Contact With The Protagonist

In the evening, I returned home once, asked Caro to watch the house, and headed back to the bakery where Rachel works.

It seemed I arrived a little early; when I peeked in from outside, Rachel was still working. It was exactly the rush hour, and she looked busy dealing with customers. Suddenly our eyes met, and Rachel and I found ourselves staring at each other. Keeping the customers waiting, Rachel stepped out of the shop.

“You’re early. You came at just the right time. Since you work at a bakery, you know the ropes, right? Give me a hand for a bit.”

Saying so, she grabbed my hand forcefully and dragged me into the shop. Thinking that this pushiness was just like my sister’s, I realized there was something that had completely slipped my memory. However, Rachel made me help with the work as if to drown that thought out.

“Sorry about that. Making you help even though you’re not an employee. But you’ve got good instincts. If you like, why don’t you work for us?”

Once the work settled down, the owner, a middle-aged man, spoke to me. Since there is only one type of bread, the difficulty level is much easier than at Marie-san’s bakery. I handled the tasks with practiced hands.

“I’m always getting scolded, so it’s amazing that you’re being praised.”

Rachel said, looking surprised.

“I have been working at a bakery for many years, after all.”

Even if I say “many years,” that’s just the background setting. Mentally, I’ve only worked since being reincarnated, but I felt good being praised and spoke up.

“Oh? Are you working at another bakery, Kent-kun?”

“Yes, I work at Marie-san’s bakery.”

“Ho, ho. I’ve heard something good then.”

The owner said with a smirk.

“If you don’t mind, could you tell me the secret of that mysterious bread sold at that shop?”

“Well, it’s a trade secret, so…”

“I see… that’s a pity.”

The owner didn’t seem inclined to pry further and immediately backed off, looking disappointed as he headed toward the back of the shop.

“Sorry to keep you waiting.”

Rachel emerged from the back, having changed into her school uniform.

“I might be a bit tired after being made to do all that work.”

I said to Rachel with a touch of sarcasm.

“Is that so? Then, do you want to take a break? Or stay the night?”

Rachel gave an’allusive reply whose intent I couldn’t read.

“Um, that’s a joke, right?”

“Oh? Did you imagine something? You lit-tle per-vert.”

Rachel answered mischievously. It seems she was just teasing me.

“Right… shall we walk for a bit?”

Saying so, Rachel started walking briskly. I hurriedly chased after her. Then we sat down on a bench in the Central Plaza where there wasn’t much foot traffic.

“The spot next to me is open.”

Rachel said, patting the empty space on the bench. It seemed she was telling me to sit there.

And I sat down beside her as I was told.

“Um, thank you for coming.”

“So, what’s the business?”

Since I was also worried about Caro, I wanted to finish the talk quickly and go home. I tried to draw out the business immediately.

“First, I want to apologize. I’m sorry for saying so many terrible things. I did something bad to your girlfriend, too.”

“Well, it’s fine, but by the way, I’m not actually dating Caro-san right now, you know? We’re just living together by circumstance.”

I said. I won’t deny that we’ve done various things, but I’m not saying anything incorrect… I think.

“Is that so? Since you’re always together, I thought that was the case.”

“So, is that all for the business?”

“No, the main subject starts here. Actually, the management of the bakery where I work is quite dire.”

Rachel began to speak with a serious expression.

“Eh? From what I saw today, there were customers and it looked like it was thriving?”

From what I saw today, there were so many customers that I couldn’t imagine the management situation of Rachel’s part-time job was difficult. Since I had been helping until just now, I felt that way intuitively as well.

“Actually, until yesterday, it was a disaster. It seems all the bakeries in town are in the same situation. The reason there were many today was just because the bakery where you work was closed, so the customers flowed here. At this rate, some places are being driven to the point where they’ll have to close their shops.”

“I see…”

I started this thinking of increasing my income and for the sake of Marie-san and Catherine, but it seems I’ve overdone it and taken the customers of other shops, and the effects are starting to show.

“I’ve never eaten it myself, but is it really that different?”

“I wonder. I think it is different, though?”

I answered Rachel’s question.

“Maybe I’ll go buy some next time. So, around where is the shop?”

I told Rachel the location of Marie-san’s bakery.

“Thank you. Then I’ll try going next time. For now, I can’t come up with a countermeasure without analyzing the enemy’s strength.”

