I (30), Who Works for a Black Company and Died While Regretting My Gloomy Life, Started Over From High School!
Chapter 112: Niihama Gets Teased at His Part-Time Job

I found myself frozen when I unexpectedly ran into Haruka.

Well, of course, this is a cafe anyone can enter, and it’s not strange for Haruka to come here. I inadvertently blurted out, “Why are you here!?” But Haruka probably came for a cup of tea or something like that.

But even so… It’s too much of a coincidence to run into each other like this. I want to shout that out loud.

(Calm down… It was unexpected that my part-time job got revealed, but the reason I wanted to keep it a secret is really just a minor thing, so it’s not a big deal.)

It’s too late now.

Regardless of the purpose of my part-time job, I’ll have to explain why I’ve been so busy after school recently.

“Phew, sorry for making a big fuss, Haruka. Seems like you got surprised too, but as you can see, I’m working at this book cafe.”

“R-Really? Um, yeah. It was surprising news, but, uh, about your name…”

“It’s fine if I tell you, but… huh? What’s going on…? Fu, Kazamihara-san and Fudehashi-san!? You two are here too!?”

In the shock of encountering Haruka, I finally noticed that Kazamihara and Fudehashi were sitting at the same table as Haruka. And for some reason… both of them are grinning oddly?

“Yeah, we’re here too. It’s disappointing as friends that we’re not even noticed because of Haruka’s overwhelming presence.”

“Come to think of it, Niihama brought a parfait for three people, right? Did you think Haruka was going to eat it all by herself?”

Though it’s pretty awful that I didn’t notice them, even if they blame me, it’s not surprising they’re here. However, their mouths have been grinning evilly for a while now.

“Uh, well, I mean, after all, it’s okay to tell you. So, since when did you start using first names?”

“Oh, come on! That’s just too secretive! It’s fishy that you kept that from us! Show us again how you call each other by name! Come on, come on!”

(Oh…? Ah, right! In the heat of the moment, I accidentally called Haruka by her name!)

Oh no…! What should I do?

Haruka is looking at me with a somewhat troubled expression, like a child looking to her parent for help…

(Well, there’s no helping it… It’s probably fine to tell these two and Ginji about it from the start anyway.)

I shifted my gaze to Haruka and nodded slightly. It was a silent message saying, “Is it okay to confess to these two?” Haruka understood and nodded back.

“Uh… well, actually, after I came back from the sea, things turned out like that. I’m sorry for not saying anything, but I wanted to avoid any trouble at school by accidentally using our names.”

“Oh… ohhhhhhh! Have you finally… you know, made it to that point? We should throw a party or something, right!?”

“Wow, wowowowow! That’s amazing! Your wish finally came true! Seriously, I’m so happy for you! Niihama-kun’s dream came true!”

When I gently conveyed that we had started using each other’s names, Kazamihara and Fudehashi responded with sparkling eyes and enthusiastic reactions.

…It’s just like how my sister would react. I can easily imagine they’re mistaking something.

“Come on, that’s too much. It’s not that big of a deal. Haruka allowed me to call her by her first name as friends, just like you two.”

“…Huh?”

“…Huh?”

Haruka, with a slightly embarrassed expression, softly uttered these words, causing Kazamihara and Fudehashi to tone down their exuberant enthusiasm, looking puzzled.

“Um… Niihama-kun? What’s going on here? You’re not saying that you haven’t actually… crossed that line, right?”

“It’s hard to believe… Could it be you’re still just friends on a first-name basis…?”

The two of them now send me disbelieving glances with expressions like, “No way, right?”

I silently shook my head and crossed my index fingers in an X shape to indicate “no.”

That’s right… While reaching the point of using first names is a noteworthy achievement, Haruka hasn’t quite advanced from the level of considering me a friend…

As the two of them stared at me with a look of disbelief like “You’ve got to be kidding,” I solemnly accepted it.

And then, the acting manager, Mishima-san, entered the hall with a slightly tired expression, having apparently finished some office work earlier.

It seems that there were quite a few people who used to slack off during their part-time jobs in college or high school, so a habit developed of occasionally checking if there were any staff members being too lax.

Hmm, it’s not a good idea to keep talking to my friends like this…

“Sorry, I need to get back to being a serious employee for a moment since the manager is watching. – Thank you for waiting, dear customers. We appreciate your visit today.”

“Huh…”

Standing up straight, I put on a cheerful business smile. While maintaining an approachable and friendly demeanor for the customers, I offer the parfait that was on the tray on the table to my classmates, the girls.

I also remember the basic rule of placing the sweets from the left side, ensuring there’s no direct contact between the customers’ hands and the provided items.

“Here we have the limited-time Three-Flavor Macaron Parfait. Each parfait comes with matcha, chocolate, and strawberry flavors, and the ice cream portion is also made with the same three macaron flavors. The glass is well chilled, so please enjoy it at your leisure.”

Just like in a high-end restaurant, I add a brief explanation to enhance the value of the sweets. It’s worth noting that I’m not just doing this on my own; it’s a template speech we use for offering seasonal limited menus.

“Now then, if you’ll excuse me… Oh, did Mishima-san leave?”

The acting manager is no longer here, but it’s probably not a great idea to keep chatting with my friends. So, as I was about to leave…

“Woah, that was amazing! The way you were just now, Shinichiro-kun, you looked just like a real waiter!”

“Well, I am a real waiter, you know!?”

In response to Haruka’s apparently genuine admiration, I couldn’t help but make a reflexive comeback.

“But seriously, I was a bit surprised. It’s like you suddenly became an adult. You don’t have that newbie freshness anymore; you seem more like a seasoned pro!”

“More like someone who’s been working here for about five years. Also, Niihama-kun, there’s something about you that makes you seem more mature. It’s less out of place to see you working rather than being a high school student.”

“Are Kazamihara-san and Fudehashi-san actually complimenting me…?”

I groaned in response to the girls’ spontaneous words. I couldn’t help but chuckle a little at how I seem to lack that high school-like freshness.

“Um, Shinichiro-kun…!”

“Y-Yeah? What is it?”

Turning around in response to her voice, I noticed Haruka was looking at me with a slightly excited gaze, radiating warmth and approval. She seemed genuinely impressed.

“I never thought you’d be working a part-time job, Shinichiro-kun. The way you handle your work is so dignified and cool!”

“Wha—!”

Haruka was probably genuinely complimenting me on my work effort, but from an outsider’s perspective, it sounded like she was visiting her boyfriend’s workplace and gushing over him. And, since she’s an incredibly beautiful girl, the surrounding customers were also starting to pay attention, causing my cheeks to flush with a mix of happiness and embarrassment.

“Oh, thank you… Sorry, but I should get back to work before I really start slacking off. This café seems to be short-staffed with young employees, and the manager’s been strict about it.”

“Understood! Well then, please do your best, Shinichiro-kun!”

“Y-Yeah. Haruka, take your time.”

Seeing us calling each other by name again, Kazamihara and Fudehashi had grins on their faces once more.

“See, did you hear that? They’re openly using each other’s names again. It’s almost like they’re a silly couple, but in reality, they’re not. It’s kind of like a fraud, isn’t it?”

They were freely making comments like these with mischievous smiles.

I wanted to retort to their mischievous smiles, but I couldn’t just keep interrupting my work, so I quickly left the scene.

Ugh… having acquaintances show up at my workplace really is embarrassing, after all…

(TLN) Thanks everyone for all the comments! I read every single one and it really keeps me going.