Chapter 227: Dressing a Slave #2
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 227: Dressing a Slave #2
When I showed up at the cafe the next day, the owner had already opened up.
After exchanging greetings with him as he welcomed me enthusiastically, I changed my clothes and came out to ask.
“Did you open up yourself, sir?”
“I did. Is everything going okay lately? Nothing too tough?”
Seeing him so considerate, he must be happy that business is booming.
Then again, compared to how empty the cafe was on the first day, a lot more people were coming in now.
Both Renka and I were good workers, so he was probably in a good mood.
Thinking this was the perfect chance to ask him to align my schedule with Renka’s, I decided to broach the subject.
“Nothing’s tough, but I know this is forward of me… could I ask you for a favor?”
“What is it?”
“Would it be possible to match my schedule with Inoo-senpai’s?”
“Match your schedules? You mean work the same shifts, opening or closing?”
“Yes. We often go home together, so… I’m not trying to be difficult, I’m just asking if it’s possible.”
“Hmm… I’ll see what I can do.”
His attitude was completely different from when he’d interviewed us, worried we might be dating.
You’ve got to love capitalism.
“Thank you. I’ll work hard.”
“That’s the spirit. If you need anything, just let me know. I’ll order it right away.”
“Yes, sir.”
The owner gave my back a light pat of encouragement and headed toward the gyudon shop, humming a tune that didn’t quite suit him.
I was serving a few customers when the back door opened and Renka walked in. I raised a hand.
“Hey.”
“...Hi.”
I glanced at the small clock on the back wall. The minute hand was pointing to the 10.
She’d arrived at 8:50. Just as I’d told her to yesterday.
She was even wearing black jeans. They weren’t skinny jeans, but still.
My slave… so praiseworthy.
I suppose I have no choice but to give her a reward.
Just as I was about to approach Renka with a pleased smile, her eyebrows twitched and she spoke.
“Let’s get one thing straight.”
“What is it?”
“I had nothing else to wear, so I had no choice but to pick these… And they’re not skinny jeans. They’re straight jeans.”
I could tell what happened. Wearing skinny jeans would feel too much like obeying my command, which she hated, but not wearing any jeans at all might give me an excuse to pick on her, so she compromised.
Coming at the time I told her to, and now this… Her training is going quite well.
To Renka, who was spouting a classic tsundere line, I simply nodded.
“I understand.”
“So could you stop smiling so triumphantly?”
“I wasn’t.”
“…I’m going to go change.”
“Can I watch?”
Was she dumbfounded by how casually I said that?
Renka’s mouth fell slightly open.
She stared at me blankly for a moment before shaking her head vigorously and scowling.
“Do you just pick the most ridiculous things to say? This is why I curse you out…! You crazy bastard.”
“Ahem.”
“What do you mean, ‘ahem’…! Are you trying to die?”
Finding her attempts to act fierce incredibly cute, I strode toward her as she glared at me.
Just like that time in the movie theater when our foreheads touched.
Renka flinched, recoiling hastily like a wary kitten.
“Wh-what is it now…?”
I inhaled the sharp, sweet scent wafting from her and looked down at her intently.
“The owner said he might be able to match our schedules.”
“…All of a sudden?”
“He was here when I came in today. I mentioned it to him then.”
“Why would you mention it without my permission? You didn’t even ask what I thought.”
“I’m asking you now.”
“What am I supposed to do when you tell me after the fact? That’s basically just telling me to go along with it.”
“That’s why I’m asking you now. And it’s not like the owner said he’d do it for sure, just that he might be able to.”
“…What happens if I say no? Are you going to threaten me and corner me again?”
“Nope. If you don’t want to, you don’t want to. You’re not the type to let yourself be pushed around, Captain, right?”
Surprised by a response so different from what she expected, Renka blinked her blueberry-colored eyes a couple of times.
“W-well, right…”
“So, what do you want to do?”
“…I… um… I think I need to think about it…”
“I’d like it if we could come to work and go home together, Captain.”
“And so…?”
“That’s just how I feel. Oh, and let’s pinky promise.”
With that, I held my hand out to Renka.
Staring at my pinky finger held right in front of her face with a bewildered expression, Renka asked.
“What’s this?”
“Let’s pinky promise on the cosplay thing from yesterday.”
“Hah… here we go again.”
Renka scoffed as if the idea was absurd and tried to head for the changing room.
But I shot my leg out, blocking her path, and she jumped back in alarm.
“Hey, what the hell are you doing…!”
“What are you doing, Captain? Are you really going to break a promise this easily?”
“We never mutually agreed…!”
“I told you we did. You want me to bring the blackbox recording?”
“……”
Renka tried to ignore me and walk past.
I completely blocked her path with my arms and legs.
We were so close that the slightest movement would cause our bodies to touch.
Perhaps remembering what happened yesterday, Renka’s face slowly began to flush.
“Move…!”
“I’m staying right here, so you can figure out a way to get past me.”
