It was a normal day at the service club. As usual, there are no requests and we're here pretty much just to burn the remaining hours and say that we did something "productive". At least I wasn't been thrown to some sports club where I won't have this valuable silence right now. That is one thing I have to be thankful from Hiratsuka-sensei, that she still considered my dislike for crowd and annoyances, even if I didn't completely agree with her methods.

On the corner of my eye, I saw Yukinoshita bring out her homemade cookies as if it was her obligation to feed me and Yuigahama during this hour of the day. As usual, I appreciate being fed with free food, and a delicious one for that matter.

And delicious, it is. I can assure that this isn't just because a girl made it as Yuigahama also reacted happily upon shoving the cookie in her mouth. Although if I have to say something about it, it has the same flavor as that one food I keep on enjoying this past month yet I couldn't remember what it is.

"Ne, Yukinon? How did you make these cookies taste so good." Yuigahama asked. Please don't tell me that you're planning on cooking again and using us as a guinea pig for your concoctions.

"I just choose the best ingredients and with enough practice, anyone can do it." Typical of her to answer like that.

"I noticed that these batch of cookies tastes different than usual. Any special ingredients you added this time?" I asked her.

"I must applaud you for noticing such a fine ingredient I've added. Congratulations, Hikigaya-kun." Don't need the sarcasm, thank you very much. "And to answer your question, these cookies are in fact made of a few hundred years old Mahogany tree."

What? That doesn't make any sense! Who would be stupid enough to think that a literal wood is edible... *sigh* I'm dreaming, aren't I?

And just like that, my free trial of return to my home world has ended. Yes, I just woke up from being knocked out due to using too much magic. Now that dream of Mahogany cookies just made me hungrier and crave for it. I missed my world more than I thought.

...

Wow. So basically, the popular clique- I mean, Team Natsu just went on a vacation while the rest of the guild is here helping with the renovations. I guess they kinda deserve the rest because from what I've heard from the guild, they were the MVPs of the war against Phantom Lord. But still, it just shows how a popular clique operates.

On the bright side, with them leaving for a while, the guild brawls were significantly lessened. That means I have less work to do.

Because all that's left from the guild construction works are just masonry and other construction works that aren't related to wood, I'm back to my usual work which is as a guild utility. That means I'm an assistant cook, waiter, bartender, and janitor.

Right now, I'm currently taking out a huge bag of trash. I'm about to open the relatively huge trash can when I saw its lid slightly wobbling for some reason. Thinking that this might be some unfortunate animal trapped inside, I immediately opened the trash can, only to find a blue-haired woman who also panicked from my action.

The strange woman, visibly shocked, started moving that it made the trash can tumble down, spilling her out of it like water. To think that someone would actually find hiding inside a trash can is way beyond me. Luckily, the trash can was empty and clean or else she might as well be smelling like garbage right now.

I actually have a few guesses why this woman over here is doing this retarded thing she just did. My first guess is she is a stalker. The rest were just some silly ideas like she is a cat sleeping inside the the trash can when she somehow magically transformed into a woman. Don't tell me it's impossible when I'm literally living in a magical world.

"Oi woman, what are you doing?" I asked the stranger.

"Ah... Um... This is the Fairy Tail guild hall, right?" the woman, who for some reason sounds exactly like Yukinoshita Haruno, asked back with an embarrassed expression.

"Yes. So, why are you here? Are you a stalker or something?"

"Yes, Juvia is stalking Gray-sama but it appears that he's not here." she replied with a sulking face.

Did she seriously just admitted that she's stalking? I thought this day would be a normal one but I guess it's just as weird as every day I lived here in Earthland. Well, it's not as weird as how unexplained my arrival here on this alternate universe is.

"Well, I'm his guildmate so you have to tell me first what you want with him."

"Um... Juvia just wants to see him." she replied while fidgeting like a maiden in love. Feels weird seeng this to someone I'm currently talking with.

That seems harmless, unless she's planning on something more devious which is actually more likely considering that she shares the same voice as that person in my home world who gives me a creepy vibes despite her "ideal girlfriend" persona.

I wonder if her third person way of talking is real or just a persona. I mean, I could try imagine that with Haruno in mind. Ahem. Hello! Haruno's name is Yukinoshita Haruno. Okay, I didn't get the same somewhat cute vibes as when she do it and it only came out kind of creepy.

"Are you really being honest about just wanting to meet him? Because depending on your next words, I might just report this to the nearest rune knight outpost if it's something fishy."

