Chapter 14: Volume 1 - CH 3.4

Both the cake and tea were fairly good, so half of them immediately made their way into his stomach.

And right then Shino showed up.

She’d changed into the same uniform of the waitress from earlier—a triangular neckerchief on a white shirt, and a seemingly common, calm-colored beige apron dress with the shop’s logo on it.

It was a very ordinary uniform, not the kind that would put importance on frilly-like cuteness nor the risque kind you’d find in a shop catering towards male customers. That said, it looked so cute when Shino wore it.

“Ehehe… I’m showing you this outfit for the first time, but what do you think?”

“It looks good on you.”

“Yay!” Shino raised both hands in delight, and immediately called and gathered her not-busy co-workers, and smilingly and happily began the introduction. “Ahem… Sorry to have kept you waiting. Now I will formally introduce him to everyone—this is my boyfriend, Fujiwara Sandai.”

The assembled girls in unison all went, “Oooh~,” and then launched a barrage of questions as if to say they’d been waiting for this.

“Fujiwara-kun, hey hey, how did you guys end up dating?”

“How far have you gone? Have you at least kissed?”

“Who was the one confessing~? Or was it more like you were dating by the time you realized it? I wanna know so badly~!”

Being vigorously pressed on by multiple people all at once, “Uwh,” Sandai groaned. He reflexively sent a gaze asking for help to Shino.

His heartfeltness seemed to have reached Shino without problem; she replied with a wink and clapped her hands multiple times.

“Everyone calm down~. Allow me to explain one by one. First is the one who fell in love first. If I had to pick, it was me.”

“Does that mean the one attacking was also you, Shino-chan?”

“Ahem!” Shino puffed up her chest, and the girls’ eyes sparkled all at once.

“You sure are courageous~. I’ve also got a boyfriend, but it’s kind of not sitting well with me to be the one saying it, so I just forcibly induced him to say it.”

“Speaking of guys, they’re surprisingly timid, so they really wouldn’t just say it, don’t they? It’s possible for them to get snatched up by another girl in the time you’re wondering whether they would straight up say it, so I just know it’s better to quickly convey my feelings than to have it come to that.”

“Wooow~, oh gosh~ I want a BF, too~.”

“I see, so Shino-chan who did, huh… Alright, I, a senior in life and an assistant manager, have some words to say here. I think it’s good you were the one confessing, Shino-chan. It’s because just because you’re a girl, it’s not right to just wait. And so for Fujiwara-kun… Don’t take advantage of that just because you were the one who got confessed. Don’t say something like, ‘It’s not me who fell in love.’ It’s because you bear responsibility for the fact you got confessed to. You accepted the confession because you like her, right? Then having made her say it is a chain. So you have to devote yourself to Shino-chan.”

“So the one getting confessed bears responsibility? Then what about the responsibility of the one who said it, eh? …That kinda thinking is why you still don’t have a boyfriend.”

“You said something?”

“Eh? I’m not saying anything, you know? Isn’t it just your imagination?”

“Is that so?”

“I heard it~. You got bad-mouthed, you know?”

“Eh?”

“Ugh.”

“She says the assistant manager is a pain in the butt~. She says you’re annoying ‘cause of all the constant complaining, and ‘cause of that you won’t even be able to know true love, and the sighing during breaks is also overbearing so she wants you to stop or something like that~.”

“I didn’t say that! I didn’t say that much! That’s basically just what you’re feeling! This friggin chocolate cornets—aah, Assistant Manager, please stop that scary face.”

Then Sandai just got ignored, and it was turning into insider’s talk, but this seemed to be the usual scene seeing as how Shino was smiling wryly.

Well, Sandai wasn’t good with being put in the center of a conversation surrounded by a large group of people and getting talked to about this and that, so it could be said that it saved him.

In the meantime, by the end both Shino and the other girls began to get back to their work.

Time went by little by little, and the number of customers began to grow around the time the evening sun was setting. Office ladies in suits who must’ve come from the business district came in to occupy more and more seats.

Guess time to head back…

Both the cake and tea from the boyfriend privilege were already gone, and any further stay would just be a nuisance wastefully occupying a seat.

