Chapter 55. Final Exams. (3/3)

“What! No way! What do you mean he’s fired! Is it that big a deal that he told me?”

“Yes~ yes it is~ he’s been a bad boy who broke his promise to me and never informed me of such a thing. I don’t like when people try to hide things from me you see, and he very well knows that~ bad boys who have been naughty and disobedient need to be punished~”

Rosa’s eyes were panicked. “Wait, you can just move in with me!” She suddenly made that proposal.

“Heeeh~ you two are that close that you wouldn’t mind taking him in~? How niiiice~ now I’m jealous~”

“...” Neither of us knew how to deal with this person.

“BY THE WAY~”

“What?” I asked calmly.

“I was just kidding~ it’s only about four months away. At this point, it would be a waste to fire you~ And remember? I also need you to help with training the new employees that will take over for Yuna’s time slot at the main location. So for now you’re safe… BUT~ if there’s anything else you feel you should let me know, I’d suggest you tell me now. I won’t be so kind even if you are one of my favorite employees to toy with~”

When I remembered Alicia and Irene I hesitated for a bit. Would I really be let off so easily?

“Well? What is it? Could it be there really IS something else~”

Rosa looked at me worriedly as she at least knew Alicia was also aware.

“There… is…”

“Oh? You’re not going to tell me more people know as well, right?” Her voice was no longer laughing or playful in the slightest, it was deeper than ever. It was like talking to a scary purple-haired evil demon.

“You should know about the situation in which I got punched, right?”

“Yes… does that guy know or something?”

“If you saw the security camera footage, you probably saw what happened with the girl right after, right?”

“Oh, that’s right. Yes, if I recall correctly, she was wearing the same uniform as the girls that go to your school. You mean she isn’t the girl you’re with right now? I was somewhat under the impression it would be her but I was going to be able to easily verify that when I met her in person. It’s a good thing you told me or you’d be in trouble~ so that girl knows then?”

“Yes… and… her mother also figured it out on her own without me even saying a single word or her ever seeing me before, it was our first meeting, she was very sharp, but her mother will absolutely not tell anyone.”

Rosa was shocked when I revealed that bit of information.

“I see. I see. You’re fired, not~ I won’t use the same thing three times in a row. Will that girl keep it a secret though?”

“Yes, I took some rather extreme measures to ensure she would keep it.”

“Well, if you say so. If it somehow comes back to bite me, you yourself know what will happen to you. I don’t know you, you don’t work there, you’ve just been pretending to be an employee without my permission or knowledge. We’re complete strangers and you’ve never received a cent from me. You’ve just been stealing money out of the register and goods from the back.”

It was a cold response, but I already knew it without her saying anything. That was what our relationship was like. She never came in during my shift. I didn’t have her number saved either. She didn’t have mine saved and committed it to memory when I informed her I’d finally purchased a mobile phone.

She was kind in her own strange twisted way but still merciless, willing to cut all ties to me at the drop of a hat if it would threaten her or her business in any way.

“I understand. I’m thankful for your kindness.”

“Good~ hurry up and turn 16 like a good boy~ only then can I relax without any worries~”

“If you have a time machine to send me to the future, that would be nice.”

“Where would I even get one of those~”

“No idea.”

“Haha~ anyway, that should be about it for now. If I think of anything else I’ll be in touch~”

“Yeah. Thanks… for everything.”

“Aww~ little Ran is thanking me honestly. If I was there I’d give you a big hug for being so cute~”

“Please do refrain from doing so.” You're scary, I don't want a hug that will give me nightmares.

“Bye bye~”

“Bye.”

The call cut out from the other end. She’d hung up first. She was a busy woman. We rarely were in contact, but she was always like this. She’d come and go like a violent storm passing through. She was hard to deal with.

“Haaaah. Talking to the Owner is always nerve-wracking, even for me. She’s scary.”

“Your relationship with the Owner seems pretty unique though.” Rosa looked at me with a raised brow when she said that.

“She’s like that with everyone. If I were you and had the option of working or not working for her, I’d definitely choose to not work for her. You might want to reconsider jumping so quickly at the low-hanging fruit being presented to you.”

“No, I want to work with you. It’s a rare way for me to be able to spend more time with you. You’re always busy doing something. I end up missing you and want to be close sometimes too you know.”

“Aren’t we already sitting next to each other in class?”

“But I can’t even hold your hand or anything intimate in class. It’s making me frustrated.”

“You know you can’t go and do things like that while we’re at work either, right? That would make customers uncomfortable and affect business. The Owner definitely wouldn’t be happy about that.”

“In that case, it’s fine as long as the customers don’t see, isn’t it?”

“Haaaaah. Do what you want. Just don’t blame me if you get in trouble for it later. I definitely won’t defend you in that case. The Owner is someone that even I’m completely helpless against. I’ll throw you under the bus if I have to, you got that?”

