[Warning 15+]
Part Three"―Seriously, Your Vibe Hasn't Changed a Bit Since the Old Days!"Chapter 102Running Around Like a Headless Chicken
The dine-in area of 'Okashizukasa Shiro' had a chill vibe with its traditional interior—think black plastered pillars and beams set against clean white walls.
But despite the zen atmosphere, Haruki was running around like a headless chicken because of how slammed they were.
Take orders. Pass 'em to the kitchen. Bring the finished treats to the tables.
The job itself was simple enough, sure. But the sheer volume of customers was insane.
"O-Order up! One cream anmitsu and two kuzukiri parfaits for Table 6!"
"Got it! I've got some stuff ready over here too! The dango sampler and the cooling set for Table 1, and two cream anmitsu for Table 4!"
"Huh... ...e-eh, right, gotcha. Okay, so Table 1 is..."
"Table 1 is the one by the window. I'll take that, so Nikaidō-san, you handle Table 4 at the counter, please!"
"Y-Yeah, ma'am!"
It was the kind of busy that makes Haruki's head spin.
Not only was this Haruki's first-ever part-time gig, she'd been thrown straight into the fire without a single bit of training or even a decent explanation. Fortunately—or maybe unfortunately—Haruki actually had the chops to pull it off.
Still, tryin' to run a 28-seat shop that's basically the size of a classroom with just both Haruki and Isami Ema was a total joke. There was no way they could keep up. Because of that, Hayato ended up havin' to show his face on the floor pretty often too.
With a cream anmitsu in one hand, Haruki took a quick peek at the floor, and Himeko immediately caught her eyes.
(Hime-chan's already made that many friends, huh...)
Haruki was totally floored when Himeko showed up at the shop earlier. Especially since Himeko was rollin' with Kazuki. Haruki couldn't help but let out a long-*ss sigh.
Speaking of Himeko, even though she'd just placed her order, she was already starin' at the menu with a dead-serious look on her face. Seein' her act exactly like she always does made Haruki's stiff expression finally soften up.
But then, Haruki shifted her gaze to the side and saw Kazuki gettin' grilled with questions by Himeko's classmates, flashin' that same old breezy grin of his. Haruki's relaxed face immediately twitched back into a grimace.
"You okay, Nikaidō-san?"
"Gah! Oh, yeah, I'm good. Right, Table 4 at the counter, right? I'm on it!"
"...Oh."
Haruki, who'd been standin' there dazed, snapped out of it when Isami Ema called out to Haruki. Haruki scrambled to put on her "sweet girl" act and headed back out to the floor.
◇◇◇
Isami Ema let out a heavy sigh that was loaded with all kinds of meaning.
Once Haruki got her groove back (and put her mask back on), she was all over the floor, layin' on the charm. She looked so legit you’d never guess it was her first day. She's a crazy fast learner, too. It's no wonder she's catchin' everyone's eye, boys and girls alike. Not even a hint of jealousy was felt.
Then Isami Ema shifted her gaze to the exact spot Haruki had been starin' at earlier.
That group really stood out. Ema remembered hearing Haruki's shocked voice ringin' out from the entrance just a while ago.
It wasn't just that they were the loudest ones there; Even in a place like this, Kazuki's looks were on a whole different level, catchin' everyone's eye.
But that's not all—the girl sittin' across from Kazuki, the one who's supposedly Nikaidō Haruki's childhood buddy, was a total head-turner too. While the other girls were busy tryin' their hardest to get a word in with Kazuki, the girl's dead-serious focus on the menu—like he wasn't even there—just made people even more curious.
It wasn't like the girl was out of place or lonely, though; Whenever someone poked fun at her for it, she'd get all flustered and make everyone laugh. For sure—she's got the kind of easy-going personality that the old Haruki never had. A frown deepened between Isami Ema's brows.
"...Isami-san?"
"Gah! Kirishima-kun! Wait, eh, sorry, what is it?"
