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Chapter 71: Bocchi Can't Say No
🕑 Added 2025-02-05 15:01:52 +0000 UTC"Starry" was a small live music venue.
It had some popularity, but it wasn't exactly a big name.
Because of that,
Working there wasn't too demanding.
Bocchi's usual duties weren't complicated.
She mainly just stood behind the counter,
Serving drinks to customers every now and then.
But today...
Things were different.
Since Bocchi had something important to say to Minami,
He didn't go home immediately.
Instead, he waited for her at Starry.
Of course, just standing around would've been a bit weird—
So the store manager, Seika,
Had Minami temporarily take over Yamada's spot at the front counter.
At first, Seika thought this was a good idea.
But the moment Minami sat down behind the counter—
She immediately regretted it.
Why?
Because a strange phenomenon was unfolding inside Starry.
After Minami's outdoor performance,
A group of his audience members had followed him inside.
And many of them...
Were women.
Probably college students from a nearby university.
Or working women out for a drink on the weekend.
And they weren't here for the music.
They bought their tickets.
They ordered their drinks.
And then...
They gathered around the counter
Where Minami was sitting.
Instead of listening to the live performance—
They were all trying to talk to him.
Seika almost grabbed a broom
And chased them out of Starry herself.
"Tch. These women…"
She was about three seconds away from personally kicking them out.
If it weren't for PA-san and Kikuri holding her back,
Starry would've gone down in history
As the first live house in Shimokitazawa
To forcibly remove paying customers.
Meanwhile, completely oblivious to the chaos—
Minami sat behind the counter,
Sorting through receipts with his usual calm demeanor.
His handsome features looked especially deep in thought,
The warm glow of the store lights casting soft shadows across his face.
And because of that,
Several female university students in the crowd
Were completely mesmerized.
Some even pulled out their phones
To secretly take pictures of him.
Even after Hitori nervously warned them not to,
They only gave a half-hearted apology
And kept snapping away.
And then there were the older women.
The confident office ladies.
The ones who weren't just here to watch.
"Minami-kun, you live alone in Tokyo, don't you?"
"It must be tough on your own. You know… if you ever need a little financial help…"
"You can always come to Onee-san's house~"
Their voices dripped with suggestion.
Their smiles full of hidden meaning.
Their intentions crystal clear.
Minami sighed.
It was going to be a long night.
To Be Honest, Minami Didn't Care.
The words of those women—
The flirtations.
The not-so-subtle invitations.
The playful teasing.
None of it fazed him.
He simply continued his work,
Sorting through receipts with his usual calm demeanor,
A polite, good-natured smile on his face,
Chatting effortlessly with the women around him.
Even with so many people talking to him at once,
He handled everything with ease.
Not a single trace of nervousness.
His sharp mind made calculating receipts a breeze.
Every transaction was processed quickly and flawlessly.
The cash register beeped as he scanned the purchases—
One pass.
That was all he needed.
The group of watching women let out small gasps of admiration.
Minami's thoughts?
"Wow. These women are seriously rich and kinda dumb."
They paid 1,500 yen for a ticket,
Spent even more on drinks,
And they weren't even here to watch the performance.
They were just sitting there,
Throwing money at him to chat.
"This money is way too easy."
Minami held back a chuckle as he mentally tallied up the numbers.
Maybe, once he was rich,
He'd open a live house of his own.
Meanwhile…
"That's… kind of amazing."
Hitori, now finished with her work,
Glanced over at Minami.
Her mouth slightly open in surprise.
She had been helping her sister at "Starry" for a long time.
But even she couldn't handle this many customers at once.
And then—
"Hey, uh… is it just me, or are most of the customers here… women?"
PA-san blinked in disbelief.
"Damn. Is being hot really this profitable?"
If this were a normal day,
At this time,
There shouldn't have been this many customers in "Starry."
"This guy…"
Seika—
The manager—
Slowly sipped her strawberry milk,
Her expression dark.
"Listen up."
She spoke.
Her tone was serious.
"If any of you ever date Minami, you better be careful."
She looked at Hitori.
Her gaze piercing.
