Just as Mr. C.B. had declared, Yayoi Natural found herself carried all the way to their destination.
Gold City hardly reacted as she watched Mr. C.B. walk in carrying Yayoi Natural.
After all, she was well acquainted with her senpai's eccentric reputation. The woman who refused to use an umbrella in the rain, showed up randomly at Kabuki theaters, and even camped out on school grounds—this was exactly the kind of stunt she'd pull.
So…
It wasn't all that surprising to see Mr. C.B. casually stroll in with Natural in her arms.
However, Natural herself…
"C.B.-senpai, if you don't put her down soon, she might pass out."
Taking this kind advice, Mr. C.B. quickly placed Natural into the salon chair. "Could you give her a quick trim and some hair care? She probably hasn't done anything like that in half a year."
After explaining, Mr. C.B. turned toward Gold City. "I'll leave her to you."
"Sure thing."
Gold City gently straightened Natural's head and smiled faintly. "Long time no see."
Hearing Gold City's soft voice seemed to finally awaken Natural. Blinking in surprise, she mumbled, "Gold City, you're still working here…?"
"Modeling gigs aren't too frequent these days, and I've finished most of my studies. So, I come here occasionally," Gold City replied, lightly brushing aside some of Natural's still-blushing hair. "You're doing a lot better than last time, at least—no major issues anymore."
Natural sighed softly at the comment.
The last time she'd been here was years ago. Back then, she had barely enough to eat and had to spend most of her energy taking care of Mochizuki. Naturally, her hair had been a mess.
But now…
Thinking of how her life had improved, Natural quietly explained, "I guess it's because I don't have as many things to worry about anymore."
She glanced briefly at Mr. C.B. before turning back to Gold City. "Just a simple trim and some basic maintenance, please."
"Got it."
Without further questions, Gold City quickly began her work.
Mr. C.B. patiently waited at the side until about an hour and a half had passed.
When Gold City finally finished, Natural's appearance hadn't dramatically changed, but she looked noticeably refreshed. Mr. C.B. turned to Gold City. "How much?"
"Well…" Gold City thought about it briefly, then shook her head. "No charge."
"Really? Thanks a lot~" Mr. C.B. nodded appreciatively, then gently called to Natural, who was dozing off in her chair. "Natural, time to go."
Her voice was soft, just enough to bring Natural back to consciousness. She opened her eyes groggily. "Are we leaving now?"
"Yes." Mr. C.B. took her hand and carefully helped her up before nodding once more toward Gold City. "Thanks again."
"As long as you keep those secrets of mine, I don't mind," Gold City replied, sighing lightly. She glanced at Natural and muttered quietly, "You sure are troublesome."
There was a clear note of resignation in her voice.
Mr. C.B. briefly glanced back at Gold City, paused, and then refocused her attention on Natural. "Let's go. Next stop is a nearby shop."
Before Natural could react, Mr. C.B. scooped her up again.
"Hey! I can walk just fine!"
"I'm just making sure you don't escape."
"What kind of shop are you taking me to…?"
"Not sure yet. We'll figure it out when we get there."
As their voices gradually faded into the distance, Gold City sighed again.
She'd decided to provide this service free for Natural from the start, mainly because Natural herself was simply too troublesome.
Still…
Watching Natural being carried away like that, Gold City found herself idly wondering if she should find someone she could carry around too. A petite Umamusume like Natural seemed quite comfortable—both to carry around and use as a hug pillow.
As Gold City debated these entirely unnecessary thoughts—
Mr. C.B. and Natural arrived at their first stop.
"Wait—this is an underwear store!"
"Yes, it is."
"Why are you bringing me here?!"
"To buy something, obviously~"
Without giving her time to argue, Mr. C.B. calmly walked through the open door.
...
Unlike Mr. C.B., who'd ditched work for romance, Maruzensky didn't reach the restaurant until almost an hour and a half after they'd left.
"Auntie Maruzen, you sure took your time. Mom left with Auntie C.B. almost two hours ago, you know?"
Mochizuki's blunt greeting gave Maruzensky a headache.
Since Rudolf had left, student council duties had fallen entirely to Mr. C.B. and Maruzensky. Normally, they could at least manage to see Natural daily while sharing the workload.
But now, with Mr. C.B. skipping work to chase romance, Maruzensky had already reached her limit by getting here at this time.
Noticing Maruzensky's troubled expression, Mochizuki decided to go easy on her. "I don't really know where Mom and Auntie C.B. went, but they might end up at a hotel or something."
Instantly, Maruzensky's ears drooped. Her mood visibly shifted into something complicated as she stared intently at Mochizuki.
"Mochizuki-chan…are you serious?"
"I'm not sure. Just guessing," Mochizuki shrugged. "But knowing Auntie C.B.'s personality, maybe she'll even drag Mom off to pitch a tent for two somewhere."
Glancing briefly at Teio, Mochizuki then added fuel to the fire. "You know, Auntie Maruzen, if you don't hurry, Mom might really end up someplace strange."
Maruzensky swiftly turned on her heel, hurrying out of the restaurant.
Only after hearing the door swing shut did Teio turn toward Mochizuki, concerned. "Is Auntie Natural gonna be okay? You made it sound pretty serious."
"Don't worry. Auntie Maruzen would never let anything happen to Mom~" Mochizuki waved casually. "Though now I'm curious about where Auntie C.B. dragged her off to."
---
T/N: hehe cute
bonus chaps
100 stones -> 1 chapter
200 stones -> 2 chapters
300 stones -> 3 chapters
and so on
hehe every 100 followers on either instagram or twitter is a bonus chapter...?
discord.gg/wisetl
patreon.com/wisetl
instagram: hanbaowise
twitter: WiseKingOfUruk_