Chapter 283: Poor Toshi
An instinctive tear builds in the corner of Yuuko's right eye as she yawns and pulls the shutter of her bookstore. She refrains from huffing in exhaustion at the sight of a familiar face the second she pulls the shutter a little above her height. A middle-aged man in a navy-blue two-piece over his white shirt greets the moderate entrepreneur and mother of one.
"Good morning, Yuuko-san," He smiles while adjusting his glasses from the temples as seen by spectacled male protagonists in popular media.
"Yakima-san, isn't it too early again?" Yuuko squeezes a smile as his gaze moves from her to the pile of strange outfits placed on the corner of her shop visible from the storefront—her Employee's stored costumes over the week—a former employee possibly.
"Ah-hahaha," Toshi laughs, "I'm practicing a great diet and exercise routine, Yuuko-san. Getting early and being more energetic is one of the many intended 'side-effects.'"
Yuuko nods as she pushes the shutter overhead and feels Yakima's gaze fixated on her sweater-clad bosom. Not that she minds. It's nice to be appreciated every now and then, and it's not like Yakima ever gets anything more. She might be annoyed if she were in her early twenties, but in her 'late twenties'?—it's pleasing to be wanted.
But she yelps while Toshi jumps in surprise when a large shadow practically snatches the bottom of the shutter and pushes it up into the metal roll as Yuuko's hand empties!
Toshi and Yuuko instantly glance at the stranger—a black hoody, blue denim, and a plain blue mask hide a large swathe of his dusky skin, a pair of violet eyes blinking at the duo. He rustles the polybag in his hand to attract the duo's attention. "I've gotten enough stare this early for my outfit to realize it's the classic 'emo' package or something, but I spent a lot on these, so no need to stare with open jaws."
Truly! The Souma Family has been too kind to him by not laughing at his outfit!
First, the Avatar Movie featuring ONG, and now this—Ray screwed with him quite thoroughly—the fucking troll she-he-fucking-they promised to be!
"Um, do I know you?" Yuuko questions after gulping for a second as he pries the mask off his face before taking a deep breath.
"Huff! I still can't get used to masks over my nose. Hey, Yuuko-san!" Nik grins brightly, swiftly patting her right shoulder, "It's Nik. Thanks for giving me the week off! I realized my size would be quite a shock, so I brought a costume myself for the day. It's the outfit of a Fire-wielding Prince with a can-do attitude, terrible luck with the ladies, and the lucky Keeper of Dragon."
He shifts and slides past Yuuko to enter the store, leaving the duo stunned as he informs. "Oh, and I can speak again. My memories returned. Genta-san confirmed my documents yesterday, and I brought them today for your verification."
Nik stops before looking back at the duo, "Uh, do you want to vet the costume before I wear it? I don't know what genres of books are on offer today."
"Y-You're that amnesiac?" Toshi blinks.
"I see those glasses aren't for show, learned one," Nik chuckles, feeling more than peppier after piping Kurumi before her class. "But Shindou-kun from the restaurant next door taught me it's bad to call others by names. You should work on that, Mister- What was your name again?"
"Yakima Toshi," he replies, still not wrapping his head around the situation as well as the Souma Family did last night.
Nik isn't brutish enough to insolently believe he can sweep all questions by bulldozing through conversations. But he certainly will try to do just that!
"N-Nik?!" Yuuko blinks, jolting in surprise. "You're Nik?!"
"And that's why you don't wear any glasses," Nik clicks his tongue playfully as he pokes fun, easing Yuuko into the situation. "Yes, I'm Nik Faran." He retrieves something from his pocket, an ID. He flashes the card to the duo, "See? It says right there."
Yuuko and Yakima glance at their country's national ID—Nik's image in his black hoody is all too clear—the same hoody he is wearing presently.
"So?" Nik raises an eyebrow. "Do you want to see the costume?"
"Wait a minute!" Toshi snaps out of his stupor before pointing a finger at Nik. "Y-you cannot be the same man I met a week ago! Look at you! Your body is massive, and your skin is darker than before, not to mention your eyes!"
Nik prepared the most natural lie for this.
"I changed my diet."
Toshi's lips part open as Nik unknowingly tosses Toshi's excuse back at him. Truthfully, Toshi tried avoiding Nik after meeting him on the first day.
"Your diet?" Yuuko mutters.
'Can I get on such a diet?' She refrains the urge to exclaim her intrusive thoughts as she stares at Nik in amazement. He always had a certain charm. But now he is almost pulling her in with his gaze alone!
Things can be more straightforward with the work of [Twilight Thief,] but Nik isn't keen on using that abusive skill for such means.