"Nothin', just that the cream anmitsu and kuzukiri parfait for Table 6 are ready... ...actually, looks like I'd better be the one to take 'em out."
"...Oh."
Hayato flashed a quick grin at the dazed Isami Ema and, without waitin' for an answer, bolted straight from the kitchen out onto the floor.
"Whoops, gotta get movin'."
Once Isami Ema snapped back to reality, she headed straight back to the floor, tellin' herself that work had to come first.
◇◇◇
Even from Haruki's perspective, Hayato was a total grinder. He was super sharp and always lookin' out for her, coverin' her back whenever she slipped up. It seemed like he was used to this kind of chaos, 'cause he was jumpin' in to help on the floor without even bein' asked.
But even with Hayato's help, the rush was absolutely suffocatin'. The straps of those wooden geta sandals Haruki wasn't used to wearin' were diggin' right into the gap between her big toe and second toe, and man, it hurt like heck.
"Who ordered the dango sampler—?"
"Wait, did we order that?"
"Nah, we both got shaved ice."
"I-I am so sorry about that!"
Doins' a job Haruki wasn't used to was totally drainin' her focus, and little mistakes started crawlin' in one by one.
Haruki bowed her head and locked eyes with Isami Ema, who was workin' the register. Ema gave Haruki a silent look, guidin' her toward the right table.
"Sorry for the wait! Here's the dango sampler—"
Haruki tried her hardest to keep that "customer service smile" plastered on her face. Lucky for her, she'd gotten pretty d*mn good at fakin' a grin.
After droppin' off the last order, Haruki caught her breath and took a quick look around the shop.
The place was packin' and there was zero sign of the crowd thinnin' out anytime soon. Both Hayato and Isami Ema were all over the place, not stayin' still for a second.
Unlike Haruki, who was only handlin' the floor, Hayato was helpin' out in the kitchen and Isami Ema was crushin' it at the register. Haruki felt like she couldn't afford to fall behind.
Himeko and the squad had bailed a while ago.
Thinkin' back to how Himeko's eyes lit up when she got dragged away for an "After-Party," Haruki couldn't help but feel a bit worried about Himeko's future. But Haruki shook it off, tellin' herself to focus on the job, and got her head back in the game.
Haruki started clearin' the dishes from the table where a group had just paid and left. There was a ton of 'em. But since she felt like she was gettin' the hang of it—and seein' how slammed the shop was—she just stacked 'em all up at once.
That move? Big mistake.
"Haruki, watch out!"
"―Huh?"
Haruki's world started spinnin', and a split second later, a loud-*ss crash echoed through the shop.
Haruki's brain just blanked out for a moment, like time had been cut short. She had zero clue what just went down.
All Haruki knew was that she was wrapped in somethin' big―and a scent that made her feel instinctively safe was hittin' her senses.
"Ow, d*mn... ...you okay, Haruki?"
"Wait, what... ...Hayato!?"
Hayato's face was suddenly right there, starin' back at Haruki.
Haruki's heart skipped a beat instantly, and her cheeks started burnin' up. When she scrambled to look away, she saw the shattered pieces of matcha pottery scattered all over the floor right next to her. And she definitely noticed all those shocked and curious eyes pinned on her, too.
"I-I'm so sorry!"
"Don't sweat it, seriously. Are you hurt?"
"I-I don't think so!"
Looks like Haruki'd tripped over her own feet. The second she realized what happened, she scrambled to get off of Hayato and stood up in a panic.
"Sorry about that, we'll get this cleaned up right away! Are you okay? Hey, Nikaidō—I mean, Kirishima-kun, help me clear this out!"
"S-Sorry, I—"
"Right, got it. Sorry for the scene, everyone!"
Isami Ema, readin' the room in a heartbeat, rushed over with a broom, a dustpan, and a mop. Hayato followed her lead, bowin' to the customers before jumpin' into the cleanup.
