Chapter 33
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 33
Chapter Title: Hypnosis Experiment: The Case of the Vegetable Shop Auntie Who Takes Jokes Well (1)
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A few days had passed since checking the reward—about three days, give or take.
After much deliberation during that time, I decided to run an experiment to confirm whether this hypnosis actually worked properly.
There were various reasons for this, but as the saying goes, seeing is believing. I figured experiencing it firsthand would be far better than just reading about it in a book.
Having made up my mind to test hypnosis, I needed a test subject (non-voluntary, of course).
And the first one I chose was...
"Fresh veggies on sale cheap today~!"
The vegetable shop auntie over there.
You might wonder why I picked some random auntie instead of a busty college girl with a hot body.
There were, naturally, several reasons for that.
First off, from what I remembered, this auntie was always game for lewd pranks or weird jokes from kids or old men.
In fact, that was one of the biggest reasons.
Even if I failed spectacularly, she'd probably just think it was one of my usual pranks.
Of course, word might get back to my moms about me pulling these kinds of stunts.
But think about it. If I tried hypnotizing a college girl and botched it, what would happen? At best, I'd end up in juvenile detention.
The second reason was that the book mentioned hypnosis works better on certain age groups, and I wanted to verify if that was true.
I'd compare it later with test subjects from other age brackets.
And the third reason...
'That auntie's what you'd call a classic chatterbox.'
Among aunties, being a chatterbox meant she probably had all sorts of local gossip we kids didn't know about.
The best way to get neighborhood intel has always been from chatty aunties like her.
If I could charm her with hypnosis, I might score some useful info.
Of course, I'd have to confirm if that was true, but it alone made her worth hypnotizing.
With my mind made up, I approached to cast the hypnosis...
'Chatterbox indeed, huh?'
Customers just kept coming, one after another. No break.
I waited a full two hours, and there were still people around.
So, I had no choice but to change plans.
'I'll come back at closing time. The crowd should be gone by then.'
After wandering around for a good while and circling back, I finally spotted the auntie starting to close up shop.
"Oh, heading home now, huh..."
"Hehe, yep. Oh, wait a sec. That udon shop Satoshi was saying..."
Even while shutting the shop door, she was greeting people, proving just how much of a social butterfly she was.
Heck, she even kept the conversation going after the greeting.
'Impressive.'
For someone like me, I couldn't imagine holding up against that.
'Still, gotta do what I gotta do...'
She'd be heading straight home anyway, with no time for anything else.
With that in mind, I steeled myself and put on my boldest face.
"Yumiko Auntie~!"
I called out to the vegetable shop auntie—no, Yumiko Auntie—who was closing up and about to head out.
She looked surprised when I waved hello, then spotted me.
"Oh, Takuya? What brings you here this late~? Oh, right, tell Ayaka the drink you gave her last time was delicious, and also..."
True to her chatterbox nature, she started rapid-firing words.
I found her a bit overwhelming, but I gradually built up to the hypnosis.
"Got it, got it. I'll pass it all on. Oh! That reminds me—I learned something from a book today. Wanna see?"
"Takuya read a book?"
"You think I'm the kind of guy who only does stuff halfway?!"
"Hehe. Now I'm curious what Takuya learned."
It was probably just idle chit-chat on her part, but it was perfect bait for me.
Before she could pivot to another topic, I latched onto it quick.
"Then how about I show you what I learned today? You got time?"
She seemed genuinely intrigued, letting out a hehe and nodding yes.
"Hehe. Well, I'm off the clock now, so sure, I'll take a peek."
"It might take a bit, so let's head to the park."
"Sounds good. Hehe!"
And so, Auntie and I headed to the park.
Sato Yumiko, whom Takuya called Yumiko Auntie, watched the young man striding ahead with an intrigued expression.
And well she might, for that young man's identity was none other than Mori Takuya—one of the village's notorious troublemakers, and the one with the worst reputation.