"Juvia assures you she would never bring any harm towards her Gray-sama!"

I hope this is her real feelings or else I'll be screwed up big time with this next thing I'm about to say.

"Okay, Fullbuster is with his team on a vacation to Akane Resort."

"Oh, thank you very much, Fish Eye-san!"

The blue woman with a teru teru bōzu doll just ran like a wild cat towards the direction of the train station, and is likely to catch up to Fullbuster on Akane Resort, wherever that is. So, it's safe to say that I really just compromised my guildmate's safety by pointing a stalker towards him. It's with this moment that I unfortunately have to seriously pray for my guildmates' safety.

Whatever, what's done is done. With that out of the way, I finally get to throw this garbage, which mostly consists of broken liquor bottles, inside this huge trash can.

After that, I still need to help Strauss with the groceries. Due to how much the members eat at the guild, we need to go to the market at least four times a week, and those groceries are massive that I needed to make a wooden cart to carry all of those. Though this will my first time shopping with her as I always try todo it alone.

I went back to my room inside the guild and changed to a more presentable clothes. It's one of the things that Komachi drilled into my mind back when I was still in my home world. Well, to be honest, I don't really care much about fashion. All I need is a set of clean clothes and I'm good to go.

Speaking of clothes, I'm most frequently seen wearing a plain t-shirt over a dark gray long sleeved undershirt, and is paired with a dark pants and whatever footwear I first laid my eyes on. Unlike the other mages of the guild, I don't really have to wear something so unique that makes me look any special.

Despite the few jealous stares of some men at the guild, I was practically forced to join Strauss's grocery shopping. That is because over this past month, I've learned that Strauss is a very famous model.

How did I found out? Well, from the few grimoires that Master Dreyar lent me, he accidentally included an issue of Sorcerer's Weekly which featured Strauss in a bikini. It's not an actual porn magazine but I still felt bad knowing that our master is lusting over one of her "children". I immediately burned the magazine because it just felt unsettling seeing your usual workmate in a bikini. Actually, I only burned the cover page because there are still some good stuff inside of it that won't make me feel guilty about...

...

At last, we've arrived at the market. It's quite less busier than usual, making me sigh from relief because heavy crowd irritates the hell out of me.

"So Hachiman, how are you liking the guild so far?" For all the times we've been working together, this is the first time she asked about that.

"Not bad." was my short reply. I don't have any experience with other guilds to serve as a comparison though.

"Not much of a talker as always, eh?"

"I'm not a fan of those threatening stares of men whenever I try to talk to you. You know what I mean."

"I'm having it much worse, you know?"

I absolutely understood what she meant. If you are a good-looking fellow in any sort of entertainment industry, you can't avoid the lustful gazes of the opposite gender's eyes. I know because I've been together with my clubmates for more than a year and I eventually caught the gazes given to them by the males of Sobu High. Hayama had it much worse as the girls freely saying their lust for him all around the school even if he or someone from his clique is around. Maub6e it's actually a good idea that he made Miura his girl repellant.

"Oh, right."

And just like that, my ability to make any conversation an awkward one has once again manifested.

"I noticed that you have been buying a lot of books recently. Have you been researching?"

"You could say that. Most of them are about the nature of magic and such. Currently, I'm studying about demons because of the Team Natsu's encounter with them from their last quest." I just can't tell her flat out that I'm researching about the dark wizard Zeref and his demons.

"That's fair. You did say that you haven't used magic prior to your arrival at Fairy Tail. You can ask me if you need some information about demons. I'm knowledgeable about them back when I was an active member."

I actually wanted to take her offer but the attention she attracts is way too suffocating for me. For all I know, I might just have a liquor bottle being thrown to me out of nowhere by one of those middle-aged dudes who were kinda obsessed with Strauss. No thanks, I choose life.

"I... Uh... I'll think about it."

"So, how's your training? I'm surprised Laki is the one training you because she can't tolerate men that much."

"It's actually not that surprising, really. Does that mean most men in the guild are perverts?" I asked while distracting her from picking tomatoes.

"Kinda, you haven't met the biggest pervert of them though." So if Master Dreyar isn't the one, who is it? "Oh great, tomatoes are fresh today!"

I decided not to voice out my disappointment upon seeing her grab a bunch of tomatoes. She immediately bought them from the stall and put them on my wooden cart along with other vegetables.

"So, should I be wary of this biggest pervert you're talking about?"

