Checking Out at 5:15 PM Chapter 44: The Kamakura Cougar and Nyanpasu! (Patreon)

“...Lady Chatterley's Lover by D.H. Lawrence?”

“Yes. Do you have it?”

My lips gave an involuntary twitch. Naturally, Yui—who was currently hiding in the deep corners of the bookmobile's inner shelving—was also completely stunned. I heard a soft gasp from the back. Yet, I maintained my absolute professional expression, offering the patron a warm, gentle smile.

“We do have it. Please wait just a moment.”

“Don’t worry, take your time... er...”

“Motoi. That’s my name, Madam.”

“Okay, Motoi-kun. Thank you for your help.”

The woman who spoke those words was undeniably elegant. She was a mature woman dressed in a stunning, muted-silk kimono. Her long, jet-black hair was styled in a low-sitting, flawless updo that emphasized smooth lines and a neat, clean structure, reflecting the sheer sophistication and grace of a woman of high status.

Both Yui and I instantly recognized that this woman was a wealthy, noble lady who likely lived in one of the massive, traditional estates hidden in this quiet Kita-Kamakura neighborhood.

While she wasn't exactly young—she was probably old enough to be my mother—she appeared remarkably youthful. It was likely a combination of excellent genetics, an impossibly expensive skincare routine, or perhaps some dark, ancient ritual where she actively sucked the life essence out of young, vital men like me to maintain her glow.

Yes, I knew the thought was incredibly rude. Yet, standing in the back of a van, I couldn't help the vulgar, slightly terrified thought from crossing my mind—especially because this elegant madam showed absolutely zero hesitation or shyness in requesting an erotic book right next to a sacred Buddhist temple.

Lady Chatterley's Lover by D.H. Lawrence.

This wasn’t just a normal classic romance; it was notoriously erotic. Worse, it was specifically a story about a torrid affair between an aristocratic noblewoman and a rugged, handsome working-class gardener. It was a story explicitly celebrating the taboo thrill of adultery and carnal desire.

If we were in the era when this book was first published, a woman publicly requesting it would be violently condemned as shameless.

But as the world progressed, I honestly didn't care. Everyone had their own private hobbies, and compared to some of the graphic BL (Boys' Love) manga I processed at the main library, a classic English novel was infinitely healthier.

The real problem was: how was she not absolutely mortified to ask me for it?

It would be one thing if she had asked Yui. A woman asking a woman for a romance novel was perfectly natural. Yet she specifically asked me—a healthy young man in his prime.

What the hell was going to happen?!

If this reality were suddenly converted into a certain genre of adult video, the title of the scenario would definitely feature the tags [MILF] and [Working Class Seduction]. If I happened to be friends with her son, it would immediately become a [Mom's Friend] plotline.

I need to stop reading so much internet trash; I scolded myself, pushing my silly, overactive imagination aside.

Whatever the patron wanted to read was none of my business. Yet, I had to admit, the absolute confidence this mature woman exuded was entirely different from the nervous housewives I usually dealt with at the circulation desk.

Then again, I am not going to do anything stupid. She’s married.

Still, I couldn't help but wonder whether Sato-san—the older man who usually ran this bookmobile route—regularly encountered these terrifyingly aggressive, high-society cougars.

Sigh... it is incredibly tough to remain a good, honest citizen in this city.

Meanwhile, peeking through a gap in the bookshelves, Yui’s eyes were blown wide open. She closely watched the elegant patron’s reaction as Motoi turned his back to search the shelves. Yui could see it perfectly. She could see exactly how the woman’s sharp, dark eyes trailed slowly down Motoi’s broad shoulders, lingering intensely on the curve of his lower back and the tight fabric of his trousers. She was looking at him like he was a delicious, helpless prey.

This woman is a hungry cougar! Yui panicked internally. No! I have to protect him!

But standing before a fierce, high-society beast, what could a gloomy, introverted hamster like Yui possibly do?

Was she really completely powerless to protect the man she loved from being openly devoured by another woman?

“Here is the book.”

“Thank you so much.”

I was completely oblivious to Yui’s internal crisis. I found the thick novel, stamped the due date, and handed it over.

“Here is my library card.”

“Thank you.”

Yet, as she handed me the small plastic card, her slender fingers deliberately brushed against mine. The contact lingered for a fraction of a second too long. Her skin was incredibly soft, yet completely cool to the touch.

Was that deliberate?

I didn't know. But I couldn't help but glance down at her elegant hands, noting the heavy, expensive gold wedding ring resting on her ring finger.

