You tell me, this is called daily youth?

Yuki rubbed his head and opened the door. The strong sunlight made him squint. He covered his forehead slightly and turned to close the door.

Click.

Click.

There were two sounds of door locks closing, and Yuki caught a glimpse of someone in his peripheral vision. He subconsciously turned his head and saw someone closing the door a few meters away.

The man was wearing a short-sleeved white shirt and had black hair. He also turned his head, and the expression on his handsome face changed slightly.

"Sky Island Yuuki?" The black-haired young man recognized Yuuki. He had seen him when the club was recruiting new members.

Kitahara Iori.

Yuki didn't expect to run into this funny guy right at his doorstep. He had the impression that he lived in a diving shop, and that wary look...

He noticed something was wrong and greeted with a smile: "Beiyuan, why are you living here?"

"Well, I'm often delayed by things. Living in Grand Blue will inevitably make my family worry. Besides, it's nice to live alone." Iori answered casually. Before Yuuki could continue, he took the initiative to ask: "Sojima-san is also very busy. I've never seen you go to class."

"You have to enjoy life in college. Just don't fail any courses and graduate successfully. Oh, and I joined the diving club. Let's go have a drink together when we have time."

"I heard that. By the way, what do you think of Tokita-senpai and the others?"

"That's pretty generous. If I weren't so busy, I really want to spend more time with them. Even if I'm under a lot of pressure, just hanging out with them would make me feel much better."

Yuuki didn't seem to be being polite, which made Kitahara Iori feel a little favorable towards him. The diving club was his most precious thing, a place he was willing to return to at all costs.

"Then...why don't you go when you have nothing to do? I heard Tokita-senpai say he invited you a few times."

"I can't help it. I have more important people in my life."

"Who?"

Yuuki shook his head, looking as lonely as snow: "My girlfriend, ah, she controls me too strictly."

Okay, Versailles, right?

Kitahara Iori gritted his teeth and complained, "You seem quite fulfilled when you have nothing to do."

"Aren't you the same? You have a club, family, oh, and Chisa." Yuki noticed that when the young man mentioned 'Chisa', his eyes sharpened for a moment, but quickly returned to normal.

"I'm going to Grand Blue now. All the way?"

"No need, I have something to go out for today."

"I think we should relax more when we have nothing to do."

"I'm just going to meet another friend."

"female?"

"Ah."

Damn, you beast.

Kitahara Iori wanted to drag Yuki to the back mountain and bury him in a hole. He waved his hand angrily and went downstairs. When he reached the corner of the stairs, he turned his head back.

"Sky Island, do you think there's anyone else in our school who's busier?"

"I don't have time to look for it, what about you?" Yuki walked towards the stairs on the other side of the apartment.

"I'm the same. I'm hungover every day when I have free time, so I don't have time to care about so many things." Iori covered his head, looking both distressed and happy. He waved his hand and continued downstairs: "See you later. Let's have a drink when you have time."

"Well, see you later."

Yuki stood in the corridor, watching the figure walking away under the scorching sun, and then came to his senses in a trance.

There is no doubt that Kitahara Iori is a player, and the moment we looked at each other, he should have guessed that I was also a player.

This was the second time in real life that I had an unprepared encounter with a player, and the result was quite bizarre.

There was no tension, just like two unfamiliar classmates who met head-on, said goodbye and left. If you really look into it, Kitahara Iori should have been scared because his background has been known by other players.

"It seems that the reincarnation game hasn't changed him much. He is still as heartless as before." Yuki shrugged. He knew Kitahara Iori's character. Just like his seniors, his core has not changed.

He couldn't change it. There was no trauma that couldn't be cured by oolong tea. If there was, then use the water of life.

There are many jokes in Diving Club, but the core is sincerity and laughter, which are the best medicine to heal players.

"A lucky idiot, and not weak at all, with the confidence to protect everything around him."

Yuki glanced at the direction the boy had left and slowly walked down the stairs.

When it comes to luck, I'm the same.

