My name is Ina Akari, and I have a man I’m absolutely in love with.

He’s older than me by ten years or more. Okaya Mitsuhiko... Okarin.

I think I’m working pretty hard to get Okarin for myself.

But... but yeah... aah.... ★ Mid-August, afternoon.

Right now, I’m working a part-time job at a café.

It’s not that I need money to hang out or go out.

I’m saving up for the future, starting right now. "Welcome in~♡"

I flash a smile at the customers who come into the café. This one was a guy.

The moment he saw me, his face went slack with lust.

And about ninety-nine times out of one hundred, his eyes land on my breasts.

Most guys are basically like that. But I don’t make a bad face about it.

Because right now, I’m doing customer service, I’m on the clock, you know. Being looked at is part of the job. "I'll have a café latte."

"Heyy! Got it~! How about some sandwiches to go with that~?"

As I said that with a bright tone, the customer gave me a gooey look and said, "Then I'll take you up on that," placing their order.

My smile has really become quite a [weapon]. Good thing all that practice paid off.

Of course, I'm honing this weapon for the sake of landing Okarin.

I don't have that natural, oblivious charm like my sister does.

I can't manage a smile that makes guys melt without consciously putting effort into it.

...The shadow of [that guy] always crosses my mind.

There's still an original trauma from [that time] lodged in the softest part of my heart.

Anyway... let's set that aside and focus on work. Work, work.

I sprinkle smiles around as I make and sell coffee.

It doesn't feel nearly as painful now to share a smile with strangers like it used to. It's just tiring... especially when it's...

"Hey, hey~? Wanna swap contact info?"

At the order counter, a guy who looked like he had nothing better to do than loaf around struck up a conversation with me. It was one of those classic pickup lines.

I’d started getting talked to like this pretty often since I was in upper elementary school.

My chest had been fairly big by then, so it was probably due to that.

It caused me quite a bit of trouble... but whatever, never mind that.

"Hey there, hey. Isn't this fun? Come on, play with me for a bit, eh~?"

"Oh, sorry! There's people waiting behind me, could you please move along?"

Keeping my smile fixed in place, I deflected the man's advances.

"Come now, don't be so rude. Just for a little while. Hey, hey, my dad's pretty loaded, you know? And since you're working part-time, money must be tight, right~?" ...Ah, this is such a hassle. Truly annoying.

What’s annoying is that some guy with not a shred of interest keeps hitting on me, forcing me to turn him down every single time.

Honestly, I don't care about any other men besides Okarin.

To put it plainly... I hate any man who isn't Okarin.

I have a mild fear of men, actually. All because of [that guy]... yeah.

But I also understand that society isn't sweet enough to let you get away with living without hiding who you are. Everyone has their likes and dislikes.

Even people with social anxiety have to interact with others to survive.

I think work means doing things you don't like or don't want to do, because someone hates it, in order to get paid.

So, for me, "I hate men" isn't enough of a personal reason to choose not to work.

"Oh, boss. Mind if I take over the register for a sec?" "Sure thing~♡"

……A coarse voice delivering an endearing response.

A rugged, muscular guy materializes behind the pretty-boy. "Welcome~♡"

Grip. He snatches the pretty-boy by the head like a hawk.

"Eek! W-What the hell, you! Are you a fag or something?!"

"Oh my, how rude of me~♡ I'm not a fag, I'm a guy~♡" It was the manager, [Shiojiri]-san.

He looks like a powerful character from a fighting manga, or to be precise, exactly like [Retsu●ō] from Baki.

"Akari-chan~ go wipe down the tables in the main hall~ I'm going to have a little chat with this customer back stage~♡"

「Ryōka, Salt Pepper-san~」

Left the store manager to wink a wink and hand over things, I head to the hall.

"Hey! What do you think you're doing, asshole!"

"Mmm, quite the handsome guy, aren't he? Heh, how about it?"

"What are you talking about! Let go of me! Ahhh!"