He cannot bulldoze his way through this conversation, that's clear, so he waits for the duo to come to terms. Either he will keep his job or look for something else interesting enough.
"Yuuko-san," Toshi looks at the woman and speaks sternly, "You cannot keep someone like him around you! Who knows what kind of connections he has? He doesn't strike as someone with any good intentions!"
'Bruh, you're offending the entire Southern and Northern Tribe with your words, asshole!' Nik rolls his eyes and calmly placates Yuuko's ever-growing imagination, "If you'd like, I can leave. You are free to confirm things with Genta-san. But I would like to work and keep myself busy if possible—not something someone with ill connections will speak of."
"And why would we believe your words?!" Toshi snorts, raising his voice as the corner of Nik's eyes twitch. The man is rather eager to create a commotion.
"You can trust an amnesiac on a police officer's words but not someone with proper documents?" Nik tilts his head, stumping Toshi. To be fair, the middle-aged salaryman was against Nik from day one for his issues.
"And I sent Megumi, Manabu, and Kurumi off at the entrance of their schools. So, I'm not too untrustworthy." Nik continues as he glances at Yuuko. "All I ask is for a chance. I'm motivated to work," he pulls the Fire Nation's royal attire fitted to his size from the plastic baggy as Yuuko's eyes widen at the quality of the costume visible even to her untrained eyes.
A speaking Nik and a silent Nik already present a grand difference, much less his physical transformations.
"Yuuko-san," Toshi grits his jaw. "Believe me! I've seen his kind many times. My son, Shou, is no better! He rarely attends his class and constantly gets in trouble! It's one of the reasons why we don't get along! Look at his changes the second he regained his memories! He is clearly a trouble!"
Nik chuckles sheepishly, "Well. The only thing I will trouble you is with my work days. But we can jot that out later, right?"
One man stands within her store while the other stands outside, opposing the former. Yuuko thins her lips as a weird emotion bubbles within her ample chest. Maybe it's wrong to think about stupid things like two men fighting over her—rather—the former's employment. But, hey! She is equally important as an employer, right? She shakes these thoughts away before ending the argument before it escalates and needs a crowd to resolve. Her store cannot handle that kind of bad publicity.
"Let me talk with Asagi-san," Yuuko nods and smiles at Nik, "If Asagi-san is assured, I probably do not need to worry. And the costume you brought certainly works in your favor."
"Yuuko-san—"
"Yakima-san," Yuuko shakes her head, "Please! Don't create a commotion."
Toshi grounds his jaw as Nik shrugs. "I'll get to cleaning the top of the shelves. I can reach them easily now~!" He places the princely attire on the counter, "You can check the costume, right? And we'll discuss my salary once we prepare the store for customers."
He picks up the dusting cloth from behind the counter as Yuuko coughs, "Your clothes will easily get dirty. Dust doesn't suit the color black too well."
Nik smirks as he slightly lifts his hoody, exposing his sculpted v-taper as if to toast Toshi further and maybe provide Yuuko a little more incentive to treat her new employee well as their eyes don't leave his flesh until the hoody covers his waist again.
"I'm not wearing any T-shirt underneath. But don't worry. I'll change into that costume once I clean those shelves."
Toshi almost feels a pit in his stomach as he hears a soft 'Whoa' from Yuuko.
"Is everything alright?" A middle-aged woman strolls toward Yuuko's bookstore. Toshi's words weren't overly loud, but he eventually intended to raise his voice to gather a crowd and get rid of this menace! He latches to the surprising backup and musters, "Ah, it's you! Will you talk some sense into Yuuko-san? She is putting her safety at risk by hiring Nik—"
"Nik's back?" The middle-aged plump cook cuts Toshi off before looking at Yuuko with glimmering eyes, who points helplessly at the ebony-haired youth. The woman's gaze follows the direction before finding the grinning hunk waving at her.
"Shindou-san, right? I remembered you despite my hazy memories. Thanks for patronizing our store. We're getting prepared and may offer some free hugs to special customers~! Please look forward to it." Nik performs the perfect bow while snickering internally, thanking Megumi for letting him remember Manabu's family!
Manabu's mother stares at Nik for a second before covering her temples and lightly stepping back, almost stumbling. Her eyes widen as Nik hurries out before putting an arm on her back and helping her stand straight as his scent travels to her, making her dizzier.
"Are you alright?" Nik blinks in surprise. Others have always controlled themselves to a certain extent despite their natural attraction to him. Maybe he caught the middle-aged mother off-guard.
"I- I'm better now," she coughs as she presses her hand on his chest, trying to push herself away while letting her weight lean on him even further.
