Vol 1 Chapter 12 – Clockchild, Part 1【Vol 1 – Turning Point】

Michiru‐san had brought me to a shopping mall filled with a variety of brands.

“It’s a date!”

When I heard that, I felt like I was doing something really naughty—and I became incredibly embarrassed.

I looked down, but Michiru‐san wouldn’t let go of my hand.

After we walked silently through the mall for a while, a voice suddenly called out from behind.

“Excuse me, do you have a moment!?!”

When I turned around, a woman with her hair pulled back in a chignon and dressed in a pantsuit was standing there.

“Um, are you in the entertainment industry?”
Michiru‐san asked the woman.

“Yes, the one with you. Is that your child? I’d really love for that child to become one of our models.”

It was immediately apparent that I had an idol‐like appearance. After all, modeling was meant for children with refined features.

But the way I was dressed was hardly appropriate for being scouted as a model. After all, I was wearing cheap boy’s clothing.

Of course, I didn’t exactly want to wear children’s clothes either. However, with my build, adult-sized clothes were far too big.

“Rin‐kun, would you like to give it a try?”
Michiru‐san asked me.

At those words, the woman’s alarm was unmistakable.

“Kun!?”

It’s always like that. Most people are shocked when they find out I’m a boy.

“Um, haha… I suppose modeling is, you know, for girls’ clothing, right?”

“Ah, yes. It’s the children’s gothic lolita brand, clockchild…”

I figured as much. I had suspected it would be something like that.

“I’m an adult man. I don’t think I can meet your requirements.”

Even aside from whether I wanted to do it or not, I simply couldn’t. If I set that aside, my desire was evenly split—after all, I needed money. With money, I could pay for the health insurance, food, and living expenses that Michiru‐san was currently covering for me. However, I’m a man, and cross-dressing is embarrassing.

“This works out perfectly! Since you’re an adult, you can bypass all the troublesome aspects unique to junior models! And as a man, if you just keep quiet about it, nobody will know you’re not doing swimsuit modeling. Besides, I have no intention of having you do swimsuit modeling!”

The woman took my hand and launched into an impassioned explanation.

I, in distress, looked to Michiru‐san.

“—If you want to do it, I’ll support you.”
Those were her words, and they left me even more conflicted—my reasons for refusing and my desire to take the job were perfectly balanced.

“By the way, let’s start with a wage of 10,000 yen per hour! And today, we’ll even offer a discount! You won’t lose out, I promise!”

Ten thousand yen per hour—an eye-popping rate.

“O-okay, please!”

With earnings like that, I felt I could repay a significant amount to Michiru‐san. Moreover, even the clothes I’d be buying today—if I bought them from clockchild—would help me save money. I no longer had the right to refuse.

“Thank you very much! Oh, and I’ll also take care of your haircut! Naturally, the cut will be paid for by our agency!”

Having long hair with no distinction between bangs and the rest gave off an eerie, horror-movie-like vibe. Being able to fix that was truly a godsend.

“Is that okay?”

Michiru‐san showed concern for me. I, too, had some reservations about cross-dressing, but if it meant I could earn money, I couldn’t afford to be choosy.

“It’s fine. After all, this might be my chance to finally earn my own money!”

That was the most important thing to me. The primary issue I needed to resolve right now was my financial dependence on Michiru‐san. Therefore, any work that could help solve that was my top priority.

“By the way, would it be alright if I called you ‘Mom’? How do you feel about gothic lolita as a hobby?”

Now that I think about it, Michiru‐san had mentioned that my clothing would be decided by her tastes. If it didn’t match her preferences, even the model discount wouldn’t really matter.

“Actually, I was just looking for a gothic lolita shop.”

It seemed that this worked out for her as well—leaving me with a mix of relief and anxiety.

“And you’re quite a beauty, ‘Mom’… How about it? Perhaps a coordinated outfit for parent and child using the brand DarkAlice?”

With a great figure and a generous bust, as a woman she was incredibly attractive. I had a feeling that Michiru‐san would absolutely rock gothic lolita fashion.

“Hmm, I’m not so sure about wearing it myself… but the idea of a parent-child coordinated look is appealing.”

Even though we aren’t actually related, if Michiru‐san wants to do it, I’d go along with it without hesitation. After all, I owe her an immeasurable debt of gratitude.

“If you don’t mind, please take a look at the sales floor and decide. The clockchild and DarkAlice sections are right next to each other.” 

At her words, Michiru‐san hesitated for a moment before responding.

“Alright, I’ll take a look.”

I had always thought earning money was impossible for me, yet following my work as a VTuber, I never imagined I’d end up with a job like this. Ever since being kicked out of the house, my world had suddenly expanded. Now, in a way, I’m somewhat grateful for being kicked out—because if I hadn’t been, I’d probably still be a NEET.