Chapter 64 - Little Girls Are Indeed...

"...Big brother, that's..." Aoi immediately stopped crying as she looked at me in wonder.

It took me a few moments to realize the words I said to her.

"A-Ah, please don't mind it--ACHICHICHICHICHI!!!" My body jolted upwards in panic, that my crotch started to sting again.

Hiding the guilt showing from her face, Aoi spoke. "...Y-You made me do it, big brother."

"Okay, okay! I won't leave you, I promise!"

"...Really?"

"I'm dead serious here! You want me to also do a pinky swear? Here, I'll pinky swear it to you!" I said as I stiffly raised my pinky finger.

My vision's starting to get hazy. Am I going to faint again?

Aoi's eyes stare skeptically at me for a few moments, then her gaze eased afterwards.

"...No need for that. I believe in big brother's words."

As she stood up, she noticed that I'm still lying down like a vegetable on the floor.

"...Does it really hurt that much, big brother?"

In bewilderment I asked, "Y-You don't know how painful it is for boys to have it stepped on?"

She scratched the back of her head in regret. "...Sorry big brother, I thought you were just acting earlier. In response I applied more force for you to fully convey my message. Hehe~"

"K-Kuh..."

I want to cry. I reeeaaaaaally want to cry right now because of what she said. This girl, she doesn't know that that thing she stomped on is the most vulnerable spot for boys! Also, acting? You think I could pull off something like an act in my condition?!_

Taking deep breaths, I closed my eyes as I try to calm myself down. Ren, don't look at it at all cost.

"...Do you want me to heal it?" Aoi asked.

"Nononononononoyesnononono, NO!" I stopped her in panic. "I'm...fine. I'll be fine."

I told her to take her bath and leave me alone for the meantime. Though reluctant, Aoi complied as it's her fault why I'm feeling extremely weak right now and I needed a breather.

"Aoi...I don't have the strength to be mad at her right now," I sighed deeply as I stare lifelessly at the ceiling and whimpered.

-----

Our little drama ended that night and everything went seemingly back to normal, but it won't be the same anymore.

"Um, Brother Ren? What are you doing there, standing at the corner?"

Saki, with a mop and a bucket on her hand, asked. Even though there are no guests other than us upstairs, the cleanliness of the area still must be maintained.

"Saki? Oh it's n-nothing, I'm just thinking of something...yeah," I replied nervously.

The truth is, I'm checking the state of my 'well-being', just to make sure. I can't let my future go to the scrappers just because of a certain little girl's antics.

"Thinking of something..." Saki placed a finger on her chin. "By the way Brother Ren, how're you and Aoi? Are you two okay now?"

"We had a little quarrel last night, but we're okay now. Thanks for the concern."

Feeling relieved, Saki spoke. "I'm glad. If you two won't be okay by the time we set on the trip, the whole journey won't be fun."

"Now that you said it, it'll be six days from now, eh. Are you excited, Saki?"

She nodded happily. "Whenever we go to the capital, it's only me and Big Bro all the time. This time, it'll be the four of us! Of course I'll be excited!"

With a giggle, she hugged the handle of the mop and spun with it in circles.

At the same time Aoi came out of our room, wearing a gray apron with a drawing of a brown fish on top of her dress, and a small placard over her head that is supported by two sticks propping up from her twintails, with the words SANDY FISH written in the local writing system.

"...Uuuuu...do I really have to wear these?" Aoi sulked, as she looked at the fish on her apron with deadpan eyes.

"Yes!" Saki replied. "Big Bro and I are thinking of investing more in our marketing strategy, and we came up with that idea."

A few days ago, I saw them discussing about several costume designs apparently drawn by Saku. All of his designs are too risqué and would certainly cause much of a controversy to the neighborhood if someone wears any of them, prompting Saki to design a costume of her own.

Aoi's appearance right now must be that brainchild of hers.

"...But why me? You should've asked big brother for this," Aoi protested.

"Why not? Aoi is a very cute girl. Using your irresistible cuteness, we could attract more customers into our Sandy Fish! Mehe, mehehehehehe..."

Saki, your smile is starting to get more terrifying...

Looking down, Aoi spoke. "...But I'm not good with many people..."

"I'm sure Aoi can do it!" Saki said as she firmly held her shoulders. "If you have the nerve to eat three plates of food every meal without paying anything, I'm sure being the inn's new poster girl is a piece of cake for our cute little Aoi!"

'Big Bro and I should've thought of this brilliant idea a long time ago!' She said as she patted Aoi's shoulder a few times. Each time her shoulders are being patted, Aoi's body shudder in fear, far different from the Aoi that's with me last night.

I'm not sure but Saki's words must've pierced her heart so deep, that even I felt the reverberation of her guilt.

"...Guu, I will do my best..." Aoi raised her fist tremblingly.

"Alright!" Saki said as she clapped her hand. "Brother Ren, can I borrow Aoi for the meantime?"

"Huh? O-Okay..."

"...Fueh...? W-Wait--"

Saki then held her hand and pulled her downstairs. While her red eyes shine with an evil glow as she mercilessly pull her victim with her, Aoi's eyes are screaming, 'please do something, big brother!'

Sorry, Aoi. I can't help you this time.

"...BIG BROOOOTHEEEEERRRRRRR!!!!!"

Even after they went outside the door, I could still hear Aoi's cries for help from here.

