100. Sleepover
Ben's group leaves the Southern Forest after finishing their job. They go to Magnolia first to send Mira & Elfman back. They arrived in Magnolia at night because they finish their job right before the sunset.
After they arrived in Magnolia, they split the treasures & money that they found in the ruins. There are a lot of them, so they need to think of how to share those. They discuss it while eating in a private restaurant room near the town gate.
"How should we split them?" asks Ben.
"Let's split them in 2 because we are from different guilds. It will be fairer that way rather than splitting them per person. Besides, there are 4 of us, so the share will still be the same," says Mira.
"You count Bella?" asks Bella.
"Of course, Bella has worked hard too," says Mira while hugging Bella happily.
"Are you sure about that? You guys need more money for Lisanna, right?" asks Ben.
"It's okay, there's a lot of money & treasures here, so we can split them like this. Besides, this is a guild cooperation job, so the best way to split it is by splitting it in 2," says Elfman.
"Hmm, fine," says Ben.
They split the treasures & money evenly in 2 just like what Mira suggested. But then, Ben split his guild's share again and gives half of it to the siblings.
"What are you doing?" asks Mira confusedly.
"For your sister," says Ben while smiling.
"Oi, this is not what we agreed for," says Elfman.
"Yeah, but this is my money, so I can do what I want with it. Also, I give it to your sister, not you," says Ben.
Mira & Elfman look at each other and don't know what to do.
"Take it, you need it more than me. Just think of it as my gift for Lisanna," says Ben.
"Take!" says Bella with a commanding tone while crossing her hands.
"A-alright," says Mira while taking the money.
"Just make sure that your sister will be fine from now on. You can call me if you ever need my help. I will come immediately," says Ben while smiling.
Mira & Elfman smile before saying, "Thank you."
They continue to eat their meal while talking about some simple things. They need to relax after finishing a difficult job. It's also a good time for them to know each other more than before.
After the meal, Ben wants to go home immediately, but Mira & Elfman stop him. They invite him & Bella to wash their bodies in the public bath first before going home. Ben looks at his appearance that looks very dirty.
"Hmm, maybe it's not a bad idea to try a new place. What do you think, Bella?" asks Ben.
"Milk?" asks Bella to Mira.
"We have some delicious milk types in there," says Mira.
Bella's eyes sparks and she nods frantically.
"We'll go then," says Ben while smiling.
They go to the public bath on foot and Bella is in Mira's arms. Mira can understand Bella even though she talks very shortly using a few words.
'Hmm, maybe that's why they got closer easily. She must be happy to find someone other than me who can understand her talks perfectly,' thinks Ben while looking at Bella who talks happily with Mira.
Bella always talks in a short sentence and uses a few words. That's why not many people can understand what she's talking about. Only Ben can understand everything she says.
So finding Mira who can understand her like Ben must've made her happy. Even Wendy & Carla can't understand what she meant sometimes. So meeting Mira is like meeting another Ben for Bella.
They arrived at the public bath in 5 minutes and immediately enter it. It's a Japanese-style building that's made of wood. Ben & Elfman go to the men's bath, while Mira & Bella go to the women's bath.
'Hmm, this reminds me of the animes that I watched with my brother,' thinks Ben while looking around.
"This is a good place, isn't it?" asks Elfman.
"Yeah, although it's a bit cramped here," says Ben while looking at the bath that is full of people.
"Well, it's a public bath, so there will be a lot of people here," says Elfman.
Ben & Elfman wash their bodies first before going to the hot bath. They find an empty spot and plunge themselves in. The hot water makes their muscles relax and their tiredness is gone slowly.
Both boys just relax in the hot water while talking about menial things. There are many ears here, so they need to be careful of what they're talking about. Besides, there are many topics that they can talk about.
After bathing for 15 minutes, they get out and wait for the girls. Mira & Bella come out after 3 minutes while carrying a basket full of milk. Bella has tried every type of milk here and she likes them. So she decided to buy a lot of them.
"Sigh, how much for the milk?" asks Ben.
"Don't worry about it, you've given us some money as a gift, so take this as our gift too. It's not much compared to your gift though," says Mira.
"Hmm, okay then, thanks for the gift. Then, we will take our leave now. Let's go, Bella," says Ben while grabbing Bella.
"No," says Bella in protest while hugging Mira's arm.
"Huh? What do you mean by that?" asks Ben.
"Bella sleepover," says Bella.
"Fufufu, Bella-chan wants to sleep over in my place, right?" asks Mira happily.
"Huh?" says Ben with a dark expression.
"Friends sleepover," says Bella with a serious expression.
Ben blinks his eyes hearing that. Then he looks at Mira who smiles like there's nothing wrong. Now he understands it and it makes him sigh. Mira has taught Bella about sleeping over in a friend's place and now she wants to try it herself.
"Sigh, fine. I'll call Gramps and tell him that we will return tomorrow," says Ben with a defeated tone.
"YEAY~" cheers Bella happily.
Elfman pats Ben's shoulder in understanding. He knows the feeling of being unable to refuse his little sister's request.
"You can sleep in my room," says Elfman.
"Thanks," replies Ben.
They go to the siblings' rented house that located near the hospital. Mira & Elfman moved here since Lisanna got in a coma and needs to stay in the hospital. This way, they can visit Lisanna every time they want.
The house is rather small and doesn't have many things inside. They don't stay in the house too often because they mostly stay in their Guild building and take jobs. So there's no need for having too many items in the house.
Ben & Elfman want to sleep immediately, but Bella & Mira stop them. The girls want to play some games before sleeping. They say that it's what people do when sleeping over at a friend's place.
"Sigh, I know you guys are excited. But we've been working for a full day. Let's just rest for tonight and play tomorrow. We can do what we want with a lot of energy," says Ben with a tired tone.
Elfman nods in agreement while yawning because he is very sleepy. The girls get disappointed, but they agree because they also get sleepy when they see Elfman yawned.
"Alright, good night then," says Mira.
"Night," says Bella.
"Yeah, good night," replied the boys.
They go to their rooms and Ben calls Roubaul before sleeping. The day is over with Ben & Bella sleeping over in the Strauss' home. They just don't know what awaits them tomorrow.
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