Chapter 18: To My Best Friend's Part-Time Job
It's been five days since Yukari Tomonaga started her diet.
Just as planned, every morning she walks and runs by the basketball club's gym, then does strength training with me and my friend Koji. In the afternoon, it's boot camp! In the evening and at night, she's being strictly managed with walking games and such on her smartphone apps.
She's gradually getting weaker every day, and her muscle soreness is close to the limit.
I can really feel that we're reaching the breaking point.
Both mentally and physically.
I decided that tomorrow we'd just do the morning session and take the afternoon off. I wanted her to have a little break.
I've been pushing myself pretty hard lately too, and it's exhausting.
I want to see Sho, but we just can't find the time.
In the midst of all that, Sho invited me on LINE to come to his part-time job!
Huh? Is that okay?
Sho's part-time job is at a restaurant a short walk from Toko Station, where Toko High School is, at the intersection of a big prefectural road and the national road. They serve hamburg steaks, curry, and sweets, apparently.
"Can you make any low-calorie sweets?"
When I asked,
Sho: "We have it! Because Ise-san (the gyaru from our middle school) keeps bugging us, we've even got a version 2 of our famous pancakes!"
That's it!
We promised to go to Sho's part-time job in the afternoon tomorrow!
And then, in the evening, we decided to get together with Sho and our classmates to play basketball at the riverside park in the neighborhood!
I get to see my best friend for the first time in a while!
The next day.
"Good morning."
Tomonaga: "Good morniiiing."
Her shoulders twitch from muscle soreness, making her movements oddly sharp...
Everything she does is weirdly rhythmic—her movements are all jerky-shush-shush.
She moves kind of like Michael Jackson in the "Thriller" music video I watched with Dad...?
Like she's about to yell, "Ow!"
...No, I can't say that.
As usual, I encouraged Tomonaga-san and started my own practice.
Nagase-san was watching us suspiciously from the next court over... I wanted to tell her, but Tomonaga-san's privacy matters, so in the end, I didn't say anything.
Nagase-san has been cold the last few days. But since I can't say anything, there's nothing I can do.
Airi: "Kousuke-kun! It's about Tomonaga-san..."
Airi-senpai has been researching Tomonaga-san's walking and running routines and studying them for us.
She's been helping by introducing circuit training—periods of short runs followed by rest that are effective for burning fat—and after strength training, she even gives Tomonaga-san a massage for her metabolism and recovery.
Airi: "When your juniors rely on you, it makes you happy as a senpai, right?"
She smiles so softly and sweetly that her eyes basically disappear.
She doesn't just help; she learns and tries to make training more effective! That attitude is also what makes the basketball club better, and a lot of the training we do now is because of Airi-senpai's recommendations.
As for her boyfriend, who's also a "learning type"...
Sahori: "I can do even more! If I just work hard, I could totally be a pro basketball player!"
Or,
Sahori: "With my height and good looks, I could probably be a model too, right?"
He's what you'd call a wannabe—someone who's obsessed with being something, but only on the surface, never grasping the essence. In the basketball club, "wannabe" has become the word for it.
Airi is all about learning! Sahori's a wannabe!
That's what people say.
After finishing the morning, I got Tomonaga-san changed into her uniform, who looked despairing at the so-called "protein set meal" (chicken breast, boiled eggs, broccoli, a daily side, brown rice, and protein), and took the train to Toko Station.
Toko Station, Tomonaga-san's closest station and right next to Toko High School, is also her home station.
Tomonaga: "Um? Where are we going?"
Kousuke: "...That's it for today. As a reward, I'll buy you lunch, okay?"
Tomonaga: "Huh? Huh? We're not just going to another protein set meal place, are we?"
After these past few days, Tomonaga-san has gotten really suspicious... Poor thing.
We walked about fifteen minutes and arrived at the place I'd heard about!
Staff: "Herashu!"
Was that a greeting? It echoed through the place.
The one who greeted us was Sho!
