Volume 1 - CH 4

“That’s clearly your fault, Nanacchi~”

The following day’s afternoon, I received these words from the male student and friend who understood most about a girl’s heart—Tadokoro Onikichi. Some students were left in the classroom, preparing to head home, so I explained the situation to him with as quiet of a voice as possible.

“You think so as well?”

“Of course! If she says ‘We’re like newlyweds’ then you better agree and say ‘You’re right, my honey, let’s put our names into the marriage register right away, phew!’, all right?!”

“I don’t think that’s quite right! Also, can you not scream like that?!”

“Not to mention that ‘You don’t need to hold that much of a grudge, okay?’ comment was just awful. You sound like a gross otaku. Being an otaku is nice, but being gross is a no-no, Nanacchi.”

Urgh…I get what he’s trying to say.

“Alright, I’ll reflect on that. But, how can I recover now?”

“That’s super-duper easy!”

“Tell me!”

“You gotta invite her out on a duh-duh-duh-date, yo!” DJ Onikichi showed hand movements like he was holding a mic.

“Yeah, not happening.”

There’s no way a clumsy employee would invite his superior out on a date!

“It’s totally doable! Let’s go! Come on!”

“Huh?!”

Onikichi grabbed my arm, dragging me out of the classroom. He dashed towards the second floor, and with the difference of our height, I couldn’t protest against this at all. It didn’t take two minutes before we reached the classroom in question.

“Is Kamijou-senpai present!” Onikichi screamed at the door of the second-year classroom without hesitation.

After our election preparation duties began, I told Onikichi about the section chief. Immediately after this scream, the chief, who sat in the back of the classroom, glanced over at us. Judging from that, Onikichi must have understood who Kamijou Touka is. However, he walked towards her with no hesitation at all.

“Herrow! Name’s Oni-chan aka Tadokoro Onikichi! Yay!” Onikichi immediately offered the chief his right hand.

The chief seemingly didn’t know how to deal with this, as she went with the flow and awkwardly shook his hand.

“I-I’m Kamijou Touka.”

“Touka, huh! Nice to meet ya, yay!”

Why’re you calling her by her given name?! She’s a senior of yours! The chief glanced at me, almost like she was asking for help, only to immediately avert her face again. I guess she’s still angry because of yesterday.

“Onikichi and Nanaya, what brings you here?”

Only then did I realize that Nao stood next to the section chief.

“Right back at you, why are you here, Nao?”

“The chief and I were talking about going to a beauty parlor next weekend.”

“Huh, are you getting a haircut, Chief? That’s a shame, you have such beautiful hair.”

“Wh-Wh-What are you saying, Shimono-kun! It’s not me, but Nao-chan!”

“Huh?! I’ll have to cut my hair?! I thought I was just your escort!”

Seems like the person in question didn’t even know about these plans.

“Calm down, Nao-chan. I’m sorry, I phrased that badly. We’re not going to get a haircut, just a bit of a different hairstyle for the election.”

Different hairstyle? I don’t really play around much with my hair, so I’m a bit clueless when it comes to that. Since Nao’s hair barely doesn’t reach down to hair shoulders, I don’t think there’s much that can be done. It’s a fitting hairstyle for a high school girl like her.

“Hairstyle, huh…”

As two girls, the chief’s words seemingly got through to Nao, as she showed a satisfied expression.

“That’s right. You have to give a speech on election day, remember? Preparations for that are important, but the most influence for the voters will be the final speech after all. If you’re not convincing then, you might lose all the voters you previously gathered.”

“That does make sense. But, how is that related to her hair?” I asked, which immediately earned me a cold gaze from the chief.

Did I say something bad again?

“…A speech is like a presentation, right? In other words, an act of selling yourself. What is the first thing you have to be conscious of when meeting someone new and potentially important?”

“Ahhh…! The first impression!”

Crap, of course she’d be angry if I didn’t get that right away.

“Correct. Humans value appearances a lot, so no matter how great your speech may be if the person giving it doesn’t look like someone they can trust, nobody will remember you. To balance that out, the first impression is most crucial. Of course, it’s not as if Nao-chan’s impression is bad or anything. You’re cute, and you’re energetic, so there’s nothing better.”

“Yay, the chief praised me~!” Nao jumped up in joy.

Yeah, watching her gives me enough energy to get through the day.

“However, I feel no glimmer of the necessary strength and persuasive ability you would need during a speech.”

“Waaah, the chief insulted me! Crying now!”

“That being said, there’s no need to drastically change your appearance. It’ll only hurt you more if you go through too much of a change now. So, we’ll be styling your hair a bit, creating a gap that’ll make you sound more believable.”

I remembered the day when I went to my first maintenance with the big-shot customer. She fixed my necktie for me. It might seem like something trivial, but that change alone can directly influence one’s impression. It’s like a butterfly effect.

“But, even if I get my hair styled, it’ll be ruined as soon as I take a bath in the evening.”

“It’s fine, I’ll remember the way they styled it, and set it up for you on the day of the election. But for that, I need to see how the professionals are doing it. If it’s the beauty parlor I always visit, I do not doubt their skill.”

And yet, she’s confidently saying that she can copy their craft after watching them once.

“That’s a relief, then!”

So said Nao, completely trusting the chief with no second thought.

“Of course, you’ll have to wear your uniform properly on the day in question. F-For example, aren’t you showing too much chest?” The chief looked at Nao’s well-endowed chest and blushed.

Isn’t she a bit too innocent despite being 28?

“Okay, okay~! If the chief says so, I’ll do just that! By the way, what did you come here for, you two?”

“Yup, yup! Now it’s Nanacchi’s turn! Go on, Nanacchi, tell Touka!”

