Chapter 5: Lunch for Three
“So? Did you end up getting the job?”
The next day after school, Itsuki asked Amane how everything had gone. Amane gave an honest nod in response to his question and lightly shrugged his shoulders.
“Kido was the one recommending you, so I wasn’t all that worried,” Itsuki confessed. “Though I’m glad that it’s a done deal nonetheless. That said, however, I am curious about why you look like you have something to get off your chest.”
“Honestly… you’re not wrong. The owner was quite the interesting person, to say the least.”
“She must really have a few screws loose if it was enough for you to point it out, Amane.” Itsuki said. “And that makes me all the more curious.” In response, Amane only smiled awkwardly at Itsuki, who was leaning against his chair and tilting it back and forth using his body weight. Amane intended to keep the specifics a secret for now, mostly because he believed that if he ever told Itsuki, he would end up making an appearance right away.
Amane planned to ask his friends to hold back from visiting him at the café until he had, at the very least, gotten used to the job. That sentiment remained true even for Mahiru. When he explained this to her in the morning, she began to sulk pointedly, after which the rest of his morning was then devoted to showering her with love and affection until she was back in high spirits again.
And now, Mahiru happened to be chatting with Chitose, who seemed to be grinning at him for whatever reason. Not wanting to entertain Chitose by giving a reaction, Amane chose to look away and ignore her before continuing the conversation.
“That said, while I do think she’s a bit of an oddball, I’m confident I can work there without a hitch. Plus, Kido told me to rely on Kayano if I’m ever in need of help.”
“Oh. Kido’s boyfriend, right? The undercover macho dude.”
“I bet he’d be at a loss for words if you said that to his face, man…” Amane remarked. “But then he’d just give Kido a death stare, probably.”
Rather than blame Itsuki, Souji would instead be the type to focus his crosshairs on Ayaka, who was clearly the root of the problem, as she was the one putting that idea into people’s heads to begin with.
Ayaka herself didn’t feel too remorseful, or so it seemed. Rather, she was more likely to return fire, responding with something like, “What’s so wrong about it?” so Amane felt the need to offer his condolences to Souji, who without realizing it, had now garnered that reputation, despite it being against his wishes.
As luck would have it, Ayaka still hadn’t arrived yet. She either hadn’t come to school yet or was in Souji’s classroom, because she was currently nowhere to be seen.
“Anyway, just knowing an acquaintance that works there gives me a sense of security, and from what I’ve heard from the owner, the regulars are generally older in age and the easy-going type, so I don’t think I’ll run into any issues.”
“Oh really? That’s good to hear. Whatever the case, you scoring the job is something worth celebrating. If anything happens down the line, don’t be afraid to come talk to me about it, okay?”
“Yeah, yeah. I’ll be counting on you, best friend.” Amane gave Itsuki, who seemingly still held a grudge, a slap on the back. Then, as if hiding his embarrassment, Itsuki carved his mouth into a grin and hit Amane back with much greater force in retaliation.
This, too, was one of the ways Itsuki expressed his friendship, so Amane coughed a little and chuckled, saying, “You little shit…” while gently pressing his fist up against Itsuki’s cheek.
While playfully launching an attack on the side of Itsuki’s head, Amane glanced at Mahiru for a moment, and found her looking at him with a slightly dissatisfied ‘Hmph—’ look on her face.
It seemed that Mahiru was still unhappy that she couldn’t come along with Amane to his part-time job. She was clearly still thinking about the conversation this morning, and that sour sentiment seemed to loom over everything she was doing.
However, as upset as she was, Mahiru understood its necessity rationally, and after the spoiling time she had in the morning, she seemed convinced that she simply needed to endure the wait. Therefore, there shouldn’t be any complications long term.
Itsuki, following Amane’s gaze, suddenly teased, “You’re as loved as ever, aren’t you?” to which Amane began to frown. Itsuki chuckled meekly as he absentmindedly brushed away Amane’s fist.
“That reminds me, didn’t Shiina-san and Chi go out shopping with your mom yesterday, Amane? Chi told me all about how she had plenty of fun helping pick out clothes for you, but what did Shiina-san buy in the end?”
“...Do I really have to tell you?”
“But of course, my best friend. Out with it. After all, you did leave me out of the loop last time.”
“So you are still holding that against me…” Amane accused. “So… well, what she bought for me was… a cat-themed pajama onesie.”
Amane reluctantly spilled the beans, recalling with horror the contents of the shopping bag that Mahiru had given him yesterday, and in response, Itsuki burst into an incredibly loud fit of laughter. Indeed. What Shihoko and Mahiru had bought for Amane was, unmistakably, a onesie with cat ears on its hood, meant as pajamas.
Surely, with such an outfit being too cute for its own good and clearly made with women in mind, the mental image made for a laughably poor fit for Amane, who was taller than most boys. But sensing the thought crossing Itsuki’s mind, Amane continued, “Yes, they even had men’s ones, too…” Amane completely confirmed it, fully aware that the girls had obtained one in a size that would fit even his proportions with ease. This left Itsuki at an absolute loss for words.
“A-Animal themed pajamas…? You?”
“Drop it, man. Mahiru’s gonna wear a bunny-themed one in return, so it’s all good.”
Given Amane’s age and build, wearing such undeniably cute pajamas would embarrass him beyond belief. However, as Mahiru had pleaded to him with such sparkling eyes, he simply had no choice in the matter. He likely would have refused if it meant wearing one on his own, but Mahiru must’ve realized that it would have been unfair of her to propose such a thing, because as compensation, she had also bought pale pink pajamas with a bunny-rabbit motif for herself, also in the form of a onesie.
Thus, under the condition that Mahiru would also wear her pajamas at the same time and with a veto on taking pictures, Amane agreed to wear the onesie. He figured that they’d probably wear them during a future sleepover.
Compared to the negligee Mahiru had come in wearing last time, her new one would probably be a much more wholesome look for her. Amane was grateful that he’d have an easy time suppressing his inner demons.
“Gonna have Shiina-san send over a pic of you wearin’ it,” Itsuki joked.
“Hey, don’t even go there. I’ve already told her to absolutely not take any pictures.”
“Aww, c’mon~! That much is fine, man. You’ll probably look all cute and adorable.”
“Wipe that damn smirk off your face before saying that, dumbass.”
Itsuki, making up his mind to do something he probably shouldn’t, struggled to hold back his laughter as Amane grabbed him by the shoulders. Not counterattacking, Itsuki simply shook himself free, barely preventing himself from bursting into laughter once more.
All the while Chitose and Mahiru stood a short distance away. They nodded at each other, with Chitose commenting, “Those two really are close, don’t you think?” to which Mahiru replied, “Yes, they are,” as they witnessed Amane launch a half-hearted attack on Itsuki with the most sullen face he could muster.
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