"...Sho! Long time no see! ...And what's 'herashu'?"
Of course I had to ask.
Sho: "Welcome! (whispering) Long time no see! ...Don't worry about it."
I can't help but worry!
Tomonaga: "Good afternoooon...!"
Tomonaga-san greeted Sho.
We were led to a table.
Sho: "Kousuke! What'll it be? And who's your friend...?"
Tomonaga: "Nice to meet you, I'm Yukari Tomonaga. Kousuke-kun and the others have been helping me out a lot."
I'd already explained about Tomonaga-san's diet.
"...Yeah, I'm looking out for her right now. ...So she can get back at them. ...Sho, that uniform looks good on you."
Sho tries to keep a straight face, but he's totally embarrassed!
"...Then I'll have Aoi's recommended hamburger curry!"
I heard it's delicious and super filling! The restaurant smells amazing and really whets your appetite!
Tomonaga: "Um, um, Kousuke-kun, what should I get?"
Sho had recommended a few high-protein, low-calorie options in advance.
Tomonaga: "...Then, I'll have that..."
I gave him a look to say, "Yes, please."
We chatted a bit, and then Sho left the table.
Sho is talking to some girls at another table?
Looking at him like this, it's hard to believe he used to be so shy and awkward and bad at reading people's moods—now he's confidently talking to customers, taking orders, and serving food like a pro. I can't help but feel proud of my best friend.
Tomonaga: "Is he the best friend you always talk about?"
"...Yeah. We were always together. It's my first time visiting his workplace, but... he's really grown up."
Tomonaga: "You're the same age, right? You're like his guardian."
Yeah, we always thought of ourselves as the older brother.
While we talked, I couldn't help but smile watching Tomonaga-san's eyes follow every chocolate parfait and sweet as it passed. Meanwhile, Sho kept glancing at Tomonaga-san—he probably thinks she's my girlfriend candidate or something.
Here it comes! The hamburger curry and the lean hamburger set (high protein, low fat, lots of salad, small rice) are served!
"...Delicious!"
I'm not just saying that! I thought it'd be just another family restaurant!
Tomonaga: "Meat... meat that isn't chicken breast is so good..."
Tomonaga-san looks like she's about to ascend!
And after the meal, a surprise for sweet-loving Tomonaga-san!
As she sat there in a daze after finishing her food, it was brought out right in front of her.
Sho: "Tomonaga-san, from Kousuke—pancakes with about 60% fewer calories."
Tomonaga: "Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat!!"
Tomonaga-san rapidly looks back and forth between the pancakes and me!
I nod.
"...Go ahead, eat slowly, okay?"
Tomonaga-san, hands trembling, cuts into the pancakes.
With even shakier hands, she spreads cream on the pancake and slowly brings it to her mouth.
It seemed like Tomonaga-san's eyes sparkled for a moment.
Tomonaga: "So good!!!"
Te-re-te-teeeen!!!
I swear I could hear a sound effect like an old-school TV commercial!
I'm so glad she liked it!
A low-calorie yet satisfying dessert recommended by Sho!
Today, I'm going to eat my fill too.
Dieting is really tough.
To match Tomonaga-san, I'm eating the protein set meal every day right in front of her too.
No snacks, high-protein, low-fat, and cutting out carbs.
Seriously, are my abs going to get ripped at this rate?
Well, I guess it'd be great if they did.
Just as Tomonaga-san was basking in happiness and pure bliss—at the table across from us, a girl?
Is that the same girl who was talking with Sho earlier? She came over to our table.
Um, excuse me, you're Kousuke from Shinkawa Middle School, right?
Huh? Who? Do I know her?
That girl was stunningly beautiful!
Shiny, long black hair, sharp and well-shaped eyes and nose, skin so fair I'd never seen anything like it before, and a piercing gaze. An elegant, pale-skinned beauty?
Normally, this would be exactly my type, but—so what? I'm just scared.
When a girl makes me aware of her like this, fear comes first!
I ended up responding pretty bluntly.
