Life is easy.
Hans doesn't have to bother with stuff other than writing. It is the best time of his life, almost to the point he is reluctant to let go of Jane, but Jane has to go.
After a month of observation, Hans finds out he really has nothing to fault with Jane which makes things difficult for him. Hans has the money and even plenty of left over from his only sale of Love Potion.
Thinking of the most peaceful method how to fire a loyal hardworking employee, Hans decides to do some internet surfing. When it comes to immoral stuff, the internet should have it, right?
Alas, this world is just too different from his old one, or maybe it is just Hans' misconception of working against himself. If he wishes to be unethical, he should just do it, instead of trying to rationalize it.
Afraid that he might find himself in entanglement with the novel's original plot, Hans is dreary and paranoid about what ought to happen if he decides to sponsor Jane.
"No way," He unconsciously whispers.
"Excuse me?"
Hans looks at Jane who now has a little bit of hair on her head. Her semi-cut blonde hair reminds Hans of a certain white rapper, except Jane is no slim shady. She is sweeping the floor with a sweeping pan and asks for Hans to lift his legs up.
"Thanks," She shortly says to Hans as she proceeds to sweep the floor.
The funny thing about companionship is that people have no choice but to connect when it happens. It happens all too passively. And… if you allow time to dabble with it as seconds, hours, and days go on, you will suddenly find yourself in the state of 'getting used to' this person.
That is how it happened with Mira.
And now, Jane Loweigh.
It is only a short month, yet Hans is feeling this already. What kind of weak mental constitution it is to be unable to handle loneliness? Is Hans actually such a fragile person?
Hans shakes his head aware of the too often times he puts himself in solitude when he is from his old world. It all goes back to the original Hans of this world again.
"Sigh…" Making light stretches with his elbow and arms, Hans moans in silent pleasure. "If I fire her, I will return to cup noodles…" He complains in a whisper as he imagines cup after cup of noodles littering his desk and floor.
Getting a taste of the luxury of having a maid makes things a lot more difficult for him.
"Meow~"
Hans's eyes land on a certain tabby Abyssinian cat. His pussy is a lot fatter from what he remembers.
"Jane, start feeding the cat less…"
"Okay."
While Hans busies himself with writing again, Jane continues to clean the place around. The flat is small, but the clutter is always aplenty. Lately, Hans has been dipping to drawing again, saying something along the lines of a perfect book cover is half the story done.
Jane doesn't get it, but she understands that Hans's work involves writing.
Novels, short stories, or the like doesn't interest Jane. Not until lately. If her boss is leaving his manuscript just everywhere, Jane will inevitably end up reading a line or two one day. After that, she secretly reads more of the manuscripts of her boss, as a result hooking her in the world of fiction.
Hans often takes a break from typing from his laptop and does the writing with a pencil. Sometimes, he writes in his notebook, and rarely does he write on scratch papers. Because Hans is doing more artwork lately, Jane has fewer chances to read where Hans's new novel, 'Magical Girl Porun' is at.
Magical Girl Porun is Hans's new novel after his controversial work gets banned by the government just recently. 'Chad: The Ultimate Guide on Courting Girls' is not really for the 'stable mind' being the reason for the ban doesn't make sense. The truth is Jane doesn't really get it what is the problem with that novel when it is not even porn fiction.
That aside, Jane is feeling very motivated today. One month is already up, and her probationary period should end now. If she ends up being sponsored, a lot of her difficulties will become less difficult and that includes after she gets into school.
"La la la la la~" Jane is literally singing as she cleans the place. Her mood is clearly uplifted, and she only needs a slight push for her to start flying.
"Shut up." It only takes two words for Hans to shut Jane up.
"…"
Jane continues cleaning in silence.
"I said silence," Hans repeats earning Jane's confusion.
Hans looks around and realizes his blunder, but he is sure it is not a mistake on his part. He should be an ordinary guy now, and should not be using magic, but the tingling sensation on his head is not going away.
"Lock the door," At Hans's instruction, Jane locks the door and waits in anxiety.
Hans gets himself a basin of water and some candles. Using a little bit of magic he lights up the candle and exercises the familiar divination ritual.
"Am I in danger?"
Spouting the necessary gestures and chants, Hans waits for the ritual to finish itself to present him with an answer.
"Yes," The ritual says. "Above." It adds.
Hans takes big steps as he catches Jane in an embrace, rushing to the door and destroying it with a tackle. Hans protects Jane in his embrace from the impact, and a microsecond later, the whole apartment building, the flat, where Hans is staying is now a goner.
He peeks at the outside and sees several-kilometer radii of a flattened area. It is as if a gigantic basin pressed on the residential area, and voila it is now like that. The dust, concrete, debris, and the random bloody splotch of red present themselves to Hans's eyes.
This is definitely the work of magic.
"No, no… NO!"
Hans turns around and sees Jane's broken form. She is fine physically, except her mind is in turmoil.
Jane crawls forward with no strength on her legs maybe because of despair. Her eyes are trembling with unacceptance. She points to a far horizon, and in a murmur, she whispers the orphanage's name— Angel Care— the place where she is born and raised.
"That. No. That is my home… Why?"
Tears and snot litter her face. From despair to sadness, and a maddening howl… Jane continues to cry like no other. Lost. Death. Alone. These words help describe what she feels but she dreads them.
Hans feels a mixture of pity and annoyance. He is a jerk. He is aware he is a jerk. But not like this.
"Hey," Hans call to Jane.
Jane didn't look.
Nonetheless, Hans proceeds with his merciless words. "You are fired."
Jane freezes on her knees and like a rusty mechanical doll, she turns her head to Hans with trepidation as if asking him what he means, of what those words mean.
Hans explains. "I said you are fired. I will no longer sponsor you. You are on your own."