However The sound engineer young lady sighed, somewhat disheartened.
She herself, seemingly, wasn't much stronger than Seika.
[STARRY Live House]
Sitting behind the counter, the tsundere manager who had long since zoned out, turned her head the moment she heard footsteps at the staircase.
"PA talked to you what did she say?", She tried her best to make her tone sound casual.
Kaito didn't stop walking, but didn't answer immediately either, just sat down next to the manager.
This gesture instead made Ijichi Seika even more nervous, her heart pounding nonstop, 'Could it be that PA said something about my dark past?'
"A-Anyway", The tsundere manager coughed, trying her best to put on the appearance of a mature, reliable adult, and said solemnly, "No matter what PA said, I suggest you'd better not believe it, a-after all, she can be quite mean-spirited sometimes"
This time Kaito didn't stay silent, just nodded, "I understand."
Only then did Seika breathe a sigh of relief.
'Now even if PA really has secretly spilled my dark past, the credibility should drop a bit, not enough to be relied on.'
The clock on the wall was still ticking round and round, time had already reached 4:30 in the afternoon.
It was almost business hours, Nijika and Bocchi were organizing things in the storage room, PA was resting in the apartment, so currently, only she and Kaito were near the counter.
Although it was a rare moment alone, Seika felt it was a little strange.
Not that she disliked it, just that at such a close distance observing that face seemingly carved meticulously by the gods, it was a bit too much for her heart.
'Also'
'He really smells nice.'
Not the industrialized fragrance from body wash or aromatherapy, but a more natural, fresher, addictive scent.
Like a forest after rain, faintly mixed with the coolness of crushed mint leaves, making one just want to get a little closer, even closer.
'Ijichi Seika! Just what are you fantasizing about?'
'In front of you is the boy your younger sister likes! Aren't you supposed to be helping Nijika pursue her happiness?'
In that moment of nearly losing control of her rational mind, the tsundere manager awoke as if from a dream, her burning siscon soul igniting, using immense willpower to pull herself back to reality.
To prevent her moral compass from collapsing, and to avoid doing something that would betray her sister, Seika originally planned to find an excuse to leave, but before she could speak, a few young schoolgirls came down the stairs.
"I heard today there's a SIDEROS band performance, is it here?"
"Let's just go in and ask first, Miki hurry up, I can't wait anymore."
"Don't rush like that Aiko, watch your step on the stairs."
"Yeah yeah, Ayaka you're so naggy."
The girl called "Aiko" waved her hand dismissively, still laughing and joking with her friend, "I won't stumble over something like thiAH!"
Her foot slipped, and the sudden sense of weightlessness made the girl let out a sharp scream. Her whole body was about to fall forward, eyes already shut instinctively.
But
She waited a long time, yet the pain she imagined never came.
Instead, from her waist came a strange warmth.
Aiko opened her eyes in a daze, looking at the unfamiliar beautiful boy just inches from her face, her whole body seemed frozen.
She had seen countless idol faces meticulously groomed in makeup mirrors, but had never seen someone whose every eyelash flutter and curve seemed mathematically perfect.
"When going down stairs, be more careful," Kaito didn't mind the girl's stunned gaze, which was so blatant it was almost offensive. Seeing that she could stand on her own, he immediately let go, returned to the bar, and sat down next to the manager.
That lingering warmth at her waist vanished just like that, making Aiko feel a bit disappointed.
But once she came back to her senses, she immediately blushed and stepped forward to thank him, her words full of "I owe you so much I must repay you with my body" implications.
The two friends behind her were the same, stammering as they expressed a desire to exchange contact info.
A certain tsundere manager who was completely ignored: "..."
Three cute JKs in the prime of youth, all surrounding her soon-to-be brother-in-law.
And Nijika was still in the storage room organizing stuff, unable to finish anytime soon.
Ijichi Seika's expression changed as she gritted her teeth.
'At this point, for the sake of my sister's happiness.'
'It seems, I have no choice but to take action myself.'
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Chapter 181: You Dont Want to Lose This Job Too, Right?
