She Has to Become Hostess
"I feel uneasy," Saki said.
"About what?" Asuka asked.
"I think I know what's bothering Saki," Yuta chimed in.
The three kids walked home, chatting about it.
"Cuckold guy, you get me?" Saki asked, looking at Yuta.
Yuta nodded. "Yeah, it's about Ryuki, right?"
"Um… before that, what's a cuckold?" Asuka asked.
"It's a nickname Ryuki gave me. He says it brings luck," Yuta said with an innocent smile, happy to have a nickname.
"Humph," Saki huffed. "Why does he give you a nickname but not me?"
"He doesn't give you one because you're his older sister," Asuka said, holding Saki's hand.
"Right! I'm the older sister, so I should give him a nickname," Saki said, her mood lifting as her eyes sparkled.
"Hey, I want to give him a cool one too—like Dragon!" Yuta said, getting excited.
"No, dragon's out. Think of something else," Saki said, shaking her head.
"But where's he been? For the past few days, where does he go after school?" Asuka asked.
"That's why I'm uneasy. Where's he going?" Saki said.
"I'm worried about him too," Yuta agreed.
"Actually, Rena's been the same. She doesn't walk home with us anymore either," Asuka said, frowning.
"Are they meeting up secretly? Playing together without us?" Yuta asked, stopping in his tracks.
"I hate you, you cuckold," Asuka said, punching his arm. She glanced at Saki and saw her friend's heart racing with worry.
"What'd I do wrong?" Yuta mumbled, rubbing his stomach. Then he thought for a moment. "How about we follow them tomorrow after school? We miss Ryuki in the morning, but we might catch Rena."
"Cuckold, sometimes you've got good ideas. My opinion of you is now minus 99," Saki said with a smile.
"Minus? How low is it?" Yuta asked, looking sad.
"Don't worry, work hard, and maybe it'll hit zero someday," Saki said, shaking her head.
"What about positive?" he asked.
"Don't ask for the impossible," she replied.
"Am I that bad?" Yuta muttered to himself.
"It's settled. Tomorrow, we're following my brother," Saki said, grabbing Asuka's hand.
"Hey, I want to come too!" Yuta said, blinking.
"Okay, Asuka, let's drop me off at home first," Saki said. She and Asuka walked ahead, holding hands, while Yuta trailed behind, questioning his worth.
Ryuki leaves early, so he asks Yuta and Asuka to make sure Saki gets home safely.
---
Inside a brightly lit convenience store, shelves were stocked with goods, and the fridge hummed softly. A middle-aged woman in a neat uniform stood behind the counter. She bowed gracefully to a customer who'd just bought something, thanking him with a warm smile. The customer, holding a small bag, nodded back and walked out. The automatic doors slid open with a quiet whoosh, and he disappeared into the busy street.
The woman was Shizimu Fumiko, a convenience store worker.
"Shizimu, your shift's over for today," a man with a creepy smile said.
"Thank you, manager," Fumiko replied, smiling back. She headed to the changing room.
Once inside, she sighed and rubbed her head. "This headache's getting worse. I need to see a doctor."
She took off her apron and unbuttoned her shirt, revealing her white skin and sports bra. "But first, I need a new job," she said, slipping off her pants. Standing in just her bra and panties, she opened her locker and pulled out her clothes.
Fumiko had been having headaches for days but hadn't had time to visit a doctor. It wasn't a big deal—she took pain medicine for it.
The real issue was her kids. They were growing, and so were the costs for their clothes and school. She could manage clothes by buying each of them one set a year, but school was another story. Fees, uniforms, books, and project supplies added up fast. Her current job didn't pay enough to cover it all.
"I don't have a choice. I'll have to take that job," she said, dressing herself with a sigh.
She'd avoided it until now, but it looked like she'd have to become a hostess.