“How am I supposed to get past when you’re blocking everything…!”
“You can go through here.”
I gestured with my chin to the space between my arm and leg, and Renka glared daggers at me.
“I’ll touch your body…!”
“And you can’t? We touched yesterday.”
“……”
“But why do you smell like strawberries? Is it your lip tint?”
“Wh-what does it matter what I smell like…!”
“Because this isn’t your scent, Captain.”
“Th-this guy is unbelievable…! What is my scent, then?”
“Blueberries.”
“Have you ever even smelled a real blueberry?”
“I’ve been smelling it on you this whole time. Hold on…”
I trailed off, my tone suggesting I was displeased. Before Renka could say anything, I lowered my head and brought my nose close to her neck, leaving a small gap.
“Hyeek!?”
As she let out a strange cry and shuddered, I took the opportunity to inhale deeply, then smiled in satisfaction.
“Yep, that’s you, Captain.”
“Ngh…! Y-you crazy pervert…! Do you do this to Chinami, too…?”
I do much more with Chinami.
Things you can’t even imagine.
And I plan on doing more in the future.
I shrugged wordlessly and held out my pinky finger again to Renka, whose face was now as red as if it were about to explode.
“Pinky.”
“No…!”
“Pinky.”
“I said no…!”
Renka’s gaze flickered upward.
She must have felt the faint touch of her bangs against mine.
Watching her Adam’s apple bob nervously, I pressed her again.
“Pinky.”
At that exact moment, the sound of the cafe door opening echoed through the shop.
Renka’s face lit up at the sound, and she gestured toward the counter with her eyes.
“A customer…! A customer’s here…!”
“Pinky.”
“Serve the customer first…! We can talk about this after…!”
“We’ll talk now, then I’ll get the customer.”
“There’s a camera…! The owner will be furious if he sees…!”
“There isn’t one over here. And it’s illegal to monitor employees’ work conduct.”
“Eek! D-don’t come any closer…! I’ll kill you, seriously…! I’m not kidding…! If you stop now, I’ll let it go, so back off and help the customer…!”
Renka’s hands were moving restlessly.
She wanted to push me away, but doing so would mean touching my body, and she didn’t know what to do.
I moved my hand forward until the tip of my pinky was almost touching Renka’s lips.
Then I spoke in a relaxed tone.
“Just do it once, and I’ll never bother you with this again.”
“……”
Renka pressed her lips together, a conflicted look on her face.
Seeing that, I cheered inwardly.
If she had said no even after being cornered like this, it would have meant she truly had no intention of doing the cosplay.
But she was hesitating.
That meant Renka had seriously considered my cosplay proposal.
Of course, she was probably just wondering if she should bite the bullet and do it once to end the harassment, but if she had no feelings for me, she wouldn’t have even considered it.
Renka herself probably still thinks of this affection as a kind of fond annoyance, but time will take care of that.
“Excuse me…? Is anyone there?”
Did the customer’s voice from the counter finally make her anxious?
Renka let out a few short breaths through her nose, then looked up at me as if she’d made a decision.
“Really…? You’ll never bother me again?”
“Yes.”
“You promise…?”
“I swear.”
“I’m so going to get you back for this. You’d better remember that.”
“I’ll be sure to remember.”
“…You’re really insane…”
Muttering a curse under her breath, Renka reluctantly hooked her pinky finger with mine.
Even as she did, she blushed, seemingly embarrassed by the physical contact. Seeing her like that, I was overcome with the urge to pull her into a tight hug.
Suppressing that desire, I finished the promise by pressing my thumb against hers as she fidgeted, and then I stepped away.
She looked as if she’d been freed from some great trial and glared at me.
“Are you happy now, you son of a bitch?”
“Thank you, Captain. But this wasn’t a half-forced promise, was it?”
“It totally was…! Why are you suddenly asking that…?”
“I’m just saying, if you genuinely don’t want to do it, you should tell me.”
“…Are you saying you’d cancel it?”
“I would give it serious consideration.”
Startled by my serious tone, Renka tilted her head, a look of disbelief on her face.
Then, she furrowed her thin, long eyebrows.
“What’s with the sudden act of kindness…! Just hurry up and help the customer…! And make sure you apologize…!”
Tossing those words at me, she fled into the changing room.
After grinning like an idiot at her retreating back, I quickly wiped the expression from my face and rushed to the counter.
I apologized to the waiting customer as if I were deeply ashamed.
“I was in the restroom… I’m so sorry. Are you ready to order?”
“Oh, I see… It’s okay. I’d like one Mocha Cream Latte.”
“For here or to go?”
“To go, please. I have a coupon, you can stamp it, right?”
“Of course.”
A love hotel would be the perfect place for the cosplay, just to make Renka feel a certain way.
Since I plan on having her wear a bunny girl outfit, a room with a dark, bar-like atmosphere would be better than the usual prison concept.
Thinking that today was going to be a very enjoyable day at work, I stamped the coupon the customer handed me and completed the transaction.