The young and energetic girls were like lively little birds, their chirping voices crisp and pleasant to the ear, even their fluttering skirts made one think of the layered petals of a folding rose. When three pairs of eyes filled with hope and longing looked over at the same time, who could bear to refuse?
"Sorry, my phone's out of battery."
Being asked for contact information by cheerful and cute JKs was no longer anything new to him. Compared to those bolder and more aggressive older women, the little girls still in school were obviously lower-leveled and easier to reject.
"Eh? Eh? Eh?"
The girl named "Aiko" had looks that could score about eight out of ten, and within the golden pyramid of the class's social circle, she was also a strong figure among the popular ones. Hearing this, she paused for a moment, then pulled out a small white portable charger from her small handbag, and said earnestly with a face full of enthusiasm, "It's okay! I have a power bank! You can use it!"
Kaito: "..."
Normally, among those who had approached him to strike up a conversation in the past, a large portion would back off sensibly after the first rejection. But a small portion had more persistence and wouldn't give up until they got what they wanted, the hardest type to deal with.
To deal with such people, making excuses only gave them more chances to cling on. The best solution was to reject them directly.
But before Kaito could open his mouth, Ichiji Seika stepped between the two, wearing her signature expression of disgust, and bluntly said, "Sorry, customer, this is a livehouse, and we don't provide additional services like exchanging contact information. If you want to watch a performance, please buy a ticket, not hit on my staff."
It had to be said, as a mature woman nearing thirty, when the store manager wasn't acting tsundere, she was quite imposing.
Especially her expressionless face, which had a kind of cold rock musician vibe, making her look hard to approach.
"S-sorry!", The few female students shrank their necks. But the charm of a handsome guy was too hard to resist. After hesitating for a moment, they still couldn't help but ask, What if... I have money?"
'Even if you have money, still no.'
'This is a livehouse, not a host club.'
Besides, Seika herself wasn't short on money. The reason she opened this livehouse was more to support her little sister's musical dreams.
With the store manager lady's firm rejection, the three young JKs finally left, though clearly unwilling.
They had still wanted to linger a while longer, but couldn't stand the terrifying gaze of this blonde big sister. It was seriously like a fierce wild mother wolf guarding her food.
Better run.
Watching their figures disappear around the staircase corner, Kaito finally looked toward Seika and nodded slightly, "Thanks, manager, for stepping in."
Seika's expression didn't change, carrying the calm and collected demeanor of a master, as if she hadn't taken this matter to heart. That is, if one ignored the slightly reddened tip of her ear hidden beneath her long hair.
"After all, you're someone Nijika invited," She hesitated for a moment, then added, "Just now, I said you were a staff member sorry, I was in a hurry, don't take it seriously."
"Of course not," Kaito shook his head. Seeing the manager still looked a bit self-conscious, he thought for a moment and tried to lighten the mood, "As a temporary staff member, I probably won't need to buy tickets next time I come to watch a show, right?"
This kind of harmless little joke, of course Seika wouldn't take seriously. She turned her face away and seemed to lightly "hmph."
'Don't even mention buying a ticket, as long as you're willing to marry memy little sister Nijika, I'll give you the store.'
But of course, such words were not suitable to say aloud. The tsundere store manager turned her eyes back to the laptop in front of her and used the action of typing on the keyboard to hide her emotions.
"That depends on whether you can satisfy me."
"Satisfy with what?"
A side ponytail girl had somehow come over, tilting her head with a curious look, "Sis and Kaito-kun, what are you two talking about?"
"Ahem, I meant, please me," Seika accidentally choked on her own saliva. She must have been infected by a certain Trashy Ryou, since weird thoughts kept popping up in her head. She quickly recounted the earlier little episode.
"I see", Nijika wasn't too interested in the JK group that came to flirt. But she was quite interested in the "staff" excuse her sister used. Her wine-red pupils sparkled, "Speaking of which, Kaito-kun, do you want to really work at the store?"
It wasn't strange that she had such an idea.
The ancients said: warfare requires timing, geographical advantage, and human harmony.
