【...】
【2:00 PM. Be on time. I despise people who don't respect punctuality.】
A text from Sakuraba Mitsuki — an address and that one line.
They'd exchanged contact information back on the athletic field, but there'd been no reason for either to message the other until now.
That was about to change, it seemed.
After a moment's thought, Oreki Gen kept his reply short.
【Got it.】
Two simple characters. Nothing remarkable on the surface — bordering on cold, even.
But that was precisely the point. He couldn't let her think he might be falling for her beauty. At the same time, receiving something that curt would give her a certain impression — "Got it" was the kind of acknowledgment a superior used with a subordinate.
And for someone of Sakuraba Mitsuki's social standing — leagues above Oreki Gen in every measurable way — she was unlikely to tolerate that kind of phrasing.
She'd develop an urge to conquer him.
And that was exactly what Oreki Gen needed right now. When both sides were impenetrable walls, there were no openings — only the one on the attack would show their hand.
"Oreki-kun, always right on the dot."
Oreki Gen had changed into his uniform at the convenience store and was clocking in on schedule when he looked up.
There stood a young woman in an athletic tank top that showed off a pretty midriff, a baseball cap perched on her head.
She looked like the type who followed trends and frequented nightlife spots.
But she was actually the store manager — Kiyono Yuri.
Kiyono Yuri wasn't a character from the original doujin. There hadn't even been a store manager in the setting. It seemed that after his transmigration, the world's rationalization-correction had produced this attractive yet complicated young woman.
Great figure. Her skin wasn't the porcelain-pale variety — it had a healthy, sun-kissed wheat tone, complemented by barely-there makeup.
She seemed to radiate perpetual energy while carrying an adult's effortless cool.
A drastically different image from most of the girls in Sakurato.
Oreki Gen smiled. "Only because the manager once said: 'Student or not, I'm docking your pay if you're late.'"
Kiyono Yuri blinked. "Is Oreki-kun accusing me of being too harsh on a kid like you?"
Oreki Gen shook his head. "That's just what adults deal with. Also, Manager, I'm already a legal adult. Please stop calling me a kid."
Kiyono Yuri suddenly leaned toward Oreki Gen, bending forward as if she were about to climb right over the counter.
Her pretty face, half-shaded by the brim of her cap, drew close to the handsome young man.
"Oh? Oreki-kun is all grown up now? Does that mean it's time for big sis here to step in and help make Oreki-kun a real man?"
BONK.
"Ow ow ow ow...!"
Oreki Gen casually tapped the barcode scanner against Kiyono Yuri's head.
Forcing the woman to clutch her head and retreat.
Only then did the young man speak, perfectly composed. "You taught me not to let people lean into the counter. Also, please refrain from saying things that sound like harassment to a student."
Kiyono Yuri shot Oreki Gen a glare, but there was no real anger behind it — as if this kind of exchange was routine for them.
"Hmph. With a face that pretty and absolutely zero romantic instinct. I'm starting to understand why Oreki-kun still doesn't have a girlfriend. You really do give this big sis of yours headaches~"
Oreki Gen was counting the bills and coins in the register.
"The manager isn't even that much older, right? Lecturing people all the time will age you fast."
Kiyono Yuri's eyes went wide.
"What are you saying?!"
She immediately whipped out a compact mirror and scrutinized the corners of her eyes — no crow's feet. Then her neck — not a single line.
Only then did she relax.
"Hmph. Always saying things that make girls unhappy. You'll never find love at this rate, Oreki-kun."
"Manager, not everyone's life revolves around love."
"Hm? That's surprisingly mature... Oh wait, that's not what I came here to talk about."
So she was only just now remembering the actual reason?
Oreki Gen finished tallying the register and looked at Kiyono Yuri.
"Right, the shoplifting incident from last time — I'll be more careful going forward and avoid any personal safety issues. If there's nothing else, feel free to go about your business, Manager. I need to get to work."
Kiyono Yuri stared at him in disbelief.
"Huh?"
"Huhhhh?!"
