by Ko Hiratori
“Huh? Err, sorry. I was listening. Thank you!”
“Heh-heh.”
Chiba watched the corners of my mouth closely as I ate. For someone who lies so much, he’s awfully suspicious and controlling.
The more experienced prostitutes told me what to look for in guys. He fits the criteria so well it’s funny, but there are still plenty of times I wonder what he’s thinking.
There are lots of other guys besides him who call me Mama. But there has never been anyone who wanted to eat lunch with me every day.
Since the incident, we’re not allowed to meet with customers outside the shop. “So as long as I’m not a customer, it’s fine?” Chiba said, and started only taking me out for lunch and not coming to the shop at night.
That’s another thing about Chiba that’s different from other men. If he doesn’t want to sleep with me, then why does he call me Mama? Why does he feed me and then not try to take me off somewhere?
He really is a weird kid. I have no idea what he’s thinking.
“Hey, Mama. I might be a bit late tomorrow...”
I told him he didn’t have to worry about it.
I didn’t ask why he would be late. I was sure he’d just tell a stupid lie.
Once the shop opens, I’m busy and don’t have time to rest.
And lately Madam has been calling me over more often. She’s been introducing me to all sorts of people. They’re what I guess you could call important customers. After we had sex, they gave me some extra money. One of them told me to dress a little nicer. Madam said the same thing.
The reason I choose cute, child-like dresses is that I think they look good on me and because I have a lot of customers who are into that. But apparently I need to start dressing like a proper adult.
I don’t really feel like changing, but I can’t stay like this forever, either. Madam has been prepping me to be her replacement.
“Lupe. The head of the guild is going to go around the countryside tomorrow. I’m going to go with him this time, so I want you to look after the shop.”
Unlike Haru, I was brought here from the countryside. I have debts.
It’s clear that continuing this work forever ruins your body, so unless some rich guy rescues you, you need some kind of talent like cooking or music or things get rough. I don’t have any skills, so unless I help out with running the business for money, I won’t last long.
Not that I really want to last long.
“Understood. I’ll give it my best shot.”
Even if I don’t think I’m cut out for it, I’m not so blessed in life that I have a choice. I just do what I have to do.
“Lupe. There’s a customer at the counter passed out.”
“Okay, I’ll handle him.”
There are only women at the brothel, so when a customer gets problematic or force needs to be involved, we ask some helpful regulars for assistance.
Usually they’re adventurers and we compensate them with drinks or food. Otherwise we ask someone from a neighboring establishment, or if no one else, the head of the guild. To protect the shop, I have to be skillful at making connections with those sorts of people.
“Hey, my dude. If you’re going to sleep, this is not the place.”
I had a burly customer carry him to a cheap inn.
Even with one person out of the way, there are all sorts of little problems that pop up, and if they aren’t resolved quickly, things start to get bogged down.
I was a lot busier than I expected to be. It always seemed like Madam was just strolling around looking elegant...
Ah. So the key is to find problem spots before they become problems. I have to keep going around and talking to people.No time to stand around.
By the end of the day, my face muscles were frozen in a smile, and my legs were stiff. When morning came, I was still where I had flopped face down on my bed.
B-Bam!I woke up with a start at the knock on my door.
“Who is it?”
For a second I thought it might be Haru, but there was no reply. Then came another loud knock.
“Me,” came a slightly hoarse voice.
Oh, you.
Did I make her mad? I somehow got up on my aching feet. My whole body was stiff.
“Morning, Kizuha. Can I help you?”
Gentle waves of long golden hair.
She had it tied up in a bun, and below her broad forehead were two big blue eyes glaring at me. It made me feel like Blue Cat Nocturne was named for her.
“What do you mean, ‘Can I help you?’”
Her silky white skin curved to form her ample chest. The arms and legs coming out of her short black dress were so long and thin I wondered if a certain someone was playing favorites. It made me jealous.
