Chapter 64: And Thus, Pekola's Abduction Was Complete!
"I've told you, I'm not a witch," Yurine sighed. She had said it countless times, but Pekola stubbornly insisted on calling her one.
Just then, Pekola finally noticed the unfamiliar face of Ryohei, and she tilted her head with a puzzled expression. And then—
"Grrrroooowwwwl…!"
A loud rumble echoed from her tiny stomach. Pekola wilted like a frostbitten flower, weakly clutching her belly. "So hungry…" she whimpered. "I only had a few bread crusts tonight… same for lunch, and breakfast, and last night… The last time I had a proper meal was three days ago…"
"That's just tragic," Ryohei said, a bead of sweat on his forehead. It's a miracle you're still alive. Thank goodness you're an angel. He quickly held out the bag containing the leftover Omurice. "Here, I brought you something to eat. Go on."
"Arigatou—!"
As if she were looking upon the Lord himself, Pekola's head shot up, her eyes brimming with tears. Her gaze immediately locked onto the food in his hands, and drool began to pour from her mouth like a broken dam. Her little hand reached out for the bag… but then she paused.
"Wait a minute! Who are you?" as if her brain had just caught up with the situation, her hand, which had almost touched the bag, shot back. She looked at Yurine, confused.
"Your reaction time is a little slow, don't you think?" Ryohei muttered.
"He's my boyfriend," Yurine said, a small smile on her lips. "His name is Ryohei Tanaka. He's about to open a restaurant. Do you want to work for him?"
"The witch's boyfriend?" Pekola looked at Ryohei, then shook her head so hard it was a blur. "No way, no way! Pekola is an angel! How could I work for a witch's boyfriend? I will never betray Heaven!"
"GRRRRROWWLLL…!" Her stomach let out another fierce protest, and the intense hunger made it impossible for her to even stand up straight. She doubled over, clutching her stomach, looking even smaller and more pathetic than before.
"Yurine isn't a witch," Ryohei said, his tone firm. "And it's quite rude to call the person who has helped you out so many times a witch." As Yurine's boyfriend, he felt he had to stand up for her.
Pekola looked even guiltier at his words, her head bowing lower. Ryohei didn't hold any ill will toward her; she was just too straight-laced and a bit of a blockhead. Aside from that, she was a true angel.
"Grooowwwl…!"
"Well," Ryohei sighed, "I'm a chef. I don't like to see people starving in front of me." He opened the bag, took out the container of Omurice, and a pair of disposable chopsticks. He opened the lid, and the rich, savory aroma of chicken rice and demi-glace sauce wafted out.
"S-So good!" Pekola's head shot up, her eyes glowing with a green light as she stared at the container in his hands, her drool starting to flow again. Then she blinked, bewildered. "Have I been hungry for so long that I'm starting to hallucinate? The food is… glowing…"
"Maybe it's not a hallucination," Ryohei said, handing her the food and chopsticks. "Here, eat up. It's really delicious. I'm very confident in my cooking skills."
"Lots of people line up at his stall every day," Yurine added, a hint of pride in her voice. "And even if you wait in line, there's no guarantee you'll get to eat."
"...Pekola is an angel!" she insisted one last time, but her hands had already honestly accepted the food. The rich aroma filled her senses. So tempting! I want to eat it!
"I… I can't resist!" Having been starved for so long, Pekola's desire for food was abnormally strong. The iron-willed Pekola finally succumbed to temptation and accepted the gift from the witch's boyfriend. She held the chopsticks against her body and—snap—broke them out of their paper wrapper with practiced efficiency.
"Itadakimasu!"
The words had barely left her mouth before she had already shoveled a large bite of Omurice into it. The entire process took less than two seconds.
In the next moment, Pekola's eyes widened in disbelief, her multi-colored pupils reflecting a dazzling meteor shower. A gentle night breeze rustled her silver-blonde hair. The disheveled, exhausted-looking little girl with dark circles under her eyes was suddenly transformed into a fresh, clean, and unbelievably cute little angel.
Wow, you can change your art style on a dime, too! As expected of a gag manga character, Ryohei thought with an internal sigh.
"Arigatou!" Pekola cried out, though it was unclear if she was thanking him, Yurine, or both. She then lowered her head and began to devour the food, eating with the ferocity of someone who hadn't seen a proper meal in three days.
"That was so delicious! It was even better than the food in Heaven!" After licking the container clean of every last grain of rice, Pekola looked up, two streams of happy tears rolling down her face, her voice filled with emotion.
"If you come work at my restaurant, you can eat food like this every day," Ryohei said in a tempting voice. "And you'll get to eat other, even more delicious things, too."
Σヽ(ﾟД ﾟ; )ﾉ
With a full stomach, her reason returned. Pekola froze. Oh no! I ate the food from the witch's boyfriend! It wouldn't be right to refuse his offer now, would it? And I don't have any money to pay him back! But then another thought came to her. If I accept, I can eat delicious food every day…
Wait a minute! Pekola, you're becoming a fallen angel! Realizing where her thoughts were heading, Pekola felt like she had been struck by lightning. She clutched her head, took a step back, and looked at Ryohei as if he were a great enemy. As expected of the witch's boyfriend… he so easily tempted me with food…
"Why are you suddenly looking at me like that?" Ryohei asked, completely clueless as to the dramatic monologue playing out in her head. He just sighed and laid out his terms.
"The salary is 220,000 yen a month. Weekends off. The restaurant is open from 6 PM to 9 PM, but you'll need to come in early to help with prep, and stay after closing to help clean up. If you take the job, I can arrange a place for you to live, starting now." He glanced at her pathetic cardboard house. "And I can give you an advance on your salary. So, what do you say?" He was looking for a waitress, and this salary was quite generous.
220,000 yen a month? Weekends off? That's… that's almost 10,000 yen a day! Pekola looked down at her hands. Her current under-the-table job was exhausting, back-breaking labor that paid 400 yen an hour. On a good day, she could earn 3,200 yen.
"I'll do it!" The generous salary had made her head spin. She threw her hand in the air, deciding to cast her lot in with Ryohei. Then, as if remembering her principles, she clasped her hands together and closed her eyes in prayer. "Oh Lord, Pekola is not betraying you! It's just… I was forced by the hardships of life!" she said, awkwardly trying to justify her decision.
"Alright, then. Pack up whatever you want to take with you," Ryohei said, breaking the awkward silence.
"Hai!" the girl replied, now full of energy.
And thus, Pekola's abduction was complete.