Three days had passed since Noah started working at the store, and Shiori's attitude was still horrible; she put obstacles in his way wherever she could. Noah wondered what he had against her. He didn't remember ever doing anything to her. "Did she expect to have fun with those thugs?" he thought, genuinely confused.
Still, he didn't stop working. The weekly pay was substantial: a full-time shift with three days off and the great advantage of not needing documents, being recommended by the owner's daughter. That was the motivation that allowed him to endure it, along with the daily escapades with Sana or Airi.
Noah had heard that sex was an excellent option for relieving stress, but since he'd never had a steady partner, he had found it hard to test it... until now.
While arranging some drinks on the shelf, he couldn't help but look at the young woman next to him. Shiori was an annoying bitch, but he had to admit she looked very good. Without thinking, he found himself carefully observing the round, well-formed ass in front of him. The blonde was bending down to arrange some products, and the skirt she was wearing wasn't particularly long. The soft, appetizing thighs, half-covered by black stockings, only tempted one to look at the space left between them and the garment.
Noah licked his lip. The impulse to grab her and lift her skirt crossed his mind before he shook his head in a panic. What was wrong with him? Lately, his libido seemed to be out of control. Was it because he was doing it daily with Sana and Airi? But... now that he thought about it, why were they so enthusiastic? He didn't consider himself popular, and although his physique might be a plus, it didn't justify such a disproportionate level of desire.
—"The spray?" —Noah murmured, with some surprise.
Maybe it was a side effect. That would explain the abnormal increase in sexual drive in both the girls and him. The theory sounded logical and, at the same time, a little scary.
—"I should warn Sana to be careful with the spray," —he whispered, remembering how much the redhead liked to play with the chemical.
Lost in his thoughts, he didn't realize his hand had instinctively moved towards Shiori, caressing her fleshy ass. She stopped arranging the products and turned around, in disbelief.
—"Pervert! I knew you were a pig!" —the blonde exclaimed furiously.
Noah snapped out of it at the shout and felt a bit ashamed at the girl's teary eyes. Although he didn't like her, he had to admit that this time, it really was his fault.
Before he could say anything, she walked away while threatening him.
—"I'm going to tell Yui! This is harassment! Pervert! Trash! Idiot!"
Noah sighed as he shook his head. This time he had really sfucked up. But he wasn't going to make excuses; he knew he had made a mistake by acting out of character.
—"I have to be more careful in the future," —he murmured, thinking about how to avoid any extra trouble.
---
Shiori sat down, frustrated and furious. She hadn't hesitated to report the big guy to the owner, but, unexpectedly, he replied that they would take action after investigating properly. It seemed Yui had already spoken to him and, as a loving father, he trusted his daughter's judgment when recommending staff.
Shiori could only leave annoyed. Although she had to admit her attitude towards Noah was bad, what he had done was inexcusable.
She gritted her teeth as she thought about the young man. She had to admit that her way of treating him was based on prejudice. Shiori had worked hard for what she had; the job hadn't been given to her, and the scholarship she had managed to win was the fruit of her pure effort.
Seeing a big, healthy, strong guy living on the street, sleeping in a park, annoyed her. Maybe he had his reasons, but for her, it was just a synonym for laziness, for someone who didn't make an effort and let themselves be defeated. That, added to the ease with which he got the job, hurt her pride. She felt that all her effort was being denied.
So she treated him badly.
—"Stupid Yui... why are you defending him?" —she murmured with a pout. She had only helped them once, and Shiori felt that the black-haired girl's attitude was too biased.
—"Does she like that guy?" —she wondered, incredulously.
Soon, the sound of footsteps pulled her from her thoughts. She turned, annoyed; if it was Noah, she would hit him. Unexpectedly, it wasn't him. The one watching her was Yui's uncle. Shiori looked at him for a few seconds before ignoring him, took out her phone to distract herself, but upon seeing the screen, she realized the time; it was already very late.
She was about to get her things when, unexpectedly, there were some lunchboxes in her locker that weren't hers. Confused, she thought about asking or returning them to the shelves.
But the fat man's voice paralyzed her.
—"Oh? Aren't these the missing products? I even informed the owner about the loss," —he said as he approached the young woman—. "Who would have thought you were the thief?"
Shiori, in a panic, dropped the food, trying to explain herself.
—"You're mistaken, I didn't..."
The man interrupted her.
—"Hump. Not only are you unfriendly at work, now you're stealing too. The owner will be pleased to punish a thief."
The young woman could only apologize, but inside her head was buzzing as she tried to understand who would put the lunchboxes in her locker. Yui? No, she wouldn't be capable of something like that, even as a joke. At that moment, the figure of a certain young man appeared in her mind.
—"Is he trying to frame me as revenge?" —she whispered through gritted teeth.
But soon, the words of the man behind her made her doubt.
—"I don't think you want anyone to find out, do you?" —he said, placing his hand on her shoulder—. "After all, the owner seemed annoyed. Maybe the problem will get to the police."
Shiori understood. That "old man" was blackmailing her. She wasn't stupid; it was obvious he was the one who put the things in her locker. She wanted to confront him and complain to the owner, but after a few seconds, she hesitated. What if they didn't believe her? What if this made her lose her scholarship?
The man's face formed a lascivious smile as he noticed her doubts. He was sure it would work; he had taken his time to investigate the blonde well and had planned carefully.
His hand began to caress the young woman's shoulder as he brought his other hand closer to her breasts.
Shiori understood what he wanted. She bit her lip helplessly. But the touch never came. A voice burst into the room.
—"Oh? Are you still here? I forgot my food," —Noah exclaimed, as he took one of the lunchboxes and started eating.
Shiori and the man were stunned. The fat man hadn't expected anyone to still be there at that hour, and the blonde hadn't expected Noah to help her.