She’s so pretty that even as a woman I get a little chill. But at the moment she had a scary look on her face.
“There aren’t enough men. I was too horny to sleep.”
She was like a starving alley cat out to bite me.
There was something strange about this girl: She thought she was cut out perfectly to be a prostitute. Apparently she really liked to sleep with guys. She said she wanted three fucks a night. But she never came down to get her own customers.
“It’s your job to bring them to me, isn’t it?”
She was the top seller at Blue Cat Nocturne, and she had been ever since I arrived. So no one in the shop could oppose her.
“Sorry. I was too busy, so I couldn’t send any up to you. You know Madam has been gone since yesterday, right?”
“What does that have to do with anything? How much do you think I make a night? Instead of getting busy with nothing, it would be better for the shop for you to find customers for me!”
Kizuha’s room costs a lot. As a result, only rich guys can be her customers, and not that many of them show up in one night. We have to look for them and invite them to buy her. It was a bit much for me to do all alone, and Haru, who usually helps me, was gone.
“I’m actually really busy. If you came downstairs, I’m sure lots of people would offer to buy you, Kizuha.”
“Why should I have to do a pain-in-the-ass thing like that? I’m exempt from that crap. Madam said so, didn’t she?”
“...Yes, she did, but—”
“What is it, Lupe? Are you mad?” She ran her fingers through my hair. Then she brushed past my ear to rest her hand on the wall behind me and brought her face close. “Are you mad? What are you gonna do about it?”
Her eyelashes were so long I felt like they might suck me in. I couldn’t say a word when someone with such a pretty face was glaring at me. Plus she smelled like blood again.
I told her I wasn’t mad. And I promised that I would get her some customers that night.
“Hmph, oh? Then do your best,” she said as if it had nothing to do with her and went away at last. I was finally relieved, but then she suddenly whirled around and freaked me out. “I’m counting on you, Mama.”
She grinned and then left with a wave.
I was nervous. She put so much pressure on me. And I was sure she was mocking me, calling me “Mama.” I didn’t like the way she said that.
I mean, Madam is her actual mom.
It was after noon, but Chiba still hadn’t come. He did say he would be late, though. Maybe he wouldn’t make it. I had just told him he didn’t need to come every day, but I had been sort of looking forward to it, so I was a bit disappointed.
Then what should I eat?I had never been to Sumo’s on my own, but I thought maybe I’d give that a try.
Even Kiyori went to drink tea in her Sister habit. That was pretty great. A woman sitting alone at a cafe looks like a flower on display. Well, I’m not as pretty as Kiyori, but...
I think I can still go. I worked hard yesterday. And I’ll work hard today and tomorrow, too. Madam has been telling me to grow up, so maybe this is something grown up to try. Yeah.
But the world isn’t such a sweet piece of cake that my nonexistent
courage would work against it.
When I tried to sit on the “terrace” out front, I got scared because I felt like the guy at the next table was looking at me. I figured I would be okay if I sat in front of Sumo, but there were a ton of male customers in there too, so it was hard to find a spot.
“What’s wrong, girlie? Nowhere to sit?” The man who was always on the terrace called out to me.
I suppose he was an adventurer, but his foot was injured, so he always started drinking at lunch time. He had a stiff-looking beard. When I froze, he grinned. “Wanna sit here?” He gestured at his crotch and showed his teeth.
As everyone around laughed, I made a point of smiling pleasantly. Guys at the shop said that all the time, too. I guess it’s the kind of joke men like.
“U-Umm, if you’re looking for a seat, there’s one in front of my station.” Sumo got between us, peeking around a tray full of cakes.
What a relief.He’s so big and reassuring.
“What? Hey. Is she your girlfriend or something? Sorry, man.”
But he’s a bit timid and reserved. When the man with the beard said the g-word, Sumo turned bright red and said, “Don’t be ridiculous,” in a soft voice.
