-- Recap --
Komi Shouko: Main Heroine, has a communication disorder (duh).
Akiyama Shoji: Komi's pen-pal since childhood.
… and the rest of the cast …
In the last chapter ended with Akiyama saying he would go check out nearby convenience stores for a part-time job.
The rest of the cast (Tadano, Najimi, etc.) said they were going to get ramen.
Komi was split whether she should accompany Akiyama searching for a part-time job, or go eating ramen with the rest of the cast.
-----------------
The end of the school day.
The students were wrapping up their belongings and preparing to either go home, or go to their club activities.
In this bustling atmosphere, Tadano, Najimi, and Agari went up to Komi's desk.
"Ready to leave?", Najimi, beckoned Komi.
"…", Komi, bolting her eyes between Akiyama and Najimi, was unsure.
*What should I do?* Komi thought.
*I want to go with Akiyama… But I also don't to be a nuisance to him…*
Wallowing in her thoughts, Akiyama came up to the group.
"Why don't you just go with them, Komi?", Akiyama said, sensing Komi's current predicament.
"I'm just scouting out some convenience stores, there's no fun for you to be had there.", he continued.
"…", Komi silently nodded, accepting Akiyama's proposal.
True, she thought, she would rather not leave Akiyama alone, but she also didn't want to neglect her friends.
"Then let's go", the overly cheerful Najimi exclaimed.
------
At the Ramen Shop.
As usual, Komi drew quite a few glances to their table.
Najimi, Aguri and Tadano were happily bantering, Komi was silently eating her Ramen.
*Maybe I still should've gone with Akiyama*, she thought.
*But I want to avoid neglecting my friends*
*I read about it, neglecting your friends is like taking the highway route to ending the friendship*
Such was the state of mind of the pubescent Komi Shouko. Certainly, she likes Akiyama and wants to spend as much time with him as possible, but she also doesn't want to lose or neglect her other friends. The same first friends she made in-person in 16 years.
"Komi, be honest you like him, don't you? Akiyama.", Najimi interjected in the happy bantering and dropped a bombshell.
Instantly, the atmosphere went from happy and relaxed to tense.
Tadano went silent, and exhibited an unusually grim visage. Evident of his aversion to the topic, and to Komi's response.
Agari was quietly "AWAWAWA"ing in the background.
Najimi stared at Komi with a somewhat playful smile.
"…", Komi, went red up to her ears.
"….un….", Komi nodded.
Embarrassed to the max, Komi hid her face between her hands.
As such, she missed Tadano's face distorting from grim to as if he had swallowed a bug.
Najimi grinned from ear to ear, ignoring the self-pitying Tadano next to him.
"So, what are you going to do now~~?", Najimi teasingly asked.
"Don't you want to confess~~?", Najimi continued.
Komi, clearly uncomfortable, but not wanting to lose this chance at receiving advice by the socially experienced Najimi, quickly etched a few words into her notebook and hid herself behind it.
*I want to… But I'm scared, what if he rejects me? I don't want to lose him…*
"Heeee, I think you might have a good chance though.", Najimi gigglingly answered.
A question mark popped up over Komi's head, what did she mean by that?
--- Akiyama's side ---
"A-Achooo", Akiyama sneezed as he left a convenience store.
"I wonder if I'm sick, lately I keep having these sneezing fits."
"But this one is also a miss, huh.", he continued in a lackluster fashion.
The third store he visited, and yet no-one agreed to employ him part-time.
"Haaah, I guess it's time to change plans", Akiyama muttered.
Walking down the street in the direction of the next target, Akiyama walked past a small and cutesy pastry-shop.
Coming to a sudden stop, Akiyama turned towards the pastry-shop.
* Hiring part-time workers. *
* No experience needed. *
"Is this a god-sent?", Akiyama responded to the sign.
Making up his mind, Akiyama decided to give it a shot and went in.
"Welcome~", a similarly cutesy clerk, popped out and welcomed Akiyama.
Akiyama went up to the clerk, and asked, "I saw the poster outside, are you still in need of part-time workers?".
"Ah, yes! Give me a second, I'll go get the manager", the clerk answered.
With that, the clerk vanished in the back of the shop.
A few minutes later, she returned with a handsome man.
The man, towering at 180 cm, had violet gelled back hair, droopy eyes, and an overall handsome face. He also exuded a calm, pleasing demeanour.
"I heard you are here for the part-time job?", the manager confirmed.
"Ah, yes", Akiyama plainly stated.
"Thank god, follow me to the back and let's talk about your contract", the manager, visibly relieved, said.
--- 30 minutes later ---
Akiyama left the store, after having had a conversation with the manager of the pastry-shop, the manager agreed to hire him.
The pastry-shop recently got popular after a few Instagrammers went to their establishment, since then, they didn't have enough servers to efficiently handle the sheer number of customers coming to their shop. They were pretty much always decked out.
As such, Akiyama has been hired as a server to work thrice a week in the afternoon.
This also meant that Akiyama had less time to study for school, but alas, food doesn't come free.