Chapter 29: Chapter 29: Part-Time Job
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Living at Asou Miyuriâs place had its perksâshe was cute, and there was no rent to worry about if you want.
But as the saying goes, a true gentleman does not feast on handouts, âIt canlead to all kinds of complications. So, I refusedâ
âIf itâs not Miss Miraâs soft rice, Iâm not eating it!â
When Hikari turned down the offer, Miyuri pouted adorably and sighed, "Alright, if youâre really against it, Auntie wonât force you. Itâs not like I need the money urgently. So, if you need a few more days to pay, thatâs fine. But try to get it done within three days, okay?"
"Got it, three days, no problem." Hikari promised before ending the call.
"Who knows when Miss Yukina will return the money she borrowed? All that cash I saved up from holiday jobs was supposed to go towards rent, and now thereâs barely anything left."
"I could just ask Miss Mira directly; sheâd definitely give me the money."
"But, I canât just live off her like this forever. Sure, her soft rice is top-tier, but a manâs got to make his own way eventually."
He clenched his fist,"A real man stands tall between heaven and earth. How could I live stifled under someone elseâs roof for too long?"
"Even if Miss Mira isnât exactly a foster father, but more of a foster mother, it still doesnât feel right mooching off of her."
"With my current physical strength and stamina, getting a part-time job shouldnât be hard. Earning money wonât be an issue."
After thinking it through, Hikari decided to ask Miss Mira, who was mature, reliable, and always able to find solutions, if she could help him find a suitable part-time job.
Otherwise, his excessive energy was going to waste without an outlet.
He glanced upstairs and noticed that Miss Miraâs room was dark.
Turning toward the bathroom, he realized she was inside, probably taking one of her famously long baths.
Casually, he called out, "Miss Mira, could you please finish up a bit quicker today? I need to talk to you about something."
To his surprise, she responded almost immediately from the bathroom, "Come on in."
Thinking she must not have started her bath yet, Hikari decided to get it over with and stepped inside.
But as soon as he entered, he froze.
There on the floor was a trail of clothes, skirts, and underwear scattered here and there.
And in the bathtub lay a graceful, bare figure.
Though bubbles covered most of the waterâs surface, leaving only a faint outline visible, the outline alone was enough to make Hikariâs breath catch.
"Miss Mira, sorry! Iâll just... see myself out."
Just then, there was a splash as Miss Mira sat up in the tub.
Most of her body was still covered in bubbles, but enough was visible to hint at her bare shoulders and collarbone. She casually swept her damp hair back and glanced at Hikari, a faint smile on her lips. "Little Hikari, what did you want to talk to me about?"
Hikari swallowed, quickly averting his eyes toward the ceiling. "Youâre in the bath. Itâs not urgentâI can wait until youâre done."
But Miss Mira was having none of it. "Oh, come on! Youâre already here; whatâs the point of going back out?"
She leaned against the edge of the tub, turning her back to him. "Help me scrub my back, would you? Itâs been itchy, and I canât quite reach. Itâs so bothersome."
Seeing her smooth, flawless back, as white and delicate as fine porcelain, Hikari hesitated.
"Little Hikari," she called, "what are you standing around for? When you were little, you used to beg to take baths with me. Youâd scrub my back all the time, and Iâd scrub yours. Have you forgotten already?"
"Stop dawdling and get over here. My backâs itching terribly."
Reluctantly, Hikari moved closer, kneeling beside the tub. The warm steam filling the bathroom made his cheeks flush and his head feel light.
"Hereâs the scrub towelâget started." She held out the towel over her shoulder, back turned to him.
Her pose revealed her smooth, hairless underarms, an area that, on anyone else, might have felt off-putting. But somehow, on Miss Mira, it evoked an odd sense of allure.
Hikari composed himself, focusing his gaze straight ahead. He took the towel from her, added a bit of shower gel, and began to scrub her back gently.
As soon as the towel touched her skin, Miss Mira let out a soft sigh of pleasure. "Oh~ just like that. Perfect!"
But after a while, she seemed dissatisfied. "This towel is too roughâitâs starting to hurt a bit. Just use your hands instead, and give me a little massage while youâre at it."
"Always with the requests..." Hikari muttered under his breath.
"What was that?" she asked, sharp ears picking up his words.
"Nothing, just saying you have amazing skin, Miss Mira. Itâs smooth and softânicer than most young girlsâ even."
Her lips curled up, eyes narrowing playfully. "Oh? Hearing Little Hikariâs compliments is always a delight for this old Miss."
"But, tell me, how do you know my skin is better than a young girlâs? Have you been... touching some lately?"
Detecting the mischief in her tone, Hikari felt a cold sweat on his brow. He quickly clarified, "Just a comparison, Miss Mira. No need to take it so literally."
Then, placing his hands on her shoulders, he started to gently massage.
"Ah~" she let out a pleased sigh.
Hikari remained focused, maintaining a firm but gentle rhythm as he worked. His skill was entirely thanks to his experience with Miss Mira, so he was used to it by now.
After a few minutes, her eyes drifted closed. "By the way, Little Hikari, you said you had something to discuss. What was it?"
"Oh, right. Itâs nothing big, really," he replied, continuing his massage. "I wanted to pick up a part-time job to save up for rent. Thought maybe you could recommend something."
She sighed, turning to glance at him with a hint of disapproval. "Youâre still so young, why worry about that? Do you know how exhausting part-time work can be?"
"Whatâs more, if you donât ask Auntie for help, does that mean you donât see me as family anymore? Iâve always treated you like my own son, you know. Just tell me how much you need; Auntieâs got you."
She turned around and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek.
Hikari felt the heat rising to his face as he wiped his cheek, resisting the absurd impulse to press his lips to hers in response. Instead, he gave a sheepish smile. "I know youâd help, Miss Mira. Youâre important to me, too."
"But, itâs just... I want to stand on my own feet. To earn my own money, and feel the satisfaction that comes with it. I canât rely on you forever, right?"
Miss Mira listened with a faint, amused smile, but Hikari continued, earnest now. "I know living under your wing is comfortable, but as a man, sometimes I want to... well, have my own independence."
âIf I stay under her care foreverâ, he thought, âIâll never grow. Though, to be fair, being under Miss Miraâs... care... had its appeal. But still! A man should be able to take charge sometimes.â
Seeing his serious face, Miss Mira chuckled and said softly, "Who says you canât rely on me for life? Iâve already made up my mind to take care of Little Hikari for as long as he wants~"
Hikari was momentarily speechless, âIs this... for real?â
Seeing his dazed expression, she laughed again, her laughter full of warmth and gentle affection.
"Alright, alright," she said, eyes sparkling. "I know children must grow up eventually. And look at you, my Little Hikari, already all grown up."
[T/N: Can you all see Illustrations? To check if they are shadow banned by WN.]
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