Chapter 55: The Mall?

"I've left the clothes by the door."
"Okay."
The bathroom was brightly lit, revealing a patch of snow-white skin in front of the mirror. The tall beauty stood behind the door, wrapped in a short bath towel.
She stared at the fabric before her in silence, turning it over left and right. Wearing it felt strange and restrictive step by step.
"This..."
Sato Sayuri pressed her lips together, a flash of helplessness crossing the depths of her eyes. Kitahara probably had no idea that women's sizes varied, and that bras and panties served more purposes than simply covering modesty. For instance, the difference between a B-cup and an E-cup was enormous...
With a helpless sigh, she picked up a pajama set nearby and tried putting it on.
This was likely Kitahara's mother's clothing, and it felt slightly tight. Sato Sayuri possessed a wonderful figure—tall and voluptuous. Under normal circumstances, she would have chosen a size larger, but today left her with no choice as the situation demanded it.
Her own clothes were soaked through, having been drenched in the heavy rain just moments ago, and were currently hanging in the laundry hamper.
"Do you want me to help wash your clothes?" Kitahara knocked on the door. "Teacher, you don't need to stand on ceremony with me."
"No need!"
Sayuri couldn't help but let out a soft scoff. That little seducer was acting helpful, but she feared that once he took the clothes, he might use the opportunity to pull some strange stunts.
*Ding—*
Her phone chimed with a text message.
Sayuri picked it up to take a look; it was a message from her good friend.
Asuka: "Are you coming back tonight?"
Sayuri: "I might have to see how things go. There's a small matter, not quite sure yet. Go to sleep early, I won't be joining you for drinks."
Asuka: "What's wrong? Is the younger man clinging to you and refusing to let you return?"
Sayuri: "Don't talk nonsense, we are completely innocent. There really is something..."
Asuka: "Stay safe."
Sayuri: "Safe from what?"
Asuka: "Just make sure you don't make any human lives."
Asuka: "I'm serious, Sayuri. Staying over at a guy's place—how could they possibly manage to keep their hands to themselves? [Seal sudden attack.jpg]"
Sayuri put her phone down, her mind in complete turmoil.
Could Kitahara really be harboring such thoughts?
Yet they had only known each other for two days, and their relationship status was entirely inappropriate. No matter how one looked at it, this was far too fast... Although Sayuri tended to be a bit of a romantic dreamer, she had lived nearly thirty years by now, and when she wasn't drinking, reason could still reclaim the high ground of her intellect.
If she truly half-heartedly let him have his way, where would she find the face to teach at school anymore?
Kitahara might be clueless, but surely she couldn't be equally foolish?
Sayuri secretly made up her mind. If this student harbored improper intentions, she would use lofty principles and logic to talk him out of it... She believed that as long as she was willing to explain earnestly, he would definitely listen.

Thinking up to this point, Sato Sayuri sent a reply: "I will stop him."
Asuka: "This doesn't depend on you; if the other party insists, can you really refuse? Listen to me now, go to the convenience store and buy some supplies. You might need them later."
Sayuri: "My phone battery is dying, let's talk tomorrow."
Sayuri sighed and powered off her phone. The dark screen reflected the delicate features of her pretty face, and right now, a few flushes of shyness surfaced on her cheeks... Her friend's remarks were utterly shocking. If the students in her class knew that Asuka—usually as elegant as a noble matron—was so foul-mouthed in private, their jaws would surely drop in utter disbelief.
However, Sato Sayuri actually had gone ahead and bought the items Asuka mentioned.
Naturally, not to use them.
She merely wanted them as a kind of protective charm, just in case of an emergency.
After all, anyone could encounter unexpected situations...
Sayuri's thoughts were a tangled mess. After pondering for a moment, she took off the pajamas she had just put on, her cleavage instantly bouncing free. A flash of relief crossed her eyes—the clothes were simply too small and didn't fit properly.
Even if they didn't fit, she had to wear something; she couldn't possibly walk out like this... She changed out of the pajama slip and set it aside temporarily. Feeling slightly guilty, Sayuri touched the skimpy fabrics on the floor and tossed them all into the laundry hamper.
She wasn't going to wear them!
A woman with a generous bust would suffer greatly wearing an ill-fitting bra; squeezing out underarm fat would be troublesome, and worse yet, it could deform her chest...
Sayuri adjusted her clothes, made sure the bathroom door was securely locked, patted her body, and went ahead to take a bath.

Outside the door, Kitahara tried on the sweater.
The size was actually a very good fit.
Sayuri had decent taste.
He checked her favorability score.
[Character: Sato Sayuri]
[Status: Somewhat nervous and uneasy due to being cornered step-by-step, worrying about tonight's arrangements. She is both afraid that her good younger brother will make a move, and afraid that he won't make a move...]
[Favorability: 62]
It had gone up by two points.
But that wasn't the main issue—was the phrase "step-by-step" even meant to be used that way?
Kitahara hesitated for a moment, well aware that the undergarments he had handed over were unsuitable.
Given the current circumstances, however, he couldn't possibly walk out alone to a convenience store to buy women's underwear. What if he got mistaken for a pervert?
*Ding—*
[You have received a message.]
The system was issuing a quest.
[At thirty-five years of age, on a night filled with heavy rain, you ran into your former head teacher, Sato Sayuri. You saw that the look in her eyes as she gazed at you was filled with strangeness. Ever since your last meeting, when you disciplined the punk and stood up for her, you had left a deep impression in the depths of this woman's heart...]
[She invited you to her home for a visit, and you readily agreed, only to discover that she harbored malicious intent. She actually drugged your cup, longing to spend a passionate night with you...]
[Anger, lamentation, pity, hatred...]
[You did so much for her, yet in return, you received her unprincipled covetousness...]
[You decide to make her regret it!]
[Quest: Make Sato Sayuri shed tears! Make her feel remorse for what she has done and said!]
[Reward: Unlock the Mall System!]
The Mall System?
Kitahara remembered now. Back when the system first arrived, the mall function had been sealed to prevent him from paying to win.
He hadn't expected there would be a chance for it to be unsealed.
He hoped he could exchange for a Spark Lens... Having transmigrated for so many years, he also wanted to try transforming into Ultraman.
Failing that, a Saiyan bloodline would be fine too; Kitahara wasn't particularly picky.
Hehe.
After pondering for a while, Kitahara mused over the quest and felt it was somewhat absurd.
Sayuri possessed an extremely strong sense of morality. Setting aside whether her character would collapse to the point of doing such a thing, just looking at her age—would she truly be willing to risk prison just to enjoy a single night of pleasure?
Unless she was a pervert.
Kitahara temporarily held no malicious thoughts toward Sato Sayuri.
After all, he was quite satisfied with the sweater he was wearing. Besides, he was well aware that this female teacher had no money on her; just the day before, she had given all her savings to her family and was currently flat broke.
In other words, the money for his gift had been borrowed. Even though this female teacher possessed a slightly heavy dose of jealousy, she was genuinely very good to him.
Still, if it was just about making her cry...
Was wasabi acceptable too?
Choking on food until tears came out of her eyes would probably have something to do with him as well, since he was the one who put it there, after all.
As for making her feel remorse...
That might require a bit of the "green tea" art of subtle manipulation.
It was at this moment Kitahara discovered just how useful the tea-art mastery gifted by the little green tea-artist truly was.
Decided then.
Tomorrow, he would go extract some more favorability points from Sakura Reina!