by Ko Hiratori
I should have remembered that much. After the runaway truck brought us here, we did get a lecture from an easy-going god.
But Chiba was so hyped and getting all buddy-buddy with the god even though it was our first time meeting him that the mood was too corny and weird for me, so I let it go in one ear and out the other. That’s why I didn’t really remember.
I guess the god liked Chiba and gave him a good skill.
“Actually, I have three. 16x Experience Points, Immunity to Status Effects, and Immunity to Attack Magic. In other words, I level up way faster than other people, and nothing besides physical attacks work on me. Frankly, I’m the strongest.”
“Cool...”
Basically, the cheat is that he got those really good terms right off the bat. He’s a prodigy or whatever thanks to that god. There is something pretty sneaky about that, yeah.
“But that’s kind of the template for ‘other world’ stories. The protagonist, like me, gets summoned from another world and is unbeatable thanks to a cheat ability and contemporary knowledge. There are tons of anime and light novels like that, you know? Hilarious, right?”
Like I said, I don’t know anything about anime, so I didn’t get what was so funny.
Chiba’s definition of common sense is too different from mine. I’ve slept with him so many times, yet we still live in different worlds.
“Well, eventually you’ll start hearing rumors about me, so then you’ll understand. Lately I’ve started appearing at the arena. You can brag that you know me if you want, Haru.”
Sigh.
“I haven’t caught up to the higher-level guys yet, but I level up 16 times faster than normal, so I’ll pass them up pretty soon. And I’m hunting monsters in a pretty deep area, so I have a decent income outside of prize money, too.”
“Huh? So you’re rich?”
“Well, a bit.”
I did not expect that. Say that stuff up front!
“Does that mean you want to add time?”
“Huh?”
“If you extend, I’ll throw in something special for free. How about it?”
“Uh, will you kiss me, then?”
Blorgh, kiss?
He’s so persistent. But...
“Sure, I’ll kiss you.”
This is for my sales numbers.
I’m a sex worker who takes it like a pro when her shitty weirdo former classmate kisses her lips so hard it seems like they might swell up.
That’s my new lifestyle in this world.
“Mm,” smooch, “Haru, mm, even if I...defeat the demon lord...and become a national hero,” ker-smooch, “I’ll never abandon you, mm,” he panted.
Well, with this, maybe I’m getting closer to number six.
I hid a yawn between kisses and decided that the next day I would go eat something tasty.
Operation Meat
The food in this world is usually super salty and oily—the kind of stuff guys like to eat—so it’s not really my thing.
And when I go out to eat, all the customers are adventurer dudes. There aren’t any groups of girls chatting over lunch or anything like that.
Well if the clientele are all guys, then it makes sense that the menu is all man food, I thought, biting into a leg of meat like you’d see in a manga.
“So I had the idea that I could probably rake in the cash if I opened a classy restaurant with a menu that would work for girls.”
“Right. But Haru, it must take guts to eat out alone, huh?”
“What?”
When I told my work friend Lupe about my idea as we were folding hand towels, she replied in exasperation, “Madam will scold you and say a woman eating out alone is disgraceful. You should only eat out when you have a man to escort you.”
This world that Chiba and I were forced to hitch a ride to by that runaway truck—it’s super misogynistic. I was born in the Heisei period, so I knew from just a taste of it that this society was not for me. There are lots of times I’ll be doing my normal thing and then—surprise—I’m in trouble.
Apparently a woman eating out alone should be ashamed. It’s improper. Well, then there’s no point in opening a cute restaurant girls would like. And, ugh, it’s embarrassing that I’d been eating out alone all that time.
“But I like that about you, Haru. You seem like you might start something cool.”
“You can tell? I was always a rebel at school, too.”
“Wow, you went to school? So how did you end up in this line of work?”
“Ah, well, a lot of things happened...”
“Oh, sorry. I shouldn’t have asked. Sorry, sorry.”
“Mm, how to explain...I guess I can’t go home, so I have to get by on my own. But there’s no real reason, so you don’t have to worry about it.”
Lupe is only a year older than me, but she has three more years of work experience; she teaches me a lot. Sometimes my lack of common sense astounds her, but we get along well.
She’s a cute girl with fluffy pink hair.
“I see. My parents sold me. I had two big sisters and a little brother, so I was kind of in the way.”
“What? That’s way more tragic than my story.”
“It happens all the time.”
This world is awfully hard to live in as a woman.
Chiba’s stoked about cheat abilities or whatever like an idiot, all, “This world is the best!” but I wonder what he thinks about his classmate who has come down this far. I mean, I’m on the dead-last rung of the social ladder.
He was saying that stuff about being his slave or maid or whatever, not even thinking about how I’d feel—and I’d rather die. I just know he would get a big head and start making ridiculous demands.
“You guys, don’t just stand there gabbing—finish up with those towels. Then when you’re done, please clean up the kitchen.”
“Okay!”
But maybe it would be better to work for a dude I know, meowing in a maid uniform, than running my body into the ground with this lifestyle. I do wonder.
Ahh.
Well, for now my goal is to make number three in monthly sales!
