「 Now then, we were able to divide the enemy forces thanks to you girls coming to Tokyo 」
Jii-chan talks to the Takakura sisters
「 We already have a list of the groups that tried to come after you and also those who wanted to take over the Takakura shrine. Also, the people who proclaim themselves as your protectors 」
There are two groups of Yakuza involved.
「 I’m glad that they think of that way, although 」
The 14-year-old, Takakura Yomiko replied with a smile.
「 That’s a bit of a problem. They don’t ask for what we wish for and take extreme action. I’m grateful for their thoughts, but it’s actually troublesome 」
She smiles while speaking out hateful remarks.
「 Well, self-proclaimed protectors do that. The takeover group will be settled by tonight. We will crush the center of the enemies. Yazawa sent his special team to Kansai 」
Oh, that’s why I haven’t seen chief Yazawa.
So he went to crush the Yakuza boss who’s trying to take over the Takakura shrine.
The enemy should’ve sent some forces to Tokyo to pursue the Takakura sisters.
The other party’s defense should be lacking.
The top elites of Kouzuki SS are all warriors matching a thousand.
They should be able to handle the enemy head even with such a small number.
「 Thank you very much! We won’t forget Kouzuki-sama’s kindness! 」
Takakura Yomiko said.
「 Kindness? Don’t think of it that way. I do plan on having you pay up what you owe me 」
Jii-chan said.
「 Just yesterday and today’s costs will already put it to a hundred million yen debt. Of course, I know that you still need expenses going forward, however, 」
He did mobilize the whole Kouzuki SS.
That even includes Yukino’s supervisors.
「 If you tell me that you’ll repay with the land of Takakura shrine then it would be a problem. I am not having issues with land properties. I have several real estates in Kyoto. Besides, they won’t let such an old shrine be taken down. 」
「 Yes. It is as Kouzuki-sama says! The shrine is a property of the local people who live in the land. We cannot sell it on our whim 」
Takakura Yomiko says flatly.
「 Besides, we know that we cannot repair Kouzuki-sama’s kindness even if we sell that shrine. We would like to ask Kouzuki-sama to keep us under your protection from now on 」
If there’s no someone powerful to protect them, there would be another Yakuza who’ll target them when another problem occurs.
「 Then, what will you do? 」
Jii-chan speaks s.a.d.i.s.tically.
「 We’ll accept yesterday’s proposal! 」
Takakura Yomiko responded right away without changing her complexion.
「 We still don’t know exactly what kind of work a prost.i.tute does, but we’ll do our best! 」
Oh. She doesn’t get what it means to become a prost.i.tute.
She says that while showing a carefree smile.
The 17-year-old Tsukiko-san and the 12-year-old Luna-san seem to be nervous, however.
The 14-year-old girl is the only one smiling.
「 Even if it would exploit your body considerably? 」
「 Yes!! I’ll do my best and repay you with my body! 」
Repay with her body.
She doesn’t know it. That’s why she can smile like that.
「 I hope so. However, I’m not convinced that you really could do a prost.i.tute’s job. After all, you’re all the same as my granddaughters. Sheltered princesses. Have you lifted anything heavier than chopsticks? 」
Jii-chan laughs.
「 That’s not true! We carry our school bags at least! 」
No, it’s everyone’s daily life carrying as much as a school bag.
「 We know that we cannot have attendants as soon as we come out of the shrine 」
Attendant.
Then, you always had a companion with you whenever you leave until now.
「 As for commuting for school, I feel sorry for borrowing Misuzu-sama and Ruriko-sama’s escorts, however, 」
「 Umu, perhaps we should let you in the same car as Ruriko. You don’t have to worry about security 」
Jii-chan said.
Then that means that the Takakura ladies will go to the same school as Ruriko.
If they stay in our mansion, then they’ll go to school in the same car as Ruriko.
「 Yes, thank you very much! Tsukiko-san, Luna, you should thank Kouzuki-sama as well! 」
Takakura Yomiko urges her sisters on the side.
「 Thank you very much 」
「 T-Thank you, very much 」
Oh, I somehow get it now.
Why is it that the second daughter is managing the three.
She’s calling her sister with “-san.”
It must be a problem with bloodline.
「 No, it’s too early to thank me. First, it needs to be tested whether you can do a prost.i.tute’s work or not 」
Jii-chan looks at Minaho-neesan.
「 Yesterday, as I’ve introduced before, this is Kuromori Minaho-kun, my business partner when it comes to prost.i.tutes. Do not forget; she’s not my va.s.sal. She’s my business partner. Keep in mind to not be rude with her 」
「 Certainly! Tsukiko-san, Luna, okay? 」
「 Yes 」
「 U-Understood, Onee-sama 」
Still.
