Ch.17Chapter 3. If Only There Was a Conscience (3)

Though it was a stray cat, that strange feline who wasn’t afraid of people at all remained sitting there meowing until Sasaki’s sister and I left.

It didn’t show us its belly or anything, but it seemed to really like people.

Well, it only stayed cautious of me for a brief moment before accepting my touch, despite meeting me for the first time.

Seeing the cat was nice enough.

But Sasaki’s sister seemed to have some unexpected interest in me.

“Does my brother behave diligently at school?”

No, I wouldn’t know.

We’re in different classes and don’t talk. Not “barely” talk—we don’t talk at all. We never cross paths.

Yet I had just answered “yes” to her question about whether I was friends with her brother. If we were actually “friends” at school, I would at least know how he was doing.

I cursed my earlier self. Why had I answered that way? If I’d thought a little more, I could have steered the conversation elsewhere with a decent response…!

“…Yeah.”

In the end, that was all I could say.

Sasaki is diligent. Like his sister, he’s the type who can’t just walk past an abandoned kitten on the street.

In the novel, when Yuuki got hurt, he stepped forward and got injured himself, and he even risked his life to protect his sister.

There’s no reason he wouldn’t be diligent at school too.

“He’s so lazy at home though.”

Huh?

“No matter how many times I tell him not to leave his socks inside out, he still hasn’t fixed that habit. Plus, his desk is always messy, and if I don’t nag him, he just takes off his clothes and drapes them anywhere.”

Um…

Really?

I had no interest in knowing this information, but it felt awkward to just cut her off.

So this is… her badmouthing her brother?

Why? It’s not like I’m close to her. This is our first proper conversation. I at least had a brief chat with Sasaki while eating tonkatsu last time, but she just sat next to him staring at me warily.

“He’s surprisingly careless sometimes, so he often forgets his homework, and there were times when I had to bring his lunch box to him because he forgot it.”

A sister who wakes up early to pack lunch boxes? This world really does seem like a fantasy setting.

After hearing that much, I looked at Sasaki’s sister’s face again.

There was a strange joy in her expression as she spoke.

So… she’s happy just thinking about her brother.

This wasn’t simple badmouthing… it was more like bragging, in a way.

But why tell me all this?

…

No way.

Could she be trying to prevent me from dating her brother? Is she completely misunderstanding our relationship?

Of course, I’m not self-conscious enough to say that outright. I’ll just consider it as a possibility.

Thinking about her character in the novel, it’s not that she dislikes “me” specifically, but rather that she hates the idea of “losing her brother” to someone.

From what I can guess, it’s not because of romantic feelings. There’s something more complicated going on—personal circumstances that I shouldn’t reveal I know about.

“…I see.”

Only after I responded in the flattest tone possible did Sasaki’s sister stop badmouthing her brother.

“Ah… um, I’m sorry.”

She seemed embarrassed now that she’d thought about what she’d been rambling about.

“It’s fine.”

I nodded as I said that.

I hardly ever run into your brother anyway.

When Yuuki connects with Sasaki, that’s when things will get difficult. With a sister like this.

“…”

We walked side by side in silence for a while.

“Um, are you going to your part-time job today too?”

“Yes.”

When I nodded, for some reason Sasaki’s sister hesitated tremendously.

What, does she want to come along?

Don’t tell me the maid café wasn’t Sasaki’s hobby but his sister’s?

No, thinking about it again, that can’t be it. If his sister had otaku tendencies too, the novel would have emphasized that. It would be a “character trait,” after all.

If I think about it more… ah, is that it?

Is she trying to match her brother’s tastes?

“Um… perhaps.”

After hesitating briefly, Sasaki’s sister spoke.

“Could I learn that job too?”

“…”

The only reason I didn’t smack my own forehead was thanks to the patience I’d cultivated in my previous life. Impressed with my own restraint, I asked:

“Why?”

“Well… I have a use for it.”

I thought Sasaki was quite crazy when I read the novel. You know those protagonists who jump into fires to save someone, or spare someone who tried to kill them? Those kinds of characters people call clear-eyed lunatics.

Sasaki was that type of person, and that’s why I thought he was crazy.

And… honestly, I admired him. It’s cool, right?

I’m not as handsome as the character illustrations, and I’m not the type to risk my life to save heroines like Sasaki, but I still thought it was cool.

Maybe it even influenced my career choice when I became an adult.

“…”

But this sister is even crazier.

“Maid work? In everyday life?”

When I finally broke my silence to ask that, Sasaki’s sister’s face turned bright red.

Actually, I understand this kind of thinking to some extent. Sasaki is all his sister has left. If by some remote chance Sasaki were to leave, she would be completely alone in the world. This isn’t an exaggeration.

It’s one of the characteristics of the novel “Shintenki.” While bloody settings and crumbling daily lives are features, another genre characteristic is that the heroines and protagonists all have abnormally deficient aspects to them.

Or maybe it was just the trend of that era.

“Um… yes. I thought it might help with housework.”

What a clumsy excuse.

“…It won’t help at all.”

