Chapter 3

Kaizen... wake up !

He rubbed his eyes, trying to make sense of the situation . Emma stood by the bed with an amused smile, clearly enjoying his confusion.

"Emma, seriously, why am I here? And… where is here, exactly?" He pulling the blanket over himself a bit more.

She laughed and sat down on the edge of the bed. "Relax, Kaizen. You're at my place.

You don't remember barging in last night? You were pretty adamant about wanting to try my famous hangover soup."

He looked around, realizing that the room had pieces of her personality scattered about – books on the nightstand, a quirky lamp in the shape of a cat, and posters of bands she'd told him about.

"So, nothing happened?" He feeling a sheen of sweat form on his back from both embarrassment and relief.

Emma waved her hand dismissively. "Nah, you just crashed here. I had to roll you onto your side, just to be safe. Honestly, I didn't see you having so much fun at the party," she added with a teasing grin.

Kaizen sighed in relief and then clutching his head. "I guess I overdid it. Thanks for not letting me make a fool of myself."

Emma smiled embarrassed . "Don't worry, it happens to the best of us. Besides, it was funny watching you trying to do karaoke with a banana as a microphone."

His face turned red at the thought. "Oh, I did that, did I?"

She nodded, her eyes twinkling playfully. "Yep. You rocked it, though."

They managed a laugh, despite the pounding headache. "I owe you one, Emma. Seriously, thanks for putting up with my antics."

She stood up, offering him a glass of water and some aspirin from the bedside table.

"Here, take these. And you owe me breakfast. Consider it payback for the banana concert."

He accepted the pills gratefully and nodded.

"Deal. I'll make it the finest breakfast you'll ever have."

She clapped her hands, delighted. "Great! Now hurry up and get dressed. I'm starving."

As he got up to find his clothes, He couldn't help but laughed.

So, about the guild..." he began, glancing around the table at his companions.

Emma, seated across from him, took a thoughtful sip of her drink . "We're starting today. I've already invested half of my savings into our building and equipment," she announced, her voice steady with conviction.

He raised an eyebrow . "And what about our members? We need at least three if we manage to secure one S-rank, isn't that the plan?"

Emma poked her head up from the tabletop,

"Don't sweat it about our last member," she chirped. "For a newbie, she's got muscles that make Hercules look like a couch potato."

"Alright, I'm trusting you with the recruiting,"

he stretched out his hand with all the grandeur of a prince offering to dance.

Emma, may I hold your hand for a moment?"

She burst into giggles, clutching her heart dramatically .

"Oh dear, I'm not ready to fall in love just yet!" she quipped, batting her eyelashes like a princess.

He gently tapping her forehead. "Nah, it's not that. I just want to see if touching you will break my curse of eternal bad luck or something."

"Do you trust me, Emma?" He asked, his voice steady.

She nodded, curious about his intentions.

"Open your clothes," he said, causing her eyes to widen in shock.

"Uh, excuse me? Ahhh, pervert!" Emma exclaimed, stepping back with a teasing smile, though a hint of surprise danced in her eyes.

His face showing genuine frustration. "No, no, not like that! I just want to see your back."

Emma raised an eyebrow, her intrigue overpowering her initial shock. "My back? What's so interesting about it?"

"I heard a rumor about a unique mark, a sign of something mystical. Just want to check if you have it," He explained, hoping she would understand

Emma's curiosity got the better of her, and she turned around, lifting her hair to reveal her back. "Alright, detective, take a look."

He studied her back intently but found nothing out of the ordinary.

"No sign of mystical markings, I'm afraid. Just confirming you're not part of some secret prophecy or anything."

"Now, just lie down," Kaizen said, winking as he attempted to stifle a laugh. "I promise this won't involve any tickling."

Emma raised an eyebrow, still lying down. "You better fix this curse, or you'll be the one in need of repair!"

He placing his hands dramatically over her.

