Chapter 33: 33

Chapter 33: Advice at the Cafe

Translated by Dawn

 

Chapter 33: Advice at the Cafe

The two-hour movie came to an end in a blink of an eye.

Originally adapted from a TV detective drama series, the popularity of the film had exploded and this was the third feature film, and judging from the reaction of the audience, including Kazemiya, as well as its popularity and sales on social networking sites, a fourth feature film was probably coming.

“Ha, that was interesting.”

Kazemiya was very happy as we walked out of the movie theater and headed home. Actually, I was feeling a little better, too. It was such an interesting movie.

“My big sister was so beautiful on the screen. I can see why people are so excited.”

“Her acting was on par with the professional actors….if not a little bit better.”

“You’re right, she’s the most popular character on social networking sites, including the drama version.”

“Even so, she died at the end of the film. It doesn’t look like she’ll appear in the sequel.”

“Maybe she’ll appear in a reminiscence scene or something. Or maybe her twin sister will appear.”

“It’s possible…if she’s so popular, it would be a shame to let her go.”

Apparently, the response and popularity were more than even the official side had expected.

There was even word circulating on SNS that an emergency merchandise release had been decided.

“It’s nice to watch a movie with someone. We can talk about our impressions afterward.”

“I agree. I usually drop by a café on the way home from a movie with Natsuki and discuss our impressions of the movie.”

“Well, that’s right. There were times when we went to see a movie in the afternoon, but after discussing our impressions of it, we realized it was already nighttime.”

“Yes, yes, yes. We got so excited that time that we ended up talking about it….”

……..Get excited…

“…..wait, waa!? Natsuki!?”

“Yahoo. What a coincidence at a place like this, Kouta.”

Before I knew it, mixing in our conversation with a smiling face was Natsuki Inumaki.

He was my childhood friend and best friend since kindergarten, a little shorter than average for a high school boy, and always wearing a friendly smile.

“And you, too, Kazemiya-san. Hi there.”

“….H-hi?”

Before the summer vacation. We had a study session for the final exam, so Kazemiya and Natsuki had met each other several times. However, they were not as close to…having a friendly chat in the classroom. At present, they were friends of friends, and it was understandable that Kazemiya was still at a loss as to how to treat him. In fact, Natsuki was more unusual in that he was able to interact with anyone without hesitation.

“You know, you should just talk to us normally. What are you doing, naturally joining in the conversation?”

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I just wanted to tease Kouta a little.”

“I know I bothered you during the final exam, but I don’t remember doing anything to you to make you resent me.”

“Because, Kouta, even though it’s summer vacation, you haven’t played with me at all.”

“We just started summer vacation, though?”

“But you started playing with Kazemiya-san right away. That’s not fair. You should play with me too.”

“I promised Kazemiya for a long time.”

But now that he mentioned it, it was true that I didn’t get to hang out with Natsuki much during the first semester. It was because I had to work a lot of part-time jobs to get away from home and family. I had to do a lot of hard work for the final exam, and more than anything else, I was a little sad because I didn’t have as much time to play with Natsuki.

“Well, let’s play sometime soon. After all, we’re supposed to go to the pool, too.”

“The pool we’re all going to is one thing, but playing with Kouta is another. I mean, were you two watching a movie just now?”

“Yeah. What were you doing here?”

“I was on my way back from playing with a girl I met recently. I was thinking of stopping by Kouta’s part-time workplace and going there to cool off.”

“Narumi’s workplace?”

And it was Kazemiya who responded to Natsuki’s words.

“Right. Kouta’s part-time job is close to here. Do you want to go together?”

“I’ll go.”

Kazemiya’s answer was immediate. And I was a little bit hungry as well.

“If Kazemiya-san’s going, Kouta’s coming too, right?”

“I feel a little uncomfortable about the way you said that, but, yeah, I’m coming too.”

“Let’s go then.”

We marched along the sunlit road near the station for a while, with Natsuki walking in the lead.

“Is this a…cafe?”

A cafe with a hideaway atmosphere tucked away in the back of the building. The entranceway is decorated with a large plant display, which mysteriously blended in with the cityscape.

