章 29: Chapter 29: Part-Time Job
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Living at Asou Miyuri's place had its perks—she 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, 'It canlead to all kinds of complications. So, I refused'
'If it's not Miss Mira's soft rice, I'm not eating it!'
When Hikari turned down the offer, Miyuri pouted adorably and sighed, "Alright, if you're really against it, Auntie won't force you. It's not like I need the money urgently. So, if you need a few more days to pay, that's 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 there's barely anything left."
"I could just ask Miss Mira directly; she'd definitely give me the money."
"But, I can't just live off her like this forever. Sure, her soft rice is top-tier, but a man's 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 else's roof for too long?"
"Even if Miss Mira isn't exactly a foster father, but more of a foster mother, it still doesn't feel right mooching off of her."
"With my current physical strength and stamina, getting a part-time job shouldn't be hard. Earning money won't 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 Mira's 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 water's surface, leaving only a faint outline visible, the outline alone was enough to make Hikari's breath catch.
"Miss Mira, sorry! I'll 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. "You're in the bath. It's not urgent—I can wait until you're done."
But Miss Mira was having none of it. "Oh, come on! You're already here; what's 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? It's been itchy, and I can't quite reach. It's 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. You'd scrub my back all the time, and I'd scrub yours. Have you forgotten already?"
"Stop dawdling and get over here. My back's 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.
"Here's the scrub towel—get 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 rough—it's starting to hurt a bit. Just use your hands instead, and give me a little massage while you're 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. It's smooth and soft—nicer than most young girls' even."
Her lips curled up, eyes narrowing playfully. "Oh? Hearing Little Hikari's compliments is always a delight for this old Miss."
"But, tell me, how do you know my skin is better than a young girl's? 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. It's 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. "You're still so young, why worry about that? Do you know how exhausting part-time work can be?"
"What's more, if you don't ask Auntie for help, does that mean you don't see me as family anymore? I've always treated you like my own son, you know. Just tell me how much you need; Auntie's 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 you'd help, Miss Mira. You're important to me, too."
"But, it's just… I want to stand on my own feet. To earn my own money, and feel the satisfaction that comes with it. I can't 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."
'If I stay under her care forever', he thought, 'I'll never grow. Though, to be fair, being under Miss Mira's… care… had its appeal. But still! A man should be able to take charge sometimes.'
Seeing his serious face, Miss Mira chuckled and said softly, "Who says you can't rely on me for life? I've already made up my mind to take care of Little Hikari for as long as he wants~"
Hikari was momentarily speechless, 'Is this… for real?'
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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