Ch.16Chapter 3. If Only There Was a Conscience (2)

In my previous life, I struggled hard to survive.

Ah, that doesn’t mean I came from some apocalyptic world. The world I lived in was just ordinary Seoul in 2024.

To my senses, it was a year that sounded futuristic, yet the world had changed so gradually that it was hard to notice how much had actually changed unless you examined the details one by one—that kind of future.

But even in such an ordinary world, living is quite rough. Isn’t that right? After all, people can’t survive without money.

That’s why I work part-time here for three hours on Thursday and Friday afternoons, and eight hours on Saturdays and Sundays, earning 850 yen per hour.

I was lucky in many ways. I forged the guardian consent form and submitted it, and they just accepted it without requiring me to bring an actual guardian. The café owner hired me because “even this body type has demand.”

Since it’s in the food service industry, it seems even minors like me can get employed.

…Well, I suppose it’s a losing battle to question such things in a light novel world. But at least the setting is Japan.

Oh, by the way, I was in “ponytail mode” during the interview. I couldn’t hide my face with my hair at a place that judges appearance. I also wore horn-rimmed glasses with minimal makeup.

I wanted to hide my face in case I ran into students from my school. Though I couldn’t wear a mask.

Ironically, Sasaki recognized me immediately, so it was all pointless.

Anyway.

I’m really curious about what goes on in his head. What kind of brother brings his little sister to a maid café?

As someone who once had a little sister, I can say that’s not a good choice for a brother. Being known as an otaku is already despicable enough, but to openly admit it and bring your sister to a place like this? That’s not something a normal person would do.

But thinking about it again, the crazier one of the Sasaki siblings might actually be the sister.

What kind of little sister calls her brother “dear brother”? What kind of manga did she grow up reading?

“Um… I’d like to order.”

Sasaki painfully opened his mouth.

His expression showed he didn’t know how to handle this situation either.

I know, right? How should we handle this?

“Yes, Master, I’ve been waiting.”

Thankfully, this wasn’t a franchise like “Maid○ming.”

It was an individually owned café, and a “real” café at that. The owner appeared to be a woman in her early thirties who was genuinely passionate about coffee. She was wearing a maid outfit too, though.

In other words, this café doesn’t have a live performance space. It’s just a “maid café” where the staff wear maid outfits and use maid speech patterns.

Physical contact between customers and maids is prohibited, as is photography without the maid’s permission.

“Um… then I’ll have this.”

Sasaki chose a coffee bean from the menu. Next to each bean was detailed information about acidity and aroma, but honestly, I don’t understand those things. Well, it’s not like I’m the one making it anyway.

“I’ll have the same, please.”

Sasaki’s sister said from beside him.

“Would you like any desserts?”

“Ah… then, this one.”

Sasaki chose a shortcake.

“Then I’ll have the same, please.”

Sasaki’s sister did the same.

Are they close enough to order the same things? Or do they just not care about choosing?

The sister’s eyes were on me. It seems she’s misunderstanding something since Sasaki bought me a meal last time, but we really have no relationship whatsoever. If the situation were different, I would have just pretended not to know Sasaki.

Unfortunately, all the other staff were busy. The owner only hired three employees including me. That’s quite a small number for a “maid café.”

I’ve jumped into fires in my previous life, but I never imagined I’d end up wearing a maid outfit in front of a classmate.

“Then, Master and Miss, please wait a moment. I’ll prepare and serve your order right away.”

“Oh, y-yeah.”

“Thank you.”

Sasaki still seemed quite flustered, but his sister appeared to have regained her composure.

“…What, do you know each other?”

The owner, who was sitting behind the counter with her chin resting on her hand, asked.

She was in her thirties… but whether due to the typical light novel-style visual correction that somehow worked in reality, or simply because she took good care of herself, she looked younger than that.

Even though she was wearing the same maid outfit as me, she didn’t really look like a maid. Well, I can’t say I look much like one either.

The owner, who opened the café because she loved coffee, didn’t show much enthusiasm for the work itself. Apparently, it’s because she owns the building. There are rumors that her coffee is delicious, though.