"Yes. He's the ace of the guild, Gildarts Clive."

He's probably another monster considering that the people below him are from Team Natsu and the bastard Dreyar. I honestly don't want to know how destructive this guy is.

"Ne, Hachiman. It's been a month already. Why don't you try taking up some simple jobs, you know, to help you research more or something."

I guess this is it. She's finally tired of always seeing my face inside the guild. I'm actually surprised that it lasted for a month before she brought it up. Maybe she just wanted to avoid hurting me like any nice girls would, though I would have preferred if she said it a bit earlier.

"That would be nice." I replied.

"Although I would miss my assistant if you do so." Please don't make this hard by telling me some sweet nothings.

"Please don't say that. I'm already fearing for my life with all those murderous stares around us." I said while trying hard not to make an eye contact with anyone in the vicinity.

"What do you mean?"

"Look around you."

And that, she did. However, it seems that she doesn't mind them even by a little. I guess that naturally comes with being a cover girl of Sorcerer's Weekly. Making the public see you in nothing but a bikini will surely take your shyness away after doing it a couple of times.

"Ah, that. People tends to be like that even when I'm seen with Elfman."

I decided not to reply to not worsen the stares the people are giving to me.

As for my opinion on this grocery shopping trip, I must say that this is one of the most stressing I've ever been in my whole life. I have to wait and follow her go around almost whole market to look for various ingredients. If it was me, I would have choose whatever shop that offers the things listed for me to buy.

Although it's quite a hassle for me, I find this as a necessary training for being a good househusband in the future.

...

We arrived back at the guild, only to find that Alberona emptying the guild's liquor stock. Now I'm wondering if this woman has some depression issues. Who knows? Maybe she just really like the taste of alcohol instead of the "drinking her problems away" cliché.

Because the guild was miraculously still clean despite the construction going on, I decided to look for Olietta because she said about meeting her earlier than usual for our training session. She also said about asking for help about something, which I actually don't mind helping her with. Don't get me wrong, I still don't like working. However, it's easier to explain my absence at the guild if I mask it as being "productive" and "helpful" by helping Olietta with whatever her request is.

Olietta said about meeting her at the backyard where we usually train so I went straight towards there. I saw her in one of the umbrella-covered tables drawing something on a piece of paper. Being the sneaky person that I am, I stood behind her and looked at her drawing, which is a somewhat huge heavily designed cart.

"Yo, I'm here." I greeted her casually, which actually caused her suddenly jump from where she sat out of surprise.

"Hey! Don't scare me like that!"

"It's not my fault that my noticeability value is way too low. So, what do you need help for?" I asked.

"There's this Fantasia Parade done by the guild every year. Last year, I didn't do anything significant so I want to contribute this year by making a float using my magic."

She then handed me the sketchbook which contained her ideas for the design of the float. I took it and looked at the few concepts she made. Surprisingly, they don't have any spiky objects and other "scary" elements that I often see from her magic whenever I'm practicing with her.

One design in particular caught my interest. The overall float is, well, what you would expect from a magic-themed festival float. However, in front of it is a sketch of what I assume is a woman with insect wings and she has a tail. Okay, I think she's trying to reference the name of the guild by that sculpture.

"This one looks interesting enough for me. What about you?" I said while pointing at her drawing.

"I actually think so too but I can't properly visualize what the fairy would look like. I would like to ask for your help about drawing the fairy so that I could make it properly using my magic."

"Why didn't you asked Jonah to paint it for you? You know he can do better than my lousy sketches, right?"

"Reedus is kinda busy with his painting for the parade so I didn't interrupt him."

It seems that all of them are excited for this festival that is happening in less than two weeks. Even the guild hall construction is going very fast, faster than any construction I've ever seen in my whole life. I think I'm the only one who's not excited about the festival at all.

Maybe after this whole Fantasia stuff, I could ask her to help me train for the battle usage of wood make magic. Although I might just have misunderstood Strauss's intention on saying that I should go take jobs, it's true that by doing them, I could gather more information about this Zeref guy and that dark magic that surrounds the area where I arrived.

"Uh, okay. But, I also need a favor from you."

Now that I've already said it, it really sounds like I'm asking for something inappropriate. I just hope she doesn't think that way.

"What is it... Hey, you pervert! I won't be doing any of that!" And I just jinxed it.

"I just want you to teach me the basics of fighting using wood make magic. Seriously, how much of a pervert are you to react like that?" Hachiman used Counter.

