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CHAPTER 18 – HAPPENINGS AT THE PART-TIME JOB [2]
「Minamoto, you’re always in every weekend but don’t you have a girlfriend or so?」
「Please don’t remind me, Kotone…」
He’s a great customer who’s been coming here every weekend for the past two months but I guess his private life isn’t doing that well. Maybe he even got rejected prior to coming here. Or failed to hit it at a mixer. He occasionally comes in looking really depressed, after all.
「Ah, welco-!?」
「I came.」
Don’t “I came” me!! Why is mother casually strolling in here with a smile? The fact that she came here without any prior information really startled me. Damn it Misaki, you completely forgot to leak the information to me.
「Your mother comes here occasionally, you know.」
「This is the first I’ve ever heard about that, owner.」
「I haven’t told you, after all.」
The owner said so with a grin, he definitely did this intentionally. If his goal was to surprise me, then he’s successful. I’m well damn surprised.
「Why is my mother…」
「Naturally because she’s worried about you. She always asks how you’re doing, after all.」
「Why didn’t you tell me about it?」
「I thought it’d be more interesting that way.」
Like I thought. In this case, Saori likely knows about it as well. It’s probably payback for worrying them back then too.
「Kotone, one cake set please. And a black tea for my drink.」
「And she’s ordering like a regular too.」
She’s really used to the place. Moreover, the fact that she didn’t specify the type of black tea means that she’s leaving the choice to the owner. How many times have you been here, geez. At any rate, there’s no point standing here doing nothing, so I picked up her orders on my tray and brought them to her table. Then, I sat down on the seat in front of her.
「What did you come here for?」
「Kotone, loosen up a bit. At that rate, you’re not going to have a proper conversation with your family.」
The owner’s pointing this out to me too, huh. Misaki said it to me before. However, I still can’t see Kotone’s mother as my own mother. I guess the issue here is that I myself personally don’t understand what a mother is too.1
「Owner, please don’t worry about it. I’m responsible for Kotone being this way.」
That’s not it. I want to tell them that but words couldn’t leave my mouth. I can’t say that I don’t think of her as my mother because I’m not Kotone herself, nor can I say that I don’t understand what a mother is to her. That’s why I could only be silent.
「Now, about why I came while you are working. The twins’ birthday is coming the week after next, isn’t it? So I was wondering if you could come home for a while.」
So that’s what she came for, huh. I don’t mind since I already plan to go in the first place but like my exchange with mother earlier, I don’t have any idea on how I should interact with the twins. I was an only child too.
「What do the twins think of me?」
That’s why I asked mother directly. What sort of individual is Kotone to the twins? Is she irrelevant to them or do they despise her?
「Are you afraid of being hated by them?」
「Considering what I’ve done in the past, it’s only natural that they would hate me. However, I want to build better relationships from now on.」
To mend the relationship between Kotone and her family. Father’s excluded from this but I at least want to reconcile with the twins. I don’t know how the twins, who only know Kotone from before, will act out. It’s only a guess but they’ll likely enroll in our academy next year. I want to fix our relationship for that sake too.
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「The twins don’t hate you, Kotone. They simply don’t know how to interact with you.」
「Is that so?」
「Yes. They know why you were acting the way you were, after all. I told you that they’re clever, didn’t I?」
「No, I don’t believe that’s still within the realm of simply clever.」
They should have been about elementary to middle schoolers when they were exposed to Kotone’s antics. If they’ve already had an understanding at that age, they’re already beyond clever.
「With how you are now, I believe that it should be alright. If it wasn’t the case, then I wouldn’t have come here like this.」
「That is true.」
「Oi, Kotone.」
Then I guess I should interact and get closer with the twins the way I did with my school friends. I was thinking that before the owner suddenly called me. Wondering what it’s about, I turned around and saw the owner with a frown. Again, what’s that all about?
「I told you, stop being formal with your own family. Why don’t you try talking the way you do with Kaori?」
「Is it that strange?」
「Yeah, it’s like you’re talking to your boss or someone of higher status.」
It’s because that’s how I am treating her. That’s generally how I interact with people other than my friends. It’s been that way ever since. I talk like this even when speaking to my amiable neighbors too. That’s why it’s practically a habit at this point. In regards to Misaki, I literally can’t see her that way.2
「Then, mom. I’ll be talking like this from now on, okay?…… would that be fine, owner?」
「Don’t ask me. But that should be good.」
「Kotone, again!」
「What?」
I was taken aback as mother leaned into me from the other side of the table with a gleam in her eyes. I have no idea what she means by again though. Did I say something strange?
「Call me one more time!」
「Mom.」
As I did, her body shook as though it was out of excitement. What just happened? Then I realized that I neglected the customers to talk to my mother, so I quickly looked around and saw that they were watching us with an indescribable mood.
Why am I being watched with gentle gazes?
「What the…」
「Everyone’s just being sentimental. It’s rare to see these sorts of circumstances, after all. Don’t worry about the reception. Everyone’s picked up their meals as they order.3」
When did this shop become self-service? Rather, you’re all being too considerate. I quickly bowed my head in apology but everyone’s waving their hands as if to say they don’t mind. Kind people, all of them, geez.
「O~i, the discussion’s not going to finish at this rate, so come back.」
「I’m sorry about that. I didn’t think that Kotone would call me mom.」
「I called you mother before, so it shouldn’t have been that different.」
「Hm~mn, it feels different, you know? I think I like mom better.」
I don’t really understand those sorts of feeling stuff. Does changing how I call her really make that big of a difference?
「Back to the birthday, I know it’ll be a bit early but I was thinking of visiting on Saturday next week. Though that also depends on whether father’s in at that time or not…」
「Saturday next week, right? I’ll look his schedule up as well. We’ll contact you on the phone later.」
「I’m generally done by evening, so contact me then.」
「I’ll do anything to have that man be occupied, so leave it to me!」
「Don’t overdo it, okay?」
「Aren’t you two being harsh with the guy?」
「「Not at all.」」
Since we have the same opinion in that regard, our answers are synced. Seeing that, the owner became noticeably sad, so maybe he saw himself in my father’s place. But owner, it’s a mistake to parallel yourself with my father. I consider you a great father, you know that.4
References
Lyly: Oh, is that where we’re going? Lyly: The desire for snacks has ruined her image irreparably, lol
Lio: The desire for snacks has ruined her image irreparably, lolLyly: Kek, live morning coverage of the Kisaragi Family’s Slice of Life drama, with mealsLio: Oya?