"That will be 2700 yen," the clerk replied with a monotonous tone.
"Okay," he muttered, paying for the bus ticket. It wasn't the fastest option, but it was cheaper—and right now, every yen counted.
Next, he stepped aside and glanced at the small screen showing the bus schedules. His ride wouldn't leave for another hour.
The waiting area wasn't exactly packed—just a few people killing time with their phones. Blending in was easy enough as he moved to sit down.
Settling into a hard plastic chair, he pulled his bag onto his lap, fingers absently tracing the zipper.
While his mind wandered to whatever awaited him, a familiar sound caught his attention.
It was the energetic jingle of HEO advertisements from a large LED TV mounted on the wall.
Visuals were captivating, featuring intense battles and strategic maneuvers.
"Ah, I lost again!" A voice echoed, drawing his attention.
Turning, he spotted a girl in a gray school uniform, glaring at her laptop like she planned to destroy it.
'Is she a high schooler? No, she looks more like a middle schooler,' he thought, seeing her petite body and the black twin-tails that bounced as she leaned back.
However, he couldn't really judge, as girls in Japan often looked younger; it was in their genes.
It was like some kind of time-delay aging. One minute they looked twenty-five, then boom—grandma mode at sixty.
Click! Click !
He watched as she tapped with her mouse, her concentration intense.
'Looks like she's really into it,' he mused, watching her brows knit together in concentration.
Unknowingly, he found himself staring, time slipping away as he watched her expressions change from focus to frustration with each failed attempt.
She was so into the game, he couldn't help but chuckle at her intense reactions.
But the moment didn't last—his smile faded as a station security guard started walking straight toward him.
"Sir, we have a report about a middle-aged man staring at an underage girl, "The guard said, arms crossed.
"A middle-aged man?" Luck raised his eyebrows, glancing around the station in search of the rumored pervert.
"Seriously? What kind of weirdo would do something like that?"
"I'm talking about you, sir," the guard clarified,
Luck's eyes widened. . "Wait. No.. I'm not that old yet!"
Then it hit him. That wasn't even the real problem.
"And I wasn't acting weird, I was just…"
The guard pressed. "Then what were you doing?"
"I was just watching her play!" Luck stammered, heat rising to his cheeks. "I swear, I wasn't doing anything wrong!"
"Watching her play? You expect me to believe that's all you were doing?"
"Look, It's a popular game! I'm a player too," he said, trying to keep his voice steady.
The guard remained skeptical. "So, what's your plan? Just sit there and stare at her?"
"No! I wasn't trying to be creepy!" he insisted. "I was waiting for my bus and got curious. Others are watching her too!"
The guard scanned the area and noted a few others watching her.
"True, but you're the only one getting reported. You need to respect personal space, especially with someone that young"
"Yeah, I get that," Luck admitted, left with nothing to say.
"Just keep it cool. You wouldn't want someone doing that if it was your daughter, right?"
"Daughter? I'm only twenty years old," Luck protested.
"Twenty?" The guard raised an eyebrow.
"Anyway, just watch yourself," he warned, before turning and heading off.
Leaning back, he stared at the ceiling, feeling like he was being targeted just because of how he looked, and it was unfair.
"Hey, Ojisan, I heard you were watching me and got reported."
A sweet voice called out, breaking his thoughts.
He looked down, and there she was: the twin-tail girl, grinning mischievously as she slid onto the seat beside him.
"What the hell? Please don't come near me or I'll really get arrested!" he instinctively stood up, clutching his bag tightly against his chest.
"Well, you did watch me like some creepy uncle, so yeah—that's definitely karma," she laughed lightly.
"I was just... you know, passing the time." he tried to explain.
"Passing the time by watching girls?" she teased, playfully touching her lips.
"Hey, hey, mind your words! It's not good to say stuff like that in public!" Luck shot back, panic rising in his chest.
Glancing around, he spotted a few people nearby shooting him judgmental glares—just as he'd suspected.
"So, it's safe to say that... in private?" she teased, eyes sparkling. "Oh, Ojisan, you're naughty!"
She giggled, playfully pretending to cover her nonexistent chest. "Don't worry, I'm already in high school."
'It doesn't make it better at all. Is she trying to get me arrested,'
He lowered his bag and stared at the girl, who was trying to suppress her laughter.
"Seriously, what are you trying to do? Get me kicked out of here?"
"Don't worry, Ojisan, I'm not going to get you in trouble. Just give me some money, and I'll let it slide," she whispered with a mischievous grin.
"Wait, you're blackmailing me?" Luck blurted out, stunned by her audacity.
The truth clicked into place, piece by piece
He always thought this kind of thing only happened in hentai. Turns out, reality was not far off.
"Just 10,000 yen will do," she whispered, her voice as casual as if she were asking for spare change.
Luck's jaw dropped. "10,000 yen?! Are you out of your mind?"
He couldn't believe it. She was treating it like a normal transaction.
"Do I look like an ATM to you?
The girl just shrugged, enjoying his reaction. "Hey, you gotta pay up if you want me to stay quiet."
"I didn't even do anything!" he protested, his voice rising in disbelief.
"It doesn't matter," she waved him off with a smirk.
"Who do you think they will believe? A cute girl like me or... well, a chubby guy like you?"
The way she said 'chubby' almost sounded like she was trying to be polite, which was surprising coming from her.
Luck's face flushed with frustration. "Wow, way to rub it in,"
"And no, I'm not giving you any money," he clutched his bag tighter.
"I'm broke too, okay? I've got three days before I get evicted, and I'm barely hanging on here."
The silence between them dragged on.
"I believe you," she sighed, rolling her eyes.
"You believe me?" he asked, his voice lifting, thinking for a second that there was a glimmer of hope in humanity after all.
"Yeah," she nodded while scrutinizing him from head to toe, "Just look at you. I doubt you've got any job besides watching perverted anime all day."
Luck forced a tight smile. "You really don't pull any punches, do you?"
"Nope," she said, standing up and stretching her arms "Alright, I've wasted enough time here."
With that, she turned and walked away, leaving him standing there, both relieved and slightly insulted.
'Unbelievable,' he muttered, clutching his bag a little tighter. 'What kind of world am I living in? And what's wrong with the new generation? Where's the discipline?'
Lost in thought, his eyes flicked back to the girl, and stop on a middle-aged man lurking in the corner, staring at her with a leering grin.
'Shit, I know it! It wasn't me!'