“Please go easy on us. So this isn’t a conversation about telling you how to make it or anything like that?”

“Isn’t that obvious? You must have gone through a lot of trouble to develop that talked-about bread, right? There’s no way I could just casually ask you to tell me something you worked so hard to develop. If we had developed that at our place, we’d absolutely never tell other shops.”

It was exactly as she said. Since she is just a part-time worker and can’t interfere with management like I do, she might not have that much interest in it. I decided to think so.

“Well, that’s about all for the talk. Thank you for listening. I’d like to get along well with you from now on. Nice to meet you.”

Rachel said with a slightly superior tone and held out her hand. It seemed to mean she wanted to shake hands. I also held out my hand, and we shook hands.

(Wait? This feeling is…)

The moment I gripped her hand, I can’t explain it well, but the sensation felt nostalgic. However, I couldn’t remember what it was.

“Huh, why are tears coming out…?”

Rachel’s eyes were moistening, but she seemed shaken as if she didn’t know the cause.

In the end, the two of us were left with a mysterious sensation, but since no conclusion was reached, we decided to part ways just like that.

I decided to hurry home. More time had passed than I thought, and it had become dark outside.

“I’m home.”

“Welcome back, dear.”

When I opened the door and entered the house, someone hugged me. I could feel the sensation of soft breasts. Based on the size, it wasn’t Caro. When I wondered who it was, it was Marie-san.

“I’m back. Marie-san, why are you at my house?”

Marie-san, who should live next door, was at my house.

“Before that… Welcome home. chu.”

I was given a welcome-home kiss by Marie-san.

“Wait, Marie-san, what are you doing while I’m away?”

Caro, who emerged from the back in a tracksuit, came running over in a panic.

“Kent-san, welcome home. You’re a little late, aren’t you?”

“Sorry, I was made to help out a bit at the bakery where Rachel works part-time.”

“Is that so? Good work. And did it turn into a good conversation?”

A worried Caro asked me.

“Well, I guess we made up. Also, I heard about the management status of the other bakeries. Marie-san, has the management of other bakeries really become that bad?”

“Let’s see… it seems some places are quite backed into a corner. But when I asked the bakers’ guild for support before, they didn’t help at all, so I think it might be better if they suffer a bit more. I don’t intend to let them go under, though.”

I wondered what on earth happened before, but since it isn’t in my past memories, I judged it better not to ask.

“So, why is Marie-san here?”

I asked Marie-san the question I had at the beginning.

“I wanted to spend time with Kent-san. Is that no good?”

She said, staring at me with an upward glance. Usually Marie-san would be classified as a beauty, but at this moment I felt she was cute.

“Well, there’s that too, but since you treated us to a meal the other day, I thought I’d cook something in return. Catherine is here too. The three of us were just making dinner.”

“Is that so? I guess I made you feel like you had to?”

“That’s not it at all, okay? Don’t worry.”

“Yes, yes, don’t keep talking forever; Marie-san, let’s continue.”

Caro pushed Marie-san’s back and led her to the kitchen.

“Welcome home, Big Brother.”

This time Catherine came out.

“I’m home, Catherine. I heard you came to make dinner today. Thank you.”

“No, you’re welcome. Mama said she came to eat Big Brother. Can Big Brother be eaten? I’ll eat Big Brother too!”

(Marie-san, what on earth are you telling a child?)

“Big Brother isn’t food, you know?”

“Is that so? Too bad.”

Catherine answered with a subtle expression.

After that, I went back to my room and changed into a tracksuit. I could hear the three having a fun conversation from the kitchen.

“If we put this aphrodisiac in, the night will probably be exciting.”

“Shall the three of us do it today?”

“Me too, me too!”

I heard some rather disturbing conversation, but I decided not to listen.

And then dinner was ready, and the four of us sat around the dining table. Today it’s vegetable soup and salad. Also, the staple food is bread. There is no meat.

“I’m sorry. I wanted to make it meat like the day before yesterday, but it’s expensive and hard to afford…”

“Don’t worry about it. I’ve fully received your feelings, Marie-san.”

“Oh, my. In that case, I’ll have to give you a lot in return tonight.”

I answered and Marie-san said with flushing cheeks.

“Hey, what are you two getting all excited about? I helped too, you know?”

“That’s right. Thank you, Caro-san, Catherine.”

Just as we were about to eat, I stopped them.

“Um, do we eat the salad as is?”

