That didn’t sound very realistic.
Yomiuri knew that Ayase and I were now stepsiblings, and she never missed an opportunity to tease us.
That was all well and good, but where was I going to get candy…?
“All right,” I said. “I’ll bring something tomorrow.”
“Yes! That’s a promise! And should you break it…” Yomiuri let Ayase go, then wiggled her fingers at me again and said, “This was nothing. Just wait until you see me tomorrow!”
“Okay, okay.”
Just then, the clock displayed the time for our shift.
“Oh, break’s over! Saki, kiddo! Let’s get to work!”
“I’m pretty sure you were the one furthest from working…”
But Yomiuri had the most experience out of any of us, and once she got down to business, she was very efficient. She seemed to have checked the displays on the sales floor in advance and started stacking more magazines in the boxes, saying, “We’ve sold a couple of these, so let’s get out two more.”
After a while of going back and forth between the sales floor and the stockroom with replenishments, the three of us took a short break.
As we chatted over the free tea in the back office, the subject shifted to how we’d spend Halloween.
Since it was a Saturday, the parties would be going all day. The three of us had to work around our shifts, of course.
Yomiuri said she was going to parade around Shibuya in costume with her college friends and then pull an all-nighter singing karaoke. She wasn’t shy about telling us her party plans, much bolder than anything a high schooler might get up to. She said that even her associate professor would be there. Apparently, she wanted to see the youth go wild on Halloween for herself.
“She said it was an academic study, though I have a feeling she just wants to have some fun.”
“Do you mean the professor you were with the other day?” Ayase asked, appearing to have put two and two together.
“Precisely. Professor Kudou.”
“Oh yes… I remember her.”
Ayase paled at the name, and Yomiuri chuckled.
“I guess you’ve had enough of her, huh?”
“Are all university instructors like that?”
“Hmm? I think Professor Kudou is an exception. She’s famous for her odd behavior, well beyond the realm of the average human’s understanding. She’s the most brilliant woman in the department and as quick-witted as the devil.”
“Well, I understand why you wouldn’t call her as ‘wise as an angel.’”
She sounded like one hell of a teacher.
But…wait.
“Is that the person you and your friends were having coffee with?” I asked. “You know, at that pancake place?”
“Oh, that’s right. You were eavesdropping.”
I wished she wouldn’t make it sound like I was doing something wrong. I just happened to be passing by and overheard them.
“Well, I suppose she ought to tone it down a little, or we’ll lose applicants to the college.” Yomiuri sighed.
Strangely, however, Ayase mumbled back, “Not necessarily.” Her voice was so low, I wasn’t sure if Yomiuri heard her.
“Professor Kudou really is a handful.” Despite her words, Yomiuri was smiling.