What a greedy, naughty girl I am

Wetting Conglomerate, Alt Branch Building, Network Security Department.

The girl named Iris was staring blankly at the screen before her, looking rather lonely.

Mr. Jonas had been so busy lately that Iris had hardly had a chance to see him.

The building had even been attacked by the Riot Organization not long ago. Although Iris had not been inside at the time, she had worried about Mr. Jonas for a long while after hearing about it.

Iris knew her place very well.

Even though she longed to see Mr. Jonas, she did not dare disturb him.

She was afraid she might interfere with his work.

And so the lonely Miss Iris could only spend her days staring blankly at the screen in the workspace Jonas had prepared especially for her.

She curled up, her legs pressed together and her arms wrapped around them, gently stroking the scar left by her chip surgery.

At that moment, the girl was like an empty vessel, all her intense emotions buried deep in her heart.

She suppressed her longing, afraid that asking for more would only make her lose what she had.

-This is enough. I'm already happy with this.

The girl leaned over and buried her head against her legs.

Drowsily, she drifted off to sleep.

She had no idea how much time passed.

In her dream, warmth surrounded her, making her feel utterly safe.

The girl seemed to be dreaming of what she had always yearned for.

The warmth on top of her head felt almost real, as the hand in her dream gently stroked her hair.

That tenderness entranced her...

She wanted more.

The thought surfaced in Iris's heart.

-In a dream, surely I can ask for just a little more warmth.

The girl's tiny flicker of greed began to stir.

She turned her head, her lips parting slightly, her delicate nose pressed against the palm,

Finally, with a little chomp, she took a finger into her mouth.

Then, as though sensing something was wrong, the girl groggily opened her eyes.

A man in a black shirt was sitting beside her, her head resting on his lap.

The man named Jonas wore a helpless smile. Only then did the girl seem to register what had happened, her face instantly flushing crimson as she released his finger.

"M-Mr. Jonas, why are you... here?"

Iris began to stammer.

At the thought of what she had just done, her face burned.

-Aah, what was I just doing?!

"I thought I'd come check on you. When I saw you were asleep, I stayed here for a while."

Jonas did not seem bothered by her behavior. He merely smiled and asked:

"How come you haven't come to see me lately?"

At those words, Iris's face grew even redder, and she answered in a voice barely louder than a mosquito's buzz:

"I-I was afraid I'd disturb you, Mr. Jonas."

Hearing that, Jonas could not help feeling a little ashamed.

He really had neglected Iris lately. She had just helped him resolve a problem, yet he had immediately turned his attention to other things.

From an outsider's perspective, that did make him seem a bit of a jerk.

But Jonas clearly had no intention of admitting that. After a moment of silence, he decided not to dwell on the matter. Then he heard Iris ask somewhat tentatively:

"Have you been very busy lately, Mr. Jonas?"

Jonas gave a rueful smile.

"Not really. It's just that the situation with the Destiny Organization came out of nowhere and threw me off a little."

Hearing that, Iris pressed her lips together. Then, as though something had occurred to her, she said:

"Oh, right. I've finished what you asked me to do before, Mr. Jonas. No one should be able to breach the firewall again."

She had upgraded the security system from EX-2 to EX-3, increasing the entire firewall's security severalfold.

Jonas paused at her words, only then remembering that this was something he had mentioned to Iris earlier.

He had only brought it up in passing, never expecting her to take it to heart.

He ruffled the girl's hair without saying anything.

Iris lowered her head and asked cautiously:

"Was I any help to you, Mr. Jonas?"

Jonas paused, then smiled and said:

"Yes. You were a huge help."

Although Jonas had not stayed very long.

Iris already felt incredibly happy.

She nestled on the sofa with her arms wrapped around her legs, her face faintly flushed.

What the girl wanted was actually very simple. Even a little warmth slipping through the gaps between someone's fingers was enough for her to treasure for a long time.

As she recalled what Jonas had just said to her, it felt as though the emptiness in her heart had been filled.

A single word of praise from him could keep her happy for days.

Iris lay down on her side and buried her face in a pillow, leaving her reddened ears exposed.

-I can't believe I just did something like that.

The girl felt a little guilty, but also a strange excitement.

As she recalled the feeling of holding Jonas's finger in her mouth, Iris's face grew redder and redder.

Aah.

She buried her head completely in the pillow.

A moment later, she still could not keep herself from letting out a silly little giggle.

-When will I get to see Mr. Jonas again?

Although she knew she should not think that way, Iris could not help imagining the next time she would see Jonas.

-What a greedy, naughty girl I am.

That was what she thought.

Yet, deep down, she could not help looking forward to it.