Soyo-chan, Version 2.0—Courtesy of Me! [120]

If we’re being objective here—wouldn’t it seem a little… suggestive, or even ethically questionable, for one girl to spank another in a public space?

Nagasaki Soyo was pretty sure the answer was a solid yes.

And as a high schooler with a higher education level than someone, she liked to think she had enough shame to care about that.

“…Why are you looking at me like that? Didn’t I wait until we were inside your apartment before laying a hand on you?”

“Don’t act like you’re the victim here! I’m the one who should feel wronged, okay?!”

Tsuzuki Chihiro glanced at Soyo, who was now lying face-down on the couch, hands covering her face in pure despair.

Her skirt had long since been put back in place, but her soul had clearly left her body.

Chihiro just found the whole thing annoying.

But now that she had smacked Soyo and gotten her fair share of entertainment out of it, she figured it was time to quit while she was ahead.

After all, if she pushed the little widow too far, Soyo might snap and try to bite her to death.

Besides, Taki’s situation was still up in the air. That Live had been a complete disaster, and it had to have hit everyone hard.

Anon hadn’t contacted her these past few days, either. If she didn’t know for a fact that Anon wasn’t the type to suffer in silence, she might’ve already gone to check in on her.

But either way, Taki and Tomori were the two biggest problems in the band right now.

Which meant Chihiro’s top priority was making peace with Soyo—so she wouldn’t keep getting in the way.

“Soyo, if there’s nothing else, I’m heading out.”

“You’re leaving?!”

Hearing those words, Soyo—who had just been agonizing over whether she’d failed as a straight woman—immediately bolted upright from the couch, eyes wide with panic as she looked at Chihiro.

“You’re still leaving? Are you… still mad at me?”

She clutched her hands to her chest, nervously rubbing her fingers together—every inch of her body screaming uncertainty.

“…Hah?”

Chihiro had one hand on her suitcase handle as she turned back to look at Soyo, her expression utterly unimpressed.

“What, are you planning to lock me up or something?”

“That’s not what I meant…”

Soyo felt like her brain had turned to mush.

Even though she hadn’t actually kneeled to Sakiko, some memories and habits were so deeply ingrained that they felt carved into her very bones.

And when she got emotional… she just couldn’t help but do certain things.

Had she really not kneeled on the ground earlier?

Strictly speaking, no. Her knees hadn’t touched the floor at the elevator entrance.

Because… they had landed on the fabric of Chihiro’s skirt—the one she had accidentally pulled down.

In other words, Chihiro had sacrificed her dignity to protect hers.

“Chihiro, you don’t have anywhere to stay right now, right? You can stay at my place—I’ll even pay you extra. Ah… though I don’t have much allowance left…”

“But! I know I acted impulsively. I shouldn’t have doubted you."

“Please, Chihiro. As long as you stay… I’ll do anything.”

There. She had said it.

Some words… were a curse.

From an outsider’s perspective, maybe she had looked utterly pathetic that day—kneeling before a girl and saying something like that.

But for Soyo, those words had been her last desperate plea.

She had just wanted to bring back the happiness she once had—the happiness she had never taken for granted.

So why couldn’t she?

"I’ll do anything."

It was a phrase that carried no real weight.

Soyo knew that better than anyone.

After all, even now, she hadn’t been able to offer Chihiro a higher salary to keep her around.

Even though her family was wealthy, she was still just a high schooler—her spending money was limited.

Maybe that was why Sakiko had never looked back at her.

Maybe that was why Sakiko had never acknowledged her.

Maybe… it wouldn’t be enough to keep Chihiro either.

But she couldn’t stop the words from slipping out.

Because… she had nothing else left to say.

“…Is that so?”

Chihiro turned her face away for a moment, a smirk curling at her lips—one that Soyo couldn’t see.

Soyo would never have guessed that while the words were the same, saying them to different people could have very different effects.

Neither Sakiko nor Chihiro believed that Soyo could actually do everything for someone else’s sake.

But for Chihiro—who was currently thinking about moving her stuff into her new home and maybe even buying some furniture—Soyo’s words carried a lot of weight.

A person’s usefulness depended entirely on how they were used.

Chihiro didn’t know how others saw it, but in her mind, she was the only one qualified to write The Complete Guide to Using Nagasaki Soyo: From Beginner to Master.

“Of course I mean it!”

Soyo had no idea she had already fallen straight into a trap—still frantically trying to prove her sincerity.

“I believe you, Soyo. I always have.”

“…Chihiro.”

“So, Soyo—you’re sure you’ll do anything within your power for me?”

“Of course!”

Perfect.

Everything was in place.

Without hesitation, Chihiro turned on her heel, stepping closer to Soyo.

She lifted Soyo’s face in her hands, watching as the little widow’s cheeks suddenly flushed pink.

“I won’t leave, Soyo."

“And I’ll keep helping you."

“But… you have to agree to one condition.”

“…What condition?”

Something suddenly felt off.

Sakiko would never agree to her requests, but she also wouldn’t prank her.

Chihiro, on the other hand…

Chihiro was agreeing—but this girl was a master of messing with people.

Had she just walked into a trap?

“…Wait, I—”

“Having second thoughts?”

Chihiro’s smirk widened.

“So this is the extent of ‘I’ll do anything for you’?"

“Where’s that determination you had just now? That I’ll bear everything for you attitude?”

“I…”

Soyo lowered her gaze.

But just as quickly, she clenched her fists—her eyes hardening with resolve.

Because she understood now.

So what if she got tricked?

So what if Chihiro toyed with her?

Other people would kill for the chance to be teased by Chihiro!

…Okay, that wasn’t the point.

The point was—Chihiro’s words had made her realize something.

The weight of carrying someone else’s burdens… was immense.

If she was still clinging to the hope of bringing Crychic back together…

Then that hope should be strong enough to withstand the weight of those words.

If she backed down now, without even hearing Chihiro’s condition—how could she ever face the future?

“I’ll do it.”

“Whatever it is, as long as it’s within my power—I’ll do it.”

“Relax, it’s nothing that dramatic.”

Chihiro waved a hand dismissively, completely unfazed by Soyo’s grand declaration.

“Actually… I live right across from you now."

“I was following you, but I was also just going home.”

“…Huh?”

“What do you mean, huh? You said it yourself."

“Anyway, I haven’t lived like a proper rich girl in ages."

“And you volunteered yourself, soooo…”

Chihiro grinned.

“You’re gonna be my maid from now on."

“First task—clean my place and help me pick out furniture."

“Oh, and here.”

Soyo stared blankly at the two crisp ¥1000 bills suddenly pressed into her hand.

“…What’s this?”

“Your salary for today.”

“…That’s so low!”

“I used to pay you ¥5000 a day!”

“Not the same. I had to use my brain for you."

“You just have to make dinner."

“Oh, and you get to be with me every day—that’s an honor."

“You should be paying me, honestly.”

“…Fine.”

“…Weird. You didn’t argue with the last part.”

“…I take it back.”

“Too late. Argument rejected.”

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T/N: oh lord im gonna die too much...girl love

This is a fan translation of 素世同学，恭喜你被我优化了 by 杰克喵. All rights to the original work belong to the creator. Please support them by exploring their original work or sharing it with others if you can. Thank you for reading and supporting my efforts to bring this story to a wider audience!