Volume 2 Chapter 20 The Temptation Of Consultations
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
”So, Shuu, you’re meeting up with a super cute and beautiful girl for a date?”
As I changed into my civilian clothes in the store’s backroom after my shift, one of my coworkers asked me that, apparently having heard it from someone.
”It’s not like that. It’s just a life consultation.”
”A life consultation with you, a student? You haven’t lived long enough to give advice to others.”
”What about you, Sakauchi-san? I’ll consult for 3,000 yen for 10 minutes.”
”That’s expensive! Are you some kind of scam artist?”
I was simultaneously poked in the back. We both laughed, and as I said goodbye, “Well, I’m off,” Sakauchi-san gave me a word of encouragement as I reached for the door that led to the back alley.
(Well…)
As I took my seat at the store’s table, the battle began. They didn’t seem to realize that I was one of them.
Either I was doing a good job of hiding it outside, or they were so indifferent to others that they didn’t notice… I couldn’t tell which it was.
I entered through the front entrance of the store and made my way towards the back, where the lighting was dimmed just right. I placed my half-finished glass of Kalua Milk on the round high table and sat down on the silver stool, saying to the woman sitting there, “Sorry, I kept you waiting.”
”No, it’s fine. Thank you for coming, even though you must be tired from work. I couldn’t think of anyone else to consult with about my troubles. Please, sit here.”
Banzushima-san gracefully stroked the seat of the stool next to her with her slender, white fingers. The dimly lit, relaxed atmosphere added to the sensuality of her gesture. The stool was not in its usual position, set by the store.
It seemed she had moved it before I arrived, and as I sat down, it was so close that our shoulders almost touched.
Eventually, my coworker Sakauchi-san brought me my usual Virgin Mary on the rocks. Since we were on the same shift tomorrow, he was probably planning to tease me about it.
”So, what is it you want to consult me about?”
”Well, you see… I’m not getting along with my colleagues very well. It doesn’t affect us at work, since we don’t talk much, but lately, they’ve been ignoring me and treating me like I’m not even there…”
I listened intently and simply showed my empathy. I couldn’t offer any solutions or suggestions, like “You should do this because this is wrong,” which was the iron rule when consulting with someone like me.
So, I did the opposite.
”They’re ignoring you? I wouldn’t have thought so, but it seems like your workplace is quite tense. I’ve never worked in such an environment, so I can’t really say much about it. Why don’t you just quit?”
”Quit… I’m not sure if I could succeed.”
She traced the rim of the rocks glass with her fingertips. Her beautiful pink nails formed an arc.
”It’s hard to repair relationships in your current workplace, since your personality is already known.”
”…What?”
The arc of the woman’s finger stopped.
”It’s good to exchange contact information with someone you’ve become friends with, but you should stop sending messages until you get a reply. That’s a good first step.”
”You mean what Rokushoushio-san said? I guess I was bothering her. She was so nice to me… always looking out for me. I got used to it. She seemed reliable.”
She took a sip from her glass, then fell silent, waiting for my response. I endured the awkwardness of the silence. An easy answer could destroy my relationship with Risa-san.
If I lied here and said, “Risa-san was bothered by it,” this woman would send an apology message to Risa-san, the lie would be quickly exposed, and things would get even more complicated. On the other hand, if I said, “Risa-san wasn’t bothered by it,” I wouldn’t be able to stop the excessive back-and-forth of messages between this woman and Risa-san.
”I don’t know. I’m not her, so I can’t say how she feels.”
”Hehe, you’re right. But I can’t help but wonder.”
She leaned towards me. Although I couldn’t see it, I could feel her delicate hand stroking my foot, resting on the stool, and then moving towards the sensitive area near my groin.
Even the slightest movement, and my genitals would be touched through my clothes. Her gesture seemed to be an invitation, as if she wanted to cross the line and become more than just friends.
If Risa-san were here, I would have definitely kissed her deeply several times and pushed her down.
However, I ignored her and continued talking. This kind of temptation, when the other person doesn’t react and ignores you, is the most difficult and embarrassing, and it would be a blow to my pride.
”As for the frequency of contact, it’s best to suppress it to about one-tenth of what it is now, and only when you really want to contact them. The most important thing is to not create any free time where you’re constantly thinking about and obsessing over the other person.”
The hand that was stroking my foot stopped, and the warm sensation slowly withdrew.
”…How… do you know? It’s like you’re talking about your own experience. You know too much, it’s creepy.”
”That’s harsh. You’re overreacting. You’re the one who wanted to consult with me, right? So, I’m just answering how to deal with your impulsive feelings.”
”…Are you saying we’re the same kind of person?”
So, she hadn’t noticed. I realized it right away. Unless she was one of us, she wouldn’t invade another’s territory…
She should know that any attempt to take away a friend or lover would result in a bloody fight.
”I don’t know… there are things I can’t understand about myself. And by the way, I’m job hunting right now. Hearing your story was helpful, as it gave me an idea of what to be careful about when working. Thank you.”
”What? You’re a medical student, aren’t you, Shuu-kun…”
Come to think of it, Risa-san mentioned that I might be mistaken for one of her relatives.
”Me? No way. I’m just a high school senior job hunting, and I don’t have any money, so Risa-san lets me stay at her place. I’m just a freeloader.”
”…A freeloader? And at your age? I can’t believe it.”
”A freeloader… I’m still a student. I work part-time to pay my tuition fees.”
”…Hmm. What a misunderstanding. This is my first failure.”
Her tone changed. The air of near-death that evoked a desire to protect her disappeared. Was this her true self?
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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