I’ll think about the rest after I hit that.
“Haru, take the trash out.”
“Kay-kay.”
When I took the huge can out, I noticed someone watching me.
It was a super fat guy. He hightailed it out of there, blushing. There aren’t many people walking around the nightlife district during daylight hours, so he stood out with his hulking figure.
The shop isn’t even open yet. What did he want...?
“Haru, what are you doing? Rehearsal’s about to start!”
“Oh, coming!”
But I was busy, so I didn’t have time to play Detective Conan over a guy who wasn’t even a customer. We have a lot of things to do even before the shop opens.
“A sweet flower that blooms only at night ♪”
So, sometimes we put on stage shows at the shop. They feature the girls who can sing or play instruments, but pretty much everyone does something.
“Sōre! Tiger! Fire! Cyber! Fiber!”
Incidentally, I was notorious in our school for being tone-deaf, and when we went to karaoke I was always in charge of dancing like a maniac, so I begged off singing duty.
Luckily, I had planned to be in charge of wotagei for the performances at our school festival, so I took on livening up the stage with the moves I had learned. Wotagei has substantially contributed to my livelihood.
Speaking of the festival, it must have happened ages ago. I wonder if our class managed to have a good time right after two of us died. I would feel bad if we killed the mood.
Of course, I’d be kinda pissed if they had fun without us, too.
“Haru, you’re looking sharp as usual. We’ll be counting on you for the performance.”
“Thanks!”
It was such an honor to have our singing princess Shequraso (number three in sales) talk to me. But I’m still goi
ng to take your rank someday.
“All right, we’re going to open up, everyone.”
“Come on in!”
The sun went down, and the shop opened. The pub and brothel Blue Cat Nocturne is located sort of deeper within the nightlife district, but thanks to its rich atmosphere and reputation for high-quality girls, the tables start filling up as soon as it opens.
“Hiya, Haru. Still no ass on you, huh?”
“Gimme a break! If you wanna touch it, that’s 70 rubers!”
“Sorry, I only have money for drinks today.”
The regulars gathered, and I did my waitressing despite the guys grabbing my butt. Honestly, where does he get off saying I have no ass if he has no money?
And then he was staring at Shequraso’s butt all like, “Now that’s what I’m talkin’ about.”
Fuck. I’m still growing.
I cut across the hall with four beer mugs in each hand, stepping a bit higher than usual. I’m gonna get that gorgeous ass, just you wait!
Pretty much the only guy so unrefined he would say “Let’s go upstairs” the minute he walks through the door is Chiba. Manly manners dictated eating and drinking one’s fill—spending properly at the pub—beforehand.
Most of what I do at the pub is waiting tables, but I’d like to try working in the kitchen eventually. I should probably learn how to cook—after all, it feels shitty to eat out now.
“Come on in!” I welcomed a customer with a fawning pose.
But I’d seen that fatty somewhere before.
Huh?
Is this the chubby dude who was outside the shop before we opened?
“Ah...umm...”
He used a handkerchief to wipe a stream of sweat away. He was all red, with a face just like a sumo wrestler.
For the time being I smiled politely and led him to a seat. “Party of one?”
He was too big to put at the bar. It was a waste, but I gave him a window table. That’s a place where only cool guys should be sitting.
“Let me know when you’ve decided what you’d like.”
That day I was wearing my orange dress, so I was extra cute even though I couldn’t give as many free panty flashes. To leave an impression, I rocked my hips to make my skirt swish as I walked back to the bar. When I checked on Sumo in the mirror on the back of the restroom door, sure enough, he was fixated on my ass. Heh-heh. Not too shabby after all.
I had the feeling he kept glancing at me, but I had to wait on other customers too, so I didn’t have time to flirt. He seemed to have a hard time talking to girls, though—he still hadn’t ordered anything. Since he was so helpless, I decided to go over to him when I had a free moment.
“What can I get for you?”
“U-Uh...I...umm...”
Hakkeyoi!
“Wh-What’s your name?”
“Huh?”
“Please tell me your name.”
From what I could tell, he was still pretty young. Maybe around my age. He looked to be 18 or 19 at the oldest.
He was fat, but he was wearing nice clothes. He didn’t look like he was earning his own money, so his parents were probably rich. He must have been getting an allowance big enough to come to this sort of place on his own.
“O-ho.” I pulled up a chair and sat across from him. “Ten rubers.”
“Huh?”
“Happy Fun Talking Time. If you want me to sit with you, it’s 10 rubers for 30 minutes.”
“Oh, I-I see.”
As Sumo hesitantly took out some money, I made sure to get a peek inside his wallet.
Ohh.
Oh-hooo.
“Lupe, an ice-cold beett for this gentleman. I’ll have an oohaa.”
“Coming right up!”
“Uh, umm...”
“By the way, the girl’s drink is on you, too. That’s okay, right?”
“Uh, yes. That’s fine...”
“I’m Haru!”
I jauntily held out my right hand, and Sumo eyed it nervously. He seemed to want to hold back as he extended his baseball glov— hand; I caught it in both of mine. “Uegh!” he made a strange noise, and I softly caressed that mitt, smiling up at him.
