Let's Become a Wicked Boss (2)
I could see a dog tail wagging right in front of me.
“Eh, where was it...?”
Haru was bent over at the waist in the storage room, her butt sticking out as she rummaged for something. If I'd still thought she was a guy, I probably wouldn't have given it a second thought. But now that I knew she was a woman, all sorts of stray thoughts flooded my mind—it was the truth.
“Hmm...”
Haru's dog tail tilted into a question mark shape. Touching an Ainu's tail is a major faux pas. If a human guy like me touched a female Ainu's tail, she'd definitely be disgusted. If word got back to the higher-ups, the guild master would kick me out with something like, 'You think sitting in as vice guild master makes you something special, you man?'
The problem was... it was Haru. Just recalling the sun-dropping firepower she'd unleashed in the Great Labyrinth made me dizzy. Mess with her, and I might turn to ash before the guild could even exile me.
“Ah, found it. Here you go.”
“...Y-Yes.”
Haru straightened up and handed me the item. I'd asked if there were any usable gloves among the unused supplies. I took them quietly and turned to leave the storage room.
Bam!
But Haru shot her arm out, slamming the wall hard to block my path. It was such a forceful move—I'd never seen her like this, and it startled me.
“Vivaldi-nim.”
“Y-Yes...?”
She'd pinned me against the wall in an instant, narrowing her eyes as she stared me down. Her usual puppy-like face now looked like a fierce vixen's. I trembled in fear, and she placed a finger on my collarbone.
“This... is a problem.”
“W-What's...?”
“You're always keeping your distance from me.”
“N-No, that's not...”
“Most people still think I'm a guy... If you act this awkward around me, Vivaldi-nim, they'll get suspicious and figure it out.”
For some reason I couldn't fathom, Haru still wanted to keep up this male disguise act.
“Y-Yeah, that could happen.”
“So treat me like the usual 'go-to guy for odd jobs' from before.”
“Y-Yes...”
Haru flashed a sultry smile, then switched back to her usual mild-mannered, odd-jobs guy expression. She wagged her dog tail and left the storage room first. My strength gave out, and I slid down the wall into a slump.
“~♪”
Marie was sweeping the hallway with a feather duster. It was her main body—number 44. Her wings fluttered slightly in time with the tune she was humming.
...I took a deep breath and slipped on the gloves. People with wings like Marie were of the Lumi race. Touching a Lumi's wings was as rude as touching an Ainu's tail. Sure, this was lawless Labyrinth City. If a woman touched a male Lumi's wings, the guy just had to take it. The women here were generally powerhouses, and the men weren't.
But if a clueless man tried that on a female Lumi? He'd get brutally punished on the spot.
“~♬”
I crept up to Marie without making a sound. She kept dusting, seemingly oblivious to my presence. I cautiously reached for her wings. Touching bare-handed felt too much, so I'd gloved up—but what difference did that really make? It didn't erase the fact of touching them...
“~♩”
I was truly about to do something awful. I didn't know exactly how Marie saw me, but I knew she was grateful I'd hired her. And here I was, about to crush that gratitude and disappoint her. She might even come to despise me. The guilt deepened as my hand drew nearer. My arm slowed, my fingers trembled harder.
“Atchoo...!”
The moment Marie sneezed from the flying dust, I yanked my hand back.
...But that sneeze sounded kinda weird? Marie rubbed her itchy nose, then noticed me and turned.
“Vivaldi-nim?”
“...Eh, yes. Marie-ssi.”
“Did you need something...?”
“N-No, just passing by.”
“I-Is that so...?”
I hung my head and hurried past her to my office. I collapsed into the comfy executive chair and covered my face with both hands.
'I can't do it...!'
To get exiled from the guild, I figured bothering others was unavoidable. My plans had all been like that, even if they weren't working out. But this time, I really couldn't.
I knew how much it would hurt her feelings—how could I do that...?
'No, toughen up...!'
This was my life on the line. Look at the stack of papers on my desk. Not sure I could even clock out today. I knew why the work never decreased. The guild's adventurers risked their lives on the front lines every day. They dumped all the annoying stuff on us receptionists!
'Everyone lives like that. Using each other for their own gain...!'
Once I was exiled, I'd never see them again anyway. No need to care about their feelings, right? I steeled myself coldly and stood up again.
“~♪”
The main-body Marie was watering the office plants. I crept up silently again. Her feathers were so neat and glossy—it was obvious how meticulously she cared for them. The thought of my ugly intentions tainting those elegant wings...
'Yeah, no way...'
Even if I never saw Marie again after exile, I'd linger in her memory—and I'd know it. Knowing someone out there saw me as a creep? I could never live carefree. I was the foolish type who obsessed over every little thing like that.
In the end, I dropped my hand and quietly turned away. There had to be endless other ways to get exiled...
“Do you know about this, Vivaldi-nim?”
“Eh...?”
Marie set down the watering can and spoke. Had she noticed me approaching?
“Lumi are a fragile-bodied race. Even our women have delicate frames, unlike other races.”
“I-Is that so.”
That explained why a magic academy grad like Marie worked as a receptionist instead of an adventurer.
“In exchange, we're exceptional at sensing danger. From detecting presences to picking up on someone's malicious intent.”
My heart sank. It sounded like she knew exactly what I'd been trying to do.
“S-Sorry, Marie-ssi.”
“Sorry? For what?”
Marie turned with a mischievous smile, eyeing my guilty, apologetic face. Was she really clueless, or prompting a confession? I couldn't tell. But I couldn't hide my expression—like a kid caught red-handed by the teacher.
Too late for lies.
“I-I was about to do something rude to you, Marie-ssi...”
“Rude? Like what?”
“Ugh...”
Marie stepped closer, forcing me back until I hit the wall with nowhere to go. She loomed over me—she was taller, after all. Even though I outranked her, her physical dominance made me shrink.
“Let me ask again. What rude thing?”
“...T-The wings...”
“Pardon?”
“I was going to touch your wings, Marie-ssi...”
“Oh my... Why would you do that?”
“Th-They looked so pretty...”
I spilled everything. Maybe for the best. I hadn't actually touched her, but she'd be disgusted anyway. I could apologize for the near-miss rudeness. No one would want to work under a boss like this—she might report my dirt and get me booted from the guild.
“Am I that pretty?”
“Eh?”
Marie reached out, grabbing both my arms. She guided one hand to her waist—feeling the distinctly feminine curve widening at the hips. The other to her wing.
“A-Awa...?”
“Like this? Hehe... Kinda ticklish.”
“...Kyaaaaah!!!!”
Face beet red, screaming as I bolted—it was me, not Marie, who fled in panic, contrary to my original plan.