041. Go shopping for a gift for Kouki.

I decided to scrounge up the few coins I'd saved and buy something nice for Kouki. I lazily walked down the street to browse the few wares left on the merchant's shelves and carts. Everything was far out of my price range, but everyone was trying to offer me a deal. I was in a good mood and everyone else I meet seemed to be in one too.

"Good morning, Kenji," an older woman said as I walked by her.

"Morning," I said back happily reflecting my good mood. I couldn't think of her name, but I knew I'd seen her before. As I walked I got several more happy greetings from every person I passed. Sure I was iconically the only man in town, but something was strange. Some of these women had never spoken to me before, but suddenly they were almost going out of their way to say hello.

"Kenji, come buy something!" Hazuka called out to me. I saw that she'd set up a small stand right next to Yuki's grandmother's vegetable stand and was trying to sell some simple copper and nickel trinkets. It was just a few bracelets and earrings that all looked homemade, but it looked like she actually had put some real work into them. And for Hazuka to put any actual work into anything like this rather than just steal it was quite something in itself.

Yuki however was not impressed. "Sure they are cute, but I keep telling her she set her prices too high. No one is going to give her five silvers for this junk." She fingered at one bracelet as she mocked the other girl, but Hazuka angrily swatted her hand away.

"Like people will instead spend two silvers for a turnip?" Hazuka mocked back.

"Ladies, enough!" I silenced them before Yuki could respond. "As it happens I am looking to buy something nice for Kouki," I started and they started shouting their wares at me, "But," I shouted over them, "I only have eight coppers."

Both of them looked disappointed. Unfortunately, I was poor, but they both knew that. Yuki was the first to speak, "Well, I suppose I could give you a deal on some carrots…"

Hazuka then decided not to be outdone. "Kouki has those all the time! Here," she pulled out a small string with some simple wooden beads. "I'll part with this for the eight coppers."

I almost accepted on the spot, but then Yuki began with her master bartering skills from long hours in the market. "I tell you what. I'll toss in a nice gourd…"

"What's he gonna do with a gourd!" Hazuka yelled back laughing.

"He can shove it in your big fat mouth!" Yuki yelled back, clearly getting upset. Then turned to me and whispered, "Tell you what, if you buy from me I'll toss in something…" Then she pulled down one sleeve showing off her bare shoulder, "special!"

"YOU WHORE!" Hazuka hissed loudly, but still keeping her voice a whispered shout at the older girl. "I've got twice the assets you have!" she said she looked at me, "Kenji, you buy one of mine and I'll… I'll…"

Yuki laughed hard and I felt bad for Hazuka. "Awwww! Poor little virgin doesn't know how to please a man?" Then she cracked up even more when Hazuka turned a deep shade of red when she still couldn't think of anything to say.

"I'll do it!" she then said muttered nervously.

"Do what?" I asked curiously.

"It!" she said as if that explained everything.

Yuki tried to stop laughing but just couldn't. "You don't mean you'd give up your virginity for eight coppers do you?" she giggled.

"Oh, yeah? How much did you give up yours for?" the red faced girl shot back.

"I…" That gave Yuki a pause and she stopped laughing to consider it. "I guess I technically gave mine away for free, but…"

Hazuka didn't let her make an excuse as she jumped at the opportunity. "Then I guess that makes me eight times the salesperson you are!"

"It doesn't work that way..." Yuki started back, but their constant bickering was driving me insane.

"Stop! Fine! Sold." I shouted to break this up.

"Oh this I gotta see!" Yuki then chided.

"What? No way!" Hazuka shot back and then looked at me with her deep violet eyes begging for me to step in against the older girl for her.