According to the owner, she dressed us in maid outfits just to charge an extra hundred yen per coffee. Well, only she knows her true intentions.

“…We go to the same school.”

“Ah, I see… Well, do your best.”

The owner looked at me with pity after hearing my answer.

When I handed her the order, she nodded and went to work. At least she doesn’t push her work onto her employees.

Although there was no live stage and the staff just wore maid outfits, it was still a maid café after all.

The rule is that maids should “serve” their “masters.” Of course, since this wasn’t an adult establishment, it didn’t involve physical contact but rather things like standing beside them and bringing them water when asked.

Honestly, apart from speaking politely, I don’t see how it’s different from any other café, but that’s how it is.

“…”

I stood blankly between tables, holding a menu.

“Hey, Kurosawa.”

“…”

When Sasaki called me, I approached him.

“Master, I apologize, but please refrain from calling maids by their names. It’s a privacy issue.”

There was actually no such rule, but I made it up to tell Sasaki.

“Ah, oh.”

Sasaki was a bit taken aback by my firm statement.

“I just… wondered how you’ve been doing lately.”

How could I be doing well?

Wearing a maid outfit in front of someone I know from school.

Of course, I couldn’t say that. After all, this is a café, and no one held a knife to my throat forcing me to work here.

“Master, I apologize, but asking about personal matters is prohibited.”

This was actually true.

Everyone working here, including the owner, has a pretty face. If we allowed privacy invasions, it would become hell.

“That’s right, dear brother. It’s rude to speak that way to someone who’s working.”

“Ah, you’re right. Sorry.”

More importantly, why are you so interested in me? We’ve only met twice now. No matter how nice a person is, approaching someone like this out of nowhere is a bit much, isn’t it?

“I’m sorry. My dear brother is a bit insensitive in these matters…”

The sister apologized on his behalf.

To be honest, her jealousy was plainly visible.

“Not at all. It’s understandable if this is your first visit. I should apologize for being presumptuous in correcting you.”

But right now, I’m grateful for that jealousy. Honestly, what do I care if that little sister has a forbidden love? Romance stories are for Yuuki and the protagonist to resolve, not for me to interfere with.

Well, of course, those two getting together comes first.

…Maybe I should suggest this part-time job to Yuuki too.

“No, I…”

Knock, knock.

There was a knocking sound from the counter.

“Excuse me for interrupting, Master. May I bring your order now?”

“Uh, sure.”

Sasaki was flustered again at my question. I could hear his sister exhaling softly beside him. Does she think I’m not a rival?

Come to think of it, did the sister have romantic feelings for Sasaki in the original work? I don’t think that was the case.

Perhaps this is a glimpse of their daily life between the main storylines. No matter how detailed a novel is, it can’t show everything a person does—eating, sleeping, using the bathroom.

Or maybe I’m misremembering the novel I read 20 years ago.

Well, it doesn’t matter.

With that thought, I went to the counter, picked up the tray the owner had prepared, and returned to the table.

“Master and Miss, your order is ready.”

“Ah… thank you.”

“Thank you.”

The sister, who answered gracefully, now seemed to be secretly enjoying the situation. What a brother complex.

“Then, enjoy your meal.”

I said that, turned around, returned the tray to the counter, and went back to my position.

Actually, during the interview, I considered mentioning “moe moe kyun,” which wouldn’t come out for several years from now. After all, if I did it, I’d be the first person in the world to think of it.

Fortunately, I was hired based on appearance alone.

I’m glad I was reincarnated as a pretty girl. At least I’m fortunate that my face under my hair is pretty.

Otherwise, I wouldn’t have been able to get a part-time job in Akihabara. I don’t overestimate my abilities.

There are many part-timers in Akihabara who shout at people passing by to come in and take a look, but I probably couldn’t do that kind of job. I’m not good at dealing with people.

This kind of job, where I just follow a given manual, is better.

So I stood blankly between tables until the Sasaki siblings finished their meal, occasionally serving other customers when they arrived.

The Sasaki siblings stayed at the café longer than I expected. Probably because Sasaki was conscious of me.

