The glitter of morning sun passed through the window as the radiant eyes woke Aoki Sasaki up from his sole bed. He yawned and arose his entire body to rub his sluggish eyes, but his guilt remained in his mind. He stretched out of his arms and legs to crack their joints. Although the morning breeze relieved his body, he appreciated the services within the inn and throughout the town. He rubbed his eyelids to give himself a cloudless sight.
".... I wonder if Lilith is all right."
Last night, he had found a convenient bathhouse near the inn and bathed within a separated gender category to avoid his perversion. Every splash of scorching water washed every dirt, sweat, and reek out from his body—making him fresher than before. While Lilith was serving the men, he preferred relaxing amid the silent breeze.
And on this shiny day, he wore his shoes and looked outside the inn through a refracted window. There were townsfolk and other travelers with powdered wigs on their head, marketing with odd items from their cart carriages. Every folk went on working for their living as it applied to most people back in his origin. Their daily life had always productive habits to serve and enjoy whatever they wanted to do.
"I guess I have to check how Lilith has been doing."
He checked every nook and cranny to ensure nothing from missing out. The folded paper and coins were still in his pocket, so he left his room and went down from the loft to the ground for his search. The people around the bar were chatting about their personal purpose. Looking around, he found Lilith Rose, sitting alone on the seat with the front table and sipping the coffee. The table had the tissue acrylic and a white cup of coffee on it.
He approached and called her attention, "Good morning, Lilith. How are you doing?"
Lilith greeted him back and beamed, "I'm fine for today. It was worth enjoying my time to sleep with them… but guess what, I used a quarter amount from their payments for sleeping in the other room next door. The smell of alcohol made me do so."
"So… what's up with your customers?"
She shrugged, "Oh, well. They were still dozing in the middle of the day, so I guess the owner might issue them for an extra charge."
"That sounds cruel though."
Aoki sat on the chair with a table in front of Lilith and her coffee. They were waiting for the cooks to serve the breakfast meals on their table. He palmed his relaxed cheeks to laze his head without bother while she continued drinking her morning coffee. His eyes were rolling around to view his surroundings since morning hours.
He tilted his head, thinking about the story behind the reason for her usual task, so he proposed his continual conversation.
"You say that you're a prostitute, right?.... Sorry to ask, but have you had any personal reasons behind your decision?"
The reason he asked might refer to every issue he heard from Shinjuku's Kabukichō in his origin. He thought in his glimpse to know if it was common in relation to his typical view. His trembling nerves could tell if Lilith was tense to hear from his question. Her eyes went down for trying at ease.
However, she still kept smiling as if nothing troubled her.
".... I don't know," she winked, "But it's… a… long… story~"
So I guess this leaves me in multiple guesses, but all I can think of is financial debts…. Well, time to shove it away.
Lilith noticed his strange stare as she did once before him.
"Um, Aoki?"
"Y–Yeah. I'm sorry for an awkward pause. I was just in awe of your daily life…. Hey, have you heard of STDs?"
"STDs...?"
Lilith tilted her head as she felt puzzling from his weird abbreviation while Aoki flinched his mouth from another awkward question—tempting to scratch his scalp.
She answered with her servile lips, "I wonder if your topic of conversation can be related, and I'm thinking if your approach is my body health."
"I… I guess you caught my intention."
"Don't fret. There's a nearby clinic from my workplace that I will go to on a weekly schedule. Plus, the official census of prostitution had my name on the list, so a weekly check-up is always part of the requirement."
His mouth gusted the air out of exhaust and expelled his shuddered nerves out of the steer. His nodding head ensured for her words. His sweat was nothing from Lilith's gleaming eyes. He cracked his finger and adjusted his posture in a proper straight. Shaking his head, he placed his entwined hands on the table.
"Anyway, what's our breakfast meal for today?"
"Bacon with cheese and egg."
He returned his beam from her chosen menu. Although she could hide her words for surprise, she instead blamed the server to catch them up. His tapping fingers on his cheek gave her the patient lips.
"Here's the order."
Until the wait was over, the server finally placed two dishes on their table. The honey-scented bacon and strong cheese pleased their noses, for their hungry stomach urged their taste buds. Aoki eyed with his puzzling mess, but the looks of his plate turned it otherwise—his eyes became dazzling.
He sliced the first piece of bacon and forked it with cheese to coat his awaiting taste. He munched the entire pieces and found it worth lingering.
"Mmm~ It's so swe–"
"Don't open your throat when your mouth is full."
He gulped the food down and bowed his head down, "I'm sorry for my inconvenience. I just found this food to be memorable."
"I guess you're too fond of food."
"You're right."
"Compared to every plump man, it seems that you have a right to be gluttonous, but I don't think it suits you much."
He grinned with his munched mouth to savor the mix. Smooth flick on his knife and fork enjoyed with every chomp. The cheese cheered the bacon with a smoky flavor matching to stimulation. His tongue continued to play along with bits until the taste ran out to gulp.
Eating everything on the plate, they emptied it and finished their breakfast. Aoki was the first who blew out of his enjoyment. His stomach had finally filled with convenient nutrients.
Lilith beamed at his worth and announced, "Today, we'll set ourselves back to my home, but first… I got a surprise gift for you—not really that surprising though."
"It's okay. I mind nothing at all, but I wish it might be useful for me."
She grabbed the paper bag from under the table and handed it to him. He gripped and looked at what was inside the bag. His puzzling eyes were showing in front of her—at first, but it became dazzling with the immediate grip of the item.
It was a light brown blazer with an inner white polo.
Aoki gaped out of his wonder with gazing eyes at every inch of fabric.