Haruki was the only one who had zero clue what to do, just standin' there lookin' totally lost. She was paralyzed. Too much crazy stuff had happened at once, and her brain was totally fried.
Ignorin' Haruki's meltdown, the two of 'em worked so fast that the floor was spotless again in no time. The customers' attention went right back to the sweets in front of 'em.
―I'm totally holdin' everyone back.
Haruki felt the massive gap between her—just standin' there like a dork—and both Hayato and Isami Ema, who were handlin' business like pros.
The sheer patheticness of it all made a sharp, stingin' feelin' surge up into the back of Haruki's nose.
"...Huh?"
Right then, a palm was placed gently on top of Haruki's head.
"Haruki, don't just stand there dazed. Let's crush the rest of this shift together, alright?"
"...Oh."
It was Hayato. He was flashin' a grin.
It was that same look Haruki had known forever―the genuine, from-the-heart smile Hayato always showed whenever they were just hangin' out and havin' fun.
(...Seriously, Hayato is just too much!)
Sure, it was crazy busy and a total grind. Haruki'd messed up, too. But so what?
As long as the two of 'em were together, whether it was a part-time gig or a video game, everything was a blast. That was somethin' Haruki'd already figured out seven years ago.
Haruki's lips curled up into a natural smile. And finally, a real... ...genuine grin returned to her face.
"So sorry for all the trouble!"
Haruki bowed her head and got back to work.
As Haruki did, she shot a pout at Hayato and gave him a playful smack on the back. It was her little way of protestin' against him treatin' her like a kid.
◇◇◇
The sun had cooled down quite a bit, but the leftover heat from the afternoon was still hangin' around past 5 PM.
Both Hayato and Haruki skipped the train, draggin' their exhausted bodies along the road home.
Their steps were heavy, but they had that sense of accomplishment from crushin' their part-time shift, and their faces were full of satisfaction.
"We actually pulled it off, huh~? Way more intense than I thought it’d be, though."
"For real. Well, they hooked us up with a little extra bonus in our pay, so I guess it's fine."
"'My bad, I had no idea the other part-timers were off too!' —wasn't that what Mori-kun said?"
"Man, no wonder the place was such a madhouse."
"Right~?"
Both Hayato and Haruki looked at each other and cracked up, thinkin' back to how Iori was practically bowin' and beggin' for forgiveness when they left. Guess today's madness was just a total fluke.
"So, what's the move, Hayato?"
"Huh?"
"That talk about you workin' part time there just for the summer."
"Oh... ...yeah, I think I'm gonna give it a shot."
"To save up for that moped you mentioned before?"
"That's part of it, but..."
"But?"
Hayato suddenly stopped in his tracks. With a troubled look on his face, he stared toward 'Okashizukasa Shiro'―right toward the hospital, and let out a weak, bitter laugh.
"Workin' for a livin'―actually earnin' money, man, it's a real grind, isn't it?"
"...Oh."
Hayato's voice sounded upbeat, but the look in his eyes was heavy. And Haruki just didn't have the right words to say to him yet.
"Whoops, things got a bit too heavy there. Let's hit up the supermarket. I'm feelin' somethin' that'll really give us a stamina boost today."
"...Yeah, sounds like a plan."
Then Hayato made an effort to sound upbeat and started walkin' again.
Watchin' Hayato's back as he led the way, Haruki muttered under her breath.
"Money, huh..."
Author's Notes:
Sorry for the late update.
I've been totally swamped with all the work for the Light Novel adaptation... ...because of that, I haven't been able to get my "Meow" fix at the home center lately. I'm dyin' to huff some "Meow" and just soak it in.
So!
Just leave a "Meow" in the comments and we're good!!
Meow.
ハ,,ハ
(゜ー゜*)
cuuc,,)~
TL: Reeze27
ED: Reeze27
PR: Reeze27
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The dine-in area of 'Okashizukasa Shiro' had a chill vibe with its traditional interior—think black plastered pillars and beams set against clean white walls.