All this time.
Takakura Yomiko only looks at Jii-chan.
She only looks at Minaho-neesan or me when Jii-chan mentions us.
She ignores us most of the time.
She doesn’t look at Misuzu and Ruriko.
No, Tsukiko-san and Luna-san are only looking down.
「 I will leave your care to Minaho-kun. Ruriko’s together with you, her mansion’s protected by Kouzuki SS. Worry not, you will receive an apt.i.tude test on whether you can work as a prost.i.tute on Minaho-kun’s residence from now on 」
Jii-chan looks at me.
「 He’s the examiner. He will judge your apt.i.tude 」
In short, I am having s.e.x with the three.
「 I will ask the results from him tomorrow. He will look at your mind and body with his own eyes and report to me, that’s when I will decide 」
「 I don’t mind, but is the work really that hard? 」
Takakura Yomiko asks.
「 Not at all. They say that prost.i.tution is the first work of humanity. Any woman could do it 」
Jii-chan laughs.
「 Then, why do we need to take an apt.i.tude test with Kuromori-sama over there 」
Takakura Yomiko only points her palm on me.
She doesn’t look at me at all.
She only looks at Jii-chan.
「 Have you eaten food outside your house? 」
「 Of course we did. I know a hotel restaurant or a traditional j.a.panese restaurant my late father frequently visits when we’re with him 」
I can see it a bit more.
Takakura shrine is one with such a long history.
Even if the wandering shrine maiden of the shrine acts as the arbitrator of the Yakuza organizations,
It’s not as big as Kouzuki house’s enterprise.
And yet, Takakura Yomiko and the two have attendants.
Perhaps, their school is another one of those super-high-cla.s.s-ladies school in Kansai. A school equal to Misuzu’s school.
If not, they cannot grow to this age without any knowledge about s.e.x at all.
In the first place, even when Takakura Yomiko and the two are told that they’ll be transferred to the school where Misuzu and the girls are enrolled in, they weren’t puzzled at all.
An ordinary child would ask “Huh? Me? In that school?”
She just replied “I see,” and continued with the conversation.
Then.
They dine out at a hotel or a traditional restaurant, high-cla.s.s establishments only.
Can a child living in a shrine have that kind of life?
Even if you say that they have a good relationship with the Yakuza, their work only occurs several times in decades.
In short, Jii-chan is still hiding information about the Takakura family.
「 Do you know the difference in price between the restaurants? 」
「 Yes. We look at the signboards of the shops from the windows when traveling by car. There are so many cheap offers for meals in this world! 」
Cheap.
「 So, how much is a beef bowl for you? 」
Jii-chan asks me.
「 If it’s on the average then it would be 280 to 290 yen 」
I replied.
「 A couple of years ago, a well-established restaurant in Tokyo had a rural congress member come in and made an unreasonable request saying “I want to eat a beef bowl, tell the chef to make me one.” 」
「 My, that’s quite inelegant of him 」
Takakura Yomiko throws an interjection.
「 Then that shop, upon hearing the customer’s request, they made a beef bowl from scratch and gave it to the congressman 」
Jii-chan laughs.
「 The beef bowl was priced 150,000 yen because it was a special order goods 」
S-Seriously?
「 If you eat in the streets, that beef bowl won’t cost you 300 yen, and yet, in the restaurant, it cost 150,000 yen. Well, they used the finest wagyu beef for material, but still, the difference in ingredients isn’t the only cause for the price to change 」
Jii-chan looks at the Takakura sisters.
「 So, do you know there was a difference in price? 」
「 Is it because they’re a traditional j.a.panese restaurant? 」
Takakura Yomiko replied immediately.
「 Yes, first cla.s.s shops only produces first-cla.s.s items. Therefore, the value of their products is different from the ordinary shops 」
Jii-chan stares at the sisters.
「 It’s the same with the prost.i.tutes; their value depends on their case. I’ve invested heavily in you three. However, if you have low worth, then you will have small earnings even if you work as a prost.i.tute. Also if the work is the same 」
Hearing that, Takakura Yomiko;
「 Are you saying that Takakura house ladies don’t have value? 」
It’s her first time showing a displeased face.
「 What I’m talking about is your worth as a prost.i.tute. No matter how precious your bloodline is, it has nothing to do with “prost.i.tute” as a profession 」
「 However 」
「 Let’s return to the topic of the restaurant, who’s the one that decides the value of that restaurant? 」
Jii-chan asks Takakura Yomiko.