Handing over things to Manager Salt Pepper, I wipe down the table.

That person is... well, yeah, a guy like that.

He looks like a hot-blooded king type, but inside he's a maiden. Annoying. "Phee..."

I'm alone in the back room, face down on the desk. "...Tired."

I like working. I prefer physical labor, you know.

The reason I'm tired is... that perky guy from earlier. I hate it.

Getting picked up by guys, like that. Seriously... please stop.

"Akari-chuu, good work today~" "Ah, Tengen Shiogira."

The manager returns in a bubbly mood. "So, what happened to that person?" "Mmm? You wanna know~"

"Ah, hahaha... I'll pass on the details~"

I don't know what exactly happened, but clearly something did. Gomenasai.

"Akari-chuu, you look like you're in 'tired mode'~ You can just go home now, okay?"

"Huh? But, there's still... cleaning to do?"

"Don't worry about that, Akatsuki will handle it~ Head home and rest your body. You've been working non-stop lately, after all."

Manager Shiogira sits in front of me and says.

"The shop really appreciates you. Thanks to you, sales have skyrocketed. You're a hard worker and so energetic." But... the manager continues.

"Even though it's your summer at seventeen? You should be playing more. Are you really short on cash? Debt or something? Akatsuki is here if you want to talk about it~?" The manager is... a good person.

This person is male... but I feel their gender is female. So, I kind of like them as a human being.

"Thank you for worrying about me! But... I'm fine! Right now, my life is fulfilled."

The manager’s eyes narrowed into slits.

"Mmm... so that's what you mean now? ...Well, it's all right. Look, I hate men prying into a woman's past! And look, I am a woman, you know!" The manager giggled, "ufufu~." Damn, she makes it easy.

This person always has my back when I'm in trouble, and since her core self is a girl, there's no worry about things evolving into something romantic or complicated between the sexes. I can relax and talk freely.

"Hey hey, Akari-chan, are you gonna think about the offer to become a full-time employee~?"

I had been receiving proposals from the manager for quite some time now.

They were asking if I wanted to work here officially.

"If it's you, who can get the job done and is so clever, you could become an area manager in a flash, nya. I guarantee it."

"I'm sorry, Manager. But... I've already decided where I'm going to work." "Oh? Which company?"

"Nghuhuhu~♡ It's his wife position~"

My job is already set in stone.

Ever since I met Karin at the cram school... all this time... "Oh my, isn't that nice~ nya?"

Mr. Shiojiri knows that I have someone I like.

This guy has the heart of a maiden, so I end up taking him for quite a few rounds on romance worries.

"Hey hey Akarichu-wan, is that boy of yours a hunk?"

"Yes! But I'm not giving him to Tencho Shioshi!"

"Nuh-uh ♡ I wouldn't take him anyway; he's important as your boyfriend. But just a little taste test..."

"No way. Ohkarin belongs to ME. I won't yield to anyone..."

...Right, I don't want to give it to anyone.

Not even to Rushia or Ichika... not even to Nee-san.

Ohkarin is something I am going to get. No matter what happens, absolutely no one else will have him.

For that reason, I use every kind of thing I've got.

This face, this body, this smile... even approaching like a little succubus is just one of the weapons to seduce Ohkarin. I don't have anything else.

From Ohkarin's perspective, I was just a petty girl.

Lately he's been a bit shaken up by it, but as far as our standing goes, I'm still just a seventeen-year-old nothing-gal who holds no cards at all.

I'm not some natural, good girl like my big sister.

I'm not a rich kid like Rushia.

I can't share the struggles of being our age with Icca. I'm the one who's always behind.

I need to step up my game.

Now that Midori Lake has entered the race, too.

I want Karin-kun to fuck me already.

But... for some reason, it's not working out.

I'm trying to create a situation where it's easy for Karin-kun to take me.

Letting Icca and him be, suggesting a harem setup, exposing my stepsister's secret—

It was all part of a strategy to break Karin-kun's moral compass and make it easier to sleep with me... But it's not working. Damn it...

