“Good evening～♪”

A distinctively cute, high-pitched voice echoed through the store from the back room.

Apparently, it had been almost eighteen hours since my last shift, and Suzuse had arrived for hers.

My small hope of not having to get involved with her was fragile and crumbled, as I would now be working alongside her for the next four hours.

Suzuse, dressed in the famous uniform of a girls’ school and a cute hat, was looking around the back room, her eyes darting back and forth. After looking left and right, her gaze stopped at one point, and she grinned.

“Senpai♥ Good morning～!”

As always, her smile was adorable, the kind that could bring joy to anyone around her. If I hadn’t known her true nature, I would have fallen for it completely.

“…Good morning, Suzuse-san.”

Since I was at work, I responded to her greeting, at least.

“Rika-chan, good to see you! It’s a big help that you’re always on time, just like Minazuki-kun.”

“Geez～ Master! If you praise me like that, Rika will have to work extra hard～!”

“Ahaha! If a young girl is working hard, then this old man can’t be outdone!”

“Oh, Master, you’re still young～!”

++What on earth am I even seeing here?++

While Suzuse and the Master were chatting happily, I quietly continued cooking. 

They looked like a close grandfather and granddaughter. Watching them, it was clear that Suzuse wasn’t a bad kid.

She always remembered what she was taught and had never been late. A diligent and reliable girl who could handle herself well, even with adults. Rare these days, perhaps?

++——But it is precisely because she isn’t a bad kid that I can’t understand.++

“Hey, hey, Senpai. How do I look? My uniform♥ Isn’t it cute～!”

Suzuse, who had changed into her uniform at some point, spun around on the spot to show it off, and asked me with an annoyingly cute and mischievous grin.

++——Why is she so intent on involving herself with me?++

At first glance, she seemed like a Kohai admiring her senior.

“Pff, Senpai, when someone like you, an introvert, is nearby～ Rika’s charm stands out even more♥”

But would someone say that to a person they admire? She was clearly mocking me, and I really had no idea what she was thinking when she interacted with me in that way.

“Yeah, I think you’re as cute as ever.”

Well, it’s true that she was cute.

The monotone colors of her uniform further accentuated her distinctive features, and the imbalance between the chic outfit and her lovely appearance made her even more charming.

“Senpai, you actually have good taste! I’ll praise you for that!!”

For some reason, Suzuse blushed and turned away with a huff.

++Is she possibly embarrassed?++ But surely she was used to compliments, and I couldn’t imagine her being happy about a remark from me, someone she seemed to dislike… Also, that last comment was unnecessary.

++Does she have some kind of illness that compels her to belittle me?++

“If you’re done changing, get to work. We’re getting busy.”

“Geez, I know that～!”

Suzuse puffed out her cheeks as if she was angry and headed towards the dining area.

!next

“Good work today.”

Having finished a shift that felt longer than usual, I quickly changed and tried to leave the back room.

“Hold on! Senpai!? Why are you trying to leave without me——!”

For some reason, Suzuse blocked the doorway.

++Wait, she’s already changed?++ I thought the same when she arrived, but she was really quick at changing.

“Suzuse-san?”

“That’s right, it’s your cute kohai, Suzuse Rika～!”

“Um, I’d like to go home now, so could you please move?”

“That’s a no-go! Geez, Senpai, you’re always like this!”

She was needlessly energetic even after work. And what did she mean by “you’re always like this!”? Her high energy and nonsensical comments were giving me a headache.

“Hehe! I’ll grant you the honor of walking your cute kohai part way home!!”

++Ugh, I don’t need that.++

“Um, can I cancel this?”

“No cancellations allowed!”

++I knew it.++

“…Sigh, fine. I’ll walk you to the station, Suzuse-san.”

I couldn’t bring myself to let a beautiful girl like Suzuse walk alone at this hour, and since I had already walked her home a few times when our shifts overlapped, I reluctantly agreed.

“Your reluctant attitude towards the honor of walking home your cute kohai is a bit annoying, but whatever. Let’s go home together!”

