Dungeon Refrigerator 91.2

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Machi And Shizue's Drinking Party

The day after Ezuki visited Nina Shizue's home to offer her get-well wishes.

Machi received information that [Ezuki had treated her to a soft-shelled turtle hot pot as part of his visit.]. 

In response, Machi also decided to visit Shizue to wish them well.

Of course, she claimed, [I'll cook for you.] with the secret intention of partaking in the soft-shelled turtle hot pot.

"Hafu! Hofu!... Hamumu! Nuu~ hohihi~♪"

"Don't eat in such a hurry; you'll burn yourself, Machi."

"Hamu...! But, what is this? It's so light and yet so full of flavor! The richness and depth of taste, and it's so gooey! It's amazing!"

"So, please stop shouting so loudly. The walls here are thin..."

The two of them were enjoying a soft-shelled turtle hot pot. It was an upgraded version of the snapping turtle hot pot that Ezuki had stored in the fridge in portions yesterday, with Machi adding ingredients like Chinese cabbage and shiitake mushrooms.

"It's great, Shizu. To have our master cook a homemade meal for you. I've been living together with him for days, but we've been eating out all the time..."

"But that's because his fridge was broken, right? Morning and evening dining out was much more luxurious..."

"But your complexion has improved quite a bit, Shizu. You don't even cough anymore."

"Even so, until yesterday, it was really tough for me. Having you here really helped me."

An hour later, having savored the delicious snapping turtle hot pot and Machii having drunk more than half of the red wine that Ezuki brought as a get-well gift, the bottle was empty. 

Shizue then retrieved her secret stash of red wine from the fridge, and they began eating the closing snapping turtle porridge. By this time, both of them were quite tipsy.

"...But our master is really hard to understand, isn't he? You'd think he's rough, but he can cook like this. And he's surprisingly kind to us."

"Well, wasn't he originally a nice person?"

"Again, Shizu, you were the one who was most cautious about our master!"

"Of course, I had to be cautious. After all, you brought a man into my house, and you have terrible luck with men."

"That's mean! I don't have bad luck with men. It's just... (sigh)."

"I understand, but I wish you'd consider the person who has to listen to your complaints."

As Shizu pointed out, Machi did have bad luck with men. For some reason, only problematic men seemed to gather around her.

"Well, compared to someone like Shizu, who can handle multiple guys, I'm just..."

"Oh, wait a minute. The US market is about to open... (tap, tap...)"

Shizu ignored Machi's words and started fiddling with her phone, making her friend glance around the empty room.

"By the way... didn't you get bags and presents from guys again? I can't find them anywhere."

"All those things are on online flea markets. The dollar is rising; that means Japanese stocks will... (muttering)."

"Hey, are you okay? Won't they hold a grudge or something?"

"It's fine. I never asked them to buy from me. They're buying the same thing. One item is enough."

"..."

It's a technique commonly used by women in the nightlife business. Machi looked around the room, displeased with her close friend's words.

"What's up?"

Shizue, who had put the communication terminal aside, noticed the change in Manchi's expression and asked.

"No, as expected of a [Woman with seven birthdays.], she's different."

"Machi... that's something you shouldn't say out loud..."

This time, Shizu returned Machi's glare.

As Machi mentioned, Shizu changed her birthdate to match the birthdates of the men she was seeing. It was a technique to drastically improve the efficiency of birthday dates and the probability of receiving presents, but Machi didn't find it amusing.

"Aah, everyone's different. You do your best in your way, and I'll do my best in my way, Machi."

"Hah...! Even though it's not because I want to be bad with men..."

Machii rested her head on the table, avoiding the dishes.

"Nice, isn't it, Ruu (mumbles)."

"...Well, even though you say that, Ruu-chan liked Coach first. It can't be helped, right?"

"But, you know, I met him first..."

"Even if you say that, Ruu-chan is our best friend, and he took care of you and my trouble this time, right?"

"...Shizu, didn't Ezuki-san ask you something when she came over?"

"No, he didn't. He just asked, [Are you feeling okay?] or [Are you hungry?]."

"I see..."

"Oh, right, when I sent a thank-you message after he left, he asked, [If I were to go on a date with Ruu, where would be a good place?]."

Musing with her chin on her fingers, Shizu recalls.

"Ugh... Ruu is so lucky..."

"Alright, enough of your envy. It's such a waste to let this porridge get cold, so eat up."

"Okay... Hey, Shizu?"

"Yeah, what's up?"

"Can I stay over tonight...?"

"Absolutely, I don't care if you catch the cold...♪"

"Okay..."