Love is like a battlefield. Unlike Bocchi and Kita, Nijika, who attended Shimokitazawa University, had already lost the advantage of location from the start.
Although Kaito had a good relationship with her and would occasionally visit the store, the frequency wasn't high, only about once or twice a week.
Nijika had to juggle schoolwork and the store, so she had little time to take the initiative.
But
If Kaito also worked at the store, the situation would be very different.
The time they spent together would at least not be as pitifully little as it was now.
There's a saying: feelings develop over time.
Just imagining that in the future, she and Kaito would become fellow workers, spending each day together and naturally moving toward the altar Nijika blushed and felt even more determined to make it happen.
Even Seika beside her seemed a bit tempted. If the rice was cooked into porridge, then as the store manager, she could say that classic line, ["Kaito-kun, you don't want to lose this job too, right?"]
Unfortunately
"If it's just occasionally helping out, that's fine," Kaito didn't think too much and directly rejected her proposal, "As for working part-time, I don't have that kind of plan for now."
He already had an exorcism side job and wasn't short on money. In his free time, he'd rather go home and keep company with Mutsumi, lest that little cucumber wither away again.
"I-I see", Nijika clearly looked a bit disappointed.
But she couldn't force others to do what they didn't like, so she could only take a step back and carefully asked, "Then next time, can I come visit Kaito-kun's house? And also, see Kumiko"
She had wanted to visit Kumiko before and had even bought a game disc as a gift. But the timing hadn't been right, the little sword spirit was evolving back then and had slept for several days.
She had planned to find another time to visit, but had been busy with band matters lately, and somehow it had been delayed until today.
"Of course you can."
The child's mom wants to see the child, Kaito had no reason to stop her, and didn't plan to.
Although they weren't a mother and daughter in the traditional human sense, that little sword spiritg girl clearly saw Nijika as her mother.
Moreover, ever since he accidentally caught Kumiko browsing some strange stuff last time, the little girl had been pretending to be dead and avoiding him, not even playing her favorite games anymore.
Perhaps Nijika's visit could be the key to breaking the ice?
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Chapter 182: Love Strategist Mortis
Kaito did not stay long at STARRY.
He had not forgotten that a certain secretary, Sakiko, was going to pay a visit in the evening. Seeing more and more guests arriving, he greeted Store Manager Seika and then took his leave.
When he took the train to Ikebukuro, the time on his phone screen had just reached six o'clock.
"Onii-chan, welcome back."
Mustumi was still the same as always. Hearing movement at the entrance, she always rushed over to greet him at the first moment.
The girl with light green long hair had already changed out of her school uniform. Her upper body wore a white camisole shirt, and her lower body was in light gray sports shorts, barely wrapping her delicate buttocks. Her exposed legs were slender and straight, the tender skin without a trace of pores was so white it seemed to glow.
"Why are you dressed like this?", Kaito was a little puzzled. Mustumi was a very quiet girl. Her daily outfits also matched her personality, mainly conservative. Even at home, she would wear clothes properly, rarely appearing like this.
"Because, I wanted to try out a different style," Mutsumi tilted her head. Her silk-like smooth long hair fell over her slightly thin shoulders, evoking a pitiful frailness, "Onii-chan, don't you like it?"
"It's not that I don't like it, it's just that I'm so used to seeing you in pajamas that I'm not quite used to this," Kaito rubbed her little head, "But, as long as you're happy."
["See see!"]
In the consciousness space, Mortis had her hands on her hips, smugly claiming credit, [I told you, Onii-chan would definitely like it.]
Ever since she realized that her feelings for her Onii-chan had subtly changed, and after the stimulus from Soyo, Mutsumi had made up her mind to change the relationship between them.
The identity of "younger sister" was a double-edged sword.
It allowed her to act affectionately with her Onii-chan without concern, to do some close yet not overstepping actions, and she didn't have to worry about being disliked.
But the downside was also obvious: because she was treated as a sister, someone to be taken care of, with her Onii-chan's personality, it would be difficult for him to develop any extra feelings for her.