But despite the zen atmosphere, Haruki was running around like a headless chicken because of how slammed they were.
Take orders. Pass 'em to the kitchen. Bring the finished treats to the tables.
The job itself was simple enough, sure. But the sheer volume of customers was insane.
"O-Order up! One cream anmitsu and two kuzukiri parfaits for Table 6!"
"Got it! I've got some stuff ready over here too! The dango sampler and the cooling set for Table 1, and two cream anmitsu for Table 4!"
"Huh... ...e-eh, right, gotcha. Okay, so Table 1 is..."
"Table 1 is the one by the window. I'll take that, so Nikaidō-san, you handle Table 4 at the counter, please!"
"Y-Yeah, ma'am!"
It was the kind of busy that makes Haruki's head spin.
Not only was this Haruki's first-ever part-time gig, she'd been thrown straight into the fire without a single bit of training or even a decent explanation. Fortunately—or maybe unfortunately—Haruki actually had the chops to pull it off.
Still, tryin' to run a 28-seat shop that's basically the size of a classroom with just both Haruki and Isami Ema was a total joke. There was no way they could keep up. Because of that, Hayato ended up havin' to show his face on the floor pretty often too.
With a cream anmitsu in one hand, Haruki took a quick peek at the floor, and Himeko immediately caught her eyes.
(Hime-chan's already made that many friends, huh...)
Haruki was totally floored when Himeko showed up at the shop earlier. Especially since Himeko was rollin' with Kazuki. Haruki couldn't help but let out a long-*ss sigh.
Speaking of Himeko, even though she'd just placed her order, she was already starin' at the menu with a dead-serious look on her face. Seein' her act exactly like she always does made Haruki's stiff expression finally soften up.
But then, Haruki shifted her gaze to the side and saw Kazuki gettin' grilled with questions by Himeko's classmates, flashin' that same old breezy grin of his. Haruki's relaxed face immediately twitched back into a grimace.
"You okay, Nikaidō-san?"
"Gah! Oh, yeah, I'm good. Right, Table 4 at the counter, right? I'm on it!"
"...Oh."
Haruki, who'd been standin' there dazed, snapped out of it when Isami Ema called out to Haruki. Haruki scrambled to put on her "sweet girl" act and headed back out to the floor.
◇◇◇
Isami Ema let out a heavy sigh that was loaded with all kinds of meaning.
Once Haruki got her groove back (and put her mask back on), she was all over the floor, layin' on the charm. She looked so legit you’d never guess it was her first day. She's a crazy fast learner, too. It's no wonder she's catchin' everyone's eye, boys and girls alike. Not even a hint of jealousy was felt.
Then Isami Ema shifted her gaze to the exact spot Haruki had been starin' at earlier.
That group really stood out. Ema remembered hearing Haruki's shocked voice ringin' out from the entrance just a while ago.
It wasn't just that they were the loudest ones there; Even in a place like this, Kazuki's looks were on a whole different level, catchin' everyone's eye.
But that's not all—the girl sittin' across from Kazuki, the one who's supposedly Nikaidō Haruki's childhood buddy, was a total head-turner too. While the other girls were busy tryin' their hardest to get a word in with Kazuki, the girl's dead-serious focus on the menu—like he wasn't even there—just made people even more curious.
It wasn't like the girl was out of place or lonely, though; Whenever someone poked fun at her for it, she'd get all flustered and make everyone laugh. For sure—she's got the kind of easy-going personality that the old Haruki never had. A frown deepened between Isami Ema's brows.
"...Isami-san?"
"Gah! Kirishima-kun! Wait, eh, sorry, what is it?"
"Nothin', just that the cream anmitsu and kuzukiri parfait for Table 6 are ready... ...actually, looks like I'd better be the one to take 'em out."
"...Oh."
