Chapter 81: A Beautiful Girl Talks About the School Festival

Around noon on Saturday, my part-time workplace, Tamago Ginza, is bustling as always. Ever since summer vacation ended and weekday shifts became too hard for me to juggle, I only work on weekends now. Yazaki-san, on the other hand, seems to be here almost every evening. Going to school and then working afterward—she’s seriously tough. If it were me, I’d collapse from exhaustion.

"Hmm. Thanks to Sakura-chan working on weekends, our weekend customer numbers have gone up."

The manager strokes his beard with his fingers, nodding with satisfaction.

"But in exchange, our weekday numbers dropped, you know."

With that single comment from Yazaki-san, the manager visibly deflates.

"So it really doesn’t work without Sakura-chan, huh…"

"N-no, that’s not true! Your cooking is delicious, Manager!"

Even though he looks stern, the manager is unexpectedly playful—yet surprisingly delicate—so I do my best to support him. And honestly, the food here is extremely good. I’m pretty sure more people come for his cooking than for the staff.

"I-I see. If Sakura-chan praises me like that, I feel motivated again."

"Well, facts are facts though. Sales on weekdays really did drop."

While wiping a table, Yazaki-san casually tosses out another remark. Just when the manager had finally recovered, he droops again. Geez, Yazaki-san always drops the truth so casually!

"Ugh… It’s true. Hey, Sakura-chan, won’t you let me take your picture? I think it’d boost customer numbers."

"Uhh…"

I hesitate. To be honest, I don’t like having my picture posted online. But since Yazaki-san is already featured on the store’s website, maybe it wouldn’t be a big deal.

"I’m sorry. Still no."

I smile gently at the manager. Nope—still can’t do it. Last time a magazine featured me, my class made such a huge fuss. I really don’t want to stir up unnecessary trouble again. Besides, this isn’t the kind of place people visit to see cute girls anyway.

"I see. Too bad. But I guess it’d be a waste to post a photo for free, huh."

"Manager, you're so positive—in weird ways."

"Well, you know. To get people to come for the food, you want something eye-catching. But at the same time, I want to keep Sakura-chan all to myself. Something like that."

Lunch hour winds down, leaving behind a quiet, leisurely atmosphere. With the customers gone and cleaning finished, the manager—already done prepping for the evening shift—and I end up passing the time chatting.

Maybe I should talk to the manager and Yazaki-san about the school festival. But… the content makes me a little embarrassed. The story itself is fine, but the kiss scene is a problem. I still don’t know how to deal with it, and that uncertainty scares me a little. I don’t want people I know to see me in an embarrassing outfit—or an embarrassing scene.

"So, Sakura-chan, when’s your school festival?"

"Feh—"

Just when I was debating whether to bring it up, they mention it first, and I squeak out a weird noise. Why does everyone around me read my mind? Are they secret espers?

"Um… near the end of October, I think."

Laughing awkwardly to hide my embarrassment, I answer.

"Ohh. What're you doing? A café or something?"

"We ended up doing a play."

It was originally my idea. And somehow, I ended up as the heroine… which might have been a mistake. But it’s already decided, so there’s nothing I can do about it now.

"A play! That’s amazing! Sakura-chan’s acting too?"

I nod at Yazaki-san.

"Whoaaa. Then I have to go see it! Manager, I’m taking that day off."

You can’t just spring that on him! And the festival is still nearly two months away!

"No problem. I’ll close the shop that day. I’m going too."

You can’t just… declare that!? I mean, he’s the manager, so maybe he can, but still—closing the whole shop for a high school festival seems excessive.

"I… I don’t want to cause trouble for the shop…"

"Don’t worry. Taking a day off over a month in advance is fine."

Even so… shutting down for a whole day affects sales, and there are other part-timers to consider.

"Or… does Sakura-chan not want me to come?"

"Eh? N-no, it’s not that at all!"

The manager looks at me with such sad puppy-dog eyes that I panic and deny it immediately. …I try to deny it, but the kiss scene flashes through my mind, and it ends up sounding suspicious.

"Sakura-chan, that was totally a question mark just now."

Yazaki-san calls me out, and all I can do is give a wry smile.

