Chapter 43
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 43
Chapter Title: 11. Child-Friendly Date
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Kiha Sed. Kiha Sed.
Even mumbling it to myself a few times, I'd never heard a similar name before.
So, it made sense that I didn't know it as a witch, but it was completely new to me even as a vague "idol" I'd heard of somewhere.
...Ah, of course, it's not like I know that much about idols to say this confidently.
I was too busy studying, gaming, having sex, and jerking off for that.
Still, I knew a few famous ones.
Like ones that blew up online because of their looks,
or ones whose names came up in casual chats with friends.
So I wasn't totally clueless, but...
Even so, the name Kiha Sed felt utterly foreign.
An apprentice witch who's an idol.
Thinking about Neria, even if her singing and dancing sucked, her looks alone would've made her a sensation.
She must be using a stage name for sure.
—Ding-dong.
Lost in thought and hurrying along, I suddenly found myself in front of Neria's place.
Confirming I was exactly 26 minutes late, I pressed the doorbell while praying to all the gods I didn't really believe in.
...Luckily, instead of a grumpy reply, I heard "I'll open up after this round!" leaking from inside, so the door finally opened after I'd racked up a full 30 minutes late.
"Why're you so late today? Subway jammed or something?"
"Sorry. I just missed my alarm..."
The first stage of social worker evolution.
Your stiff back becomes way more flexible than back in school days.
True to that theory, even before the door fully opened, at the edge of my vision as I bowed, I caught a sight I hadn't seen since taking charge of Neria.
She was wearing socks.
The girl who always padded around barefoot at home had snowy white socks on her feet.
And that wasn't all.
Instead of the usual training pants hems, her slender ankles and calves stretched into view.
...Was she wearing a skirt or something?
Maybe she had somewhere to go.
A natural question as I lifted my gaze.
"I see. Hmm... Maybe 'cause I let you go late yesterday."
"......"
The so-called "total slob look."
The tracksuit and sweats I always used to describe Neria weren't anywhere in sight right now.
The jet-black pleated skirt that hit my eyes as I looked up.
The plump sky-blue knit matching her hair.
The ashen short coat comfortably wrapping them both.
Stuff she'd buried in her closet until now—definitely the first time I'd seen any of it.
"Anyway, come in. You're late, whatever—you've got stuff to do today."
"Stuff to do?"
"You'll see when you get here."
I'd come ready to bend over backward, but what was this?
Neria, who'd coolly forgiven my overtime yesterday, grabbed my wrist and pulled me inside.
No chance to ask if she was heading out somewhere, my shoes tumbled in the entryway as I hurriedly kicked them off.
"You remember the promise from yesterday? When I squeezed you."
"That? I spouted some weird lines as penalty for losing the game, right?"
"Nah. That was just an example—don't count it."
"...? What do you..."
"What? You serious? You forget something from just yesterday? Humans must have it rough. Tsk."
"......"
"I said, 'Next time, I'll make you say naughty stuff instead,' and what you did yesterday was just a light test run. Got it?"
I'd been puzzled at first, but hearing her explain, it did ring a bell.
Maybe I'd fallen for one of Neria's tricks, but as a powerless grade-9 civil servant, that wasn't a suspicion worth voicing, so I let it drop.
...Just go along with whatever Neria wants. That's the right call.
I'd just reached that simple conclusion when she spoke up.
"I saw something before bed last night? Gonna make you do that."
"...Never thought about it, but witches need sleep too, huh."
"Anyone who's not a magic-obsessed maniac sleeps at least a bit. Staying up 24 hours makes time drag like hell."
Yeah, can't argue that.
As I nodded in vague agreement, Neria crunched over to the computer desk and snatched her smartphone.
For the record, that crunching was literally from under her feet.
Some empty chip bag on the floor from who-knows-when.
Instead of walking over with her, I swept the bag aside real quick.
