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Sequel 8 - To That Girl’s Part-Time Job ─ Saaya

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After finishing our omurice, we head towards Kinjuku Station while enjoying the cityscape of Kinjuku.

From Kinjuku Station, we take the NR Tokyo Chuo Line Rapid train down the opposite direction from the one we came. The destination is Takano Station.

Just like when we came here, we get into the first car facing the direction of travel. But, perhaps because it’s past noon, all the seats are occupied, unlike when we came here. We couldn't get a seat, but it isn’t crowded and I’m with Hiori anyway, so I guess it's fine.

It takes 5 minutes from Kinjuku Station to Takano Station. So, as I am talking with Hiori, we arrive at Takano Station in no time. Although the station is on a different line from Hagikubo Station, we can transfer to the Tohto Metro subway here, so it is just as good as Hagikubo Station.

I leave Takano Station through the south exit near the commercial building that houses Yuuzen Company South Takano branch, the bookstore where Hazuki-san works part-time.

“We've arrived at Takano!”

“We have. I've only been here a few times, but I came here just three or four days ago, so the scenery seems kind of familiar.”

“I see. I've been to Takano many times since I became friends with Saaya-san. So, the scenery is familiar to me. We’ve been in Kinjuku until now, so it feels like I've come home. It’s not like my house is nearby though.”

“Haha, I see. But, that feeling... I kinda get it. When we came back from Dome Town during Golden Week, when I saw the scenery around Kasagaya High School and Kasagaya Station from the train, I thought, ‘I’m back’.”

“So that's how it was. Well, let's get going, shall we? It's the start of our Takano date!”

Hiori says happily. Not only the cat cafe and the bookstore where Hazuki-san works part-time, but the tapioca drink shop where Himura-san works part-time is also here in Takano Ward. That's probably why she called it a Takano date.

We start walking toward the commercial building that houses the bookstore where Hazuki-san works part-time, Takano Kakui.

Even in Takano, there are some people who are looking at Hiori, mostly men. But, perhaps because she is holding hands with me, a man, no one calls out to us. Still, Hiori is an exceptionally beautiful girl, so I have to protect her from getting tangled up with or attacked by strange people.

Since it is located close to the south exit, we arrived at Takano Kakui quickly. Yuuzen Company South Takano Branch is located on the 5th floor of this commercial facility. The other day, on my way to Hazuki-san's house for a study session, she guided me to the bookstore where she works part-time, so I know the way to the store.

We enter Takano Kakui and take the nearby escalator up to the 5th floor.

“Come to think of it, this’ll be my first time, but has Hiori ever seen Hazuki-san while she was working part-time at Yuuzen?”

“I went there a couple of times in my first year. This will be my first time since I became a second year.”

“Heeh, I see. I wonder what Hazuki-san is like when she's working part-time. Does if she say [~ssu] like she always does?”

“As far as I can remember, she used normal honorific language while serving customers. When either I or her friends came over, there were times when her usual tone would mix in though.”

“I see.”

As expected, she can’t say [~ssu] when serving customers, huh? But, the part where she mixes in her usual tone when in front of Hiori and the others is cute. Also, I can't imagine her talking in a normal tone.

“She’s usually a cheerful person, so she naturally smiles while serving customers.”

“I see.”

I guess I can imagine that.

“I already told her we’re going, but when we arrive at the shop, shall we sneak a look at her as she serves customers?”

“That sounds good.”

I want to see how Hazuki-san usually is when she works part-time. Besides, when I was working part-time during Golden Week, Hazuki-san, together with Hiori and Himura-san, secretly watched me serving customers. Now it's my turn.

While talking with Hiori about Hazuki-san’s part-time job, we arrive at the 5th floor where Yuuzen Company is located.

Passing by specialty shops such as a stationery shop and a glasses shop, we head towards Yuuzen Company.

Just like Hiori's favorite bookstore, Yuuzen Company is spacious and has a quiet atmosphere. There are customers of all genders and ages, some of whom are standing around browsing.

“Thank you very much. Next person, please come to this register.”

