Chapter 163

Thinking that he had to repay her for her devotion somehow, he washed his hands and was about to head into the living room when Mahiru clung to him from behind. He tried to turn around and see her expression, but he couldn’t since she had her face pressed into his back. All he could tell was that she was being bashful. Mahiru ground her forehead into his back and clung to him, squeezing her arms tightly around his midsection. He chuckled, feeling a little glad he had been exercising lately. Mahiru seemed to be able to tell from his breathing and the movement of his belly that he was laughing and slapped him on the stomach a few times. “…I appreciate the thanks, but don’t catch me off guard like that!” “Should I announce it beforehand when I’m going to praise you?” “Th-that would cause its own problems… One of these days, I’m going to have you at my mercy, you’ll see,” Mahiru said as she pulled away from him. She looked all worked up for some reason as she escaped toward the kitchen in a hurry. Chuckling quietly and thinking it was a gallant way of escaping, Amane went into his bedroom to change. “So anyway, how was your job?” Mahiru had arranged a complete Japanese-style meal for them that evening, and as they were eating, she asked him, slightly restlessly, about work. She sounded worried. Mahiru seemed to be trying to refrain from saying too much about Amane’s new job, but she was curious about his first day at work. “Mm, I didn’t really have any issues. I mean, it was my first day, so they didn’t give me any big jobs to do. All the seniors seem like nice people, and I think it’ll be a good place to work.” “Is that so…? That’s great. I was wondering what you’d do if it turned out to be a nasty place…” “I got an introduction from Kido, and Kayano works there and doesn’t seem unhappy about it, so I think I’m all good on that front.” To begin with, the person running the place was Ayaka’s relative, Fumika, so if there were any problems, Ayaka would probably know, and she would probably not let Souji work there. For that reason, Amane felt secure enough to start working a part-time job there. Although he hadn’t known Ayaka for that long, and although he had told Mahiru about her being a little strange and having certain over-the-top interests, he thought she was a good person. And the owner, Fumika, if only she didn’t get so carried away by her fantasies, was usually a kind and responsible woman (according to Souji), so Amane didn’t think he would have any issues working for her. “You don’t have to worry about me. I think I’ll get along just fine. They’re matching my working hours up with my schedule and everything.” “…I hope you’re right. I’m glad it’s somewhere you think you can do your best. All I can do is watch over you and cheer you on, after all.” “That’s more than enough. Knowing I have a delicious meal and a hot bath waiting for me when I get home makes me insanely happy. Thanks for always looking after me.” “…Though it might not be much, I’ll help you out so I can see you in your work outfit soon, Amane.” “…You want to see it that badly?” When she told him about her secret objective, he answered in a startled and somewhat exasperated voice, and she nodded vigorously. “I want to see how my boyfriend looks at work. Besides, from what I could see from the pictures of Mr. Kayano in his uniform I got Miss Kido to show me, it looks like it would look really great on you, Amane, so…” “I wonder.” “I’m looking forward to seeing it, okay?” “Well, now thinking about you seeing me in uniform is making me feel embarrassed…” He didn’t hate the idea of her coming to the café, but it would mean she would see him presenting a face to the world different from the one she usually saw, and he felt an indescribable sense of embarrassment at the thought. But Mahiru seemed to think it was good there was a difference, and she wanted to see a side of him he didn’t usually show. It sounded like she was prepared to wait for it. “…If you hate the idea, I’ll hold off.” “I don’t hate it, but, well…will it really be all that much fun seeing my customer service smile?” “You don’t usually smile at all, so that makes me want to see it even more, I guess.” “I’ll smile as much as you like if that’s what you want…” “…Your work smile will be different from your private smile, so it’s a special case.” When she put it that way, he knew she was probably right. He certainly gave Mahiru special treatment. There was no arguing about that, so he was sure he had a smile he only showed her. “Besides, I want to see you working hard, Amane.” “…I’ll do my best to settle in as quickly as possible.” It seemed like his only option was to try even harder. If his darling girlfriend said she wanted to see him working as a full-fledged employee, he would spare no effort. Getting used to the work quickly would be helpful for the café, and it would give Amane confidence as well. He thought it seemed a little simpleminded, even for him, to get more motivated because of something Mahiru had said, but his exasperation toward himself melted right away when he saw Mahiru’s smile and the light of expectation in her eyes.