Chapter 30: I’ll wipe your tears, Senpai.

It’s been a week since I started my part-time job.

　I was getting used to serving customers, cleaning, working the cash register, and other things.

　After arriving at work, I was changing in the break room when Ayukawa, dressed in a maid’s uniform, walked in.

“Kyaa!”

As soon as she saw my upper body, she closed the door and walked out.

　While putting on my shirt, I called out through the door.

“I think I have the right to scream in this case”

“Ugh, shut up!　It’s your fault for getting dressed here!”

“I don’t have a choice. The locker room is for girls only. –Look, it’s okay now.”

　The door slowly opened, and she entered slowly.

“Ugh… ugh… ugh…. Idiot. Stupid. Idiooooot.”

“What the hell are you growling about?”

“I don’t know!”

　She turned away and sat down on the sofa. Her cheeks are bright red.

　As I was tying my tie while looking in the mirror on the wall, I felt a presence peeking at me.

“What’s wrong?”

“W….. Well, ……, you know…”

She wanders her gaze, as if she is having trouble saying it.

“Your back was covered in scratches earlier. …… injury?　Or was it an accident?”

“Aah, it happened in the past”

I’m not going to tell her.

It’s not the kind of thing I talk about with girls. It is not something I enjoy talking about, and it is not something I enjoy remembering. It’s a past I’d like to keep sealed away.

“Also, your muscles were amazing. It was like a bunch of thick wires. Not just tough, but something like …… that.”

“What?”

“It is crazy!”

She seemed to have lost her vocabulary.

“I used to work out a little.”

“Strength training, club activities?　Is that enough to make you look like that?　A male body?”

“…………”

She seemed to be very interested.

　I didn’t want her to probe any further, so I tried to be a little mean.

“Are you interested in naked men?”

　Her red face turned even redder.

“I’m used to seeing men naked!　Who do you think you are?　Ayaka-sama, the love master of love, right?　I’ve already gone through this with my boyfriend!”

“…… I see”

　I immediately reflected on this. For a girl with so much experience in love, it was a joke that missed the mark. It seemed to have hurt her pride.

Apparently, I lack the sense of a humor……

The road to “normal” is a long one.

“Sorry, Ayukawa. Please fix your mood.”

“Nooo. Puyi”

“Don’t say that. Just like this. I’ll do anything.”

“Hmm. Then bring me some cold barley tea.”

“Thank you. Senpai.”

　Ayukawa gushed with amusement.

　I have never seen such a smile in the classroom.

She was always chatting and laughing with that piggy and her friends, but that was more like laughing only at the sound of her voice.

　I’ve never seen her laugh while rolling around on the couch like this.

Thanks to that, the skirt of her maid’s uniform is flipped up. ……

　I’d like to see this smile for a while, so I’ll keep my mouth shut.

　Lunch time ends at 2:00 pm.

　The tables that had been full since the opening of the restaurant are starting to be empty.

　The manager leaves for lunch, and it’s just the two of us, Ayukawa and I, running the restaurant.

“Hey, stop it, customer …….”

I looked toward the voice and saw Ayukawa at table 7 with a distressed look on her face.

Three large men were smiling at her. They were all wearing black T-shirts and jerseys. On their backs were printed the words “Teikaishi University Karate Club”. The short-sleeved arms were peeking out with a look of muscular mass.

“Like I said, you’re the one who ordered it.”

　The largest man, with a square-cut collar, was holding Ayukawa’s thin arm. She tried to shake him off, but he only smiled wickedly at her. He seemed to be rather enjoying her resistance.

　The other two were also showing their ulterior motives. They were staring at her breasts, which were accentuated by the waist-squeezing design, and at her white thighs between her mini-skirt and knee-socks, as if licking them.

“You’re so cute you know. JK? what time do you get off here?” [JK = school girl]

“We have a car.　Let’s go to the beach.”

What a beta thing to say. …….

　It’s too tacky to be a joke. Compared to these guys, my jokes are better…… or maybe a ton?　Normally, these guys would get a cold stare from the people around them, but they are big and heavy. Three huge commercial refrigerators were lined up on the table. The customers around us were scared and just turned away. The middle-aged man at table #8 behind them kept his head down and didn’t move.

I was about to help at once, but decided against it.

The exchange in the break room had crossed my mind.

　If Ayukawa is as cute as she is, she will probably pick up on male customers all the time. She must know how to handle it.

　If I intervened, I might be scolded.

　I’m going to learn from her brilliant technique.

　Come on, Ayukawa-senpai. Now is the time to show the true value of a love master.

“Uhm..ah…trouble…..stop…….”

　–H-Huh?

