Envy

"Please enjoy your stay. If you need anything, just let me know," Tania said politely.

"Okay, Tania-chan!" Bob replied loudly with his usual enthusiasm.

Tania left the room, leaving just the two of us alone in the inn of another world.

I collapsed face-down onto the pillow, lying on a bed as hard as a rock.

My mind was still haunted by the horror of the so-called "toilet" with hole in the floor with no flush and only a wooden plank for cover. Proper plumbing? Completely non-existent.

"What's wrong with you, dude? It's just a toilet. Just close your eyes and do your thing," Bob said casually as he removed his cape and shirt.

He then dropped onto his bed, shirtless.

Kraakk.

The bed let out a strained creak.

"Ugh... this bed. Why is it so damn hard?" Bob groaned, rubbing his back.

"Don't take hygiene so lightly," I lectured Bob. "You know why there were so many deadly plagues during medieval times, right? It all came down to poor sewage systems. If waste isn't properly handled, it seeps into the ground and contaminates the water sources. And in a world without water filters? You're basically drinking your own feces and urine."

I sighed, burying my face back into the pillow. "Sometimes I forget how lucky we are in our world. Clean water, flush toilets… actual plumbing."

"If you're so afraid of that, Alan… then watch this. I want to show you something," Bob said with a grin.

I reluctantly turned my face toward him, unsure what nonsense he was about to pull.

He grabbed one of the wooden cups placed on the small table. Holding it in his right hand, he raised his left palm above the cup and began murmuring something under his breath. Then the blue insignia on the his left hand started shining brightly.

Suddenly, a stream of clear water burst from his hand, filling the cup to the brim in an instant.

My eyes widened. "what… you can cast water?"

Bob smirked. "It is cool right? So don't worry about drinking your own—"

"Wait," I cut him off, narrowing my eyes. "Is that water even safe? Just because it looks clean doesn't mean it is clean. Did you make it out from your own body?" I asked skeptically

"Hell no. This is from magic, mana, probably. And it is clean, okay? I've been drinking it since I got summoned to this world, and my stomach and intestines are still in top condition," Bob claimed confidently.

"So stop your yapping and just try it already." He passed me the cup.

I sat up at the edge of the bed and looked at the cup skeptically. The water looked clear. I gave it a sniff, no strange odor. Then I took a careful sip, smacking my lips like a professional food taster to test the texture.

Hmm… Bob wasn't lying. It tasted clean. I downed the rest without hesitation.

"You're not lying. This water's actually good," I admitted, though a thought popped into my mind that made me grimace. "But… to think I just drank something from you hand…"

"If you don't want it, I won't offer next time," Bob said with a smirk. "Go ahead, drink the non-filtered infectious full of germ water of this world."

"Fine." I replied.

I drank it from mana. Not from Bob. From mana… not from Bob, I repeated in my head like a mantra, trying to preserve a shred of pride.

"Well, I'm not done yet," Bob said as he suddenly jumped onto my bed beside me.

The bed quaked under the added weight, and I silently prayed that it was built strong enough to survive our weight.

"Besides Water and Heal, I've got other magic skills too. Watch this," he said proudly.

He cast another spell. A tiny swirling sandstorm appeared in his palm, which then hardened into a small rock. Next,with a flick of his wrist, he summoned a gust of wind. The wind whipped toward the Mars Fly beside our bed, slicing off one of its branches.

I glanced at the injured plant and winced.

Please, Tania… don't charge us for that.

"And last one," Bob grinned, holding out his hand as a ball of fire ignited in his palm.

"So you can cast basic elemental magic, huh?" I said, a little envious.

"Yup! And this one might be the best—"

Before I could stop him, Bob suddenly hurled the fireball.

Onto the wooden floor.

"Oh my god!" I shouted, watching in horror as flames immediately licked up the boards.

We both leapt to our feet, stomping on the fire like crazed nomads performing a rain ritual. Then Bob finally cast Water, extinguishing the flames with a sudden splash.

"Are you trying to barbecue us?!" I scolded him, panting.

"Oops," Bob said, scratching the back of his head with a sheepish grin, pulling the classic my bad face that made me want to scream.

"I just hope we don't get kicked out of the inn tonight," I muttered, slumping back on the bed.

"Well, talking to you made me want to take a dump," I added, standing up again and heading for the toilet.

Inside, I sat on the wooden planks over that ominous hole and let out a heavy sigh. My thoughts drifted to our apartment's clean, porcelain toilet, the gentle flush, the soft seat, the faint smell of lavender air freshener. God, I miss it.

While staring at the wall, I figured I might as well give magic a try.

"Wind," I whispered, holding out my hand.

Nothing.

"Earth."

Still nothing.

"Ember."

Nada.

"Hyper Beam."

Absolutely nothing. Not even a fart.

I slumped. Of course.

I'm honestly not that thrilled about being stuck in this isekai world, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't jealous of Bob. Having magic, being special, it's the dream, right? I can't deny the appeal. No wonder Bob used to rant about all those web novels with overpowered main characters who start with some broken triple-SSS skill or absurd cheat ability. He said he was annoyed by how repetitive it got, and yet, those were the ones with thousands, even millions of readers.

Maybe that's just human nature. We want to be strong. Stronger than anyone else. To be someone. Especially when we feel like no one.

I finished my business and got ready for bed. Tania had been generous enough to provide us with some change of clothes. Maybe she just didn't want guests getting scared off by two weirdos staying in her inn.

Now changed and resigned to sleep on my five-star rock slab of a bed, I closed my eyes and started drifting off into a dream, probably about modern plumbing.

Then suddenly—

"Damn it, you fricking idiot!"

I jolted upright, face half-squished against my pillow. "W-What is it, Bob? Is someone attacking?!"

Bob was already lying down again, yanking the blanket over his head. "I forgot to ask if Tania has a boyfriend."

I stared at the ceiling in silence.

This fella...

Just pray I don't suffocate you with a pillow tonight.