I hear Hazuki-san's voice coming from the cash register a little further away.

We secretly approach the cash register so as not to be noticed by Hazuki-san.

Once we reach a certain distance, we poke our heads out from the shelf where the merchandise books are and see Hazuki-san serving customers at the cash register. I’m a little nervous thinking she’ll notice us. I wonder if Hazuki-san and the others felt like this when they were watching me work part-time.

Hazuki-san is wearing a navy blue apron over a collared white blouse. The veteran-looking woman in charge of the cash register next to her is also wearing the same clothes, so those are probably the uniform of a Yuuzen Company clerk.

Currently, Hazuki-san is serving an elderly man. As Hiori said, she is showing the same bright smile she usually does.

“The total price is 1,500 yen. Would you like me to cover it?”

“Please.”

“Understood. Please wait a moment.”

Ooh, she's talking normally. If she was talking to me or Hiori, I’m sure she’d say something like, “That’ll be 1,500 yen-ssu. Should I cover it-ssu?” or “Roger-ssu. Please wait a moment-ssu.”

Hazuki-san takes out a light brown cover and with a nimble hand movement, covers the book that she puts out for checkout with it. She's been working part-time since her first year of high school, so she's probably used to this work.

“I have received exactly 1,500 yen. ...Here is the receipt and the product.”

“Aah, thank you.”

“Thank you very much. Please come again.”

Hazuki-san says in a cheerful tone, bowing to the elderly man as he leaves the cash register.

“...That’s a good customer service. She’s been doing this since her first year, so she feels calm.”

“Yes. Just like Akito-san, she feels more mature than at school.”

“She’s working after all. I guess the difference in her tone is another reason why she feels more mature.”

“Fufu, indeed. ...There are no customers at the cash register, so shall we go to Saaya-san?”

“Yeah, let’s.”

We hold hands and start walking towards the cash register where Hazuki-san is.

Did she notice our footsteps? Soon after we start walking, Hazuki-san turns towards us, and shows us an even brighter smile than she had earlier when she was serving customers. Hazuki-san gives us a small wave, so we wave to her as well.

Immediately after waving to us, Hazuki-san starts talking to the veteran-looking female clerk who is in charge of the cash register next to her. Then, I hear a voice saying “Thank you very much,” and Hazuki-san leaves the cash register and comes over to us. ...The bottom is a slightly long black skirt, huh.

“Hiorin, Kamitou-kun, good afternoon-ssu. When I told her you were my friends from high school who are a couple, she said, [You can talk for a bit.], and gave me a short break-ssu. Let’s talk outside the shop-ssu.”

“I understand.”

“I got it.”

Since the store is quiet, talking can be a nuisance to the customers, and Hazuki-san taking a break might look like she's slacking off.

Leaving Yuuzen Company, Hazuki-san leads us to a nearby bench.

“Saaya-san, thank you for your hard work in your part-time job so far.”

“Thank you for your hard work, Hazuki-san. Hiori and I saw you serving the elderly man, you looked calm. And maybe because you’re wearing the part-time job's uniform, you look more mature.”

“Thanks-ssu. Hearing that from Kamitou-kun who does a lot of customer service makes me happy-ssu. I made a lot of mistakes at first-ssu, but thanks to my seniors teaching me, I can serve customers like I did just now-ssu.”

“I see.”

I also made a lot of mistakes at first, and learned the job while being taught mainly by Tsukushi-senpai. Thanks to that, I can now do a full range of customer service work by myself. That’s why, I can really relate to what Hazuki-san said just now.

“By the way, how was the movie-ssu?”

“It was very good. The contents of the original manga were carefully adapted into anime. Just as its reputation suggested, it was a tear-jerking movie. Even I, who read the original work, cried a little. Also, Akito-san, who watched it without reading the original work, was crying loudly.”

“...It was a typical emotional movie, but it made me cry a lot. It was a good movie.”

“Ooh, I see-ssu! I wanted to see Kamitou-kun crying loudly-ssu.”

“He was so cute.”

Hiori and Hazuki-san laugh happily with each other.

