CH 20

Kaede wanted to get a part-time job, but she didn’t even tell me where she was going to work.

Today was a holiday, and there were quite a few people in the shop. Being this busy, I was getting exhausted.

But today I only had a morning shift, so if I worked hard for another two hours or so, I could go home, and that was all I could do to keep my mind occupied.

At that moment, a woman came into the store. She had blonde hair and fair skin, but she was wearing a hat and mask, so I couldn’t see her face very well.

(Hmm..That can’t be right.)

For a moment I thought it might be Kaede, but I tried not to worry about it, thinking it couldn’t be, but I guess it’s a man’s nature to worry after all.

However, the woman was taken to the back by a clerk.

A part-time job interview? I thought so, and although it was indeed a part-time job, I myself had just thought it would be quite a challenge.

“Ren-chan, can you come over here for a minute?”

I heard the manager calling me and I headed for the back.

The store was getting more and more crowded, but at a time like this, I wondered why… and the store manager gestured to the interview room with his hand, so I went to the interview room.

I went to the interview room, and there sat the blonde haired person who was just brought to the back by the clerk.

“Um, manager? What the h**l is this…”

“That girl came for an interview, but it seems that she will be accepted from today, but there is no trainer …”

“Is it possible…. that you don’t like it?” He added,

I had a bad feeling about this, so I denied it quickly, and the manager looked really troubled.

“But this girl said she knew you, Ren-chan.”

Acquaintance? This blonde? I’ve only known one blonde.

“Could it be Kaede?”

“Y- yes, I’m sorry…..”

As she said this, she took off her hat and mask, and I saw my usual, home Kaede, there interviewing for the part-time job.

It was reassuring to know someone at my own place of employment, but I don’t think there was much I could teach her.

“Okay, manager, I’ll teach her.”

“Ara, really? Thank you very much~.”

After that, I looked at Kaede and saw that she looked apologetic, so I gave her a look that said it couldn’t be helped, and her expression softened a little.

“So? The result of the interview is…”

“Of course you are hired, you know? How many such pretty, polite and nice girls can you find in Japan? ….”

Did I really have to say that much? I thought, but yes, I had never seen a more polite and pretty girl.

(The store manager would be surprised if he heard about Kaede’s past, too.)

That’s what I was thinking. However, I don’t know if it was because we could work together , but for some reason, my mouth relaxed.

“They’re letting you in today, so I look forward to working with you.”

“Yes, yes.”

“Um! Hayasaka-kun… I’m looking forward to working with you, too.” She added,

Kaede stuck out her tongue with an expression saying “tee-hee”. She looked like a child who had succeeded in pulling a prank. She was called an Angel at school all the time, but she was the complete opposite of that and made me think of a little devil.

But thinking that I was the only one who could see this kind of expression on her face made me want to show off a little to the boys in my class.

“This is the girls’ locker room, and I think they probably have uniforms, so go change in here.”

“Um! Can you wait for me?”

“Three minutes, no more.”

“Yes! I’ll go change.”

With that, she struck a salute-like pose, and walked into the changing room at a staccato pace.

I imagine Kaede changing inside and wearing the uniform of our store.

Embarrassed with myself for even imagining such a thing, I lightly hit my head against the wall and tried to keep my composure.

(Haa…it would suit her)

After all, there was a freshness that could not be experienced at home, or how should I put it, a feeling that was difficult to express.

Even as I thought about this, my face was getting hotter and hotter, so hot that I started thinking I might have a fever.

“What’s going to happen in the future in this job?”

I started to speak to the wall.