Chapter 11

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TL: Single TL Translations

Chapter 11

With Aoi’s homemade cooking skills, the breakfast was delicious as always. It was past 10 by the time I finished eating and since Aoi has work, I brushed my teeth to go home early and changed into the clothes I wore yesterday that Aoi washed. While playing, I looked at my phone I rarely look at and thought I should go home early.

“Yuki.”

Before I could call out to Aoi, she called my name. She approached me in an apologetic yet happy manner.

“Huh? What is it?”

“This… thank you.”

Aoi put the phone on her palm and showed it to me. At first, I wasn’t sure what she was talking about, but after looking at it, I nodded with an ‘ahh.’ The screen was of our chat. So that’s why she was looking at it with so much zest. I was embarrassed, but also a bit relieved.

“Geez, I thought you deleted my number.”

Aoi immediately denied it.

“I won’t do that! …That’s, I didn’t contact you at all and… sorry for ignoring you. …I was scared and couldn’t look at the messages. I thought about contacting you, but I didn’t know what to say.”

“It’s fine. It’s something we’ve settled anyways. I’m not angry.”

They were mainly messages of apologies and of me being considerate to her and when I remembered what I sent, I felt a bit embarrassed and tried to end the topic. But Aoi scrolled through the screen and stared at it.

“No, let me apologize. I was in the wrong. Yuki sent me this many messages… plus it’s all message of you worrying about me. … Even though Yuki also had a lot of unpleasant feelings about this, sorry. But I was happy.”

My chest felt filled when she looked at the messages with a precious gaze and started smiling.

It seems to have been worth constantly contacting her and not being discouraged from it.

“I understand. It’s enough.”

I said just that and started stroking her head. She looked so happy it made it harder for me to leave.

“Rather than that, I really have to go home. It’s almost time for your work and there’s probably a lot of preparations you have to do, right?”

“Uh-huh. …Okay.”

As expected, she became sad. I really want her to stop this, it makes me feel like I did something bad, though it’s not like anything would change even if I told her this. I said brightly as though to change the mood.

“Do you want to come over next time? The only thing we could do is play games, but do you want to do it together?”

“…Yeah. I’ll definitely go!”

“There, there. Well then, let’s make some plans.”

“You’re right, while I’m still busy, I’ll definitely leave my schedule open. I’ll message you a lot again too.”

It looks like I can end the day without looking at her sad expression. I thought ‘thank god,’ started stroking her head again, and headed to the entrance after adjusting my clothes. Aoi was just like a dog following me all the way to the entrance with her eyes fixed on me. I put on my shoes and smiled at her saying ‘then I’ll be going.’ Unlike usual, she saw me off with a smile.

After we reconciled, we messaged each other often. Aoi’s work settled down a bit, so she once again messaged me frequently as well as called me every now and then. What happened during the day, about our meals, stuff we were interested in, our conversations never died down. I was happy we were able to return to how it was before.

The night before my holiday, when the new week began, I was messaged by a friend and headed towards the bar I went with Aoi before. I was free, so I immediately replied back. I had to work overtime today as well, but as always, I’m free on the nights of weekdays. I arrived at the bar and called out to the person. Even though it’s only a little before 8 PM, it looks like she drank quite a bit already.

“Leila?”

“Ah! Yuki, you’re late! What were you doing? Geez, I missed you!”

“I missed you too, it’s been a while, hasn’t it?”

She who was chattering away stood up from her chair and hugged me. She hugged me strongly, so I hugged her back while retreating a little backwards. She’s a hostess I got to know when bar hopping with Tooru. A blonde hair with a gyaru* like appearance and cute looking facial features. Even though she’s slender and delicate, she can hold a huge amount of alcohol in that small body of hers. I forgot how I got close to her, but before I knew it, we became close and started drinking often with each other.

*gyaru – literal translation is ‘gal’ and is a Japanese fashion subculture. Search images to see what kind of fashion trend it is.

Leila told me to sit and pulled the seat next to me and urged me, so I handed my baggage to Shouta who was working.

“Yuki, you saved me. Leila’s been here since 7 and has been drinking nonstop.”

“Huh, really? Thanks for your hard work, Shouta, leave the rest to me.”

Leila gets bartenders, or rather everyone, to drink alcohol and ends up getting them drunk, so Shouta has probably been forced to drink quite a bit. His eyes are saying various things and when I nodded at him, Shouta slightly nodded back.

“For the time being, cocalero! S-h-o-u-t-a!”

“Again? How many do you plan on drinking?”

“I’m going to drink as much as I can today. Along with Yuki’s, mine, and Shouta’s share.”

“Yes yes.”

