In a World of Reversed Chastity, I’m Surrounded by a Clingy Older Woman, a Walking Red Flag, and an Exhausted Office Lady - 20

Chapter 20: Knowing Eyes

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“I’ll clock out for today, Manager. I’ll be back again next week.”

“Okaaay. Thank you. It really helps me a lot that you work three days every week, Aoi-kun.”

“I’m glad to hear that.”

“With you working three days every week, our sales go up, you’re soothing to have around, and I’m always grateful.”

“No, no. Well then, good work today.”

After handing things over to the manager and the person on the next shift, I finished my part-time job a little earlier than usual and stepped outside. As expected, the air after a shift tasted exceptionally good. It made me feel like I had taken a small step into society, and I stretched wide and took a deep breath.

“Good work at your part-time job, Aoi-kun.”

“Good work to you too, Kaoruko-san.”

Right after I stepped out of the convenience store, I ran into Kaoruko-san. Of course, it wasn’t by coincidence. Kaoruko-san had been waiting outside until my shift ended.

“Here, this is for you.”

“Oh, you really didn’t have to go to that trouble. I was the one who decided to wait.”

“It’s fine. Please take it.”

I handed warm tea to Kaoruko-san, who had been waiting outside in the cold, and we started walking side by side.

“Before we go to your place, Kaoruko-san, would it be okay if we stopped by the supermarket?”

“Of course. And I’ll say this first. The bill is on me. You’re forbidden from taking your wallet out of your bag.”

Sharp as ever, Kaoruko-san.

To think she’d anticipate exactly what I was about to do and say that first.

“I’ll be eating too, so we should split the cost—”

“No. Absolutely not. I’m the one having you cook for me. So it’s only natural that I pay. Besides, letting an adult woman save face is part of a man’s role, isn’t it?”

From the perspective I had from my original world, that felt nothing but strange but in this world, that was certainly how things were.

“…Understood. Then I’ll cook with all my effort to make up for what you’re paying.”

“That’s perfect. Thank you, Aoi-kun.”

With that exchange, we entered the supermarket together. Maybe because it was a little late, there weren’t many people around, so we could shop at a relaxed pace.

“Oh, by the way, Kaoruko-san, are there any foods you dislike?”

“No. If it’s something you made, Aoi-kun, I could eat anything. Even if it were poison.”

“I’m not going to make anything like that, and you don’t need that kind of resolve.”

Chiding Kaoruko-san for her mysterious resolve and bravery, I placed the ingredients into the basket and went through the register. When we stepped outside carrying the shopping bag, Kaoruko-san naturally reached out to take it, so I dodged away with it.

“Aoi-kun, let me carry that bag.”

“Nope. You’re already carrying your business bag, Kaoruko-san, so I won’t let you carry this.”

She was probably just being considerate toward me, but she was overdoing it. Kaoruko-san looked slightly dissatisfied and shot me a pouty glare, but I had no intention of backing down either.

After thinking about what to do, I came up with a good idea.

“Then… why don’t we carry it together?”

“T-together?”

“Yes. If we each hold one side of the handles, we can both carry it.”

“I-Is it really okay? You’ll do that with me?”

She said it as if it were something special, which made me tilt my head in confusion.

“Of course. Here, I’ll hold this side, so Kaoruko-san, please hold that handle.”

“O-okay.”

It was slightly inconvenient, maybe, but since neither of us would give in, I couldn’t think of a better solution for now. And in its own way, it felt fun, like we were getting closer. We carried the bag together and walked side by side. It wasn’t a long walk from the supermarket to Kaoruko-san’s home. Her apartment was in a fairly high unit of a large condominium building, and the rent looked like it would be expensive. As a commoner, I felt a little restless.

I walked slightly smaller beside Kaoruko-san and arrived at her room. The inside was incredibly spacious, so spacious it would be presumptuous to even compare it to the apartment I lived in.

“…? What’s wrong, Aoi-kun? You seem so restless.”

“Well… this place looks like the rent must be really high, so I’m not used to it and I feel a bit restless.”

“Eh!?”

When I said that, Kaoruko-san looked surprised.

“This might be rude, but what kind of place are you living in right now, Aoi-kun?”

“Huh? Just a normal apartment. I’ve never even seen an auto-lock entrance system before.”

As soon as I said that, her expression immediately turned worried, and she asked anxiously,

“I just assumed that since you’re such a cute boy, you’d be living somewhere with proper security awareness, or maybe with your parents.”

“No, I live alone in a normal place. It’s the type where you use a regular key and unlock the door.”

When I answered honestly, her face grew even more concerned.

“That won’t do, Aoi-kun. You need to live somewhere proper. There are rapists and dangerous people in this world, you know?”

“It’s fine. Nothing’s happened to me so far.”