Chapter 5: A Professional Maid

Tokyo.

Yuki lowered his head and walked among thousands of office workers, not conspicuous at all, only occasionally glancing at the tall buildings in the distance.

The Shinomiya Group branch is theoretically also the headquarters of 'Daytime'. According to Ayanokouji Kiyotaka, there are dozens of players.

So why did he bring so many players together? To provide sufficient practical needs. Even the consortium couldn't withstand the destruction of a group of vampires. However, this indirectly proves his motive for excluding Shinomiya Yanan.

Any normal company would not allow him to act recklessly. The world situation has been quite stable recently, and it seems that these major forces have not used the power of players to interfere with reality.

The punishment in the reincarnation game is not strong enough, and using skills like hypnosis to induce people to sign a contract does not require too much cost.

"It's not that they can't, but that they don't want to? Reality is just a tool to make the game easier, which is exactly the opposite of what I think."

"From the information I've gathered on the forums, there are definitely more powerful player organizations in this world, and there's even a hint of nation-state involvement. However, I'm not interested in understanding such distant threats."

"Well, if it weren't for the daytime touching the people around me, I guess there would be no contact outside of the dungeon. Now I have a hundred ways to avoid it."

Yuki withdrew his gaze, adjusted his thick glasses, turned into the alley next to him, and walked into the second floor of a COS board game store.

He looked like a otaku, so it was quite appropriate for him to come to a place like this where the concentration of the second dimension was excessive. He booked a small room and stared at the flyer for a while.

There are magical girls, nurses, queens and so on, each of which makes people curious. Yuuki shook his head regretfully and chose only one of them.

"Number 13, Role: Maid."

After entering the room and waiting for a few minutes, a tall maid with waist-length black hair arrived.

She had a stern expression, her back was straight, and the uniform she wore was completely different from the one on the flyer. There was no exaggerated lace or reactionary hem, and the long skirt even covered most of her calves.

The maid closed the door, bowed slightly in Yuki's expectant eyes, then put her hands on her lower abdomen and began to act like a statue.

One second, two seconds, three seconds.

Yuuki covered his face. He didn't even need to take off the fool mask. He already knew who this was. Just the professional aura was not something that could be COSed out.

"Shouldn't you say 'Welcome back, Master'?" Yuki couldn't help it and thought to himself, if it was an ordinary customer, wouldn't he have returned the goods?

Where's the light and flowing skirt? Where's the absolute territory? Where's the warm smile that heals the heart?

Hayasaka Ai looked puzzled, wondering if this idiot had some serious illness. She patiently explained, "If anyone were to say something like that, it would only be a doorman. It's not within my job scope."

She wiped her face and took off the mask to reveal her true face. Her blonde hair and blue eyes matched with the conservative maid uniform were a natural match, full of elegant British style.

Who asked you to explain seriously? She raised her finger seriously and said, "This is a board game store, not the Shinomiya Mansion. As a maid, you must follow the rules of the board game store."

"What rules?"

"Of course I'm repeating what I just said."

"But you are not my master."

"I'm acting too. Since you've chosen to play the maid, you have to follow the rules."

What role-playing? I am, well, mainly because the other roles are too embarrassing, this one is the most familiar to me.

Hayasaka Ai pursed her lips lightly, and somehow believed Yuki's lies. But when the words "Welcome back" were about to come out of her lips, she suddenly felt a little ashamed, and secretly glanced at the other person.

Yuki sat with his arms and legs crossed, without a smile on his face, which was out of place with the two-dimensional posters on the wall.

Forget it, just replace the lady with the master, there is no psychological burden.

"Welcome back, Master."

"Please respect my role and stop being so abrupt. At least lift your skirt."

This did not faze Hayasaka Ai. She skillfully lifted the hem of her skirt and crossed her legs: "Welcome back, Master."

"Emotion, more emotion." Yuki waved his hands like a strict director.

The girl was stunned for a moment, then increased her strength: "Welcome back, Master."

