CHAPTER 401: PLEASE TAKE CARE OF ME, BOSS!

The woman stood straight as she stared at her reflection in the window of the cafe. It was empty, without anyone, but a poster for a job was there, which made her stop worrying.

Nevertheless, she was patient despite the long wait as she knew well that the owner was on the way to meet her. Instead, she felt that she was the one who had caused this owner a problem as she called him all of a sudden.

’No, no! Stop thinking negatively!’

She needed this job, and because of that, she had to erase all of the unpleasantness on her face and show the most positive expressions!

"I look old..."

While the time didn’t reduce her beauty, she couldn’t help but lament that time had changed her appearance a lot. Once, that girl who was sought by many had become a single mother, who spent all of her time working.

Still, she never lashed out at her daughter, nor did she blame her former husband. Instead, she just blamed herself, wondering why she didn’t try to improve herself when she was young.

If she were a university graduate instead of a high school graduate, would everything change?

Then again, even if one graduated from university, it wouldn’t guarantee their future, especially when she had seen many people at her work. Unfortunately, due to a certain accident, she was fired, and she had to search for another job.

But for her, a middle-aged woman in her mid-30s, with just a high school diploma, what could she do?

Yet, when she looked at her beautiful face and the shape of her body that had ripened, turning her into an attractive, mature woman, she was at a loss, wondering whether she should agree to a marriage proposal given by that man.

While she didn’t really feel anything, she wanted her daughter to have a better future, and with how she was now, she had no capability to do that.

Still, as she kept thinking, a voice suddenly interrupted her thoughts.

"Sorry to make you wait."

"Ah, yes, I am sorry for calling you so suddenly!" She was startled and quickly bowed, showing the most common etiquette as she introduced herself. "I am Akiko Ayase, who called you before, and I wish to apply for the job offer."

"Please raise your head, and let’s talk more about your experience."

"Ah, yes."

As Akiko lifted her head, she was dumbfounded, and Tobe was also dumbfounded, as the two of them had not met each other for a long time.

Yet, unlike Akiko, who remembered him well, he decided to pretend that he didn’t know her. "Is there something wrong?"

"Ah, no, no!"

Akiko quickly shook her head while at a loss, as it seemed that Tobe had forgotten about her. ’Yes, let’s just focus!’

However, it was tougher than she had imagined, as his image was so vivid in her mind. She was a mature woman, after all, and she had tasted the feeling of that immoral pleasure, but considering how she was, she hardly had time to do that. When she could, it was when her daughter was at school, and at that time, when no one was around, she touched herself, and strangely enough, the one that she imagined was him, thinking how his thick, muscular arm would smash the face of that pervert, who wanted to molest her.

As she thought of his handsome face, her fingers continued to trace her precious place, shoving them in a way that her daughter couldn’t imagine, as her face grew lewd and distorted due to the pleasure.

It was a blissful feeling and also helped her to manage her stress, yet when she saw him again, and he seemed to be the owner of this cafe, it left her at a loss, but she quickly fixed her mood as she needed this job.

Still, as the two of them sat face to face with a table that separated them, Tobe looked at her CV, which consisted of her experience, which surprised her. "You are a bartender?"

"Yes." Akiko nodded as she forced herself to remain composed. "I have been working as a bartender for almost a decade."

"That’s amazing, but why did you decide to work in this place? Do you have experience as a barista?"

While Akiko’s experience was amazing, what Tobe needed was a barista, as his cafe was a coffee shop instead of an alcoholic bar.

When this question was asked, Akiko’s expression was slightly tensed, yet she still maintained her gentle smile and answered his question softly, "I am... not young anymore, so I thought to search for a job that lets me work during the day instead of at night."

Even if one slept for the same amount of time during the day as one slept at night, their health was naturally different, and those who worked at night and slept during the day were prone to getting sick and even draining their lifespan, making them less healthy and aging faster.

It might be okay if one were young, but as one grew older, it would be different, and the chance of them dying young was clear.

"Yes, while I am a bartender, I will work hard to master the art of coffee for this cafe."

Like a bartender, the art of coffee was also different, but she was desperate for a job, and as long as it wouldn’t sell her body, then everything was fine.

"...."

Tobe wondered why the people of this country loved to bow so much.

Yet, as Akiko bowed her head deeply, he knew that she needed this job so much, and did he cause her to lose her job?

After what had happened that day, after he beat up the pervert, he simply ignored that person, and didn’t do anything, so did that pervert cause Akiko any trouble?

’Hmm... let’s do something about him.’

Then again, like Akiko, it was also impossible for him to forget about her, and as he looked at her figure again, he felt at a loss, as a certain thought started to occupy his mind, especially when the gentle, yet lovely scent of her make-up and fragrance mixed together with her sweat.

It was kind of weird, wondering why he couldn’t be just a normal guy who was interested in a woman of his age and kept being tempted by those women who were at the age where they could be his mother.

Yet, like a fruit, instead of the unripe one that was sour and tough, the ripe one was sweeter and juicier.

’No, no!’

Throwing away all the dirty thoughts on his mind, Tobe thought of the origin and his purpose of having this cafe, and that was to make a secret base where he could be with Yuki-san without being doubted by others, so without a doubt, Akiko was a perfect choice to manage the case as she was desperate, and because of that—

"Okay."

"R-Really?"

As her head raised, Akiko looked at him in surprise and hope.

"Yes, please take care of me from now on, Ayase-san."

"Y-Yes, please take care of me, Boss!"

Still, as Tobe had someone who could manage this cafe, he also started to wonder why the family name of this woman was quite familiar for some reason.

’It shouldn’t be, right?’

Shaking his head, he decided to focus on teaching Akiko everything about the cafe before he left for Hiratsuka’s place~!

"Are you busy now?"

"No, I am ready to work now!"

"Good, let me talk to you about this cafe first."

"Yes, please take care of me, Boss!"