Sandai got up from his seat and tried to leave after letting Shino know, but he couldn’t see her anywhere, so he reluctantly decided to drop a verbal message to a nearby waitress girl.

“Umm… excuse me. I’m heading back now, so I wonder if you could let Shino know.”

“Eh? Wa-Wait a bit BF-kun. Shino-chan’s in the back right now.”

“It’s fine, you don’t have to call her.”

“No no, it’s not like that. Shino-chan’s getting ready to leave now. She’ll be out soon so just wait for her.”

“Eh?” And right then Shino came out from the back in her school uniform. “But her work hours…”

Currently it was a little past six in the evening, but usually Shino would be working until about half past eight, so she was clocking out more than two hours early.

“Let’s head back together.”

“Are you done with work?”

“I got told I can leave already today. The assistant manager told me, ‘I’ll keep your earnings like you’ve worked the usual hours, so go be with your boyfriend.’ It’s gonna get a little busier at this time of day, that said it’s a weekday so they’ll manage she said. …Well, I also got warned, though. She said the privilege is a service to help the boyfriend coming to pick us up pass time while waiting, and next time I should have you come around the time I’m done with work.”

“…I see. Then I guess I’ve gotta pick you up around the time you’re done with work.”

“…You’ll go pick me up?”

Sandai spontaneously nodded; after all, it was an act natural for a boyfriend to do. However, Shino was very happy with such a natural gesture.

“Thank you!!” Shino said and intertwined her arms around his; with too much gusto, and his arm hitting her chest… Sandai spontaneously scratched the tip of his nose at the soft sensation.

Guys can also be said to be a profoundly mysterious creature in a different sense from girls. Even if the other person is their girlfriend, there are times when they are dominated by awkwardness when they touch an unexpected part of the body.

“S-So, what are we gonna do now? Anywhere you wanna go?”

“Somewhere I wanna go… Then wanna see fall colors? I looked it up on my phone and found the fall leaves are at its peak right now in Memorial Park. A go-to choice for a date in fall! Or so they say.”

“Let’s go there then.”

Sandai had never been to a place like the Memorial Park and such, but it was surprisingly close by; it was a place only 10-minute walk away.

“Wooow amazing! So pretty.” At the same time as entering the park, Shino dropped her walking pace, and her eyes sparkled from seeing the rows of fall colors shined by lights. The ginkgo and maple trees that were beginning to turn into deep colors of fall were vibrant, and the dancing falling leaves evoked a strong sense of the season.

Suddenly, they both stopped. Simultaneously with the sun completely setting, the light up enhancing the fall colors suddenly lit up.

“It’s sparkling.”

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“…It sure is sparkling.”

“……Yeah.”

“……”

It being a weekday, the park got few people and was quiet, and as if to match such an atmosphere, the number of times they spoke continuously decreased.

Although they eventually stopped exchanging words altogether, it wasn’t particularly awkward. The warmth transmitted from their intertwined arms was much more eloquent than words in showing the depth of their bond.

Though, “Fuaaahh…” Shino suddenly yawned.

“…Tired?”

“A bit…” Shino rubbed her eyelids, making her eyeshadow collapse slightly.

Sandai was troubled whether he should tell her, but he decided to not tell her now but at parting.

“…C’mon, hop on my back. I’ll carry you to the station.”

“Nn…”

Carrying Shino on his back, “Heave-ho,” Sandai stood up, and a mild vanilla-like smell grazed his nose. When he sniffled in search for the source, he found it came from the back of Shino’s hands.

…The smell of hand cream, huh. Well, it’s already fall I guess.

Shino seemed to have begun to pay more attention to moisturizing, perhaps because it was the season of dry air.

“…Sorry for making you carry me.”

“No need to apologize. I’ll wake you up when we arrive at the station, so just sleep till then.”

“…Thanks.”

Shino’s chest was pressed to his back, and there was the feel of her butt in the palms of his hands, but he didn’t feel too awkward this time. Each time he captured the sound of Shino breathing through her sleep close to his ear, only and only the thought of wanting her to get a good rest welled up.

Taking care to walk at a steady pace so as not to shake Shino as much as possible seemed to have made her able to rest a bit, and her complexion was improved by the time he woke her up at the station.

“Then see you tomorrow.”

