Re: Let’s Orb Cooking! Part 3
Sitting across from a woman I barely knew in a café wasn’t exactly comfortable.
If this were a date, maybe my heart would be fluttering in a sweet, awkward way.
But it wasn’t.
This was just… painfully awkward.
“Um—”
We both spoke at the same time.
“Ah—uh, y‑yes? What is it?”
“It’s about the scarf. Did you only repair it?”
Wow.
Straight to the point.
No hesitation at all.
“Yes… I just repaired it.”
“…You’re an Appraiser, aren’t you? So you knew what the scarf became after the repair, didn’t you?”
No no no—
She’s way too direct!
“I didn’t want to explain everything, but… I forgot to mention it, so I’ll be honest. Yes. I knew.”
“……Cleaner-san… are you a Wizard?”
Wizard.
In this world, only a tiny percentage of people can use magic.
“Wha—!? No, no, no, I’m not anything that impressive!”
If I were, I wouldn’t be working as a dungeon janitor!
“But otherwise it doesn’t make sense. The scarf’s performance is higher than before it broke…”
“…Please don’t tell anyone, but… yes. Its performance increased after I repaired it. That’s all.”
“…Excuse me? Broken gear is supposed to lose its effects entirely.”
“I—I don’t know how to explain it, but… if you repair something in the proper way, sometimes it ends up stronger than before. Or gains new effects…”
My voice faded into a whisper by the end.
Silence fell between us.
Oh no.
I’m definitely being labeled as “weird guy.”
What do I do?
What do I do!?
She took a sip of her drink, then sighed deeply.
“I see… I doubted you, and honestly it’s hard to believe. But as long as that scarf exists, I’ll trust what you’ve said.”
“Thank you… And I’ll say this again, please don’t tell anyone. I’ve explained everything, so… we’re done, right?”
I started to stand, but she stopped me with a raised hand.
“You said ‘proper repair,’ didn’t you?”
Gulp.
“That means… you know the proper repair methods.”
Ah.
I stepped right into that one.
“…Yes. I do.
But I can only repair fabric items. Anything else—I don’t have the knowledge or technique.”
Another moment of silence.
“…There’s something I want you to repair.”
She reached into her bag and pulled out a handkerchief.
The corner was frayed—old, worn, clearly cherished.
“What do you think? If you accept, I’ll pay you properly this time.”
Just then, the familiar monitor appeared.
■ Handkerchief
Effect: None
Used for wiping hands, etc.
Repairable, but usage remains unchanged after repair
Repair Method: Cotton thread or machine thread
And once again, I messed up.
“I can repair it, but it’ll only be a normal handkerchief afterward.”
Her eyes widened.
Huh?
Did I say something strange?
“…Why would it only be a normal handkerchief? And how could you answer that instantly?”
…………
I screwed up—
I screwed up so badly—