If I was a true scumbag, I knew exactly what a man like that would be thinking right now: he would desperately want to stain those pristine, ring-adorned fingers with something entirely inappropriate.

Yeah, it is definitely a bad idea to read adult manga, I thought again, forcing my focus entirely onto the computer screen. I processed the checkout as fast as humanly possible. I wanted her to leave immediately; her overwhelming, mature presence was terrible for my blood pressure.

“When I finish, I will be sure to return it directly.”

The woman offered a soft, knowing smile. “See you next time, Motoi-kun.”

As she bowed her head, she appeared the picture of absolute, graceful politeness—like a noble lady stepping straight out of a period drama. As she turned and walked away, the faint, intoxicating scent of her expensive perfume drifted into the van. It was a complex, beautiful blend of clean white tea and a sharp, soft citrus that lingered in the air, subtly invading my senses so I wouldn't easily forget her.

From the outside, she was a woman who commanded absolute respect, someone completely untouched by dirty thoughts. Yet I just couldn't stop my mind from wandering into inappropriate territory, especially as I watched the gentle, rhythmic sway of her hips beneath the tight silk of her kimono as she walked away. It felt like a deliberate, silent invitation, completely messing with my head.

“That woman is dangerous!”

Yui’s sudden, panicked whisper snapped me out of my trance.

“You think so?”

I took a deep breath, instantly calming myself as I turned to look at Yui, who had crept out of the back shelves to stand by my side.

Yui didn’t answer right away. She just stood there, staring up at me with an incredibly complex expression.

“...What’s wrong?” I asked in confusion.

“No... it’s just...” Yui felt incredibly conflicted, yet simultaneously relieved that the cougar had finally left. But she lacked the courage to actually voice her thought.

“Don’t worry. Just say it.”

“Motoi-san... you are a pervert.”

Her voice wasn’t loud, but in the quiet confines of the van, it was perfectly clear.

“....................”

Yeah, I am a pervert.

Despite my desperate, daily attempts to appear as a flawless gentleman and a boring professional, in the end, I was just a normal man. My desire to live in absolute peace had never changed, but recently my firm, cowardly resolve regarding Aoi and romance had begun to waver violently.

I was beginning to realize that hiding in my peaceful shell didn't actually bring me many benefits. Instead, it was becoming a heavy burden. It made me incapable of looking forward to the wild, exciting possibilities that occasionally fell into my lap. There were life-changing opportunities—and incredible women—standing right in front of me, yet I kept forcing myself to look away and ignore them, all to maintain a boring routine.

Yes, there was a risk to acting on desire.

But all of life was a risk. Even being a tenured civil servant didn't guarantee this municipal library would exist forever. With Japan's massive economic downturn, aging population, plummeting birthrate, shrinking workforce, and weak yen, even the country itself might fundamentally change in the future.

Knowing all that, why exactly was I so afraid to make a move? If I stayed terrified of consequences forever, wouldn't I end up missing out on the best parts of life?

I let out a heavy, internal sigh. I chose to be a librarian even though I could do better. Money isn't my problem. Fear is.

Still, before I could dive deeper into an existential crisis, I desperately needed to distract Yui because her accusatory, disappointed gaze was physically painful.

“Well...” I rubbed the back of my neck, offering a lazy smile. “Compared to that woman, I find you more charming, Amami-san.”

“Eh?!”

“If you asked me who actively distracted me more today, between you and her? It’s definitely you.”

Yeah, because your massive breasts completely destroyed my focus the moment you put your seatbelt on.

“Eh?!”

Yui’s face exploded into a brilliant, atomic shade of red. She stepped back, her hands flying up to cover her mouth.

Seeing her violent panic, I quickly apologized. “...I was just joking. Sorry. I just made things completely awkward, didn't I?”

It was the truth that Yui was undeniably beautiful, and her F-cups were highly distracting, but I couldn't exactly say that out loud. That was textbook sexual harassment.

But simply calling her charming? I thought that was a safe, polite compliment. I had never expected her to react as if I had just proposed marriage.

Is this actually her first time being complimented by a man? I wondered, completely bewildered by how Japan's male population could be so utterly blind to her hidden beauty.

“N-No, it's okay. P-Please don’t worry about it...”

“Yeah...”

The air inside the van instantly thickened into suffocating awkwardness. Fortunately, the universe took pity on me. A small group of elderly patrons slowly approached the bookmobile's side window.

“Excuse me... is it okay for us to borrow today?”

“Ah, yes, absolutely, Sir!”

