16
“By the way, do you know?”
After having s*x so good that his s*men got emptied, Eunick, who was playfully rubbing Yaquel’s upper arm, asked him as if he remembered something while using Yaquel’s arm as a pillow on the bed.
“About what?”
“Apparently the brothel across our shop went bankrupt.”
“Eeh! Wasn’t that shop popular enough to compete even as Pyacca’s top 2?”
“That’s true, but it seems that the customers ran away because of the aggressive touting at that shop and extending the time limit to increase the turnover rate.”
“So that’s what happened… even though they had so many customers…”
Whenever Yaquel went shopping, he would remember that shop which was brilliant and already overflowing with customers.
Even though it was such a popular shop, Yaquel was considerably shocked at how quickly it closed.
So having a lot of customers isn’t enough… it’s also pointless for only the appearance to be beautiful and lively… So then what does a shop need in order to be popular? And what can we do to keep our customers in check?
Yaquel’s dream is to make Hana-Hana the most popular shop in Pyacca. Upon hearing that news just now, he started to worry about how he should move towards it.
“What’s wrong, are you worried about something?”
Retana came to Yaquel who was having a meal in the dining room.
She can tell immediately if Yaquel has something in his mind. His back would be hunched small and he would frequently tilt his head sideways. That has always been the case, so he couldn’t keep secrets since Retana quickly finds out about it.
Sitting opposite Yaquel, Retana pours water on Yaquel’s now empty cup.
“Actually, I’ve been thinking about various things …”
“About what?”
“…Retana-san, what does it take to be a popular shop…?”
“To be a popular shop?”
“Yes. I heard from Eunick yesterday that a popular brothel on the main street closed down.”
“Aah… that shop?”
“They had a lot of customers and it was beautiful. Yet despite that, it didn’t take one year for it to close down…”
“You’re right…”
“If that’s the case then even if Hana-Hana gets a lot of customers, there’s still a chance that we’ll shut down… I’m thinking about stuff like that.”
Yaquel honestly talked about his feelings. Like the possibility of the shop closing even if more customers come to the shop from now on. And the current Yaquel wasn’t capable enough to come up with a good idea to prevent that from happening.
“Yaquel, you. Are you kidding?”
“She’s right, good grief.”
The one who accused Yaquel wasn’t Retana.
“Nila-san, Aria-san.”
Nila and Aria, who were listening to Retana and Yaquel nearby, sat down next to Yaquel with a sigh.
“You see, it was obvious for the shop to close. Because they were only concerned about the immediate gains, they didn’t serve the customers properly.”
“Right, right. The customers who come from that shop were complaining. They said that the only pretty thing was the storefront, and garbage littered inside it.”
“…Eehh?”
To think that the real story is like that…
“I heard that there were times when the previous customer’s body fluids were left as is.”
Leaning out from the back seat, the clerk also joined the conversation.
“…That’s terrible.”
“I also heard that the prost*tutes serve customers half-heartedly except those who are rich.”
“That’s right. They said that they get chased out immediately after doing everything that needs to be done.”
“No way…”
Not all customers who visit the brothel only want to have s*x. Some customers come to let out their weariness from their workplace or home. The prost*tutes would listen to them properly, and they’d sometimes praise their efforts, making both their body and soul feel good. That’s the prost*tutes’ job that Yaquel is aware of, and what all of Hana-Hana’s prost*tutes have been doing. And it’s the odd jobs that Yaquel and the others do, the cooks who serve delicious food, and the clerk who manages the customers that support those ladies.
Oh, I see. It’s completely different…
Yaquel suddenly realized this, opened his eyes, and looked at Retana.
“Have you realized it? Your worries are unnecessary.”
“She’s right, Yaquel! We’re always doing our best to meet with our customers at any time. Please don’t lump us together with that kind of shop.”
“Aren’t we the same, Yaquel? Aren’t we always paying attention so not a single dust would be left?”
“Hana-Hana won’t be closed down that easily.”
Everyone’s expression that was full of confidence seemed to indicate Hana-Hana’s future.
“We heard from Retana-san. About your dream.”
“That dream is no longer Yaquel’s alone.”
“It’s the dream of all of us who work here in Hana-Hana,”
Nila and Aria were giggling, and the clerk put his hand on Yaquel’s head.
“Yaquel, you moved this Hana-Hana. Attracting customers, you not only brought this shop back to life but also us. That’s why you can just do what you’ve been doing up till now. You’re not alone. We will enliven Hana-Hana together with everyone. If you’re worried then let’s all think about it together.”
Yaquel’s nose felt sour at Retana’s words, and he was finally able to return a crumpled smile with a “Yes.”
