What If You Spoil a High School Girl Who Looks Like a Landmine? - Volume 1 Chapter 1.3

Tension, Keep it Up! 3

“My father went with my younger sisters, and my mother can perfectly take care of herself. Besides, she’s often too busy with work to come home. So there’s no one, absolutely no one, who lets me take care of them!”

I’ve never heard this type of grief before, so I don’t know what to say.

“Sometimes, I lose my memory because my days are so colorless… And then, I found myself…”

With her eyes wide open, staring into the void, Raihara-san continued in a voice like a scream.

“I found myself wandering around! In parks… in shopping malls… Desperately searching for someone, anyone, to take care of——”

…What should I do?

She turned out to be a very unique person, completely different from what I had anticipated.

“Even though I shouldn’t…My caretaking is a burden on people!”

I still don’t understand how being helpful could be a nuisance, but her desperation is clearly coming through.

Large tears are trickling down from her big eyes.

Her previous cries were indeed screams of distress.

“Well, um, yes, it must be incredibly hard for you…”

“I—I’m sorry for losing my composure!…

“No, it’s okay. For now, just take deep breaths.”

After taking some time to calm down, Raihara-san continued speaking.

“Sorry for my disgraceful appearance. Going back to the beginning of the story… I thought I should practice relying on others. That’s what ‘simulation’ means in this context.”

“Ah, I see.”

I’m starting to get the outline of her story.

“So, Raihara-san, you’re fixated on taking care of people, but you want to change that. To do so, you’re trying to go in the completely opposite direction by learning how to rely on others. Am I getting it right?”

“Exactly… Simply stopping my desire to care for others didn’t work, as I unconsciously started wandering in search of someone. So, I thought I should try the opposite approach.”

Given her situation, it makes sense to feel that she has no other choice.

“In order to learn how to rely on people, I need to be around someone I can rely on. My family and friends are difficult to approach in that way now. Then, I happened to walk into this shop and saw you, Chifuji-san.”

I’m surprised to hear my name, but after all, that was the point of this conversation.

“You treat the customers very politely, and you willingly help your troubled coworkers. So, you’re someone people can rely on. I thought that maybe, just maybe, I could rely on you too…”

“I see.”

I’m not the type to be relied on, but I’m experienced in working at this shop.

And since the manager who should be the most reliable person is the way he is, it’s not surprising she had that impression of me.

“But of course, I can’t just outright ask you to ‘let me be spoiled by you,’ so… umm…”

Raihara-san bashfully lowers her face a little.

“I went to an all-girls school, so I have no idea how to approach guys my age…”

“Ah, so that’s why you mentioned the simulation.”

“Yes, I was wondering what it would be like to act spoiled around someone. That’s why I was observing you and thinking about you in my mind the whole time.”

So that’s why she was staring at me so intently.

It all makes sense now.

“At first, I was just watching you in this shop. But then I became curious about how you’d be in other situations. So I started to follow you after work…”

“Umm, you certainly can take the initiative.”

“My sisters tell me the same thing. That I’m bold, but in a strange direction.”

She may look and seem gentle, but appearances can be deceiving.

“So that (Jirai-kei) landmine look of yours is also a symbol of your boldness?”

“Manager…”

The person who probably has been eavesdropping the whole time suddenly joins the conversation.

Seemingly appearing out of nowhere, the manager places a glass of iced coffee in front of Raihara-san.

“Sorry for the wait, here is your order.”

“Ah, thank you. Umm, about this look…”

” ‘If I’m going to be the kind of person who relies on others, I thought my appearance should reflect that’, huh? … I guess the ‘landmine’ type is, for better or worse, extreme when it comes to relying on others.”

“…When I thought about the kind of women who get spoiled the most, this look came to mind. To be honest, I also like how it looks. It’s cute and has a unique worldview.”

The ‘landmine look’ equals a woman who can be spoiled?

That’s an interesting interpretation, and there might be some truth to it.

“Mhm, it really suited you. I see, I’ve got the gist of your story now. Sorry, but may I borrow him for a moment?”

“Eh, ah, yes, of course.”

“Thank you, I’ll return him soon.”

Saying that, the manager grabs my arm and takes me to the end of the counter.

“Manager, what’s going on? You’re not planning to kick her out, are you? She doesn’t seem dangerous, and from what I heard, it seems like she’s in trouble, so I——”

“I get it, I get it. I figured you’d think that way. So Kei, I’m giving you a manager’s order.”

“A manager’s order?”

“Yes. From now on, make plans to go out and have fun with that girl occasionally.”

The manager’s suggestion is something I’d also been thinking about.

However, there’s a problem with that.

“I’d like to, and I’ve been considering how I might be able to do it, but——”

“I said it’s a manager’s order, so I’ll cover your pay. On the days you go out, we’ll count it as a regular workday. Your salary won’t be reduced.”

“…What!?”

Since I need to send money home, honestly, I don’t have the time to go out and have fun.

If I get paid even on days I go out, then that problem is indeed solved, but…

“W-Why would you do that?”

“Well, you’ve been working hard in this shop all this time. I believe the reason this shop was able to achieve this result is because you’ve been supporting the shop. Consider it a bonus.”

The manager laughs heartily, then his voice becomes a bit more serious.

“…This isn’t about me giving you money as your uncle. It’s simply acknowledging a special form of employment as the manager… I’m sure your mother won’t complain.”

“That…might be true, but——”

“Then it’s settled! Kei, you want to help that girl out, don’t you? You’re good at taking care of people.”

“Manager… Thank you… but, will the shop be okay when I’m not here?”

“Just pray that it won’t go under.”

The slightly serious tone is definitely concerning.

“…Hey, can you write down all the various operational details? There are too many things that only you know.”

“I’ll get it done.”

“It’s a good opportunity to correct the issue of leaving everything up to you. Alright, that settles it.”

“…Thank you, Uncle.”

“It’s Manager, at least during business hours.”

Waving his hand gently, the person who has always been kind to me went back behind the counter.

Then I return to where Raihara-san is waiting.

“Sorry for the wait.”

“No, it’s fine.”

“So, about that…”

I told her that I wanted to help address her so-called dependency on taking care of others, and for that, we should frequently meet to try various things together.

This isn’t mere simulation; it’s a genuine proposal.

“But, but that would be unfair! I’m extremely grateful, but this only benefits me and doesn’t give anything to Chifuji-san…”

“I didn’t have much time to hang out with people during my high school life, so it will be a good change of pace for me as well.”

“But…to think I’d cause you such trouble!”

Well, if she were the type to easily say ‘please’ and ‘thank you,’ she wouldn’t have this problem of not being able to rely on people in the first place.

Hmm… Well then.

“Alright. Would you accompany me in indulging my self-satisfaction since I can’t help but think that I can’t leave you alone?”

“Eh? No, but…”

Even Raihara-san doesn’t nod to my obviously self-serving phrasing.

However, there’s more to this conversation.

“…You mentioned that you want to apologize for stalking me. So, I want you to accept this as a condition of forgiveness.”

“Ah…”

Doing this should make it difficult for her to decline.

“…Um, sorry… and thank you for being so considerate…”

“Can I take that as an okay?”

“Yes…”

Good, yes.

“I hope this turns out the way we want it to be.”

“Chifuji-san…”

She looks straight into my eyes. And then,

“Thank you so much…”

“No, it’s…it’s fine.”

Her eyes form an arch, and her mouth curves into a crescent, radiant smile.

Beautiful, yet somehow eerily unfathomable.

…everything is okay, right?

She’s not actually a ticking time bomb, is she?

She shouldn’t be…right…?