After checking up on Elric's vitals, the doctor stepped outside of the room.
"I understand that you have a concussion right now, but please try to answer my questions. First, where was it that you got into this fight?"
Despite being questioned by the police, some part of Elric wanted to give a devious grin.
"The Grassy Bar, sir."
After scribbling something on his notepad, the officer opened his mouth again.
"Please describe the incident in de-"
"I would like to consult my attorney first, thank you. Have a good day, officer."
The policeman scratched his head.
"Kid, you aren't in any trouble. We're trying to confirm the group that beat you up."
After a short pause, the officer spoke again.
"It was four drunk young men, right? All of them decided against pressing this, but if you-"
"Then I'll do the same. It's just a small street scuffle, there's no need for the police to get involved."
Marking his words down, the officer sighed, then thanked him for his time. As soon as he left, Ember leaned over Elric's bed.
"Why not press charges? If your friends hadn't arrived in time, it could've been even worse, right?"
"I did start the fight. This whole endeavor wouldn't be good for either you or that Angeline girl's reputation if it somehow blew up, so it's better to just leave it this way."
Elric reached for his pocket, but felt that it was empty.
"My phone…"
"Here. I had to use it to call your father."
Passing it back to Elric, Ember frowned.
"Aren't you supposed to stay away from screens, though?"
Elric shrugged. His head wasn't pounding anymore, and he could guess that the nurse that'd been mentioned the previous night had found a way to give him meds.
After tapping on the screen a few times, he found himself back in the group chat.
There were a few highlighted messages waiting for him to view.
Two were asking him how it was going with Ember, but failed to ask about his physical state.
'Hmph, why are all these guys so horny? The entire time, they're just trying to ship the two of us together.'
The third direct message he received was a bit different.
The Milkman Delivers: Yo @SecretlyKind, @QuittingCosplayToday, check out #Jobs, that recently posted one is made for the two of you! Kind, you can even bring your girlfriend with you!
Elric's brow furrowed as he scrolled down to see what Milky was talking about.
–Jobs– (Currently Viewing).
…
…
Job Poster: Tony Engburn (WhaleoftheWest)
Request: Need accompaniment at a high-class party. I need a couple, and a partner to pose as my own girlfriend. (Female) (Optional)
Rewards: Fun.
Current applicants: 0/2, 0/1.
"Haha! This'll be hilarious!"
Ember looked curious as to what he was laughing about, and Elric's grin grew a bit.
"Hey Ember, want to go on a date with me? I promise it'll be fun."
The girl's face heated up, and she stuttered out an answer.
"S- sure!"
Elric had been expecting her to turn him down, and his brain lagged for a moment.
'And she's blushing… wait, does she like me?! Holy shit, this has never happened before! Maybe having a girl hang out around The Boys is the master strategy! Professional wingmen!'
Tapping on his phone, Elric claimed the two couple spots. Originally, he'd thought he would have to present this as a business opportunity for Ember to accept.
'W- what do I do now? Oo, I can ask Dad when I get home! He ended up marrying his first client, too. Wait, marriage? I've still only known Ember for a day…'
Trying to push his romantic thoughts away until he could ask for advice, he clicked on the general channel of the chat.
Here, the reason why he'd chuckled was currently fighting in the chat.
The Milkman Delivers: Come on, @QuittingCosplayToday, this job was made for you! You're the only girl on this server!
QuittingCosplayToday: I'm not a girl! You know this! Also, read my name. I don't do cosplay stuff anymore!
ARandomNetizen~v~- X to doubt. No true man can have those curves naturally. It's ok, though. I'll protect your secret with my life, just keep providing.
QuittingCosplayToday: Bro?! Just because I can do a convincing girl voice, and am good at dressing up, doesn't mean I'm a girl!!
The Milkman Delivers: Girl until proven innocent.
WhaleoftheWest: Y'all, I'd very much prefer to have an actual girl with me for this. Shouldn't one of y'all have a younger sister or something?
After facing a barrage of hate from random chatters, the job poster tried to make a case for himself.
WhaleoftheWest: Look, I'm pretty rich. Look at my confirmed talents! "Good at spending daddy's money." My family is rich, and so am I. Whichever one of you gives up your sister, I'll make sure she lives well. Perhaps I'll shovel some cash your way as well, as a thank-you gesture.
The Milkman Delivers: The Boys public statement: We stand with the younger sisters of the world, and refuse to sell them off to a rich playboy. Instead, we have decided to ship you with @QuittingCosplayToday.
The Milkman Delivers: Money should solve this problem, right? Anyone who has spare change, please send it to this link to fund @QuittingCosplayToday's transformation into Whale's ideal woman.
Not even seconds passed before the money counter on Milky's link started shooting up, breaking into the hundreds almost instantly.
The Milkman Delivers: Well, M'lady? Do you accept this payment to accompany Mr. Whale to the ball?
QuittingCosplayToday: …Fine. This can take care of my rent for a month.
WhaleoftheWest: Don't I still have a say in this? It's my job!
The Milkman Delivers: Nope. Besides, haven't you seen M'lady's pics before? You'll have the hottest girl at the party! Ah, maybe @SecretlyKind's girlfriend might be able to match up. Your crew will rock the show with those two. What a shame, though. The guys can't quite match up.
Elric couldn't help but continuously chuckle as he watched the conversation progress, and even turned his phone so Ember could read along as well.
After dressing up as one of his favorite female characters from a game and absolutely crushing it, The Boys had been trying to get Cosplay to act again. Now, they'd finally succeeded, and Elric would be one of the first people to get to see the results.
"So… you're making one of your buddies dress up as a girl?"
Elric nodded, then started scrolling to find some previous pictures sent by the cosplayer.
"Yea, he's really good. Check this out."
When she saw the pictures, Ember couldn't help but let out a little gasp.
"Wo… You're right!"
Ember's eyebrows furrowed.
"This looks kinda fun… it would be fun to dress up as movie characters sometime."