Episode 171: Mayumi-san In Top Form

「I’m so sorry, keeping you standing around talking in a place like this. Come on, come in. I’ll get some tea ready.」

Mayumi-san said just that, radiating a cheerful mood as she pitter-pattered away in her slippers toward the back of the house. Probably heading for the kitchen.

I followed Masaomi-san into the house and sat on the sofa to wait for Mayumi-san, just like last time.

After Mayumi-san brought the tea and I finished introducing myself again, the conversation reached a stopping point, and Masaomi-san stood up.

「Takanashi-kun, I’m sorry, but I have to head back to the office now. My wife knows the details of the work, so please listen to her while you check out the actual workplace.」

「Yes, sir. I’ll do my best!」

Masaomi-san gave a satisfied nod at my response.

He told Mayumi-san, who had also stood up to see him off,「I’ll leave the rest to you,」and then he headed out.

Mayumi-san watched him until the front door closed, but once she confirmed he was gone, she suddenly sat down. Not where she was sitting before, but in the exact spot where Sara-san had sat last time.

Meaning, she was right next to me… literally right beside me.

She plopped down on the sofa with a soft thud, leaned in to look at my face, and flashed that smirking expression again.

What is this? It’s the look of someone who just found a new toy…

「Ufufufufu. Oh, Takanashi-san, you really surprised me! When I heard the story from him, I thought it sounded strangely like you two… but I’m so happy the one who came for the part-time job was Takanashi-san. To think you already had a connection with my husband.」

Poke, poke…

「No, I didn’t know that Sara-san’s father was Masaomi-san…」

「You can just call him Otou-san, you know?」

Poke, poke…

I feel like we had a conversation similar to this before.

He’s definitely Sara-san’s father, but it would be weird for me to call him that, wouldn’t it?

By the way, why has Mayumi-san been poking my cheek with her finger for a while now…?

「N, no, Masaomi-san is fine.」

「Oh, really? Was it still a bit too early?」

Poke, poke…

Is this a matter of it being early or late?

I don’t really get it, but Mayumi-san seems satisfied on her own.

…I can’t take it.

If I don’t say something, I’m going to lose my mind.

「Um, Mayumi-san… your finger…」

「Oh, is something wrong with my finger?」

Poke, poke…

While saying that, Mayumi-san, who didn’t look like she was going to stop poking me anytime soon, seemed to be having the time of her life.

But that smile… maybe because they are mother and daughter, it somehow reminds me of Sara-san, which only makes it worse.

「No… it’s just…」

I know she’s teasing me, but when she looks at me so directly, I start getting embarrassed and I can’t find the right words.

Mayumi-san, definitely noticing my reaction, wore a mischievous expression and blatantly closed the distance between us.

Poke, poke…

「Nfufufufu, Takanashi-san, you’re so cute. I totally get why Sara-chan wants to dote on you.」

Knowing she had me completely under her thumb, I decided I needed to change the subject fast.

But Mayumi-san beat me to it.

「So, you matched your schedule to Sara-chan’s school trip on purpose, so you’re working in secret, right?」

「Yes. So, I’d appreciate it if you could keep it a secret from Sara-san…」

「Of course! Fufu… you’re exactly alike with that romantic side… I can already see the look on Sara-chan’s face when she’s happy.」

Exactly alike?

I wasn’t sure what she was talking about, but I don’t think she meant it in a bad way… I think.

「Before we get into the details, let me check your schedule first. Do you have anything planned after the work here is done?」

「Yes, I have another part-time job, so I’ll be doing that every night.」

Go to school, work here after school until the last second, eat, and then work at the liquor store. I’d be repeating this for a week.

Thinking about it now, that sounds pretty busy.

「Eh? You’re working two jobs? Honestly, you shouldn’t overdo it when you still have school.」

「It’s only for one week.」

I answered firmly, intending to show that I had no intention of compromising on this point.

「Hah… even that part is similar. But I guess it can’t be helped, since you’re my daughter’s boyfriend.」

She said she was exasperated, but Mayumi-san’s expression was very kind.

She looked like she was reminiscing about something.

「Alright. But you absolutely must not overdo it, okay? Also, I’m making dinner, so you’re eating here before you go! That’s a mandatory condition, so I won’t accept a refusal!」

「Eh!?」

A shocking declaration came from Mayumi-san, just as I was planning to grab something quick at a convenience store.

「Since Sara-chan isn’t here, it’s only natural for me, her parent, to take her place, right? It’s okay, just act like a pampered son with your Okaa-san for a bit.」

Mayumi-san tried to persuade me while putting extra emphasis on the「Okaa-san」part.

But I felt bad about it, or rather, I strongly felt like I couldn’t let her look after me that much.

「N, no, I’ll just have a quick dinner…」

「Eh!?… Is that so? You’re saying it has to be Sara-chan’s cooking or nothing? That you can’t eat your Okaa-san’s food… sniffle」

「I’m sorry! I’ll take you up on it!!」

When someone looks that violently shocked and sad, how else am I supposed to answer?

Even though I knew they were fake tears, it was hard to resist…

As soon as I gave in, I was pulled into a forceful hug by Mayumi-san. It was so sudden that I just let her do as she pleased.

「I’m so happy you understand! Nfufu~, since I get to have my (future) son eat my cooking, your Okaa-san is going to go all out!」

With a beaming smile, Mayumi-san was practically frolicking with joy. Well, if it makes her that happy, I felt like I might as well just honestly act like a spoiled kid.

I knew I was being totally led by Mayumi-san’s pace, but it didn’t feel bad.

But putting that aside, at this rate, something dangerously large was…

「Um, could you let go now…」

「You always let Sara-chan do this, but your Okaa-san is no good!?」

No, Sara-san is my girlfriend.

Wait, how does she always know that Sara-san is doing this to me…

Following Mayumi-san out the front door and around to the garden, there was indeed a small building there.

It wasn’t a prefab, but it was partially glass-walled, so you could see inside. It had the vibe of a little secret base, and seeing stuff like that always gets me a bit hyped.

Mayumi-san, watching my reaction with an amused look, opened the door for me.

First, there was a small entryway where I took off my shoes and changed into slippers.

Looking around the interior, there was a large desk and chair in the center, with large bookshelves lining the walls. But instead of books, they were mostly filled with file cases and binders.

「Most of these are materials and reports. For certain reasons, a lot of things have to be prepared as physical copies rather than digital data, and since he often compiles them here instead of at the office, I organize them periodically.」

I see…

Looking around aimlessly, they seemed to be sorted into various divisions like「XX Department, XX Section.」

And there are… a lot of divisions.

「Since there are materials and reports from all kinds of departments, your main job, Takanashi-san, is to sort and file them. Since the company is big, the departments are very detailed…」

I don’t know much about companies, but I understood it was a lot of work.

In other words, my job was to sort all this stuff piled up on the desk… I was actually scared to touch it because it looked like it might cause an avalanche if I wasn’t careful.

「I’ll help out in between my housework, so let’s work hard together. Also, don’t overwork yourself, okay? Make sure you take proper breaks. If you don’t listen to what your Okaa-san says… nfufufuu.」

Whoa…

Mayumi-san’s meaningful chuckle gave me nothing but an ominous feeling. I felt incredibly anxious about what she might do to me.

It was mentally easier than working at a place where I didn’t know anyone, but it turned out to be an exhausting workplace in a completely different way.

Whether that’s good or bad…

While feeling a bit conflicted, my life as a part-timer begins.