Yomiuri must have been super smart. Instead of following the rules to
the letter, she understood their purpose and acted accordingly. To me, this
intelligence was her most appealing trait, but a lot of other guys didn't
seem to agree.
"This is the third time this month," I said.
"Today's the seventh, which makes it once every other day."
She put on a show of sinking weakly to the floor behind the cash
register where the customers wouldn't see her.
Someone else might think she was humblebragging by complaining
about how often customers tried to put the moves on her, but my policy
was to remain neutral, so I was able to listen to her honest worries without
any strange biases.
"I wish they'd at least move it somewhere else," I said. "Since you
tease me every time I cover for you… Though, I guess I've gotten used to
it by now."
"I appreciate it. You're a really dependable guy, Yuuta."
"…Oh, sorry. I wasn't fishing for compliments."
"That's okay. I'm causing you trouble, so fish away."
She laughed and patted me on the shoulder.
Yomiuri looked like a delicate Japanese beauty, but she let her guard
down when we had shifts alone together. She'd even start cracking jokes
with me.
At first, I was shocked by her lack of restraint and how she'd casually
touch me, but it was easy to get used to once I realized that was just how
she was and she was only being friendly.
"But you sure are popular with the guys," I remarked. "I guess it's
because you're beautiful."
"Oh, Yuuta…don't be so quick to compliment me, or you'll wind up
like that customer someday."
"Please don't scare me."
"But I don't think those guys come after me because they think I'm beautiful. They probably just figure I'd be an easy lay."
"An easy…lay…?"
The straightforward way she said it, with no forewarning, made me choke.
Yomiuri was beautiful, but she was also graceful and reserved.
Those features made her an outcast in Shibuya, and maybe they gave some guys the wrong impression…
I knew well that the idea of a pure, naive, inexperienced young lady
who was therefore easy to have your way with was only a sad male
fantasy. The real deal tended to be pretty harsh and even sadistic. For
example:
"By the way, I've been smelling girl on you all day," Yomiuri said.
"What's the deal? Are you seeing someone?"
"Don't be silly… Um, do I really smell like girl?"
"Oh yeah. It's pungent. I wonder how much intense flirting it would
take to make you smell like that."
"I'm leaving early. I'll go home and take a shower."
"Hey, I was only kidding. Don't leave me here by myself!" Yomiuri
cried, clinging to me as I sniffed the sleeve of my uniform and pretended
to make my way out the door.
Yomiuri and I were the only ones there. Peak hours had passed, but
managing the rest of the shift alone would have been tough. Of course, I
was only joking and wasn't seriously considering going home.
"You told me something before about a stepsister moving in with you,"
she said.
"Oh yeah."
That's right, I had discussed the matter with her previously.
When I learned that Ayase and I were the same age, I wasn't sure what
kind of distance was appropriate, and I'd asked Yomiuri for advice as my
only real female acquaintance who I felt comfortable talking to.
She'd found the whole thing amusing. All she did was tease me; she
didn't offer any useful advice.
"I can't say anything, since all you've told me is that she's a girl.
Different people have different personalities, interests, and values," she'd
said. Her argument sounded convincing, and I wasn't about to complain.
"How is she? Is she cute?" Yomiuri asked.
"I don't think it's right to look at her that way."
"I know you aren't the type of lech who'd be over the moon to have a
girl move in with him. I'm just asking you for an objective observation."
"…Beautiful… I think she's beautiful," I answered honestly.
My words were muddled because I felt uneasy and a little guilty
talking that way about someone of the opposite sex who would be living
with me as part of my family.
We might take similar positions on interpersonal relationships, but I
wasn't so brazen as to start telling people that Ayase and I were close. We were hardly living on the same planet.
Ayase had a nice figure and a great face, dyed her hair a pretty gold
color, and was fashionable, wearing clothes and jewelry that suited her
perfectly. She was positive and outgoing, too. Obviously not an introvert
like I was.
I wouldn't be surprised if she thought compliments from a shy weirdo
like me were not only unpleasant but downright gross.
"Good job, tiger!" Yomiuri said. "So you'll be living with a hottie.
Spring has come."
"Nothing is going to happen."
"Something could happen."
"Stop it. You sound like a dirty old man."
"I can't help it. I went to all-girls schools from junior high straight
through college."
"Are you trying to ruin their reputation…?"
"But that's really how they are."
"…Seriously?"
"It's up to you whether to believe it or not… Ha-ha."
Yomiuri winked playfully like she was reciting the opening line from
some TV show about urban legends. I mentally chose not to believe her. I
wanted to preserve the sacred image in my heart of all-girls schools being
lily-filled gardens of learning.
"I'm a healthy young guy, so sure, there are moments when I start
imagining things. But I honestly don't think it's the time to have evil
thoughts."
"Hmm?"
"Think about it. I'm living under the same roof as a girl my age. That's
a huge challenge for a guy like me who has zero experience with the opposite sex."
"What do you think I am, exactly?"
"You're more like a guy."
"Ah-ha-ha! Hey, that's going too far! That said, you're probably right."
"You're like a male friend to me—an older guy I can depend on."
I mean, she even told dirty jokes… Though, it was possible women were even nastier than men when it came to stuff like that.
"Ah-ha-ha-ha. Wow… Pfft. Ha-ha-ha… Okay, I got it. I can tell by what you just said that your skills with girls are disastrous."
"…I won't deny it or make excuses."