Maybe, this is nature's way of teaching the little Death Goddess a lesson.

As for me...should I follow them on their back? Nah, I believe Saki can handle her well, maybe even better than me. At the same time, she'll be also safe in Aoi's hands. They'll be fine, I believe...

Wait, Saki's about to clean this area, isn't she? She went outside and thus won't be able to do the task. Does that mean...

"Good grief," I shook my head as I picked up the mop and started cleaning the floor.

"Hm? Ren, why are you doing the cleaning duty today? Saki's the one who should be doing that, right?" A surprised Saku went upstairs a few minutes later.

"She and Aoi went outside a while ago," I answered. "Saki made my sister wear the costume you two planned for your new marketing plan, and she excitedly dragged Aoi outside afterwards."

Saku's jaw dropped at that moment.

"M-Marketing...plan?"

Confused with his reaction, I asked. "What's wrong, Saku? You don't know anything about it?"

He shook his head. "I know something about the costume, but I'm not informed or anything about that marketing plan you're talking about."

Then suddenly, his eyes widened upon realizing something in his mind.

"Unbelievable..."

I know from his face, that there's something's amiss with the current situation.

"I'll go after them."

"Ren?"

"It's my fault for letting them go out on their own. You stay here and wait."

If I had known that Saki's planning something all this time, I should've stopped her from doing it and dragging Aoi with her.

"H-Hey, why are you giving me this mop?! Hey--"

I handed him the mop before going out of the inn. At this point, it's impossible for me to mop the floors in peace if there's a new problem arising.

-----

"Here we are, this is the perfect place to advertise our Sandy Fish!" Saki announced upon arrival to their destination.

Aoi asked. "...What is this place?"

"This place," Saki's gaze turned sharp quickly, "is what we call the [Bottom Pit]."

Aoi looked around, and she frowned at everything she could see in that place. A shady-looking desolate street at the innermost part of the town lined up with shady-looking buildings, with shady-looking signs propped above them.

A very 'welcoming' place, Aoi remarked on her mind.

"This place...is where most of our regular customers go nowadays," Saki said.

"...What? But how did you know that?" Aoi asked.

With a grin, Saki replied. "I followed them, of course."

'Ehhh,' Aoi looked at her with deadpan eyes.

"Anyway, I don't know what made them come in this kind of place, but I can't just sit on my hands and do nothing about this situation," she added.

Aoi noticed it as well. Though apparently the number of customers per day didn't change much, the most frequent and highest-paying ones started coming seldomly. She doesn't know anything about handling a business, but she knows how much it will affect the inn in the long run.

"For our Sandy Fish, we will bring them back," Saki declared with resolute eyes.

"...Nn," Aoi nodded in agreement.

The two girls then went on with their mission.

"...Alright. What's the plan?"

"E-Eh? Plan...?" Saki's shoulders suddenly twitched.

"...Yes. Don't tell me, you brought ourselves in this kind of place without having any plan in mind?" Aoi's suspicious stare pierced right through her.

Having the tables turned away from her, Saki started to grow nervous.

"O-Of course I have! W-We'll look for our 'lost' customers, and convince them to go back to the Sandy Fish! T-That's it!" Saki explained frantically.

'Ah, she does have no plan at all!' Aoi felt increasingly worried for them. 'Well, it's understandable considering she's still not mature enough, but charging headlong into an unknown territory is--'

"...Understood."

"A-Aoi? What do you mean by that?" Saki tilted her head in confusion.

Aoi, now being fired up, looked at her and said:

"...That plan...works best for me."

Without wasting time Aoi started running, leaving Saki behind. Saki then yelled, "Wait, don't leave me Aoi!", and chased after her.

Despite their pitiful stamina, the girls' persistence fueled their bodies and pushed them to go forward.

"A-Aren't you feeling scared at all when we came in this place?" Saki asked worriedly at her.

"...Hmmm, no. In fact, I feel excitement whenever I go in dark, mysterious places like this!" Aoi answered.

"Excitement, you say..." Saki sighed. "In the end, you're a lot more eager than me..."

While running, both of them looked for any open establishment that could possibly be the place where the 'lost' customers are. After a few minutes, fatigue began settling in their bodies.

"...Haaa, haaa...I never knew this street is endless..." Aoi panted heavily as she sat on the ground after running for almost half an hour.

"Plate Town is only a small town, how is it possible to have a street as long as this...?" Saki sat beside her, also wondering about the nature of the place.

'If we don't return by noontime, we'll be screwed for sure...'

"Ah!"

"...W-W-What is it?!" Aoi jolted in surprise.

"Look, over there!"

Far ahead of them, a light source flickered alone in the dark. Taking it as a sign, the girls immediately renewed their strength and shortly afterwards, they arrived at the place.

An open tavern welcomed them. Peeking from the moldy glass windows, they could see men and women drinking and dancing around in a euphoric trance, their eyes turned white and drool flowing out from their mouths. They also heard strange sounds coming from the doors further behind, sounds that can only be made by a man and a woman. Neither of them had an idea of what really is going on but for sure, they have crossed the line.

'The world of a.d.u.l.ts really is scary!' Saki muttered under her breath. In the case of Aoi however, she's thankful that she'll never experience being one of them.

"...This is the place."

"Nn."

"...You scared?"

"Yeah."

"...Let's go."

"Alrighty."

Holding each other's hands, they entered the tavern.