Lunch was truly surprising. A huge helping of stir-fried vegetables and fruit salad.
"Uhm, Mel, where's the meat?"
"You've already eaten a lot of it. It's not good for your health."
"Hey, come on now—"
Seeing her stare at me, unblinking, I gave up.
"Yeah, alright."
It was delicious, I won't complain. Promise.
"Next time you run away, at least take your phone with you."
"I mean, that kinda defeats the—"
Another stare.
"Yup, noted. I'll take it next time."
"Next time?"
"NOPE, no next times."
Ughh, this entire day is a defeat, but I don't exactly mind that.
I am offended by the system, however. What do you mean I farmed and still got no new tool quest? Do I have to finish the first one? Or is farming not a trigger?
The hoe and watering can from the game would be very useful.
Though, how exactly do they work, hmm...
After lunch, I slept like a log. With everything that had happened today, it wasn't exactly surprising.
I ran away sleep-deprived, tripped and scraped my ankle, and still insisted on farming.
Waking up, I felt refreshed. Seeing that the day was still bright, I checked the time.
Just over an hour?
I still felt sore, but I was energized.
I stood up and stretched before heading to the bathroom to rinse my face.
Prompting the system, I checked for anything new.
But nothing of note, except the daily quest.
[Do Ten Curl-ups: 0/10]
"Was it insulting me? I doubt I can do that."
Even if I forced myself, my efforts might not even register as "proper" curl-ups.
Sigh~
"What can I do?"
I texted Mel that I was going outside for some fresh air.
But as I opened the door, there she was.
Near the fields we'd cleared and planted.
Setting up a scarecrow.
"Master, you're awake." This chapter is updated first at g.com.
She turned to me, her clothes once again dirty.
I've seen her in three different outfits this day alone.
"Thanks, Mel. I forgot to set that up."
There were birds in the area, and if this was anything like the game, they had a chance of eating your seeds and ruining all your progress.
I forgot about the scarecrow because, usually, you only unlocked that recipe after your first harvest, when you leveled up.
But then again, this wasn't a game, and there were ways to bypass the progression.
A glimpse of temptation stirred within me, urging me to chase some hidden items and characters, but I pushed it down.
There was no need for that, at least for now.
Seeing Mel by the fields, I felt like this was enough.
That night, I went to bed early and woke before dawn again.
It was 4 a.m., and I checked the system.
At least there's no penalty.
I hadn't forced myself to complete the daily quest yesterday, opting to rest and start anew the next day.
[Daily Quest: Do Ten Lunges 0/10]
Lunges, huh?
My knees should be better now, at least.
It was just a scrape, after all. I should be fine.
I completed the quest before Mel could even wake me up.
I left my room at six, finding her already preparing breakfast.
"Take a seat, Master. I've yet to finish."
I followed along, not really hungry just yet.
As I sat down, she handed me my coffee.
"Thanks."
"Oh, right, Mel. Let's head out. I remember seeing some interesting stuff."
I didn't remember them spawning on the farm, but maybe I'd just forgotten.
The two of us left at eight, heading back to where I'd run off to yesterday.
Somewhere in town, in one of its residences, a girl lay sprawled across her bed, unmoving.
It was well past eleven. She'd woken up quite early, and yet, she had yet to get up.
"Sister, I'm heading to work."
The cheerful voice of her sister rang out, followed by the sound of her bedroom door opening.
"Are you still asleep? It's nearly noon."
Seeing her sister acting unusually, Emily grew worried.
"...No, just boreddd."
"Oh, okay. Well, I'm off to work. Don't starve yourself out of boredom. There's food in the kitchen."
Emily was used to it. Her sister had her moments.
As the door closed, Haley was once more left alone, unbearably bored.
"Ughhhh."
She couldn't help but groan. She'd waited by the park yesterday, looking over the town from above, and yet—
"They didn't come."
She didn't like going outside much. When she did, she often just took photos at the forest or idled by the park fountain.
But her little adventure the day before had left her craving more.
Who exactly were they?
I asked around, and apparently, they're the new farmers.
But who were they?
And why did the adults seem so guarded around them? Was he really that bad?
I mean, I guess his eyes were kinda sharp?
But surely, no one could tell her he was that bad?
His voice was really nice, and he's quite—
Ugh, the lady by his side was also really pretty. Maybe even as pretty as her?
What are they doing right now...?
Eventually, Haley got up. Nature was calling, after all.
By two, she was lounging on the sofa, just as she'd been sprawled across her bed earlier.
"I can't take this."
She got up and left, taking her straw hat with her as she headed to the park.
The town was less crowded than usual. It was always like this. Unless there was an event going on, hardly anyone filled the square.
She didn't know when it had started, but it had become a trend recently.
As she walked, the weather remained sunny, though clouds occasionally drifted overhead, blocking the sunlight.
When she reached the steps leading up to the town park, she stopped.
To her right was the edge of the town's road, the one leading to the bus stop and highway.
But more importantly—
The new farmer.
Her steps resumed, now taking her in that direction.
A glint of excitement and amusement shone in her eyes.