"How was the birthday?"
"It went well. Couldn't stay for too long though."
After meeting up at Midori's house, I went back to my parents and had dinner like I said I would. Since it was already getting dark, I decided to not go back to the Purple Palace, holding onto my promise with Midori instead. However, I did spend a good while talking with Jasmine on the phone.
The days went by as I found myself enjoying the times I call Jasmine. Usually she'd be too busy and we'd just text, but when we both find time, we'd just simply call, talking about random stuff, but that seemed to be a lot more frequent that I would've thought. I figured she'd be a lot more busy having worked there for a while now. We continued talking over the phone until Friday.
After school, I went straight over to Purple Palace, texting my parents that I'd be staying at a friends place for the night. I didn't wait for their reply before making my way to the place.
Upon entering the door, I'm met with the familiar, sweet scent slipping through the door. The bodyguard was a bit friendlier with me this time around having known I've been here before. Jasmine was also there, waiting for me at the entrance as she led me back to the main floor which is where the bar is located along with all the booths and tables.
"Did you have to walk far?"
"Not really. I don't live too far away from here."
"I see. Well how about we enter one of the rooms in the back? I need to tell you something."
"Okay."
Ignoring everyone else, both the servers and clients, Jasmine guided me deeper into the back as we entered an empty room before Jasmine locks it.
"These rooms are secure and have great soundproofing so we should be fine."
"O-okay?"
"Come, take a seat."
As I take a seat on the nearby couch, Jasmine brings out a couple glasses from inside the fridge before pouring both of us a glass of something.
"Is that-"
"Don't worry. Normally there would be alcohol here, but I made sure to sneak in some juice."
"Thanks"
Wait, the way she said it makes it seem like-
"Fufu. I wouldn't want to get a highschooler drunk now would I."
My eyes light up the moment the words leave her mouth, my hand refusing to bring the glass to my lips as if I'm frozen in place.
"H-how did you-"
"Well you always responded around the time school's out, right? Or during lunch break? Your schedule lined up perfectly for a high schooler. Of course I had no proof, but your reaction just now confirmed it."
...Am I going to be in trouble? Thinking so, I finally find the strength to put down the glass on the table, not wanting to take a sip now.
"Fufufuu, don't worry. Your secret's safe with me."
She proceeds to take a seat next to me before taking a few sips from her glass.
"Pahh~ Mmmm. I'm glad no one snuck in here and took my juice."
"…"
I can't find any words to say as I still feel frozen in place, watching her relax on the couch beside me. I feel like a deer in headlights…
"Hey, you know it's not all that uncommon you know. Working here at your age."
"Eh?"
"Of course it's still rare, but many girls here started out around your age, hell some of them even younger."
"R-really?"
"Mhmm. Take me for example."
"What?"
"Yeah. Despite being 20, I've actually been here for around 4 years now. Though it feels like more in all honesty."
She shoots me a smile before continuing to drink from her glass. That alone made me loosen up if only a bit, but enough for me to take the glass in my hands once more before taking a small sip. From the colour, I was expecting something like grape, but I was pleasantly surprise to taste a rich, cranberry flavour, causing me to double check the drink.
"Hehe. You like it?"
"Mhmm!"
"Good."
"So then… What happens now?"
"Nothing."
"What?"
"I'm your proxy remember? I'm not about to get you into trouble. I wouldn't have picked you up if you weren't just a girl."
So the day we first met, she already had suspicions of me being still in school?
"If I had just let you wander in here alone, who knows what would've happened."
"What do you mean?"
"Well, you know how I said that we offer many kinds of services to the clients?"
"Yeah?"
The way she's saying this almost makes me feel uneasy as I go to take another sip of the juice.
"Well, that would also include 'satisfying' our clients. Pleasuring them, to put it lightly."
"Huh?"
"It's what these rooms are for actually. It's why they're properly soundproofed."
