Chapter 116: Cuteness, in the Face of Sexiness...
At 8:30 in the morning, sunlight bathed the streets. Traffic moved slowly, the windows of the cars reflecting the golden light. On the sidewalks, office workers in suits hurried along, their figures sharp and clear in the morning sun. The rumbling of the train could be heard occasionally in the distance, weaving together with the bustle of the street to form the unique rhythm of the city's morning. The cherry blossom trees by the roadside were long past their blooming season, but their green leaves were still vibrant in the sunlight, adding a touch of softness to the concrete jungle.
...
Inside a white Toyota RAV4, Jashin-chan pulled her new phone from the snakeskin pocket on her stomach and announced after a glance at the screen, "Mmm... Medusa says she's here."
"Okay, tell her to wait outside the station. We're almost there," Ryohei Tanaka said, his hands steady on the steering wheel as he glanced at the GPS map on his left.
"Got it," Jashin-chan replied, her fingers tapping quickly across the screen as she messaged Medusa back.
A few moments later, outside Shibuya Station, Ryohei spotted Medusa at a glance through the windshield.
She stood gracefully under a large, leafy tree, her hands clasped elegantly in front of her, gently holding two exquisite gift bags. Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves, dappling her in shifting patterns of light and shadow, adding to her gentle beauty.
A golden hairpin shaped like a cute, cartoonish snake was pinned in her hair. Triangle-shaped earrings dangled from her earlobes, swaying gently as she looked around and refracting tiny specks of light. She was dressed in a gorgeous outfit reminiscent of an ancient Egyptian queen, the light fabric fluttering in the breeze. Her skin was as fair as snow, with a pure, radiant glow. On her slender wrists were golden bracers set with rubies, and on her feet were golden, open-worked, high-heeled boots. Every detail exuded nobility and elegance.
"Ohayou."
Ryohei was a bit surprised to see Medusa not wearing her paper bag today but quickly recalled some plot points from her story. He pulled the car up smoothly beside her, pressed the button to open the trunk, and rolled down his window. "Medusa, you can put your things in the back first."
"Mhm, okay," Medusa replied softly, looking at Ryohei. Her gaze inadvertently swept over to Lucoa in the passenger seat. She froze for a second, the thoughts 'There are other people,' and 'Who is she?' flashing through her mind. She then turned, walked to the back of the car, and placed the souvenirs she had brought into the trunk. After that, she opened the rear door on Jashin-chan's side and slid into the car.
Ryohei had already replotted their route and was now driving towards the Seibu department store.
Inside the car—
"Ohayou!" Medusa waved with a bright smile, then pointed a slender finger at herself, her enchanting violet eyes sparkling with anticipation. "Have you guys noticed anything different about me today?"
"Hmm?" Jashin-chan, who was being squeezed, crossed her arms and looked her over with narrowed eyes. "Aah," she complained, "It's so crowded back here!"
Medusa's cheeks puffed out slightly, disappointed by Jashin-chan's reaction.
"It's the paper bag, isn't it?" Yurine leaned forward, her gaze passing over Jashin-chan to Medusa, stating it as a fact.
"Why aren't you wearing the paper bag today, Medusa?" Minos, sitting on the far left, had noticed it too. Her silver-white horns were bumping against the passenger seat as she looked at Medusa curiously.
"Aah—!" Jashin-chan finally caught on, her face a mask of shock. "You're right! What happened?"
"I had someone make me a pair of contact lenses that can suppress my petrification ability," Medusa explained happily, pointing to her own large, sparkling eyes.
"They have something that convenient?" Minos's eyes widened in surprise. Then, a broad smile spread across her face, and she said with genuine happiness, "That's fantastic!"
"Medusa, you won't have to wear the paper bag when you come to the human world anymore."
"Mhm," Medusa nodded cheerfully.
"Congratulations," Jashin-chan said, though she crossed an arm and looked at Medusa's eyes with suspicion. "But is it really possible for something to suppress a petrification ability as strong as yours...?" She felt it was a bit unreliable. But then she remembered the anti-petrification bracelet Yurine had given Ryohei and relaxed. 'Maybe it's fine...'
Seeing the genuine concern in Jashin-chan's eyes, Medusa's gaze softened, and a warm, radiant smile graced her lips.
...
"Alright, everyone out."
A few minutes later, they were in the parking lot near the Seibu Department Store's Shibuya Movida annex.
Ryohei parked the car, unbuckled his seatbelt, and called out, "We're still early. Let's walk around the area for a bit."
