Leaving the stockroom, Shiina Mahiru had already changed into her "half-price fairy" getup and was labeling items. A radiant smile lit her face—she looked as lovely as an angel.
Sekai Saionji, however, felt miffed that her mother had given this job to someone else, and such a beautiful girl at that. Still, she had to admit that with Mahiru around, business had indeed picked up—call it the pretty-girl effect. People are instinctively drawn to beautiful things.
Just as she was about to head to the restroom, Sekai saw her mother, Youko Saionji, clinging affectionately to the arm of that playboy Hayashi Maki, leading him toward the break room. Her mother's abundant bust, barely contained by her top, was pressed into his arm, and Sekai's brows knit tight.
"Mom, what exactly are you two doing?"
Sekai made a point of stressing Mom.
Youko rolled her eyes—was her daughter hinting she was too old for Maki-kun, that they weren't a match? But she liked him, and somehow his figure overlapped with the hazy image of her long-ago husband.
"Sakai," she said gently, not wanting to scold, "in here please call me Manager or Youko-san."
"Yes, yes, Youko-san—but you're still my mom. What's so wrong about a daughter addressing her mother that way?"
A vein popped on Youko's forehead; she clenched her fist with a sugary smile—keep it up and I'll use my parental authority to trim your allowance. Sekai, seemingly oblivious to danger, glared at Hayashi Maki—or rather at the place where her mother's chest was crushing his arm. He's not even protesting; he's clearly taking advantage!
"Why don't I head to the break room on my own?" Hayashi Maki said with a disarming smile. "Youko-san, you probably have things to do."
Youko nodded warmly. "Alright. I'll deal with this silly girl and be right back. Maki-kun, get a good rest—you'll need your strength to keep serving as our shop's knight in shining armor."
Hayashi Maki nodded, let his gaze linger a second on Youko's exquisite figure, and strolled off toward the break room—openly playing hooky, and not shy about it. Youko doted on him; he'd simply accept it.
Once he was out of sight, Youko pulled her daughter into the changing room.
"So, Sekai-chan, what's wrong? Why are you so unfriendly to Maki-kun?"
Her look was gentle, sincere. Sekai pouted. "Because he's a philandering jerk. You don't know—he just made a move on Miura, and there's a famous beauty at school who's close to him too. He's even dating Shiina, it seems. Be careful, Mom. Don't get too close or you'll just let him take advantage."
Youko didn't get angry. If anything, she cupped her cheeks dreamily. "So Maki-kun has several girlfriends already? How impressive. Very capable."
"...Huh?"
Sekai was dumbfounded. "Mom, what are you saying? I just told you he's a player, two-timing, three-timing—a scumbag! And you call that 'capable'?"
"Why not?" Youko arched a brow, folding her arms with interest. "Could an ordinary man date several such beautiful girls at the same time?"
"Uh… no, I guess not."
Sekai stared, not following her mother's reasoning at all.
"See? That proves he's exceptional. Besides, look at Shiina and Miura—they get along fine. Have you seen them fight?"
"That… maybe he's just hiding it from Shiina. Miura's the one being fooled!"
"So what are you planning to do?" Youko asked, eyes turning dangerous.
Sekai swallowed. Her smiling mother was the scariest. "Expose him, of course—tell Miura he's two-timing and blow his cover!"
Youko still didn't get mad; she was merely curious. "Then why do you care so much if he's two-timing? Do you like him?"
"What? No! I'm warning you. I don't want you duped by him. I only have one mom."
Youko laughed softly and hugged her. "Silly girl, I'll always be your mother. Even if I found a boyfriend and married him, you'd still be my daughter. When you get married, are you going to stop recognizing me?"
"Of course not!" Sekai shook her head.
"Then it's settled. My Sekai, relax. I'm an adult—I know what I'm doing. I won't be easily deceived. Now go on—you look like you're about to burst; get to the restroom."
Face flushed, Sekai dashed off. When she came back out, her mother was gone. She clicked her tongue and shook her head. "This mother of mine… never lets me relax."
Still, she had warned her. Surely she wouldn't be silly enough to fall for that playboy Hayashi Maki, right?
Meanwhile, in the break room—
The mother Sekai worried about was currently sitting shyly on Hayashi Maki's lap, her pale arms looped gently around his neck as the two kissed without the slightest awkwardness.
Youko's sense of crisis was intense; if she waited any longer, she'd lose ground—Shiina and Miura were younger and every bit as lovely. Hayashi Maki held her close, moved from her lips to her white throat; with a flick of his fingers, the refined beauty's buttons slipped free. Youko's cheeks burned hotter.
"Maki-kun, will you think I'm easy?" she murmured.
"Not at all. I admire you, Youko-san—so gentle, so beautiful, and your figure…," he said, and kissed her again.
Youko pressed his head and lifted her chin, joy bubbling up inside. And Hayashi Maki sensed, more clearly now, the unique mana seed within her—a special power seeded there, likely planted by his future self who crossed time after taking her purity, a seed threaded with the power of time and space.