Oh damn, I completely forgot about that. This playboy forced me here after all.

“…What is it?” The chief crossed her arms, looking at me.

It’s been a while since I’ve seen her like this. She’s like this whenever she’s about to warn me because I messed up. No…thinking about it, I did something crazy. I made my subordinate angry, and yet I haven’t even apologized. Because it’s been a while since we traveled back in time, and through that, my senses must have been dulled. My body may be that of a young man, but inside, I’m an adult. Geez, was I always this insolent of a man? I’m still not too sure of that whole date thing that Onikichi brought up, but first and foremost, I have to apologize and show my determination.

Alright… there are no students left in this classroom besides us, and it doesn’t matter if Nao or Onikichi think of me as weird now. Shimono Nanaya is going all out.

“Section Chief Kamijou!” I called out her name with a volume that probably reached the hallway, and prostrated myself on the ground. “My foolish and inconsiderate words have brought great displeasure to you, Section Chief, and I deeply apologize for that! It was an act unworthy of being subordinate, so I will make up for that with all my might! With my good intentions of reflecting on my actions in mind, I’d like to invite you out for next Sunday, would that be all right with you?!” I raised my head, checking the chief’s expression.

Without even needing to look twice, she was beet red. And, what followed was a voice brimming with rage.

“You dummy!”

This was the Shimono-style salaryman technique apology.

*

“Chief, were you drinking alcohol at Kofuyu’s birthday?”

“I-I wasn’t!”

“I’m sorry, forget I said anything.”

I’ve never seen the chief cry like that, so I wondered if she was drinking some alcohol while Nao and I were talking in private, but I guess that wasn’t it. Maybe she’s just even more of a maiden than I initially assumed?

“Did you go to the beauty parlor with Nao yesterday?”

“…Sure did.”

“Oh, did you cut your hair a bit?”

“Huh?! W-Well, the hair tips, a bit. It’s not that big of a deal, though.”

I see! I was wondering why she felt a bit different from usual, but I’m glad I said it. Right now, it was Sunday morning, with the chief and me standing below the large clock at the train station, both wearing our casual clothes. Meeting the chief in private like this is actually the first time despite us having worked together a long time. Still, I imagined the chief to come here rocking a mature pants look, but to think she chose a skirt—Not to mention a relatively short one. It is feminine and what a high school girl would wear, but it’s not much like her, at least. I guess the chief was a maiden all along.

That being said, style and looks still made her as much of a beauty as always. Everything looked good on her. As her top, she wore a pretty blouse with frills, the faint green emphasizing her cuteness. She looked a lot younger than usual, and the gap made me feel crazy. Even her hairstyle, half-up, felt so fresh, I was lacking the vocabulary to describe how cute she looked.

“Shimono-kun, what are you staring at?”

“I was just admiring how cute you are, Chief.”

“I will seriously kill you!”

Huh?! Even though I praised her! The chief awkwardly played with her hair, pulling down her skirt as she fidgeted. Did I make her angry again? When it comes to situations like these, Love Mentalist Yuito said that I should be honest and praise her clothes. Maybe my way of praising her was bad?

“What exactly?”

“Hm? What do you mean?”

“I’m asking what part of me is cute.”

No, she was actually happy?! I don’t get women! But, this is my chance to raise her affection for me! She’s throwing glances at me here and there, so now’s your time, Nanaya!

“Um…………”

“If you can’t come up with anything, then don’t bother!”

Now I did it. It’s not that I can’t come up with anything, I just lack the vocabulary to properly express myself. Urk, I’m such a good-for-nothing guy. However, the day has just started. The chief was kind enough to accept my invitation, so this will be somewhat of a date, after all. I have to make her cheer up no matter the cost. Well, I call it a date, but as high school students, we can’t go on a full-blown dinner, so lunch it is.

I previously decided on the exact restaurant, of course. My playboy assistant manager told me about a hidden gem of a pasta restaurant around here. I’ve been keeping it in mind ever since, but now’s finally the time to use it.

“So, let’s go, Chief. I’ll treat you to some delicious pasta!”

*

Around ten minutes after that, I stood in front of an old, small pachinko place, my mouth open in shock.

“Do you play pachinko, Shimono-kun?”

“H-Huh? It should have been here…did it go bankrupt?”

Weird…the building here should have been underground, and definitely not a pachinko place. But, the section chief quickly gave me the right answer.

“Rather than it going bankrupt, I would assume that it just hasn’t been built yet.”

It took me a second to grasp what she had said and then realized. I see, so that pachinko place would be abandoned for the new building.

“Right…we’re eleven years in the past after all…What a miscalculation…I’m sorry, Chief.”

“It’s fine, really. If we go back to the train station, we’ll quickly find another place.”

In the end, we had to walk back, making a woman like her waste twenty minutes for practically nothing. For now, we went to an Italian chain restaurant for lunch. Arriving at our seats, the chief happily pointed at the menu.

“I’d like cream pasta with avocado and shrimp!”

“Then I’ll take the naporitan…”

“Are you still depressed? Come on now, it’s not that big of a deal, really. Not to mention that I often come here on my own.” The chief gently smiled.

“Are you not angry, Chief?”

“Not at all…If anything, even what happened the other day, I wasn’t really angry, just…sulking a bit. And, I’m happy that you invited me out today, so just cheer up, okay!”

“Chief~! I’m really glad that you turned out to be my superior!”

“Don’t call me chief here! Also, no more groveling on the ground at school, okay! Never again!” The chief pouted and formed a fist.

