Chapter 287

A day that seemed ordinary at first glance, but was actually quite erotic beneath the surface. After three more days just like it, Renka and I arrived at work. Seeing the Boss waiting outside the café, we bowed to him.

"Good morning."

The Boss greeted us, a hint of regret on his face.

"Welcome. It's your last day today, isn't it?"

"Yes."

"Could you stop by the Gyudon Restaurant for a moment after your shift?"

"Sure. Did you hire a new part-timer?"

"I did."

"When should we do the handover?"

"No need. I contacted the previous part-timer and asked them to come back."

'Hmm. That would have been a pain, thank goodness. I like this boss. Good thing I didn't mess with his wife.'

"Well then, keep up the good work today."

I finished my brief chat with the Boss, stepped inside the café, and stretched.

"This job finally ends today."

"Yeah."

"How do you feel? Bittersweet?"

"No. I'm just thrilled I won't have to see you anymore."

There she goes again, saying things she doesn't mean.

"We'll be seeing each other at the Academy anyway. And the Kendo tournament, too."

"Well, I feel relieved for now, so don't ruin it."

"You've got a filthy mouth. Is that how I taught you?"

"Wh-Who taught who...! Do you really want to die?"

Even after doing all sorts of things with me, Renka was still as feisty as ever. I hoped she'd stay that way.

When you ordered someone to take their clothes off, a reluctant face as they begrudgingly revealed their underwear was far more arousing than someone who obediently lifted their shirt. Renka was exactly that type.

"Go change your clothes first."

"...I was going to."

"If you don't speak to me politely, I'm going into the Changing Room with you right now and we're doing it."

Renka flinched at the gentle threat. As if trying to figure out if I was serious, she studied my face, then carefully slipped past me and opened the Changing Room door. She paused and looked back.

"Th-That..."

"I'll give you the candy when I take you home today."

"O-Okay."

'I couldn't be happier that my slave has gotten into the habit of eating candy every day. Let's see you carry this habit we formed over the break all the way to the Academy.'

Our final shift was pretty laid back once we finished changing. Even considering the early hour, there weren't many customers. Granted, it was still a lot busier than when we first started working here.

"The previous shift didn't refill the chocolate chips. I'll go grab some from the back."

"Bring out two bags of coffee beans while you're at it."

"Got it."

Renka and I kept working, cleaning up the mess the afternoon shift had left behind, until it was finally time for lunch.

I walked over to Renka just as she finished the dishes. Taking the rubber gloves she had just pulled off, I popped the inverted fingers back out and draped them over the sink. She seemed subtly flustered by the gesture, as if touched that I was looking out for her, and I lightly patted her back.

"Go grab some food first."

"Don't touch me...!"

"Are you going through puberty? What's with the fuss?"

"That's because you're always touching me... Anyway, I'm going."

"Have a good lunch."

After sending Renka off, I looked around the quiet café. I had built a lot of memories with her here, but... there hadn't been as many events as I'd expected.

Normally, things like sudden cancellations, rude old men, or kids making a mess were supposed to happen. Resolving those issues was how you raised her affection level... Did all those events get skipped because my relationship with Renka had already progressed so much?

Whatever the case, our feelings for each other had grown, so it didn't really matter... but it was still a bit of a shame. I was finishing up my chores with those thoughts in mind when—

Swish.

The automatic door slid open, and Hiyori walked into the café with a friend.

"Hi there."

'My luck is really holding out on my last day.' I could feel my energy rising. I'd been in a great mood all day, and this must have been why.

"Welcome."

"Do you remember me? We met at the bookstore."

'How could I not remember? I obviously would, but anyone who laid eyes on you even once wouldn't be able to forget you either.'

"I remember. You asked me to pick out a manga for you, right?"

"That's right!"

'Come to think of it, did I see the friend standing next to Hiyori at the bookstore too? My memory is a bit fuzzy, but I don't think I did.'

"You weren't here four days ago. I guess it was your day off?"

'Did she come on our day off? It would have been nice to see her then, too... What a shame.' Smiling warmly at Hiyori's question, I replied.

"Yeah. Today is actually my last day working here."

"Oh, really? You're quitting?"

"That's right. Can I take your order?"

"Yep. Two chocolate chip frappuccinos, please. We'll have them here."

"Sure thing."

I rang them up and stamped the coupon Hiyori handed me, then listened in on their conversation as I made their drinks.

"You know we have to go in for a day during the winter term, right? They said they're doing locker assignments early, right after the orientation."

'Sounds like they're talking about the Academy.'

"Yeah. My mom told me."

"We're going together, right?"

