Chapter 8

Reflection from last time: If I overdo the infantilization, it’s sad that she won’t say “abababa” to me.

Today is Saturday. It’s a day off.

I work in a job where the line between work and personal life is somewhat blurred, but being a “job to greet Mio with ‘Welcome back’” is a legitimate job with an employment contract.

Therefore, it is set up to follow the law and have days off. Moreover, it’s a full two-day weekend system.

Thinking back, when I first joined my previous workplace, I was wary of the “two-day weekend” magic, but now it’s just a funny story.

Regarding the difference between a full and a non-full two-day weekend, it involves legal matters, so I won’t go into too much detail. To put it in specific numbers, in June 2019, the number of days off for a full two-day weekend was “10 days,” while for a non-full one, it was “6 days (or more).” You can see the significant difference.

Even if there are only two days off in a month, it’s still a non-full two-day weekend.

“Alright, it’s about time for the ‘festival.’”

In the past, I was shocked that the number of days off was only a little more than half of what I expected. Now, with a full two-day weekend, I have more free time than ever. Thanks to Mio’s company, I get weekends off, so I can spend Saturday mornings watching live streams of people being scolded by a five-year-old and trying to guess the content.

Apparently, this week, they are questioning why adults tilt their heads when they make mistakes in rhythm games.

It’s amazing how the live stream is filled with rhythm game enthusiasts’ defenses, making it impossible to understand the content of the program. This is why I can’t stop guessing the content.

“Phew, I’ve already enjoyed a fulfilling start to my Saturday.”

Even though I spend a lot of time at home on weekdays, there’s still a special feeling about weekends.

Besides, even if Mio, who is prone to loneliness, having a man she’s only known for a week or so living in her house every day must be stressful.

Sometimes, you just want to have some quiet time alone.

“Ding-dong”

“Mr. Matsutomo, are you there?”

There are also days when you don’t want to be alone.

“Mio? What’s the matter, coming here so early in the morning?”

“I’m sorry to bother you on your day off. I just had something I wanted to say.”

Mio, standing at the front door, was wearing a T-shirt and short shorts, not her usual sweatpants. Her thighs were dazzling in the morning sun.

“What is it? Is there something on your mind?”

“Yes, a little. …Actually, last night.”

“…Last night was a bit chaotic, wasn’t it?”

No, Mio.

I’m nodding, but Mio.

Are you really going to bring that up, Mio?

There is an unspoken understanding between Mio and me.

Most adults wouldn’t want others to see them in a state of infantilization, but this job is based on that premise.

We are both adults and professionals.

We don’t talk about what happened at night in the morning. This unwritten rule has been established between us.

But Mio is breaking it. This must be a significant event since I started this job.

I couldn’t ignore the fact that she was holding me while wearing only her underwear.

“So, this is a continuation of yesterday’s conversation.”

“Y-Yes.”

Mio took something out of her short pants pocket.

It was a box with a red background and a yellow logo.

“Do you want to play Uno?”

It was Uno.

“Is that what you meant by yesterday’s conversation? Did you really want to play Uno with the double draw rule so badly?”

“It’s a joke.”

You were definitely serious, weren’t you? Your eyebrows are in an ‘H’ shape.

Even in the morning, Mio is still Mio.

“Well, once you start Uno, it can go on for three hours. Let’s play it later.”

“Oh, you’re so accommodating.”

She looks really happy, even though she’s using her morning tone.

“What’s the real reason for your visit?”

“Yes, that’s what I wanted to talk about.”

Mio took something out of the other pocket.

Wow, that’s impressive. It’s a wallet that only holds paper bills and cards. I’ve never seen anyone use one like this.

Mio took out a 10,000 yen note from this elite-looking wallet and offered it to me with her beautiful posture.

“I’ll pay you 10,000 yen to go shopping for stuffed animals with me.”

“I understand what you’re saying, but I don’t understand what you mean.”

“?”

Ah, this is one of those times when I need to use my imagination.

The second part is clear. There are adult women who like stuffed animals. Mio has a white fox named “Fu-chan” in her room, so it’s not surprising if she wants to add more.

It’s not unusual for her to invite me, a neighbor she knows, to go shopping.

The problem is the first part.

Why 10,000 yen?

Wait, what day is it today? It’s Saturday, a day off.

“Could the 10,000 yen be for working on a day off?”

“Huh? Is there any other reason?”

I hit the nail on the head. This person is trying to apply the employment contract to going out on a Saturday.

“Why? I’d be happy to go shopping with you.”

“No way.”

She answered immediately.

“No way?”

“What do you mean?”

“We’re not strangers. You could just invite me to go shopping normally.”

“It seems we have different perspectives. Imagine spending an hour shopping with me.”

Shopping for stuffed animals with a long-haired, E-cup, older woman.

Yeah.

“Well, it sounds fun.”

“I’m sure you’d get bored.”

She completely rejected it.

“At the very least, I’d think, ‘Oh, this person is bored.’”

“Hmm.”

“You’d probably continue shopping with me until the end, wouldn’t you?”

“Yeah, probably.”

“I’d feel so guilty for making you do that.”

I forgot.

This person is the type who can’t even believe I’m waiting at home unless it’s part of the job.

“Working on a day off requires mutual agreement between the employer and the employee, but since we’re both the same person, it’s possible here. Convenient, isn’t it?”

“Yes, it is.”

“Alright, what’s your answer?”

We have a date.

It’s so much so that I’ll call it a date.

It ranked 1st in its genre and 5th overall, and it’s on the cover. Thank you very much.

Being surrounded by the authors I’ve been following as a reader, my stomach is in knots.

With the ranking in the top positions, it’s time to start strategic updates.

I sought advice from a friend who has been on Narou for a long time and has published books, and I got the response:

“I don’t believe Senko will end in just two more chapters.”

I’ll keep working hard.