By then, Neria was right in front of me, showing another novel cover like yesterday.
"Here. This is what you're doing today."
The title was way tamer than yesterday's, but... the cover was the problem.
A Doberman-looking guy holding a woman's wrist with a faint smile.
Different art style and faces, but the composition gave major déjà vu.
...But hey, romance novels for women are all like that, right? I kept quiet.
Guy novels too.
Pretty heroine.
Strip her a bit, done.
Mutual honesty about desires.
"The lines from this novel?"
"Yeah. And while I'm at it, the event? Incident? Gonna recreate that too, more or less."
"Recreate... Ah."
So the event must involve going out.
Or, like, a date.
Neria smiled at my simple guess.
"Just for today, you have my permission to treat me like your girlfriend. Honored?"
Girlfriend for one day.
Brought to mind that rental lover manga from next door.
"Not like yesterday's 'shut up and spread 'em'—that felt off for you. Looked up pure love stories you'd like, found a good one."
"I see..."
"So following it might lead to even better sex than last time."
"......"
"...Hm? What's with the constipated face?"
"Nothing."
I don't actually like pure love that much.
Anyway, that one from before was basically confinement pure love erotica if you nitpick.
Lots of nitpicks possible, but I stayed quiet for now.
Neria wanted to roleplay the story, which was good for me in the end.
No one's gonna stop a chicken after it's battered itself and fried up crisp.
Though seeing it do that itself might be weird and scary.
"But, Neria."
"Yeah?"
Then again, a separate issue popped up.
I raised a hand awkwardly.
"If I really treat you like a girlfriend, won't we just end up fucking all day at home...?"
"...Huh? Don't couples do dates first?"
"Dunno..."
Thinking back now, dates were more like pre-dating things.
Not officially called "dates," more like "Hey, whatcha up to?" hangouts, but same vibes.
Grab food 'cause hungry. Chat 'cause bored. Drag to a movie 'cause no one else.
Stuff like that.
...Then once actually dating, forget dates—drown in sex till bored, drift apart.
"All I remember from relationships is non-stop sex day and night."
"Day and night...? That's just a lust-crazed beast pup, right...? How long do you even go at it?"
"Ahaha..."
Her spot-on roast drew a wry smile, then she added a new condition.
"Better this way. Clear the 'girlfriend date' prerequisite first, or no access to the sex DLC."
Mind screaming to just hug her and pound away, but no arguing with that setup.
It was what she wanted, what I had to do.
Creampie her after meeting her demands first.
I nodded and stepped aside a bit.
She was heading to the bedroom after finishing, coming this way.
"What're you doing?"
But she walked straight at me, where I'd stepped aside.
Glancing between my face and body, she let out a breath.
"...Hyup."
She jumped up and hugged me.
...Our size difference made it less a hug, more her pinning me like an arrest.
Anyway.
"Hey. Nam Dowon. Pet my head like that."
"Uh... like this?"
"Mm... Hmm..."
"......"
"Ha, crap... That's not it..."
I stroked her head to match her "this is how lovers do it" vibe, but she couldn't last a few seconds before slapping my hand away and pulling back.
Bonus: fussing with her wavy light-blue hair like it was messed up.
Honestly wanted to ask what the difference was from what she'd just done, but her next words came faster.
"No thrill, just cringe. Better skip it."
"...Might feel better after a bit?"
"Nah, hate it. Sex's enough. You just liked my tits pressing on you, right?"
"...Can't deny that."
"...Sigh. Fine. Honest is good. Real good. Hope you don't get swept away by Master's big rack..."
Lovers' hug: not passed, on hold.
She fiddled with her chest like it bugged her, then headed out of the bedroom.
"...You into really big ones like Master's?"
"No. I prefer yours—nice and moderate over Erzel's."
"Got it! Shut up already...! Pervert!"
"......"
"...Yeah. Keep that mouth shut and call a taxi. Let's try that novel date thing."