I instantly snapped back into my flawless, professional civil-servant mode. I greeted the patrons warmly, then quickly turned to Yui. “Amami-san, could you please help me search for the books they request on the back shelves?”

“Ah, yes!”

Yui nodded frantically and basically dove into the back aisles to search the inventory. Because she suffered from severe social anxiety, the task of hiding in the back and quietly hunting for books was absolutely perfect for her.

As she worked, the heavy awkwardness from our exchange began to fade. It was a slightly forced way to reset the mood, but I knew from experience that when a situation became unbearably awkward, you had only two options: either press forward or back down. Since backing down wasn't an option while we were trapped in a van together for the rest of the afternoon, I simply pretended nothing had happened and focused entirely on work.

I was incredibly lucky that the foot traffic in the neighborhood was sparse.

“Please come visit us again anytime.”

As I cheerfully dismissed the last patron, Yui finished organizing the returns in the back. Because there was no one left to serve, she simply crouched down in the narrow aisle, completely hiding her figure from the front window. She pressed her palms tightly against her burning cheeks.

Why?

Because she desperately needed to stop the massive, incredibly stupid, happy grin that was spreading across her face.

He thinks I’m charming.

Those simple words echoed in her mind, making her chest flutter wildly with pure happiness. At the same time, a terrifying, hopeful thought bloomed in the back of her mind.

So... there really is a chance for me, right?

Sneeze!

Sitting in the driver's seat, I felt my nose suddenly twitch violently, and I let out a sharp sneeze. I rubbed my face, deciding to ignore it, and focused entirely on driving.

By noon, we had finally reached our third stop: an elementary school deep in the inland corner of Kamakura.

“This is our third spot, right?” Yui asked, peeking her head out from the back.

“Yeah. After this, we head back.” I glanced at her through the rearview mirror. “Are you tired? Should we stop and grab some lunch first?”

“No, it’s completely fine! Let’s do the final sprint!”

Unexpectedly, Yui was genuinely enjoying her volunteer work. Riding in the high passenger seat allowed her to see a completely different side of Kamakura. Her daily routine consisted of her dark apartment, the library, and the seawall. Traveling deep inland into the lush, green mountains made her realize exactly how much of the world she had been actively missing.

At the same time, while hiding in the back, she absolutely loved secretly watching Motoi smile as he chatted patiently with the elderly patrons.

If I knew she was swooning over my polite "customer service" smile, I would have cringed; the smile was completely fake, a trained reflex to avoid conflict.

Regardless, the afternoon drive was undeniably enjoyable.

“If you look up in the summer, you will realize... It is opening up and flowing... The night broke away; there are fireworks... Wishing our hands join in rhythm.”

A gentle, upbeat J-pop song played softly from the van's cheap radio, echoing through the cabin.

While I had absolutely no idea what the song was, Yui instantly recognized it. It was a track by Liyuu, a famous Chinese cosplayer who had successfully debuted as a singer in Japan.

“Touch...” Yui murmured softly, recognizing the lyrics.

“Hmm?”

“This song is really nice.”

“Yeah.”

Hearing his simple, deep agreement, Yui fell completely silent. She remained in a daze, staring longingly at his handsome profile as he drove, the song's final notes fading out.

I wish I could just say I love you, she thought miserably.

Finally, the van pulled up to the third stop: the distant elementary school deep in the Nikaido district.

But as I pulled through the gates, I frowned. Wasn't it too deserted?

“...Is this actually the right place, Motoi-san?” Yui asked, looking out at the empty dirt field.

“Yes. It should be.”

While Yui hesitated, I checked the GPS and nodded. I parked the massive van in the center of the dusty schoolyard and killed the engine.

A few moments later, a tiny group of students finally burst out of the school doors. The number was shockingly low. There were only four of them.

Or rather, there were five. A single, quiet male student stood deep in the shadows of the building, watching the four incredibly rowdy female elementary students sprint toward the bookmobile at top speed.

“It’s the bookmobile!”

“Finally! I can exchange for a new book!”

“Alright! Alright! This is the spot!”

I stepped out of the driver's-side door, offering a polite smile, about to thank the energetic little girl who was waving her arms to direct me to park, even though the engine was already off.

But before I could speak—

“Nyanpasu!” the little girl shouted, saluting me sharply.

“...................”

She stared up at me with massive, sparkling, expectant eyes.

I let out a heavy, helpless internal sigh.

“...Nyanpasu,” I replied in a completely deadpan voice.

I ignored the muffled, delighted giggling coming from Yui inside the van, but one certain thing: this rural school was too deserted.