To shake off the man who was tailing her, Xia Yinuo deliberately took a circuitous route through S Street, eventually entering S Café and selecting a private, secluded room.
This particular coffee shop specialized in ‘beast-eared girls,’ whose dazzling attire was so eye-catching that I found myself hesitant to look too closely.
Upon entering, I even thought I’d glimpsed a loli who appeared to be no more than three years old, though I suspected it might have been a hallucination.
After all, what establishment would openly dare to employ child labor? If such a thing were true, the consequences would be far more severe than a mere three-year sentence.
Wait a moment. That person just now… why did they look so familiar?
The room’s lighting was a dim, warm glow, making it difficult to discern someone’s face without a closer look. This ambiance, however, offered a strange sense of relaxation, preventing any panic one might feel when facing someone they admired or were shy around.
****
A soft creak announced the opening of the door, and a very small loli stepped inside.
She was dressed in a fiery red fox-girl costume, most strikingly adorned with two beast ears atop her head and a long, fluffy red tail swishing behind her.
The fox-girl—a professional term for loli—held a tray in both hands, upon which rested two cups of KK.
“M-master, please enjoy your co-coffee!”
The fox-girl’s voice was incredibly young and remarkably soothing. Judging by her stuttering delivery, she was undoubtedly new to the job.
I had to admit, this fox-girl was utterly adorable and perfectly recreated. If I weren’t a cultured otaku who had transcended base desires, I surely would have behaved far worse than a beast.
Standing on her tiptoes, the fox-girl barely managed to place the coffee cups before me and Xia Yinuo, a testament to her diminutive height.
After setting down the coffee, the fox-girl retreated to Xia Yinuo’s side, clutching the tray with both hands. Her head remained bowed, and her shoulders trembled, as if she were terribly frightened.
She bore a striking resemblance to one of my classmates, but her lowered head obscured her face. “Um, are you Yamashita Izumi, my classmate?”
At my question, her body visibly jolted before she nodded.
A shy breath escaped her lips.
The little fox-girl slowly raised her head, biting her lip in reluctant embarrassment. She timidly glanced at the guest opposite her, and upon realizing it was indeed Chirp, her crush, her face instantly flushed crimson. She quickly lowered her head again. “Chirp… Chirp, it really is you!”
“Uh… you two know each other?” Xia Yinuo hadn’t expected to run into Chirp’s classmate in a randomly chosen coffee shop. Xia Yinuo’s gaze swept over the little fox-girl. She seemed very shy with strangers, or perhaps not. Since Chirp was her classmate, shyness shouldn’t be an issue.
It seemed she was simply embarrassed to be seen in such an outfit, in such a place, by a classmate. What truly surprised Xia Yinuo, however, was how incredibly young Chirp’s classmate was—she was practically a tiny child.
“Yes, this is my classmate, Yamashita Izumi. She’s the cutest girl in our class, bar none. Many boys are quite fond of her,” I explained to Xia Yinuo.
“Ah… cute? I can’t believe Chirp would call me cute…” Yamashita Izumi stared at Chirp with a lovesick expression, her eyes practically sparkling. It was true that she liked Chirp, but he rarely spoke to girls in class and always seemed distant.
Being an introverted person, she hadn’t dared to confess her feelings to Chirp. To be called cute by the person she liked made her heart incredibly happy and excited. Yamashita Izumi whispered to herself, ‘Chirp, you’re cute too!’
“Yamashita Izumi, you’re amazing, working a part-time job at such a young age. I remember this kind of place usually takes tips, and as your classmate, I can’t just stand by. Here’s ten yuan, take it!” I pulled the money from my pocket and offered it, having only that much on me due to my hasty departure.
“Oh, no, no… Chirp, you don’t have to. Just having you visit me makes me happy enough. Money, I… I can’t take it.” Yamashita Izumi shook her head in refusal, but her tray was gently held. She saw a pair of hands more beautiful than a girl’s, and a ten-yuan bill appeared on her tray.
It was her first time working, and her first tip, though not much. But since the customer was Chirp, the boy she liked, her heart swelled with joy.
“Tha-thank you!”
Yamashita Izumi replied shyly.
“Is this your first time working this kind of job, Izumi?” Xia Yinuo asked, her elegant legs crossed, as she leaned back in her chair and gracefully sipped her coffee with her left hand.
“Yes,” Yamashita Izumi’s gaze flickered between Chirp and Xia Yinuo, as if trying to ascertain their relationship. Were they a couple? No, that couldn’t be right! Although Chirp’s grades weren’t the best, he never actively interacted with girls.
They should, they shouldn’t be lovers. Perhaps, perhaps she’s his older sister. The thought that they might be siblings brought a sense of balance to Yamashita Izumi’s heart. If they were siblings, then she still had a significant chance.
“Chirp, a girl’s first time can be quite expensive, you know!” Xia Yinuo opened her wallet and placed a hundred yuan on the tray.
“Thank you, thank you, Big Sister. I-I’m a newcomer, there’s no need to give so much.” Yamashita Izumi felt a strong fondness for Xia Yinuo, not just because of the generous tip. More importantly, she was Chirp’s sister, and if Yamashita Izumi became Chirp’s girlfriend, they would be family.
“Ah, there’s such a saying about a girl’s first time? Then, then I…” I unclasped the pure gold necklace from my neck, walked over, and solemnly placed it on the tray.
I had heard that Izumi’s family wasn’t well-off, but I never imagined it had reached the point where she was ‘selling her first time.’ Fortunately, because of my and my ‘sister’s’ presence, Izumi’s ‘first time’ wouldn’t involve a transaction with some bad uncle or old man.
If I were rich, I would rescue all these innocent girls, ensuring that their ‘first times’ weren’t taken by villains.
“Chirp, thank you, thank you so much! Not just for this first time, but every one of my first times in the future will be for you. I will remember you forever!” Yamashita Izumi was utterly moved by Chirp’s actions. She never expected him to give her something so important from his neck.
Chirp always wore that necklace, no matter what he wore, where he went, or what he did. Yamashita Izumi had always believed it was something incredibly precious to him.
“We’re classmates, what’s with all this talk?” I chuckled and returned to my seat. Yamashita Izumi was always so timid; many times, it made me forget that she was the same age as me.
“Thank you,” Yamashita Izumi’s eyes were filled with tears of gratitude.
“I heard beast-eared girl cafés offer overnight services. Is that true?” Xia Yinuo looked at Yamashita Izumi with interest.
“Th-this… this is true. As long as the beast-eared girl agrees, customers can enjoy maid service anywhere, at any time.”
“Ah? So, so I can take Izumi home and do whatever I want?” I was startled by my own words. According to what Yamashita Izumi said, that was indeed possible.
Yamashita Izumi wished she could bury her head in the ground; Chirp’s tone was becoming increasingly lewd. It was a perfectly legitimate service, but the way he phrased it completely distorted its meaning. She didn’t offer the kind of service perverts imagined.
“Izumi, is th-this legal?” I felt a strange, inexplicable excitement. Izumi was only three years old, three years old! To be able to take her home and play games—it was too exciting.
“It-it’s not always what you think. Chirp, please don’t misunderstand. If… if it were Chirp, then… then that would be a different matter entirely.” Yamashita Izumi’s voice grew softer and softer, the latter part of her sentence becoming completely inaudible.