“Right. This is where Kouta works. I’ve hardly ever seen any students from our school, so in that sense, it’s a little-known place.”

Natsuki was right. Even though I worked part-time, I rarely had students from the same school as me as customers. At best, Natsuki was the only one, but when he came to the cafe, he never brought anyone with him.

“Welcome…oh, isn’t it Kouta-kun?”

“Hello, sir. I am here today as a guest.”

“Hahaha. I’m so glad you came all the way here. Take your time.”

“I will do so.”

Plants were displayed throughout the cafe, just as at the entrance, and a table at the end of the building from the entrance was set up with a large, ceiling-high vase. The antique atmosphere of the restaurant matched the interior, creating a space that was both bold and serene.

The owner was a middle-aged man who had the same generous and gentle atmosphere as the plants decorating the restaurant. I was often indebted to him for his generosity.

“I’ll have iced coffee and cheesecake, and Kouta will have the same thing, right?”

“Yeah, what about Kazemiya?”

“Hm…I’ll have tea and chiffon cake.”

“Come to think of it, Kazemiya-san, you don’t drink coffee, do you?”

“I can drink coffee, and it’s not that I don’t drink it. It’s not that I don’t like it either. I just don’t drink much in cafes or……indoors. I only drink take-out from chain stores.”

“Really? Do you have any special preferences?”

“I don’t really have any. It’s not like I’m obsessed with it or anything of that cool feeling, but …maybe I’m just running away.”

“I see. It’s true that Kazemiya-san and Kouta of a while ago are similar.”

The cafe door opened just as Natsuki nodded his head as if he was satisfied with something on his own.

As a part-timer, this was a habit of mine. When the doorbell rang, I reacted and almost let out an unintentional “Irasshaimase (Welcome),” but I managed to hold it back.

“Is that…Kouta-kun?”

“Plain clothes. In other words, he’s here not as a part-timer?”

They were a pair of college girls who came to the cafe. As soon as their eyes met mine, they approached me with curious looked on their faces.

“Ah. Asaka-san and Yonaka-san?”

“Yahho. Hey, hey, are you here as a guest today?”

“Well, yes. I dropped by on my way home from a movie with my friend.”

“Coincidence. We are going to see a movie too.”

“You and Yonaka-san?”

“Right, right. The one that’s popular right now? You know, that one with Kuon in it.”

“That’s the one I just saw with my friend.”

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“Your friend…is it Inumaki-kun?”

“I just ran into Natsuki on the way…the one I watched it with is here, Kazemiya.”

And there I decided to introduce them to Kazemiya.

“Kazemiya. This is Asaka-san and Yonaka-san. They are regular customers of this cafe.”

“Asaka Hayami, a first-year college student, who is always grateful to Kouta-kun for listening to my complaints.”

“Yonaka Mafuka, also a first-year college student. My friend here is always giving trouble to Kouta.”

“I’m Kazemiya Kohaku, a classmate of Narumi’s.”

It was just Kazemiya greeting two of the regular customers…but…I wonder what was this feeling.

It was not quite the blizzard that she usually displayed in the classroom, but I could sense that she was somewhat on the lookout for them. Of course, it was not as blatant as it seemed, and Kazemiya didn’t have hostility or dislike toward the two of them. It was at a level that only I, who had known her for some time, would understand.

“Uwaa! What is this!? This girl is super cute!”

“Is she a celebrity? Or is she Kouta’s girlfriend?”

“Neither. She’s a friend.”

To avoid inconveniencing Kazemiya there, I had to make a firm correction.

“Hohoho? A friend…would you take such a cute girl and watch a movie together and have tea at a café?”

“Hayami. Kouta will hate you if you do that.”

“I don’t want that. I’m sorry, okay? I’m with friends. It was so rare for me to get this involved.”

“Don’t worry about that. I mean, Kouta, since we’re here, why don’t we go talk to these sisters for a while?”

And for some reason, it was Natsuki who made the suggestion.