When I said that, she looked at me in exasperation. I had been living there for more than half a year already, and nothing like that had ever happened in my life, so I thought it would be fine. Thinking how expressive Kaoruko-san was today, I placed the ingredients for tonight in the kitchen and tried to start cooking, but she kept staring at me with concern.

“It’s really fine. More importantly, where are the knives and pots?”

Her place even had an oven and a toaster. Cooking seemed like it would go smoothly, but there wasn’t much sign that Kaoruko-san herself used them.

“…In that drawer and in that cabinet over there. …We’ll have a proper talk about this later, okay?”

“…Okaaay.”

I had tried to deflect the conversation, but it wouldn’t go that smoothly. I thought she was worrying too much, but I also tended to worry excessively myself, so I wasn’t really in a position to talk. Well, surely once she ate something delicious, she’d forget about it.

Thinking that, I began cooking.

“Kaoruko-san, it’s ready. Could you help carry it over?”

“Wow, it looks delicious! You really can do anything, Aoi-kun.”

“It’s not that impressive.”

Even while cooking, I had felt Kaoruko-san’s gaze stabbing into my back, but I somehow managed to finish. The main dish was teriyaki chicken, the soup was stew, and the salad was corn salad. The supermarket had unusually been selling baguettes, so I bought one of those too. People tended to split into rice-with-stew or baguette-with-stew factions, but considering the balance with the other dishes, today it was baguette.

We sat facing each other, put our hands together, and began eating. When Kaoruko-san took a bite of the stew, she broke into a full, radiant smile.

“It’s incredibly delicious. It’s the best meal I’ve ever had.”

“That’s too much praise, but I’m happy. Thank you.”

“It’s true. No luxury cuisine could be more valuable than this.”

She said that as if savoring every word, and continued eating. I had thought this when I cooked for Yua-san too, but making food for someone and having them eat it…

Being told it’s delicious like that is such a happy thing. That alone makes it worth cooking.

I had made it as a way to thank Kaoruko-san, yet she was the one making me feel happy too. Thinking that, I started eating as well. Neither Kaoruko-san nor I talked much while eating, so we continued without much small talk, but she conveyed how delicious it was through her expression alone, so even without words, I enjoyed it plenty.

After about an hour, the dishes were completely empty, and we put our hands together.

“Thank you for the meal. It was very delicious.”

“I’m glad you enjoyed it. I’m happy to hear that. Where should I put the dishes—”

“I’ll handle that much. You stay seated, Aoi-kun. Oh, and would you like coffee or tea?”

“Coffee, please.”

“Alright. Wait just a moment.”

She placed the dishes into what seemed to be a dishwasher and prepared coffee. As I absentmindedly watched her, she looked back at me shyly.

After that, a few minutes later, she brought the coffee over.

“It’s hot, so be careful.”

“Thank you.”

I accepted the coffee, took a sip, and let out a breath. The coffee seeped into my tired body.

“…So then, Aoi-kun.”

“Oh, by the way, Kaoruko-san, what’s your favorite animal?”

“Don’t change the subject.”

She said that sharply, and I looked away.

“You see, Aoi-kun… w-would you live here with me?”

“…Huh?”

I let out a genuinely surprised sound at the unexpected proposal.

“If you live here, the security is very good. There are spare rooms, and I think it would be comfortable.”

Kaoruko-san rattled that off quickly. Certainly, in terms of security, space, and comfort, this place was far superior. More than anything, being asked to live together by such a beautiful older woman, even in a world with reversed chastity norms, was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for me.

She was probably just saying it out of concern, as someone older than me. But…

“I’m sorry. I’m attached to my current place, so I can’t accept that offer.”

It wasn’t a lie that I felt attached to that room. And I did feel tempted. But we hadn’t known each other that long yet, and I was already relying on Kaoruko-san quite a bit. I had also recently gotten to know Yua-san next door, and lately I had been looking after her and growing closer to her.

After weighing everything on the scales, the side of not accepting the offer tipped heavier.

“…I see. I understand. But if you ever change your mind, tell me anytime.”

“Yes, I understand.”

Kaoruko-san said that with a dark expression and a gaze tinged with slight unease directed at me. Because I had declined, things turned a little awkward, but we somehow recovered the conversation afterward and talked brightly as usual. By the time I was leaving, Kaoruko-san was smiling again.

“Well then, I’ll head out here.”

I met eyes with Kaoruko-san, who had come outside to see me off.

“Thank you for today, Aoi-kun.”

“No, thank you. I’ll come to cook again.”

“Hehe. I’m really looking forward to it.”

She smiled sweetly, and I smiled back. But…

“Make sure you remember what we talked about. If you change your mind or if anything happens, tell me right away. I’ll make the necessary preparations.”

“Y-yes.”

Even though she was smiling, the depths of her eyes were pitch-black, and I felt a faint chill. I knew those eyes. They were similar to the ones Shizuku had when she asked me for a favor.

With a slight chill running down my spine, I nodded obediently, waved to Kaoruko-san, and parted ways.

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