“Oui. See you. …Goodbye smooch.”

“All right.”

He gave her a goodbye kiss as the train’s arrival broadcast was being announced. Chu—despite feeling reluctant to part at the sound of their lips parting, Sandai then told Shino that her eyeshadow was crumbling. “…By the way, Shino.”

“Yeah? What is it?”

“Your eyelids are a mess there.”

“Eh? Wah, wawah! …It is!” Shino was startled by the reflection of her own face on a small mirror she pulled out of her bag, and started removing the eyeshadow with cotton immediately. “Aww~…”

“You rubbed your eyelids when you got sleepy in Memorial Park, right? I guess that’s when.”

“That’s before you were carrying me! You should’ve let me know at that time! Aaa~even though I didn’t want to show you something like this… geez… what should I do… reapplying is a pain, too… no choice, might as well take off all the makeup now it’s gotten to this…”

Shino was also cute with no makeup; or better say, without makeup she was mature-like and pretty instead.

And yet why would she care so much about makeup?

Sandai could somehow guess that girls tended to try to express what they thought was cute rather than genuinely seeking beauty, but he couldn’t really accept it. He thought that if the no-makeup was the most lovely, then they should just show themselves as they were.

Though, he could tell from looking at Shino that she was putting an utmost effort into looking ‘cute,’ and nobody would want to be denied what they were giving their best at, so he didn’t say anything unnecessary, though…

Well, there was also the perk of being able to enjoy two versions, before and after makeup. It seemed like a good idea to secretly enjoy the 2-in-1 deliciousness without saying anything.

5

After seeing off Shino’s train, Sandai noticed that he himself was also tired, went home, and immediately took a bath.

Having finished taking the somewhat longer than usual bathing, he wiped dry his body and head, and lay down on the living room sofa. He was gradually overwhelmed by sleepiness, but he couldn’t afford to sleep as there would still be late-night anime.

As Sandai was leisurely and idly watching the TV to wait for the start of the broadcast, a brief news special being held between programs appeared on the screen.

‘It’s still the height of fall, but some seem to be already scrambling and getting busy for Christmas. Christmas is an ideal day to give a present to your special someone to convey your continuous appreciation for them. Today, we will be reporting on the people who work behind the scenes to make such a Christmas happen.’

Speaking of which… Christmas will be in two months. I’ve gotta prepare something myself, Sandai spontaneously thought.

However, he didn’t know what he should give despite racking his brain to think about it.

Taking Shino’s personality into account, it was easy to imagine her getting happy no matter the present, but for this reason he ended up troubled.

It would be easy if Sandai could just coldly cut corners and choose something half-heartedly if she would be happy no matter what he would give, but unfortunately, Sandai was of a character who’d want to be meticulous about such a thing.

“Hmmmm…” He ruffled and scratched his head. He got stuck in a precarious situation, becoming more unsure the more he worried. “Well… there’s time until Christmas.”

That was an answer derived from Sandai’s rule of thumb; that it would be best to take some pause when his thoughts got stuck in a mud.

There had been little he had gained to date from forcibly hurrying.

In elementary school, he had fallen down and gotten injured when running in a hurry because of almost arriving late.

In middle school, he had ended up dozing off before watching late-night anime, and in a panic of waking up and looking for the remote to turn on the TV, he had stepped on it and broken it.

So he had decided to drop it for today and think about it next Sunday. On Sunday during the day Shino would also be working at her part-time job, so Sandai got extra time to spare.

‘Well then, have a pleasant night everyone.’

The image of the newscaster with a big smile turned into a commercial, and when that too ended, late-night anime started. It was already such a time.

‘Let us begin!!!!’

Today’s late-night anime was a school romantic comedy depicting a fun school life. Sandai looked for a character that would resemble Shino somehow.

He knew it would be futile to search for one as this series had been progressing far in the number of episodes and not even a single look-alike had appeared.

He was aware that he was doing something puzzling.

In the first place, he could’ve just looked at the said person, and they were also doing something like kissing usually. There was no need to seek for Shino even in the 2D world.

But there was still a part of him ending up seeking it.

“Too bad…”

Sandai finished watching the late-night anime along with a sigh and crawled into bed.

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