"Obviously. Why would I go without you?"

'Was her friend also accepted into Yeboni Academy? That's new to me.' It was never mentioned in Doki-Aka, so I couldn't tell if the timeline had shifted because of my presence, or if the game simply glossed over it because she was unimportant.

'Anyway, the time has finally come. I've waited long enough.' How would Hiyori react when she saw me attending the Academy? Would she just brush it off as another coincidence, like our encounter at the bookstore? I wanted her to think of it as destiny a bit more this time... but that was probably just wishful thinking.

Her friend beamed at Hiyori's answer and asked, "Did you buy your uniform?"

"I did. But do you think I'll get in trouble if I hem the skirt?"

"Who knows...? I haven't heard that they're super strict about it... As long as you keep it somewhat reasonable, it should be fine, right?"

"Then I'm definitely hemming it."

'Who thinks about hemming their skirt for orientation day?' Then again, that was exactly the kind of thing Hiyori would do. It looked like she was going to make quite a splash at the peaceful Academy. A clash with Miyuki, who strictly followed the rules as part of the Student Council, was pretty much guaranteed.

The free-spirited Hiyori and the relatively conservative Miyuki. It made sense that two people with such conflicting values would clash, but they both had good personalities, so any friction between them would be minor. If things ever started escalating, I'd step in to mediate and help them become friends.

Finishing up their drinks, I pressed the number for the Pager I had given Hiyori. The buzzer immediately rattled on her table, and she grabbed it and walked over with a bright smile.

Hiyori's signature lemon scent seemed to fill the entire café—a fragrance I couldn't help but admire as I slid her tray across the counter.

"Enjoy."

"Thanks so much."

Once our shift ended, the Boss handed us several coupons for the Gyudon Restaurant, some simple snacks his wife had made, and a bonus. The snacks and coupons were one thing, but the bonus was completely unexpected. I figured he would just give us our usual hefty paycheck and call it a day... We must have really grown on him.

As he saw us out, the Boss told us to come back whenever we needed work and that he'd always have a spot waiting for us. We finally managed to say our goodbyes and pull away from his overwhelming hospitality. As we drove away from the café, I reached over and stroked Renka's thigh in the passenger seat.

"Good work today."

"Yeah. And don't touch me."

"You're going to use your paycheck to buy a figure, aren't you?"

"What's it to you?"

"Answer me properly."

"...I am. My display case is full, so I'll be buying another one of those, too. Ah, I said stop touching me...!?"

Renka shook her head in disbelief as I completely ignored her warning and continued caressing her thigh. Sighing as if she had given up on resisting, she fixed her gaze on the road ahead and asked a question.

"You've been practicing, right?"

"Practicing for what?"

"For what? The Kendo tournament, obviously. You said you were going to enter...! The roster is already locked in, so you can't back out now. And yet you're sitting here acting like..."

"I was just kidding. I've been practicing hard, so don't get so angry."

"...Good."

'Judging by her tone, she's happy about it.' I was thinking about grabbing Chinami after the tournament so the three of us could go out and have some fun together.

"Want to go see a movie to celebrate our last shift?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because you'd purposely buy tickets for an empty theater and try to pull something weird inside the Screening Room."

'Spot on.'

"Can't I?"

Dumbfounded by my shamelessness, Renka let out a hollow laugh.

"Of course you can't...! Doing something like that in a public space is a total nuisance...!"

"I just want to touch you, what am I supposed to do?"

"...You need to drop that self-centered attitude of yours."

"I'll think about it. Are we really just heading home, though? We just finished our last shift."

"You're acting like the end of a part-time job is some sort of anniversary... This isn't a special occasion, you know."

"Isn't that just a matter of perspective?"

"Sigh... Anyway, the answer is no. I have to go home and eat with my family."

'She emphasized the word "family" just in case I asked to tag along. Her intentions are so transparent it's hilarious.'

"Alright, fine. If you really hate spending time with me that much, I can't force you."

"I-It's not that I hate it... It's just that my family..."

"I said I got it."

"...Right. Good. Now just keep quiet... Hngh...!"

She sucked in a sharp breath as I slid my hand high up her inner thigh. She pressed her hips deep into the seat and folded her upper body forward, clearly overwhelmed by a sudden rush of pleasure as my fingers brushed against an incredibly sensitive spot.

Just four days ago, doing something like this would have earned me a string of curses, with her calling me 'Trash' or a lunatic. But now, even though she had her complaints, she was quietly accepting my touch. Every time I peeled back a layer, she revealed a whole new side to herself. Just how far could Renka's training go? I couldn't even begin to guess, which only made me look forward to our future all the more.