CH 5.3

Junior’s Invasion. (Part 3)

When I finished my part-time job and went out the back door of the store, I found Honma there.

“Senpai, thank you for your hard work.”

“Yeah, you too. What are you doing?”

“What? You can’t see?”

She tilted her head and smiled confidently.

“Don’t tell me… You are going to greet each and every senior staff member who will be leaving from here…”

What a great girl. I have to say that she is a very good kouhai .

“Senpai , I don’t have such an auspicious character.”

She simply denied.

“I wanted to ask senpai to teach me a lot of things about this part-time job.”

Ahh, Is that so?

When you first join a place, you don’t really know what the atmosphere is like.

“Sure, but I’ve only recently started, though, and it’s been less than a month.”

Chuckling, Honma walked alongside me as I unlocked my bicycle and began pushing it.

“Why did you join here?”

“I can’t?”

“That’s not what I meant, but I just wondered if there was a reason. It’s not like you’re getting paid particularly well per hour, and you didn’t know that you knew someone who did, did you?”

“Reason, you say… Hmm… Right.”

Homma seemed to be thinking a little as she put her index finger on her chin.

Then, she tangled her arms around with me and smiled.

“I came here because I wanted to be with you”

“What?”

“─Would it bother you if I said that?”

Honma tilted her head and peeked at me from below.

“I’m not bothered by it, but…? Is that the truth ?”

Just like how I said. I know that’s not the real reason.

As she can see, I am a kitchen staff member. I don’t have much to do with Homma at work, and there is no way I can teach her how to do her job.

Homma, who quickly relaxed her arms and said plainly.

“My house is close to the restaurant.”

“Oh, that’s why. Where is your house, Honma?”

“It’s just a little over 10 minutes from here─”

I see. So it was not surprising that she chose this place for her part-time job.

I wouldn’t be able to work part-time in such a neighborhood near my house. Honma is a member of the hall staff, in charge of serving customers and serving food. I wonder if she doesn’t mind the neighbors pointing at her face.

“If it’s close enough, I’ll give you a lift.”

It was already past 22:00, and even though it was in the countryside, there was no guarantee that anything would not happen.

Homma blinked repeatedly, as if the suggestion was unexpected.

“Nmou~… something like this~ senpai~…”

She mumbled in a cute way.

“Senpai’s a ‘gentleman’.”

Honma patted me on the shoulder.

“My house, my whole family is here today!”

“No, I won’t go in. Just till the front gate.”

“I’m just kidding.”

Homma chuckled, looking pleased. She glanced back and looked back at me.

“Senpai… We are being followed by someone that looks like a ‘parlor child’.”

[TN: 座敷童 (Parlor Child.)]

Parlor Child?

When I looked back, I saw Mise-san walking alone.

“That’s not a parlor child. She’s my classmate and a senior at my part-time job. Mise-san.”

“She was the one who seemed to be getting along with senpai, wasn’t she? Is she on her way home?”

I tilted my head and wondered.

“Uhmm, Mise-san? Is this also your way back home?”

When I spoke to her, she got spooked and hid behind a telephone pole.

“P-Please… Do-Don’t worry about me.”

Even if she said so, I’d be more concerned if she followed behind me halfway.

“Why don’t you walk home with me on the way?”

“I-I-I would be bothering you.”

I saw Homma nodding her head, and when her eyes met mine, her nodding stopped.

“She said so herself, and I don’t think it’s right to be so forceful, senpai.”

I did not want to force her, so I followed Homma’s advice and started walking.

Honma was surprised to see me taking her advice.