“’Shasse—”
A listless voice drifted through the store.
A week had already slipped by since summer vacation ended and the second semester lectures had begun. I was currently putting in hours at the convenience store—the very place where Hayashi and I had been reunited. It was late afternoon. With my Tuesday lectures wrapping up early, I always made sure to grab this shift. Even though we were in a quiet residential area, the store got fairly busy around this hour.
Because of the rush, there were three of us on the floor: myself, the Store Manager, and one other—an acquaintance of mine who had recently started working here.
“Hayashi-san, please try to look a little more cheerful when you’re serving customers. Okay? Okay?”
“...’Su.”
Hayashi gave the manager an incredibly bored-looking reply.
This new part-timer was none other than Megumi Hayashi, my classmate from high school. Through a bizarre series of events, we were now living together.
She’d started working here in the middle of last week. Apparently, she’d been feeling guilty about living in my apartment for free. I couldn't quite remember when she officially declared her intent to get a job to pay me back, but after hitting up several interviews, this was one of the places that had actually hired her.
I’d been floored when I first found out she’d be working at the same store as me. From my perspective, I couldn't fathom why she’d choose to overlap with my own workplace of all places. I’d asked her about it directly, of course. She’d simply dismissed it as a “foolish question.” I still didn't understand what she meant by that.
Anyway, it had been a few days since she started. Since I usually ground out the late-night shifts to make the real money, today was the first time our schedules had actually coincided. Seeing the manager scold her for her customer service felt strangely nostalgic.
Right. This is the Hayashi I know.
She’d been a bit of a wreck lately due to some heavy personal issues, but the “normal” Hayashi was blunt and perpetually listless. Watching her like this brought back memories of high school... man, the nostalgia was real (I’m a moron).
“’Shasse—”
“Hayashi-san, it’s ‘Welcome to the store,’ okay? Try to say it properly.”
“’Su.”
As I stocked the shelves, I watched the manager struggle to get through to her. I felt for the guy. Hayashi was a beauty; if she actually put some effort into her service, she’d be a massive draw for the store. No wonder he was desperate. Then again, Hayashi was perceptive. She probably sensed he was trying to use her as eye candy, which was likely why she was being so difficult.
“Hayashi-san... please, help me out here.”
Her icy, aloof expression didn't budge.
“I'm done with the restock,” I announced, returning to the register. I didn't really want to step into the line of fire, but I had to keep up with the professional reporting.
“Oh... perfect. Yamamoto-kun, you say something to her too.”
“Me?”
I let out a startled yelp as I was suddenly dragged into the middle of it.
“Hayashi-san is being so unfriendly that the customers are starting to look intimidated. It’s bad for business.”
The manager wasn't wrong. While her looks were an asset, the sheer weight of her “I don't want to be here” aura was enough to make people think twice about coming back. If the customer count dropped, sales would dip—and that would eventually hurt my own paycheck.
It couldn't be helped. If she wasn't listening to the manager, she probably wouldn't listen to me either, but I figured I could at least play the sacrificial lamb.
“Hayashi.”
I called out to her back. Her shoulders jolted. She didn't turn around.
“Look... you should probably try being a little more polite to the customers.”
Even as I said it, I felt a twinge of fear. The image of the insolent queen from high school flashed through my mind. If I’d dared to offer this kind of advice or pointed something out back then...
“Huh?” or “Hah?” or “I’ll kill you,” accompanied by a terrifyingly dark smile.
There was no doubt she would have intimidated me into silence. She was genuinely scary when she got aggressive. Come to think of it, she’d given me that same treatment when we first reunited in this very store. It had been enough to make my heart break a little.
Regardless, Hayashi remained perfectly still, refusing to face me.
“...Fine.”
“Huh?”
“I said fine... If you’re the one saying it... then fine.”
Her voice was uncharacteristically weak. Without ever looking at me, she practically bolted toward the break room as if she were escaping.
“Hey, get back out here and serve people,” I muttered, staring after her in disbelief.
“...Say, Yamamoto-kun?”
“Ah, yes? What is it, Store Manager?”
“...Are you two dating?”
“No.”
“I see.”
The manager went back to his duties. Hayashi didn't emerge from the break room for another five minutes. Even once she was back, she went out of her way to avoid eye contact with me.
“W-Welcome to the store...”
She spoke in a tiny, fragile voice, her cheeks flushed a deep red. Naturally, the male customer who’d just walked in found himself momentarily captivated by the sight of her.