"That's good," Nik snickers. He pats her back again before slowly prying himself off the woman as Yuuko and Toshi stare at the duo. "There," Nik smirks as he helps the woman stand properly. "Can you walk?" He whispers gently. "Would you like my help to return to your store? Your husband is waiting."
"My husband?" The woman blinks as she turns to stare at the bleak-faced middle-aged man standing in front of the restaurant's entrance with his arms crossed.
"Ah!" She pulls herself away before glaring at her husband, snapping loudly, "What are you standing there staring like an unfocused duck? Did you take the noodles off the stove?"
The man blinks, "Wha—?"
"The noodles!" She seethes, stomping her way toward her husband! "Your day won't be any better if the noodles get soggy!"
She pulls her husband in by his collar as the man glares daggers at Nik.
'That may have been my fault, technically.' Nik's lips twitch before he looks at Toshi, "Well, that was interesting, no? Maybe Shindou-san felt lightheaded for not having a proper breakfast."
'Or getting the best treat possible in the morning!' That ONE brain cell of Yuuko screeches and raises the horny alert as the woman gulps. Toshi and Yuuko realize belatedly that many gazes are on Nik—hungry and annoyed! Familiar neighbors, women, and men, stare at Nik with opposing emotions.
'The better the bloodline, the more I become an Old Woman magnet?' Nik works his jaw as he excuses himself into Yuuko's store again, not paying attention to the defeated Yakima Toshi, father of Yakima Shou.
---
"Is he really a big deal?" Sayoko suspiciously questions as she decides to spend time with her mother and help her with shopping alongside Souko. Not that they had anything better to do.
Mitsuko places an index finger on her chin as she rolls her eyes, musing loudly, "Well, he had quite the queue a week before. You'd be surprised what others would pay to get the fraction of warmth we enjoyed last night."
"Warmth?" Souko scoffs, walking with an empty cloth bag hanging from her left elbow. "I didn't think Kurumi would have it in her to move, much less attend her school."
"Ara~ Jealous? As they say, the younger generation will surpass the older one. Fufu~!"
"Did you go through Kurumi's manga stash?" Sayoko smiles and shakes her head.
"I did," Mitsuko chuckles. "Somethings interested me. But I hope Kurumi shifts to the weekly magazine that prints romantic genres instead of fantasy, action genres."
The trio attracts quite the attention on the way as the mother-daughter trio continues their conversation.
"Where do you think he will stay tonight?" Souko inquires.
"I don't know," Mitsuko thins her lips.
"Looks like there is an antagonist in your romantic fantasy—rent," Sayoko quips and gestures to her elder sister with a movement of her chin as Souko bursts into giggles.
"Ha-ha," Mitsuko flatly replies as Sayoko hugs Mitsuko's arm. "Come on, Mom! Don't take it seriously. After all, the true antagonists in your way are delusions, your marriage, societal norms, a functioning household, probably Kurumi and I, too~!"
"Probably for the best," Souko calmly nods. "He'll wear you guys loose before returning to the true Souma prodigies."
"Are you two done?" Mitsuko eyes her daughter. The duo likes to raise a ruckus and poke fun at others, especially Kurumi!
"Maybe," Sayoko smirks, her wide-neck sweater struggling to keep her breasts in check as she hugs Mitsuko's arm.
"Maybe not~!" Souko hugs Mitsuko's other arm, clad in a relatively moderate full-sleeved beige sweater and warm black tights hugging her legs, extending to brown, fur-ended boots.
Mitsuko exhales in annoyance before stepping on the stairs to the Shopping District.
But they soon notice a difference.
The gazes stopped following them! The Souma girls are used to attention and are usually indifferent to it, so the lack of one doesn't bother them at all. It intrigues them instead. They see an overwhelming queue passing through various stores and ending at a particular bookstore. Gazing at each other, the trio picks their pace and comes to a strange scene.
They match his gaze only for a second before he looks down at the next 'woman' in line—a girl as young as 4!
A hush noise of gossip fills their surroundings as a few 'known' women stare at the Souma Family competitively, but the trio focuses on Nik as he bends down without issues, as if the royal crimson garments are made for him. The luxurious golden-lined crimson-red robe fits his body nicely, and a set of pitch-black shoulder guards makes him look regal if others didn't pay attention to the golden fire-shaped headpiece pulling Nik's pitch-black hair into a slick topknot.
"A-are you really prince charming?"—The innocent brown-haired girl musters. Nik smiles, warmly patting her head as he replies, "I'm the Prince Charming who grew up. And for the low allowance of 400 Yen, you can help the Lord Charming become anything you like tomorrow. Do you want that?"