Hayato flashed a quick grin at the dazed Isami Ema and, without waitin' for an answer, bolted straight from the kitchen out onto the floor.
"Whoops, gotta get movin'."
Once Isami Ema snapped back to reality, she headed straight back to the floor, tellin' herself that work had to come first.
◇◇◇
Even from Haruki's perspective, Hayato was a total grinder. He was super sharp and always lookin' out for her, coverin' her back whenever she slipped up. It seemed like he was used to this kind of chaos, 'cause he was jumpin' in to help on the floor without even bein' asked.
But even with Hayato's help, the rush was absolutely suffocatin'. The straps of those wooden geta sandals Haruki wasn't used to wearin' were diggin' right into the gap between her big toe and second toe, and man, it hurt like heck.
"Who ordered the dango sampler—?"
"Wait, did we order that?"
"Nah, we both got shaved ice."
"I-I am so sorry about that!"
Doins' a job Haruki wasn't used to was totally drainin' her focus, and little mistakes started crawlin' in one by one.
Haruki bowed her head and locked eyes with Isami Ema, who was workin' the register. Ema gave Haruki a silent look, guidin' her toward the right table.
"Sorry for the wait! Here's the dango sampler—"
Haruki tried her hardest to keep that "customer service smile" plastered on her face. Lucky for her, she'd gotten pretty d*mn good at fakin' a grin.
After droppin' off the last order, Haruki caught her breath and took a quick look around the shop.
The place was packin' and there was zero sign of the crowd thinnin' out anytime soon. Both Hayato and Isami Ema were all over the place, not stayin' still for a second.
Unlike Haruki, who was only handlin' the floor, Hayato was helpin' out in the kitchen and Isami Ema was crushin' it at the register. Haruki felt like she couldn't afford to fall behind.
Himeko and the squad had bailed a while ago.
Thinkin' back to how Himeko's eyes lit up when she got dragged away for an "After-Party," Haruki couldn't help but feel a bit worried about Himeko's future. But Haruki shook it off, tellin' herself to focus on the job, and got her head back in the game.
Haruki started clearin' the dishes from the table where a group had just paid and left. There was a ton of 'em. But since she felt like she was gettin' the hang of it—and seein' how slammed the shop was—she just stacked 'em all up at once.
That move? Big mistake.
"Haruki, watch out!"
"―Huh?"
Haruki's world started spinnin', and a split second later, a loud-*ss crash echoed through the shop.
Haruki's brain just blanked out for a moment, like time had been cut short. She had zero clue what just went down.
All Haruki knew was that she was wrapped in somethin' big―and a scent that made her feel instinctively safe was hittin' her senses.
"Ow, d*mn... ...you okay, Haruki?"
"Wait, what... ...Hayato!?"
Hayato's face was suddenly right there, starin' back at Haruki.
Haruki's heart skipped a beat instantly, and her cheeks started burnin' up. When she scrambled to look away, she saw the shattered pieces of matcha pottery scattered all over the floor right next to her. And she definitely noticed all those shocked and curious eyes pinned on her, too.
"I-I'm so sorry!"
"Don't sweat it, seriously. Are you hurt?"
"I-I don't think so!"
Looks like Haruki'd tripped over her own feet. The second she realized what happened, she scrambled to get off of Hayato and stood up in a panic.
"Sorry about that, we'll get this cleaned up right away! Are you okay? Hey, Nikaidō—I mean, Kirishima-kun, help me clear this out!"
"S-Sorry, I—"
"Right, got it. Sorry for the scene, everyone!"
Isami Ema, readin' the room in a heartbeat, rushed over with a broom, a dustpan, and a mop. Hayato followed her lead, bowin' to the customers before jumpin' into the cleanup.
Haruki was the only one who had zero clue what to do, just standin' there lookin' totally lost. She was paralyzed. Too much crazy stuff had happened at once, and her brain was totally fried.
