CH ss - 15

SS 15: The Couple Searching for Part-Time Jobs

Translated by: chocolalaEdited by: Seiryuu

“Hey, Yamato-kun, why don’t we look for a part-time job together?”

In the literary club room, as usual; she suddenly made such a suggestion.

“What is it, so suddenly” I was unusually trying to do my homework before playing the game, but her words made me look up at her.

“Look, if we start now, we’ll have enough money for the winter holidays. It’s always better to have some money for a long holiday.”

Yuzu rarely had a constructive opinion, so I couldn’t help but grunt.

“Indeed. It’s going to be the Christmas season, and there’s going to be a lot of new games coming out. It’s a good idea to save up for it.”

“Oh, please. Spend your money and your Christmas on me, not on games.” Yuzu grumbled in dissatisfaction.

“I will do my best. So what kind of part-time job are you okay with, Yuzu?”

When I asked her what her conditions were, Yuzu put her index finger to her chin and began to think.

“Hmm .. I’m new to any part-time job. First and foremost, it must be a job where I can utilize my skills. My skills are that I’m pretty, athletic and smart… Oh boy, I could use those in most jobs!”

“Every time you get a chance, you start praising yourself, urgh. I’m going to assume you’re okay with everything because we’re not getting anywhere.” I was dumbfounded and tried to get away from Yuzu’s drivels, but she hurriedly stopped me with her hand.

“Oh, yes, yes. I’d like to work in a place where we can both work. And I don’t want to do hard work, just short term stuff. What about you, Yamato-kun?”

“I want a job with good pay, flexible shifts and as little contact with people as possible.”

“Well, that means you won’t be in touch with me either. What’s the point of us working together?”

“Then we should just work separately.”

Yuzu puffed out her cheeks in frustration at my humble opinion, “What did you say? Wouldn’t you like to spend a little more time with your dearest girlfriend?”

“They say that the time you don’t see each other is what makes your love grow. Look at the story of Orihime and Hikoboshi. They only see each other once a year, but they last a long time.”

“That’s because Hikoboshi gives a year’s worth of love to Orihime at one time. Yamato-kun, you don’t even express 1/365 worth of Hikoboshi’s affection, so you have to increase your frequency to cover for it, don’t you?”

“Don’t be silly, my love for you is no less than that of Hikoboshi. If our affection is so great, we could meet only once every four years.”

“Now it became the frequency of the Olympic Game. If you have that much love, there’s no need to purposely stay apart. As I thought, let’s just increase the times we meet?”

“So, you’re not going to change your conclusion no matter what…”

We had a fruitless conversation in the end.

I continued, “Anyway, let’s say I compromise on not dealing with people, but if you combine both our requirements, the jobs we can do are narrowed.”

“Well, that seems to be the case, but there are things we won’t know until we do the job… Speaking of which, have you ever had a part-time job, Yamato-kun?”

“Yeah. I did it once during summer holidays. For the sake of buying a game.”

Before, I had to rely on the new year’s money to buy games; but when I managed to buy one out of my own efforts, the feeling was remarkable. That was truly a good memory.

“Oooh, what was the part-time job?”

“Stocking merchandise at the supermarket.”

The work was done after closing time, so there was no serving customers, which was helpful for me.

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“Stocking… that sounds good. Was it fun?”

“Nah… I just had to carry and arrange the merchandise. Oh, but the relationships were depressing. There were a lot of high school kids who worked there like me.”

I involuntarily grimaced and Yuzu was dumbfounded looking at me.

“Geez, your gloomy character rears its head again. I’m sure you were just as silent as you were in the classroom anyway.”

I shook my head at Yuzu’s conjecture.

“No, it’s the opposite. When I’m working, I have to talk to people. And because we have a common topic—work—it’s easy to end up in a lively conversation.”

“You said ‘end up..’, why does it sound like you were so reluctant about it?”

“I was indeed reluctant. Everyone around me was the same gloomy type as me, so when the conversations went lively, naturally they would hang out together after work, and it was difficult to say no to them. Especially this one person who was on the same shift as me—so persistent.”

Well, that person was very strong, so I was helped a lot during our shifts together.

“You should cherish that kind of relationship. You’ve gone to a lot of trouble to get to know each other.”

Yuzu chided me with the eyes of an older sister who saw her younger brother as a failure.

“We had a minimum level of communication, alright. We’re still in touch now and then.”

“Well, that’s unexpected. Will I get the chance to be introduced to your friends for the first time, Yamato-kun?”

Apparently Yuzu took a keen interest in my relationships. To be honest, I was not sure I’d call someone, who was merely a part-time job buddy for a summer, a friend.

“Didn’t you say you didn’t want to be introduced to every single one of your boyfriend’s friends?”

That was why she chose me, because I had no friends, or something.

“You’re right, but when it comes to Yamato-kun’s friends who are so far gone, I’m really interested.”

Yuzu’s eyes sparkled with anticipation.

“Hmmm… then, I’ll try getting in touch with them later. I also wanna ask if there are any more vacancies in the supermarket.”

To be honest, I didn’t feel like contacting them, but it was a good opportunity to do so.

“Oh, good. Then I’ll see him when I work there. I wonder what he’s like.”

“Well, I guess you two are quite compatible? Maybe when you guys meet and try to talking, you’ll easily hit it off.”

When I replied casually, Yuzu gave me a somewhat mischievous look.

“Hmm? Then maybe I’ll end up liking that person more than Yamato-kun?”

“If your taste is that way, I think I’ll be no match.”

When I simply brushed over it, Yuzu frowned in dissatisfaction.

“I think this is the part where you should be jealous.”

“Are you an idiot? I can’t bear it if I’m jealous of every single girl you are close to.”

I shrugged my shoulders at Yuzu’s usual absurd demands.

“…Wait a minute.”

But for some reason, Yuzu’s condition was different from usual, and she had a strangely stiff expression on her face.

“What is it?”

“No… Is that friend a girl?”

“Well, biologically”

I had never thought of her as a girl, though.

“No-no-no! Yamato-kun, you have a female friend?! No way! You don’t even have any male friends! Oh, could it be only imaginary? Are you okay? Is that girl real?”

“Wow, in just a few seconds, you blasted me with such rude questions… She’s real. Wait a moment, I’ll show you proof.”

When I took out my phone, Yuzu held my hand firmly.

“Time-out! It’s okay, you don’t have to contact her!”

“Why?”

I was bewildered by Yuzu’s sudden change of policy, but she puffed up her cheeks.

“I don’t even want to see her!”

“You’re saying the complete opposite of what you said before, girl.”

“Or rather, I don’t want Yamato-kun to meet that girl.”

“You’re saying the complete opposite of what you said before, girl.”

Didn’t she say something about cherishing relationships?

“Of course! Here is where I should feel jealous, I’m your girlfriend!”

“You’re saying the complete opposite of what you said before, girl.”

Wasn’t this the part where I was supposed to be jealous?

“You… you suddenly change 180 degrees from what you said before, I can’t keep up with you anymore. What am I supposed to do in the end?”

When I expressed my 100% pure bafflement to her, Yuzu answered a little unhappily,

“…It made me worried about a lot of things, so I think I won’t do this part-time job thing. Even if we don’t have any money, we can still have a good winter holiday together.”

When I heard that answer, I let out a sigh and opened my mouth,

“You’re saying the complete opposite of what you said before, girl.”

chocolala: When Yamato-kun mentioned that he never saw that friend as a girl, and she was even stronger that him, I’m imagining a judo player