Kaito had long been planning to move. After all, money just sitting in the card would only gather dust. Better to use it to improve living quality.
"I understand," Sakiko committed this matter to heart, intending to inquire later whether there were any properties on sale recently that met the President's conditions.
After finishing the work-related topic, she paused for a moment and then said, "Right, President, tonight may I visit your home? I haven't seen Mutsumi in a long time, and I'm a bit concerned about her recent situation."
Ever since discovering that Mutsumi might harbor different feelings toward the President, Secretary Sakiko had been especially troubled.
As childhood friends who grew up together, she didn't want to become enemies with Mutsumi over something like this, but she also couldn't bear to hand over the President.
Tangled and troubled, she could only numb herself with work.
But escape was never a solution. Now that she had calmed down, Sakiko decided to go and talk with Mutsumi.
'Maybe... I misunderstood Mutsumi?'
After all, Mutsumi had always known about her feelings for the President.
As her most important partner in life, how could Mutsumi possibly stab her in the back?
"Of course," Kaito didn't think much of it, "I've already given you the home door code. As long as you want to come, you can come anytime."
"Mm," Sakiko lightly nodded, then slightly lifted the corners of her lips.
'To be told the house's door code without hesitation, this is the intimate bond between me and the President.'
'This one-of-a-kind privilege, can any other woman achieve that?'
'No matter whether Mutsumi really harbors improper thoughts about the President, at least in the President's heart, this round, the advantage is mine.'
[T/N: I am about to start a new WebNovel and currently in the phase of searching for it. Since, you all are ultimately going to read it, how about have a say in what I should search for? So check my Discord or pinned post in Patreon for the poll. It helps me immensely to bring suitable novels. Or if there are any translation that are abandoned, throw it at me. I'll see what I can do. Enjoy~]
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Chapter 177: Sickly Big Sister PA-san
After bidding farewell to the secretary Sakiko, who somehow suddenly became inexplicably happy after thinking about something unknown, Kaito took Bocchi and left the campus, boarding the train heading to Shimokitazawa.
All along the way, the socially anxious girl kept showing a look of wanting to speak but stopping, yet because of her timidness, she didn't dare to ask the doubt in her heart.
It was Kaito who saw that she was holding it in painfully and simply took the initiative to bring up this topic, "Gotou-san, are you curious about matters regarding Sakiko?"
The pink-haired girl slightly and almost imperceptibly nodded her little head, softly saying, "Just a little Togawa-san said she is the president's secretary."
"You should know, I have some experience in exorcism matters," Kaito had no intention of hiding anything, sitting upright, just this frank, "Originally, I just wanted to have more financial freedom, so I specially opened an exorcism office. Sakiko is the employee I hired. Although she's called a secretary currently most of the office work is actually handled by her."
"S-so that's how it is", Bocchi finally filled in the doubt in her heart, subconsciously let out a sigh of relief.
As long as it's not the kind of secretary she had imagined.
Although the president didn't lack beautiful girls around him, the pressure Togawa brought her was stronger than ever before. Compared to this beautiful girl who even wore a uniform skirt with elegant and noble temperament, she herself was simply like a country bumpkin sweet potato.
While chatting, the train broadcast timely sounded, Shimokitazawa Station arrived.
At present, the sky was still early, and there was still a while before official business hours. The atmosphere in STARRY Live House was still peaceful.
Nijika was wiping the coffee machine behind the counter. The tsundere store manager was as usual sitting in front of her laptop, typing on the keyboard, arranging the recent band performance schedule. In the corner not far away, Gremlin Ryou was lying on the table, seemingly dozing off, Kita(Ikuyo) sat beside her, seriously scrolling on her phone.
Everything was normal, nothing unusual compared to usual.
If there had to be something Kaito looked around but didn't see the figure of a certain sound engineer lady.
"Kaito-kun! And Bocchi!", The first to notice the two entering the door was Nijika.
The girl waved her hand, her bright yellow single ponytail swaying along with her movements, looking full of energy.
Originally cheerful expression, however, when falling onto Kaito's face, quickly turned into a shallow blush.
