I (30), Who Works for a Black Company and Died While Regretting My Gloomy Life, Started Over From High School!
Chapter 118: The President Gets Mistaken for a Suspicious Person

“Phew, there are quite a lot of customers today…”

“Yes, it’s not as busy as when I was at the register, but it’s still quite crowded.”

I muttered these words, and Haruka responded without pausing her hands as she made drinks behind the counter.

Today, I’m standing in the hall, responsible for serving parfaits and food, as well as clearing tables… it does feel like there are more customers compared to before.

(Well, this Book Cafe has really changed the image of the old ‘bookstore’. If awareness increases, the customers will naturally come…)

This Book Cafe “Rakunichi” has a stylish and trendy design that completely overturns the image of an old “bookstore,” and it serves high-quality and well-thought-out food and drinks.

However, the concept of a book cafe hasn’t completely generalized in this era, so foot traffic hasn’t been as expected.

Thus, aggressive advertising was necessary, but due to factors like the consultant’s hospitalization and the existence of the naysayers about the new venture at the headquarters – as I overheard from Mishima-san – the budget was tight.

(And thanks to Haruka’s cuteness, we’ve got a mix of both positive and negative reactions from a large number of customers, turning this into a massive book cafe experience event. It seems like the regular customers have increased, which makes Mishima-san happy, too.)

Well, because the wrath of the president is terrifying, I probably shouldn’t have Haruka stand at the register again…

“Oh, Niihama-senpai! Two Coffee Jelly Parfaits for table number two, please!”

“Oh, sure. I’ll take care of delivering that.”

Haruka hands over the sweets she made, and that radiant smile and the way she calls me “Niihama-senpai” still make me a bit bashful.

Moreover, Haruka seems to enjoy using that nickname, repeating it as if she’s having fun.

“We’ve got your order ready! Here’s the Coffee Jelly Parfait!”

With a business-smile that she’s become quite natural at, she serves the sweets, and two girls who look like junior high school students at one of the table seats smile in response.

Although I’m not the one who made these sweets, seeing the customers pleased like this still makes me happy.

(Hm…?)

Suddenly, I notice a man in a trench coat raising his hand at a table near the edge of the shop.

Clearly, he’s calling for a staff member, and I naturally head over to the table.

Never in my wildest dreams did I anticipate what would unfold next, and I approach the table with a light-hearted feeling.

“Sorry to keep you waiting. How can I help you?”

I address him, but for some reason, the man doesn’t say anything. Moreover, he’s wearing sunglasses and hunched over, so I can’t read his expression.

Come to think of it, he seems to have sunglasses on… could he be some kind of suspicious person?

“Why…”

“Yes? What is it?”

…Huh?

There’s something familiar about this voice…

“Why are you…!”

“Whoa, what’s going on, Tokimune-san!?”

Sudden and out of the blue, the voice of the president, who appears as if from thin air, startles me deeply.

Although he’s trying to keep his volume down to avoid causing a disturbance, the weight of his face and voice is enough to make my heart feel like it’s about to jump out of my chest.

“Wh-Why are you here like this…?”

I don’t raise my voice like a normal person would when faced with such a shocking situation. But honestly, my thoughts are in quite a bit of turmoil.

And what’s the deal with that trench coat and sunglasses ensemble!?

For a moment, I thought he was cosplaying as an Italian mafia member!

“I’m just here to inspect my own company’s new store…! And what about you? Why are you in the store where Haruka is working!?”

“Uh, well, originally I started working here before Haruka did…”

This outfit is too suspicious for an inspection… I wanted to point that out, but I bite my tongue and succinctly explain my situation as an employee.

“Wh-What…?”

“Yes, that’s right. Though I started working here first, Haruka followed suit later on. Isn’t it that way around? Why didn’t you ever mention this to me?”

“Um…”

By the way, I’m getting this answer from Haruka.

According to her, she said, “If I tell Father that Niihama-kun is working at the same part-time job, he’s definitely going to make a big fuss with incomprehensible comments again! I’ve learned my lesson when it comes to that!” and something along those lines.

Even that pure-hearted girl seems to have learned not to tell everything to her father, especially during her teenage years. But it’s not like I can convey this to her overprotective father.

I mean, I could shock him into a heart attack…

“Uh, well, it seems like Haruka isn’t feeling well at all about her father showing up where she works. So, could you please rest assured? Both Mishima-san, the store manager, and I are making sure things are under control to prevent harassment or unwelcome advances.”

“The one with the highest danger level is lecturing me!? Even if circumstances forced you to work in the same place, isn’t this your chance to increase Haruka’s favorability toward you!?”

“Yes, that’s right. I intend to fully utilize the good fortune of working at the same place and try to earn some points with her.”

“Don’t you dare put on that smug face and deny it! And you, don’t get too comfortable with me after being terrified when you first came to our house!?”

I shared my honest thoughts, but as expected, Tokimune-san got angry.

But come on, Tokimune-san.

I know you’re crazy about your daughter, but I won’t back down from this.

