Zack and Max fell silent upon hearing Rea's heart-wrenching scream. Max, in particular, seemed to have no idea how to react to the situation. Nonetheless, that didn't stop Rea from continuing to speak.

"You always do the same thing! The moment an idea crosses your mind, there's no way to get it out!" she exclaimed.

"I've told you, what you heard are just rumors! You don't even know the doctor!" Max retorted.

"Do you think the bandage on your leg magically appeared? Or that I felt threatened by the teacup in your hands?"

At this moment, Rea didn't seem like the girl who had been quietly talking to Zack, explaining her situation. Her voice was so loud that Titan, who had been resting on the floor, slinked away to avoid hearing it.

"Can't you stop and think for a moment before threatening people?!"

"But—"

"I DON'T WANT EXCUSES!" Rea's voice, along with her piercing gaze, was enough to cut off whatever Max was about to say.

The violent figure that had appeared in the room a moment ago was nowhere to be found. In its place was a boy who seemed somewhat intimidated by the shouting, attempting to explain himself without success.

"I've had enough! If it weren't for you insisting that you didn't need to see the doctor, your leg wouldn't be in this condition!"

"Do you know how worried I was watching you get sicker each day?! These past few days, you couldn't even walk without falling to the ground!" Rea's voice lost its fury, replaced by deep concern, and tears seemed on the verge of falling from her eyes.

Max's face, once confused by the shouting, was now filled with panic and worry. He seemed to prefer being yelled at rather than seeing her sad. It was clear he had no idea what to do in these moments.

Zack wanted nothing to do with this. He already had enough problems. The last thing he needs is more drama. That said, he can't just watch how this situation unfolds.

Seeing this, Zack gathered all his courage and wisdom he had amassed throughout his existence and...

...quietly left the room.

(If I leave, I don't have to see them) Zack thought as he slipped away with little Titan in his arms.

There's no choice. If there's something he learned in life from his father, it's that you shouldn't intervene when a woman is in a bad mood—hide and wait for the storm to pass.

It's obvious that the relationship between those two is complicated. Intervening now would only make things worse. Hopefully, they'll calm down and leave his house.

Zack went to the kitchen to hide while the two resolved their issues. They don't seem to have ill intentions, so giving them some space is best.

This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

Nothing of too much value is around, so he's not worried about theft. He's not too far away either, so if something happens, he can quickly go back. In the worst case, if he gets robbed, he can always sell the garden herbs. Hopefully, they'll fetch him something.

Growl

Suddenly, a very familiar noise sounded nearby. After identifying the source, his gaze went downward. In his arms, a hungry Titan looked at him with a mix of expectation and desire.

(Glad you feel that way, but you're not my type, Titan) Zack thought as he set the dog down and gathered ingredients to prepare some food for both of them.

The walk in the forest had taken longer than expected, and he was quite hungry. He had almost forgotten with all the drama that had been his life in the past few hours.

The ingredients from his last visit to the market were running low, but there were still some local vegetables: potatoes, garlic, and something that looked like a banana but tasted like a pepper. The local flora was strange.

Due to having guests at his house, Zack couldn't magically ignite a fire, so he went to get firewood stored in the kitchen corner. Zack had nothing to do with it. When he first arrived at the house, the firewood was already there, and since he didn't need it, he never used it.

(I guess the old doctor didn't know I wouldn't need it) Zack thought as he placed the firewood under the ancient kitchen stove.

After Zack lit the kitchen fire, he prepared a pot of water and set it to boil while he focused on cutting the rest of the ingredients. Not enough for a feast, but sufficient for a nutritious soup.

With each passing day, cooking for himself became easier, and his culinary skills were slowly improving. Some of the tricks he learned from his first time camping in this world proved very useful.

Zack took inventory of what he had left in the kitchen to calculate what he needed to buy in town. Unexpected expenses like taking care of a pet left him broke again.

(This can't go on; I have to find a way to make money)

Just as he was thinking about what he could do to get enough money to shop, a head slowly peeked through the door and looked at him with big black eyes.

Zack noticed something and turned his head to see who it was. Upon seeing the figure peeking in, Zack made his best effort to smile.

"Are you done?" Zack asked, trying not to forget that he had something on the fire.

The figure seemed to want to retreat when it heard his words, but finally nodded and entered the kitchen completely.

"We—what are you doing here? Come in," Rea began, addressing someone else behind the door, whispering something Zack couldn't hear.

She grabbed Max firmly and pulled him, making him enter the kitchen with her.

"Hey, hey. I'm coming, I'm coming. Stop pulling," Max protested at this unexpected contact.

"I have to remind you that all of this is your fault," Rea whispered lowly.

It seemed like they were about to argue again when Rea noticed Zack's presence and summarized what she was about to say.

"We wanted to apologize for our behavior and thank you for what you've done for Max. Although we don't have money right now, we'll pay you back as soon as possible, okay?" Rea apologized energetically.

"Ouch. Why did—Um. Yes, we're sorry," Max tried to complain, only for Rea's head to turn quickly, locking eyes with him, promising that it wouldn't end well if he didn't apologize.

Zack had to admit that they were, at least, entertaining.

"It's okay," Zack said after hearing their apology. "I understand that the situation could be misunderstood, and we were all very nervous. Don't worry about it."

"As for the money..."

Before Max and Rea could sigh in relief, they instantly became nervous again.

"I'm not going to say I don't need it, that would be a lie, but I'm sure we can come to some agreement that doesn't involve cutting off a leg," Zack joked.

"Hey," Max protested strongly, causing Rea to start laughing.

Growl

Just when everything was starting to be resolved, Rea and Max's stomachs growled loudly, causing Rea to blush, and Max's gaze went towards what was cooking.

(Am I not getting rid of them, huh?) Zack wondered. Simultaneously, he asked if they wanted to stay for dinner.