"...Yeah, that's me...?"
Kureha: "Ah, I'm Kureha, a first-year at Toko High School. Um, I always hear stories about you from Sho-kun?"
Oh! So this is the one Sho was talking about! The sheltered, strong-personality beauty!
Kureha: "Sho-kun told me all about your middle school days and stuff? So it doesn't really feel like we're meeting for the first time!"
While talking to me, her gaze drifts to Tomonaga-san, who's with me.
Kureha: "Ah, sorry, am I bothering you since you're with your girlfriend? Sorry. Someday, could you tell me about the riverside story and about when you, Aoi-kun, and Sho-kun's class had that match? Sorry to bother you, I'll be going now."
That Kureha-san gave a polite bow and started to head back to her seat, when—
Tomonaga: "Kureha-san? I, I'm Tomonaga! Yukari Tomonaga!"
Kureha-san?—she looked surprised. Maybe they went to the same middle school?
Tomonaga-san tried to talk to her, but Kureha-san only gave half-hearted replies.
After a brief exchange, Kureha-san went back to her own table.
I decided to ask, just in case,
"Classmates?"
Tomonaga: "We were friends in elementary school. She stopped coming to school in middle school... But there aren't many girls that beautiful, so I recognized her right away..."
The bits she started talking about were things I'd heard a little from Sho.
Around the upper grades of elementary school. That beautiful girl, Kureha-san, was bullied by a mean girl in class and stopped coming to school.
Tomonaga-san had been her friend, but because she was timid and easily swayed, she felt bad for not being able to take her side back then.
But apparently, it wasn't bullying that kept her from coming to school, but an illness—she didn't attend even once during middle school. Now that she's gone on to Toko High School and seems fine, Tomonaga-san felt relieved, like a weight had been lifted from her shoulders.
If it were me, I would have stood by Sho when he was bullied.
That's what I thought, but maybe it's different for girls, since peer pressure is so intense, and we were just kids, so the situation is different?
Tomonaga-san and I are different people, after all.
I have a bad habit of pressing my own values on others, don't I? That's why...
Finished eating! I'm satisfied!
I call out to Sho to settle the bill.
"...It was delicious! Also, Sho, you look so grown-up while working. ...See you tonight at the riverside court!"
Tomonaga: "...Thank you for the meal! The pancakes were delicious! Really, they were so good!"
In the kitchen visible behind the register, the wild-looking chef was grinning happily.
We leave the restaurant,
Tomonaga: "Kousuke-kun! Thank you for the meal! Really! Really! It was so good!!"
Kousuke: "...We're free after this, but at least do a thirty-minute walk, just to help ease the muscle soreness, even if you take it slow, okay?"
Tomonaga-san looked a bit more worn out than the first day I saw her, but there was real strength in her eyes.
As we walked toward Toko Station, she said to me,
Tomonaga: "At first, after getting rejected, I just wanted to vent to the person who saw me embarrass myself, so I clung to you."
I nodded.
Tomonaga: "Then, before I knew it, I got swept along and became the film club's plaything. But everyone's been so kind to a rejected, chubby girl like me..."
She was getting a little teary-eyed.
I quietly urged her to keep walking.
Tomonaga: "To be insulted so badly by your ex-girlfriend! ...I wanted to change and prove myself. But I can't do it alone. This figure, my weight, is the result of my easygoing nature and lazy habits. I can't change by myself!"
Frustrated, she muttered to herself,
Tomonaga: "Kousuke-kun, thank you for helping someone like me. I'm weak to temptation, so please help me? Please!"
Kousuke: "...Yeah, if it's something I can do?"
Tomonaga: "...Then exchange LINE addresses with me!"
Kousuke: "...Alright."
That's how I exchanged addresses with Tomonaga-san.
From that day on, I started getting all sorts of LINE messages—diet troubles, complaints, silly stuff, and everything else.
It was the first time I'd ever done this with a girl other than Satsuki.
My rehabilitation for dealing with girls had begun, too.