Chapter 88
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 88
Chapter Title: A Date as Autumn Turns Color (2)
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In the late afternoon, as the sun slowly sank toward the horizon,
the two of them spent time at a cafe overlooking a beautiful landscape.
"There were... really so many people, huh."
"I'd never seen so many people crammed into one shop before..."
The cafe was packed to the point where they hesitated at the door for a moment before going in.
It wasn't even the weekend or rush hour after work,
so the sheer number of people there at this hour was astonishing in itself.
"But that cake Master bought for me... it was so delicious...♥"
With so many customers, there were hardly any desserts left to pair with coffee,
but Jae-hyun had managed to snag the very last slice of tiramisu.
That hard-won tiramisu tasted absolutely divine.
Its sweet and slightly bitter flavors blended perfectly,
making it the ideal dessert for Athena, who preferred sweets.
"Not sure if it's coincidence... but you both love sweet things."
"Flora does, and it seems Koneko-nim likes them too."
The common notion was that women tended to like sweets or spicy foods,
but Jae-hyun hadn't quite bought into it until he met Athena and Koneko.
He'd chalked it up to Flora just being obsessed with sugar.
But seeing the two he'd met afterward also love sugary treats,
he started thinking there might be some truth to the idea.
"We've rested plenty now... so we can walk around some more.
You mentioned a place you wanted to check out earlier, right?"
"Ehehe... really? We can go?"
"Of course. If it's somewhere Athena-nim wants to go."
The place Athena had mentioned wanting to visit at the cafe was a board game cafe.
It offered all sorts of board games to enjoy,
and you could even borrow manga or gaming consoles—like a mini theme park.
True to its name as a cafe, it had desserts and drinks,
and you could order simple meals like fried rice or ramen.
"It's not far from here...♥"
Unlike at first, their hands now naturally intertwined.
Savoring the warmth from each other's palms at a leisurely pace,
they soon arrived at a nearby board game cafe.
"They have couple rooms... shall we go with that?"
There were open areas for casual wandering,
but since they were on a date, they opted for a private room just for the two of them.
"Ooh...♥"
A cozy space perfect for two people.
It had a plush sofa and a solid wooden table,
with a tablet on top for ordering or looking up board game rules.
"Just use this screen here to place your orders,
and after using any rented items, please tidy them up and return them to their spots."
With a friendly smile, the staff finished the brief explanation and left the room.
Athena immediately scooted right up next to Jae-hyun and sat down.
"Ehehe...♥"
At the earlier cafe, the crowd had limited her to just gazing at him,
but now she could cling to him freely.
Truth be told, that was the real reason she'd suggested the board game cafe.
Of course, she did want to play games together purely for fun,
but sticking close like this was her main goal.
'As the saying goes, the quiet cat climbs the stove first.'
He'd noticed Athena's attitude ever since she'd hand-fed him those sweet fried chicken bites earlier.
With her gentle words and actions making him feel good,
she was slyly closing in, seducing him with her alluring demeanor.
And of course, her strategy was working perfectly.
"Ahhat...♥ Master... in a place like this...♥"
Before he knew it, his hands were kneading her wickedly ample breasts.
"Ah... haha... it just happened to brush against them."
- *Stroke... squish...♥*
"You can touch them as much as you want...♥
How about we play a different fun game instead of board games?"
Deliberately pressing his hand closer to her chest,
Athena proposed a game with a most seductive smile.
"Whether I wore a bra today... or didn't.
If you guess right, I'll give you a gift...♥"
She cupped her arms to emphasize her breasts even more,
flashing that alluring smile as she waited for Jae-hyun to answer.
"Hmm..."
After making her his bitch, he'd fondled those breasts countless times.
'No matter how I think about it... she's not wearing one.'
Even with the thick knit sweater and shirt underneath,
it'd be weird if Jae-hyun couldn't tell.
He could just straightforwardly say she wasn't wearing a bra,
but for some reason, he felt like teasing her.
"Well... I really have no idea."
He kept kneading them playfully while putting on a puzzled expression,
as if he truly couldn't figure it out.
"Huh? Th-that can't be...?"
Even though she'd posed an impossible-to-miss question just to give him the gift,
his failure to answer left Athena genuinely flustered.
Even when she blatantly guided his finger over the protruding nipple,
he just furrowed his brow like he had no clue.
"Ughhh..."
At this point, it was obvious he was messing with her on purpose.
"What kind of gift were you planning to give me with this cute little prank?"
Having had his fun, it was time to answer honestly.
"Ahh...♥"
Instead of saying it outright,
he twirled the nipple she'd guided his hand to earlier.
"The gift was... smooch♥"
In answer to his question about the gift,
Athena immediately pressed her lips to his.
It wasn't the deep, vulgar kiss she usually gave when craving his affection,
but a fresh, innocent peck like first love.
"Hehe...♥ Shall we go grab some board games now?"
With a victorious expression, as if she'd achieved her goal,
her seductive gaze vanished, replaced by a bright, fresh smile.
She grabbed Jae-hyun's hand with lively steps and led him along.
Before they knew it, the sun had fully set, and evening darkness blanketed the streets.
"This was more fun than I expected. We should come back sometime."
"Right? I didn't know at first, but once we started, I got hooked!"
Jae-hyun and Athena had spent nearly three hours at the board game cafe,
growing attached to games they'd never even heard of.
They'd also checked out some trending manga,
and enjoyed the "old-school comic cafe style" black bean noodles.
And now that night had fallen... it was time for the most important part.
"It's been a while since we've reserved a hotel like this.
Lately, with everyone together... we've mostly just gone to the party room."
"In my memory, the party room was the last time too."
The number of bitches serving Jae-hyun had been growing,
and more than that, they'd been going around together a lot lately to train Koneko.
"The place is right nearby... want to swing by a convenience store first?
I'm taking half a day off anyway, so since we took the leave, how about a drink?"
"Drinking alone with Master... sounds wonderful...♥"
After booking the hotel easily through an app,
the two entered a convenience store to buy booze and simple snacks.
"These have been popping up a lot lately. Stuff mixed into the booze."
"Ooh..."
What first caught their eyes was a highball with lemon slices.
Whether it was the concept or not, the transparent can revealed two lemon slices inside.
'Two of these... a small whiskey, tonic water... that should do.'
Since they had work tomorrow, just enough not to get too wasted,
plus cheese with fruit bits and plain crackers into the basket.
"And... this too...♥"
Athena slyly picked up a chocolate-coated biscuit.
'Feels good that she's getting comfy with me.
She never used to ask for anything before.'
As he checked out everything including what Athena grabbed,
Jae-hyun recalled when he first met her.
Back when she didn't want to burden him, temporarily filling in as manager.
Even though managers were essential, she'd try handling everything alone,
and she wouldn't even let him manage her most important condition maintenance.
Now, that same Athena spoiled him openly like this,
and seduced him alluringly, like back at the board game cafe.
"Um... are you not going to pay?"
"Ah! Sorry. I was lost in thought for a sec... haha."
While spacing out reminiscing about Athena,
the convenience store clerk scratched his head with a troubled look.
Jae-hyun hurriedly tapped his smartphone on the payment terminal,
finishing with an awkward laugh before heading out.
"What were you thinking about...? Can I ask?"
"Huh? Oh..."
Athena, curious about what he'd been thinking at the counter.
"I was just happy thinking how much closer we've gotten compared to before."
"Hehe... r-really...?♥"
Though she bashfully played it off,
even now, heading to the hotel, she held his hand naturally.
Not knowing when they'd next have time alone like this,
Jae-hyun squeezed her hand tightly and smiled tenderly.