Damn it, if she treats me kindly and then shows such an adorable gesture, she’ll make me fall head over heels for her! What am I supposed to do about this? My initial plan was ruined. After eating at the pasta place, I thought of going to an entertainment building with a game center on the first floor, and a movie theater on the second. Playing some UFO catcher after lunch, enjoying an exciting movie…it would have been the perfect plan for a date between high school students, but all of that was crushed. Inviting my superior on a weekend day, only eating lunch, there’s just no way.

“Maaaaan…”

“Why are you still sighing like that? Are you not having fun with this lady at your side, Nanaya-kun?”

There it is, the chief’s random lovey-dovey mode. I’d love to rely on it just for today, but that won’t do.

“I’ll go grab some water.”

“Ah, yes.”

I stood up from my seat, and headed towards the drink bar. And then, while drawing the water, I once more thought about the plan. As an adult, you could just invite someone out to drink something and spend the rest of the day together, but when it comes to talking with no alcohol, I’m at a clear disadvantage. As someone who never experienced love, it’d immediately show my weakness as a man.

I finished filling two cups with water and decided that any more thinking was futile, so I turned around. At the same time, I spotted something ominous.

One seat behind ours, I saw two familiar faces. They were probably planning on disguising themselves, as they wore some shady caps, but with those big boobs and flashy looks respectively, there’s no way I would mistake them.

“Those two followed us, huh.”

Nao and Onikichi probably followed after us to have some extra fun. For a moment, I thought of consulting them for a new date plan, but this was supposed to be me making up to the chief, so there’s no meaning if we had fun as friends. And even if I told the chief that they followed us, it’d only invite misunderstandings, so I guess I’ll just act like I didn’t see them. In the end, I went with that and returned to the seat where the chief was waiting.

“Thanks for the water. I went ahead and ordered.”

“Thank you very much, Chief.”

“Really, what happened?”

Can’t help it, I guess I might as well tell her if it’s come to this.

“Honestly speaking, I don’t have any plans for after this.”

“Eh, so we’re basically free from now on?”

“Yes, I’m very sorry! I’m such a failure not being able to come up with any proper plan despite being the one who invited you!”

“Calm down, I’m not angry or anything. If you have no plans after this, then there’s a place I’d like to go to.”

“Really?”

“Yup!”

A place she’d like to go to? I don’t know anything about the chief when she’s not at work, so this might be a good chance to learn more about her.

“Then, where are we going?”

“The company!”

“Huh?”

“Aren’t you curious about the company at this time, eleven years ago?!”

“Ch-Chief, you’re too loud.

I wonder, did Nao and Onikichi hear us? Or more importantly, what the heck is she even saying? We’re back to being high school students and I sure as hell don’t want to work, so why would I go there myself?! Is she that much of a workaholic?!

“I can’t wait~”

“No, just hang on, don’t decide yet.”

What would those two tailing us think if we went to our company? Not to mention that I’ve called the chief Chief in front of them, prostrating myself, which was all stuff I could somehow laugh off, but going to the company would definitely be a death sentence! What would we even do there?!

“You don’t want to, Shimono-kun?”

“Since we’re back in this time, shouldn’t we do something more like high school students?”

“I believe that getting a glimpse of an adult’s world at a company is very much what a high school student would do. As a great majority of being a student revolves around studying, we are basically preparing to enter a company.”

“I knew it, I shouldn’t ask for anything high school student-like from her.”

“That being decided, let’s finish eating and head there immediately!”

Can you even call this a date anymore?

*

We actually came. After taking the train, it took around eight minutes of walking from the nearest train station. Our branch office, which has the highest number of employees besides the main branch, rented the third-floor of this large building. Every time I reach this place for my work, I keep thinking the same thing—

“The company sure is relaxing~” The chief uttered.

“That’s just you!”

“Huh?”

“Don’t ‘Huh?’ me! Even if you’re my superior, that much I’m allowed to say!”

No way would I feel that way after coming here every single day. Even my nostalgia filter isn’t doing anything…or do you call it a future filter? That being said, we came to the front door, but entering won’t work. Then again, I doubt things have changed much compared to before, so I think she should be satisfied with that now.

“Chief, let’s go.”

“Yup, let’s go inside.”

“In what world would we do that?!”

“We came out here, so we might as well check it out.”

“Um, Chief, we’re high school students. You’re a high school girl. You have absolutely no connection to this business whatsoever. Do you get it? You’re an outsider, so do you think a child like you would be allowed inside?”

“Not really, no.”

“I know, right?”

“If it’s me, that is.”

“Huh?”

“I might not be able to get inside, but someone who isn’t me might just pull it off.”

Crap, I have no idea what she’s even saying. I just want to get away from here. If those two following us commented on this, I would have no way out.

“Ah, Shimono-kun! Look! It’s the assistant manager! Assistant Manager Nakagawa!”

“Huh? Who…Wait, you’re right! He’s so young!”

We spotted a salaryman in his late twenties, wearing a purple necktie on top of his pink shirt, walking towards the building. His age is clearly different, but it was easy to recognize him.

“That was back when he was still a newcomer, right! Maybe his first or second year?! So young! It’s gonna take a bit longer before he turns handsome.”

“R-Really? The nape of his neck feels a bit long and lame, no?”

Yup, I’m totally jealous.

“Well, I figured that Assistant Manager Nakagawa would come around this time. He always goes home for the lunch break after all.” The chief said, grinning.

“Wait a second, are you…?”

“You wait here for a moment.” The chief tapped me on the shoulder, walking towards the assistant manager.

At first, he was a bit bewildered, but he immediately showed a smile. What kind of talking skill did she use, even? While she was busy talking, I glanced around, looking for the two and where they were hiding. Ah, found them. I can see their heads from the bushes. Maybe I should tell them now…No, the chief’s already coming back.

“We can come inside.”

“Seriously?! What did you say?!”

