“Good morning.”

I, who had arrived at my part-time job at the cafe “Milanoir,” called out to the master (whose real name was apparently Kurosu Kengo) who was working at the counter.

“Oh, good morning Minazuki-kun. You’re as punctual as ever.” 

The master responded to me calmly while making coffee.

His straight posture, black hair mixed with gray, and composed demeanor gave the impression of the years he had lived. I couldn’t help but hope that I could become such a mature adult someday.

“Coming to work on time is part of the job. I’ll get changed right away.”

“No need to rush. You still have time before your shift starts, and as you can see, there’s no need to hurry right now.”

“Is that so?”

While responding to the master’s voice coming from behind me, I put my things into the locker in the changing room.

“Yes, it is. The girl who worked here before you was always late. She would even suddenly cancel her shifts.”

The master spoke with distant eyes and a tired smile.

He was the type of person who valued independence, and while he would tell you when something was wrong, he generally prioritized how people felt and acted.

Thanks to that, I was hired even though I’m a high school student, and he had been flexible with my part-time job, which I was grateful for, but it’s probably also a flaw as a business owner.

In fact, he had apparently had tough situations several times because of it. But I admired the fact that he stuck to his beliefs and didn’t change his approach.

“That sounds awful.”

“It was. But thanks to that, a diligent young man like you came to work here.”

The master gave a gentle smile.

“It all balances out—no, I think it’s actually a plus for us.”

It was impossible not to be happy being told that by an adult. I could feel the unpleasantness I had before my shift started fading away a little.

“I’m glad to hear you say that. It makes me feel more motivated to work.”

I changed into my familiar uniform. 

That said, the outfit, which consisted of trousers and a dress shirt, wasn’t much different from my school uniform. If anything, it felt more formal than a school uniform since I wore a vest and a tie.

“Yup, looks good.”

Since I handle food, I checked my appearance in the mirror provided before entering the kitchen.

My bangs, which I usually kept down to my eyes, were styled up, revealing my eyes. It was to the point where I looked like a different person at first glance. This way, no one would think I was unhygienic.

These days, one review from a customer can determine the shop’s reputation, and depending on the situation, it could affect sales or even lead to closure. I had to make sure to handle the parts that I could control.

Having finished checking my appearance, I entered the kitchen.

++—Now, it’s time to start work.++

!next

“Oh, that’s right. I should tell you this beforehand, Mizuki-kun.”

While I was cooking the ordered food, the master, who seemed a bit idle, turned around as if he had just remembered something.

“A new kid will be coming soon.”

“Eh, a new employee?”

That was unusual. The master, who didn’t like to hire people often, was going to hire another newcomer?

“Ah, no, no. It’s not that she’s coming to work part-time… it’s my niece.”

“Your niece?”

“Yes, that’s right. Apparently, my younger sister is going to accompany her husband on an overseas assignment. It seems they initially planned to take my niece with them, but my niece refused, saying, ‘I finally got into the high school I wanted!’ They had a fight, and so I decided to take care of her.”

“That’s… tough, isn’t it?”

“Well, I’m just a humble café owner, and I don’t have a daughter.”

The master’s forced laughter made him look a little older than before.

“My niece is about your age, so if she comes, I’d like you to get along with her.”

++So, his niece is a girl.++

Honestly, with my bad luck with women, it wasn’t something I could readily agree to. However, I respected the master, and I could sympathize with his niece’s situation.

“…I’ll do my best.”

So, I gave a somewhat positive answer.

“That’s all I ask! Ah, welcome… It looks like the customers are starting to pick up. Well, I’ll get back to serving.”

“Got it.”

The master finished our conversation and headed back to the customers. As for me, I started working on the dishes even faster than before.

It was already past 5:30 p.m. It was about time for people to start coming in after school or work.

!next

“…Speaking of which.”

While working busily, I called out to the master, who had just finished taking orders and was bringing the order slip to the kitchen.

“Is it just going to be two of us for the rest of the day today?”

I didn’t usually check the shifts of others, so I wasn’t sure who was coming in when.  Especially in our place, where shifts were quite flexible, it wasn’t uncommon for them to change suddenly.

We could manage with just the two of us at this time, but it wouldn’t be the same after 6 p.m. during dinner time.  Quite a few people come in for meals during that time.

The master would help with the cooking, and I was quick with my hands, so we would be fine, but the problem would be handling the customers. I was currently cooking, so I couldn’t leave the kitchen. That meant that the master would be the only one who could deal with the customers.

Honestly, I think it would be tough to manage with just the two of us from now on.

“Let’s see… Ah, I found it. Rika-chan will be here at six.”

“Eh, Suzuse-san?”

My cheeks twitched, and my hands, which had been busy cooking, stopped involuntarily when I heard the name.

Suzuse Rika was a girl who started working at “Milanoir” this spring and was my kohai.

She was quite petite for a high school student, and apparently had some Western blood in her, with beautiful silver hair and lovely features.

She was called a doll or a fairy because of her appearance, and some people even came to the shop just to see her working as a waitress.

Not only was she beautiful, but she was also good at her job and worked hard, to the point where there were rumors of a fan club.

…However, contrary to her appearance at work, she would strangely pick on me when she was off duty.

For example, when I would be struggling with a rush of orders, she would say things like, ++”Oh my, you’re still not done even though you’re a senpai? Rika’s already finished everything, you know? Senpai’s a loser, haha♥”++ and belittle me. When I was thinking about reducing my shifts to study for exams, she would provoke me with, ++”Senpai? Are you perhaps planning to skip work for your tests? Rika always gets top grades without skipping work, you know? Since you’re Rika’s senpai, you should show me something cool, haha.”++

Especially when I told her I had a girlfriend, she said, ++”Eh, what? Someone like you, Senpai, a twisted introvert, has a girlfriend… Haha. You should really learn to distinguish between dreams and reality! Keep your delusions to yourself, haha♥”++ She clearly declared that I was crazy and made fun of me, which I couldn’t forget even if I wanted to.

At first, she was a cute Kohai who treated her Senpai with respect, but at some point, her behavior became downright rude.

Moreover, she would pester me whenever she had the chance, which was mentally exhausting. Just how much did she hate me…? Honestly, I could say I had developed an aversion to her.

When I told the master about it, he gave me a lukewarm look for some reason, and I felt extremely uncomfortable.

I really wanted to avoid being in the same space as her as much as possible…

!next

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