Still brimming with inexplicable energy, Suzuse and I left and walked towards the station.

!next

As we walked towards the station,

“By the way, Senpai～!”

Suzuse, who was walking ahead of me, suddenly turned around as if she’d remembered something.

“Did something happen to you today～?”

“Huh? Why do you think that?”

++Why are the girls around me so perceptive? I wish I could have a fraction of that perceptiveness to deal with all my troubles with women++

“Because you look like you’re not feeling well. You didn’t make any mistakes during your shift, but there were a few close calls, right?”

“Ugh, well, yeah.”

Fortunately, I hadn’t caused any injuries or mistakes, but as Suzuse had pointed out, I’d been spacing out a few times while handling fire. I didn’t think she’d notice, but if she had seen that, it’s no wonder she thought something was up.

“So, what happened? Come on, your cute Kohai is offering to listen, so why don’t you just spill it all out?”

I didn’t want to talk about it at all, but I knew she wouldn’t back off if I refused. They say things happen in threes, but I never thought I’d have to explain this a third time… I was so tired of explaining it that I felt numb.

“Ah, my girlfriend dumped me.”

“Eh? Your girlfriend in your imagination?”

“No! She’s a real girlfriend!!”

++Why do I even have to start by explaining that!?++

….

……..

…………

“So, you’re saying, you got dumped by your girlfriend because she fell in love with someone else?”

Finally understanding that I wasn’t talking about an imaginary girlfriend, Suzuse seemed to grasp what had happened.

“Yeah.”

“Hmm, sounds like she was pretty awful, huh.”

++Oh, so it’s not just me?++

If even someone else thought the same, then at least my perception wasn’t wrong.

“But it’s a little unexpected that you’d be so affected by a breakup. You’re really hopeless, Senpai. Pffft, such a loser♥”

I wanted to retort to her mocking laughter, but I couldn’t. It was true that I hadn’t been feeling well since it happened.

“…Though, this is a bit unexpected. I’ll need to be more careful (murmuring).”

“Huh? Did you say something?”

I couldn’t hear her well because a car passed by just then.

“Nope! I was just saying that Senpai, you’re still as clueless as ever――Oh, we’re at the station.”

As Suzuse had said, the familiar station building came into view. Seeing the station, Suzuse ran ahead of me.

“Well then, loser Senpai～! Good work today～!”

“Ah, yeah! Good work!”

After saying what she wanted, Suzuse went through the station ticket gate.

After watching her go, I slowly turned away from the station.

“I feel tired… I should go home too.”

I started to walk back home.

“—Ah, I need to buy ice cream.”

Apparently, I wasn’t going home just yet.

!next

**SIDE: Suzuse Rika**

On the train, I sent a message to my dad while recalling my conversation with Senpai earlier.

“I can’t believe Senpai actually had a girlfriend… Hmph.”

It was completely unexpected.

Of course, I knew Senpai was actually handsome and a good person, but based on his usual appearance, I’d assumed no one would consider dating him.

++I had planned to be Senpai’s first in everything, but to think someone beat me to it…++

“…But, since they’ve broken up, I don’t need to worry about that anymore, right?”

Even from a woman’s perspective, I found the reason for their breakup despicable, but I was honestly glad that Senpai had broken free from such a woman and was now single.

Besides, he didn’t seem particularly attached to or hung up on his ex-girlfriend. …Although he was definitely not feeling well, which worried me.

“Well, kind Rika will forgive Senpai for his mistake♥”

++——Of course, if they had already slept together, I wouldn’t know what to do.++

“Hmm?”

As I pondered these unsettling thoughts, I received a message from my dad. As usual, he had arranged for a car to pick me up.

He was so overprotective, I thought, shifting my gaze from my phone to the window.

“Hehe, I’m looking forward to this. Senpai♥”

Reflected in the window, a dark, unreadable smile spread across my face, different from the one I showed at school, work, or even when teasing Senpai.

!next

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