episode_0096

“Hmm…”

The day after turning in my resignation at the cake shop, I stood at the cafe with my arms crossed, lost in thought.

“Is this going to be okay?”

The source of my dilemma was none other than Nier, the girl from the neighboring apartment whom I had exchanged greetings with yesterday, and who would now be working at our cafe.

“Was it too hasty to scout her? I don’t have anything prepared right now.”

If I were an experienced cafe owner, I wouldn’t have any reason to worry, but unfortunately, I was a complete newbie when it came to cafe work.

Although I had recently discovered a talent for cooking and could create award-winning dishes, that was just a chef’s talent, completely different from running a business.

“If we had already opened, it might be different, but hiring for a place that hasn’t even opened… It’s suspicious to anyone who looks at it.”

Objectively speaking, my place wasn’t even a proper cafe. There was no sign, nothing being sold, and the owner had no experience in running a business. You couldn’t call that a cafe.

And to top it off, we hadn’t even decided on a name for the place.

“If she finds out that the place she’s coming to work at is nothing like a cafe…”

Already feeling insecure about receiving help from a stranger and potentially damaging my pride, I might just run away at the thought of it being a trap set by those who might be after her!

There was a possibility of causing more harm than good, ending up in the worst-case scenario of not being able to help at all.

“Is this really a good idea?”

As I imagined such scenarios, anxiety washed over me.

The promised time for Nier to come to the cafe was 1 o’clock, and it was currently 12:45.

It was too late to correct the mistake, but it was also too late to tell Nier not to come.

“Okay.”

The moment where the law of the world proves that good intentions don’t always lead to good results was getting closer and closer.

“Alright, let’s practice! Practice is the only way to survive! Hahaha!”

The only thing I could do was escape from reality through practice.

※

“To bake a cake in 15 minutes… Am I really a genius?”

Starting from melting the chocolate, I managed to make a chocolate cake that required a bit more effort than a simple cream cake in just 15 minutes.

Even I doubted whether it was done correctly, the chocolate cake I made so quickly was not only perfect in taste but also excellent enough to enchant any customer.

“People can exhibit superhuman abilities in times of crisis… I never knew I could make a cake in 15 minutes.”

How amazing was my talent really? Would there come a moment when I would realize that there was a limit to my abilities? I’m scared of myself in this state. But if I could just be a chef without having to resort to the emergency room, couldn’t I have paid off my debts quickly?

Trembling at my talent of achieving the unbelievable feat of baking a cake in 15 minutes, a thought that had momentarily slipped my mind crossed my mind.

“But what’s the point of baking a cake well! Nothing has been resolved at all!”

That was the reality I had escaped from under the guise of practice, as the time Nier was supposed to arrive, 1 o’clock, had already passed, leaving me with the looming problem of introducing Nier to a place that wasn’t even a proper cafe.

“Even though the chocolate cake turned out deliciously, would offering it to them help them feel a bit better? Eating sweets can help improve a bad mood.”

I was in such a dire situation that I was on the verge of blurting out anything, and as I kept repeating ‘Oh Ttokeottoke’ in my head.

Ring-

“Oh, hello? I’m not late, am I?”

“Ugh.”

In the end, despite being completely unprepared to take responsibility, I had to take care of her, Nir, as she opened the door and walked in.

‘I don’t even have a sign up yet, there are chairs on the tables, and it’s obvious this building isn’t open for business. How did she find her way in so easily?’ A moment of doubt crossed my mind, but I quickly dismissed it, thinking, ‘I sent her the address yesterday, so she must have found her way here based on that.’

Because what I needed to do now was not marvel at Nir’s keen eyesight, but rather explain my current situation to her without causing her any undue confusion.

Yes, ‘The grand opening is in 3 weeks, and we’ll have a sign up then. We’re not fully prepared yet, but we have a vision. Have you not seen my cake skills? We just met yesterday, so it may seem strange to say this, but if you trust me and follow my lead, I’ll make sure you won’t regret it.’ I sincerely tried to persuade her. That was the best I could do at the moment.

Having experienced firsthand that sincerity can move hearts, I steeled myself and, with sincerity loaded just below my throat, I came out of the kitchen to meet Nir.

“You’ve come at the perfect time. Uh, Nir, there’s something I need to tell you first… Huh?”

But before my loaded sincerity could be aimed at Nir, it retreated back inside me.

“Haah… Tsk. Ugh… Please don’t make that face… No. Please don’t make that face. You agreed that this needed to be done before you came.”

It was because Nir wasn’t alone in entering the shop.

Next to Nir, there was a woman with long black hair, who seemed to be frowning slightly as if she didn’t like something, unlike the blonde Nir.

The woman, who had a face similar to Nir’s, exuded a strangely familiar atmosphere, just like Nir.

Where have I seen her before? What is it?

Although her face was unfamiliar in my memory, there was something about her that felt familiar. Just as I was about to search my mind for any possible encounters, Nir’s voice interrupted my thoughts.

“Phew… Um, that… Stay, right? Let me introduce this person first.”

“Yes? Oh, yes.”

As I focused my attention on Nir, a very displeased expression came into view.

It was the expression of someone who didn’t want to introduce the person next to them, but had to do it anyway.

For a moment, I worried, ‘Is Nir being threatened by the woman next to her?’ But her following words dispelled my concern.

“This person is… Haah. My younger sister. Well, I don’t really need to introduce her, do I?”