Since Leila was saying it as though whining, Shouta reluctantly placed a glass and started making the cocalero. It’s better than tequila, but this is also a strong one. I’ll probably get drunk today, but Leila will look after me either way, so it’ll be okay even if I were to get smashed. Though if we both get smashed then that’s the end.

“Leila how’s your work been recently?”

I asked about what’s been happening recently while Shouta was making the drink. Leila is currently working at a hostess bar in the city. Before, she was frequently changing where she worked, but she’s been continuing her work at the current hostess bar for a while now. However, since I have habit of worrying, I couldn’t help but ask.

“It’s normal. I’ve recently been requested more, so I’ve had to keep accompanying them and working after has increased. It’s a tiresome, but I’m managing to do well.”

“I see. I’m glad I’m glad. If you’re troubled by something then be sure to tell me, okay?”

“You worry too much, Yuki. Geez, you’re so kind. I’m fine. Rather, I was dumped by Yuuga-kun just the other day. He said there’s another girl, I can’t believe him!”

“Huh? Seriously? Well, but wasn’t it better to break up with that guy? It’s that bartender, right?”

While Leila was feeling down, I felt surprisingly relieved by this. This girl has the tendency to attract bad guys, so they don’t usually last for a long time, plus the guy called Yuuga is a handsome employee of a bar Leila goes to and has a lot of bad womanizer rumors surrounding him. When she’s in love she can’t clearly look at her surroundings and doesn’t listen to my warnings, but it looks like she was able to endure it this time.

“Yeah, I guess it was just like Yuki said. I’ll refrain from romance for the time being.”

Is what she said. She became dispirited. I can’t come to hate this part of her and started stroking her head, saying ‘there there.’

“Let’s forget about that for today. It’s been a while since we last met so let’s drink lots today, you want to?”

“Sure! Let’s get smashed!”

“…Leila, give me a break with that.”

Her changing her expression into a smile made me break into a smile too.

“Alright. It’s done.”

Shouta finished making the drink and placed 3 cocaleros onto the table. In the round shot glass was the cocalero mixed with an energy drink oozing a color like that of bath salt. It looks as awful as always. Though as a shot of alcohol, the taste is on the better side. It’s going to be a long day. We did a cheers and drank it in one gulp.

It’s easier to drink than tequila, but there’s something about this that still hits you.

“Ahh, with this is the third one, Leila.”

“We’re gonna keep going!!”

Shouta took the empty glasses, made me the usual drink, and served it to me, but Leila, who asked for alcohol by the bottle, got some glass cups from Shouta and lazily poured and mixed the drinks. The same as usual.

“Here you go, Yuki. Drinks lots, okay?”

“…’kay, … thanks.”

“I’ll keep pouring from the bottle, so stop drinking that juice and drink some alcohol.”

Since she was grinning, I couldn’t refuse her, rather, there’s no meaning in doing so anyways. Shouta nodded and looked at me. While giving in to despair thinking ‘this will be fun,’ I gulped down the alcohol.

From there on, I listened to Leila’s talk on her customers and Shouta’s recent situation while drinking. I listened to Leila, from start to finish, who snapped and yelled, talking about her customers. It looks like her frustration has piled up and she started shouting, so I tried to pacify her while listening to her story. I broke into a smile since this was the usual. We really don’t change, huh.

“By the way, Yuki, you came here recently, right? Did you not go out for a drink after that?”

Shouta asked me while pacifying Leila and I recalled that that was the last time I drank with Tooru. Rather, I just noticed because of what happened with Aoi.

“I… you’re right. I drank with Tooru just on that night and played with Aoi who I brought last time, I think?”

Played with is a little inaccurate, but well it should be fine.

“What is it, what is it? A new friend?”

Leila who was angry just now snuggled up against me and asked full of curiosity. I responded with ‘yes yes’ and lightly hit her shoulder.

“She helped me the last time I got drunk.”

“I see, she’s a good girl! She can’t drink?”

“She’s weak so not at all. But she’s really cute. Her style’s outstanding, right, Shouta?”

“Ah! That’s right, I remembered because of that.”

While Leila felt that it was unfortunate she couldn’t drink, Shouta started fumbling with his phone as though he just remembered something. What is it? I couldn’t move because Leila was leaning on my shoulder, so I patiently waited for Shouta.

“I thought that girl was cute, but… oh, there it is! This is that girl, right?”

And he showed me his phone. It looked like a photo in a magazine with Aoi in pretty clothes, posed like a model.

TL Note: Sorry for the delay, had a water leak… so lots of calls and people. Couldn’t really TL, so it might take a bit more days to have the same consistent schedule.

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