Serving Waitresses
After Core No. 629’s Dungeon Battle, Kehma and everyone had returned to Golen.
“I thought we’d have to do a lot of stuff since we’d all been gone so long, but nothin’s really happened.”
“Mm, yeah.”
Since nothing had happened while they were away, both Ichika and Meat were able to get right back to working at the inn without anything feeling off. Well, they’d both been coming back in s.h.i.+fts since before the Dungeon Battle had finished, but still.
“Like, just comin’ back and bein’ a ‘waitress again is weird, ya know?”
“I understand. It’s somewhat similar, but moving your own body is different.”
“Moving around as a rabbit’s fun though~. I wonder if we could keep one here to be a mascot or somethin’?”
“Maybe… a mascot would increase sales…?”
Lost in thought, Meat spoke.
However, Kehma wasn’t exactly worried about the inn’s income anymore.
Just then, a guest came in. It was no longer time for them to chat idly, it was time to work.
She looked up to the entering customer with a well-trained puppy dog expression.
“U-Umm, K-Kuro-chan? What’s wrong?”
“?”
Meat inclined her head. As if to say you didn’t bring a carrot?
Seeing that, Ichika realized what was happening.
“Senpai, senpai! Not that one!”
“Oh—s-sorry.”
Meat had been constantly practicing so as to make her movements as a rabbit in [Rabbit Paradise] more endearing, going so far as to move her own body in sync with the rabbits’. Although she wasn’t exactly addicted to doing it, perhaps it could be said that she was the type of person to fully immerse herself into it? As a result, she’d managed to fully acquire that begging characteristic.
Meat bowed her head deeply in apology. Although her expression was practically as nonexistent as ever, thanks to Ichika’s production management, she managed to exude [Adorable] from every part of her body. It was to the point that even her expressionlessness could be interpreted as the cute, unreadable expression of an animal.
“N-No! R-Right, I was just going to ask for more pudding! Ahaha! I’ll even give you some, Kuro-chan~!”
“Umm, th-thank you?”
Not really understanding what had just happened, Meat acquired a pudding.
“… I got this somehow?”
“I guess senpai’s definitely the inn’s mascot… still though, huh. Guess we can work this…”
Ichika decided to try it herself next time.
Later on, another guest entered. He approached Ichika.
“…”
“Oh, Ichika-san? You’re back… is something wrong?”
“…”
Ichika bent her body forward, used that upward glance particular to cute animals, and bend her head to the side. However, all the guest could stare at were her b.r.e.a.s.t.s and didn’t notice any of it.
With how Ichika was sitting bent forward in her maid uniform, she was giving off quite the splendid view of her cleavage. Unfortunately, there was no stopping that from happening.
A man who didn’t take notice of that would have to have been a foot fetis.h.i.+st or something.
“…”
“U-umm?”
“Tch, guess I was wrong.”
“Umm, should I put this meal ticket into your cleavage?”
“Hah? (Anger)”
“Oh, no, nothing…”
Faced with her anger, the guest simply presented his meal ticket. Ichika accepted it and went to give him his food before coming back to Meat.
“Guess that’s it. Cuteness is justice.”
“?”
“My route’s different from senpai’s, I gotta go with s.e.xy. Goin’ the cute route’s impossible for me. That’s all!”
It wasn’t that she was lacking in charm. Rather, it was that hers was practically weaponized.
After letting her thoughts simmer for a while, Ichika turned to Meat and grinned.
“So, work as normal, huh… You’ll try not to make that mistake again, right senpai?”
“… Muu, sorry.”
Yeah. What Ichika had done wasn’t a simple jest. In order to [Joke] about Meat’s [Honest Mistake]—which was entirely possible of accidentally leaking information about the dungeon—she’d tried messing around as if she were seriously trying.
For being able to follow up like that, Meat couldn’t help but feel marveled by Ichika.
“This debt’s gotta be paid back with karaage.”
“… Couldn’t you asked Goshujin-sama for some?”
“I’d have to pay copper for that. I’m already flat broke this month.”
“? … Oh.”
Come to think of it, Kehma did say something about implementing a purchasing system under the pretext that people like Ichika would just eat it forever and ever. Meat herself could only barely remember it.
“Haah, maybe I’ve got no choice but to beg Goshujin-sama for more…”
By the way, as that money was meant to be used as her spending money, the slots were entirely impartial.. But whenever it was Ichika using the slot machines, for some reason, she’d always end up losing it all even without him rigging it.
“So you need pocket money?”
“Yeah~. Fufufu, I’m such a beauty, after all. See? My cleavage is my strong point…”
“Should I put it in here?”
“Hyah!? N-No, ya can just give me some like normal.”
As Meat pulled her finger out of Ichika’s cleavage in understanding, Meat couldn’t help but think that the allowance redistribution wasn’t working out.
“Senpai, couldn’t ya get more money if ya asked for it?”
“I don’t want anything, I’m fine.”
“Really? It’s makin’ me feel a bit bad for gettin’ favorable treatment though…”
She’d forgotten about it a few seconds later, though.