At my words, Sasaki’s sister’s face turned even redder, but she didn’t seem ready to back down.

She’s as stubborn as her brother.

It’s awkward because I can’t reveal that I know the past of someone I’m properly talking to for the first time.

After thinking for a while, I finally let out a long sigh.

“…I’ll talk to them about it.”

“Really!?”

Sasaki’s sister’s face lit up. It was like watching a flower blooming in fast-forward, and for a moment I almost felt good about it too.

I continued calmly.

“But whether they allow it or not is up to the manager.”

“I understand.”

Sasaki’s sister thumped her chest with a serious expression.

…

She’s certainly enthusiastic.

Anyone would feel good when an impulsive request made during a chance meeting seems to be going well.

Still, I don’t think the manager would hire a middle schooler as a part-timer.

*

“Sure, that’s fine.”

“I’ll work hard!”

The manager who answered so casually without a care, and the middle school girl who excitedly responded to those words.

I stood there with my mouth slightly open, looking back and forth between them, then approached the manager and asked quietly.

“…Is this really okay?”

“Hm? You brought her, didn’t you? She looks reliable.”

“That’s not the issue… she’s a middle schooler…”

“You were a middle schooler until about three months ago.”

I was a middle-aged man three months ago.

But putting that aside.

“Besides, she’s not saying she wants to ‘work,’ but that she wants to ‘learn’ to work. She said she won’t take money. Can’t we just treat it like a maid experience or something?”

Even the justification is casual.

Right, this is exactly the manager from that era. The type who casually hires the protagonist, casually makes them work, casually pays them, while seemingly not caring much about their business. Yet they reliably help when help is truly needed.

Of course, I’ll have to wait and see about that last part.

This character didn’t even appear in the original work. They’re not even an extra. They’re technically off-stage.

Do light novel-style settings apply to such people too?

“You’re her senior, right? Then she can just follow you around.”

No.

I opened my mouth to object somehow, but in the end, I couldn’t form proper words and closed it again.

After all, I was the one who granted her request and brought her here.

No, more importantly. She’s not getting paid? Are you serious?

…Well, whatever happens, happens.

No one will continue working without getting paid. Even Sasaki’s sister will probably quit within days if she’s not paid. And the manager won’t try to keep her.

Thinking about it again, maybe this is the manager’s way of “getting rid of her”?

Having rationalized it to myself, I turned around and went to Sasaki’s sister.

“…This way.”

“Yes, senior!”

Sasaki’s sister shouted energetically at my words. She was full of spirit.

A maid junior, huh.

I’m already the youngest person working here.

“First, the changing room.”

“Yes!”

…This is burdensome.

*

Sasaki’s sister… worked hard.

Much harder than me, who gets paid 850 yen per hour.

“Thank you, Master! Please visit us again!”

I believe work is something you don’t have to do if you’re not getting paid, but she seems to think differently.

Maybe it’s because this setting is from 20 years ago. You know those kinds of mentality theories that used to come up? Like “you should be diligent when you’re young” and such.

No, thinking about it again, there were plenty of novels even 20 years later featuring protagonists who worked overtime, couldn’t go home, and came to work on weekends.

I thought things had changed, but they haven’t at all.

“Alright, that’s it for today. Good work, everyone.”

The manager said that while stretching. Looking at the clock, that customer just now was the last one. There was still some time left until closing, but even if new customers came, there wouldn’t be time to prepare the menu.

“Good work, everyone!”

The person who most enthusiastically greeted us was the one who ignored all modern labor laws designed to provide workers with at least minimal human rights.

Even the other maids who barely talk to me normally were a bit taken aback.

“I’ll change clothes last.”

“Ah, because you came in last, you’re following the order!”

No.

There are no set rules about seniority here. This is a place where girls like me, who have awkward circumstances to explain, come to work a little and earn money.

Saying it like that makes it sound like a really… questionable place, but at least the services aren’t illegal, so I guess it doesn’t matter?

In the end, pushed by Sasaki’s sister calling me “senior,” I changed clothes second-to-last.

“Where did you find a girl like that?”

While Sasaki’s sister was changing clothes, I was waiting outside in a daze when the manager asked me that.

I know, right?

How can someone like her exist?

I can’t understand the world of novels. It’s not like only the novel parts exist and nothing outside of them. This world is… not that different from the Earth I lived on. Except for the time period being 20 years earlier and the existence of characters from the novel.

Excluding beings that defy the laws of physics, the rest of the common sense parts remained the same.

Shouldn’t people’s personalities form similarly to reality then? That’s not in the realm of the “extraordinary,” is it?

“I’m done changing.”

Sasaki’s sister, now wearing a white sailor uniform, said.

White base with blue collar. The image was completely different from the high school uniform.

“…See you tomorrow.”

I turned to the manager and bowed after seeing Sasaki’s sister come out.

“See you tomorrow!”

So you’re coming tomorrow too.

*

…?

As we left the store, I felt that strange sensation again.

It wasn’t much different from the discomfort I felt last time—a subtle unease.