“If you count backward from the movie’s running time, the sisters will only be here for about fifteen minutes at most. Besides……”

To prevent Kazemiya, Asaka, and others from hearing me, Natsuki went to the trouble of creating blinds with his hands and moved his face up to my ear.

“I know Kazemiya-san is going through a hard time right now, right? Why don’t you talk to those sisters about a gift to cheer her up?”

Was he saying that if you need advice about women, you should consult with a woman also? Yes. That was perfectly reasonable advice if you ask me.

“Right?”

“…yeah, you’re right.”

“Ehh, what, what? Is it really okay for us to borrow Kouta-kun?”

“If so, we will borrow him.”

“It’s fine. Please take him with you.”

Thus, Natsuki with his smiling, friendly smile pushed me to move to another seat with Asaka-san and Yonaka-san.

***

(Kazemiya’s POV)

“Sorry, Kazemiya-san.”

As I could do nothing but watch Narumi being taken away by two beautiful college girls, Inumaki immediately apologized to me.

“Why is Inumaki apologizing, Narumi has his own social life and I don’t really care.”

That was a lie. I did care. I felt a little frustrated because the two of them looked so beautiful, and they seemed so close to Narumi. Of course, Narumi had his own world, and there were things I didn’t know about him.

“That’s part of it, but it’s not the only part. It also includes the fact that I interrupted your date.”

“W-we weren’t on a date…”

“Aren’t you thought of it as a date, Kazemiya-san?”

“……!?”

My heartbeat jumped one step louder, just for a moment, when he made a quick guess.

“I knew it.”

What little I knew about a boy named Natsuki Inumaki.

I knew him only as a guy with a friendly smile and a lot of friends……but I wonder why I felt like I didn’t know who he was. I couldn’t put it into words well, but I felt like he was almost like my big sister when she was scary…

“Kazemiya-san, you’re pretty easy to read, huh?”

“…..What do you want?”

“I feel bad about interrupting your date. I really wanted to leave you two alone, but this cafe was just around the corner and I thought it would be a good opportunity to show Kazemiya-san around.”

So Inumaki wanted to bring me to this cafe? But why?

“I’m just trying to give you some advice.”

I was at a loss for words when he said something that seemed to read my mind.

Advice?　Of what?　What’s this guy’s purpos—!

“Kouta is—surprisingly popular.”

“…….huh?”

I couldn’t help but let out a dumb sound myself.

“He tried not to get too involved with other people at the school, so to speak. But at his part-time job, he is very popular. When it comes to customer service, you can’t not get involved with other people, can you? While I was observing him, there were already some women who looked like regular customers like earlier…”

“Wait. Umm, wait a minute. Stop (TLN: In English).”

Huh. I wonder why. Perhaps it was because I was so nervous, or perhaps it was because I was so alert that the words that came out of my mouth were so unexpected that I began to lose strength.

“Is that what you’re advising?”

“Yeah, why?”

“Is that why you brought me here to tell me that?”

“I thought it would be faster if you saw it in person.”

“Well….”

I checked on Narumi’s side. ……They were talking happily. I wonder what they were talking about.

“….You’re right, but.”

“Just to be clear, I’m rooting for you, Kazemiya-san.”

“….May I ask why?”

“That’s…a secret. It would be cheating if I told you, so I won’t.”

“Another secret?”

“Another?”

“I’m talking about that.”

Narumi, who was talking to the sisters, was also kept in the dark from me about what kind of things they talked about.

I felt like I’ve been kept in the dark a lot lately.

“Well, in short. You shouldn’t think that there are no rivals. I’m not trying to rush you into confessing anything, though.”

“Rivals…”

At times like this, I suddenly thought of my big sister.

She was kind, a genius, hardworking, beautiful, cute, and cool, my big sister.

“….Right.”

My heart tingled, and a kind of impatience slowly overcame me.

And then, came the image of Narumi’s face while watching the movie. I couldn’t get the face of Narumi watching my big sister on the screen out of my mind.

I wonder what Narumi thought. About my big sister.

If, Narumi liked my big sister…if my big sister fell in love with Narumi… I would…

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