I slept until around noon the next day, and it was terrific. I owe Zombina big time for bringing me back home when she did because I would never typically have fallen asleep outside like that. However, yesterday had been full of such unexpected occurrences that, in a way, I suppose it all balanced out in the end.

I slowly crept out of bed, flinching as the bright sunlight shone through the window blinds. I slowly shuffled to the bathroom and knocked on the door before entering. Much to my surprise, Rachnera yelled back, "Occupied!". With my toiletries in hand, I leaned against the wall, still half asleep and rubbing my eyes.

I intended to take it easy today, so I didn't want to sleep in too late - past ten, let alone noon. But here I am, awake before I wanted to be.

The door creaked open, and Rachnera appeared, her three eyebrows raised in surprise as she maneuvered through the narrow opening.

"Ah, you've finally decided to rise from the dead, have you?" she remarked as she entered the hallway. "I was expecting you to stay asleep for much longer!"

"Hmm," I muttered, stifling a yawn. "I don't like feeling groggy if I sleep too much during the day, but I'll be okay."

"If you say so," Rachnera said with a shrug, not showing genuine interest. "Oh, by the way, Honey went out with others for a check-up. Papi and Suu are still here somewhere."

I nodded slowly in appreciation, thanking her for informing me before I slowly approached the bathroom. It appeared that we were about to encounter Polt, the overly energetic kobold. I couldn't help but ponder when this was going to occur. I had to admit, I was pretty intrigued by the prospect of viewing exercise equipment designed for particular liminal species, and if it was at all possible, I wanted to join them.

I also wanted to exercise more, just in case something similar to yesterday's events ever happened again, and I wouldn't get as winded the next time. Knowing how things usually go in this house, it's likely to happen again. But I would worry about that later after I had a soothing, long, hot shower.

And so I did So much; there was nothing like a hot shower in the morning.

Sadly, though all good things must come to an end, I still felt incredibly refreshed after my shower. After drying myself off and getting dressed, I noticed a brand-new smartphone on my desk with a note taped to it.

"I reckoned you'd need a new one, given that the previous one got crushed by a plant," the message read, "Drop me a line when you have read further into our conversation. Smith."

"Sweet," I breathed as I picked the phone up, looking it over, "Thanks, Smith."

After powering it on and seeing that all of my previous caller IDs, as well as two texts from Zombina, were still there, I quickly put my phone back in my pocket and rushed to the kitchen. My stomach was growling like crazy, and I was crazy hungry!

Walking into the living room, I was delighted to find Papi and Suu playing Wii Tennis. When they noticed my presence, they quickly put down the remotes and ran towards me joyfully - yet Kii was nowhere to be seen.

Papi uttered an enthusiastic cry of "Big brother!" as she leaped towards me, nearly making me topple over if it wasn't for Suu firmly wrapping her arms around my legs. "You were really out of it this morning!" she giggled.

"Yeah," I chuckled as I embraced her warmly. As I stepped back, Suu seemed to take this as a cue to snuggle further into me. "Not all of us can be morning people like you," I said with a smile.

She asked, genuinely bewildered, "Why not wake up earlier so you can have more fun during the day?"

"You're not wrong," I conceded, trying to step around Suu to make my way to the kitchen. "Suu, would you mind giving me some space so I can grab a bite to eat?"

Suu put on a pouty face, which immediately made me feel guilty. I tried to reassure her that I was not mad by poking her on the nose with a "Boop," her face lit up with joy. Feeling content, I headed into the kitchen to look for some food.

"Where is Kii?" I inquired while preparing ingredients for a sandwich. "I assumed she would still be here."

"She's in the backyard doing... um...." Papi's face contorted as she struggled for the right word, "Proselytizing?"

I opened my mouth, gazing at her in shock, and quickly closed it. That was... you know what, it's Papi.

"You mean photosynthesis?" I asked as I made my sandwich.

"Yeah, that! Oh, and I'm sure she'll be living in the nearby woods," Papi continued enthusiastically, "So we can keep having fun and playing together!"

"That's great!" I exclaimed as I brought my lunch over to the table. "Will she be returning today?"

"Mm!" Papi nodded, latching on to the back of the chair across from me and swaying back and forth. Suu placed herself in the chair beside me, sipping a cup of water through a straw as she watched me eat. "I wanted her to live here with the rest of us, but she said being away from nurture makes her sad, so it's okay."