Takuya was the kind of kid who made you utter "village terror" without thinking twice.
Not just local schoolgirls, but aunties' skirts too—he'd flip them all up with ice pranks and such whims.
Sometimes he'd dash through the streets, snatching a few veggies or fish along the way.
That alone made him plenty mischievous, but Takuya was clever or smart enough never to escalate beyond that level, so the villagers had decided to just play along with his occasional antics.
His stolen veggies or fish would always be paid for later, with apologies from him and his mom.
But lately, there was another rumor circulating about this Takuya.
[You know that Mori kid, Takuya?]
[Oh, the little devil?]
[Yeah. Word is, he's changed recently.]
[Changed? You don't mean...?!]
[No, nothing like that—changed for the better, they say.]
The unbelievable rumor that he'd turned over a new leaf.
Why was it so hard to believe? Just think of his usual antics.
[Ice prank! Hehe! Purple today, Auntie!!]
[You brat!! Hold it right there!!]
Not content with teasing while running, he'd broadcast underwear colors neighborhood-wide. A total menace.
For such a kid to reform? Yumiko inwardly dismissed it as nonsense, nodded along politely, and steered the conversation elsewhere.
So when she ran into Takuya today, she was surprised.
He looked the same as ever, but his vibe was different somehow.
Before, he was just a big-bodied pervert kid, but now his actions carried a maturity they never had.
Everything had changed so much.
[Got it, got it. I'll pass it all on. Oh! That reminds me—I learned something from a book today. Wanna see?]
Normally, he'd be picking his ears, mumbling "Yeah, yeah, whatever."
[You think I'm the kind of guy who only does stuff halfway?!]
His usual cocky, mocking tone was now brimming with manly confidence.
[It might take a bit, so let's head to the park.]
And on top of that, consideration beyond his years.
All signs pointed to Takuya having truly changed.
Honestly, she'd doubted the rumors at first, but seeing it herself confirmed it.
Which only made her more curious.
Because there'd been no reason for Takuya to change lately.
Nothing major had happened to him—or the whole village, for that matter.
If you had to pick something, maybe the Nakamuras' goat escaping and munching all the crops?
Hard to imagine Takuya suddenly gaining some epiphany on his own and transforming like this.
Naturally, Yumiko's interest piqued at this new Takuya, but she kept it zipped.
She didn't want to cross any lines.
Like the fact that his family had two moms.
'In a way, he's a pitiful kid. Abandoned by his dad.'
With such thoughts, she gazed sadly at Takuya's back for a moment.
They arrived at the nearby park and sat on a bench where no one would bother them, chatting about recent happenings and incidents.
True to form, she hadn't changed a bit as a chatterbox.
Thankfully, we got to the main point before Takuya's energy fully drained from the small talk.
Once we did, I pulled a coin with a string threaded through it from my pocket and said,
"Auntie, what I learned is hypnosis~!"
Hearing that, Yumiko couldn't help but chuckle inwardly.
'Even if he's changed, a prankster's still a prankster.'
I showed her the coin confidently.
"They say if you focus on this coin for about five seconds, you'll fall under hypnosis!"
Yumiko giggled and replied,
"Hehe. So you wanna try hypnotizing Auntie with that?"
"Well, yeah."
"Sounds fun. Go ahead, then."
Of course, she had no intention of actually falling for it—she planned to tease him a bit, then say she'd never felt a thing.
"As you gaze at this coin, your consciousness slowly sinks, and your mind grows calm."
But strangely, the more she focused on the swinging coin Takuya held, the hazier her mind became. And shortly after...
Takuya noticed Yumiko Auntie's pupils glazing over and said,
"Auntie?"
"Yes..."
"Try lifting your left arm?"
"Understood..."
Auntie raised her left arm as ordered, and seeing that, I grinned wickedly.
'Right on plan!'
Thank goodness—the hypnosis was real.