I said, looking at the salad that was just piled up without any seasoning.

“Salad is something you eat like this, right?”

Marie-san said with an expression asking why I’d ask something so obvious. The other two had similar expressions.

“Wait a moment.”

Saying so, I went back to my room and ordered several kinds of dressing through the terminal. Then I returned to the three of them. I lined up the dressing containers I had just brought out and spoke.

“It’ll be delicious if you pour this on. I think tastes will vary, so I’ve prepared several kinds, so please try them.”

Each of them took a container, poured a little on to taste, and then reached for the next container, repeating the process to find their preferred taste.

“How is it?”

I asked the three of them.

“It’s amazing. Just by pouring this on, you can enjoy various tastes. I think I like this one.”

Caro pointed to her preferred container.

“I guess this is the one for me.”

“They’re all so delicious I can’t decide!”

Marie-san and Catherine said. Catherine seemed unable to decide which was best.

After the four of us had a fun meal, we decided to take a bath.

Having learned how to use it last time, Marie-san and Catherine are taking a bath together.

“Kent-san, what shall we do about the bath today? Shall we go in together?”

Caro asked. Since Marie-san and Catherine were there, I hesitated about what to do.

“It’s too late to be hesitating now. Let’s go in together as usual.”

In the end, the two of us went in together.

Since Marie-san and Catherine had finished their bath and finished changing, we were about to go in to switch, but I was stopped by Marie-san.

“Don’t tell me you intend to go in together?”

“We always do that, after all.”

Caro said to Marie-san with a triumphant face.

“…Tch, damn it. There was that option.”

Marie-san said something in a small voice.

“Don’t peek, okay?”

Caro reminded Marie-san.

“Kent-san, I’ll wash your back for you.”

“Please do.”

It seems Caro is going to wash my back as usual. Actually, things besides my back get washed too, but… Noticing that the sensation was different from the usual towel, I looked back behind me.

“Honestly, don’t look. It’s embarrassing, isn’t it?”

Putting plenty of body soap on her own body, Caro was rubbing her body against mine.

(Isn’t this what they do in adult baths?)

“Caro-san, what kind of way of washing is that?”

“As a noble, techniques to please a gentleman are something we are made to acquire from a young age, you know? It’s not always the case that you’re united by mutual love; marriage can be used as a tool for negotiation, and there are times when you have to marry into a place you don’t want to go for political reasons.”

“I see…”

Having learned a bit of the dark side of the nobility, I was at a loss for words.

“It just means there are people like that. Fortunately, I’m happy because I can use the techniques I acquired on Kent-san, you know?”

Caro was saying such delightful things. Involuntarily, I hugged her.

“Oh, honestly, Kent-san!”

While saying that, Caro also hugged me in the same way.

“I knew it, you two are doing fun things, aren’t you?”

Saying so, Marie-san entered the bathroom. Of course, she wasn’t wearing any clothes.

“Um, what about Catherine?”

“She’s already asleep. She seemed tired. …That’s not it, no head starts allowed!”

“If we’ve been found out, it can’t be helped. Let’s all wash each other.”

It seems Catherine has already fallen asleep. At Caro’s suggestion, the three of us ended up washing. Or rather, I ended up being washed by the two of them.

Coming out with my whole body glowing, I left the bath first.

“As expected, if they do it that intensely, my body won’t hold out.”

Caro and Marie-san, who seemed to have been left with some unspent energy, seem to still be doing something together. Suggestive voices are coming from inside.

“Oh, Caro-chan, to do this to this part.”

“Doesn’t that apply to you too, Marie-san, becoming like this?”

When I, having finished changing, was resting in the living room, the two who came out of the bath were only wrapped in bath towels.

“Both of you, please put some clothes on.”

“Eh? I thought Kent-san would be happy this way.”

Caro said.

“Maybe this way was better?”

Saying so, Marie-san took off the bath towel wrapped around herself.

“You’ll catch a cold, you know?”

Told that by me with a straight face, a dejected Marie-san went back to the dressing room to put on clothes.

And the three of us, having finished changing, decided to sleep.

In my room, Catherine was sleeping spread-eagled on the bed. There was no other space to sleep.

“Oh my, this child. It can’t be helped, then.”

“It can’t be helped, can it.”

With eyes like a predator hunting prey, the two looked at me and said.

“ “Let’s the three of us sleep together.” “