"Because if he ever decides to start fooling around—"
"He could have a different woman in his bed every night."
"And never repeat a single one. 365 days a year."
Hitori froze.
Her hands gripping the water bucket.
She shrunk into herself.
She could feel the weight of Seika's stare.
And then,
Minami showed up.
Carrying a tray of drinks.
"Minami-san, what's this?"
"Some female customers forced them on me."
"They gave me way too many, so you guys can have some."
Minami sipped his lemonade as he sat down.
Completely unaware of the tension in the room.
"They gave you too many…?"
Hitori and PA-san stared at him.
Customers.
Giving free drinks.
To an employee.
This was not normal.
"This is unfair."
PA-san muttered.
Hitori nodded in agreement.
Not once had a male customer ever offered them drinks.
But Minami?
Just sat there.
Being hot.
And free drinks fell into his lap.
Unacceptable.
Just as the two girls were grumbling to themselves—
Seika approached.
Holding a receipt.
She looked…
Conflicted.
"Minami."
"Did you miscalculate the numbers?"
Minami looked up.
"Impossible."
"Mental math has always been my specialty."
Seika rubbed her temples.
She double-checked the numbers.
Then triple-checked.
Her face twisted in confusion.
"But… this is…"
Hitori and PA-san peered at the receipt.
They read the total.
And then—
They both fell silent.
Because—
The amount of money on the receipt—
Was equal to an entire day's revenue for Starry.
And then some.
"…Did I make a mistake?"
PA-san whispered.
Her voice faint.
"Nope."
Minami put down his phone.
His expression confident.
"I never mess up mental math."
"Not with numbers under six figures."
The girls stared at him.
Dumbfounded.
And then Minami smiled.
"Damn."
"You guys make this much money from a single night?"
Silence.
Everyone.
Just.
Stared.
At.
Him.
In that moment,
They weren't looking at a guy who attracted women like bees to honey.
They weren't looking at some handsome front desk worker.
They were looking at a literal walking money machine.
"Minami-kun."
PA-san smiled.
Her voice dangerously sweet.
"Have you ever considered taking Yamada's job?"
"Or maybe… Kikuri's?"
"I mean, Kikuri's barely here anyway."
"We could fire her, no problem."
"WAIT, PA-SAN! DON'T SELL OUT YOUR FRIENDS FOR MONEY!!!"
Hitori frantically blocked PA-san's mouth.
After PA-san calmed down,
Hitori wiped the sweat off her forehead.
And then,
She looked at Minami.
Her expression…
Deeply conflicted.
"…Minami-san."
"Do you know what you remind me of?"
Minami tilted his head.
"Hm?"
Hitori took a deep breath.
And then—
With absolute sincerity—
She declared:
"A succubus."
Minami almost choked on his drink.
"And not just any succubus."
Hitori's expression was dead serious.
"The kind that preys on innocent, pure-hearted girls."
Minami sighed.
This was not how he expected his night to go.
He'd read so many internet posts about this anime before he was reincarnated.
All those BBS threads.
(TL Notes: China's internet forums, also known as BBS (Bulletin Board Systems), are online platforms where users can engage in discussions, share information, and exchange opinions on various topics.)
All those memes.
All those comments about "Hitori-mama" and "Minami x Kikuri".
But never once
Did he think he'd actually live to hear this.
"...Whatever. At least I made some money."
He thought to himself.
With the "older sister" fan club finally leaving,
Minami settled back down.
And waited
For Hitori's shift to end.
He was curious.
What exactly was so important?
What could make someone as shy as Hitori
Go out of her way to talk to him?
Did she…
Remember something?
He shook his head.
"No way."
"There's no way the simulator is that broken."
Either way—
He'd find out soon.
One Hour Later.
Seika kicked them both out.
"You're done for the night. Get out."
"You're blocking customers from watching the other bands."
The two of them stepped outside.
The clock read 7:30 PM.
Minami walked ahead by half a step.
Bocchi followed behind.
"W-What do I do...?"
Bocchi panicked.
Her hands clutched her jacket.
She had planned to ask about the memories—
But how was she supposed to start the conversation?!