Life and youth are fleeting, and my philosophy, as someone who’s died once already, is to act without regrets.

So, I don’t intend to hold back at all.

“Well, let’s all calm down for now. Would you like something else to drink? I’d personally recommend the cappuccino or espresso.”

“Argh, I don’t want that! More importantly, about Haruka—”

“…Father, what are you doing?”

Suddenly, a cold voice reaches us, and Tokimune-san stiffens.

He turns his head hesitantly as cold sweat streams down the genius entrepreneur, and there he finds Haruka looking at him with a chilling expression.

Although I tried to keep my voice down, our conversation must have drawn some attention, and it must have caught Haruka’s eye.

And then, without expecting any trouble, I responded to what seemed like a simple interaction with a visitor…

“Haruka, well, you see… this is…”

“I did tell you, didn’t I? To please not come to where I’m working.”

Normally, Haruka is all smiles, but she’s clearly angry, and her voice has a chilling edge to it.

(Regardless of gender, the beauty that makes people sigh is quite fearsome when her gaze sharpens due to anger, turning into a compelling force that takes one’s breath away.)

“N-No, wait, Haruka! I definitely didn’t come here to check on your work environment. I’m here as the president to conduct a surprise inspection of this test store! I certainly didn’t ignore your words…”

“…Then couldn’t you have come on a day when I’m not on shift? Even if it had to be today due to circumstances, what’s with sneaking into the shop without explaining to me beforehand? Hiding like that?”

“Uh, well…”

Trying to divert her attention, Tokimune-san stammered, and Haruka calmly retorted with a stunning comeback.

Hmm, it seems like she’s quite sharp-tongued when she’s angry, just like when she clashed with that handsome delinquent, Mitarashi.

“Well, I apologize… I was in the wrong. I was just really concerned about you and worried that my role as the president was affecting your work. I was afraid you might struggle, given your gentle nature…”

Seemingly realizing he couldn’t escape this any longer, the president offered a full apology.

Well, knowing this man’s extreme love for his daughter, I don’t doubt he’s genuinely concerned about her well-being.

“…Phew, making more commotion will cause trouble for the shop, so I’ll let it slide for now. It’s nice that you care, but I’m not a little kid anymore.”

“…I have no excuses. I was wrong this time. But… are you really okay?”

Tokimune-san stood up and put his hand on Haruka’s shoulder, looking at her through his sunglasses with an expression that mixed both loneliness and relief.

His concern is understandable. With Haruka’s beauty, she’s likely to attract unwanted attention and trouble in a customer service job. Without proper management in place, even her excellent performance might not be enough.

“Yes, everything is fine on that front. There are times when things can be a bit challenging, but… ah, no, I mean, both Niihama-kun and the store manager are taking good care of me, and the other staff members are treating me really well too!”

Haruka said, showing a beaming smile as if she’s proud of her workplace.

It’s a lively smile that overflows with youth, something you wouldn’t see from someone who’s under a lot of workplace stress.

“I see, so you’re really managing well. Finally, I can feel relieved.”

Tokimune-san, still with his hand on Haruka’s shoulder, showed a mixed expression of relief and a bit of sadness. He’s likely happy about his daughter’s growth but also feeling the loneliness of her becoming more independent.

“I apologize for disturbing you during work. Well then, keep up the good work in the future—”

“Cu-customer, ahahahahahahah!”

Just as it seemed like the conversation was coming to a neat conclusion, the acting manager, Mishima-san, in a suit, rushed to the scene with a panicky expression.

(Wha-what…? What’s going on!?)

Sudden intrusion left us all in wide-eyed surprise.

The very anxious female manager’s gaze was directed at… Tokimune-san?

“E-Excuse me, please let go…! We absolutely do not permit physical contact with our employees or any personal advances at this establishment! If you do not comply, we will contact the police!”

“…………”

With a sense of duty, courage, and an evident mix of anger that said, “How dare you do something to the president’s daughter!” all written on her face, Mishima-san boldly delivered her declaration while shielding Haruka.

And at this point, the three of us, having grasped the meaning of her words, stood there frozen, wearing expressions that were hard to describe.

Ah… well…

If you think about it calmly, Mishima-san’s actions are by no means bad.

After all, Tokimune-san was dressed in the stereotypical suspicious attire of sunglasses and a trench coat, and he was talking to Haruka with a desperate expression while touching her shoulder.

To an onlooker, it might appear like a suspicious man was touching a young girl and speaking to her aggressively. In fact, his efforts to protect his employee from a suspicious man could be seen as an act of utmost responsibility for a store manager.

But well, it’s just that… the timing is really unfortunate.

“Well, well, to be feared to this extent… I wonder if I’m really seen as such a ruthless president…?”

“No… Maybe because you’ve been saying things like ‘If anyone tries to approach my daughter, I’ll ship them off to Siberia!’ (Information courtesy of Mishima-san), such an image has been established…”

At the start of this whole mess, Tokimune-san muttered in a voice that sounded quite remorseful, and I couldn’t help but interject with a mumbled retort.