Shimokitazawa's archangel once again remembered her bold behavior earlier.
'Stealing a kiss from Kaito-kun is one thing, but getting caught by nee-san', Just thinking about that shameful experience made her feel the urge to run away.
"Nijika, Store Manager, and Kita," Kaito nodded to them, "Good afternoon."
Yamada Ryou: "?"
A certain someone who heard the movement, slowly raised her head from the table, casting a question mark.
'So you're isolating me like that?'
"Seeing you seemed to be sleeping, I didn't want to wake you," Kaito lightly coughed, meeting the gaze of the blue-haired girl, still made up a greeting, "Ryou, good afternoon."
"Well, aren't you considerate," Gremlin Ryou muttered a few complaints, but didn't really take it to heart, instead somewhat enjoyed this kind of bickering-like interaction.
"Speaking of which, how come PA-san isn't here?"
Regarding this always dressed in long black sleeves, dignified and gentle big sister, Kaito still had a deep impression. Especially after discovering that she secretly worked as a virtual streamer in private, it gave a strong contrast.
"PA seems to not have rested well. I saw she lacked energy, so I just let her go upstairs to lie down for a bit," The one answering him was Ijichi Seika, the tsundere store manager who typed the final character, stretched out greatly, and then looked at the time at the bottom right of the computer, also found it strange.
"Already three hours? PA wouldn't still be asleep, right?"
She wasn't especially worried. After all, the apartment was just upstairs. Just a few steps away. At such close distance, nothing serious should happen.
As the business hour drew near, Seika pulled out her phone and made a call to PA.
The "toot toot" ringtone rang for quite a while, until the tsundere store manager began to worry, 'Could it be that PA really got into some accident?' Only then did the phone finally get answered.
["Hello? Is that Seika?"], The voice on the other end sounded weak, like just woken up, also carried a faint nasal tone.
"You caught a cold?", Ijichi Seika sharply noticed something was wrong. She and PA were not just employee and boss, but also close friends, so naturally concerned about the other's health, "I'll go buy some medicine and send it up."
["No need, maybe I caught a chill after taking a bath last night and blowing air conditioner before drying off"]
PA sniffled, ["Just a little cold, not worth the trouble. Let me sleep a bit more and I'll be fine. But today's work, I might have to take a leave."]
"Forget it, I'll come up and check your condition first," The tsundere store manager sighed, hung up the phone, then suddenly looked at Gremlin Ryou beside her, "I remember, Ryou, your family runs a hospital, right? Do you have any methods for small illnesses like colds and fevers?"
Gremlin Ryou stroked her chin, but before she could answer, Nijika couldn't help but interject, "Big sis, I advise you not to think about asking Ryou for help."
Ijichi Seika: "?"
Nijika held her forehead, "Last time I went out to eat with Kita, when we came back we found a round thing on my tongue. This guy diagnosed it as a tumor. Later used tweezers to pull it out and it turned out to be a peppercorn."
Gremlin Ryou coughed once, "Even the best horse can stumble, it's only human."
Nijika glanced at her again and said with annoyance, "So that's why last time I asked you why my hands and feet were cold, and you told me my time of death had already passed twenty-four hours ago?"
Ijichi Seika: "..."
Her stereotype of Gremlin Ryou being unreliable deepened further.
Kita did want to defend the Ryou she once admired, but really didn't know how to explain it. After thinking for a moment, her gem-like bright eyes turned toward Kaito, sparkling, "By the way, Kaito-kun should have a way, right?"
Even her stern, serious, unsmiling mother was convinced by him. Since then, the words "Kaito" became synonymous with omnipotent in Kita's heart.
"I don't really have a problem," Kaito spread his hands, "But still depends on Store Manager Seika's opinion."
Of course the tsundere store manager had no objections. Even if Kaito didn't know how to treat illness, having a guy around could at least help carry PA to the clinic.
The two took the elevator upstairs and quickly arrived in front of the apartment.
The room where PA was sleeping was also Seika's bedroom. The tsundere store manager didn't think too much, directly pushed open the door and entered.