“Heheh, how mean. Not even willing to defend your girlfriend in front of the Owner. Well, it’s fine, if it comes to that I’ll just accept my fate and be fired. The extra money would be nice, I could use it toward getting a car in the future or something, but my livelihood wouldn’t be at stake like yours if I was fired. I’ll willingly jump under that bus if you hesitate at all and don’t throw me under that bus yourself.”

“Aren’t you too good to be my girlfriend? Why are you even dating a guy like me? Was the owner actually right? You don’t happen to be terminally ill and dying or something.”

“Hmmm… well, I’ve been trying to hide it from you, but the truth is I do have a terminal illness that might take my life.”

“What? For real? You’re messing with me, right?”

“No, I’m not messing with you, I’m 100% serious. I’m afflicted with the illness called hopelessly in love with you. They say I won’t make it a year if things don’t get better soon. If I don’t get enough love from you within the year, the doctor told me I’d die of loneliness.”

This girl… really does say some things that are too damn cute.

I pulled her close and hugged her tight.

“How was that?”

“Honestly, too cute. I might fall in love with you all over again.”

“Heheh, is that so? Then please do.”

While in each other’s embrace the two of us fell asleep in each other’s arms. We only woke up when my alarm went off for my shift at work.

She stayed by my side up until the last second when we reached the exit on the bottom floor. It was cold outside, snowing, and I refused to let her go any further. She looked at me longingly like she wanted to stay together for longer, but she knew that we couldn’t. 

Before I departed, I gave her one last brief kiss. The warmth left behind from her lips on my own lingered even when I journeyed outside in the cold winter wind.

I couldn’t help but think, that thing called youth wasn’t so bad.

The final exams went by one day at a time. Four days later it was already Friday and the final exams were over before I knew it. It had been rather uneventful. 

Similar to the first final exam, Rosa and I continued to meet up every day. She developed a habit to wait for me after the exam and drag me to her lair. With today’s exam being the last, we were free. Free for a full two weeks to do whatever we wanted.

I had work still, but I could sleep in without any worry. I didn’t even need to worry about calling out sick on the days I was skipping. It was truly a great and wonderful thing. Such freedom.

Currently, I was seated upright, while Rosa laid down with her back to the couch. She had her right knee bent up over my lap and leaned its full weight against my body. It had sneakily slipped under my shirt at some point in time so her bare leg was in direct contact with my abdomen up to my chest. She’d occasionally move it around allowing her pleasantly smooth and soft skin to slide against mine. 

Meanwhile, her other leg was tucked under my left leg and hooked over my right. I’d changed into a pair of indoor shorts while inside as the heater was on full blast and it was rather hot inside her apartment despite the cold weather outside. It was only natural that when she swung her knee over my right leg her supple thigh would grind against my right thigh and the side of her leg would brush against the back of my calf. The upper region of my left leg ended up squished between both her legs in a sort of scissors shape.

We’d somehow found our bodies closely entangled in such a manner with the TV on in the background. She was naturally doing all of this intentionally to try and rile me up. But as we passed the time on the couch in such an intimate position, she suddenly looked up to me and called out my name.

“Hey, Ran.”

“Yeah? What is it?” I tilted my head to the right a bit.

“Well, I’ve sort of just been dragging you over to my place recently, but… am I being a bother? Like… do you hate the sort of thing I’m doing? Idly spending time together with me like this?”

“If I hated it that much, I wouldn’t have even given you the opportunity to drag me along. I could have just made short work of the exams and escaped before you finished yours. The fact that you finished the exams so early shows how hard you worked on your studies to be able to have the leisure and chance to wait for me to finish mine in the first place. You put in the work to bring me over, so how can I heartlessly turn you down? It’s also hard to refuse when my precious girlfriend is being so blatantly aggressive in her advances.”

I’d developed a soft spot for this flirtatious girlfriend of mine, that much was obvious. Recently, she’d constantly held herself back in front of others because she understood those kinds of things bothered me. I appreciated her consideration.

“Well… if you really don’t hate it, then…” She lowered her eyes and put together the words she wanted to convey to me in her head before she continued. “... would you be opposed to staying at my place all through winter break? That is… after work you can return here and we can be… together.”

“Is that the request you have for me from the midterms?”

“Originally after a lot of thought I considered using it like that… but… I don’t want… you to feel like you’re being forced to stay here. I want you to want to be together… all alone with me… for the… next two weeks. That’s what would make me happiest. Because of that… I won’t use that request for this.”

I closed my eyes and complained out loud, “My girlfriend has learned how to be quite sly. ”

“Will you stay… or… not?” Her lowered eyes raised up to mine and asked me that in such a criminally unfair manner. 

It was truly dangerous how cute my girlfriend was.

Whether I accepted or declined her offer here, it would be my complete loss.

Some might call her move, checkmate.

But I was a man who didn’t like to lose.

Just which option did I choose in the end?

I opened my eyes calmly and looked directly into hers, my mouth moved and uttered but a single word. It was my answer to her spontaneous request.

Would she be happy? Or would she face disappointment in the end? Only time would tell as the story between the two of us unfolded.