Still, hearing that everyone wants to come watch the play makes me really happy. I do have concerns, but I want to do my best.

"Oh, looks like we’ve got a customer. Back to work."

The manager spots a shadow through the door and alerts us. I hurry to prepare water for the table while Yazaki-san heads to the entrance to greet the customer. Our casual chatting ends, and we return to our usual part-time routine.

The date changes, and it’s now Sunday.

I’d dressed up a little and was riding the train headed toward the center of Mikawa City.

It was because Aoi-kun had invited me out with, "I found a place with amazing sweets—want to go together?"

Bringing up dessert when I’m exhausted after work… there’s no way I can resist that.

Still, is it really okay that I let myself get tempted by sweets and casually agreed to a one-on-one date like this? Rocked gently by the train, I start thinking about that only now. Am I… easy?

It is fun hanging out with Aoi-kun. Last time we went out together, it was fun too.

But I also hang out one-on-one with Ryoji, and from my perspective it doesn’t feel all that different. Maybe the meaning changes depending on the person…?

From my point of view, I just think, “If it’s fun, that’s fine,” so I accept invitations like this.

I know he likes me, and that makes me feel a little guilty when I’m only thinking of it as hanging out. But I don’t really understand what it means to “date” someone…

I look at my faint reflection in the train window. Hmm… I still don’t understand why he likes someone like me.

I’m trying hard to be more like a girl, but it still feels like I’m far from the real thing. What part of me is even likable…?

And there’s something else bothering me.

I don’t know what it is, but there’s this vague, hazy feeling about going out with Aoi-kun just the two of us. Of course, the whole “we’re on a date” part is weird for me too, but that’s not the only reason—there’s something else that keeps nagging at me.

I watch the scenery passing outside the train window. Neatly lined buildings blur by.

Hearing the onboard announcement, I realize I’m almost at the station where we agreed to meet.

No point stressing over something I don’t understand. If I’m too preoccupied, I’ll end up making Aoi-kun anxious for no reason. I need to pull myself together.

The train arrives, and when I pass through the ticket gate, Aoi-kun is already there waiting.

Even though I came pretty early, he still beat me here. Just how early did he leave?

Maybe it’s because I got hassled by that weird guy last time, and he came early out of consideration. Thinking that makes me feel guilty for making him worry—but also a little happy.

"Sorry, did you wait long?"

"No, I just got here."

I can’t help but laugh a little. I never thought I’d get to say such a classic line myself.

"The place today isn’t all-you-can-eat, but apparently it’s really good."

"Looking forward to it."

I wonder what kinds of sweets they have. I didn’t look anything up this time, so I have no idea what’s on the menu. But if it’s a place Aoi-kun recommends, it’s bound to be delicious. I’m excited.

Though… I like sweets, but if I go too often, I’m going to get fat…

This time, the shop has a much calmer atmosphere than the last one. The previous place had that kind of vibe too, but since it was in the middle of a campaign, it was so packed we couldn’t really enjoy the ambiance.

We walk in together.

A cute little bell rings, and a staff member guides us to our seats.

We’re taken to a window seat. The table is completely visible from the street outside, which is… a little embarrassing.

Aoi-kun picks up the menu and spreads it open on the table.

Colorful parfaits and cakes are shown with photos. Everything looks good, and I can’t decide at all.

After thinking for a while, I decide on the chocolate cake set. The parfaits look amazing too, but I might not finish one, so I’ll keep it simple this time.

"Decided?"

He looks at my face as he asks.

When I nod, he smiles. His smile is so refreshingly bright that I end up smiling too. Even though it’s only our second time being alone together, I was still a little nervous—but his smile eases it a bit.

"You went with the chocolate cake set, right?"

"Eh!? How did you know?"

He guesses my choice so perfectly that I can’t help asking.

Am I really that easy to read? Is he actually an esper!?

"Just a hunch. You seemed to really like chocolate cake when we went out last time too."

It was good last time.
I love chocolate that has that rich, melty sweetness, different from whipped cream. Of course, I like whipped cream too, and I like red bean paste as well. Basically, I have no discipline when it comes to sweets. It’s not like chocolate is my absolute favorite.

