"Hmm?"
Behind the counter of the convenience store stood a fresh-faced, radiant girl. Dressed neatly in her uniform, it wrapped snugly around her slender youthful frame. Her soft brown hair was tied back into a simple ponytail, giving her a sharp, capable appearance.
Hearing that unmistakably surprised voice, Aoyama Nanami looked up in curiosity, only to gasp in recognition when she saw Sato.
"It's you!"
Sato looked at her with a frown. "Your cold got better that fast?"
"Ah?!"
Nanami flushed at the mild scolding in his tone. Usually proud and self-reliant, she couldn't stop the color rising to her cheeks, and even her ears turned pink.
"S-sorry! I caused you trouble yesterday."
Her face and ears burned as she bowed deeply in apology. She wasn't sure if it was from embarrassment or something else entirely.
Even though she'd been unconscious for part of last night, she'd learned the full story from the shop owner after she woke up.
She knew it had been the last customer who carried her to the clinic, and the last person she'd seen before passing out was Sato.
Raising her head, she lowered her gaze, her lips pressed together. She didn't dare look him in the eye.
Her blushing face was visibly flustered, and her hands, unsure where to rest, tugged nervously at the edge of her uniform.
Ahhh!!!
What do I even do?!
Nanami whimpered internally. There are so many convenience stores nearby, why did he have to come to this one?!
Wait... No, she knew he lived nearby. Why did she take this job so close to home?!
Right now, Nanami just wanted to vanish into the floor.
Faced with the gentle scolding from her "savior," the usually independent girl could barely string together a coherent sentence.
Sato glanced at the girl with her head bowed low and couldn't help but laugh softly.
Right now, she looked like a kindergartener getting scolded by her teacher.
Still, Sato did admire her a bit.
Though the ramen shop owner hadn't said much, he could tell from the little signs that Nanami was likely very independent.
And it didn't seem like she was chasing money for the sake of vanity either. Otherwise, she wouldn't be working part-time with a fever, and she certainly wouldn't be back to work so soon after collapsing.
But admiration aside...
Seeing the pale tint in her face and her dry, cracked lips, Sato sighed. "If you're sick, just rest properly at home, okay?"
Nanami blushed again and nodded earnestly. "I'm sorry! I'll be more careful!"
Sato opened his mouth to say more, but then stopped himself. She wore only light makeup, and not a single unnecessary accessory adorned her. She probably lived very frugally.
For her to push through a serious cold to work part-time, there had to be a reason, one she maybe couldn't easily explain.
Recalling the sympathetic look the shop owner had given her the night before, Sato swallowed his next words.
After a moment of quiet, he said, "If you get the chance, really take some time to rest. A great man once said: 'Your body is the foundation of all endeavors.' No matter what you're working for, your health comes first."
With that, Sato turned and disappeared into the maze of shelves in the store.
Only when his footsteps faded did Nanami straighten up. The blush drained from her face, leaving her pale again as she stared blankly at his retreating figure.
Sato wandered through the store, picking up some emergency cup noodles and snacks. Eventually, he made his way to the magazine section and bought two of the latest manga volumes.
One was for Tahei.
The other? His own.
As a die-hard otaku and administrator of an ACG site, of course Sato read manga too.
But soon, something else caught his eye.
[A breakout new light novel by up-and-coming author Utako Kasumi: "The Metronome in Love" now in stores!]
Among a sea of magazines, a corner display with a half-hidden poster drew his attention.
Only then did Sato realize this convenience store also sold some popular light novels, though not many. Still, that was rare.
Maybe it had something to do with the store being privately owned.
"Interesting," he murmured.
Both because of the novels on sale, and because of that particular one.
He grabbed the book and flipped through a few pages. As the words matched the story forming in his memory, his expression grew amused.
"Yup. It's this one."
Sato's face showed a hint of curiosity as he tucked the book into his basket.
This light novel, The Metronome in Love, wasn't new to him. It had once been serialized on his own site [Fantasyland] where it had held a top spot in the light novel rankings for quite some time, thanks to its soulful writing.
There was no denying it was a great novel.
Though that greatness was relative, compared to other new authors, its lyrical style made it stand out. And compared to veteran writers, its originality shone through. It didn't follow a formula.
Still, Sensei Utako Kasumi was a rookie and the novel had its issues.
Its prose lacked polish and clarity in places, and the character arcs and story pacing were weak.
As a result, it ended up as a one-hit wonder on the site.
But thanks to its early success, a few publishers had begun discussing contracts with the platform. After things went south, the site ran a detailed review and reached out to the author.
After a lot of effort, the book was finally polished enough to be released in print.
Sato had been heavily involved in that process.
After picking up everything he needed, he returned to the counter.
"Thank you so much!" Nanami bowed again and again, so much that Sato started to get a headache from it.
"If you're really thankful, go rest."
Hearing the mild exasperation in his tone, Nanami blushed again and lowered her head, scanning his items with quick beeps.
"That'll be 3,250 yen," she said softly.
Sato paid, packed his purchases, and turned to leave.
"Wait, hey! You forgot something!"
Nanami's voice rang out in concern.
Already at the door, Sato waved without turning around. "It's for you. Don't forget to take your medicine."
Huh?
Nanami blinked, then looked down. Only then did she realize, it was a box of cold medicine.
She froze.
Staring after his retreating figure, her lips parted, ready to call out, then closed again, no sound escaping.
Nanami pressed her lips tightly together, her gaze fixed on Sato's back.
Out on the street, Sato let out a long sigh and looked up at the evening sky.
The sunset lit the clouds on fire, painting the western sky in brilliant shades. The heavens stretched clear and calm, like a still, glassy lake.
That girl was probably incredibly stubborn, and very poor, too. Which made him wonder if she would have even bought medicine herself.
He admired her strength… though it also felt like trouble.
"Doing a good deed a day… Buddha, I hope you're watching over me. Ever since I came here, I keep running into danger!"
The boy's muttering faded down the quiet street.