Since I was just repeating the same actions, I had time to think about Souta Sasaki from the original novel.

First, he cares for his sister. Since I didn’t read the novel to the end, I don’t know exactly what it is about his sister that makes him care for her.

Hmm, but thinking about it again, Sasaki’s sister calls him “dear brother” and follows him well. If I had such a sister, I would have found her quite cute too.

Though I wouldn’t have brought her to a maid café.

And… given his personality, he couldn’t ignore people who looked pitiful. He was the type who would definitely help if he saw a hungry cat on the street.

You know, that type of protagonist who sees a heroine who says she’s fine and says, “No, I can’t just leave you here!” while extending his hand. Sasaki was that kind of protagonist.

“…”

Wait, no way.

Do I look pitiful?

I turned to look at Sasaki. He was looking at me, but when our eyes met, he quickly turned away.

Is it true? Did he notice I was unfortunate when he first saw me? Is that why he thinks I’m pitiful for working like this?

Even to me, it seemed plausible. Damn it.

Feeling Sasaki’s sister’s gaze following me as well, I decided to cut off my attention from the two.

And I started doing my job again.

Hoping they would leave soon.

*

Thankfully, Sasaki didn’t stay until my shift ended.

Even in a café with no specific time limit, it would be a bit much to sit there the whole time. Especially after making eye contact with me.

I breathed a sigh of relief as I finished my shift.

The owner basically has no interest in her employees’ personal lives, so she doesn’t bother me when I leave.

“Then, I’ll be going now.”

“Oh, sure.”

I left a bit later than the other still-awkward employees. Though the difference was only about 3 minutes. It didn’t seem right to change clothes together with them.

Although they appeared older than me physically, they were both teenagers. It would weigh on my conscience.

Plus, I had a tattoo on my wrist.

After exchanging brief greetings, I left the building.

The building itself wasn’t very tall, but it was in the middle of Akihabara. When I went outside, I didn’t end up in some gloomy alley. However, the café was on the third floor and the sign wasn’t very noticeable, so it wasn’t packed with customers.

I think the owner chose that location because she didn’t want to work too hard.

…Well, it doesn’t matter to me. As long as I get paid properly.

As I came down from the building and headed toward the station—

“Huh?”

I looked back.

The sky was almost dark, but there were still quite a few people on the street. Though the sky was dark, not much time had passed. Other buildings still had their lights on.

“…”

What was that? Just my imagination?

I’m not sure exactly what it was. It wasn’t a yokai. If it had been, I would have known much more clearly. And I might have heard a voice.

I turned back and continued walking forward. There was no particular sense of discomfort.

Hmm…

Well, it’s probably nothing. Just the kind of baseless unease you sometimes feel. Like when you’re walking alone at night and feel as if someone is behind you.

Though it was a bit strange to feel it with so many people around.

Feeling unnecessarily anxious, I quickened my pace.

*

Friday after school.

Any other time, I might have been somewhat happy. There would be no bread that Yuuki buys me at lunch, and no unlimited snacks in the literature club room, but lying down at home doing nothing is quite enjoyable.

But now I have things to do. Not just on Friday, but on Saturday and Sunday too.

Still, thanks to earning money that way, I can eat fairly decent dinners.

For example, gyudon.

You can eat a bowl cheaply at a chain restaurant, and most people there are alone, focused on eating their own food.

I could just blend in, eat properly, and leave.

Yes. Meat, no less. I gift that protein-loaded carbohydrate to myself after finishing work on weekends. The restaurant might be full of middle-aged men, but who cares! It’s delicious, so what does it matter!

“…Huh?”

But strangely, I felt something off when thinking about that gyudon place.

I stopped and tilted my head, but couldn’t identify the source of the discomfort.

Well, it doesn’t matter. A psychologist I saw on TV about ten years ago said not to dwell on things that don’t yield answers when you think about them.

I scratched my head and continued forward—

Meow.

I heard that sound.

A cat.

I liked stray cats. Not that I ever fed them or touched them. I just hurriedly took out my camera to photograph them when I saw them passing by.

