Chapter 45 Someone is harassing me...

Jingle.

"Welcome."

Amidst a greeting spoken in a soft yet faintly audible voice, Kayoko stood meticulously behind the counter, welcoming every customer who stepped into the store.

Beneath a blue apron, she wore a form-fitting gray short-sleeve shirt. Its waist-cinching design accentuated curves full enough to make most women feel inadequate.

As for her plump figure hidden behind the counter, it was only visible when the female owner came over to retrieve items.

Even though Kayoko kept her head down most of the time, coming and going customers would inevitably let their gazes linger on her for two or three seconds as they passed the entrance.

Kayoko disliked being watched by others; she was much more accustomed to spending time quietly alone in a corner.

Attire that so thoroughly revealed her figure brought a fair amount of distress to someone used to going unnoticed.

However, Kashiya-kun liked it very much when she wore this outfit. Although he was very restrained, merely sweeping his gaze over her each time—his glances brief yet frequent—it still mattered.

Therefore, even though this outfit caused her distress outside, she still put it on.

Because I like Kashiya-kun's gaze... I want him to look at me more...

"Hello?"

"Eh? Ah? Y-You, hello... Is something the matter?"

Pulled back from her reverie by the voice, Kayoko instinctively bowed in response, greeted by a light chuckle.

"The cashier is quite cute."

The sudden praise made Kayoko blink blankly, looking at the handsome, brown-haired man with a gentle smile standing before her.

Parts of the scene continued...

"Hello, are you... checking out?"

The man nodded, placing a book on the checkout counter.

"Please ring this up for me, thank you."

Hearing this, Kayoko nodded blankly, took the book, and scanned the barcode against the register.

While Kayoko concentrated on ringing up the purchase, the man watched her with a constant smile.

A handsome, tall male alongside a quiet, serious, and stunningly curvaceous female—such a pairing easily drew the attention of others no matter where they were.

Not to mention, the handsome, tall man was holding a bouquet of roses concealed in his right hand behind his back. The scene, reeking of gossip potential, quickly attracted the glances of other patrons in the bookstore.

"Hello, that comes to... 6,856 yen in total."

"Right."

The conversation ended. Kayoko stared blankly at the man. The man, assuming Kayoko had finally noticed him, readied a smile as he prepared to pull out the flowers, only to hear Kayoko prompt him:

"P-Please pay..."

"Uh..."

With a wry smile, the man intentionally placed the flowers right in front of the cash register.

Generally speaking, when most girls saw flowers and then looked at his appearance, they would begin to fantasize about whether he was going to give the flowers to her, filling them with secret anticipation.

And at the moment that anticipation swelled, he would use various excuses to present the flowers, using that opening to naturally invite them out for a stroll after work.

For the fast ones, things could be arranged that very night; for the slow ones, it was merely a waste of a little time.

"That's 10,000 yen received, your change is 3,144 yen."

Yet Kayoko's calm, lifeless voice and eyes, devoid of the slightest ripple of emotion, left the man somewhat bewildered.

Could it be that he wasn't her type?

Watching Kayoko lower her head again and zone out after the transaction finished, his gaze repeatedly sized up the twin peaks rising beneath her apron.

With no other choice, he would just have to force the issue!

"Uhm, beautiful lady, might I present you with a bouquet of flowers?"

Sporting his most flawless smile, the man looked at Kayoko with tender eyes.

Interrupted from her daze once more, Kayoko blinked blankly, looking at the flowers before her.

"Is there something you need?"

"....Huh?"

Kayoko's words left the man stunned, causing him to glance down at the roses in his hand with a flicker of insecurity.

"Well..."

"?"

Meeting Kayoko's inquiring gaze, could it be that she didn't understand the meaning of giving roses?!

At this thought, a surge of excitement bloomed in the man's chest.

He had struck gold! A pretty girl untainted by others was even rarer than a pig that could climb trees!

Suppressing the excitement in his heart, the man said affectionately, "This is my fifth time coming to this shop. I noticed you from the very first time I came. You are like a lotus flower, so beautiful. If possible, might I invite you to dinner? I've already booked a table..."

Kayoko blinked, a trace of annoyance flashing in her eyes as she interrupted him.

"No!"

"Eh?"

A gasp echoed from between the bookshelves. Forget the man, even the customers watching the spectacle were completely baffled.

Why, why did she reject him? Was the man not handsome enough?

Having finished speaking, Kayoko lowered her head and zoned out once more.

Seeing this, a flash of resentment crossed the man's eyes. Am I really that unappealing to you?

At this, the man reached out, intending to grab Kayoko and continue pestering her, but Kayoko dodged out of the way.

The man instinctively looked up, only to catch a fleeting, substantive glare of hatred flashing through Kayoko's eyes.

Kayoko took two steps back and turned, walking toward the corner of the bookshelf row closest to the wall.

"Store manager..."

"Hmm?"

Hiding in the shadows, sitting in the corner listening to music and reading a book, the manager took off her headphones and looked at Kayoko, who rarely sought her out unless something was wrong.

Gazing at the manager's rugged, heavily scarred face, Kayoko blinked.

"Someone is harassing me..."

Just as Kayoko finished speaking, the manager—who looked like a lump when seated and stood like a mountain—slowly walked out.

"You're harassing my clerk?"

In a deep, thick voice that blurred gender boundaries, the two-meter-tall manager with a scar across her face narrowed her eyes menacingly as she sized up the man.

Meanwhile, the man gazed at Kayoko's plump hips, letting his lust override his cowardice as he smiled and said, "I just wanted to invite that young lady to—"

Before he could finish, accompanied by a gust of wind, the man felt a sharp pain in his neck as he was hoisted up like a baby chicken and dragged out of the bookstore.

"You aren't welcome here. Don't come back next time."

Jingle.

The bookstore door closed from the inside. The man knelt on the ground in pain, clutching his neck, as a child's innocent voice rang out.

"Mom, look, look! I told you there's a monster in the bookstore!"

"Don't talk nonsense!"

Returning to the bookstore, Yoshimura Hanako, the manager, sighed as she looked at the customers wearing looks of terror because of her.

"Kayoko, I'll leave things here to you."

"Hai!"

The commotion ended, and another customer stepped forward to check out.

"Uhm, is your manager always that terrifying?"

Hearing this, Kayoko shook her head.

"The manager isn't scary at all."

Actually, she was a little scary, but Kashiya-kun said she could trust the manager, so the manager was a good person!

Gazing at the pretty, quiet Kayoko, and then at Yoshimura Hanako, who—even curled up in the corner—remained startlingly huge.

"I think I finally understand why your manager hired you as a clerk."

"Eh?"

In the evening, Kayoko finished her shift after reading a book while seated in her chair.

As she pushed the door open, a lazy cat meow drifted over.

"Meow~"

She saw Yoshimura Hanako squatting on the ground, massaging