Ranobe Mo Ore Mo Sukina Gyaru - Volume 1 Chapter 10.1

Gal and the Bakery 1

From the day I walked home with Tsumakawa, a few days had passed.

It was a clear Saturday afternoon, a little past 2 o’clock.

“Thank you for your purchase——”

At this moment, I was working part-time at a bakery called ‘Nakamachi’s Bakery’ located about a ten-minute walk from Yono-Honmachi Station.

Why am I working part-time at a local bakery today instead of my usual convenience store job?

To explain that, with the flashback from yesterday.

So, let’s go back to yesterday after school…

——As I was about to head home, exiting the classroom of 1-D.

“Ah, Yoda-kun! Can I talk to you for a moment?”

Nakamachi, who seemed a bit different from when she was in the clubroom, stopped me and made this request.

“I’m sorry to bother you on such short notice… but could you work a part-time job at my family’s bakery tomorrow?”

“Huh… This is quite sudden, isn’t it?”

“Well, you see, the person who was supposed to work tomorrow suddenly can’t make it… So my dad and the others were trying to find a replacement, but they couldn’t find anyone. That’s why he asked me on LINE earlier to ‘ask a friend’…But the only people I can rely on at school are Yoda-kun and Hina-chan senpai——Please, Yoda-kun!”

To be honest, at first, I was going to refuse.

However, seeing Nakamachi’s troubled expression, I thought less about wanting to help her and more about not wanting to ‘not help’ her for no particular reason.

I felt bad about that, so I ended up agreeing to work.

“Thank you, Yoda-kun! Having friends is truly invaluable, isn’t it? Ehehehe!”

“…It’s not a big deal, Nakamachi. But I feel like there’s a difference in how relaxed you are when you’re in the clubroom versus other times… Could it be that you’re generally more energetic during regular school hours?”

“Huh? No way, that’s not true.”

In response to my question, Nakamachi put on an exaggerated sleepy look and answered like that.

And with that, the brief flashback came to an end!

This is how I now work part-time for a day at the bakery owned by Nakamachi’s parents.

My tasks mainly involved bagging bread that customers had purchased and replenishing bread that had run out, along with various other miscellaneous work.

From 9 in the morning to now… around 2 in the afternoon, with an hour break in between, I had been working rather consistently.

And so, after seeing off the last customer inside the store and catching my breath, Nakamachi, wearing an apron with the logo of ‘Nakamachi’s Bakery’ hurried over from the register with small steps and said to me,

“Yoda-kun, thank you so much today. You’ve been a huge help!”

“To be honest, I don’t feel like I’m helping you much since I can only help you so little at a moment’s notice.”

“That’s not true. I think Yoda-kun is working so hard that I feel like I don’t have to work at all…In fact, I don’t want to work anymore. I want to leave all the work to you, Yoda-kun, and just relax. I want Yoda-kun to work for my part as well…”

“Such straightforwardly self-indulgent words… But it’s unexpected. Nakamachi, you’re really lively and active when you’re doing this job. To me, the only image I had of Nakamachi was her lazing around in the clubroom, so I was quite surprised…”

“Ahaha! I’ve been helping out at the shop since I was a kid, so I had no choice but to learn the work. … Ugh, the real me is the one you see in the Manga Research Club room… If I could, even during my part-time job, I’d want to lie down. I’d lay a futon on the floor and greet customers while lying down, saying, ‘Welcome! Today’s recommendation is Bacon Pain d’Epi bread!’ “

“What kind of bakery is that? The waitress is so arrogant.”

“Even bakeries need to reform their working style, you know?”

“That level of reform hasn’t happened in any industry.”

Finally, we had a moment when it wasn’t busy, so while we were having a casual chat, a clattering sound echoed, and a new customer entered the store.

So, reflexively, I said, ‘Welcome——!’ as I looked toward the entrance, and there stood…

“Huh…? Wait, Nakamachi-chan and… Yoda?”

It was Tsumakawa-san in casual wear with conservative makeup, and next to her was a slightly older-looking gal, dressed as stylishly as she was, with heavier makeup than Tsumakawa-san, standing side by side.

Shocked by the sight, I let out a puzzled ‘Huh…’ And then, amid the sudden situation that baffled both me and Tsumakawa, Nakamachi cheerfully said,

“Oh, it’s the gal duo from before! Welcome!”

“…No, what’s going on? I just came with Mama to buy lunch from my favorite bakery… huh?”

I… I was left flabbergasted. I looked once again at the gal beside Tsumakawa.

There stood a young-looking woman who I could only see as her older sister.

Mama…?

“Hehe. I’m glad you called it ‘my favorite bakery.’ This place is actually my mom and dad’s bakery.”

“Huh… Oh, I see! So ‘Nakamachi’s Bakery’ is Nakamachi-chan’s parents’ shop. And… so? Why is Yoda working here?”

“W-Well, that’s because…”

“Because the usual part-timer suddenly couldn’t make it, so I asked him to help just for today. Yoda-kun is kind, so he agreed to help me out. Right?”

“Ah, yeah… Well, something like that…”

“…Hmm, is that so?”

Tsumakawa frowned slightly as she said this, looking me up and down in my apron.

For some reason, I felt like a frog being stared down by a snake.

I wonder why? Just as I was wondering, Tsumakawa’s mother, who was next to her, blinked her eyes like a child and alternately glanced at Tsumakawa-san and me.

“Miona… Is this the boy you’ve been talking about a lot lately, Yoda-kun?”

“Hey, Mom… Can you not say unnecessary things?”

“Oh, I see… That’s what’s going on. Well then, leave it to Mama!”

Tsumakawa-san’s mother who apparently looked like a high school student from any angle—struck a cute pose towards Tsumakawa, then started walking towards us.