So really, choosing the chocolate cake this time was completely random, yet he still guessed right. He probably noticed me staring at the chocolate cake section of the menu. He really pays attention.

"Do you like chocolate?"

"Yeah, I like it. But I like other sweets too!"

I answer proudly, and when he hears that, he smiles a little.

…Did I say something funny?

He calls the server and places our order. It looks like Aoi-kun is getting the seasonal jelly. Jelly is great too.

I’d love to try making it at home sometime. But with cooking every day and making lunchboxes, I never have time to make sweets. As a girl, I’d really rather be focusing on baking instead of regular meal prep.

"Do you like crepes too, Sakura-san?"

"Yeah, I do!"

"Our kendo club is running a crepe stand at our school festival. If you want, you should come try some."

The topic of school festivals comes out of nowhere.

At my school too, the sports clubs usually run food stalls—yakitori, yakisoba, things like that. It seems his school is the same, and his kendo club is making crepes.

Still… the way he brought it up catches me off guard. With this flow, it’s kind of hard to refuse.

Not that I want to refuse, but going alone to another school’s festival feels a bit nerve-wracking. Emotionally, the difficulty level feels high.

"If you come, I’ll treat you to as many as you want!"

"Ahaha, if I eat that many, I’ll get fat."

I don’t eat much to begin with, but I’ve heard girls’ bodies gain weight easily, so I have to be careful. I’m already tiny—if I start growing sideways instead of upward, that’s a disaster.

Do I need to start dieting…? It seems okay for now since my weight hasn’t changed since the physical exam in April, but still…

"So? What do you think? Will you come?"

Even as I’m worrying about my weight, Aoi-kun asks me again.

What should I do? His school’s festival means his classmates will all be there. During the practice match before, it was only his club members, but this time the entire student body will be around.

Being alone in a place full of strangers is tough. And honestly, standing by while friends talk with their friends is even tougher. Even if they’re his friends’ friends, they’re total strangers to me…

"Maybe I could go with a friend, like last time…? I’m not sure if I can go yet, though."

"Yeah, that’s fine. I’ll treat all of your friends too."

He says it with a cheerful smile.

He really is a good person. Being with Aoi-kun feels calm and comfortable. He’s very kind, and—this sounds bad, but—I like how gently he spoils me.

I drift a little in that comfort, wondering if it’s okay to let myself relax like this. After he’s been so nice to me, I must seem like such a difficult girl…

"When’s your school festival, Sakura-san? Are you doing anything?"

I tell him we’re performing a play.

As expected, the questions roll in—what kind of play, what role I’m playing.

I tell him the date and mention we’re doing an original script, but I decide not to tell him my role. It’s too embarrassing… and the story itself is still a secret.

"You won’t tell me your role? I’m really curious what kind of character you’ll play."

Since I said it was a secret, he must’ve figured out that I’m performing. He looks like he still wants to know.

But… there’s no way I can proudly say “I’m the heroine!” Not when I don’t even know if I can act properly yet. I have zero confidence.

"Sorry! Secret."

I press my finger lightly to my lips and give a small wink.

I know it was a bit much, but he doesn’t push further. Instead, Aoi-kun just freezes and stares at me.

If you stare at me like that, I’m going to get embarrassed…

He doesn’t react at all, so I start panicking, feeling more and more like I messed up. Doing something straight out of a manga in real life—is that really okay…?

I didn’t feel anything when I did it, but after the fact, the regret and embarrassment hit hard…

"Um…"

Feeling awkward, I call out to him. My earlobes are burning. My whole face is probably bright red.

"Ah, sorry. You were just so cute I couldn’t help staring."

Hearing that makes my face heat up even more. At this rate I might actually overheat.

We continue talking afterward, but I keep giving clumsy answers. He probably thinks I’m weird.

While I’m overheating, my chocolate cake set arrives. I drink the bitter coffee and finally manage to calm down.

After that, we return to our usual casual chatter.

If I get nervous this easily, the play is going to be rough…

Aoi-kun said he’ll come to my school festival too, and somehow it sounds like all of my friends will come as well. I really have to give it my best!