Chapter 7 - See Through
"Oh!" Reina exclaimed after seeing Rudy. "When did you come?!"
Rudy averted his gaze and answered, "Just now."
'Maybe I should leave? It must be uncomfortable for her.' Rudy prepared to leave and wash the other side of the area.
"It's been more than two hours since we started cleaning, so I was thinking maybe you would like to take a rest?"
"Yes." Rudy nodded without looking at Reina. 'I am mentally tired.'
Reina turned off the tap of the water and turned to Rudy. "Would you like to drink something? I can make tea or coffee."
'I would prefer juice, though…" Rudy sighed and said, "Maybe coffee."
Rudy knew that Reina wouldn't have any juice, and she would have to buy it.
"I also have juice," Reina stated with a smile on her face.
"You do?!"
"Yes. I am opening this place tomorrow, so I have placed vending machines here and there, although they are yet to be filled."
Rudy looked at Reina but immediately turned his face after seeing her body.
"What's wrong? Why are you acting like this?" Reina asked with a concerned look on her face.
'Has she not realized that her bikini is see-through?' Rudy wondered. "It's nothing. You should go and take a rest."
"What about you?"
"I will be right behind you," Rudy answered.
Reina stared at Rudy with a sad look on her face and uttered in a low voice: "Okay…"
She left the scene and made her way to her office with only one thought in her mind: 'As expected, he is not satisfied with the payment.'
She sat on the chair, which was broken, and muttered, "I want to pay him more, but I don't have money."
"My parent's debt aside, I also took the loan of 50k$ to re-open the pools. Advertising and restocking took 98% of the money."
She took out two juice cans from the refrigerator and muttered, "I hope I can pay back all the debts."
"I don't want my little sister—Rina, to feel the burden," she added.
RING! RING!
"..." Reina glanced around the room with a confused look on her face after hearing the ringing. 'I don't have such a ringtone— on! It's Rudy's phone!"
Reina grabbed Rudy's phone and rushed outside to call Rudy, but Rudy was already there. She bumped into Rudy and almost tripped, but Rudy grabbed her and stopped her from falling.
However, the place he grabbed wasn't supposed to be touched by others, especially males.
Reina balanced herself and noticed Rudy's hand groping her breasts. Her face flushed, but there was nothing she could do.
Rudy let go of Reina and made some distance between them. "Are you okay?" he asked.
Reina nodded with a flushed face and handed Rudy a juice can, saying, "Here. It was ringing."
Rudy looked at the juice can with a puzzled look on his face and wondered, 'How does it ring?!'
RING! RING!
'It's ringing! Wait, it's just my phone.'
Reina handed Rudy his phone and dashed into her office.
After a minute or two, Rudy entered Reina's office and found her sitting on the chair.
'Well, this was expected. She is a girl, after all. But…' Rudy once again averted his gaze from Reina and face-palmed himself. 'Why is she not covering herself?'
"Who was on the phone?" Reina asked with a curious look on her face.
"It was my mum. She was worried that I wasn't home yet," Rudy chuckled as he remembered his past life memories.
"I told her I would be late," Rudy added.
Rudy and Reina drank juice while talking.
"I forgot to ask you, but where are you from?" Reina asked.
"Is the interview still ongoing?" Rudy asked with a grin on his face.
"These are the must-ask questions during the interview. But I forgot when we were discussing the payment…"
"I am from the neighboring city," Rudy replied. "I needed money and saw your ad. I am glad I made it on time, and you didn't give the job to someone else."
"I am also glad I met you." Reina said with a bright smile on her face and continued, "Otherwise, I would have to give this job to my ex-boyfriend."
"Hmm?"
"Remember Scott?"
"The fifth guy?"
Reina nodded and uttered, "We both went to the same high school. And it was a trend for every girl and boy to be in a relationship. My friends also had one, so I was interested. That's when he came and asked me out."
After a brief pause, she continued, "I didn't have anyone I liked, so I agreed. But we broke up 30 seconds later."
"... that's the shortest dating period I have ever heard of…" Rudy muttered in disbelief.
"The second I agreed to go out with him, he asked me to have sex with him. So I instantly dumped him," Reina asserted nonchalantly. "Ever since then, he has been pestering me from time to time. Even when my parents were alive and in debt, he kept saying, 'Sleep with me once, and I will pay off your debts."
"That's… inhumane," Rudy uttered in a low voice with a disgusted look on his face.
"There were times where I thought of agreeing to his offer, but I have dignity, and I will never sell my body. I am saving my chastity for someone who truly loves me, not only my body."
"Don't worry, you are plenty hot and your personality is good too. So I am sure you will find someone."
"...!" Reina's face flushed even more after hearing that.
"Ah.." Rudy realized he had just said something embarrassing. 'I said it out of habit…'
Rudy couldn't take his eyes off Reina's body, so he started using his phone. However, he mistakenly opened the 'camera' app on his phone and ended up seeing Reina anyway.
But, something was different. Her clothes looked fine in the camera, but they looked transparent when he glanced at Reina.
'I admit my phone's camera is shitty, but it's not that bad that it wouldn't pick up major details.' Rudy glanced back and forth at Reina and his phone screen for a while. Then it finally clicked him.
'Don't tell me…'
Indeed. It was one of his powers.
====
Author's Note- I don't think this novel has any chances of winning, but thanks for the support.
I will make sure to upload new chapters every other day! So keep supporting this novel with power stones, comments, and reviews!
We, us fellow men of culture, shouldn't give up and expand our culture!