A sudden, heavy feeling comes over my stomach as I realize what it is she's saying.
"S-so… People do 'those' things here?"
"Yes. But like I said, that's just one of the services, and there's a few girls here that choose not to do that kind of thing."
Hearing that puts me at ease, although I'm questioning whether it's a good idea or not to be working here now.
"Of course you're more than welcome to leave this place, forget it all existed. I won't blame you."
It seemed like she read my mind… Does she maybe not want me to work here? But I tried searching everywhere and I found nothing. This is the only place I could find that would take me in and it's not like the people here are bad. Jasmine seems nice, so maybe…
"No… I'll stay here."
"Oh? Are you sure?"
"Yes."
"…"
She looks me in the eyes for a while, almost to an uncomfortable amount before she finally breaks eye contact after a few more moments.
"…You seem quite determined. Is all that what you said about your brother and sister true?"
"Yes..."
"Seriously? Should someone in school really be worrying about that?"
"I'm also doing it for myself. I'm not sure how long my parents will be supportive so I want to try to better myself."
"...Really… Someone like you really shouldn't be in a place like this..."
She's probably right, especially after hearing about what goes on in these rooms, but-
"I don't care. You seem nice, so why are you here? It can't be all that bad if we can decide what we don't want to do."
"...You think I'm a nice person?
"!"
Out of nowhere, with a sudden force, I find myself laying down on my back against the couch. Looking up I see Jasmine is now right above me, her face close enough to my own that I can feel her breathe tickling my skin, sending a cold sweat down my spine.
"Jas-mmm?!"
But before I could question her, I feel something soft press up against my lips as I quickly realize what's happening, but that's when I feel something wet slide between my lips, entering my mouth before intertwining with my tongue. I try to break free but when I do, I notice that my hands are actually pinned down above my head. I try to wiggle free, but that's when Jasmine pulls away as I gasp for air, a string of saliva being the last thing connecting between us before breaking a moment later. But that wouldn't last long as I feel my shirt being undone.
"Wait!"
I try to reach out, but it was too late. My shirt gets ripped open, ripping off a couple buttons in the process, revealing my bra along with all of my skin.
"STOP!"
"Or what?! You're in this kind of place!"
I try my best to break free, but Jasmine quickly pins me down once more, not letting me wiggle out from underneath her. I feel my heart skyrocketing as I even start to use my legs, but that also seemed to be useless with her on top of me like this.
"J-JASMINE!"
I call out to her, but she still continues to strip me. Like I'm just a toy to her...
"Khh! I said, STOP!"
Just as I felt her hand slip under my skirt, brushing up against my crotch, with my now free hand, I use it to slap Jasmine across the face as hard as I can.
"..."
Time felt like it was in slow motion as Jasmine slowly let me go, getting up from me, letting me get up from the couch before I try to fix my clothes.
"Heh… Good."
"Why did you do that?!"
"I needed to know if you had it in you."
"Huh?"
It's then that Jasmine sits up from the couch, causing me to step back away from her.
"There's plenty of people that would do what I did to you, no… probably even more than that. I needed to know if you had some fight in you."
It's only then that I noticed that Jasmine's cheek is bleeding slightly. Looking at my hand, I notice some blood had gotten on my painted nails.
"Not bad, hehe."
"S-so… You did all that to test me?"
"Correct. Many people here think that they're just property, to be used. I wanted you to know that it's okay to stand up for yourself, even in a place like this."
She steps closer to me, but this time I remain where I am, letting her get closer.
"...So then, what you said about you not being a nice person… was a lie?"
"No. That was the truth."
"Huh?"
"It's a long story that I don't want to get into right now."
She continues moving closer towards me until she walks past me to the sink next to me. I watch as she brings her face towards the now running water, gently cleaning the scratch I left on her.
"...I'm sorry."
