Episode 166: Reunion

It happened suddenly, just as I was starting to feel anxious with less than two weeks until Sara-san’s school trip.

Today was the day the new job magazines came out, so I stopped by the convenience store right after school to grab one.

「Thank you very much~!」

I still felt slightly guilty being told that without buying anything… but the job magazine was more important right now.

I’d called a few places before just to test my luck, but as expected, I was rejected over the phone before even getting an interview because of my conditions or age.

Heading toward the park while hoping for a good listing this time, a car slowly passed by me.

I didn’t think much of it, but the car stopped a little further ahead, and a man stepped out of the back seat.

Since he was right in front of me, I couldn’t help but notice his sharp, suited appearance. He looked about the same age as my dad.

For some reason, he was looking my way… wait, have I seen him somewhere?

「Hey, you were Takanashi-kun, right?」

My feeling that he was looking at me wasn’t wrong. When our eyes met, he spoke to me with a smile.

Since he called me by name, it couldn’t be a mistake.

But… who was he?

I felt like I’d met him somewhere before.

「Y, yes, that’s me…」

I responded for now, trying to make an effort to remember… but it seems my confusion was obvious to him.

「Hahaha, can’t quite remember? You found my subordinate’s wallet…」

「Ah, I remember now! Right, you were Satsukawa-san, weren’t you?」

The mention of the wallet did it.

Back then, seeing the name on the business card and realizing it was the same last name as Sara-san had left a weirdly strong impression on me.

Major relief that I remembered.

「That’s the one. I’m glad you even remembered my name. It’s been a while, hasn’t it? I hadn’t heard from you since then, so I wondered if anything came to mind?」

「Ah… sorry. To be honest…」

The truth was I hadn’t really thought about it at all. Besides, I figured I’d never see him again, so I didn’t reach out.

「Sorry, I didn’t mean it in a weird way. Thinking about it, it’s hard to go out of your way to call just to ask for a reward. I should have been the one to contact you. My apologies.」

Maybe because I looked so apologetic, Satsukawa-san hurriedly backed me up.

「I happened to see you coming out of the convenience store… well, since we’ve managed to meet, would you mind keeping me company for a bit? How about we grab a coffee at a nearby shop and talk?」

After thinking for a second, he suddenly invited me.

What should I do…? As long as it doesn’t get too late, there’s no real reason to refuse, and it’s true that I never followed up with him.

「I can’t stay late, but for a little while is fine.」

When I agreed, he nodded happily and invited me into the car.

As we sat side-by-side in the back seat, Satsukawa-san instructed the driver to「head to that cafe,」and the car started moving immediately.

Apparently, he has a regular spot or something.

「Sorry for the suddenness. I didn’t explain much back then, but the items in that wallet you found contained a lot of data for presentation materials. It would have been a disaster if I’d lost that. So, I’m much more grateful than you probably realize.」

On the way to the shop, Satsukawa-san told me the full story.

A presentation… I saw that in a manga once. It’s like a meeting to announce a product or something, right?

Anyway, there was important data, and thanks to me, he was saved.

While we were talking, the car pulled into a parking lot. It really was close.

Stepping out and looking at the shop, it wasn’t that big, but it was an incredibly stylish building with water flowing down the outside of the windows like a waterfall.

「Well, shall we?」

Following Satsukawa-san inside, the first things I saw were a piano and several instruments like trumpets lined up next to it.

The rich aroma of coffee filled the air.

Looking at the window, I really couldn’t see outside because of the flowing water. What a mysterious vibe…

The place felt like a mature, grown-up cafe, and I started to feel a bit out of place.

「Ah, Satsukawa-san, welcome.」

「Hey Master, table for two today.」

The man called「Master,」who was probably the manager, looked a bit surprised when he saw me, but he immediately gave a smile and greeted me with a「Welcome.」

「I usually come here alone. It’s a rare occasion.」

Satsukawa-san explained why the manager was surprised.

Does that mean he brought me to a place he’s never brought anyone else…? Is it okay for me to be treated this well?

We sat down, and after a moment, the manager brought over water and menus.

「The usual for you, Satsukawa-san?」

「Yes, please.」

Total mature energy… he’s a regular enough that he can just say「the usual.」That’s actually pretty cool.

「Feel free to order whatever you like, Takanashi-kun.」

「Y, yes.」

Checking the menu, I saw a long list of coffee brands that I didn’t recognize.

I don’t usually drink coffee, so what should I do…?