“That we’re university students but we’d like to visit the company.”

“University students…Well, you sure do look that way.

With beauty like the chief has, that horny-brain assistant manager probably agreed just because of her looks. However, we can’t be pulling back now that we’ve gotten this far. Seeing no other option but to agree, I headed towards the entrance where the assistant manager was waiting.

“Oh, you have a boy with you?” The assistant manager seemed evidently displeased at that.

However, the chief easily countered that with a smile.

“He’s my younger brother Nanaya. He’s still in high school, but he was also curious about your company.”

“Eh, ah, yeah, Sis.”

“Hmmm…Well, he doesn’t look like a university student…Okay! I have to admire your motivation though, wanting to check out our company despite only being in high school. Anyway, come on, follow me!”

So easy! But, it’s also terrifying how the chief managed to perfectly pull this off. With this, Nao and Onikichi won’t be able to follow us, so I guess I can take this positively. Following the assistant manager, we entered the building. Taking the elevator, we reached the fourth floor and the management division. As I would pass by this section every single day, it was a familiar scenery, but something still felt off.

“The location of desks is a bit different from how I’m used to it. Right now, the office and management are separated.” I whispered to the chief.

“Yeah, you hadn’t joined the company yet when we had this setup. But in my first year, it was still like this. The relationship with the business office wasn’t the best. But with that separation, it was honestly hard to work.”

“Did you bring up the idea of improving it?”

“That’s right. At first, the people from the office and newcomers from the management treated me like a nuisance, I immediately broke through that, making sure we’d all work together.” She made it sound so simple, but I feel like that is actually something amazing.

“Ah, let’s have you meet the section chief while you’re at it.” The assistant manager beckoned us over to a middle-aged man sitting in the back.

He was rather small, not the thinnest with thick lips. I feel like I’ve seen him before, but I can’t remember it at all.

“Section chief Nonomura, these two seemingly had an interest in the company, and are university students from the town next over. I figured I might as well take them along.”

“Hm? Are you acting on your own again as always? Well, if you say so, I’ll let it slide. Let me see…Ahh, this isn’t half bad.”

The man narrowed his eyes while grinning. Nonomura…Nonomura…Ahh, it’s the guy who sexually harassed the newcomer girl before! So he was our section chief!

“I’m sorry for suddenly arriving like this. My name is Kamijou Touka, please take care of me.”

“What a beauty you are. So, who’s that boy with you?” Section Chief Nonomura’s sharp gaze was directed at me.

“Seems to be her younger brother. He’s in high school, but he’s got great interest in our company.”

“Hmm, I see. What admirable siblings you are.”

These two both have the same reaction when finding out that I’m the younger brother!

“Nakagawa-kun, you already finished all your sales this month, right? Take the afternoon off and show these two around. We have to make sure that we have reliable fresh meat coming up.”

“Understood~”

This month’s sales? We barely entered June, you know? He might look like a playboy, but he’s got the skills to back it up. With Section chief Nonomura’s permission, we were shown around the place.

“He’s the head of our section at the main branch. So he’s always got this lewd look in this face, huh.” The section chief whispered into my ear.

“Yeah, I realized. Was he not in our branch anymore when you joined the company, Chief?”

“Yep. He already moved to the main branch by then.”

“After you blew a fuse and gave him an earful, he stopped coming here entirely.”

“Hey, don’t say that…Was I angry? Scary, even?”

“Mega scary. I thought that you came from the planet of demons.”

She stabbed her elbow into my side without hesitation. While that was scary, it was also adorable.

“This here is the office for the business affairs~ Basically, where all the paperwork happens.” The assistant manager took us beyond the separation that split the floor.

“Nakagawa-kun, what’s with these kids?”

A young woman sitting at the desk in the middle caught on to us. Only the sound of keystrokes could be heard, creating a heavy atmosphere.

“Good work, Takano-san. These two came here to check out our company, hopefully, they’ll be helping us in the future.”

“Utter nonsense again…Must be nice having this much freedom in trade operations. I don’t really care, so could you not get in my way?” She glared at the assistant manager like she was looking at trash itself.

What a shame with her good looks, really.

“Oh, it’s Takano-san. She’s so young.”

“Huh? Ah, you’re right. I guess Takano-san was quite the beauty in her prime.”

It’s the gentle Takano-san from business affairs who would always give me sweets! She’s basically like a veteran in the business. Since she just turned 40 the other day, she should be around 27 right about now. I have to say, she’s almost like an entirely different person. The Takano-san I know wasn’t this strict and hard to deal with. And, she wasn’t as bad with the assistant manager.

“Chief, isn’t this Takano-san a bit scary?”

“Of course. As I said before, the relationship between business affairs and trade operations couldn’t be worse. Since the people from the trade section throw everything at them, the people in this section always have a large burden to carry.”

“Huh~ Of course she’d be annoyed if he suddenly brought two children with him instead of working.”

“More importantly, did you just call Takano-san a beauty?”

“Yes, I did. Isn’t she pretty?”

“Just to let you know, she may be looking like this right now, but the age gap between the two of you still doesn’t change. Not to mention that she had already gotten married by the time I entered the company, so her future husband is already decided even if she may be free right now. You get that?”

“I sure do. Why are you so fixated on that?”

“No reason.” The chief averted her face.

Seriously, what’s gotten into her? As we were talking, the exchange between Assistant Manager Nakagawa and Takano-san ended, and we walked away from that section. Going down the stairs, we reached the resting area located on the third floor. Together with the various vending machines lined up, I could see a small area blocked off by a door, acting as the smoking area.

“Sorry to show you something scary like that~” The assistant manager bought us two cans of juice and handed them to us.