"Be gentle, preferably with a hint of seduction. You are a maid, you are naturally full of charm."

Hayasaka Ai thought for a longer time this time, as if her professional honor was aroused. She lowered her head slightly, a blush appeared on her fair face, and her skirt was lifted higher, finally allowing one to see her calves wrapped in gray stockings.

She crossed her legs and bowed slightly.

"Welcome back, Master."

Yes, this is the taste.

A mixture of girlish shyness and professional skills, which meets all my fantasies about a 'maid'.

Yuki felt his heartbeat quicken slightly as he looked at the pure white daze. The drooping golden hair covered the girl's face, and the blush was faintly visible.

"Well, here comes the second sentence: Do you want to take a shower, or..."

Before he could finish his words, he had already closed his mouth, and a sharp gaze like a knife pierced through his hair and engraved on his face.

Don't push your luck, you pighead.

This was the girl's warning, and Yuuki accepted it without hesitation, looking around as if nothing had happened.

"Why do you want to meet in a place like this?" Yuki almost said it was an occupational disease. Hayasaka Ai didn't even need to take off the fool mask. This temperament alone was impossible to COS, not even by players.

"Because this kind of place is chaotic enough, they won't even check identification documents carefully. Don't worry, if he is called by other customers, I have a hundred ways to make him fall asleep for a few hours." Hayasaka Ai said lightly, and breathed a sigh of relief.

We really can't let our guard down against him, as we'll take advantage of him if there's any chance.

Hayasaka Ai sat upright opposite, looking at Yuuki who was looking around. Besides feeling ashamed, she also felt a little satisfied.

It turns out that this pighead is really interested in maids.

She had also done some research during the half day she was lurking, and she had no idea why some people were so interested in "maids" and why they had become an important cute element in the two-dimensional world.

Isn't this a tiring and stressful job? But looking at him, I seem to have found an advantage?

"By the way, I've now repaid the favor I owed you."

Favors? Oh, that Bloodthirsty Red Moon thing.

Yuki almost forgot the original agreement. He just mentioned it casually, but Hayasaka really remembered it.

"So you barely passed?"

"You've asked for so many things, and you still don't count them?" Hayasaka Ai said stiffly, then deliberately looked around: "By the way, why didn't the senior come?"

"She has work, and how can I bring her to the meeting point you set?" Yuki explained casually, and saw Hayasaka Ai reveal a faint smile.

Wait, what's with that 'I won' expression on your face? If the senior sees it, she'll be furious.

It must be intentional. No normal person in the world would bring a girl to a COS store.

Just as I was about to complain, I heard the sound of running water and the aroma of coffee came to my face. I saw Hayasaka Ai kneeling, looking straight ahead, holding the kettle and gently rotating it to fully brew the best coffee beans.

Well, it's nice to be taken care of occasionally. Where can you find such a professional maid?

Yuki instantly forgot what he was going to say. He took the coffee cup handed to him by the girl, took a sip, and the only word that came to his mind was "perfect".

After the coffee came the cake, the taste of which was definitely not something that a small shop like this could produce. If the decoration hadn't been so two-dimensional, he would have really thought he was a noble lord.

Hayasaka Ai asked while she served him skillfully, "Shall we talk about ordering something first?"

"Haven't you added up your points?" Yuki had asked on the way here. Hayasaka Ai had also entered a bottleneck period, even easier than her senior.

He didn't hear a reply, so he looked up and saw the panel.

Player: Hasaka

Physical Strength: Human (Extraordinary)

Storage space: 2 cubic meters

Id characteristics: Fool's Mask (LV2), one-time specialization, the effect lasts for two hours, the cooling time is six hours, two masks, slightly interferes with perception before activation.

Equipment: Death Knell Revolver (Extraordinary Grade, Three Forgings), Storm Chopper (Extraordinary Grade), Flying Boots (Chaos Grade), Lucky Earrings (Chaos Grade)

Props: Never-Drying Black Ink (Chaos Level), Glittering Music Box (Chaos Level)