"Prepare for the mystical touch of Kaizen's Marvelous Hand Repairs!" he declared in an over-the-top magical voice.

As the process began, Emma let out a sudden moan, "Ahhh—"

Kaizen, watching from the side, quickly interjected, "Shhh—it's not something meant to feel... pleasurable."

She blushed, half-giggling, "I swear, I have no idea what my body's doing!"

Kaizen continued his work, maintaining a calm focus.

"You're doing great. The blockages are dissolving nicely," he reassured her, feeling the energy shift within her.

Emma relaxed under his touch as the repair worked wonders, gradually feeling the burden of the curse lifting.

Minutes later, Kaizen stepped back, satisfied with his work.

"There, it's done," he said with a reassuring smile.

Emma slowly sat up, feeling lighter. "Thank you, Kaizen. I didn't realize how much it was affecting me until now."

"Glad to have the real you back. How do you feel?"

He pretending to be an announcer, added,

"And Emma is once more free! Thanks to me: Healer, comedian, and one-time moan-inducer!"

Emma's laugh was so loud and infectious that it almost drowned out everything else in the room. So much so that in her fit of laughter, she completely forgot about her, um, lack of attire.

Kaizen, trying to be the gentleman amidst the hilarity, did a double-take before hastily shielding his eyes. "Uh, Emma, I think you forgot something...," he stammered, pointing something in her direction.

Emma looked down, . "Oh, oops!" she squealed, diving behind a conveniently large potted plant to grab her clothes. Her cheeks were now an impressive turn to red .

"Nothing to see here!" she called out from behind the plant, her voice full of humor and embarrassment.

He deciding to save her from further red-faced confusion, launched into distraction mode.

"So, any thoughts on our new member? Or perhaps we should hit up the guild office? You know, where clothing is encouraged," he joked.

She popping her head out just enough to keep eye contact, giggled. "Yes, let's make a run for it before any more unintentional strip teases happen."

------

As Emma and Kaizen entered the grand guild office,

Kaizen, noticing the elegant surroundings, sighed dramatically.

"Wow, it's big! You should've married me if you were this rich. I wouldn't even need to work anymore!" he leaning against a polished oak desk with feigned weariness.

Emma unfazed by his jest. "Oh, it's not fun that way," she replied with a twinkle in her eye. "I love the idea of taking sweet revenge on you after you abandoned me for three years."

He winced . "Cisss! At least I can relax in this office while you handle all the jobs!" he laughed, stretching out as if preparing for a nap.

Sarah hear their conversation " always ready with a quip of his own, joined in,

"Just be careful, Kaizen. With Emma on the job, you might find yourself redefining 'employee benefits.'"

"That's right, Sarah . There might be heavy lifting, monster slaying, and endless paperwork involved. The usual 'all-inclusive' package."

Kaizen pretended to contemplate this for a moment.

"Okay, maybe I'll handle the smaller tasks. Like taste-testing any cakes we have in the office lounge or checking the comfort of the chairs—very important work!"

Emma shook her head .

"Sure, sure, and if I need a sofa tested for napping efficiency, I'll know who to call."

Sarah couldn't help but laugh.

"I think Kaizen's dream job might just be 'Chief Relaxation Officer.' We should probably make him a badge."

The entrance of Sarah, with her stealthy grace, caught everyone off guard.

"Sarah, when did you come?" Emma's voice carried a lot of surprise .

" Here's our new recruit. Meet Sarah! She's slightly above your typical newbie," Emma declared with a grin.

She leaned in and whispered, "And she's a fan of mine, so her salary's a bargain!"

He gave Emma a thumbs up, chuckling at the unexpected bonus of celebrity charm in recruitment.

"Emma, do you plan to train her?" Kaizen asked, trying to sound hopeful.

Emma casually made her way to the door, leaving with a sly smile, "It's all yours, Kaizen!"

He watched her leave and murmured under his breath, "That motherf—!" realizing that his friend's got low intelligence.