I nodded as I savored my food. It made sense; it would have been thrilling to have another dryad join us in the house; however, it was not in any dryad's best interests to live so close to a city, even if we were in a suburban area. Fortunately, Oosawa's house was just the perfect fit for a mandrake, being situated close to the border between city limits and the forest to the east of us. Moreover, Oosawa had a large garden that would make any dryad, even the reclusive mandrake, feel comfortable and at home.

I should call her today now that I have my phone. I need to check in to ensure they're doing okay.

"Do you two want to accompany her when she's dropped off?" I asked Papi and Suu. "I'm sure Smith will let you come along if you promise to stay close by her side."

"Yeah, that'd be great!" Papi cheered, rocking the chair so much now that I feared she'd break it. "Wanna come, Suu?"

"Wanna come!" Suu echoed with a smile.

"Yay! How about you, big brother?"

"I'm sorry, guys, I don't think I'm up for going out today. I still feel pretty tired, and I don't want to risk pushing myself."

"Awww," Papi whined, "Why noooooooooot?"

I assured her, "You won't miss out on fun without me. When you return, we'll have a great time playing together, alright?"

"Hmmmm," she hummed, still looking unhappy, "Fiiiiiine. But you better play a lot!"

"I will, I will," I soothed, "Anyway, when is Kii leaving?"

"Um..."

"One hour," Suu supplied before resuming sucking her straw.

"Sounds Gucci," I said. I stood up and took my plate, still hungry. Maybe I'd grab some carbs this time. "How about Kurusu, Miia, Cerea, and Mero? When do they get back?"

"They just left before you woke up," Rachnera answered as she skittered into the room, "So, who knows?"

"Neat. By the way, why didn't you guys go with?" I asked.

"Papi had her checkup after I laid my egg," Papi replied happily, finally letting go of her chair.

"And I was closely scrutinized after that whole ordeal," Rachnera stated, without me even needing to ask for clarification. I'm sure they were making sure she was in good health after having lived with that scumbag for an unknown amount of time. Thankfully, she seemed more than capable of taking care of herself.

"Oh, and Counselor-san," Rachnera said, grabbing my attention. She had my full attention as I reached for a bag of chips. "Do you honestly believe that it is a wise decision to allow the dragonewt near Miia?"

I almost tripped at that, barely catching myself on the counter.

"... You were watching," I said once I collected myself. It wasn't even a question.

She shrugged in response and gave me a smirk. "I was just interested to see how things would play out. It would be funny if you'd made it through all of yesterday only to get shredded by a jealous dragonewt, wouldn't it?"

"Hysterical," I replied with a hint of sarcasm, "But as long as they don't spend time alone, it'll be okay. I'll tell Miia all the details before then, so if she doesn't want to meet Draco after that, I'll cancel the plans."

"Um..." Papi's head swiveled back and forth between the two of us, clearly confused. "Wuh?"

Suu, meanwhile, shoved a feeler down her cup to slurp up any water she missed.

"Remember that lizard girl we met a couple of days ago?" I asked Papi, "Blonde hair, purple eyes?"

"Um... I think?" Papi groaned and pressed her hands against her temples. "Papi doesn't remember things very well...."

"It's okay. Anyway, her name is Draco, and she wants to... be friends with Miia. The thing is, she's a creeper."

"Creeper?"

"A bad person, Papi," Rachnera clarified.

"Oh... but if she's a bad person, why would you invite her over?" Papi asked, baffled.

"Because she's not bad, she's just...." Jesus, I seriously almost said misunderstood. "...Confused. I don't think she's ever had a real friend or had someone even be that nice to her." Hardly a shocker, considering her attitude, but still. "If she's around people that are friends and sees how they act around each other, maybe she'll learn."

"I'm not so sure about that," Rachnera said, her arms crossed in skepticism. "It's not reasonable to expect someone to change their fundamental character or to think you can force them to do so. That's a little too presumptuous, don't you think?"

"I'm not pushing anything on her," I said, feeling annoyed by the implication of the insult. "I would prefer it if things didn't have to end with Draco being forced to leave or be sent away simply because she doesn't understand what a crush is."

Rachnera hummed, her gaze upon me as she spoke coolly. "We'll see," she eventually said, not sounding particularly reassured. "But if something happens, don't expect me to intervene. I won't get involved in this, and you shouldn't either."

She walked away without giving me a chance to respond, but I could not. Despite my desire to make her understand my perspective, something else held me back. Although I didn't want to admit it, I realized Rachnera had some valid points.

No matter what, Miia's reaction to this situation would determine how it would unfold. I will accept whatever decision she makes.

To be continued!