Sorry.“It’s fine. I’ll come a different day.” I decided to turn him down. My stomach felt so heavy I might as well have been full anyhow.
“Sorry.”
I replied to his apology with one of my own, “No, I’m sorry.” More than anything, I was glad his business was going well.Let’s both work hard.
“Um, here you go, if you like.” He gave me one of the cakes on the tray. When I tried to pay, he said, “I have too many anyhow,” looking apologetic.
Even though Haru wasn’t around and we weren’t coming to the cafe, he still made the same number of cakes. They weren’t selling, so he was going around to the customers.
“Who would want a girly thing like that?!” The bearded man harshly refused when offered one.
Sumo was really trying his best. Who was I to suggest that we should both work hard, as if he wasn’t?
The delicious cakes seemed a bit sad. Even if I ate one on my own, it would just taste lonely.
I’m gonna go insane.
That customer was mad his food was taking forever; the customer over there started a fight out of spite because he couldn’t get the girl he wanted. One girl said she was sick; another’s face was swollen from being hit by a customer.
Smile. Smile. No matter how I feel, I can’t make a weird face in front of the customers. I can’t make the girls nervous.
Madam says it’s important to “light into someone” now and then. But I don’t think I can do that. I’m no Haru.
I went around to everyone and apologized. I knew it wasn’t the cleverest solution, but I didn’t know any other. Even when I remembered how Madam was always leaving tasks up to others, I couldn’t think of anyone I could rely on.
I was completely exhausted. And sales were garbage. Still, I had to smile until the end.
Another day sleeping right where I face-planted.
A slap on the butt opened my eyes. When I sat up in surprise, I got flipped over.
I could smell alcohol. And Kizuha was on top of me.
“Do you remember what I told you yesterday?”
Her big, shining eyes were so close that they were even more intense, and they were all I could see.I’m going to get sucked in.
“...Sorry.”
“If you get it, then don’t apologize! Bring me men. If you won’t...” She grinned and said she would eat me.
I thought I might actually get eaten. Her breath brushed my nose and crawled on my skin—like a tongue.
“Kizuha.” Her breath smelled a bit like blood.I hate this,I thought, but I had to say something. “Are you drinking again? Madam said that was the one thing you weren’t—”
“Oh shush. Who cares what she says?” She slapped back at me with those words, and I couldn’t say anything else. She had my arms pinned, so I couldn’t move, either. She sniffed the nape of my neck and brought her mouth near my hair. “You always smell so sweet. How many people fucked you last night? You ignored me and enjoyed the men by yourself! Isn’t that right?”
I told her I hadn’t been fucked. Pretty soon I would only be sleeping with specific customers—ones that Madam introduced to me.
“Oh right. You’re going to be our new mama, huh?” Kizuha stroked my cheek. She pricked my ear with her nails. When she saw me grimace from the pain, she smiled. “Mama, work hard for me. And then I’ll be a good girl. I promise.”
I really didn’t know what to say to that smile. It was so pretty it gave me shivers, but it also hurt like thorns.
Kizuha was born at the brothel. She says that she doesn’t remember when she got into the business. Madam doesn’t talk much about it, either. And I’ve never seen the two of them have a conversation. It’s because Kizuha does nothing but lie.
She always smells like blood during the day. Poppybat blood.
Of course, there’s no such animal. And it’s not real blood. It’s an oddly shaped fruit you can find in the eastern part of Demon Lord Forest. When you ferment it, it turns red and smells like blood.
The juice is more potent than alcohol—it ruins people. So if the soldiers find it on you, you’ll be arrested. But apparently it’s surprisingly easy to get ahold of, and some people even drink it at the brothel.
They get so far gone that they start talking to someone who isn’t there or suddenly turn violent. Some of them collapse and have to be taken to the hospital.
People who know how to handle it don’t get so messed up. So they recommend it to the girls, saying that when you do it after drinking some, it feels really good. Madam tells everyone to refuse because it’s dangerous, and that we can run away if we get too pressured.
