Chapter 29 Crying for Sympathy

Crying for Sympathy

The studious Tachibana-san and Takayama-san left me alone while they chatted near the store. After a while, their voices fell silent, and then Takayama-san returned to the tatami room, bringing Tachibana-san with her.

“So, you came.”

“Yeah. Since I’m here anyway, I figured I might as well have the interview.”

“Hmm. Well, not that I care.”

Seeing Tachibana-san acting like her usual self somehow put me at ease. But as if to shatter that relief, Takayama-san suddenly peeked out from behind her.

“Oh? Not buying the exam prep book?”

“…Lost the motivation.”

“I see. Well, it has been three days in a row now.”

Tachibana-san’s face turned bright red as she lowered her head. Her shoulders trembled slightly, making her look as if she were angry.

“…So, are you going to work part-time at this bookstore or not?”

Tachibana-san asked, sounding irritated.

Her sharp tone was directed at me. It felt like unjustified anger.

Well, leaving that aside, I wasn’t the right person to answer that question.

“No, that’s for Takayama-san to decide.”

I was just a potential employee. It was up to Takayama-san, the employer, to answer that.

Having the conversation turned her way, Takayama-san first looked at me, then shifted her gaze to Tachibana-san.

“After talking with you today, I’d be really happy if you could work here.”

And just like that, after what was essentially a meaningless interview, it seemed I had successfully secured a part-time job at the bookstore.

“I see.”

To be honest, I didn’t know how to react to that outcome.

I still hadn’t decided whether I would actually take the job.

“Huh…?”

Amid all this, a voice slipped out from somewhere, sounding incredibly lonely.

It was the kind of voice that carried the despair of someone who had assumed I would be happy about this immediately.

When I looked up, I saw Tachibana-san.

She was staring at me with wide, shocked eyes, and I thought I saw something glistening at the corners of her eyes.

I was taken aback.

“…You’re not going to work here?”

“Uh…? Um…”

I never expected such a reaction.

I faltered, unsure where to look.

My eyes happened to meet Takayama-san’s. She was surprised at her cousin’s sudden response at first, but then she simply shrugged at me.

“Well… I guess I’ll take the job?”

I never imagined it would turn into something like a crying plea.

With my right to refuse completely stripped away in such a roundabout way, I answered with a strained expression.

The moment I said that, Tachibana-san let out a brief sigh of relief, but then immediately turned away, putting on her usual sulky expression.

“W-Well, it’s not like it has anything to do with me.”

“Haha…”

Takayama-san and I exchanged awkward smiles as we watched Tachibana-san.

“Well, anyway, thanks, Saito-kun. Welcome aboard.”

“Thank you. I’m looking forward to working with you.”

…There was no helping it. I decided to just go with the flow.

“Oh, right, I haven’t explained the pay structure yet.”

“Ah, okay.”

“Well, we don’t usually hire part-timers here… In fact, you’re actually the first one. But since you’re a high school student, there are various labor regulations to consider. So… two shifts a week. Work hours from 6 PM to 9 PM. Three hours per shift. How does that sound?”

“Got it.”

“Alright. So, two shifts a week, three hours per shift… and your wage will be around this much.”

It was more than I expected. I nodded.

“Oh, and you’ll also get meals.”

“Meals?”

Tilting my head in confusion, I suddenly felt Tachibana-san’s gaze on me. When I turned to look at her, she quickly averted her eyes.

Ah, I see. That meant I’d be having dinner at Tachibana-san’s house.

“That feels a bit… I feel bad about that.”

“It’s just a small thank-you for keeping an eye on my cousin.”

“…Haha.”

I glanced at Takayama-san, who only shrugged again.

“By the way, what exactly will I be doing here?”

“Ah, actually, ever since Mirei told me about you, there’s something I’ve been meaning to ask you to do.”

“What did she say about me?”

Takayama-san grinned mischievously.

“She said you’re quick-witted.”

“No, not at all. That’s a complete misunderstanding.”

“Ohh? You’re just being modest, aren’t you?”

Her teasing was annoying, and I narrowed my eyes at her.

“So, what exactly do you want me to do?”

“Mhm. Bookkeeping.”

I had expected typical bookstore tasks—shelving books, cleaning, doing odd jobs—but this was unexpected.

Then again, considering this shop mainly operated through online sales, there probably wasn’t much need for in-store maintenance. If that was the case, hiring a part-timer at all seemed unnecessary—but that’s exactly why they needed someone for bookkeeping.

“You want a high schooler to handle bookkeeping?”

I asked, half in disbelief.

“Like I said earlier, thanks to our online sales, the shop is barely breaking even. But of course, every business has its slow seasons, and when that happens… well, things can get a little tight. If hiring someone for bookkeeping helps keep the business stable, then it’s worth it, don’t you think?”

She added, “Besides, hiring a high schooler means lower labor costs.” That was probably her real reasoning.

“If you did it yourself, you wouldn’t have to pay for labor at all.”

“If I could do it myself, I wouldn’t be desperate enough to rely on a high schooler!”

Fair point.

Takayama-san continued.

“I love books, so I can keep running this bookstore, but I just can’t bring myself to like the nitpicky work of bookkeeping.”

“Still, as a sole proprietor, isn’t that something you have to manage yourself?”

“If I have a part-timer, I can just leave it to them and not worry about it!”

She struck a triumphant pose, and I couldn’t help but think, “She’s really something else.”

Bookkeeping.

It wasn’t what I had expected, but thinking about it, it was a job that would allow me to have some free time in between tasks. In other words, I’d have time to do my own research.

That didn’t sound like such a bad deal.

I realized something.

…Could it be?

I looked at Takayama-san, wondering if I had been set up, but she only tilted her head innocently.

…If that was the case.

“…What?”

Tachibana-san’s cold voice cut in.

Ah, I see. I had my answer.

It seemed like Tachibana-san had been quietly arranging things behind the scenes so that I could have time for research while doing nitpicky work like bookkeeping.

Consulting Tachibana-san about my amnesia had definitely been the right choice.

“Thanks.”

“…Hmph.”

She turned away with a pout, ever the tsundere. I smiled.