The girl blinks before looking back at her mother, who chuckles, "Hmm! Would a Lord Charming fool a little girl?"
"Absolutely not," Nik grins as he hugs the girl once she opens her arm, not minding the dirt of the road scraping Fire Nation's authentic royal wear! While embracing the girl, he looks at her mother, snickering, "And the budgetary price of 550 Yen on recent Medieval Fantasy novels of your choice will let this Prince Charming survive the atrocious prices of this modern world!"
The girl pulls back, questioning, "I thought you were Lord Charming."
"I am, for you," Nik chuckles as he stands while eyeing the young wife. "But your mother and the rest will pay me more if they get to call me Prince Charming, right?"
The woman's smile broadens as she embraces Nik tightly under moderate discretion before clutching her daughter's hand with a dusting of hazy red on her cheeks and entering Yuuko's store, the owner of which is slumped!
"Prince Charming?" Souko perks up, observing Nik's outfit as he bows elegantly at the trio, "At your service."
"Wait!" The woman next in line raises her voice sharply and pouts, "You can't let others cut in line!"
"But of course, my Lady," Nik takes a step toward the woman before flashing a grin. "I'm at your service before anyone else's."
He briefly turns to look at the trio before winking and hugging the plump middle-aged woman.
"Okay! Okay! That's enough hugging, right?!" The Husband breaks the embrace—much like a few other men free at this time of the day—snorting and glaring at Nik indignantly.
"Today is a special service day, my Fair Sir." Nik smiles at the bearded man. "Would you like a hug?"
There's no way Nik wants Yuuko to earn a bad rep because of him, so he readily added another service—hugs for men. Hey! Men need more hugs than any woman can imagine! And it's not like hugging will make him question his interests—Prince Charming will take all comers.
Of course, if the men want the same thing is questionable as the husband backs away.
His loss.
"Wait, I'll take his turn, too~!" The woman pulls Nik into a bear hug, barely pushing the air out of his lungs as he smiles wryly at the husband, who doesn't glare back but feels helpless and wry, too.
Nik forms a common understanding with the men in an instant, earning him approval for his continued services.
But Sayoko and Souko admit they underestimated Nik's popularity and 'pull.'
It's outrageous for hugs alone when they enjoyed a lot more than the bit of skinship offered at Yuuko's shop.
***
Alternate Title: Shou Looking at Megumi, Toshi Looking at Yuuko—Megumi-Yuuko Looking At Dem Abs; The Monstrous Arrival; Toshi Makes a Lot Of Sense For The Losing Party; Nik Is Starting To Feel Discriminated!; Discrimination Against The Otherwise Better!—Wait. That's Just Envy; Nik Is Highly Motivated To Fulfill Yuuko's NEEDS; Yuuko's Head Is Filled With Intrusive Thoughts; When Nik Removes His Royal Robes *Yuuko's Brain Cell Luring For a Lick*; Yuuko: Lemme Shred a Kitty On Da Abs. Nik: What? Yuuko: Did I Stutter?; Makings Of A Great Salesman—Always Trying To Bully Your Way Into A Conversation; Yakima Toshi When Looking At Manabu's Mom: Aha! Reinforcements!; Yuuko When Looking At a Lightheaded, FLOODED Mother: Aha! I'm Not The Only One!; Yakima: I'm On A Diet! Nik: So Am I; Nik Coming To A Cross With a Father-Son Pair Without Knowing The Truth; The Prince and Lord Charming; The Prince Shall Take All Comers; *The Souma Family Who Lost All Their Attention Looking at Nik* Nik *Chuckling Menacingly*: There's a New Slut in The Area!; Sayoko and Souko Trolling Mitsuko *Happy Ray Noises*; Making Up With The Husband Kind; Nik Gaining Self Consciousness To His Size; The Bulky Intruder In Yuuko's Life; The Happy and Tired Employer; Yuuko *Exhausted By The End of The Day, Huffing And Puffing As She Holds Nik's Shoulder*: That Was Great. *Suggestive Breathing* You're Hired!; Nik Needs to Earn For a Large Family! *Nik Planning To Use His Collected Gold Sneakily*; Mitsuko's True Hurdle In Romance: Property Dealership; Nik About To Bust The Most Convincing Fantasy Sales Pitch To a Bunch A Middle-Schoolers, Taking Their Allowances!—*Their Mothers Picking Their Slippers To Pull The Skanks To Take Nik For Themselves*: Fine, I'll Do It Myself; I'm Gonna Boil Your Noodle Soggy If The Ones In The Stove Turn Soggy—Manabu's Mom Probably
***
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