“Thank you very much. I bet the people in the business affairs must have a lot of work to get through, no?”

The chief accepted the can and returned these words.

“Well, I would expect as much. I did tell the section chief that we from trade operations should take care of the business affairs problems, but he’s so thick-headed. It’s their own work, and we have our own problems, is stuff he keeps on saying. I don’t know if we can keep going like this.” The assistant manager laughed.

He’s clever, alright. He’s clearly realized that the cooperation here isn’t exactly working out. However, he’s still a newcomer, so no matter how great his achievements may be, there’s currently no reason for anybody to listen to him. Well, I guess Kamijou Touka is just above and beyond the average human being.

“But, that’s not all.” The assistant manager looked at his own can of coffee and continued.

“That’s not all?” I returned a question.

“Yeah. The thing is, both me and that woman just now actually cheated with each other.”

““Huh?!””

My voice beautifully overlapped with the chief’s.

“Takano-san…that person just now actually has a lover just as I do, but we both were like ‘Hey, they’re pretty handsome’, and then…we did it.”

Stop that! I don’t want to hear any more of that! Also, what are you telling some high school student who just came to check out your company?! Nobody cares about that! Are you dumb?! Look, the chief is clinging to my arm because she’s so terrified! Or rather, she’s probably shaking in anger.

“And then, she suddenly acted like she’s my woman, you know!”

Ah, it’s over. Her grip has gotten even stronger.

“She was probably jealous that I had such a cute university girl with me…Huh?”

I started dashing down the hallway while holding onto the chief’s hand. If she were to listen to more stories of this horny assistant manager, we would end up summoning a death god. So, I ran away. Luckily, I knew the layout of the building, as I’ve been working here for a while. Down the stairs, the chief and I left the building.

“Huff…huff…Chief…this is enough, right? Let’s just go home for today.”

“………”

“Chief?”

Since she gave me no response, I looked over at the chief. Her face was beet red. She must have been fuming with anger because of that assistant manager.

“…Shimono-kun.”

“Yes.”

“…Your hand.”

“Huh? Ah, I’m sorry!”

Now that I think about it, I grabbed her hand in the heat of the moment. I immediately let go, but I could still feel the soft sensation of her hand on mine. Now I’m feeling really embarrassed.

“I-It’s fine…Still, that assistant manager never changes, huh! Though I never heard of Takano-san cheating like that.”

“Y-You’re right!”

My heart is racing. This conversation feels so awkward.

“S-Sorry for being selfish like that. I’m satisfied now, so let’s go home.”

“Y-Yes!”

We walked away from the building. That was the first time I ever held a girl’s hand. I was taken to host clubs and other adult places before, but holding hands in a pure way…with the person I like…this has never happened before. Ahhh, so embarrassing. But despite that, I once more glanced at her hand. I…I want to hold it again. When I raised my gaze from her beautiful white hand, I was met with the chief’s gaze.

“U-Um…”

Hey, what am I trying to say here?

“W-What?” The chief averted her eyes.

Say it. Right now, momentum is most important. That’s what Yuito-sensei would always say. I’m going to hold her hand one more time.

“Chief, can we…”

“Ahhh! They finally came out!”

“Nao! There’s no meaning to us following them if you scream like thatI”

Oh yeah, I completely forgot about these two.

*

After we ran away from the company, we returned to our local train station, coming to a nearby public park. Once we reached an open space, the section chief spoke up.

“So, what were you doing there?”

Nao was the first one to react to those words.

“We were following you during your date!”

“It-It’s not a date! Wait, is this a date, Shimono-kun?!”

“Not at all.”

No way I can just go and say “Yes, it’s a date” during this conversation. Damn that Nao, now that she’s admitted to everything, there’s no reason for us to corner her anymore. She really is scary with that honesty of hers.

“So what were you two doing there?”

See, now she turned things around and is questioning us. However, we can’t just confess things to Nao of all people.

“T-That’s…Come on, Shimono-kun, tell her.”

Ah, not fair! She threw the question at me! You’re a failure as a superior!

“Uhhhm…That building’s first floor had a great sweets shop, so we went there.”

“Huh~? It looked more like a company though. Right, Onikichi?”

“Yup~ It sure seemed like a typical office building…Well, it’s not rare to have restaurants on the first floor though.”

Nice assist there, Onikichi.

“Huh, what a mature date from the two of you~”

“Nao-chan, it wasn’t a date. Right, Shimono-kun?”

Why do you keep needing to confirm that with me?

“Yup yup, you saw how I was groveling on the ground, right? I just invited her out for lunch as an apology.”

“Isn’t that what you call a date?”

““No!””

Today, the chief and I sure are in harmony. Either way, my half-baked explanation seemingly managed to convince Nao, as she asked no more questions. The chief saw this as a chance and immediately changed the topic.

“Nao-chan, did you manage to pull off that way of walking I taught you yesterday?”

“Way of walking?”

I also jumped on the train. Or rather, that was a genuine question of mine. What is that even supposed to mean?

“Yesterday, we practiced Nao’s walk for the sake of the election.” The chief may have answered, but I still can’t follow at all.

“As expected of Touka…You’re talking about a runway! Here we go to the max!” Onikichi’s tension was through the roof.

“What do you mean by runway?! We’re not at Paris Fashion Week!”

I won’t even bother to comment on the here we go to the max part. I would never even get a breather if I concern myself with that.

“Oh, Tadokoro-kun, you’re a lot more clever than you look.”

Huh?! Seriously?!

“Of course I’ve seen right through you, Touka. It’s proof that our hearts are connected. Wink.”

Don’t say the word ‘Wink’ out loud, it immediately ruins everything about your previous statement. And don’t actually wink. I can see stars around your eyes.

