Hikari bent down and picked up the wine jars.
With his strength, these wine jars that were quite heavy for ordinary people naturally put no pressure on him, and he lifted them up easily.
Sniffing the smell of alcohol in this storeroom, Hikari hadn't really thought much at first.
But there was still a strange smell remaining in the air.
This smell made Hikari feel both unfamiliar and familiar.
He suddenly remembered that earlier, when he had Aunt Sayako on his shoulders, he had also suddenly smelled this tempting seafood fragrance like grilled squid.
Obviously he had closed the door earlier, so the smell should not have been able to drift in.
So this smell and the one on Aunt Sayako seemed to be the same.
'Could it be that just now that really wasn't sweat, but...'
"Forget it, I'd better not think about all these nonsense things."
"That's Aunt Sayako after all, the widowed Aunt who got married and used to take such good care of me when I was little."
Remembering Sayako's past gentleness and thoughtfulness, Hikari shook his head and shook the strange thoughts out of his mind.
But when he thought of Sayako's status as a widow, Hikari felt he understood that seafood smell a bit better.
Perhaps he could not blame Aunt Sayako; after all, she had been left lonely for so long.
It was really just that his physical fitness was too good, which made his sense of smell very keen, otherwise he would not have been able to so clearly smell the salty fragrance remaining in the air.
Casually wiping the wet sticky traces on his neck, Hikari picked up the soju and walked out of the storeroom.
However, while carrying the soju, Hikari also thought about Aunt Sayako's apparently easy-to-sweat constitution.
He considered whether he should think of a way to treat it for her.
After all, Aunt Sayako herself probably also felt quite uncomfortable about it.
Turning this over in his mind, Hikari soon carried the soju to the izakaya's main hall.
Standing in the hall, Hikari looked around and discovered that the so-called several tables of customers wanting to drink soju that Ryusei Haruyoshi had mentioned earlier were complete nonsense.
In fact there was only one table of customers who said they wanted soju.
And this customer did not seem particularly anxious or in a hurry.
Hikari was not really surprised at this.
After all, he had already guessed that that scene of fetching alcohol from the storeroom just now was nothing more than a scheme by that dog pair of father and son, Ryusei Haruyoshi and Ryusei Jun.
He ignored the glances that the Ryusei father and son would secretly cast over from time to time, as well as their calls of asking him to help.
Hikari sat calmly behind the counter playing on his phone.
———
After several minutes, Sayako finally finished changing and came down from upstairs.
Although he could not see inside, Hikari could guess that Aunt Sayako had probably changed her clothes from inside to out.
Of course, what he could see was only the outermost long floral dress that had changed from red to purple.
Perhaps because of her status and personality as a widow, Sayako had always dressed very conservatively, basically always wearing fairly long skirts and wrapping herself up quite tightly.
But even wrapped up so tightly, one could still vaguely see through the bulging fabric that her figure under the skirt was explosively hot and perfect.
After coming down from upstairs, Sayako casually responded with a couple of words to Ryusei Haruyoshi, who had taken the initiative to greet her, then went straight to sit beside Hikari at the counter and started chatting with him.
"Hikari-kun, have you finished carrying all that soju? If you haven't, Aunt will help you," Sayako asked with concern.
"It's all done, Aunt, you can rest," Hikari smiled.
"That's good. Hikari-kun, you're amazing. How about Aunt treats you to a drink after we close?", Sayako also gave Hikari a charming smile.
"A drink? I'm still a high school student, I'm not allowed to drink even a single glass. So... if I'm going to drink, I might as well drink a whole jar."
"Pfft!"
Hearing Hikari's joke, Sayako could not help but let out a pfft of laughter; that charming radiance instantly lit up the whole izakaya, and many of the customers could not help but sneak glances over.
When they saw that the beautiful female owner of the izakaya was being made to laugh by a handsome young man, they all looked at Hikari with a hint of envy.
And off to the side, Ryusei Haruyoshi, who had planned to show how hard he was working and was scrubbing the tables vigorously, also saw this scene of Sayako being made to laugh by Hikari.
Seeing Hikari make Sayako show that kind of smile with just a few words, a smile that she had never shown to him, Ryusei Haruyoshi felt extremely stifled, and a blaze of anger rose in his chest.
