Source
https://kakuyomu.jp/works/1177354054922823111/episodes/1177354054935019085
The opening ceremony of the festival is over, and there are less than 10 minutes until the gates open for general admission.
The class is fidgeting and the atmosphere is restless, but everyone seems to be filled with anticipation for the festival.
“Haa …….”
I finished helping the committee members with the final checks and sat down on a suitable chair in the classroom, where there were still no customers.
“That’s the way it’s going to be, Shota-kun.”
Sakurae came up to me right away.
“What?”
“When you’re serving customers, do it like you’re doing it right now.”
“You mean I should look like a …… dull person?”
In response to my question, Sakurae nodded her head and said, ‘That’s right’
“No, no matter how much I do, I’ll at least serve the customer properly.”
“You can’t do it right!”
Sakurae puffed up her cheeks, but I didn’t understand what Sakurae was trying to do.
…… is this supposed to be a joke?
Sakurae betrays my thoughts with a serious expression.
“Listen, Shota-kun. Never smile at customers. Also, if possible, stay in the back when there are enough people in front. Even when serving customers, give off the feeling that ‘no one is free, so I have no choice’…”
“What are you teaching? ……”
Sakurae’s customer service instruction was interrupted by Takagi, who had somehow come nearby.
“If you’re that worried, why don’t you let him hair down like usual? If that’s the case, you can feel a little more at ease.”
Takagi’s words made Sakurae look troubled.
“That’s ……. I want to see a good looking Shota-kun, too. ……”
“Well, I guess you’ll just have to put up with it then.”
“Uuu,…….”
“…… look, they are going to come in soon. Let’s get ready.”
Sakurae is still worried about something, so Takagi and I smile bitterly and get up from our seats.
The festival is about to begin.
“Welcome! Please take a seat over here.”
Our class got off to a good start.
Even though the uniforms are not that particular, it seems that the girls in cute outfits are well received by the customers.
The pancakes on the menu should be reasonably tasty, so if word of mouth spreads, we may be a little busier in the afternoons.
“Here you go”
“Ahh …….”
I served an item to a male customer, who must have come to the store for the girls, but he didn’t look at me completely.
The other end of his gaze was the figure of Sakurae, who was serving the customer with a smile on her face.
(She really has changed. ……)
I can’t even imagine the Sakurae I just met, moving around so adorably while looking so busy.
While I thought it was a good change, my heart pricked up at the sight of her attracting the gazes of so many men.
———————————-
Our class got off to a good start, and the crowd grew as it got closer to noon.
The customer base, which at first was predominantly male, was now mixed with women, and the ratio was becoming almost 50-50.
As …… this happened, my concern grew.
“Here you go.”
“Thank you!”
Even now, Shota-kun is serving a couple of female customers, about a little older than him.
I didn’t miss the slight twinkle in their eyes at his appearance.
“Wow, it looks soooo good!”
“Hey, did onii san make this?”
In response to this question, Shota kun answered with a smile.
“No, I’m separated from the cooking staff. I’ll let them know that you liked it.”
“Y-yes. please”
She was absolutely smitten just now…
I was miffed at Shota-kun for not taking my advice.
As I was doing so, I heard a voice say, ‘excuse me,’ so I replied, ‘Yes, I’m coming,’ and resumed smiling.
While checking from the side to see that Shota-kun had left the girls without incident, I responded using my secret customer service technique of pretending that the customer’s face looked like Shota-kun.
Sakurae and I were the same on every shift (the whiteboard showed that we were put together), but we were not scheduled to spend all of our free time together.
I thought Sakurae needed time to go around with her friends too.
…… Sakurae wasn’t happy, though.
“Kikuchi, you want to go?”
“yeah. Let’s get something to eat.”
I finished my first shift a little after noon, handed my uniform to the guy on the next shift, and invited Kikuchi, who was working backstage at the same time as me.
We bought yakisoba noodles and frankfurters at a random store and sat around the gymnasium where there were few people.
“Has everything been alright since then?”
“…… nothing so far.”
Kikuchi must be talking about Yamamoto.
“I don’t know the guy very well myself, so I’m going to tell you not to trust what he says,…….”
“I understand.”
I explain the situation to Kikuchi’s concern.
“Takagi is with Sakurae. I don’t think he would do anything in a crowded place, so I made sure to not go to a less popular place.”
“…… I see.”
And then Kikuchi, without saying a word, put his hands on the food he had bought, and I concentrated on filling my stomach too.
“….a little bit.”
“You still want to eat, ……?”
Kikuchi said this after finishing off three yakisoba noodles and two frankfurters while I ate one yakisoba noodle, so we both headed toward the courtyard where the stalls were lined up again.
Along the way, they see Sakurae and the others carrying cotton candy and other sweet-looking things, but we don’t talk to them and just walk toward the takoyaki that Kikuchi had requested.
… Sakurae waved at me in a chaotic manner, so I just raised my hand slightly.
There, I met the person I had been talking to Kikuchi earlier.
“…… you’re floating around.”
Yamamoto, perhaps seeing that I had just raised my hand to Sakurae, said in an uninterested tone
“It’s a festival. ……you came alone?”
“…… tsk.”
Yamamoto replied to my question with a cluck of his tongue.
“…… probably came here today too.”
Yamamoto said grimly
….the one who is coming…… is probably Tachibana.
While I was making an indescribable expression, Yamamoto glared at me.
Kikuchi quickly stands next to me.
“……Why the hell are you so devoted to that guy from the other day?”
“I said it the other day. Kokonoe is an interesting guy.”
“As usual, he’s a hard guy to understand. ……”
The mood between the two was one of excitement.
When I was about to call out for them to stop, that’s when ……
“Shota ……?”
When I turned toward the voice that called out to me, I saw Tomoki looking at me with a few people who seemed to be his friends.
“….. Tomoki?”
Well, it’s a festival open to general admission.
It wouldn’t be strange if this guy came.
I don’t really care as long as you didn’t come to see me.
However, Tachibana was not among the people Tomoki was accompanying.
Tomoki leaves his friends behind and walks towards me unsteadily.
“…. Shota, what’s going on?”
“What?”
I asked back, not understanding the meaning of Tomoki’s question that came so close to me, Tomoki turned bloodthirsty and grabbed me.
“You ……! You said those things to Rio and you let this person get away with it!”
Tomoki’s words convinced me, “Oh, so that’s what you mean.”
It seems like Tomoki has the misunderstanding that I’m just forgiving Yamamoto and getting along with him.
I frowned at how troublesome it was and said as I brushed off Tomoki’s hand.
“It’s nothing to do with …… you, but it’s annoying when you make a fuss here. I’ll give you a proper explanation about this, so let’s change the place.”
“Wha…..!”
From Tomoki’s point of view, I guess he was stunned by my unapologetic attitude…
It’s okay if I just keep quiet
I asked Yamamoto, relieved that I didn’t attract too many people’s attention, probably because there were so many people and it was so noisy.
“Yamamoto, too, is that okay?”
Yamamoto snickered at that.
“Ha! Why do I have to go along with you and others when you play house?… Do as you please.”
As if to say, ‘I’m feeling good,’ Yamamoto leaves in a slightly better mood.
I also saw him off without saying anything, thinking that there was no need for him to be there.
Then ……
“…… Shota-kun, is that guy bothering you again?”
Sakurae had come up to me, perhaps noticing the light commotion.
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