“I wasn’t expecting you to. Self-introductions are usually done by the person themselves. Nice to meet you, Stay, I’m her sister, Mary.”

Placing her hand on her large chest in a noble manner, the woman who introduced herself as Mary, with a very familiar feeling, seemed to be Nir’s younger sister.

But why does she look so displeased while introducing her younger sister? Are they not on good terms? If they have a bad relationship, why introduce her to me… Huh?!

In the midst of unfolding my imagination about the sudden appearance of a new face, I suddenly understood why Nir had to introduce her sister, Mary.

If you are Nir’s younger sibling, then it was clear that Mary had come to me for help, regardless of her shame.

Yes, she must have come without contacting me beforehand because she was afraid of being rejected if she contacted me in advance. It’s difficult for people to refuse when they see your face and ask for help, so that’s why she brought Mary without saying anything.

Bringing her acquaintance to my workplace without prior notice and trying to put her in a position is a behavior that goes against social etiquette, but it didn’t bother me as much as it should have.

Just like Nir, Mary must have been in a difficult situation when we first met, which is why she exuded such a pitiful and sympathetic aura.

Thinking that there might be someone who wants to take responsibility for her as soon as they see her face, I didn’t expect that there would be two people in the world who would want to do that, but siblings do resemble each other, so they can also share that kind of atmosphere.

With that thought in mind, I made sure to say what she wanted to say before she said anything shameless.

“Did you say your name is Mary? Would you like to work at our store with Nir?”

To someone who doesn’t know the situation, this might sound like a very out-of-place scouting offer, but I knew their situation, so it was only natural for Mary’s face to light up when she heard my offer.

“Really?! Thank you!”

The cynical and cold expression that Nir had shown me was nowhere to be found as Mary simply smiled brightly and thanked me, warming my own expression in return.

It felt as if I had heard that she wanted to embrace me with all her might like Meiruina…

“Hmm?”

Meiruina? Why am I suddenly thinking of her?

“Why are you like that, Stay?”

“Hmm?”

Stay…? What is this? Why does it feel so familiar? When Nir called me Stay, it didn’t feel strange at all.

A feeling that something important was happening right in front of me, something that I hadn’t yet realized. A feeling of missing something important began to creep in.

“Mary, Nir… Me… Mir…? Your names are similar…”

The blurry outline of that something that had been hazy in my mind became clearer as I thought a little deeper.

Just a little more thought, and it felt like I could reach the truth if I reached out a little further, at that moment when that precarious feeling was about to penetrate deep into my heart.

“B-but!!!! Stay! I-I have something to ask!”

Nir raised her hand and asked a question with a desperate voice.

Although I felt a little resentful that Nir interrupted my contemplation, it was quite rude to be lost in thought in front of someone, so I put aside my regret and asked her back.

“Yes? What is it?”

“S-so, this store isn’t operational yet, right?”

“Ah.”

So she finally noticed. The moment Nir criticized the dubiousness of my store that didn’t resemble mine at all…

I wished she hadn’t come. But since she did, there was nothing I could do about it.

I let out a small sigh and, not flustered thanks to my preparedness, I opened my mouth to bring out the sincerity I had prepared.

“Yes, that’s correct. I couldn’t tell you in advance…”

“I-I see. Okay then! I’ll leave it at that! I’ll do my best from now on!”

I was about to explain my sincere apology, the explanation of how it happened, and even the vision for the future, but skipping all of that, Nir reached out to me and said she would do her best.

“Yes?”

“It’s a strange shop, and even though it wouldn’t be strange at all to run away suspiciously, Nier’s eyes, full of trust, looked at me, and a dumb question popped out of my mouth.

“Please take care of me!”

But even with my dumb question, Nier looked at me with unwavering trust in her eyes.

It was as if she was saying that such matters were not important at all, and what was important to us was that we would be a family together in the future. Her eyes were filled with trust, and I was deeply moved.

Perhaps my sincerity had already been conveyed.

Just as I had conveyed something to Nier, it seemed that Nier had also conveyed something to me.

“I, I do too!”

And there was Mary next to Nier, reaching out her hand with eyes filled with trust, just like Nier.

As someone who had never made a proper work colleague before, the beginning of this relationship touched me deeply.

“Thank you!”

“Hya?!”

“Hehe?!”

Hug.

So grateful that I unknowingly hugged the two of them tightly.

I almost panicked, thinking, ‘Isn’t this sexual harassment in the workplace?’ But then I realized that Nier was the one who had asked for a hug first.

Mary also… for some reason, she seemed like she would enjoy a hug as well.

Even though we had just met, I had a strong feeling that this person would definitely be like that, and strangely enough, that feeling was spot on.

“Ah······♥”

“Uh, hehehe······♥”

Both of them were making sounds that only someone in a really good mood could make.

After hugging them once, I confidently opened my mouth to Nier and Mary.

“Well then. Thank you once again for becoming my work colleagues. Shall we start working now? Is that okay with you?”

“Yes, of course!”

“I’ve been waiting for the moment to work with Stay from yesterday until this morning.”

As a boss, these were very gratifying responses.

Ah, I can’t fall behind the employees who are igniting the enthusiasm to work in this shop that doesn’t even look like a shop!

Encouraging everyone’s mood, including myself, I clapped loudly to announce the start of our historic beginning.

Clap!

“Alright! Let’s really start now…”

“Ah, hngg?! ♥♥♥”

“Hyaahh?! ♥♥♥”

“Huh?”

What is this?”