Kizuha knows how to drink it. I don’t think anyone besides me has even noticed.
“...Make sure you eat. If you don’t get your nutrients, you’ll collapse.”
“What’s that about? Are you trying to act like my mom?”
Even I knew that what I was saying missed the mark. But Kizuha had been eating less and less lately. Maybe she had picked up another pet. She used to pick up any creature she found and keep them hidden in the shed. It was me who put a lock on the door when Madam said to.
And I wondered if the one she was keeping was a boy I knew.
“You look pretty tired yourself.” Kizuha cocked her head, commenting as if it had nothing to do with her, and brushed her hair back. Today it was neat. She was probably going to meet someone. “Is work really that hard?”
Compared to when I was just another girl, by a ton, yeah.
But if I couldn’t get used to it, I probably wouldn’t be able to survive. Everyone has to keep evolving.
“You’re not cut out for it, Lupe.”
I felt like something gross had been stabbed through my chest.I know that. I don’t need to hear it from you.
“You’re only faking it with a smile. It’ll never last. It’s impossible to do a job you can’t enjoy.”
She laughed and said she enjoyed herself. She laughed so much. The sound echoed, throbbing, in my head.
“Lupe, do you wanna do some blood, too? It’ll make things more fun.”
A red tongue licked her lips. Maybe just the smell had an effect. My cheeks were heating up. I felt suffocated and started to get a craving.
“Just kidding. I would never give any to you.”
After all that taunting, Kizuha finally got off of me. As the smell of blood moved away, I smelled flowers for a moment.
Chiba didn’t come that day, either.
I had a late lunch by myself in the brothel kitchen. It was nostalgic, but it made me wonder,Is this what we were eating?The food we’d always eaten together up until a little while ago just didn’t taste good to me anymore.
But I can’t be thinking like that. I’m going to have more and more days like this. I need to talk to the oth
er girls; I need to keep tabs on the mood of the shop. I can’t get spoiled by how tasty the food is when we eat out.
And besides, Haru might never come back. Maybe she feels like she doesn’t have to be a prostitute anymore.
When she got here she didn’t know anything, but now she’s more capable than me. She can cook, do laundry, and even do repairs around the shop. She can’t calculate her sales to save her life, but she’s great at singing and playing instruments. And she’s super cute.
She seems to be going around with someone outside the shop and has even been to the forest, so maybe she’s already talked to him about quitting.
She wouldn’t tell me about it. She couldn’t say something like that to me, someone who’s stuck here forever.
I’ll be sad, but I think I’ll be able to congratulate her with a smile. I can do that much. But maybe she thinks I’ll cry and tell her not to go. Even though I won’t. I know that everyone will leave before me, so I’m fine.
...is the kind of boring stuff I was thinking about—even though when Haru was around I would try to have interesting things to bring up.
I should drink some water.
When I stood up to get some, there was no strength in my knees. They buckled under me and I almost fell. It was a shock.
That night, there weren’t many customers thanks to the rain.
It was horrible that I felt relieved about bad traffic. I turned up the light out front to make the shop seem warmer. I had the band play a relaxing song. I discounted one of the kitchen’s dishes and advertised it on the sign outside. To the commuting girls, I said, “You can go home early tonight, so liven things up while you’re here.”
Just because there are fewer customers doesn’t mean there are fewer things to do. But I can’t let the burden show on my face. I have to look around and be considerate.
A new customer—a heavy-set, greasy-looking guy—ducked in out of the rain, pulling his attendant with him. He did seem to frequent brothels, though. When I showed a girl to his table, he casually dropped an unsavory joke. He wore nice clothes. I figured he had money—and lots of it.
I greeted him on Madam’s behalf and served him a drink. He didn’t seem very interested when he eyed my modest chest, which was actually a relief. There were lots of girls with big breasts around today.
