“W-Wait, look up! Seriously! Please!”
What was with this sudden wave of guilt? I felt like my heart was about to explode. Actually, I didn't even understand the situation. Why the sudden dogeza? Was I really that scary? Did I pressure her that much?!
Eeeek!! Please, just look up already!!
“I-I’m just a part-timer! I don’t have the power to fire you, Ichinose-san!”
“I-I’ll make sure I can do everything...!”
“I get it, I get it! I understand you’re motivated, so just look up! It’s more of a problem for me if you stay like that!”
At my desperate plea, Ichinose-san finally raised her head. My eyes met hers, which were wavering with anxiety. I nodded repeatedly in a frantic attempt to play it off, and she narrowed her eyes as if relieved. By the end, I was practically screaming at her to just look up.
“W-What happened?! What’s going on?!”
“It’s nothing! Everything’s fine, Manager! Ichinose-san is staying on! She’s taking the mound again tomorrow!”
“R-Really?!”
“Really!”
Th-That was close!!! If I’d been one step slower, I would have been the one getting the axe!! No, wait—what kind of person am I for making such a timid girl prostrate herself? Honestly, I’m the one who should be sent to the guillotine. Am I not straight-up violating labor ethics right now?!
“I-Ichinose-san! If you’ve got the drive, let’s give it our all starting tomorrow, okay?! Right?!”
“Y-Yes...”
She answered with frightened eyes. God, I just wanted to crawl into a hole and die. I wondered if I could even make it home safely today. I felt like I might just collapse from heatstroke in the middle of the street and be perfectly happy about it.
“I see... well, that’s good. It’s about time, so you two should head home.”
“Ah, no, the usual tasks probably aren’t finished yet. I’ll stay behind alone.”
“No, no, today is an exception. Just work hard tomorrow to make up for it. Mina-chan, make sure you show up too, okay?”
“...I-I see. Understood...”
Ichinose-san had stopped crying, but her eyes and face were still flushed. She’d actually been crying since we called the Wife earlier, so no one suspected any foul play on my part, but I almost felt like it would be better if everyone just blamed me. I just wanted to be pummeled by a torrential downpour.
“Well... shall we head home for today then, Ichinose-san?”
“Y-Yes.”
Whoa, seriously? Her eyes were screaming, “If I don't answer, he's going to snap.” What am I, a high school PE teacher? We’re supposed to be peers, and classmates at that... we even sit next to each other in class...
I grabbed my things and stepped outside first. As Ichinose-san followed me out, I noticed something.
“I-Ichinose-san? Are you... keeping your hairpins in...?”
“—Ah...!”
Ichinose-san shook her head weakly. When she removed the hairpins from both sides of her bangs, her long hair fell to cover her eyes as usual. I worried whether she could even see where she was going, but at the same time, I felt a shameful sense of relief that the traces of her crying were hidden.
Destruction of evidence... ah... I could feel myself becoming a lower-tier human by the minute. If I died now, there was no way I’d go to heaven. I’d probably be dropped into hell and forced to do a dogeza on a mountain of needles. A blood bath? It would probably just smell like iron.
As we parted ways, I watched her small back as she bowed to me and the Old man before scurrying off, leaving me with a heavy heart. For some reason, the Old man gave me a rare, gentle pat on the back. Twice. Please, don't. Seriously.
I didn’t even remember the walk home. It was only after I’d showered and stepped into the air-conditioned living room that I realized my mind had been completely blank. It was only a little past noon, yet why was I this exhausted? Was this what they called mental fatigue?
“Wataru, your phone’s been buzzing like crazy.”
“Ah... yeah, my smartphone, right.”
“Ah, that’s right.”
Mom, who was washing the bowl she’d used for somen noodles, told me about the notifications. I felt like the routine of correcting her calling it a 'cell phone' happened almost every day. Fresh out of the bath and feeling like I was drifting on water, I unlocked my smartphone. Perhaps because of my depressed mood, everything felt somewhat surreal.
【Wait, wasn't Wataru just looking at the chat?】
【You're right. He's not looking now, though. Maybe he's in the middle of his part-time job?】
【A part-time job... I wonder if he's busy.】
【Hmm... he didn't give us any details, after all.】
It was the continuation of the conversation I’d glanced at during my break. They’d noticed for a split second that I’d marked it as read. It looked like the conversation had continued for a while after that. Those two were still talking?
