“No, no, no, Senior, you must have misunderstood something…”
Hiiragi Shuichi hurriedly clarified, but after he subconsciously finished clarifying, he realized: what did it matter whether he clarified or not?
Even if Aoba Tomoyo misunderstood, so what?
Anyway, in another day, the Notebook would become invalid.
But once the words were out, they were out.
Hearing this answer, Aoba Tomoyo only gave a sweet smile and said softly:
“Misunderstanding?”
“Misunderstanding what?”
“Aha, Shu-kun is so paranoid~”
“It’s time to work…”
With that, Aoba Tomoyo walked into the back kitchen on her own, heading to the employee changing room connected to it.
Hiiragi Shuichi had no choice but to stay where he was, so speechless at himself that he laughed in anger.
Kosui Taki’s smile did not fade at all, like the blazing sun of midsummer that never sets.
Summer was just around the corner.
Kosui Taki happily shook her head, and her two braids swayed along, like two slender willow branches swaying in the wind.
But willow trees mostly bloom only in spring, just like cherry blossoms.
This contradiction, as seasonal as it was, finally took shape and became unified in Hiiragi Shuichi’s eyes.
Hiiragi Shuichi roughly understood what she was thinking.
‘Ah, as expected, as expected… Their relationship really is like that!’
If it were not for the above situation, then it would be impossible to make sense of any of Kosui Taki’s actions, unless Kosui Taki was mentally ill.
“Oh! What’s wrong, what’s wrong?”
“I keep feeling like Shu’s expression is really serious right now?”
Kosui Taki put on a worried look, as if she wanted to transform into an angel nurse and take care of his illness.
But Hiiragi Shuichi was not sick.
“Really serious?” Hiiragi Shuichi asked casually.
“Yeah, yeah, quite serious.”
“Then Kosui, please be a little more serious too.”
“For example, take that storage box back to school now, or just take it away.”
“Unless you’re not buying bread here.”
“Forgot to tell you, it’s work time now, and I’m in charge of the front counter, okay?”
“Eh~ Is there a store rule that employees can chase away customers?”
“Then are you buying bread?”
“Of course I’m buying!”
“Hi, hi~ Two Red Bean Breads, please!”
As Kosui Taki spoke, she pulled out a Points Card and placed it on the counter.
That orange-red Points Card had the Asahi Bakery logo printed on it.
Hiiragi Shuichi had not yet gone to change into his Employee Uniform, but that did not matter.
He did not pay much attention to the uniform issue and immediately checked the information, only to find that she really was there…
[Kosui Taki]
[Remaining Points: 25]
[Total Cash Deductible: 7500 yen]
“This…”
With a troubled look, Hiiragi Shuichi redeemed two Red Bean Breads for Kosui Taki.
While packing, Hiiragi Shuichi wanted to hold back from asking, but after he handed over the paper bag, he still could not hold his tongue:
“Kosui, do you come here often?”
“The ‘often’ that Shu means… which kind of often is it?”
Kosui Taki took the paper bag and said airily.
After checking the bag and confirming the bread was indeed packed, she smiled again and said:
“What’s wrong, Shu?”
“Interrogating someone’s private life like this~”
“Hehe, are you interested in me?”
“But too bad!”
“I am not interested in Shu at all!”
“Any boy is no, no, no!”
“All right, all right, take your bread and hurry up and leave…”
Hiiragi Shuichi indeed still regretted not holding back from asking her, and could only wave his hand, telling her to hurry away.
“Eh~ So mean!”
“Clearly when I first met Shu, Shu was still ‘everyone’s Hiiragi Shuichi’!”
“Mm… You admit that it’s the second day now?”
When Hiiragi Shuichi heard those six words, he somehow felt a little panicked.
“Ara, I only said the first time, I didn’t say which day, right?”
“But this somewhat ‘annoying Hiiragi Shuichi’ now, I don’t hate him, you know?”
Kosui Taki extended a finger and tapped her lips, as if she had tapped out a “perfect smile.”
Her whole aura was filled with smugness.
Hiiragi Shuichi did not want to talk now.
He felt that no matter what he said, he would be dragged into her pace.
But Kosui Taki would not stop talking.
She was completely unwilling to give Hiiragi Shuichi time to go change.