Ignorin' Haruki's meltdown, the two of 'em worked so fast that the floor was spotless again in no time. The customers' attention went right back to the sweets in front of 'em.
―I'm totally holdin' everyone back.
Haruki felt the massive gap between her—just standin' there like a dork—and both Hayato and Isami Ema, who were handlin' business like pros.
The sheer patheticness of it all made a sharp, stingin' feelin' surge up into the back of Haruki's nose.
"...Huh?"
Right then, a palm was placed gently on top of Haruki's head.
"Haruki, don't just stand there dazed. Let's crush the rest of this shift together, alright?"
"...Oh."
It was Hayato. He was flashin' a grin.
It was that same look Haruki had known forever―the genuine, from-the-heart smile Hayato always showed whenever they were just hangin' out and havin' fun.
(...Seriously, Hayato is just too much!)
Sure, it was crazy busy and a total grind. Haruki'd messed up, too. But so what?
As long as the two of 'em were together, whether it was a part-time gig or a video game, everything was a blast. That was somethin' Haruki'd already figured out seven years ago.
Haruki's lips curled up into a natural smile. And finally, a real... ...genuine grin returned to her face.
"So sorry for all the trouble!"
Haruki bowed her head and got back to work.
As Haruki did, she shot a pout at Hayato and gave him a playful smack on the back. It was her little way of protestin' against him treatin' her like a kid.
◇◇◇
The sun had cooled down quite a bit, but the leftover heat from the afternoon was still hangin' around past 5 PM.
Both Hayato and Haruki skipped the train, draggin' their exhausted bodies along the road home.
Their steps were heavy, but they had that sense of accomplishment from crushin' their part-time shift, and their faces were full of satisfaction.
"We actually pulled it off, huh~? Way more intense than I thought it’d be, though."
"For real. Well, they hooked us up with a little extra bonus in our pay, so I guess it's fine."
"'My bad, I had no idea the other part-timers were off too!' —wasn't that what Mori-kun said?"
"Man, no wonder the place was such a madhouse."
"Right~?"
Both Hayato and Haruki looked at each other and cracked up, thinkin' back to how Iori was practically bowin' and beggin' for forgiveness when they left. Guess today's madness was just a total fluke.
"So, what's the move, Hayato?"
"Huh?"
"That talk about you workin' part time there just for the summer."
"Oh... ...yeah, I think I'm gonna give it a shot."
"To save up for that moped you mentioned before?"
"That's part of it, but..."
"But?"
Hayato suddenly stopped in his tracks. With a troubled look on his face, he stared toward 'Okashizukasa Shiro'―right toward the hospital, and let out a weak, bitter laugh.
"Workin' for a livin'―actually earnin' money, man, it's a real grind, isn't it?"
"...Oh."
Hayato's voice sounded upbeat, but the look in his eyes was heavy. And Haruki just didn't have the right words to say to him yet.
"Whoops, things got a bit too heavy there. Let's hit up the supermarket. I'm feelin' somethin' that'll really give us a stamina boost today."
"...Yeah, sounds like a plan."
Then Hayato made an effort to sound upbeat and started walkin' again.
Watchin' Hayato's back as he led the way, Haruki muttered under her breath.
"Money, huh..."
Author's Notes:
Sorry for the late update.
I've been totally swamped with all the work for the Light Novel adaptation... ...because of that, I haven't been able to get my "Meow" fix at the home center lately. I'm dyin' to huff some "Meow" and just soak it in.
So!
Just leave a "Meow" in the comments and we're good!!
Meow.
ハ,,ハ
(゜ー゜*)
cuuc,,)~
TL: Reeze27
ED: Reeze27
PR: Reeze27
If you like our work, please consider supporting us on Ko-fi. 🙏
Support Us: https://ko-fi.com/ninjacross
Donations are very much appreciated.
Your donations really support us to finish this novel from here until the end, so please consider to support us.
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Read in other languages:
• Indonesian / Bahasa Indonesia
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