"I hadn't even said anything yet! How did you know that's what I was going to bring up? And then you just dismiss me to go do something else? Am I some useless manager who's constantly being looked after by Oreki-kun?"
Not useless, exactly. She still served the essential function of issuing paychecks. But he kept that to himself.
Oreki Gen smiled at the healthy, attractive young woman.
"Because people who aren't drowning in romance tend to keep a clear head."
Kiyono Yuri stuck out her tongue.
A grown woman with a childlike heart, it turned out.
"That also makes you pretty unlikeable, though. Ahhh~ I have to go play tennis. Keep up the good work, Oreki-kun. If you do well this week, big sis will try to throw in a bonus. Bye~"
"Take care, Manager."
Kiyono Yuri left the convenience store. Outside, the sun was setting.
Oreki Gen allowed himself a smile. Interacting with someone like her carried no psychological burden — she was at least loosely disconnected from the main plot.
But tomorrow, though...
Saturday morning. Oreki Gen woke early.
Force of habit — no school, no work, so the early-rising young man headed out for a morning jog.
He loved the feeling of gulping down fresh air while sweat evaporated off his skin.
As though all the toxins built up from junk food and high-calorie drinks were being purged from his body.
He returned to the apartment with a light sheen of sweat, took a shower, watched a random anime episode, then made himself a plain, unremarkable lunch.
Speaking of lunch — his palate still hadn't fully adjusted to post-transmigration cuisine. He'd never been much of a cook before, so whipping up authentic Chinese food was out of the question.
If only his starter skill hadn't been Eyes of Desire. A cooking skill would have been so much better.
After eating and tidying up, he changed into a plain short-sleeved white dress shirt, and left the apartment.
The moment he stepped out, he found himself face to face with a mature woman who was just opening her door with a key.
"Oh, it's your day off, Oreki-kun — headed out?"
Kikyou Satomi looked at the young man with apparent surprise.
Oreki Gen, however, wasn't the least bit surprised. Before leaving, he'd clearly heard footsteps in the hallway and had already braced himself.
The young man wore his usual polite smile.
"Yeah, I have some things to take care of today."
"A date with your girlfriend?"
Kikyou Satomi's gaze carried the warmth of an older relative looking out for a younger one. But Oreki Gen refused to believe this was normal. In the doujin, this woman was an expert actress and master of disguise...
The young man shook his head with a bashful air.
"How could I? I don't exactly look like the type who'd have a girlfriend."
Kikyou Satomi covered her mouth with a light laugh.
"Oreki-kun is very handsome, you know. If we'd been in school at the same time, I would have pursued you without a second thought."
It sounded like a joke, but how many truths were delivered in the guise of humor?
Oreki Gen leaned a touch further into his shy act.
"Big Sister Kikyou is teasing me again. You must have had guys lining up when you were in school — I wouldn't have even gotten a number."
A delicate blush dusted Kikyou Satomi's features, adding another layer of allure to this mature woman's appeal. Especially today, wearing what could only be described as a sinfully tight pencil skirt... the curves were really something.
"You never know, Oreki-kun. You never know the result until you go for it."
"That's... actually a fair point. Oh, I'm about to be late — I've got to run. See you, Big Sister Kikyou."
The young man seemed to bid a hasty farewell. A faint trace of regret flickered through Kikyou Satomi's eyes.
She nodded with a smile.
"Alright, hurry along, Oreki-kun. Don't keep your date waiting."
"I keep telling you, it's not a date."
He'd already looked up the map. The location Sakuraba Mitsuki had specified was in uncharted territory for him — but online, it was known as the forbidden zone for commoners: the Flowing Gold District.
The instant he boarded the bus, Oreki Gen's pocket chimed.
So it was here after all.
He pulled out his phone and read the text.
【Oreki Gen... how filthy. Just from feeling it, it's already like this? Your head must be full of disgusting fantasies. Looks like it's more honest than you are. Tch... disgusting, disgusting, disgusting, disgusting. If you dare finish that fast in my hand, you're dead.】