Bocchi's Social Anxiety Was in Full Bloom.
She followed behind Minami,
His posture straight,
Hers… slightly hunched.
She opened her mouth,
Then closed it.
Opened it again.
Closed it again.
She had decided.
She wanted to ask about the memories.
She needed to know.
But—
How was she supposed to start the conversation?!
She hadn't spoken properly with anyone in so long.
Her social skills were rusty.
Her mind went into panic mode.
"How do I say this…?"
Her internal monologue spiraled into chaos.
"Minami-senpai, you also have those memories, right?"
NO.
Too direct!
"Minami-senpai, do you know anything about the memories in my head…?"
NO.
That sounds like an interrogation!
"AAAHHHHH—!!!"
The more she thought about it,
The worse it got.
Her hands clutched her head.
What should she say?!
"Uh… I am but an unworthy woman, please take care of me from now on—"
NO.
THAT'S SOMETHING YOU SAY AFTER MARRIAGE.
"Have you thought about naming our kid Minami Nozake—"
NO.
THEY WEREN'T EVEN MARRIED YET.
"So, when are we getting married—"
NOOOO!!!
STOP!!!
"AAAAAHHHHHH—!!!"
Her inner self screamed in circles,
Running wild in her brain.
And then—
BAM!
Minami suddenly stopped walking.
Lost in thought,
Bocchi couldn't react in time.
She walked straight into his back.
"H-Huh?!"
She clutched her nose,
Her cheeks flushing.
Why did he stop so suddenly?!
Had he…
Figured out what she wanted to say?!
She peeked at his face.
His expression was—
The same as always.
Clean.
Gentle.
Relaxed.
She let out a small sigh.
Good. She didn't expose herself—
"Hitori-san."
"...!"
Her breath caught in her throat.
Minami turned to face her.
His gaze was calm,
But his next words shattered her entire soul.
"You wanted to talk about the memories that suddenly appeared in your head, didn't you?"
"Eh—?!"
Bocchi felt like a duck being strangled.
Her face turned bright red.
Her eyes widened in shock.
She instinctively shrunk back,
Her voice barely above a whisper.
"H-How… How did you know that…?"
Yes.
HOW?!
Did Minami have mind-reading powers?!
Was this ESP?!
Or—
Or was it because—
In their memories, they were already a married couple…?
And their souls were naturally in sync?!
She started overthinking again.
But then—
Minami laughed.
His expression amused.
"Nope. Not mind-reading."
"And we're definitely not some 'old married couple.'"
He raised a hand.
And pointed at her mouth.
"Hitori-san, did you know?"
"When you start overthinking—"
"You accidentally say your thoughts out loud."
"...!"
Bocchi's eyes widened in horror.
Her hands flew to her mouth.
Her entire existence crumbled into dust.
SHE SAID IT OUT LOUD?!
WHAT DID SHE SAY?!
WHAT DID HE HEAR?!
Her soul ascended.
She wanted to crawl into a hole and die.
THIS WAS THE WORST DAY OF HER LIFE.
Bocchi, Completely Defenseless.
Her big, beautiful eyes were full of panic.
Deep inside,
She was cursing herself.
"I'm such an idiot...!"
So there was no mind-reading.
She just blurted out everything she was thinking.
"So? What exactly did you want to ask me, Hitori-san?"
Minami stepped forward.
His pace picked up.
Bocchi instinctively stepped back.
Step by step.
He advanced.
She retreated.
Until—
Her back hit a wall.
She was trapped.
Minami stood right in front of her.
His presence loomed over her.
She shrank into the corner, her face pleading,
"M-Minami-senpai, d-didn't you already know what I wanted to ask…?"
"That's not the same."
Minami leaned in, his expression serious.
"I want to hear you say it yourself."
Bocchi's brain completely shut down.
The warm glow of the streetlight illuminated her pale skin,
Making her look almost ethereal.
But in her overwhelming panic,
Only one thought echoed in her mind.
"I'm done for."
"If Minami-senpai decides to bully me here—"
"I won't be able to refuse at all…!"