"What? For this? Pfft. It's nothing. It just means that I can take a break. Fridays are the worst days. Normally I'd have to deal with a bunch of clients wanting 'those' kinds of services, so this here that you gave me is quite a nice excuse, hehe."
"Wait… So you- do 'those' kind of things here?"
"Nn. But I don't let them go all the way. If they try, I'm sure you know what'd happen."
"…"
So Jasmine has been dealing with people like that for a while…
After calming down, we sit back on the couch as I help treat the scratch on her cheek.
"Sorry if I scared you."
"...It's okay."
To be honest, I'm still shaken about it, but I now understand that Jasmine was only doing it for my own good… But still-
"...So I'm guessing there's no beauty services at this place?"
"Fufu. Well, there is, but it's more so a casual thing. Like how some of the girls here help put on each other's makeup along with other things. But no, a client wouldn't pay for those kind of things."
"Figured…"
"Did you want to get into a career like that?"
"Mm… But my parents aren't too happy with it."
Now that the truth is out, I decide to just be honest and not try to lie to her.
"They want me to get a proper career, like being a nurse or something."
"Pfft."
"What?"
"Nothing. I just remember having to deal with the same crap. I wanted to be a singer you see."
"What?"
"Mhmm. My parents would go on and on, saying that I'd never make it. Of course I doubled down which- well… Let's not talk about that, hehe."
"…"
So I'm not the only one dealing with something like this… and just by looking at Jasmine's face, It still feels like she's still holding onto that dream… Maybe I should start thinking about a different career...
After chatting for a while, we exit the room as the bustling sounds of everyone returns. I guess the soundproofing in those rooms are no joke.
"Jazzy~ Huh? Wait, are you okay?!"
"It's fine, Vix. I just tripped over and got a bit of a cut. I'll be clocking out now."
"Ohooo~ So my time has come once more!"
"Don't go too hard, okay?"
I follow Jasmine out of the Purple Palace as she has now put on a heavy, winter coat. I did bring a coat as well, but the cold weather sure is picking up, but it's mostly the wind that's making this all the more cold.
"Will you be alright getting home?"
"Uhm-"
"If you like, you can crash at my place. It's just up ahead."
"O-okay."
I was tempted to call my parents, but that'd mean having them maybe discovering where I actually was…
Meanwhile, at Luna's apartment-
"Welcome home~"
"I'm home, haha."
After finishing work at the library, I'm greeted at the door by Reina. I've gotten used to being greeted at my apartment now, but it still brings me to a smile each time she does it. It really makes my once dreary apartment a lot more lively.
"Hungry?"
"Yeah- wait. You cooked?"
I didn't notice, but now that she brings up food, I can definitely smell something in the air.
"Hehehe~ Come! It's almost ready!"
Moving deeper inside towards the kitchen, I notice a simmering pan of beef, along with a pot with what looks to be spaghetti.
"Wait… Is that-"
"Spaghetti Bolognese! I'm sure it wont be as tasty as dad's, but I wanted to give it a try."
To be honest, I never wanted to make this dish. Our father always liked cooking spaghetti Bolognese. It was one of the few dishes he knew how to cook, leaving the rest to our mother. It's why this is such a special dish in our eyes as our mother would always celebrate it. But for me, I was always scared to cook it, scared that it'd bring back those memories. But now.
"I'm sure it'll be delicious."
"Fufu. I hope so. I had to make it from memory."
True. We were kids at the time, let alone a decade since then. It'd be a huge ask for Reina to remember the taste of it after all these years.
"Next time, lets make it together."
"Mm!"
I'm no longer scared about the past. Seeing the spaghetti bolognese cooking like this only brings a smile to my face, but I wonder what Reina must've been thinking while cooking it alone in this apartment. Thinking so, I bring Reina into a hug as she quickly reciprocates.
"Thank you."
"You're welcome sis…"
We give each other a soft, quick kiss, before I leave Reina to continue cooking as I also get changed, taking off my wig and makeup.