“Oh geez, Tadokoro-kun, don’t say that.”

What is this? Why do these two suddenly look so close? Am I just imagining things? Feeling a bit gloomy and severely jealous, I asked the chief with a somewhat annoyed tone.

“What do you mean by runway? I don’t get it. Please explain it to me.”

The chief looked at my face. I can’t read her expression at all. Does she think badly of me now because I apparently am stupider than Onikichi?

“When doing the speech on the day of the election, from your seat on stage all the way up to the microphone, everybody will be watching her. It’s like a runway, so even the sight of her walking is crucial to give off a proper impression.”

Apparently, they practiced the kind of runaway walk you’d see from a fashion model. The detailed positioning of her legs, the angle, and the overall movement. It’s all a single part of her performance. And this apparently will help her for the election.

“But, wouldn’t it be weird for her to walk like a model?”

I returned a comment like a sulking child. I knew more than anybody else that there would be no flaw in her logic, but I still tempted fate.

“Nobody said that she’d be walking like a genuine model.”

“That’s right, Nanacchi. Also, there’s no way Nao would even be able to pull that off.”

“Ah, damn you, Onikichi! That hurt! Shu shu, go away!” Nao fired off a barrage of punches at Onikichi, who easily dodged that with a smile.

“In the first place, Nao-chan’s got a good posture with a straight back, so it’s not like her initial impression is bad or anything.”

“Ehehe, the chief praised me~”

“But, she’s not convincing at all.”

“Ouch?!”

“Nao-chan, try walking up to that water fountain over there.”

“Okaaaay!”

She returned an energetic response and started walking. What an honest child she is. While walking, her body gently shook left and right, creating an oddly pretty and adorable image.

“How do you feel after seeing her walk like that, Shimono-kun?”

“She looked like a small animal. In a good sense, of course.”

I meant what I said, but just as the chief previously stated, she doesn’t seem that reliable or convincing. Walking up to the fountain, Nao turned around, returning to us.

“The image of a small animal you’re talking about is exactly the impression Nao-chan gives off. Namely, that she’s energetic and pretty.”

I see, so it’s not like Nao is walking in a cute way which makes her look like a small animal, but rather that she is walking like a small animal that makes her cuteness stand out even further. Simply by changing your way of walking, your impression changes greatly. It’s the same in regard to her hairstyle.

“That again, her posture is good, and the movement of her arms and legs seems somewhat normal.”

“You’re right. If this was a model walk, we’d have to correct a lot more things, but now this looks the most natural, so I’m satisfied.”

“Then, what next?”

How do you change the adorable impression she gives off? The one to answer first was Onikichi.

“Speed, yeah! Go go heaven, Nanacchi!”

What does that mean?! Why would we go to heaven…Ah, because of the speed. Maybe that’s what makes him popular with the girls? These kinds of gags, I mean. I should write that down. But, more importantly.

“Are you talking about walking speed?”

“Hey hey, Nanacchi, you get it! Right, Touka!”

Stop calling her Touka! She’s Kamijou-senpai for you! I won’t allow you to call her Touka-senpai either!

“As expected of Tadokoro-kun.”

“It’s Onikichi. Right, Touka?”

Hey, I’m going to kill you. Is this the true strength of the number one host? If Nao’s got a mentality of steel, he’s got dragon-level mental strength.

“…Yeah, you’re right, Onikichi-kun.”

Ah! She actually listened to him! Wait, the chief did?! Oh man, can I just go home? I want to go home and play mobile games. Oh wait, there are no smartphones on the market yet, so I can’t. What should I do now? These two are getting closer and closer. Maybe the chief will just become an office lady for Onikichi’s host club in the future…?

“Shimono-kun, are you listening?”

“Ah, yes, I’m sorry. Walking speed, right.”

Even if her affection towards Onikichi may have gone up, I can’t allow mine to drop more than this. It’ll just open up a greater rift. I have to show her that I understand.

“That’s right. She walks a bit faster than the average person. Because of that, her steps and movement of her hands make her body look smaller overall.”

“So that’s why she looks like a small animal…”

“Not only that, but with the speed, it makes her look like she has no patience.”

“I see, that’s why she seems to lack credibility.”

“That’s why, simply by making her walk slower, it should change her impression a lot more. Like I taught you yesterday, could you slow down a bit while walking, Nao-chan?”

“Gotcha!” Nao started walking again.

This time, she walked a lot slower, carefully taking each and every single step. Ohh, she’s so stylish now. Almost like a noble lady.

“See?” The chief turned towards me with a wink.

Unlike Onikichi’s wink, this one was pure and adorable.

“You’re amazing, Chief.”

“It’s because Nao-chan practiced this much. She’s gotten a lot better compared to yesterday.”

“Ehe, I did my best~”

The chief really is a class above us. In this case, she managed to perfectly grasp and put into words what was only a vague feeling before. I never would have been able to figure that out. The chief’s moved this into some kind of idol business, acting as the producer to draw out as much of Nao’s charm. Her experience in the field really shows. But what’s most important is how devoted she is to her job. The chief never takes the easy way out. She puts her everything into every job…No, even more than that. That’s why people naturally follow her. Once again, my respect for her rose even higher. I really am a lucky guy that I was allowed to be her subordinate.

“Chief, I’d like to practice some more, so would you watch me?”

“Of course!”

Naturally, I couldn’t help but respect my hard-working childhood friend as well.

*

“Yup, it’s perfect! Just do it like this during the main speech, Nao-chan.”

“Got it, Chief!”

With the permission of the chief, Nao stopped her walking practice. It’s currently a bit past 3 pm. This entire walking practice lasted for about an hour. Yet Nao showed no signs of being exhausted whatsoever. She’s almost as admirable as the chief, that childhood friend of mine.

