Between the lines 4
"I can't believe you're eating again!" Yukie watched Minori closely, her stare powerful enough to keep the latter from stuffing her face further.
“I’m hungry!” Minori whined, closing her eyes. She turned her head away before attacking her meal again with her teeth. “I need sugar. And calories."
"Excuse me..." The interruption this time was caused by a sharply dressed official stationed just inside the sidewalk.
His uniform announced his intent long before the short, balding man could do so verbally. That badge, those colors, the smarmy aura – this man answered to the Obscenity Institute.
"Officer, can we help you with something?" Instead of responding, the official simply fetched out his notepad and began scribbling something down, his expression never changing from the stone-faced one he arrived with. He ripped off the paper before slamming it on the table, nearest Minori. She quickly snatched it up, read it before pulling a disgruntled face.
"Are you kidding me?!"
“What’s wrong?” Yukie asked out of concern.
"Your top leaves too little to the imagination. I'm fining you twenty thousand yen for indecent
exposure."
"That's ridiculous!” Minori spat, practically breathing fire. “Indecent exposure? You can barely even see any boob!"
The short, balding man frowned, choosing scribbling over speaking. He passed the paper, with a smile, back to Minori.
"Five thousand yen for using the word ‘boob’?"
"I am well within my rights miss. Your vulgar language–”
"Vulgar language?!"
"That particular terminology is explicitly listed as forbidden in the Taboo Index. The correct term of use when referring to either one or both prominence located on the upper ventral region of a woman’s torso is 'breast'."
"THEY MEAN THE SAME THING!”
“The use of term ‘boob’ is laid out in Section 49 subsection 2, as being reserved for couples who have been married legally per Article 5 of the Safe Marriage Law, and have applied for special temporary permission to refer to the ventral prominence as anything other than ‘breast’, such permission only to be issued at least five years after both parties have entered into a shared co-habitation agreement as described in Section 25 subsections 16, 17 and in 18.
“I don’t give a crap about your sections, subsections or otherwise!”
"Minori, please get a hole of yourself." The short, balding man responded by scribbling down something else before handing it to her.
"I will not. I haven't done –– three thousand yen for raising my voice!?"
"As well as insulting, berating, arguing, or otherwise engaging in unacceptable or wasteful dialogue with an official of the Obscenity Institute. You're lucky I'm feeling generous today. Any other day and I’d probably have you brought in for questioning."
"What questioning? For showing the tiniest bit of skin?”
"You and I both know that women like yourself, in possession of above normal breast sizes pose, whilst unattached to a significant other, a greater risk to the financial wellbeing and mental stability of healthy, productive, young men."
"I've never heard such nons--"
"Thank you officer,” Yukie hastily interjected, gripping Minori’s hand tightly under the table. “As you can probably tell, my friend has some difficulties interacting with people in authority."
"That's alright miss--"
"Why do you keep saying ‘miss’? Do I look like single?" Yukie shot a disproving look at the short, balding man in the horrible looking uniform with the appallingly smug smirk.
"No wedding ring on your finger."
"Oh right. Of course." Yukie apologized with a smile.
"In future, I suggest you surround yourself with more...respectable companions."
"Why,” Minori started, on the verge of barking, “you little--"
"Thank you, officer. I'll endeavor to do so." Yukie faked a benign smile, gripping Minori’s hand even tighter.
"As for you...” The short balding man smirked, in a way exactly calculated to inform people that he was right and they were wrong… “take care."
Yukie and Minori both waited for the official to be out of sight before…
"Can you believe that guy? Fining me for showing a little cleavage?"
"You're lucky he didn't drag you away."
"He would've regretted it." Minori snappily ran through a personally prepared list of mental punishments to calm down.
"You can't blow up like that. We have to be careful."
"Hmph."
"It's not like it was before."
"Using 'boob' instead of 'breast'’, Minori continued, unwilling to hide her contempt. “Completely ridiculous. I mean who came up with such a dumb rule anyway?"
"More than likely someone who’s never known the love of a good woman."
"Or was born flat chested."
"Either way, you need to control your emotions in public. And wear more conservative clothing."
"I'm not a nun!" Minori paused to lamented the other restaurant goers. Men and women alike, covered up from top to bottom. "God I miss the good old days."
Talk about an effed up soceity, eh folks?