327 - Story About Buying My Classmate Once A Week

Chapter 327 After a long hour spent in the bath deep in thought, I find myself still lost in a maze of indecision. Alone in my room, my brows furrow deeply, yet no conclusion emerges. Fifteen minutes have passed since I typed out "I have something to discuss" on my phone, sitting on the edge of my bed. Yet, I'm unable to press the send button. If I send this message to Mio-san, it would be impossible to escape from the part-time job. Even if, in a moment of weakness, I asked her to pretend I never brought it up, she would insist on knowing what I wanted to discuss and wouldn't let it go. This would inevitably lead to talking about the job. Perhaps I should just give up. I toss my phone aside and lie back on my bed. The plush comforter tempts me to forget everything and just fall asleep. Unlike Sendai-san, the soft duvet doesn’t speak a word, but it directly appeals to my body, promising comfort. Maybe if I sleep deeply until morning, I'll wake up feeling different. The part-time job might seem unnecessary, and my desire to contact Mio-san may turn out to be just a fleeting whim. The comforter is kinder than Sendai-san and more indulgent in letting me slack off. Resisting my lazy self hardly seems worthwhile. If I let go of the part-time job and surrender to the comforter, nobody would complain. Even Sendai-san suggested giving up on it, so she might actually be pleased. —Although the job is meant to buy an item showing that "Sendai-san belongs to me," specifically a necklace confirming that "My Sendai-san" is indeed mine. I gently touch the comforter. So far, I've done things with Sendai-san that she never does with anyone else. I’m the only one who needs to have those moments with her. Thus, I definitely need the necklace. I believe I have to mark Sendai-san as mine. I sit up and grab my phone. I’m uncertain whether it’s wise to discuss the part-time job with Mio-san, who is close with Sendai-san. I wonder if it might make things complicated. Still, I don’t know anyone else who could introduce me to a job. And when I try to find one on my own, my weaker self appears and stops me from moving forward, so I must choose a method that forces me to take steps forward. I summon the courage to move my unwilling fingers, and send the maybe-best-left-unsent message to Mio-san. Breathing in and out, a minute later, the phone rings. "Eh?" Mio-san's name dances across my phone screen, prompting me to jump up. Well, it doesn't actually dance, but it seems to sway cheerfully. “…Why is she calling?” Staring at the phone singing merrily for several seconds, the ringtone doesn’t stop. It appears that giving up isn’t an option for Mio-san. “...Hello?” Bracing myself, I answer the call, hearing Mio-san’s cheerful voice from the phone. “Hey, hey, hey, Shiori-chan. Thanks for reaching out! I never thought Shiori-chan would rely on me, so I'm thrilled and had to call. I’ve got time now, so I can talk for however long you need, whether it's an hour or two. So, what do you need to talk about?” Long-winded. Her greeting is longer than anyone I know. Moreover, I detect an ominous overture to a lengthy conversation. Thanks to which, I’m already beginning to regret reaching out to Mio-san. “Oh, uh, this could have just been done through text.” “You mentioned having something to discuss, so I thought talking directly would be better. Some things are hard to convey in writing. Speaking in person, you can get into details and express your feelings properly right?” “Well, that’s true.” “Oh, is this maybe something hard to talk about?” “It’s not that.” Honestly, a consultation is more effective verbally, and feelings are conveyed better that way, so she isn’t wrong. From my perspective, Mio-san’s energy is over the top, but there’s no teasing tone in her voice. It seems like she's genuinely willing to help with my consultation. However, a phone call is not great. “Is it just me, or is your voice really quiet, Shiori-chan?” Mio-san says loudly, but it's unavoidable. Sendai-san is in the next room. It’s something I don't want Sendai-san to know about. If my voice is heard, nothing good will happen. Though, talking in a normal voice shouldn’t carry through. But my voice just ends up being softer. “It’s late, and I don’t want to disturb the neighbors.” I tell her in a hushed tone. “Well, it’s past eleven, so yeah. Anyway, what’s