“Good work you two. Thanks for sticking around.”

“No need. If anything, I feel bad that I left everything to you, Chief.”

“Oh yeah, why do you even call Touka with chief, Nanacchi?”

You’re a lot weirder for calling her Touka, so don’t give me that look.

“You’re right, Onikichi-kun~ I wonder why Nanaya-kun calls me that. It’s so weird~ He should just call me Touka as well~”

The chief’s switch flipped.

“I mean, Nao also calls you chief, right?”

“I’m just copying you!”

An immediate answer leaves me in a bad spot, so could you not?

“I’m calling you Chief because you’re the chief and the chief is fine.”

“I don’t get it~ Touka doesn’t understand anything~”

“God, you’re so annoying sometimes.”

“What did you just say?”

“I’m sorry, Chief, I didn’t mean that!”

Like hell I can call any girl that isn’t my childhood friend with her given name that casually. This is embarrassing. I’m not in the host club.

“You two feel like subordinate and superior at a company~ That’s hilarious.”

Both the chief and I immediately averted our eyes.

“Ah, now that I think about it, I’m counting on you for the recommendation speech.”

“Huh?”

Nao changed the topic with perfect timing, which I’m very much thankful for, but that recommendation speech means that I have to speak in front of everyone on the day of the election, right?

“Don’t ‘Huh?’ me. You’re my assisting president, remember?”

Oh yeah, she’s right. But, I completely forgot about the recommendation speech.

“I’m bad at giving speeches, so no thanks.”

“Uh? Well if you’re bad at it, then I don’t want you to either.”

“You really know how to hit me where it hurts! Also, there’s someone a lot more fit to give that speech, right?”

Nao must have understood what I was talking about, as she clapped her hands together. Following that, Nao and I, as well as Onikichi, all looked at the chief.

“Wait, me? Isn’t that something the assisting president would do?”

“If you’re not a candidate for the student council president and part of the assisting committee, everybody will be fine.”

“Well…that is true, but…are you fine with me?”

“What are you saying? Who could do it better than you, Chief.”

“That’s right, Chief! I feel embarrassed that I even asked Nanaya before you.”

“Hey, that’s definitely going too far!”

“Hehe, fine by me! I’ll be sure to make you the next student council president, Nao-chan!”

“Aye, that’s the chief for you!”

“I’m counting on you, Chief!”

I remembered the selection from eleven years ago. The chief’s speech was amazing. Everything was perfectly executed, and every single part of her speech felt like it was directly imprinted into your pain. All students present were listening in awe. Although it may be different from before, I’m excited that I get to hear another of the chief’s legendary speeches.

After that, we left the park behind us and went our way home. We first sent off the chief and Nao, which left only me and Onikichi.

“Thanks a lot, Onikichi. I somehow managed to make up with her.”

“Don’t worry, Nanacchi, we’re besties, right! Friendship to the max, yeah!”

Does this guy even feel any shame? He really never changes.

“More importantly, Nanacchi, I heard you ran into that Tatsuki gay from 1-6.”

“Hm? Ah, the chief did, actually. Knowing him, I was worried he might try to get revenge, but nothing on that front so far.”

“Make sure to look after Nao as well.” Onikichi stopped and looked at me with a serious expression.

“Nao?”

“Yeah, she didn’t tell you?”

“Did something happen between her and Tatsuki?”

“…If she hasn’t told you yet, then it’s not my place to do so. Just do not directly ask her either, you virgin wouldn’t understand her anyway.”

“You say that as well?!”

“He he he. Well, if you have trouble with the girls, just come to me, I’ll do something about it.”

“I’ll do my best so that this never has to happen.”

Not to mention that I love Love Mentalist Yuito-sensei with me. I won’t have to rely on Onikichi.

“Then, time to head home, Nanacchi! Here we, here we, here we go!”

“Yup!”

The sky had started to turn red, as the curtain fell on another day in our youth.

*

A few days passed after that, it being an average night.

“Ah…out of milk.”

Opening the fridge, I realized. Because I was so busy with the election preparation, I didn’t have time to buy any. I looked at the clock in the living room, seeing that it’s currently 9 pm…The supermarket nearby is closed, but the milk at the convenience stores is so expensive…Can’t help it, I guess I’ll have to take a longer trip. I quietly headed for the entrance and stepped outside. Since it’s already 9 pm, Kofuyu is sleeping. It might be a bit early, but she’s mindful of her health, so she can be a bit cute from time to time.

I grabbed my bike and traveled in the direction of the train station. On my way there, I yawned once. I feel like I’ve been exhausted from everything that happened recently. Because of the time leap, I was happy that I didn’t have to work anymore, but going through my high school life again sure is fun. Tomorrow’s the middle of the week, so I should buy what I need and then head off to sleep myself.

After pedaling for about ten minutes, I reached the business district in front of the train station. This is the large supermarket that is open 24/7. I got off my bike and started walking the rest. While looking at the various buildings as I was passing them, I stopped in my tracks.

“Hmmm??”

I doubted my eyes for a second but took a peek through the window of the cafe next to me. There, I spotted a familiar head. Namely a charming high school girl resting her head on the table. She had beautiful and black glossy hair. I had to look twice, and entered the cafe.

“I knew it.”

The chief was sleeping there. The coffee in the cup was still half full, but it’s gotten cold.

“So she listened to my advice and went to a cafe fit for high school girls.”

I could see five copies of A4 paper below her arms. Seems to be a manuscript for her speech. I could see many corrections and crossed-out words. Was she still preparing stuff this late? Making sure that I wouldn’t wake her up, I carefully sat down in front of her—What a pretty sleeping face she has. Her peach-colored lips opened and closed during certain intervals, leaking a faint and rhythmical breath.