"Are you kidding me?! This is the best outfit I have wished for many years… I mean, my entire lifetime, but who knows? The dating simulator has gotten me to this."
"Dating simulator?... I wonder if that's the thing in your place."
"Yeah. Where everyone can date his ideal girlfriend and suffer at the same time with so many choices to show and tell how it is much worth to win her heart."
Lilith paused for a moment while figuring out what he was trying to say. He noticed her closed lips and clueless eyes from wandering his vision. Out of his confidence, he frowned for a bit to return to his normal mood.
"I'm sorry if it sounds pissing you off."
She giggled by his remark, "Oh, dear~ You're such a lovely guy. After all, that's the purpose why I was waiting for you while sipping my cup of coffee."
"Really? You weren't that mean to me."
"Yeah. I always wish to get along with you."
His face blushed with his fastened lips, although his heartbeat had no match from his usual one. There was someone who came to his mind—her elegant smile reminded him with care. He stared at the empty plate and dimpled his cheeks, and the steak with barbecue coat suddenly appeared in front of his slightly moist eyes, but his conscious grip snapped it away. It went out of nowhere.
"Aoki?"
".... Yes!"
Lilith raised her hips from the seat and flicked his forehead to wipe his sweat away. His face was about to sway behind, but her gentle touch flattered him, even if his reluctant warmth was inadvertent to consider from his erected blush. No words came to his mouth as Lilith grabbed the tissue from the acrylic and cleared out of his sweaty forehead.
"It's hot around here," Lilith said.
Aoki mumbled, ".... You're the one who caught me off guard."
"What?"
"I mean," he raised his voice. "The morning breeze caused me to sweat."
Aoki grabbed Lilith's tissue, and he instead wiped his forehead and lips by himself. She once again giggled over his reluctant reaction since he intended to resist from his throbbing blush. He blamed himself for expressing his manly nature from her soothing care.
Lilith stood up from her seat to proceed for their first step.
"Well. It's time to depart from this town. Before that, you must wear your fresh clothes for sanitary, then I will wash your unusual clothes once we reach my house."
"Thank you for the gift though, and I'm excited to wear this with all my heart and soul."
She smiled and gleamed at him, "You're welcome. Feel free and fresh to wear it, anyway."
Aoki with his paper bag stood up from the seat and headed to the private room while Lilith sat back to wait for his dressing exhibition.
After the minutes were passing by, Aoki got out from the dressing room and wore the light brown blazers while he carried the paper bag which he had filled it with his hoodie jacket. Lilith stood up and marveled around his fashion to judge every inch of his sense. His shining smile and habitual gaze at his attire intrigued her to eye from head to toe.
Until Lilith finished her marveling view, she admired that he rendered himself with a suitable figure.
"I'm great at indicating the measurement to fit your size.... Come, we shall ride on the way home."
* * *
Aoki and Lilith went to the station with dozens of carriages and horses were waiting for their rental service. The man who guarded the place was feeding the horses with hays and water. He even had multiple crews washing their horses with bathing soap. They ensured every one of them couldn't turn the customers away to travel much longer.
Lilith took the pouch and pulled dozen gold coins and license cards, which she used for proving the legal permission to ride, to pay for the rental transportation. She was registering for the departure by herself alongside Aoki.
"Sir, may I ride a horse with a hygienic scent?'
The man heard and saw her request. He escorted them to the considerable candidate and granted them with the cleanest, white-furred horse. Lilith handed the gold coins and license card to him. He inspected every detail of the card until he had completely scanned everything, and he gave her back with a sure answer.
He whistled, "Well, everything is ready for you to travel. Have fun horsing!"
"Thank you," she bowed and glanced at Aoki. "The journey is about to begin."
Aoki nodded and smiled. He headed inside the cart carriage while Lilith hopped in the driver's seat and gripped the rein. She whipped the horse as it reared and neighed to start their ride with no mistaken direction. The station crews were waving as the sign of thanks for the service. The horse clopped through the exit of a certain town.
Thus, they began their journey to Lilith's home.
A clouded sky and unimpeded, grassy plains bedazzled him to gaze outside. His gaping mouth could tell what he breathed the fresh breeze since he was on the cart carriage. The blowing sound pleased his breathtaking ears without thinking of his memorable misery.
Lilith noticed his fancied look behind her back.
"It seems you are feeling new around here," she said.
"Compared to where I was, I never think of it until the scenery in front of my eyes reminds me of going throughout the countryside, although I probably used to despise it."
"Why?"
"My family had a vacation with me until the last felt nothing to amuse me. It was a long story that I couldn't explain everything even if I knew everything happened. Then, there was a girl next door who used to play with me. Around my age, she provided me a meal and money to meet my needs."
He frowned while his words ruffled him. He continued staring at the farther sight to perfect his view. Nature wore out of his misery, but thinking about it returned to his mind. His heart throbbed with his nerves of shudder and nudge. He raised his hands above, gazing at the clouded sky even if it was nonsense to act himself that way. Although he felt treasured by nature, he missed his dear who loved the same thing as he did—for now.
She smiled, "That pretty much summing up things about you."
"What?'
"Nevermind, you're such a genuine gentleman."
"Thanks, but I don't deserve to be that."
"Not like what you're thinking of it—typically."
With his flinching grip, he scratched his head while she blamed herself without a frown. His dimpled cheeks forced him to emit his whiffing nose. He sat on the wooden floor and flicked on his knees, enjoying his gaze as he felt like he was on the video game.
Once many hours were passing by, Lilith was focusing on the road, so all he had to do when boredom hit him was laying down and closing his eyes to render his rest.