As I turned around and tilted my head, Sasaki’s sister who was beside me spoke up.

“Is something wrong?”

And her gaze followed mine, but neither of us found anything.

When I turned my head back and started walking, Sasaki’s sister began walking alongside me.

What could it be, really?

I had thought she would really drop out after working for a day without getting paid. Wearing a maid uniform might feel novel at first, but once you realize it’s no different from being a café waitress, the job suddenly becomes boring.

But this… Sasaki girl not only stayed until the end of work, but even declared she would come back tomorrow.

By the way, tomorrow is Friday. Japanese high schools, terribly enough, have classes until fourth period on Saturdays, so talk of “Friday night fun” doesn’t apply, but working on Friday night is still quite depressing.

Plus, I work eight hours on Saturdays and Sundays too. Well, I was planning to be an hour late on Saturdays because of school.

“…”

After walking silently for a while, I felt I couldn’t take it anymore and stopped.

“Kurosawa-senpai?”

Sasaki’s sister turned toward me and stopped. The way she tilted her head showed she really didn’t understand why I had stopped.

“…Tell me the reason again.”

“Reason?”

“Why you followed me.”

“…”

“If you just want to do maid work, there are easier ways.”

At my words, Sasaki’s sister’s face darkened a bit.

“Am I being a burden?”

A burden… not really. The more people working, the better. The manager was probably happy to get free labor too.

But this didn’t seem right. The job I do is easy—you just need to memorize a few lines. There’s no need for an apprenticeship relationship.

I shook my head and said:

“That’s not it.”

“Then—”

“…But it bothers me.”

My words silenced Sasaki’s sister.

“Tell me the reason.”

At my words, she lowered her head briefly to think, then nodded to herself with an “Mm,” before raising her head to look at me again.

“Actually, it’s because of my brother.”

“You already said that.”

“Huh? Oh, th-that’s not what I meant.”

When I stared at her face and spoke, Sasaki’s sister stumbled over her words a bit before continuing.

“Learning maid work wasn’t the real reason. But it is because of my brother.”

I thought so.

The reason is probably one of the ones I’ve considered.

“Actually, this is the first time my brother has shown interest in a girl his age.”

I closed my eyes.

So it was that after all.

Rather than simple interference, she’s worried about whether her brother will date a good woman or be captivated by a strange one.

And this was probably related to the incident involving Sasaki siblings’ father and mother.

Well, honestly, I don’t think I’m the first girl Sasaki has shown interest in. While Yuuki lost the chance for the intense meeting from the original work, these kinds of novels typically have a childhood friend character too.

This goes back to when Sasaki was in elementary school. By then, the siblings were already living apart, so his sister couldn’t have known about it. There was a scene in the novel where she was shocked after learning about that person’s existence later.

“…”

After thinking for a moment with my eyes closed, I spoke.

“…Actually, I lied too.”

“What?”

“I’m not really close with Sasaki. I’ve only spoken to him once besides when you were there.”

“Whaaaat!?”

Sasaki’s sister’s mouth fell open. It was a bit exaggerated, like in a manga, but honestly it was cute because of her appearance. This is totally cheating.

My own sister never made such expressions for me.

Actually, if she had, I probably would have grabbed her collar and dragged her to a psychiatrist.

“We’re not what you’d call friends.”

After I confirmed this again, Sasaki’s sister blinked a few times and tilted her head.

“Then… why did you lie?”

“Because you seemed to believe it.”

“…”

At my words, Sasaki’s sister closed her mouth.

After rolling her eyes around for a bit before finally reaching a conclusion, Sasaki’s sister asked:

“You were… accommodating me?”

More precisely, I just wanted to give a short answer because it was bothersome.

Sasaki’s sister’s shoulders slumped.

“I really have been a burden. I’m sorry…”

Hmm.

When she apologizes that much, it makes me feel a bit sorry instead.

“…No.”

I shook my head again as I spoke. Sasaki’s sister’s lowered head came up slightly, looking cautious.

“I had a bit of fun too.”

“R-really?”

This time, a shy expression.

“Yes. But stop working without getting paid. It’ll spoil the manager.”

“Talking that way about someone at least ten years older than us…”

Isn’t mentioning age like that even more disrespectful?

“Let’s go.”

“Huh? Oh, yes.”

“…I’ll buy you dinner.”

The sky was already dark. As always, it wasn’t bedtime yet.

“What? No, I followed you on my own.”

“I said I’m your senior.”

“Oh, um, well, okay…”

“It’s also repayment.”

“Repayment?”

“For the meal I got from Sasaki.”

“Ah…!”

“Is there anything you want to eat?”

To my question, Sasaki’s sister thought for a moment before saying:

“I’ll defer to your preference…”

“Then ramen it is.”

I said decisively and started walking. There was a ramen shop nearby that I wanted to try.

…It was a bit painful to spend money for two people, but… well, it doesn’t matter. Just for one day.

It would be sad not to get at least one meal after working for free.

“…You’re a good person.”

“…?”

“Oh, nothing, just talking to myself. Let’s go eat ramen!”