I asked the chief to take over the speech on a whim, but I completely forgot about her being the type to work hard behind the scenes, making me feel super apologetic now. I really can’t win against her.

“Don’t…call me Chief…mnn…”

Is she even angry at me in her dreams? I let out a snicker. Met with a sudden urge, I gently placed my hand on her head.

“Good work today, Touka-san.”

After I gently caressed her head for a moment, her body twitched.

“Mmm…”

Oh crap, did I wake her up? I immediately pulled my hand away.

“Huh…? Shimono-kun…? Was I doing overtime? Did I get the documents from you?”

“Are you still half-asleep? We’re both high school students right now.”

“Yeah…ahh, that’s right…Wait, Shimono-kun?!”

“I spotted you napping here, so I decided to watch over you.”

“Wha…huh?! I just woke up, don’t look at my face!”

“It’s fine, you are plenty cute.”

“Shut up, idiot!”

Whenever she’s flustered, she immediately chooses violence, huh. Well, that’s also what’s cute about her.

“It’s bad for your health if you sleep here. Not to mention that it’s gotten late, so let’s just go home?”

“Y-You’re right. Also, why are you even here, Shimono-kun?”

“Oh, right. We ran out of milk so I went out to buy some. I have to stop by at the supermarket, so can you go home on your own, Chief?”

“I’m not some small child. But, if you said you’re lonely, I might as well tag along for your shopping trip~”

“Yeah, yeah. You’re tired enough to fall asleep at a cafe, so just go home and get some sleep.”

“Hmph, fine. I’m going home then.” She barely finished her sentence and stuffed her manuscript and writing utensils into her bag.

I told her I’d take care of the coffee cup, so she finished her preparations and stood up.

“You’re wearing your uniform right now, so be careful not to be put into protective custody. You’re a normal student after all.”

“I know that. Haven’t you been treating me like an idiot ever since we time leaped?”

“I would never do such a thing towards my superior. But, I feel like we’ve gotten closer than we had been at the company.”

“~~~! Y-You’re just a subordinate, so stop acting so cheeky!” The chief started blushing furiously, not even looking me in the eyes as she ran out of the cafe.

“Subordinate…huh.”

We may both be high school students, but to Kamijou Touka, I will always be the subordinate Shimono-kun. I was given this chance to redo things like this, and yet I can’t do anything right. I sighed, and put my elbow on the table with the coffee cup still standing on it.

“They say that every sigh makes you lose a bit of your happiness, but scientifically speaking, it’s efficient to get your own mental state under control, lad.”

Suddenly, a young man holding a try in his hand appeared in front of me. He was a handsome guy with a pleasant fragrance drifting from him. He wore a turtleneck sweater with skinny jeans, most likely in university. Unlike mine, his face was brimming with maturity. I looked at him with somewhat of a dubious gaze, to which she showed his white teeth.

“You like that girl you were just with, right?”

“Huh?! W-Where did that come from?”

“The way your eyeballs move when looking at her, the placement of your hands, speed of your words, I watched all of that and reached that conclusion, but am I wrong?”

“No, well…you’re right, but…”

Why am I even answering this guy even? However, the odd aura he possessed made my mouth move without my consent.

“You’re not confident that you’re good enough of a match for her, huh?”

“…!”

“That’s why you can’t put trust into the affection she shows you. Or rather, you don’t trust your own decision to see it as such.”

Wh-What’s with this guy? I can’t even say anything back to that.

“Oh my poor lost child, let me give you some advice.”

“Advice…?”

“Being negative about things isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Being modest like that is the sign of a kind man, so I can see you’re a caring person.”

“I wonder…I don’t like fighting, but I’ve never seen myself as a gentle person.”

“See, you’re modest. That’s perfectly fine. People say that kind men aren’t popular, but that only works with short-lived romances. When it comes to these, an assertive and pushy man would probably make things more exciting, but when it comes to a love lasting for a lifetime, kind men, or modest types in your case, you’ll definitely be popular. That’s why, if you want to win over that girl just now, you should stay the way you are.”

“O-Okay, thank you very much.”

“You’re welcome.” The man showed a handsome smile to the point I was about to fall for him.

“Um…why would you go out of your way for someone like me you’ve never met before?”

“I just want to save stray sheep like you. I’d like to make it my work in the future.”

“Oh, really? I’m cheering for you.”

“Thank you. I hope everything works out for you.” He said and was about to carry the tray he held in his hands to the drop-off when he turned around one more time.

“One last thing. Your desire to avoid fighting is commendable. However, sometimes it’s also good to give in to your emotions and fight for the sake of a girl. There are times when you have to act like a man. Of course, there’s no scientific proof for this, it’s just advice from one man to the other. Anyway, good luck with your love.” He said and walked towards the exit.

There stood a stylish-looking girl, probably having waited for him.

“You’re late, Yuito! What were you doing?”

“Ahaha, sorry, sorry. Come on, let’s go.”

The bell of the door rang, and the two vanished into the night. I put both my hands behind my head, thinking about the words he just told me. He sure was a weird guy. It was almost like he could see right through me. And, he taught me what I have to do. Still, I feel like I’ve met him before…Even his voice sounded familiar.

…Wait, hold on. What did that girl just call him? Don’t tell me…?! I put the cup in the drop-off and dashed out of the cafe. However, he had already vanished into the darkness. Even so, I showed a bow towards the back that was not in front of me.

“Thank you very much, Love Mentalist Yuito-sensei!”

I will do my best to become a man worthy of standing next to the chief! And that night, the milk I bought and drank had an oddly sweet taste.