He had also noticed that after coming back from the storeroom, Sayako had changed into a different skirt.
Although in reality Hikari had not done anything with Sayako in the storeroom, Ryusei Haruyoshi did not know this. He had to know that his original plan was precisely to have something happen with Sayako in the storeroom.
Now, seeing Sayako coming out of the storeroom with Hikari, not only with rosy cheeks but also having changed skirts, how could Ryusei Haruyoshi not overthink it.
The more he thought, the angrier and more stifled he felt, until his whole body could not help but tremble with rage.
But seeing Sayako at this moment chatting so happily with Hikari, looking very close and familiar, he could not do anything.
He could only swallow his anger, planning to look for another opportunity to properly take revenge on this young high schooler and to get Sayako.
And because Ryusei Haruyoshi and Ryusei Jun were being very diligent today, Sayako, who suddenly had free time, kept chatting Hikarisurely with Hikari.
Sayako smiled and said to Hikari, "Hikari-kun, thank you for being Aunt's ladder just now and letting Aunt get the soju down, you worked hard."
"It was nothing. Aunt used to take such good care of me, these little things are not worth mentioning," Hikari waved his hand.
Sayako suddenly laughed and said, "When you were supporting Aunt just now, you were very steady. Hikari-kun has really grown up. When do you plan to start dating?"
"And... what kind of girl do you like?"
The beautiful widow looked at the handsome boy in front of her with a beaming smile.
"What kind of girl do I like?"
Looking at the teasing look in Sayako's eyes, Hikari casually smiled and said, "The type I like should be a good girl like Aunt Sayako. Gentle in personality, considerate of others, and... very charming, very attractive."
Hearing Hikari's words, Sayako at first felt a bit embarrassed but still wanted to continue teasing him, but then she discovered that while Hikari was speaking, he was also deliberately glancing at her full chest.
She immediately understood that Hikari was teasing her back. Sayako gave Hikari's shoulder a light slap, and with her beautiful eyes rolling she pretended to complain, "You brat really have grown up, you've learned bad things. You even dare to flirt with Aunt now, so bad!"
Hikari laughed, "Aren't you the one who flirted with me first, Aunt? But... I'm not the one who's really bad. It's actually your late husband's younger brother, Uncle Ryusei, and his son, who are really a bit bad."
Hearing Hikari's words, Sayako suddenly fell silent, and the smile on her face gradually faded.
Sayako, who ran an izakaya on her own, was not some naive dummy. In fact, because her personality was relatively independent and self-reliant, she was even more cautious than ordinary women.
The series of coincidences that had happened today really made it hard not to think more about them.
First, right after that group of people who came to toast left, the Ryusei Haruyoshi father and son immediately came to the izakaya.
Then Ryusei Haruyoshi suddenly said that there were several tables of customers who wanted to drink soju that was usually rarely ordered.
And when she went to get the soju, the ladder had suddenly disappeared.
After the ladder suddenly went missing, Ryusei Haruyoshi hurriedly insisted on being a human ladder for her, wanting her to ride on his shoulders to get it.
This series of events had already made Sayako feel wary.
Combined with Hikari's repeated hints in his words earlier, Sayako had also gradually begun to suspect that the Ryusei father and son, who looked honest on the surface, were not so simple.
It was just that, after all, Ryusei Haruyoshi was her late husband's younger brother, and he had also taken the initiative to come help out in her shop.
She could not very well say anything.
She could only secretly be more vigilant, and keep more distance from them.
Sigh, the life of a somewhat good-looking widow was truly full of all kinds of difficulties that she should not have to face alone.
Thinking of this, Sayako could not help but feel a wave of emptiness and loneliness in her heart, and a trace of solitude flashed through her eyes.
Suddenly, she saw the handsome boy sitting beside her, quietly drinking tea.
Looking at that refined face that was so good-looking she could not help but glance at it a few more times, Sayako remembered that the one who helped her block drinks today, let her ride on his shoulders, and reminded her to watch out for the Ryusei father and son was precisely this nephew Hikari, whom she had often taken care of when he was small.
Once, when she was young, she had taken care of him when he was little.
Now that he had grown up, he was protecting her, who was alone.
She was not completely without someone she could rely on after all.