Come to think of it, I wonder if Hazuki-san cries when she watches emotional movies. She doesn’t look like she does. I can't even imagine her crying.

“The movie was really good, so I'm planning to buy the whole set of the original manga here.”

“Ooh, I'm very thankful for that-ssu. We’ve set up a special corner here since the beginning of this month, so we have a lot of them here-ssu.”

“If that's the case, it looks like I can buy the whole set here without any problems. Let’s spend my money here at this bookstore where my friend works part-time.”

“Have you gone to Himuko’s part-time job yet-ssu?”

“No, not yet. We’re planning to go to the cat cafe I've been to several times with Saaya-san before going to the tapioca drink shop where Kyoko-san works part-time.”

“I see-ssu. At the cat cafe near Kakui, you can even give them treats, you know-ssu, Kamitou-kun.”

“I see. I'm looking forward to it.”

At the cat cafe we went to on our Hagikubo date, we weren't able to give the cats treats. It looks like I'll be able to enjoy my time at the cat cafe in a slightly different way than I did back then.

“First, I'll buy the original manga here.”

“Thanks-ssu. Then, I'll be in charge of the cash register-ssu.”

“I'll wait until the timing is right and go.”

The three of us return to Yuuzen Company and temporarily part ways with Hazuki-san near the cash register. After that, I walk to the comic corner with Hiori.

This Yuuzen Company has as good a lineup as the Yotsuba Bookstore that Hiori frequents. The atmosphere is also nice. I can understand why Hazuki-san, who loves books, works part-time here.

“Akito-san. There's a movie poster over there.”

Hiori says as we approach the comic corner. When I look at where she is pointing, I see a poster announcing the movie [The Angel who Leapt Through the Sky] posted there.

When I go to where the poster is, I find the whole set of the original manga, its novelization book, and anime magazines with it as the special feature, all stacked on top of each other. There is also a sky-blue pop-up there, with a [Big hit, now available! A tear-jerking love story] written in cute letters.

“So they’re recommending it at this shop.”

“The manga is obvious, but its movie is also a hit after all.”

“I see. All right, I’ll buy it.”

I pick up every volume of the original manga one by one and head towards the cash register with Hiori.

When I go to the cash register, I see Hazuki-san standing there next to the veteran-looking female clerk, just like before. The cash register that Hazuki-san is in charge of is vacant, so we go straight there.

When I place the manga at the cash register that Hazuki-san is in charge of, she shows me a bright smile and bows slightly to us.

“Welcome. Let me take care of the products.”

Hazuki-san seems to be in clerk mode, and her tone is different from usual. Using a barcode scanner, she scans the barcodes of the three manga.

“Would you like to put them in a bag? It costs 5 yen each.”

“Please do.”

“Understood. ...The total is 1,985 yen.”

I guess buying three manga will cost about that much. While I am taking money out of my wallet, I see Hazuki-san nimbly putting three manga into a bag.

I put 2000 yen on the tray.

“I have received 2000 yen. ...The change will be 15 yen.”

Hazuki-san puts out the tray in front of me with the change of 15 yen and a receipt on it.

Perhaps because we talked outside the store for a while. Or perhaps because there's another clerk at the cash register next to her. She doesn’t use her usual [ssu] when serving us. While thinking that it’s nice and fresh in its own way, I put the change and receipt in my wallet.

As I put my wallet in my jacket pocket, Hazuki-san smiles and hands me the bag with the manga in it. I feel good. I'm sure there are customers who visit this bookstore because they like being served by her.

“Do your best with your part-time job, Saaya-san.”

“Do your best, Hazuki-san.”

“Thanks-ssu! I'm feeling better already-ssu. Enjoy your date, you two-ssu.”

“Yes! See you on Monday.”

“See you.”

We wave our hands to Hazuki-san and leave Yuuzen Company.

Let’s relax and read the original manga of  [The Angel who Leapt Through the Sky] that I purchased here after I get home. I might end up being reminded of the movie and cry loudly though. I carefully put the bag containing the manga in my bag.

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