V2Ch9: A set restaurant that seems to crumble when the wind blows

Translator: Soafp

---

I tried to rest in my room, but my heart was somewhat uneasy and I was not at all at ease both physically and mentally.

After my mother came home, she suggested we all gather around the dining table, but I didn’t want to face them today, so I locked myself in my room.

I’m sure I didn’t say anything wrong. Yet, somewhere in the back of my mind, the faces of those two keep flashing, as if I still can’t fully accept that I’ve been discarded like an irrelevant entity.

I don’t understand. Honestly, I don’t want to think deeply about it. It would be easier to just dismiss myself as an inconsequential presence.

Nevertheless, even now, my heart wavers at the sight of their tearful faces. I’m still so naive. I’m just a child, sulking about all the hardships I’m facing.

I become more annoyed with myself. I’m not able to be utterly ruthless, and at the same time, I can’t forgive others. If I continue like this, I’ll end up exhausted again, and my heart will sink into darkness, that much is obvious.

It’s frustrating. Both myself, who remains incomplete, and the people around me who won’t leave me alone. Even though I finally found a comfortable way of living.

That being said, human beings get hungry. After confirming that Shion and Tsumugi had gone back to their rooms, I went downstairs to the living room.

My mother approached me with concern and I told her I would just eat something outside today. I feel sorry for constantly worrying her, but this problem isn’t something I can easily resolve, so I hope she’ll forgive me.

Once outside, I took a deep breath. The night breeze feels so refreshing. If I continue contemplating everything in my room, I might feel worse, so the fresh air outside is quite welcome.

While walking around aimlessly, trying to find a place to eat a light meal, I looked for a restaurant that’s not too crowded and doesn’t look too fancy.

Unfortunately, things didn’t work out that conveniently. Chain restaurants were out of the question, and even the places that looked a bit run-down were bustling with regular customers, making me hesitate to enter.

I had walked quite a distance from home. I was ready to give up and just buy something from a convenience store to eat while walking when I spotted a small diner standing alone in a back alley.

It looked so dilapidated that I thought it might collapse if a strong earthquake hit, but the closer I got, the more delicious aroma I sensed.

Unable to see inside from the outside, I was strangely drawn to the place and grasped the doorknob.

With a creaking sound that made me wonder if a monster might appear, I opened the door, and surprisingly, the interior was quite neat.

Inside, there was a waitress with a chestnut-brown bob, whose back was turned, and the only customer was a woman sitting at the counter. The customer had beer and snacks in front of her and looked elegant as she smoked her cigarette. I’ve seen her before…or rather her face.

When Yuki-sensei’s eyes met mine, she smiled faintly.

For some reason, I suddenly didn’t feel like going inside, so I turned around without saying a word, trying to leave as if nothing had happened.

But at that moment, someone pulled my arm with an extraordinary force.

“I won’t let you go!! We got a customer—hey, Dad! We got a customer, probably a high school boy!”

The one pulling my arm was the waitress, the same beautiful woman I had seen only from behind earlier. She’s quite attractive, but her smile is incredibly scary. Her determination not to let me go was palpable.

“Aah? Who’s this guy? Another brat here for Miu again, huh?”

Coming from the back of the counter was a strong, middle-aged man who looked like a yakuza. He held a knife in his hand. I tried to leave immediately, but thanks to the firm grip of the beautiful waitress, I couldn’t move.

“Wait, no… I’ll be killed… Please let me go!”

“It’s okay! He’s my dad, after all! He’s definitely not a yakuza! Come on, Dad! Put down the knife!”

“Aah? You insolent brat! Get out of here! I decide who my customers are!”

“Mou…! That’s why we hardly get any customers here besides the regulars! Every time a young man comes, we drive them away! The only ones who come are women like Aoi-chan!”

“What the hell is going on here? Sensei, don’t just stand there! Please help me!”

Confused and not knowing what was happening, I sought help from Yuki-sensei, but she smirked mischievously. Her eyes seemed to say, “You tried to leave when you saw my face, didn’t you?” After silently pleading with her for an apology, she chuckled and finally came to my rescue.

“Ginzo-san, this young man is my student. Can you let him go for me?”

“Hmm? So he’s from the high school around here? Well, then, no problem. Sorry about that, kid. Just take a seat wherever.”

The owner of the restaurant, called Ginzo, smiled broadly, a complete change from what he had just said. It seemed that, for reasons unknown, I had met the criteria for entry into this restaurant.

Feeling hungry and not wanting to leave in this awkward atmosphere, I looked around for a seat, but Yuki-sensei pulled at my sleeve and pointed to the seat next to her.

“What are you doing? Sit next to me already.”

I thought so. Honestly, sitting next to my homeroom teacher is making me nervous. But it would be weird to sit at another table, so I guess I have no choice…

The beautiful waitress came over with a different, natural smile this time and took our orders. This is the first time I’ve seen her face clearly, but she seems to be around the same age as me.

“What is it? Yagami, you’re staring at Miu’s face? Don’t tell me you’re already in love with Miu?”

“Why would you say that? I just thought she looked around my age.”

“I’m 18 years old! I graduated from high school and now I’m helping out at my family’s restaurant. My dream is to take over the business and spread the taste of this place all over the country! But, well, because of my dad, hardly anyone comes here… Oh, you can call me Miu. It’s nice to talk to someone my age after a long time!”

“You idiot! This area is dangerous! If you are not careful, you’ll end up with some weird guys—”

“Okay, okay, I got it, I got it! Mou, Dad… you’re way too overprotective!”

It seems there’s a so-called “yankee” high school nearby. Come to think of it, I’ve heard rumors about it at my school. It’s quite far from my high school, so there’s hardly any direct impact, but it seems that the people in the neighborhood are quite inconvenienced by it.

The yakuza… I mean, Ginzo-san, used to feel relieved because Miu used to commute to a public high school two stations away from here. But after she graduated and started helping with the restaurant, he became overly protective.

Yuki-sensei seems to have taken a liking to this place when she stumbled upon it once, and now she’s a regular customer, coming here several times a week.

After hearing her life story, I opened the menu she handed me with a smile on her face.