"Aren't you looking handsome."

Yuuko smiled brightly when Nik stepped into the shop. In her eyes, he was finally looking a bit decent when compared to the current fashion sense of the world... ripped jeans for both men and women...

She couldn't understand the concept at all. But what kind of mother would she be if she didn't even allow Megumi to explore her own choices? So usually, she would keep her opinions to herself but whenever Megumi would shop for something 'extreme', Yuuko would have to take her time and explain a lot of things to her.

"Thank you, Yuuko-san. And good to see you."

Nik smiled. Honestly, he still had troubles adding honorific to someone's name, but when he arrived in this world, Nik was presented the basic knowledge and pronunciation guide as his first travelling gift. But even then, the thought of adding 'san', 'kun' or other honorifics felt like a massive pain.

"Hmm, did you meet with Megumi? I heard from her that you would always walk a student till the school gates."

She asked casually. From the looks of it, Yuuko had just opened the shop. With a cloth in one hand, she kept dusting the book-filled shelves before while keeping her back to Nik.

'Wow...'

"Yes, I met with her and Manabu before coming here. Ah, here, let me put this out."

Nik offered a hand when he saw Yuuko touching the banners of various books and mangas, making Yuuko smirk a little.

"We haven't discussed your terms, Nik-kun."

"Consider it a selfless service, Yuuko-san. And honestly, you should just leave the dusting to me, too. 

You should relax over at the counter while I bring in customers."

Nik smiled while picking up a cartoonish flex-board before taking it out and placing it besides the entrance before repeating the action while Yuuko just smiled while moving towards the magazine section and continuing her dusting.

"All done."

Nik smiled with clapping softly and entering the shop with a smile when he saw Yuuko climbing up the ladder to dust off the upper section of the shelves... her large, plump butt stuck within her jean pants as she kept shaking her body while cleaning the upper section, making her butt jiggle ever so slightly.

'Ah... Megumi... I'm sorry...

I'm weak...'

He prayed internally but immediately shook his head and frowned before taking a deep breath. In his adventures, he won't have the time or the need to control his own urges, but in this world, he gradually had to learn proper restraint. Looking up, while controlling his swaying heart and wavering determination.

"Yuuko-san, can we discuss the terms now?"

He asked lightly while deciding to pick up one of the rag clothes placed over the counter and started swiping over the non-fiction section of the store.

"Ah, sure."

Yuuko gradually climbed down and looked at Nik while exhaling gently.

"I am going to be honest, Nik-kun. The only reason I am even willing to employ you is that Megumi told me a bit about your... circumstances.

But we don't have many customers in front of our shops, even during the peak season."

Yuuko sat over a stool and pressed her forehead while sighing.

"So, even though your basic salary will be less... we can include an incentive system based on the number of books you sell?"

She asked with a bit of uncertainty in her voice while Nik thought for a moment before nodding. Either way, it was a win-win situation for him and he would rather see Yuuka all day instead of an old man.

'Ah, that reminds me, I still have to apologise to him.'

With the talk completed, Nik was given a set of strict instructions about the prices of the various types of the books and their profit margins and the minimum operating price he needed to keep in mind if any customer suddenly decides to negotiate over the price.

Nik continuously nodded while keeping his silence while Yuuko kept on informing on where the books are kept and then she even showed him the record book that Yuuko had been maintaining since the beginning of shop to keep a track of the stock.

Finally, after half-an-hour, Nik was given a respite from the waves of information as Yuuko went back inside to eat her breakfast but not before,

"Have you eaten, Nik-kun?"

Yuuko looked towards Nik with a curious expression. Although she felt that there was no need to grow warmer towards her own employee, Yuuko also knew that she had to properly host Nik, although, his current stay still made her a bit curious.

"Yes, thank you. Please go ahead, I will take care of the shop."

He smiled and thanked Yuuko before sitting on the stool with nothing to do.

Mental task list updated... get a smartphone. It would get way too boring if there are no customers. Of course, he can look through the books, but he simply didn't want to touch the temple of words so early in the morning.

Meanwhile, Yuuko nodded and closed the door behind her as she exhaled deeply.

'How did it get sooo hott~'

She complained and groaned inwardly while pulling onto the collar of her top while breathing deeply.

No matter how comfortable Megumi looked with Nik, Yuuko now felt that he was too dangerous. If his bearded form gave him a pleasant and warm sense of beauty, right now, in such decent clothes...

He looked like the perfect boy in her mind... and not the 'good' kind of perfect.

She took rapid breaths to calm herself before she went towards the kitchen to cook something. 

Nik, on the other hand, was already bored out of his mind. He looked outside and saw various aunties opening their own stores before he grinned maliciously.

Standing up, he looked sideways. It was a restaurant and right now, a middle-aged woman was bent over while writing a few words over a small blackboard.

"Miss, can I take ask a few minutes of your undivided attention?"

Nik spoke up while the lady uttered an audible 'tch' before standing up with an irritated expression which visibly turned into a pleasant one as her dry eyes fell on the pleasant image his visage currently exuded. With the long cream apron over his clothes and properly combed hair unlike the dastardly hairstyles of this era's youth, Nik currently was an auntie magnet.

Seeing her reaction, Nik already knew that he had the woman's undivided attention and smiled broadly.

"I see that your cooking skills must be excellent, seeing that you own a snack store...

But would you be willing to enhance your trade?"

Nik spoke warmly and pointed at the book store while unceremoniously taking the poor woman's hand, almost making her wet. At this moment, he had already started leaking his pheromones to lure in customers and scam them.

And looking at the street filled with elderly ladies, he felt his prospects getting brighter and brighter.

"Ah, yes, Of course!" The lady almost shouted loudly as the stars within her eyes only grew brighter while Nik led her into the shop, still holding her hand. Although, Nim felt that this move was way too 'scummish' he simply channelled his 'gender equality' loving personality as he gave internal justification at how the salesgirls also used their beauty to lure in men and trap them into their demonic fold.

With the lady finally lured into his shop, Nik immediately led her to the cooking section of the store and pointed at various books that looked rather lavish, pointing at their expensive prices without care.

Since he had already decided to scam to impress his mother-in-law, why should he stop now?

13 Books.

In the end, the lady left with thirteen books. Since she did not have money in hand, she just looked at Nik while matching his gaze and pleaded rather desperately.

"Ah! Just wait here! I'll immediately return with the money! 

How much is it, by the way?"

The lady... that now seemed to resemble Manabu a little asked with a curious expression as Nik took out the calculator from the drawer and totalled the amount.

Pulling the most gentle smile that would be only used against some of the troublesome customers back in his world, Nik spoke out.

"The total amount is 13460 yen. But Auntie, are you sure—"

Nik hesitated a bit and lowered his eyes while biting his lips while screaming in joy internally as the lady's expression had melted to the extreme.

"Just wait! I'll return in a moment."

And as she promised, the lady returned in a moment while the shouts of an enraged man still sounded out from her store/house. Apparently, her poor husband.

And just like that, Nik made his first sale.

'Although... now that I think about it...

Didn't Megumi say that Manabu's parents owned a snacks store?'

He thought inwardly and connected the dots before shrugging. Manabu seemed the type of person who would read anything as long as it's new to him. So, Nik just sat back and sighed in relief. 

He was going to get rich enough to at least afford his own wardrobe.