"That's... Okay, I agree with your condition." It's super effective.

With that, I immediately sat down in front of her and started sketching on what would be the appearance of the fairy. I used some of the concepts from my embarrassing chuuni ideas and the covers of the light novels I've read. However, it's Olietta we're talking about here and she definitely won't accept my drawing if it's wearing a risque outfit like from a light novel illustration. I was also tempted to rip off a costume from Pretty Cure but that would kinda raise a few questions to me.

After finishing my first sketch, I showed it to her. She took the sketchbook from my hand and and analyzed the drawing.

"Great! Now I can finally do my sculpture!"

"Out of that plain sketch without any important details?"

"Yeah, I just need to have a grasp on the fairy's form. The rest of the details can be easily made." Isn't it the other way around?

Well, if she could somehow make it work, then who am I to judge.

In fact, one of the thins I hate the most are the people who likes to insist their way of doing things as the "only" way despite being presented with methods that bare the same results. One of the famous way of them doing this is saying "everyone is doing so you should do it also" or speeches of similar meaning.

Olietta went to her stance and prepared to cast her magic. Bringing her right fist to her open left palm, magic circle instantly appeared in front of them.

"Wood Make: Sculpture!"

In a meter in front of her, a wavy long haired woman with dragonfly-like wings emerged. It kinda looks like a fourteen year old fairy girl with a cloud-like tail and is carrying a wand that has a Fairy Tail symbol on it. Yup, just like a magical girl anime protagonist.

"Hmm, I must say it's not bad for my first time sculpting a full body of a girl."

"Eh, that's your first time?"

"Yes. Most I've sculpted are just limbs and I used them for attacking."

Because the life-sized sculpture is from her own magic, she lifted it quite easily. She set aside the sculpture by placing it directly at the back of the building under construction. I guess that sculpture she just made isn't her final output because of how careless her way of storing it.

"Thanks for the help, Hachiman." she said.

"It wasn't worth mentioning."

"If you say so. Honestly, your modesty sometimes irritates me."

I'm not planning on telling her about this but I don't feel that I'm being modest, nor I care enough to try. That is because I always think about the things they consider a help from me as whatever by-product of what I normally do. Maybe it's because I already gave up on people appreciate or even recognize my existence.

From my previous world, that is what I made as my core value for existence. By removing expectations, I won't be bothered if my actions don't receive the recognition it deserves. And that thinking just snowballed all the way to just not caring about what people think about me at all. In my opinion, it's better that wallowing in depression due to how people treat me. That is also the birth of me observing people's behaviors, reactions and stuff just for entertainment.

But this time, it's different. Olietta is the very first one that gave me her friendship, something that is very unknown to me on a personal level. Well, I know how friendships work as much as an outsider could know, but it won't work once you need to apply the necessary emotions for it.

So my only option here is to say what a friend would say on this situation while still getting the message across.

"I think it isn't modesty if I'm still under your training. Besides, I'm your friend so it isn't all that surprising to help you." Hope that works.

"At least you're improving. Last time I mentioned the word 'friend', you flinched in surprise." she said while letting out a few giggles. "Seriously, I've never seen a boy like you before that it's very refreshing to have you as a friend." Me too, I've never met a girl before who talks to me but doesn't hurl insults to me all the time.

"Well, all people are weird in their own right, which also applies to me."

"Right. See you later, Hachiman."

"Uh okay. See you, Olietta."

She then left and went to the somewhat fixed part of the guild hall where most guild members stay and chat together.

So as what she just said about me being a refreshing experience from all those men she knows, I also feel the same way about her. I feel that our conversations are as normal as it can get. Straightforward but not overly serious, talkative but not annoying and senseless, and most importantly, she doesn't reek that borderline toxic positivity that almost everyone at the guild has.

If this works well, then I might just about to get a full-blown experience about this so-called friendship that I've been missing out in my whole life.

...

A/N: This is pretty much an uneventful chapter but I kinda have to do this peaceful chapter because of the upcoming chaos known as the "Battle of Fairy Tail" arc. I already skipped out the Phantom Lord arc so I have to make sure this next one will be included

Also, after reading your reviews (which are all appreciated and I'm thankful for them), I saw that some didn't like the idea of 8man being paired with a side character. This is partly due to my limited imagination that I find it hard to write the main girls' interactions with him. And by Laki being a very much ignored character by a lot, it's easier to pair him with her. It's not like I have a crush on her or anything... Baka!