Chapter 42: To My Best Friend's Part-Time Job 2
I urge Nagase, who looks bewildered by the quirky greeting, to come inside.
Sho, now dressed in his work uniform, welcomes us.
He's cheerful and fresh, and seems more at ease than last time.
Sho: "Welcome! Oh, Kousuke! And...?"
Sho gives a playful fist bump, then notices Nagase and greets her brightly in a way that makes Nagase think well of him.
Come to think of it, Sho really likes ponytails...
He used to go on and on about Kashii-san's ponytail back in the day.
He glances back and forth between me and Nagase, grinning.
(Oh! He's got that "Whoa, Kousuke brought a different girl! Nice!" look on his face.)
Or so I thought.
Nagase: "Nice to meet you! I'm Aya Nagase, on the cultural festival committee with Kousuke-kun! You're Tachibana-kun, Kousuke's best friend, right?"
Sho: "Ah, yes."
Sho suddenly loses his earlier composure and looks a bit flustered.
He's not used to girls. That hasn't changed.
Sho: "Please, take a seat!"
Sho leads us to a table and calls over the manager.
Kagetora: "Alright! Let's talk business! How much do you need and when?"
He's called Kagetora-san and seems to be the manager here.
He's the adult I've heard about a lot from Sho lately.
He's wild, warm-hearted, and from what I can tell, kind of like Sho's mentor.
I heard he even plays basketball with Aoi and Sho, the three of them together.
Nagase and I share what we need, and Kagetora-san gives us his expert opinion.
After some discussion, it's decided that they can supply hamburgers, pancakes, and commercial-use fries.
Kagetora: "So, want to try a sample?"
Nagase: "Huh? Is that okay?"
Kagetora: "Sho told me about it yesterday, so I whipped up a few test items just in case."
A plain hamburger, a cheeseburger, and a teriyaki burger.
Kagetora: "I'm a big fan of teriyaki, you know!"
Nagase: "Ah! It's delicious!"
I nod in agreement.
Kagetora: "I made them thin so there's less chance of them being undercooked... The buns are toasted where they're cut, too..."
When Nagase hesitantly suggests the pancakes she wants might be tough for amateurs to make, looking a bit awkward,
Kagetora slicks his hair back like a pompadour,
Kagetora: "Come back again next week. I'll show you pancakes that even an amateur can make taste great."
"Pffft!!"
That's totally Yamaoka-san from Oishinbo!!
I suddenly burst out laughing with a blank face, and Nagase is startled.
Kagetora: "Guess Yamaoka-san jokes are tough for high school girls."
I think I might actually like this guy.
He gives us tips on techniques, things to watch out for, and hygiene points.
He teaches us all sorts of important things.
Well, once it's set, I'll let you know the details. I'll drive the food to Hokusho first thing in the morning!
Now both Nagase and I are fired up and want to run our booth at this burger shop, and we start talking about it passionately together!
Kagetora-san watches us with a grin, saying, "Nice, youth!"
No wonder Sho's attached to him; he's got that magnetic vibe.
He's genuinely open-minded, kind, and reliable.
Sho really works at a great place.
I find myself genuinely satisfied with my best friend's growth—he's got a good environment.
"Thank you so much, we'd like to go ahead with the burger shop!"
When I say we'll pay for the sample burgers, pancakes, and so on,
Kagetora: "Nah, forget it! I'll just take it out of Sho's paycheck!"
Sho: "That's harsh."
Sho passes by, laughing and acting sulky.
What a fun workplace.
We finish the meeting, still laughing.
Since we sampled some of the mock stall menu, we don't need a full meal, right?
I order a loco moco bowl, Nagase gets a strawberry shake, and we discuss the finer points.
Kagetora: "Herasshuu!!"
Hearing that unique, eccentric greeting behind me, I take a quick trip to the restroom.
When I return, I see Kureha-san—the elegant, black-haired class president type who's Sho's committee friend—pinching Sho.
Is she misunderstanding Sho talking with Nagase?
What is this? It's hilarious!
Sho likes Kashii-san!
But I guess Kureha-san probably likes Sho.
Judging from when we went to see Sho's little brother Hii-chan's performance the other day, Kashii-san definitely has the advantage.
Still, the fact that Kureha-san appreciates Sho's good qualities makes me like her.
I want to talk about Sho's good points together!
...She's so beautiful, it triggers my fear of girls, though.
I pretend not to notice and toss Sho a lifeline.
"Sho! ...Ah, Kureha-san. Hello, long time no see."
I try to hold back a laugh and greet her.
Kureha: "...Ah, ah, hello, long time no see, Kousuke-kun!"
She looks like she's thinking, "Whoops!" She's such an honest girl.
As I try to head back to my seat, I hear our usual spot is taken?
...Usual spot?
Kureha: "Huh? My table! Boo! Well then? Kousuke-kun♪, mind if I sit with you?"
...My table? She has a reserved seat? When I asked on LINE at night, they said she's the shop's "nushi." What's that supposed to mean?
Well, I don't mind sharing the table,
"...Uh, sure, that's fine."
Nagase: "Huh? Oh, yes, it's fine!"
Nagase doesn't sound as upbeat as usual?
Kureha-san and Nagase introduce themselves, but it's kind of stiff between them.
I do my best to keep the conversation going between them. I'm not good at this sort of thing...
Kureha-san keeps asking for stories about Sho from his middle school days, so the conversation keeps going that way. Maybe she trusts me as Sho's best friend, but...
For once, Nagase makes a weird face and seems a little sulky.
She keeps making noises like "Hmm!" and "Hmph!"
Not good! I quickly try to restore the balance!
Well, after a bit, Kureha-san and Nagase warm up to each other and end up laughing together.
After chatting with the three of us for a while, Kureha-san waves and moves to another table now that one's open.
Nagase: "Whew, my precious time with Kousuke-kun!"
Nagase jokes, puffing out her cheeks.
Is she serious? Just joking?
But maybe she was tired out from suddenly sitting with someone she didn't know? When I try to thank her,
Nagase: "You have close girl friends at other schools too? Besides Tomonaga-san and Airi-senpai?!"
Hey! That's a misunderstanding!
"...Kureha-san actually likes Sho. It's complicated, but she really trusts him, and since she saw you getting along with Sho, maybe that's why Kureha-san didn't like it?"
I thought so last time too, and I'm sure of it.
Still, thinking of Kureha-san having to compete with Rena Kashii as a rival, I can't help but sympathize with her.
Honestly, I don't care if Sho ends up with Kashii-san or Kureha-san—what matters is that he's with someone he likes.
I think he should win her over passionately and manfully, without compromising or holding back, and I'll help out and give advice as much as he needs.
Maybe because I was thinking things like that, something occurred to me.
Nagase: "Ah, come to think of it, when I was talking with Tachibana-kun, you looked kind of upset..."
"So that's what it was! Oh, I see," Nagase-san said, suddenly looking satisfied and starting to smile to herself.
I really don't get girls when it comes to stuff like this.