She is crying like a baby……

　I’m not sure if it’s a strategy to get them to drop their guard and then kick them out.　I thought it was, but there was no merit in doing so.

　Her weak gesture made the three stupid guys even more excited.

“We do karate. Do you know what it is?　Karate.”

“We can easily handle a dozen tiles.”

“We can even cut this bottle with our hands. You want me to try?”

　A man with a square-cropped head grabbed an empty cider bottle and held it in front of him. He was about to perform the “bottle slash,” a high level karate demonstration.

“Watch me, will you?”

　He let out an exaggerated gasp.

He swung his hand sword.

　The bottle blew right sideways and flew to me.

　I caught it with one hand.

　No part of it was cut.

“Hyahaha. What are you doing, Kakuta?”

“Did you get drunk on cider?”

“Shut up!　–Oi, kid. Bring it back. One more time.”

　I walked over to the table with the bottle.

　I wanted to respect Ayukawa’s pride, but it was clear that she was no longer in that stage. I wasn’t sure if I could go easy on them, but I had to do it.

“Su-Suzuki!”

　She called in a whisper.

　She was talking to me with her eyes.

I thought she was asking for my help, but I was wrong.

　Her gaze was telling me not to come.

(…… Eh?)

　I looked back at her, struck by surprise.

No matter who or how I looked at her, she looked pale and frightened. Even so, her lips were tightly knit, she was shaking her head, and with tear-filled eyes she was appealing to me, “Don’t come.”

　–It’s okay.

–You are my senpai.

　–It’s okay, …….

An ugly face interrupted my healthy gesture.

“Next time, I’ll cut it down properly, okay? Okay?　Watch me, okay? …… hehehehe.”

　The man with the square-cropped haircut tried to lift up her skirt.

“……Nooooo…….”

Ayukawa’s eyes fill with large tears, almost spilling over.

　Those tears–.

Before it spills, I’ll wipe it off.

“Ah? what do you—-“

　Ignoring the man’s voice, I put the bottle on the table.

I ready my hand blade and inhale sharply.

This is the real “exhalation.”

　A flash of the hand knife.

　The narrow end of the cider bottle was cleanly gone.

　The slashed bottle hit the wall on the kitchen side and fell into the trash can below.

　Inside the restaurant, silence.

　Then —– the customers’ cheers filled the air.

“The butler is amazing!”

He can really cut with his hands, I’ve never seen it before!

They praised me with their mouths. The man at table eight, who had been slumped over earlier, applauded in admiration.

He had been silent until now, but he was a shy guy – well, let’s just call it good.

　No one is looking up the maid’s skirt because they are distracted by my silly performance.

“…………”

　The maid was staring at me with a blank stare.

　On the other hand, the three idiots, who had lost their dignity, were furious.

“You little brat!”

“What the hell are you doing, you little sh*t!”

“Just because you can cut a bottle doesn’t mean you’re strong!”

　I was appalled at this. I was stunned by this.

　I clenched my right fist and bent the second joint of my index finger, making it stick out. This is what is called an “single strike.”

　My target was the throat.

I took it easy to the utmost and, being careful not to inflict a fatal wound, I slammed that single strike into the throats of the three idiots. It was as if there was a gap everywhere. It was much easier than slashing at a bottle. Cider bottle >>> 3 idiots.

“Please be quiet in the restaurant.”

　I warned them, but it was probably unnecessary. They couldn’t make any more noise. They could not make a sound. All they could do was let out a pained sigh. Well, they will be back to normal after a night’s sleep. …… maybe. If only I could have gone easy on them.

The three idiots looking at me had a hint of scare in their muddy eyes.

　In other words, fear.

“Your return will be that way.”

I politely pointed to the exit door.

“No need to pay for it. I’ll pay for your throat out of my part-time job. –Don’t come back. Don’t ever touch her again. Okay?”

　The three idiots nodded their heads as if their necks would break into a thousand pieces while holding their throats.

　The restaurant applauded again.

Now—-

“Ayukawa.”

　I tapped her on the shoulder as she stood there.

“I’ll clear this table, you take care of the cash register.”

“…… a-ah, yeah …….”

　She still hadn’t gotten over the shock.

　I held her shoulder lightly and whispered to her.

“You did a great job. That was cool “Senpai.”

“…………, you idiot. Don’t be cool!”

Poof, she hit my stomach with her fist.

She leaned her body against me.

“Ayukawa?”

“You idiot. You’re my junior. You’re so reckless. Idiot. ……”

She must have been on edge the whole time. She buried her face in my chest as if she was trying to shinny.

　Another round of cheers erupts from the audience. This time it was a loud cheers. “Happiness!” I could even hear them joking with each other.

Yare yare.

　Ayukawa’s boyfriend. I’m sorry.