"Heh heh~ Isn't this nice? A maiden troubled by love, so youthful~" Ra-Jou laughs merrily. (Note: "Ra-Jou" represents the masked name "烈●王")

"How do you know what I mean by 'troubles of love'?"

「You can tell just by looking. That boy of yours is adored, isn't he? I envy him. To be thought of so highly by such a lovely girl, no less~」

「Ugh... but he's not making any move at all. Do you have any good ideas for me~?」

「Hmm... Oh, that reminds me. Akari-chan, here, take these♡」

Manager Shiojiri pulled two pieces of paper from the cleavage between her ample breasts.

「These are single tickets for the movies. Why don't you ask him out to a film?」

「Really? You can just give me those?」

「Indeed. They're only valid until tomorrow, so go make use of them.」

「Yes sir! Oh wait... I'm on shift tomorrow, aren't I?」 To this, the Manager smiled and said.

「Leave that to me; we'll sort it out here. Just ask him on a date and have yourself a good time.」 「Manager...」 What a kind person she is.

With the cafeteria lady and Okarin and all, I'm quite lucky. There are so many wonderful people around me.

Ever since I left 【Him】 and came to Okarin, everything has been going smoothly. This is all thanks to Okarin too.

If only saying "thank you" would make her understand...

「There, go on up and clock out. You’ll get in trouble if you’re late!」 「Hai-tenchō!」

「And we’ll talk about the details of our date later ♡」

Atashi waved goodbye, changed into street clothes, and stepped outside. Zaaah… “Oh, it’s raining…”

Outside the shop, rain was falling in quite a heavy downpour. “Akari-chuuwān” The boss came out from the store. “Here, take this umbrella.”

“Thanks, but I’m fine. I brought a folding one with me.”

Atashi pulled an umbrella out of her bag. “My, how prepared you are~n”

“I always check the weather forecast before leaving in the morning.”

“Oh my, oh my… Huh? Akari-chuwān, that person over there seems to be waiting for you~n?” “H-what…? Ah!”

A single car was parked on the roadside.

The one in the driver’s seat was… Okarin!

“Hmm, this umbrella would just get in the way, wouldn’t it ♡” “Hai! (Yes!)”

Atashi rushed toward him.

Okarin came all the way here to pick me up! Ehehe, ehehehe♡ "O-kariiiin~!" "Akari. Get in quickly." "Yessirree!"

I settled into the passenger seat and looked over at Okarin.

He gently draped a towel over my head with a soft fash.

"Sorry for the late notice. I was just heading back from a meeting outside." "Hm, Lucian?" "No, it was a different writer."

Okarin... hey, Okarin...

You know, I absolutely love that kind side of you, the gentle part that hasn't changed since we were little.

I really do... love it, love it sooo much.

"Hey, hey, Okarin. Are you free tomorrow?" "Ah, no particular plans." I flashed a bright smile and said.

"Wanna go on a date? I got some movie tickets." "If it's just a movie, with Nanako..."

"O-kariiiin♡ About that second trial the other day... I still haven't forgiven you for it~" "Gh..."

Getting Midoriko into his harem was just one of the pieces in my plan to conquer Okarin.

I did get a little mad about it, but I thought, well, maybe I can use this to my advantage, so I gave him a pass. Just remember, I'm still upset!

I've already forgiven you, but I thought: "If I do this, he won't be able to say no."
"Alright... let's go to the movies."

"Yes! ♡ Okarin, I love you~ ♡"

Other girls probably think of me as quite a nasty woman.
I’m well aware of that reputation.

But... what other people think of me doesn't matter to me.

More than anything else, I want Okarin.

No matter what means I use, in the end... I will win the heart of the boy I love.

Because I truly love Okarin from the bottom of my heart. I'm in love with him.
And I want to have his child.

So today, as always, I’ll be bright, energetic, and a bit of a little devil...

I intend to win him over completely.
I won't let you go, Okarin ♡