Chapter 56: Beyond the steam of coffee…is there a gal?

Reading Settings

Translator: Soafp

---

On the way home after being discharged from the hospital, we stopped by a café, “Starbulks.” It was a chilly afternoon in February, with white breaths in the air, the winter cold still lingering.

Inside the café, the heater was on, making it warm enough to forget the cold outside. A few office workers in suits and young women sipping café lattes while holding their smartphones could be seen here and there. We sat down at a counter seat by the window.

“Sorry! Hajime!”

Suddenly, Kyoko-nee apologized, pressing her hands together in a gesture of apology. I felt awkward—being apologized to like that only made it more uncomfortable.

“It's fine, Kyoko-nee. I should've checked, too.”

It was about the medication I was supposed to take, which I had gotten from the hospital before being discharged. After entering Starbulks and taking a sip of coffee, I reached into my bag to get the medicine. However, I couldn't find the bag I had put it in. Panicking, I asked Kyoko-nee, and her face immediately turned pale as she whispered,

“I left it at the counter… I'll go back to get it in the car. You stay here and relax, Hajime.”

In a hurry, Kyoko-nee said that, but when I said, “I'll come with you,” her face immediately turned serious.

“No, you're recovering. Listen to me.”

She poked my forehead with her index finger and hurried off toward the parking lot. I reluctantly returned to my seat and picked up the half-drunk coffee.

It was then.

“Hey, hey.”

A young girl's voice suddenly came from the seat next to me, and I froze, my hand stopping mid-air. Surprised, I lightly leaned back and turned to see a girl dressed in a gal-style fashion, staring at me as if appraising me.

She wore a top with bold exposed shoulders, a tight skirt, and heeled boots. Despite the bold makeup, her large eyes, translucent white skin, and finely sculpted nose gave her an almost doll-like appearance. She was beautiful and cute, but there was also something provocative about her presence.

“Uh… excuse me… huh?”

Not sure if she was speaking to me, I looked around. Seeing my confused reaction, the girl laughed lightly.

“What’s with that reaction? I was talking to you.”

She smiled brightly. She looked young but had a mature aura. Considering she was out during the weekday in casual clothes, she was probably not a high school student. As I thought about that, she leaned closer and started examining me intently.

She checked me from head to toe, and after finishing, she looked at my face, her eyes sparkling as she said:

“Hey, you know, you wanna do a sugar daddy thing with me?”

“Su… sugar… what!? Eh!?”

I couldn't help but shout out loud. Everyone in the café briefly turned their attention to us.

“Pfft, so loud.”

She laughed quietly. Her lighthearted attitude only made me more confused.

I quickly covered my mouth and, in a low voice, asked in a frantic tone:

“W-what are you saying all of a sudden!? I'm still in high school, you know!? And we just met, didn't we!?”

Her face showed a brief moment of surprise, but she quickly smiled and said:

“Well, you’re a little young, but you're rich, right? I can tell by your clothes.”

She said it as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. I looked down at my clothes… Honestly, I had never bought my own clothes, so I had no idea how much they cost. I just wore what my mom or Kyoko-nee, when she came back, picked out for me.

“Those are all high-brand clothes, right? So it's obvious you have money. Hey, how about it? From the looks of it, you don't have a girlfriend, right? Want to go on a date with me today?”

Her suggestion was so casual that I was speechless.

“…Eh?”

My throat felt tight, and I opened my mouth to say something, but no words came out. My brain started rejecting the conversation, unable to process it.

“But don't worry, we won't go all the way. I want to save that for someone I really like… But, oh, I'm fine with just holding hands. With gloves on, of course. It’ll be an extra charge, though.”

She said this so casually with a smile. Her innocent expression made the situation feel even more surreal.

I clenched my palm tightly, my face twitching. Wasn’t this kind of conversation only supposed to happen in dramas or mangas?

“…Ha?”

I managed to say something, but my voice sounded strangely foolish.

My brain had frozen, like an old computer—stuck and unable to process what was happening.