the issue?” “Well…” The words ‘part-time job’ simply refuse to roll off my tongue. My resolve is so fragile, I lean against the wall dividing this room and Sendai-san’s. Although I don’t want Sendai-san on the other side to hear, my will to pursue a job strengthens when I’m near the wall close to her. “...Um, it's about a part-time job.” “Oh, oh? Shiori-chan, you want to work a part-time job?” “Yeah.” “Is it for the cafe job we talked about last time when we hung out?” “Well, about that…” “Huh? So, it's not the cafe job?” “Could you introduce me to a job where I don’t have to fake smile?” “…What kind of job is that?” Mio-san asks, and I request a job where I don’t need a phony smile. I also add that such smiles don't suit me. “Got it. Customer service isn’t your thing, huh.” Mio-san murmurs thoughtfully. What came to mind when I decided to work a part-time job was the high school cultural festival. Back then, our class ended up doing a cafe, and I was forced into a waitress role. I somehow managed to fulfill the very unamusing role of taking orders with a smile and delivering them with a smile, but because of that cultural festival, my distaste for part-time jobs deepened. Even after starting college, I was adamant about not working a part-time job. That’s what high school me thought. But the future has changed. “Is there such a job?” Now, I’m willing to work a part-time job, even if customer interaction isn’t for me. “Shiori-chan. How long are you planning to work part-time?” “... One week.” “That’s short! Too short, isn’t it?” “Actually, I was hoping for about a month.” “Still pretty short-term, but if it's a month, why not work at my cafe?” “I don’t think I can handle dealing with customers.” Claiming I could do something I know I can’t leads to nothing good. Even if I can't find a job, honesty is the best policy. “Then how about working behind the scenes instead of as front-of-house staff?” Mio-san suggests as if she’s had a great idea. “You mean like cooking?” “Yes.” “I’m not good at cooking.” “Even as kitchen staff, you don’t have to make anything difficult, plus there’s dishwashing and other tasks, so I think it’s doable. Also, since we’re recruiting for front-of-house staff, if we're short on hands you might have to help with taking orders and carrying food, but you can be assisted in those times by someone else.” Mio-san, undoubtedly smiling broadly on the other side of the phone, suggested the cafe part-time job, without any malicious intent, even though I said I didn't want to do customer service. I don’t think she’d deceive me by hiring me as kitchen staff then have me work in the front. But I’m not enthusiastic about it. As I remain silent, Mio-san, in her cheery voice, said, "I'll need to check with my aunt, though. —Ah, my aunt is the cafe manager. So if you're interested in giving it a try, I can ask her. What do you think?" Mio-san is not a bad person. Talking with her, I understand why she gets along well with Sendai-san. —Though it's not particularly amusing. But right now isn’t the time to be pondering my relationship with Sendai-san. "…I'm not certain I'll do it, but could you ask anyway?" "Sure thing. I’ll check it out. Personally, I'd love for you to work in the hall." Mio-san said cheerfully, following up with, "Anything else you wanna discuss?" "Not really discuss, but could you keep this from Sendai-san for now?" "Why?" "I’d prefer to keep it a secret until the part-time job is confirmed," I reply, a little hastily. "Gotcha. Then I’ll do my best to keep quiet." "What do you mean by 'do my best'?" "Well, I do tend to have a bit of a loose tongue. But since it's a request from Shiori-chan, I'll do my best to keep it quiet." Hearing this over the phone makes me uneasy. I might have chosen the wrong person to confide in, but it's too late to turn back, and I don't intend to. "I trust you, Mio-san." "Leave it to me! I'll talk to my aunt about the job, and I'll get back to you when things progress." "Alright. Thanks for talking with me today." "I can still talk for an hour or two, you know." "I have nothing more to discuss, so it's fine." I utter words to conclude our conversation. I feel a bit bad for Mio-san, but if I don’t wrap up, I fear she really might go on talking for an hour or two. "Okay then. Feel free to rely on me anytime. I'll be here for you." With that, Mio-san said, "See you" and willingly ended the call.