「 It’s the tradition and the style of the building, I think? 」
「 Don’t be ridiculous. It’s the taste of the dishes! 」
Jii-chan speaks harshly.
「 No matter how long-standing your traditional shop is if the taste gets worse, the shop’s rating will fall. A traditional j.a.panese restaurant produces food! Their history, building, or whatever plates they’re using are all secondary 」
Jii-chan’s intensity silences Takakura Yomiko.
「 If you can’t even come up with that answer then I’m afraid that you can’t be a first-cla.s.s 」
「 I-I’m sorry 」
「 It doesn’t mean that you’ll succeed as a prost.i.tute just because you’re a daughter of Takakura house. If you want to become a first-cla.s.s prost.i.tute, then you must learn first-cla.s.s prost.i.tute skills. Am I wrong? 」
「 No, Kouzuki-sama’s correct 」
「 Besides, you’re a daughter of Takakura house, shouldn’t you aim to be a first-cla.s.s prost.i.tute?! Would you like the world to evaluate the daughters of Takakura house as third-rate prost.i.tutes?! 」
「 That. We can’t let it happen! 」
「 In that case, strive to become a first-cla.s.s! You girls must learn first-cla.s.s skills and be evaluated as a first-cla.s.s prost.i.tute. When you do, your earnings will be for the first-cla.s.s. People from all over the world will pay a lot of money for your work 」
No, Jii-chan.
That’s a cool line if you’re talking about an artisan or something like that, but.
To think that you’re making them aim to become a prost.i.tute is just a bit,
「 It’s a problem for me if you don’t take this a bit more seriously!!! 」
「 I-I’m sorry 」
Takakura Yomiko bows her head.
Tsukiko-san and Luna-san follow.
「 Now then, how is it so far? 」
Jii-chan looks at me.
「 Do you think that these girls are suited to become prost.i.tutes from their situation so far? 」
…I
「 Yeah, not happening 」
The Takakura sisters look at me with a face saying “Eh?”
「 As usual, you’re too honest 」
「 Well, that’s my only redeeming feature, Jii-chan 」
Takakura Yomiko’s face reacted when I called him Jii-chan.
「 Oh, I call him Jii-chan, yeah 」
「 Umu, I gave him permission to do so 」
Jii-chan looks at Misuzu and Ruriko while laughing.
「 He made Misuzu and Ruriko his women after all 」
The Takakura sisters are showing a curious look.
「 Does it mean that Kuromori-sama’s considered as a marriage partner? 」
Takakura Yomiko’s showing a confused expression.
「 I wonder. He doesn’t feel like getting married right now 」
Jii-chan’s playing dumb.
「 Uhm, Misuzu-sama, Ruriko-sama, which one? 」
「 Both! 」
I replied.
「 Yes, that’s right 」
「 I also love Onii-sama from the bottom of my heart 」
Misuzu and Ruriko tells the Takakura sisters.
「 Therefore, a.s.sume that his words are mine and obey it. Okay? 」
Jii-chan looks at the three.
「 Y-Yes 」
Takakura Yomiko doesn’t have her composure from before.
「 And so, Why do you think that they’re not suited to become prost.i.tutes? 」
Jii-chan asks me.
「 Well, she’s rude 」
I said flatly.
「 Rude? 」
「 Yes, you are. At first glance, you seem to be talking politely to Jii-chan, but when I listen to it carefully, it sounds strange 」
「 Hey now is that something you should say when you don’t speak to me politely at all 」
Jii-chan laughs.
「 Well, we’re always in the same position, but she thinks that she’s in a higher position than Jii-chan and yet she behaves modestly in her words 」
That’s how it is.
That’s why her polite words sound strange.
It doesn’t have any feeling of respect.
「 I don’t know why you’re negotiating with Jii-chan in a position equal or superior to him, but 」
What is this 14-year-old girl thinking?
「 I think you should look at your position again 」
Takakura Yomiko’s looking down and holding her fist.
Tsukiko-san and Luna-san are rubbing her back from both sides.
「 Oh well. In short, you say that she’s too c.o.c.ky to become a prost.i.tute? 」
Jii-chan asks me thinking that it’s funny.
「 I don’t think so. Although, I think that people having no serving att.i.tude are not suited for a hospitality industry 」
「 Hospitality industry 」
「 Yes. Isn’t prost.i.tution mainly a service trade? 」
I think.
「There are so many people in this room and yet they ignore everyone except us, it’s unthinkable 」
「 Be specific with that 」
Jii-chan asks further.