Kaito followed behind her. Before entering, he specifically used divine sense to scan and confirm that PA-san, who was sound asleep, was properly wrapped in a blanket. That way he wouldn't accidentally see something he shouldn't. Only then did he step in.
However
After just a few steps, his steps paused.
On a nearby chair were several suspicious colorful pieces of fabric, piled messily, the styles all very childlike.
He really didn't expect
'Store Manager Seika, to have such a girly side too?'
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Chapter 178: Scummy Ryou: I Came at Just the Right Time!
If she had known earlier, she would have asked Nijika to help tidy up the room.
Things had already come to this point, Seika regretted it, but it was too late.
Her bedroom wasn't big, the decorations were all elements she liked. Usually, she only lived with her younger sister, so inevitably, it was a bit casual.
Although it couldn't be called dirty, it was still undeniably messy. Aside from the underwear scattered everywhere, there were also many fluffy animal plush toys placed on the carpet. Roughly glancing around, it was hard to find even a place to step.
"During this period, the store was quite busy, and I would fall asleep as soon as I got home," The tsundere store manager's pretty face turned completely red, but she still tried to maintain the dignity of being the host, struggling to explain, "It's definitely not because I was too lazy to clean! Definitely not!"
That really was a textbook-standard tsundere statement.
Kaito was silent for two seconds, and upholding the principle of not exposing people's struggles, he nodded, "I see. The store manager has really worked hard."
Of course Seika knew that such a perfunctory excuse was hard to convince others, but there was no other way. She could only endure her shame, hastily gathering the scattered clothes and stuffing them all into the wardrobe.
After finishing all that, she quickly walked to the bed, both to check on PA-san's condition and to move past the earlier incident.
Black long hair lay softly scattered on the bed. The usually dignified and elegant sound technician, as beautiful as a Sengoku-era noblewoman, was now sleepy, her high, straight nose beaded with fine sweat, and her slender willow-leaf eyebrows were slightly furrowed in discomfort.
As if sensing someone's gaze, she uneasily pulled the silk quilt tighter around her. The exposed round shoulders had a soft pink flush unique to high fever, like soft and sweet strawberry mochi, making one want to take a bite.
Originally feeling a bit embarrassed, Seika, seeing her good friend like this, had no time for pointless shame. She quickly reached out to feel her forehead, then withdrew her hand like she'd been electrocuted.
"So hot!"
'This temperature must be at least forty degrees, right?'
"Ugh my head hurts", Startled awake by her movement, PA-san, who had been deeply asleep, opened her eyes groggily, dazed for a while before barely recognizing the figure in front of her, "Seika? Why are you here"
"If I didn't come, you'd probably be burned into an idiot by now," Seika gritted her teeth. While feeling relieved, she also felt a bit of lingering fear.
'Already this sick and still acting tough, saying she'll feel better after a nap'
She didn't want a friend beside her who'd end up drooling and babbling nonsense.
When people are sick, they always become very fragile.
"Ugh why are you so mean", PA-san looked aggrieved and unhappily bit her lip. Maybe due to the fever confusion, she completely lacked her usual gentleness and maturity, and instead seemed a bit childish, "I I already feel awful and you're still yelling at me"
"I wasn't yelling forget it, forget it, just drink some water first," Ichiji Seika didn't want to argue pointlessly with a sick person at a time like this. She poured a glass of hot water and brought it to her lips.
This time, PA-san didn't throw a tantrum. She stretched out her soft pink tongue, a rare forked tongue, like a snake's tongue, and now licked the water in the cup like a puppy. The motion was inexplicably sensual.
Her pair of emerald green eyes blinked in confusion, "Seika, what did you put in the water I feel so hot~"
"Of course it's hot water, you idiot!", The tsundere store manager was both amused and exasperated, but she couldn't be bothered to argue with her. She just wanted to get this girl to the hospital quickly to avoid any damage to her intelligence.
"Stop dawdling, get up and come with me to the hospital. You can sleep however you like during the IV."
'IIV drip?'
PA-san froze as she caught the key word.
'That means, something thick and hard is going to be inserted into my body, and it might even cause bleeding?'
Memories of her childhood fear of injections came rushing back.