The reason… well, it’s nothing special. They’re cute, aren’t they?

Actually, sometimes I really disliked them. There were times when stray cats caused more work for me. But, well, I can’t hate all cats in the world because of that.

And now it has nothing to do with work.

Anyway, I looked around when I heard that sound.

Meow, meow.

I heard the cat’s cry again.

I still had some time before I needed to go to work. At least enough time to see a cat’s face once.

I went toward the sound.

And stopped in my tracks.

In the distance, next to a utility pole, a girl in a Hanakawa Middle School uniform was crouching down.

The high school and middle school don’t share the same building. Though they start from the same station, the two schools are quite far apart.

But I was on my way back to the station. It wasn’t strange to encounter a student from there.

The utility pole was almost flush against a building, but there was enough space between them for a small animal to fit. A kitten could easily get in there.

A cat was lying flat in that space.

And the child petting the cat was… Shii Sasaki, Souta Sasaki’s little sister.

Somehow I’ve been running into these siblings a lot lately. Though the brother wasn’t here this time.

I thought about turning around and running away, but the girl had already heard my footsteps and was looking at me.

“Ah.”

She let out what might have been an exclamation, though I couldn’t tell her intention.

“…”

After hesitating for a moment, I approached her.

“Kurosawa-san?”

The girl stood up and called out to me.

“Hiss!”

The cat hissed at me, showing wariness. That’s unnecessary.

Looking again, I saw a can of cat tuna placed in front of the cat.

…Come to think of it, in the past, feeding homeless stray cats was a way to show how kind a female protagonist was.

These days, a heroine like that would be called a “cat mom.” But honestly, I understand. Who would like having a cat toilet made in front of their house?

“…I heard a cat’s voice.”

I approached Sasaki’s sister slowly, speaking so she wouldn’t be wary.

“Is that so?”

Actually, she didn’t seem to be afraid of me from the beginning. Looking again, she was about my height. Her nutritional state was probably better than mine, so if it came to a physical confrontation, I’d probably lose.

“You’re… my dear brother’s friend, right?”

What should I say?

To be honest, we’re barely even acquaintances.

“…That’s right.”

But it seemed a bit harsh to flatly deny the relationship in front of his sister, so I said that.

I approached and slowly crouched down. The kitten was about the size of my palm. Had it been abandoned by its mother?

Though it was hissing as if very scared, it couldn’t leave the tuna can.

…

I feel like I’m looking at someone.

Who am I thinking of? Not myself, surely.

“Can I touch it?”

“Ah, yes. It’s not mine anyway.”

I silently extended my hand slowly.

The cat looked up at the hand approaching from above its head and flattened itself against the ground.

But since it couldn’t dig into the ground, it eventually had to accept my hand.

Even though it was a stray cat with no one to care for it, its fur was quite soft.

“This little one seems to have no parents.”

“…I see.”

Having a can of tuna means she probably carries it in her bag regularly.

As my fingers carefully stroked its head and back, the kitten stopped hissing and meowed softly.

Having judged that I meant no harm, it focused on eating the contents of the tuna can again.

For a while, Sasaki’s sister and I just silently looked down at the cat.

“Can’t you keep it at home?”

“Ah, well… I don’t want to burden my dear brother. If I said I wanted to keep it, he would definitely let me, but…”

She probably means he’s too kind to refuse.

Indeed, there was no mention of them keeping a cat in the original work.

“I see.”

I just answered like that and silently continued petting the cat.

“Um, excuse me!”

“…Yes.”

Sasaki’s sister, who had been quiet for a while, suddenly called out to me, so I looked at her.

Her face showed an expression of firm resolve. Lips tightly closed, eyes determined.

Did I do something to make her angry?

“Would you… would you exchange emails with me?”

“…Emails?”

“Ah, is that not okay?”

No, it’s not that it’s not okay.

I was just a bit surprised because it was so sudden.

“…Sure.”

It would be impolite to refuse in this situation.

As I answered and took out my phone, Sasaki’s sister also took out her phone with a slightly relieved expression.