「 Look, earlier, she was told that she’d go to the school together with Ruriko, right? In that case, she should’ve looked at Ruriko and said “best regards,” at least?! You’re riding along in Ruriko’s car 」
I said. Takakura Yomiko’s mouth is flapping.
She didn’t think of saying that.
「 No, but, uhm, it’s because Kouzuki-sama is talking about protecting us, therefore 」
She finally speaks.
「 So what? 」
She must be an idiot.
「 Just because Jii-chan promised if you don’t have to build a relationship with Ruriko? Is that what you’re saying? Isn’t it important for people to at least say greetings? 」
「 No, but, Ruriko-sama should already know it even if I don’t say it 」
Ah, this is getting on my nerves.
「 Don’t expect people to know what you’re thinking! There’s no person in this world who “should already know!” You need to put it in words to be understood! 」
「 W-What’s with you! Misuzu-sama and I talked a lot in Tokyo yesterday!. Then, she promised to help us together with Ruriko-sama! You don’t know anything about that! 」
Takakura Yomiko shows me an angry look.
「 What? What promise? 」
This b.i.t.c.h.
「 Why are you always speaking with such an arrogant att.i.tude? Are you crazy? Aren’t you depending on Jii-chan because you have to run away from the trouble in Kansai? 」
「 W-We! 」
「 Is that an att.i.tude for someone who needs help!? 」
I said.
「 Y-Y-Y-Y-Y-You insolent man!! 」
Tsukiko who’s been silent all the time stands up and shouts loudly.
「 H-H-H-H-H-H-How dare you be impolite to Yomiko-sama! Restrain yourself!!! 」
What’s this, a historical drama?
「 Do you already know these three’s relationship? 」
Jii-chan looks at me grinning.
「 Yeah, they have different fathers, right? 」
Hearing my quick response, the Takakura sisters are startled.
「 Or at least, Tsukiko-san has a different parent than the two. Tsukiko-san, the deceased Takakura shrine priest is not your father. 」
Tsukiko-san who stood up in rage sits down weakly.
「 I see, you found it out 」
「 Of course I would. I’ve been looking at people from various families after all 」
Earlier, Jii-chan talked about the methods of the Takakura shrine maidens.
Also, he mentioned that the mother of the three did an arbitration a few times.
In short,
Tsukiko-san is the child born from that.
She’s the daughter of a boss of a Yakuza in dispute.
「 She’s not the daughter from the shrine. Therefore, she lets Yomiko-san take over 」
Therefore, Yomiko, the second daughter is the representative.
She lived such a life.
That’s their power relationship since birth.
「 Did you notice anything else? 」
Jii-chan asks me happily.
「 When it comes to Jii-chan’s priority list, Yomiko’s the bottom among the three, I guess 」
Yomiko-san looks me with a face saying “Huh?”
「 To be honest, you don’t care about Takakura house, do you, Jii-chan? 」
I said. Jii-chan grins.
I knew it.
「 I thought it was strange. You were talking about the Takakura shrine and wandering shrine maidens. The scale was too big 」
「 What did you notice? 」
…I
「 There’s one among the Yakuza looking for these girls that called them “Ojou” 」
That’s right.
Perhaps.
Tsukiko-san is the daughter of a boss in a considerably large Yakuza.
The boss once had entrusted the Takakura shrine to mediate the conflict.
That meant that he slept with the shrine maiden for the ritual.
Then the shrine maiden gave birth to a daughter.
That boss should know that Tsukiko-san is his daughter.
「 There won’t be a parent who would want their child to become a prost.i.tute 」
That guy was getting desperate.
He even endured Michi’s Shingetsu.
He’s trying to take back Tsukiko-san via his boss’ orders.
「 No, or maybe, it’s Luna-san 」
I consider the possibilities.
Maybe, Yomiko-san’s mother has done another arbitration after Yomiko-san was born.
「 Although, in any case, it won’t be Yomiko-san 」
「 W-What do you mean by that?! 」
Takakura Yomiko glares at me.
「 I’m talking about priorities. It’s those who have to be protected. Sorry, but you’re the last one, Yomiko-san 」
Yomiko-san’s ident.i.ty is the only one I know.
「 I’m the succeeding shrine maiden of Takakura shrine 」
「 I know that already 」
I replied.
「 But that doesn’t matter to us 」
Jii-chan and Minaho-neesan said that accepting the ladies of Takakura house will be huge insurance for Kuromori.
That insurance isn’t them being a shrine maiden.
「 We don’t understand what you’re talking about!!! 」
Takakura Yomiko shouts.