Chapter 8: I Met a Loli on the Way
Around 9:30 AM, after telling my mom and Xinran that I wouldn’t be home for lunch, I headed out.
I spent the entire morning skipping lunch and scouring the nearby shopping district for a suitable part-time job, but to no avail. Most places wouldn’t hire high school students, and even fewer were willing to take on someone whose availability was limited to after school and weekends. Since most shops closed in the evening, I was forced to look for places that were open twenty-four hours.
Unfortunately, I visited numerous supermarkets, fast-food restaurants, and cafes, but none of them hired me.
If it were summer vacation, finding a job would have been much easier. However, securing a part-time position during the school year proved to be quite difficult.
Dejected and having hit a wall everywhere I turned, I sank onto a park bench and chugged the remaining coffee from my canned beverage.
“I guess I’ll have to try places like KTVs or bars…”
I sighed and tossed the empty can towards a nearby trash bin.
It missed.
The can struck the edge of the bin and bounced off, flying towards the side.
It then landed squarely on a passerby’s head.
“Ah, shoot–”
I quickly got up and approached, holding up my hand in apology.
The person, clutching their head, turned around and glared at me, shouting, “Hey! Can’t you be more careful when you throw things?”
I was surprised to find it was someone I knew.
No wonder the can hit them – they were only slightly taller than the trash bin.
The unlucky individual I’d struck was none other than Kaoru Tsukiyose, a classmate of mine.
Although we were classmates, she looked like an elementary school student. She barely reached my diaphragm, and her gothic lolita attire, instead of her school uniform, made her look even younger.
Gothic lolita… she was a ghoul, but dressed like a vampire? Or was it some kind of cosplay?
Still, the outfit suited her perfectly.
Her long, waist-length black hair cascaded down her back, and the neat fringe covering her forehead completed the dark, gothic lolita look I’d always imagined. And she truly was of the dark persuasion… a loli who eats people, after all.
Kaoru Tsukiyose noticed that it was me who had accidentally hit her. She blinked, flashed a wide smile at me, and skipped over, hands on her hips. “Isn’t it Juncheng-kun!”
“Stop calling me that in such a weird way… Doesn’t it sound awkward when you say it?”
“I think it’s kind of cute!”
“It sounds awkward to me.”
“Juncheng-kun, Juncheng-kun, Juncheng-cheng-kun~ Cheng-kun-cheng-cheng~ Cheng-kun-cheng, Cheng-kun-cheng, Juncheng-cheng-cheng~ Juncheng-juncheng-kun~”
“Stop it! I’m going to forget how to read those characters!”
Just hearing it made my mind go blank. And the way she sang and clapped her hands was quite… cute.
…
“Huh? What’s wrong, Juncheng-kun? Why did you suddenly close your eyes?”
“..Just trying to prevent myself from… uh… losing my mind. SF Light Novel
Thankfully, Kaoru Tsukiyose’s gothic lolita dress wasn’t overly revealing, so I quickly regained my composure and opened my eyes.
Kaoru Tsukiyose had already walked up to me and was casually patting my stomach, giggling. “Heh… By the way, Juncheng-kun, when did you get discharged from the hospital? You’re already out and about?”
“I was discharged this morning. And I’m not just out and about; I’m looking for a job.”
“A job? That’s strange. Do you need money that badly, Juncheng-kun?”
“Why do you think I’m out here looking for a…”
…Who was it that managed to empty my wallet without me noticing?
I narrowed my eyes and stared at the loli in front of me, who was starting to sweat. The loli who had apparently taken my money was looking sheepish, averting her gaze and waving her hands dismissively, cold sweat trickling down her face. “Ahaha… Um, it-it was for the medical fees~ For the medical fees~ A ghoul’s saliva is quite precious, you know!”
“Really?”
“Of course! And even if it didn’t have any therapeutic effects, just being a loli’s saliva is worth that much, right? It’s much better than those shady services, isn’t it? Plus, those services could give you AIDS, but my saliva is all-natural with no side effects, and it can even heal you. What a bargain!”
…Is that so?
I eyed her suspiciously but didn’t retort. Instead, I changed the subject and smiled at her. “Thanks to you, I’m already recovering so quickly. So, to thank you, how about I treat you to dinner tonight? Steak, perhaps? Eat to your heart’s content!”
I felt like a creepy uncle trying to lure a loli with a lollipop. I wondered if this expired loli, who was actually over five hundred years old, would fall for it.
“Really!? Great! Hee hee!”
*Sigh* (Facepalm). I overestimated her.
As soon as she heard I was treating her to a meal, Kaoru Tsukiyose’s eyes sparkled. She clapped her hands and hopped excitedly on one foot. …Drool.
I immediately dropped my smile, crouched down, and grabbed her cheeks, baring my teeth. “Don’t lie to me, you brat! Your saliva overflows the moment you hear about food, so what’s so precious about it!”
“Mmmghf! Hngh tfh (It hurts)! Nnff khk (Let go of me)!”
“You lied to me. Xue Qing told me everything. You used my money to buy clothes, didn’t you? Besides, it was Xue Qing who provided the saliva, not you.”
Kaoru Tsukiyose, whose cheeks I was still holding, finally couldn’t take it anymore. She forcefully pulled my hands away and clutched her reddened face, exclaiming, “Ngh! Ffklf! (Enough!)”
“I’ve had enough too.
It’s all because you misused my money that I have to go out and find a job, and I still can’t find one. It’s worse than you.”
“Yes, yes, yes, it’s all my fault! Happy now?… It’s not like I did it on purpose. My salary hadn’t come in yet, and I happened to see a picture of this gothic lolita dress and couldn’t help but commission it.”
“Oh, so the dress was custom-made. I must say, it looks cute enough to be worth it.”
The dress was made with exquisite craftsmanship, not something you’d buy off the rack. From the headdress to the little black shoes, everything was part of a set and fit her perfectly, suggesting it was tailor-made.
“Right? I fell in love with it at first sight!”
It was indeed very cute, making one want to take her home.
Oh well, since the money was already spent, I couldn’t get it back. I’ll just consider it medical expenses. Besides, what she said earlier wasn’t entirely without merit. Because Kaoru Tsukiyose possessed Xue Qing, Xue Qing’s saliva had healing properties. This allowed me to savor her sweet and delicious loli saliva, her small, cherry-like lips, and her tender… head.
“Oho? You’re entering a state of mental confusion…”
After counting to twenty-two and suppressing that sticky feeling, I opened my eyes and asked Kaoru Tsukiyose, “What?”
“Nothing. More importantly, are you okay, Juncheng-kun?”
“Ah, I should be fine for now.”
To think I’d actually developed feelings for a loli… I must be really sick.
“Don’t worry, Juncheng-kun. I’ll pay you back as soon
