“Wouldn’t it be great if I could become a dungeon raider and support Mom~? But she said it’s not necessary… still…”
“Honoka-san, are you okay? Did you drink a little too much?”
“Hmm, I’m fiiine. Totally fine.”
Honoka-san’s speech was starting to slur noticeably. The female bartender slid a glass of water toward her. Honoka-san drank it in gulps before slumping over the counter. She had likely fallen asleep.
Afterward, we went to a bar run by one of Honoka-san’s friends, and it seems she got fairly drunk while we were drinking for a while.
“Honoka’s usually a strong drinker, though. Sorry about this, Mura-kun.”
“Oh, no, it’s fine.”
Behind the counter, Honoka-san’s friend Kei-san smiled wryly. She had a pixie cut with green highlights, sharp eyes, a high nose, and bright red lipstick on her wide lips. She gave off the vibe of a cool indie band vocalist.
“I was surprised when I heard Honoka came with a guy, but then I found out he’s a minor… Are you okay? She hasn’t done anything weird to you, has she?”
“Not at all! She’s always kind to me and really considerate. I came today hoping I could be of some help to her, but all I could do was listen to her. She even refused to let me pay the bill…”
“She’s such a hard worker, you know. Always ends up shouldering everything on her own. She’s diligent, earnest, and shy. She’s adorable, so I bet she could easily find a dependable boyfriend if she wanted to.”
“Shy, huh…”
“Most women are after guys in some way, so you’d better be careful, Mura-kun.”
“That’s not…”
He was about to say “true” but paused as recent events came to mind. Better to stay cautious.
“Hmm, it’s already 10:30… Mura-kun, I hate to ask, but could you take Honoka home? Having a minor in the bar past 11 is a bit of a problem.”
“Yes, of course. My house is pretty close by. Oh, but I haven’t paid yet, have I?”
“Don’t worry about it. I’ll put it on Honoka’s tab.”
“Is that okay?”
“Of course. If Honoka found out you paid, she’d feel awful.”
“Got it. Thank you.”
“Save your thanks for when Honoka wakes up.”
Kei-san waved her hand casually. She was so cool and easygoing.
“Uh… I guess I’ll carry her on my back.”
The weather had been getting cooler recently, so fortunately, both Honoka-san and I were wearing long sleeves. Carrying her without direct skin contact should be possible.
“Alright, here we go…”
I slung Honoka-san’s small bag around my neck and hoisted her onto my back from the barstool. She was surprisingly light, considering her height.
“Oh.”
That’s right. Carrying her on my back meant that… a certain large part of her anatomy would press against my back. Trying not to think about it, I focused on anything else.
“What’s up? Are you thinking about Honoka’s boobs?”
“Ah, no, um…”
Well, yes, but… Doesn’t she have any sense of delicacy?
“Think of it as a perk and enjoy it. A little touching won’t wake her up.”
“I-I would never do something like that!”
Thanks to Kei-san’s teasing, my attention was now entirely focused on my back.
“Thanks for everything tonight. I’ll come by again.”
“This isn’t really a place for minors, you know. Come back when you’re an adult~.”
Kei-san lit a cigarette as she spoke. She really was cool.
◇
In the end, Honoka-san didn’t wake up, so I had no choice but to take her to my apartment. I laid her down on my bed and slept on the floor. To think that I, a teenage boy, managed to resist touching a cute, busty older woman who was sleeping vulnerably in my bed—I deserved some sort of award. Maybe the Nobel Prize for Restraint.
When I woke up the next morning, Honoka-san was sitting up in bed, her face buried in her hands.
“Mm… Ah, good morning, Honoka-san. You had a bit too much to drink last night. Are you feeling okay?”
“I’ve messed up. I’ve messed up. I’ve messed up…”
“Honoka-san?”
She kept murmuring to herself with her face still covered. Was she okay?
“What have I done… to an innocent high school boy… a minor… such a serious part-timer…”
“Um, Honoka-san?”
“Y-yikes!!”
When I gently shook her shoulder, her entire body jolted as if she’d been shocked.
“T-T-Tatsuya-kun… Um, about last night, I…”
She turned toward me slowly, her movements stiff like a poorly animated robot. Her face was bright red.
“Yes, thank you for yesterday. It was my first time, but I had a great time.”
“F-first time…?! Don’t tell me… I really did…”
It seems like she’s made a huge misunderstanding. I decided to tease her a bit since I had the chance. I wrapped my arms around myself, slightly lowering my head.
“Honoka-san… Last night… was intense… Even when I said I couldn’t anymore, you just kept going, over and over again…”
“Wh-wh-wh-wh-what!? I was that assertive!? Even though it was my first time!? I’m so sorry, Mura-kun! Really, I’m so sorry! You might not believe me, but I really didn’t mean to! Aaaahhhh! Why would I do something like thaaaat!?”
Honoka-san blurted out a string of incoherent words before grabbing her head and burying her face into the pillow. That’s my pillow, though.
“Why don’t I have any memory of ittttt!? What a wasteeeeeee!!”
What on earth is this adorable woman saying?
After screaming into the pillow for a while, she suddenly stopped. Just when I thought she’d calmed down, she shot up and looked at me with a pale, serious face.
“Wait, could this be a crime? Am I a criminal? How old are you again, Tatsuya-kun?”
“Sixteen.”
“That’s a criiiiiiime!”
“Ah, but I’ll be seventeen soon.”
“That still doesn’t make it okaaay!”
As she buried her face into the pillow again and screamed, I couldn’t hold back my laughter anymore.
“Puahaha… Haha… Ahahahahahaha!”
“T-Tatsuya-kun…?”
“It’s a joke. Nothing happened.”
“…Huh?”
She tilted her head with a disheveled look.
“Yesterday, I just brought you home after you passed out at Kei-san’s bar. You didn’t wake up at all, and I ended up falling asleep soon after.”
“Wait, so… you’re joking?”
“Yep, just a joke.”
“………Oh, thank goooood!”
This time, she collapsed onto the bed, sighing with relief.
“Geez, don’t tease me like that.”
“Sorry, I couldn’t help it. You were panicking so much, it was too funny.”
“Honestly. And you really shouldn’t let women into your room so easily, you know? It’s fine because it was me, but if it were someone else, you might’ve been attacked.”
“I wouldn’t attack someone who’s passed out drunk.”
“Hmph!”
Honoka-san puffed up her cheeks in a clear pout.
“More importantly, are you okay with work today? It’s already almost nine.”
“What!? It’s that late already!? Oh no, I have a wedding meeting at ten!”
“It’s about a 30-minute walk to Anjou Terrace from here. You can use the bathroom if you need to. It’s behind that door. I don’t have any clothes for you, but I do have a toothbrush from an amenities kit.”
“Really!? Thanks, Tatsuya-kun!”
Without any sign of a hangover, Honoka-san quickly got up and headed to the bathroom. After a bit of rustling, she peeked her head out of the door. She appeared to be undressed, and her bare collarbone and nape were quite alluring.
“Um, don’t peek, okay?”
“I won’t.”
“…That’s kind of disappointing, though.”
“What do you want me to do…? Anyway, hurry up, or you’ll be late.”
“Oh, right! Well, see you later!”
What does “see you later” even mean in this context?
After that, Honoka-san quickly showered, reapplied her makeup, and rushed off to work. It looked like she’d make it in time without being late.
