it is Arknights!

So, does this mean I've blended into Penguin Logistics now?

Staring at an unfamiliar ceiling, Li Lin rubbed his slightly throbbing head, feeling a complete mess in his mind.

The remaining memories were basically of a group of people drinking, eating meat, and bragging. The more they ate, the more they bragged, the happier they got, and eventually, they couldn't hold back and went to the next place to continue drinking and boasting. Exusiai even tried to perform a barehanded removal of her halo, but unfortunately failed. Croissant's performance of jumping off the building succeeded, but got them kicked out by the shop owner. Then they kept finding the next places to drink and eat again. Then... something else seemed to have happened... and then he completely forgot what had gone on.

Anyway, where am I?

Rubbing his eyes and shaking his head, Li Lin squinted and looked around. Then he was startled by the miserable state of the surroundings.

That always-cheerful Vouivre, Croissant, was still kneeling with her head stuck into the wall, drooling all over the place, and letting out strange snoring sounds. Exusiai was lying peacefully on the sofa opposite Li Lin, arms crossed over her chest, looking serene and tranquil—like she had ascended to heaven. But that glowing halo on her head was blinding. Especially with his hangover, looking at such a light source suddenly was a bit nauseating.

Looking at his companions sprawled all over the place and then at the unfamiliar environment, Li Lin felt as if some Crimson King had cut away his consciousness from last night. He just couldn't recall what had happened after drinking so much.

And when he tried to get up, Li Lin was surprised to find his own posture wasn't much better than the others.

His legs were hooked onto a rolling chair, his palm gripping an office desk, and his entire body was suspended mid-air like something straight out of a martial arts novel. Only a few cardboard boxes were underneath supporting him. Under the direct light opposite Exusiai, Li Lin even saw in the nearby full-length mirror that his pose looked like a golden, radiant reclining Buddha. The impossibly twisted angle of his body made onlookers want to bow down in reverence.

"Ugh..."

This really is amazing. Since when was my body this flexible?

Just as that thought crossed his mind, Li Lin's body lost its balance with a thud, and he slammed face-first into the ground, letting out a groan. Though the dull, numb pain in his head subsided somewhat, and he regained a bit of clarity.

This should be a facility under Penguin Logistics—or maybe just the dorms. Although the room was small, various work partitions surrounded it, all marked with Penguin Logistics logos. There were personal belongings on the office desks—small trinkets, bullets, sword hilts, and the like. There was also a corridor with some compartments, though who knew what they were for.

The reason this didn't seem like a work room was because the items here clearly leaned more toward daily life than professional use.

For example, some little ornaments, habitual daily-use items, and leisure books he'd often seen with Exusiai. Most importantly, there were countless undergarments randomly thrown about. Saying the air was fragrant would be generous—a pile of clothes was messily scattered there, and in the summer heat, they'd already started to smell sour. Once he noticed, a strange stench seemed to fill his nostrils.

'Better wash up to wake myself up… but where's the bathroom…'

Li Lin slowly pulled himself up using the desk, shook his head, and staggered toward the wall to begin his bathroom search.

But before he could go far, a door in the corner suddenly opened. A cloud of thick steam rolled out. Texas walked out of the room, rubbing her hair with a white towel. Seeing Li Lin leaning against the wall, she paused. Li Lin also froze when he saw Texas wearing a large shirt and shorts, her damp thighs and shoulders still beaded with water.

"Ah, sorry...?"

"It's fine. The bathroom's free now—you can go wash up."

Apparently just out of the bath, Texas was toweling her hair and said calmly to Li Lin.

No screaming like a manga heroine or anything. Her clean, crisp shirt and shorts fit her style well. Calmly rubbing her wet hair, she pointed at the steamy room:

"Also, your basket and toiletries are already set up. All brand new. I didn't know what you usually use, but Penguin Logistics doesn't usually have quality issues with their stuff. Just sometimes my hair or tail fur might clog the drain, so you'll have to clear it with the tools. You know how to use them, right? If not, I can show you."

"Ah, no need. I can handle that."

Li Lin rubbed his head and forced a smile.

"Even someone with amnesia like me still knows how to unclog a drain—"

"—Good morning, everyone at Penguin Logistics~! Today, your idol Sora is here to cheer you on too~~~ Is Texas-senpai around~~?"

"..."

"..."

Who the heck is this?

Looking at the blonde girl who suddenly barged in, the two standing outside the bathroom froze.

Clearly, the blonde girl who had just burst in was even more dumbfounded. Fully dressed and very cute, she pointed with trembling fingers at Texas rubbing her hair and the groggy, hungover Li Lin. Her face instantly flushed pink.

This is bad.

Li Lin watched as the girl took a deep breath and covered her ears.

His intuition had never failed him before. The next second, an ear-piercing scream erupted from the girl's mouth.

"Eeeaaahhhhhhh!!! Who are you?! Why are you showering with Miss Texas?!"

"What?! Texas, how could you do something like this?! Exusiai, I can't believe my eyes! Croissant, our host, what's your take on this shocking incident?"

"Croissant is shocked too! I didn't expect that our new hire, just on his first day at Penguin Logistics, would not only harbor ill intentions toward our sharpshooter lady but even lay hands on our iceberg flower, and the mood seems right! If Sora hadn't crashed the scene, the consequences would've been unthinkable! This level of romantic speed is outrageous—I'm jealous! If I had that kind of skill, I wouldn't be this broke!"

"Miss Texas ahhhhhh!!! Don't let that smelly man take you awayyyyyy!!!"

"You two clearly have been awake for a while—so explain yourselves already!"

Watching the two girls who had apparently already woken up, now sitting properly with trays of desserts and seriously discussing the situation on the sofa, Li Lin finally couldn't hold back and shouted back in frustration.

"...Huh?"

And at the center of the chaos, Texas just tilted her head in confusion, her ears twitching, as if she had no clue what madness was unfolding around her.