"Aunt Sayako, you need to be more careful of Ryusei Haruyoshi and Ryusei Jun, okay?", Seeing the dazed Sayako, Hikari spoke again.
Sayako suddenly gave him a bright smile, "Hikari-kun, Aunt knows, I will pay more attention."
"Hikari-kun will also protect Aunt, right?"
As she spoke, Sayako leaned closer to Hikari, suddenly wrapped her arms around his, pulled it into her embrace, and rubbed against him nonstop.
With his arm suddenly hugged by Sayako, his arm was forced to endure a wave of soft-flesh impact.
Hikari, who had been drinking tea, also froze for a moment.
Looking at Aunt Sayako, whose beautiful eyes were now shining as she looked at him, and who was showing a dazzling smile he had never seen before, Hikari roughly understood the lonely heart of this solitary widow.
He gave a small smile, patted Sayako on the back, and said with a smile, "Don't worry, Aunt, I will protect you."
Hearing Hikari's words and feeling the warm palm gently patting her back, the smile at the corners of Sayako's lips lifted even higher.
What she showed was not the lonely sorrow of a widow who was already nearly thirty, but a joyful smile full of hope, like that of a girl in the bloom of eighteen.
That bright, flower-like smile made Hikari feel a touch of amazement when he saw it.
As for Aunt Sayako suddenly leaning on him, Hikari did not really feel anything like surprise or displeasure.
After all, in a village where gossip was so fearsome, Aunt Sayako, as a widow, must have lived a life full of loneliness and solitude all these years.
That could be understood just from the catty gossip of those jealous women in the village.
Adding to that, she had now discovered that her late husband's younger brother, who had enthusiastically come to help her, had long harbored covetous thoughts toward her.
Even his son, who was not that old, actually had unspeakable thoughts as well.
This would only make one feel stifled in the chest and at the same time incomparably empty and lonely.
Moreover, Hikari had already planned to properly teach these greenhorn bull-men a lesson.
Even leaving aside the rewards from the pure love system, and regardless of Miss Mira's instructions that he should take good care of Miyuri and Aunt Sayako, just for the sake of his close relationship with Aunt Sayako, he had to properly deal with disgusting guys like Ryusei Haruyoshi.
Perhaps because several of their previous schemes had failed, when Hikari was preparing to find a chance to teach that ill-intentioned father and son a lesson, Ryusei Haruyoshi and his son actually behaved themselves for quite a while.
Until most of the customers had left, they did not stir up any trouble.
On the contrary, they were very enthusiastic in helping out, which even Hikari found a bit unexpected.
By now it was getting later and later, the lights on the street were gradually going out, the customers in the izakaya kept decreasing, and it was almost closing time.
And just as Hikari had expected, after behaving for a while, this Ryusei father and son could no longer help wanting to cause trouble.
After more than half of the customers in the shop had left, Ryusei Haruyoshi did not put away the tables and chairs.
Instead, he brought over a new set of drinks and dishes and placed them on a table he had previously wiped clean.
Watching what he was doing, Sayako asked in puzzlement, "Ryusei-kun, aren't all the customers gone? You are..."
Ryusei Haruyoshi laughed and said, "The customers have indeed all left. It's our turn, the people of the shop, to eat. Business was so good today, it's really exhausting but also makes one happy. As a celebration, let's have a drink together, shall we, Sayako, and Hikari-kun."
Ryusei Haruyoshi raised the wine cup in his hand toward Hikari and Sayako from a distance, the corners of his mouth curling in a strangely enthusiastic smile.
Facing Ryusei Haruyoshi's invitation, there was not much joy on Sayako's face; clearly she did not really want to hold this so-called celebration.
Seeing the embarrassed look on Sayako's face, Hikari turned his head and looked over.
He saw that the table in front of Ryusei Haruyoshi was already laid out with drinks and dishes, and Ryusei Jun had also sat down, sitting right beside him.
This father and son seemed to be just waiting for them to come over.
Hikari slightly raised his brows. It was obvious that there was nothing good intended with this meal.
Sayako of course also knew this, so she knitted her brows slightly, looking troubled and not wanting to go over.
But when faced with Ryusei Haruyoshi's enthusiastic invitation, she did not know how to refuse.
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