The place they were going to, the seventh floor of the Movida annex, was the largest swimsuit marketplace in all of Shibuya. Besides men's and women's swimsuits, they also sold pool floats, waterproof phone cases, beach sandals, and other goods. However, it didn't open until ten, so it wasn't operating yet.
"Mhm~."
Yurine and the others agreed and got out of the car, a flock of beautiful girls gathering together. Ryohei glanced at Lucoa and introduced her to Medusa. Medusa was quite surprised. She could sense a divine-like aura from Lucoa and was shocked to learn she was Ryohei's familiar. But she didn't say much, just shook her hand amicably and got acquainted.
After that, the group began to explore the surrounding area.
...
As it neared ten o'clock, Ryohei and the others returned to the parking lot, put the things they had bought into the trunk, and then headed to the Movida annex, taking the elevator straight to the seventh floor.
"Waaah—!"
Stepping out of the elevator, Minos looked around and saw that the entire floor was almost empty. She said excitedly, "There are barely any people here! It feels like we've booked the whole place for ourselves!"
"Well, it just opened. It'll get crowded later."
It was the weekend, and the weather was getting warmer. There would be no shortage of people coming to buy swimsuits.
Directly opposite the elevator was an equipment shop. Through the glass display window, they could see surfboards, pool floats, parasols, beach chairs, and other items neatly arranged, a dazzling array of goods.
Ryohei glanced at it and suggested with a smile, "Let's go buy swimsuits first. I'll help you all pick some out."
( ﹁ ﹁ )
Yurine turned her head, squinting her eyes as she gave him a pointed look. "Tanaka-kun, you've been looking forward to this for a while, haven't you?"
"Haha, maybe a little," Ryohei admitted, pinching his thumb and forefinger together to show "just a little bit." A broad smile was on his face.
Seeing him admit it so frankly, Yurine couldn't help but puff out her cheeks. Medusa quickly glanced at Ryohei, then shyly looked away.
"Of course," Ryohei continued, standing up straight and declaring righteously, "I'm most looking forward to seeing Yurine's swimsuit. I feel like the sight of you in a swimsuit would be enough to make me eat three bowls of rice."
"You smooth-talker!"
⁄(⁄⁄•⁄ω⁄•⁄⁄)⁄
A blush instantly crept onto Yurine's pretty face. She couldn't help but playfully swat his arm, but the corners of her lips were curving upwards.
'How could he say something like that?!'
Minos, who was standing at the entrance of a women's swimsuit shop, overheard their conversation. She had been curiously looking at the human world's swimsuit styles, but upon hearing them, she immediately turned her head to look at Ryohei and Yurine, a strange competitive urge welling up inside her.
Minos would not be outdone by anyone!
"What about me?" Lucoa, her own competitive spirit ignited, puffed out her chest. When Ryohei looked over, she pointed to herself and said with a grin, "Be honest, Tanaka-kun."
( ≖_≖)
"I think it would be very difficult to find a swimsuit that fits you here," Ryohei said, looking directly at Lucoa's face. His gaze then drifted downwards, sweeping over her world-class figure.
"Eeh?"
Σ(°Д°;
This answer was completely unexpected. Lucoa's eyes flew wide open, her face a picture of pure shock.
"He's right," Jashin-chan said, looking at Lucoa and grinning with schadenfreude. "Your size is just too ridiculous! There's no way they sell swimsuits that could fit you!"
"Being too busty isn't always a good thing, you know," Yurine added, letting out a breath and smiling with relief. All large breasts are the natural enemy of small breasts! While she wasn't exactly flat, she was far from busty. And when it came to Lucoa... In short, she was the enemy!
"Sumimasen!" Lucoa called out, raising her hand to an approaching sales associate. "Excuse me, do you have any swimsuits in this store that would fit me?"
The sales associate had been walking over with a professional smile, but when she saw Lucoa's figure, her smile instantly froze on her face. Her eyes widened in shock. However, upon hearing Lucoa's question, she quickly recovered and answered professionally, "Of course, we do! We have a line of swimsuits specifically designed for large-busted women!"
"See!" Lucoa said, placing her left hand on her soft waist and raising her right, a triumphant smile on her face.
"However, for a customer of your... proportions, the degree of exposure might be a little high," the sales associate added, looking at Lucoa's figure. She couldn't help but think to herself:
'She's so tall, and her figure is so... full... What does she eat to grow like that?'
'She looks like she might be a foreigner...'
'But her Japanese is so fluent!'
'Mmm... but even for a foreigner, this figure is a bit too exaggerated, isn't it?'