Kosui Taki carried the paper bag, walked to a dining table near the counter, opened the bag, and began eating the bread like a squirrel.
Actually, if she did not open her mouth to speak, she would feel quite cute.
Although the way she spoke was also extremely cute, he did not know what other boys thought, but in Hiiragi Shuichi’s eyes, it was far too affected.
And that was not cute at all!
Completely two-faced!
Kosui Taki only took a few bites of bread, with a little breadcrumb stuck at the corner of her mouth, and wanted to strike up a conversation with Hiiragi Shuichi.
Hiiragi Shuichi seriously suspected that the breadcrumb at the corner of her mouth was deliberately placed there.
“Shu, why did you help Komuro Ayumi?”
Kosui Taki was really good at asking questions.
This question was one such example.
She asked it in a harmless way, but the listener would associate it with their own reasons.
And Hiiragi Shuichi obviously thought of the feelings he had when he stood at the doorway of Komuro Ayumi’s bedroom.
“What does it have to do with you?” Hiiragi Shuichi retorted.
“Eh~ Doesn’t Shu want to know why I know so many things?”
Hiiragi Shuichi paused.
“I don’t want to, and I don’t need to.”
In case his curiosity got the better of him, Hiiragi Shuichi immediately turned and entered the back kitchen after saying that, leaving Kosui Taki puffing out her cheeks in displeasure.
Just as he turned and went in, he ran head-on into Aoba Tomoyo, who had already changed into her work clothes.
A light yellow apron was tied over the outside of a dark blue Employee Uniform jacket.
It seemed a little out of place, but with the blessing of her figure and face, it was the so-called case of a good-looking person looking good in anything.
Her uniform seemed to be stretched very tight because her waist and back were rather too straight, like a taut string.
But she did not look uncomfortable.
Instead, it made her seem even more refined, causing the other employees in the back kitchen to involuntarily watch in appreciation.
“Why are you staring at me like that…”
Aoba Tomoyo said with a slight shyness, unable to resist tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.
“Uh… N-no, nothing…”
Hiiragi Shuichi scratched his head.
The two looked at each other for a moment, then without prior agreement chose to make way for each other.
As a result, he went left, she went right, and it did not work.
He went right, she went left, and it still did not work.
Until he turned sideways and left her space to move.
Although it seemed a little narrow when she passed, her shoulder could not avoid brushing past his entire being, leaving her fragrance on him.
Until she left the back kitchen.
The air in the back kitchen was silent for a few seconds.
“Hey, Ayumi… focus a little.”
“If you learn this, it can become a very important capturing technique, you know?”
Xiaomu Dianzhang’s joke broke open the silent air and called back the thoughts of Komuro Ayumi, who was standing there dazed.
“W-what capturing…”
“Dad, why are you saying this too…”
“Mm, why doesn’t this dough understand human speech…”
Komuro Ayumi’s face was slightly red, but Hiiragi Shuichi looked at the piece of dough in front of her.
Its shape seemed to already have some of the spirit of bread.
But it was still quite far off.
But judging by her interaction with Xiaomu Dianzhang, making good bread was probably only a matter of time.
Komuro Ayumi noticed Hiiragi Shuichi’s gaze and could not help but put up a brave front:
“I-I’ve made progress!”
“Yeah, you’ve definitely made progress.”
“Keep it up.”
Hiiragi Shuichi’s simple and natural encouragement made Komuro Ayumi feel utterly uncomfortable beside her father.
It was as if the boyfriend she had secretly hidden suddenly appeared in front of her father and even said mushy things to her.
“What?”
“Did you hear me?”
“Did I cheer for nothing?” Hiiragi Shuichi said, tilting his head.
“I-I heard you…”
Komuro Ayumi repeated in a low voice, then glared hard at Hiiragi Shuichi.
As if wanting to clear herself of any relationship with this boy in front of her father, Komuro Ayumi said very unnaturally:
“W-what are you doing in here…”
“Is there a monster at the door?”
“I came to change into my Employee Uniform…”
“Though it’s about the same.”
Hiiragi Shuichi frowned.
“Outside there are about two monsters.”
“One called Kosui, and one called Aoba…”
There was a touch of humor in Hiiragi Shuichi’s extremely helpless tone, making Komuro Ayumi laugh despite herself.
Hiiragi Shuichi raised his eyebrows and turned to walk into the changing room.