”

“I can carry them!”

“Alright, I’m counting on you.”

Rodi received the documents Courtney prepared for her and left the East Wing.

“Oh, it’s the rookie. Are you running errands today too?”

“Yes!”

“You’re working hard. Good job.”

This time, another employee recognized Rodi.

“Thank you!”

Rodi waved the hand holding the documents.

While there were no such people in the main building where she frequently went back and forth, there were still employees in the East and West Wings who would see Rodi and pretend not to know her, looking uncomfortable after that incident.

And there were employees who would quickly flee, afraid of being marked by the executives if they wronged Rodi.

In contrast, there were also employees who would greet her first, saying there had been a misunderstanding, or who would come directly to Rodi to apologize.

Just like Courtney and the employee who had just greeted her.

Rodi had now become almost like a mascot in the main building, and her presence was gradually rising in the other buildings as well.

Rodi stopped by the West Wing and then hurried toward the main building.

Even though she had delivered all the documents she originally brought, both hands were now full of papers again.

“Ugh, heavy.”

It seemed like the documents would scatter if she moved even slightly wrong, but Rodi worked her feet diligently.

“Ahh!”

But just as she was about to reach the main building’s door, someone suddenly turned around, blocking Rodi’s path and forcing her to stop.

The impact caused all the documents she had been carrying so carefully to scatter.

“No!”

After quickly picking up the document envelopes, Rodi looked up at the man who had blocked her way.

She was about to puff up her cheeks to tell him to apologize, but the moment she saw his face, her eyes widened.

Black hair neatly swept back with a few strands of white mixed in.

A height and build that stood out even from a distance.

Even more striking were his deep features and red eyes.

It was the appearance of someone Rodi knew very well.

But that couldn’t be.

Rodi was confused.

The cold way he looked down at her was just like the day they first met.

Rodi gulped and asked.

“Boss… Why did you suddenly become an old man?”