Mei was unapproachable after that. He worked in silence, and whenever I tried to call out to him, he erased his presence to disappear entirely. Now that’s just terrifying. At this rate, even if I suggest he rejoin the band, he’ll obviously just shoot me down. What now? My agonizing was interrupted by a ding from my phone.
Funayama: May I have a moment of your time to talk?
It was a message from Mei’s girlfriend. She must’ve added me on RINE through our class group chat.
Natsuki: Is it about Mei?
Funayama: Yes. He told me that he’s quitting the band...
Natsuki: Got it. When is good for you?
Funayama: Mei-kun told me that you’re both currently working. Is that right?
Natsuki: Yeah
Funayama: Do you think you could stay after your shift ends for a little bit?
Natsuki: I’m not off until past nine though, is that okay?
Funayama: Yes. I live nearby.
After I set up a time to meet with Funayama-san, I put my phone away. Makes sense that you’d be worried when your boyfriend suddenly announces that he’s going to quit his band.
“Hey now, Haibara. Why are you slacking off?” my manager reprimanded me.
“S-Sorry! I’m on it!” I hastily returned to work. After that, it was the dinnertime rush, so I had to hectically cook dish after dish. Finally, after my shift ended, Mei and I both got off at nine. We didn’t say a word in the break room.
“Well then... I’ll take my leave first.” Mei finished changing before me, bowed slightly, and left the room.
“I’m going to stick around for a little,” I told the manager, and ordered a melon soda. I had considered getting coffee, but if I drank caffeine this late, I likely wouldn’t be able to fall asleep.
The door chime rang, and Funayama-san entered, wearing street clothes. She had on a band T-shirt and a miniskirt. Her long black hair was tied up behind her head. Her casual appearance was a complete about-face compared to the usual diligent student aura she exuded, and I was caught off guard. Her long and slender thighs, however, were dazzling.
I cleared my throat, switched mental gears, and waved at Funayama-san. She approached me and then lowered her head, her expression apologetic.
“I’m sorry for contacting you so late at night. I had to talk to you before it was too late,” she said.
“It’s fine. I also wanted to talk to you. Come on, take a seat.” I urged her to sit down and handed her the menu.
“I’ll have an iced coffee,” she said.
“Is it okay for you to drink coffee this late?”
“I’ll be fine. Caffeine is a staple, so...”
I recoiled. “What? Yikes...”
Funayama-san smiled.
I can’t tell whether she’s joking or being serious, but I missed my opportunity to say something witty. I coughed and got us back on track. “You came to watch us play the other day, right?”
“Yes, because Mei-kun invited me. I had fun.”
She doesn’t sound like she’s being polite. I agree the music festival was a fun event... No thanks to us, though.
“After the event, he suddenly said that he’d quit the band. I found it strange. It wasn’t like the performance was a flop. But Mei-kun only gave me a vague explanation, so...” Funayama-san’s face fell.
I see, so Mei hasn’t told her. What should I do? If he’s hiding it from his girlfriend, then I probably shouldn’t blab. If I do, the situation might get even more complicated. “Did Mei say anything else?”
“Um... He said that he didn’t want to be in the band anymore if he was going to get attacked like that, and then he got depressed. So I gave him head pats, but he wouldn’t tell me the reason...”
Mei... Dude, your girlfriend really coddles you, huh.
“Oh, I’m sorry,” she said. “It sounds like I’m bragging, doesn’t it?”
“Nah, it’s fine. Don’t worry about it.” I am a little curious about my friends’ dating lives!
The door chime rang again.
Huh, it’s already past nine. We rarely get new customers at this time, even though the café closes at ten.
As I was thinking that, I heard someone say, “Whew, that was close. I almost forgot my—”
It was Mei. He stood petrified by the door, his eyes on us. Funayama-san, who had her back to the entrance, gave me a puzzled look. Wondering what had happened, she turned around and instantly locked eyes with Mei.
“Huh? Natsuki and...Shizuki?” he said.
“Y-Yo, Mei. I just saw you!” Uh-oh, isn’t this very, very bad? He just strolled in on his girlfriend meeting up with his friend alone late at night.
“G-Good evening, Mei-kun...” Funayama-san must have thought the same, because her voice had gone up a pitch.
Mei did a double take, rubbed his eyes, and looked at us once more. Then, tears streamed out of the corners of his eyes. “A-Are you cheating on me?! Oh my god, talk about insult to injuryyy!” he screamed and bolted out of the store.
“W-Wait, Mei-kun! You’ve got it all wrong! There’s a reason for this!” Funayama-san frantically ran after him.
The manager, standing behind the counter, silently glowered at me. I bowed apologetically to all the customers who were still in the café.