'And she's not overweight at all, and she's very beautiful...'
"I don't mind the exposure. Even if it's completely revealing, that's fine with me," Lucoa said with a cheerful smile. Her tone was so casual, it was as if she were discussing what to have for lunch.
'She's an exhibitionist!'
Σ(°Д°;
The sales associate's eyes widened. She was so shocked that her expression twisted into a cartoonish grimace.
"That's a power move!" Jashin-chan said, standing with her hands on her hips and nodding in approval. She then turned to Lucoa. "But wouldn't it be weird to go to the beach and not wear a swimsuit?"
"I don't get your weird standards," Yurine said, turning her head to shoot a deadpan comment at Jashin-chan.
Ryohei also gave her a weary look, then turned to Lucoa and said with narrowed eyes, "Lucoa, what kind of nonsense are you talking about?"
Then, he turned to the sales associate, whose expression had completely shattered. "Don't listen to her. Could you please recommend some swimsuits with relatively low exposure?"
"Of course," the sales associate replied. She was a trained professional. Hearing him, she immediately managed her expression and brought back her business smile.
'She was... probably just joking just now...' she thought to herself.
"Alright then," Lucoa said, opening her left eye. "Since my master has spoken, please recommend a few based on his request."
'Master!!'
Σ(°Д°;
The sales associate's eyes widened again. She quickly turned her head to look at Ryohei, her expression shattering once more.
"Lucoa!" Ryohei said, a dark look on his face as he looked at her. He clenched his fist; it was starting to get itchy. He really wanted to fix her attitude.
"Tch—!"
"You...! Do you want me to kill you, for real?!" A strand of hair fell over Yurine's forehead, casting a shadow over her eyes. A black, spiritual aura began to emanate from her body. She clicked her tongue, looking at Lucoa with pure annoyance. She had already been very tolerant of Lucoa, for Ryohei's sake. But sometimes, she really couldn't stand it. This woman was always so blatant, flirting with her boyfriend right in front of her. Or forcing an ambiguous atmosphere. If she did it behind her back, where she couldn't see it, that would be one thing. But right in her face...
'Waaah—! Yurine is mad!'
Jashin-chan sensed the dangerous aura coming from Yurine. She glanced at her and then—whoosh—dived into the store. Better to retreat first and avoid becoming collateral damage.
As for Minos and Medusa, they had already gone into the store to look at swimsuits earlier. Sensing the tense atmosphere at the entrance, Medusa glided over to Minos's side, poked her with a slender finger, and whispered, "Minos, the relationship between Yurine and Ms. Lucoa seems a little... tense?"
"Yeah, it's a bit," Minos replied, looking toward the entrance. She covered her mouth with her hand and lowered her voice. "It's mainly because Lucoa seems to have some designs on Tanaka-kun, and little Yurine gets jealous..."
"Sou ka!" Medusa's eyes lit up as if she had just discovered something incredibly interesting.
At the swimsuit shop entrance.
Lucoa raised her hands as if in surrender, an innocent smile on her face. "I was just trying to show that I'm an obedient familiar!"
"Tch—! You'd better be!" Yurine clicked her tongue, though her expression softened slightly.
"I'm truly blessed to have such an 'obedient' familiar like you!" Ryohei said, looking at Lucoa with narrowed eyes.
"Ehehe!"
｡(^▽^)ゞ
Lucoa raised a fair arm, scratched her head, and tried to get away with it by acting cute.
'Familiar?'
'Are they... role-playing?'
The sales associate's mental fortitude was, in the end, quite strong. She had already regained control of her expression, though her eyes still darted strangely between the three of them. Then, she put her professional smile back on, made a welcoming gesture to Lucoa, and said, "Well then... miss, please come with me. I'll show you some swimsuits that would suit you."
"Okay," Lucoa said, following the sales associate.
Ryohei put his hands on his hips and let out a light sigh. He then looked at Yurine and said, "You should go look at some swimsuits too, Yurine."
After saying that, his gaze turned to the various swimsuits inside the store, and he began to look them over with interest.
"Mhm," Yurine replied softly, glancing at Lucoa's retreating back.
Although she hated to admit it, she felt that the "spotlight" would probably be stolen by her later.
'Tch—!'
'What a lewd body!'
She cursed internally, took a light breath, and walked into the swimsuit store.
'I'll just have to play to my own strengths.'
Her strength, of course, was the "cute" style.
But, cuteness, in the face of sexiness... seemed like it couldn't win.
Yurine couldn't help but feel a little melancholic.
~~~
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