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"My… my manga… my Bald Hero and the Cyborg doujinshi—it's been… it's been torn apart…"
Sayuriko collapsed weakly to her knees, holding the burnt, crumbled remains of what used to be her precious fanbook—first shredded by Saitama, then finished off by Genos's flames.
"Uh—cough—Sayuri, you okay?"
Saitama scratched his head awkwardly. Even he felt a twinge of guilt watching her like that. He and Genos might've gone a little too far. She was such a cute girl—how could they do something so cruel to her?
Of course, this didn't bother Ethan much. If his name had shown up in some doujinshi like that, he'd have done worse than either of them. Saitama and Genos at least left some ashes. If it were Ethan, there wouldn't even be dust left.
"I—I'm fine, Master," Sayuri sniffled, wiping at the corners of her eyes.
"You sure? Your doujin…"
"It's okay, Master! I still have two more copies! I always buy three of everything—one for collecting, one for reading, and one for, um… evangelizing! The one that got destroyed was my collector's copy. I just wanted to get Lord Saitama and Lord Genos to sign it… it would've been priceless…" Her voice was full of regret.
"Three copies?" Ethan blinked. Just how obsessed was this girl with Bald Hero and the Cyborg? He was pretty sure even the original manga didn't sell as well as those fanbooks.
"Of course!" Sayuri nodded earnestly. "Any true doujin enthusiast needs at least three!"
"Man… it's just fanfiction, and it's got this many rabid fans? And it's selling way better than the official version…" Ethan muttered, half impressed, half depressed.
"It's not a bad thing, Master. And the reason it blew up so much is partly thanks to you, isn't it?" Sayuri looked at him with bright, admiring eyes.
"Ahem, well… since it's still based on my work, I do get a cut of the profits. If I'm getting paid, I can't really complain, right?" Ethan rubbed his nose with a sheepish grin.
"So it's been earning you a lot then?" Sayuri's eyes started to sparkle.
"Uh… yeah, quite a bit. I think I get seventy percent of the profits, actually."
"Seventy percent?!"
"Yeah."
"That must be so much money!" Sayuri's eyes were practically glowing now.
"It's… not bad, yeah."
"Really?! That's amazing! Could—could I maybe… see it?" she asked, her voice trembling with barely contained excitement.
"Uh, sure, why not. Here's my bank card and passbook. There's a decent amount in there…"
"Woooow! So much money! This is… this is so exciting!" Sayuri's breathing grew quicker, her cheeks flushed.
Ethan blinked, slightly taken aback. Sure, everyone liked money—but the way she was reacting was on another level. She was trembling like someone had handed her a sacred relic.
"Sayuri… you really like money, huh?"
"Of course! It's money! The feel of bills between your fingers, the warmth of a check, the numbers printed in a passbook, the shine of a card—ohhh!" Sayuri was practically glowing with passion, more intense than when she'd talked about her beloved doujinshi.
Yep. No doubt about it now—Sayuri was a total money maniac.
"How about this," Ethan said, half-joking, "I'll just let you hold onto my money for me."
"R-really? You mean it? Really really?!" Sayuri's voice rose with giddy disbelief. "Master, I—I'm so happy! So lucky! To serve you, and now this—it's a dream come true!" Her whole face lit up with joy as she clutched the bankbook to her chest. "I'll keep everything safe—cards, passbook, checks, cash—leave it all to me!"
From that day on, Ethan's household gained a new kind of maid—a very money-obsessed maid. Whenever she saw even a single coin, her eyes would light up like gold itself. She put even treasure-hoarding dragons to shame.
Still, despite her obsession, Sayuri was an excellent maid. Whether it was cooking, cleaning, or managing the household, she gave Ethan the best of everything.
"Ahhh… that's the stuff."
Ethan sank deeper into the warm bath, eyes half closed, utterly relaxed.
Creak.
The door opened, and Sayuri stepped in, wrapped in a towel that barely reached her thighs. Her pale skin practically glowed under the light.
"M-Master," she stammered, face crimson, "Sayuri will… w-wash your back…"
Ethan froze.
"Aha—no need! Nope! I can handle it myself!" He laughed nervously, waving his hands.
Even though he was pretty sure Sayuri was a girl—an adorable girl, at that—that dream he'd had still haunted him. The mere sight of her like this made his nerves spike.
"M-Master, you don't need to be so shy…" she whispered, eyes downcast.
"I'm not shy! Not at all!" Ethan said quickly, voice unnaturally high.
"Then let Sayuri wash your back…"
"No! Absolutely not!!"
"..."
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