“Nice to meet you, Sumo.”
“U-Uh, my name is Jaysohlbrother...”
“What? Don’t mess with me. Sumo works, doesn’t it? Sumo is perfect for you! C’mon, let me call you Sumo.”
“Uh, all right, I don’t really...”
Sumo’s hand started to get all sweaty. I nonchalantly let go and dried both hands by pretending to wipe off the table.
Then I fixed my hair, propped myself up on my elbows, and looked him in the eyes.
“Ah...”
He nervously looked away.
Give up already, virgin? I am cute, aren’t I?
“Hey, weren’t you watching me this afternoon, too?”
“Err, uh, that was, I mean...y-yes. I’m sorry.”
He was dripping with sweat, and his face was bright red.
I haven’t experienced this in a long time. Pure love. Maybe in junior high? I used to have guys like this confessing their feelings for me.
By the way, this world is so misogynistic that women come practically as a given with drinks, and we sex workers are basically on the dead-last rung of the social ladder. Well, you can think of us as ladies in the nightlife industry.
Of course, some people talk about us like we’re trash, but to virgins we can sometimes seem like the mature women they yearn for.
I swept my hair back and put on a suggestive smile.
Sumo got overwhelmed and hung his head.
Heh-heh. How do you like my adult sex appeal?
“So, how did you find me?”
“I-I saw you eating mangameat at our cafe, and I’d never seen a woman wolf down meat like that, not to mention all alone...”
“Who cares how I was eating, you dummy!”
Really? That’s what caught your eye? You like ’em savage or something?
Then I’m done putting on the sophisticated charm.
“Huh, so your family owns a cafe, then? That big one on the main drag, right? That’s your parents’ place? It was really good!”
“Y-Yes. Thank you.” Sumo smiled and wiped the sweat off his face.
I had gone around with no regard for appearances and eaten a lot of stuff, but that was the place with the thickest cuts of meat. And it was jam-packed with meat-loving guys.
So that’s why the son’s wallet was so fat.
I casually asked questions that amounted to a background check and satisfied myself that he wasn’t lying. He was a chubby rich dude—a delectable customer.
I nonchalantly curled my leg around his.
“Err, uh, umm?”
“So what do you wanna do? Is talking enough? Time’s almost up.”
Talking Time can’t be extended. We’re not a hostess bar. Our policy is to prioritize selling our bodies.
“By the way, I’m 70 rubers a shot—one of the more affordable girls at our shop. But I give my body and soul to serve every customer, so I’m confident my cost-performance is at the highest level. And if you stick with me, I add extra services.”
“Err, uh, umm...”
Lupe told me later that at that moment, I was like an eagle eyeing its prey.
Sumo hastily took his wallet out. But just then, another girl called my name.
“Haru, someone’s asking for you!”
Apparently the guy who’d touched my butt earlier had won a bet with another customer. He was holding up 70 rubers with a sneer.
Sumo clenched his wallet and looked down.
“...You can bid until I go upstairs. If you’ll give me 75, I’ll turn him down.”
But Sumo seemed embarrassed and shook his head. His knees were shaking so badly I felt sorry for him.
“If you want to, you can buy me next.” I gave him a glimpse of my cleavage and whispered in his ear: “I call dibs on your virginity.”
Sumo, red as a plu
mp daruma doll, nodded like a bobble head.
I turned toward the grimy-faced dude with a smile and opened my arms, “Aw, I’m so happy you picked me!”
＊
The instant the door to my room on the second floor was shut, he shoved me down on the bed.
Then he got on top of me and grabbed my dress with both hands.
“I only have two dresses, so if you rip it you have to pay me back.”
The dude laughed at me, grinning. “Oh, my bad.” He let go and sat cross-legged on the bed. “Hurry up and take it off then.”
This guy likes to be rough with women. The first time we did it, I thought he was going to strangle me to death.
But that’s not so rare in this world, or more like, in this line of work. I had underestimated it a bit as a newbie.
“No choking, either. If you wanna do that sort of thing, it’ll be 20 rubers extra. Madam okayed that price, by the way.”
“All right, all right.”
He gave a noncommittal reply while he took off his socks, so I couldn’t tell if he was listening or not. A musky man smell spread throughout the room.
“Show me your ass.”
Oh, and he’s an ass man.
His favorite, Shequraso’s, costs 150 rubers per shot, so when he can’t afford hers, he picks up my green one.
I got up on all fours and stuck my butt out at him. He ogled from my asshole all the way to my lovely pink pussy, then slapped my butt with a heh.
“You got no ass.”
We’re told to put up with it if it’s just slapping. That it’ll get better soon.
Sex workers are tools.
Some guys, like Chiba, make us do all the work, while rough ones do whatever they want. I’d say there are more of the latter kind.
In the other world, I did a similar kind of job. But during my loli years, even if there were weird guys who doted on me, or just used me as a toy, there weren’t any who were so brutal I thought I was going to die. Even my sort of sadistic boyfriend was pretty vanilla when it came to messing around.