Scanning the names, I saw one I’d heard of before, Blue Mountain, and thought about getting that… but wait, it’s how much!?

Shocked, I flipped to the next page and saw a blend.

There was also tea, so I decided on Darjeeling. I can drink that without any stress.

「Um, I’ll have the Darjeeling.」

「Oh, you don’t want coffee? I’d recommend the Blue Mountain.」

When I shook my head vigorously, he looked amused and ordered the Darjeeling for me.

「Want something to eat?」

Maybe because I was looking at the cake page, Satsukawa-san asked me that.

「No, if I spoil my dinner, I might cause unnecessary worry…」

「Hahaha, that’s an unexpected reason. No, that’s fine. It’s good that you’re so considerate.」

My answer seemed to be a total curveball for Satsukawa-san, but he accepted it readily.

Honestly, the photos of the cakes looked delicious, but I couldn’t eat here when Sara-san was back home making dinner for me.

「Now then, since we’ve already finished talking about the other day in the car, let’s talk about that reward we left on hold.」

It seemed that conversation was the main reason Satsukawa-san brought me here.

「By the way, you were holding a job magazine. Since I know you’re a high schooler, were you looking for a part-time job?」

Apparently, he noticed what I was holding. Since it wasn’t something I needed to hide, I decided to be honest.

「Yes. There’s something I really want to get soon… but for certain reasons, I want to limit the work to just the week after next. Between that, only being able to work after school on weekdays, and the fact that I’m a high schooler, it’s been tough…」

「I see. That schedule might be a bit difficult. So, how about this? There was a decent amount of cash in that wallet, and you returned something even more valuable than that, so how about I give you a cash reward, or just buy that thing you want for you?」

Thinking of an idea after hearing my story, Satsukawa-san made an incredibly generous offer.

If it were for me… maybe.

I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t tempted.

Getting him to buy it for me is out of the question, of course, but the truth is a sudden influx of cash would really help.

But when I think of Sara-san’s smile… no. This only has meaning if I earn it myself.

「Sorry, I appreciate the offer, but I really want to work and prepare this myself.」

When I bowed slightly and turned him down, Satsukawa-san looked surprised for a moment, but then he broke into an unexpectedly wide grin.

「If you want to ‘prepare’ it, then it sounds like you aren’t just looking for money to buy something for yourself.」

「…Yes.」

When I answered honestly, Satsukawa-san smirked and leaned in a bit.

「Let me guess, it’s for a girl? A girlfriend?」

I guess there’s no point in hiding it now.

Since he’s someone I have almost zero connection with, I figured I’d tell him as a conversation starter for this situation.

「…She’s always taking care of me. She says she doesn’t need any consideration or thanks because she’s just doing what she wants, but that’s exactly why I want to work hard for her birthday present. Plus, it’s the first gift since we became a couple… so I really want to buy it and give it to her with money I earned myself.」

Satsukawa-san had been smirking when I started talking, but eventually, his expression turned serious, and he listened intently as if searching for something in my words.

Once I finished, he stayed silent for a while as if thinking, before eventually muttering to himself,「So similar…」

「Sorry for the wait.」

Come to think of it, I’d completely forgotten we’d ordered drinks.

The manager lined up the items from his tray on the table.

He placed a coffee cup in front of Satsukawa-san, and a teapot and teacup in front of me.

「Today’s Blue Mountain is something special. After all, I got to hear a good story from this young man.」

He was talking to Satsukawa-san, but his eyes were on me. Apparently, he’d heard everything. He didn’t seem to be teasing me, so I guess that was a compliment?

By the way… he just called the coffee he brought「Blue Mountain.」Wait, is this actually that expensive stuff?

The price of a single cup could buy a whole meal…

While I was mesmerized by the coffee, the manager left a quick「Enjoy」and walked away from the table.

Satsukawa-san hadn’t said a word yet. He picked up his coffee cup, took a sip, and muttered,「Delicious.」

I guess it really is good. I don’t usually drink coffee, but if it’s that good, I’m curious.

Should I have ordered that instead of the tea…?

While I was seriously agonizing over that trivial thought, the words spoken to me were an incredibly unexpected proposal.

「Then, how about this? Why don’t you try helping me with my work as a part-time job? It’s not at the company, so don’t worry. It’s my office in the garden of my home. It’s just filing documents, so it won’t be that difficult. I happen to be in need of an extra hand right now.」

……Eh?