【I wonder if Wataru... is free this afternoon.】
【He's probably free, right? It's Sajocchi, after all~】
I was free... but. Wait, what? Was this an invitation? No way, right? Surely they wouldn't mix a guy into a girls’ hangout.
【Sajocchi! Let's go see Aichi and Airi-chan this afternoon!】
No way, for real? A legit invitation. What should I do...? I wasn't exactly in the state of mind to meet them with my usual energy. Even in the classroom, just dealing with two girls alone was enough to make me nervous. Also, “Aichi and Airi” was a confusing combination.
Calm down. Let’s look at this another way. I could already see a future where everything would be a mess if I faced tomorrow with my current mood. In that case, wouldn't jumping into an extraordinary situation to change my pace be an effective move? Also, should I take another shower? Use a stronger body soap?
Following Ashida’s message saying 【Let me know when your job is over!】, there was already another message saying 【I'm on my way now~】. Apparently, Ashida had long since finished her club activities, showered, and was already heading to Natsukawa’s house.
“I... lost out to Ashida...?”
I never thought the day would come when I’d lose to Ashida when it came to Natsukawa... well, actually, I lost to her quite a bit. Those two were always flirting in a way that made me envious. It was great that they were so close. Feel free to forget about me and just keep being a feast for my eyes, okay?
【Good work today. This has turned into quite the conversation.】
【Sajocchi! Isn't it weird for high schoolers to say 'good work' to each other?! Is that a professional habit?】
【So you really were working at your part-time job.】
【Thank you very much.】
【Sajocchi. Aichi is having trouble figuring out how to reply.】
When I joined the conversation, the Goddess suddenly appeared and commented. All I could do was offer my thanks. Should I bring an offering? Or maybe the kind where you toss in small change?
【Sajowaa】
...Hm?
【Sajoo, not here yet?】
Calm down, me. Suppress the urge to jump for joy. That’s right, I’ll buy out the convenience store’s sweets section. Yes, that’s the plan. I felt like drowning in fresh cream right about now anyway. I felt like the sugar in my brain was completely depleted. Just you wait, Airi-chan. Today, I’m going to take all that energy of yours and use it to beat my trauma into submission.
【I'm gonna bring a bunch of stuff.】
【Airi-chan had kind of started to forget Sajocchi, didn't she? (lol)】
【When I mentioned the person Airi bumped into, Iiboshi-san's name came up...】
【No way.】
Wait, Airi-chan...? I see, so my rival was Iiboshi-san. That’s a formidable opponent.
【What did she say that made her remember?】
【That he had weird hair...】
【Thank you very much.】
【Sajocchi. Could you give Aichi some room so she doesn't have to feel so guilty?】
I’m seriously grateful she even remembered me. Wait, Ashida is already at Natsukawa’s place? I’m totally behind. Is it even okay for me to go? It totally feels like a girls’ hangout; if I join in, I might ruin the vibe. Maybe I’m just going to be in the way... If they’re just being polite, I’d rather they didn’t hold back.
【Is it really okay if I go?】
This was important. Even when I thought I understood a girl’s heart, there were times when I really didn’t. It might be that, without me noticing, they were subtly hinting, “We’re having fun on our own.” I mean, it was a girls’ gathering so far, right? What if I misunderstood, went over there, and things got awkward? Thinking rationally, it’s not exactly normal for a guy to just show up at a girl’s house as if he belongs there, right?
So, by asking this, I was trying to get their honest—
【Eh? Just come over already, what are you saying?】
【Ah, right.】
Th-That was fast...!
Ashida’s immediate retort was so blunt that I replied in a panic. Huh? Is that the level of casualness we’re at? She said it like it was the most obvious thing in the world. Does it mean she’ll get mad if I don't go? This old man is surprised. Old man... ugh, that reminded me of something unpleasant.
【Eh? You're coming, right?】
【Ah, I'm coming, I'm coming. I'll head over now.】
【Yeah, okay.】
W-Was it my imagination...? The air through the messages felt a bit... sharp. It’ll be okay, right? I won’t get hurt, right? Ashida-san is a little scary. After what happened earlier today, maybe I’m developing a trauma regarding “high school girls”... haha, hahahaha.
No, I just plain like them.