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"We'll head back for now, Ms. Odoriko."
Mahiru Shiina and Asada Shino stood at the shop entrance, politely saying goodbye to the gentle and mature store manager.
Saionji Odoriko smiled and waved back warmly.
"Alright, take care on your way home! And remember, come help out again tomorrow, okay? Oh, and if any of your classmates are looking for part-time work, feel free to bring them in for an interview."
Odoriko thought it was more reliable to hire people through employee recommendations.
Mahiru Shiina and Asada Shino looked like kind, gentle girls, the type who were easy to get along with.
After all, no one wants to work with someone they can't stand—it's seriously uncomfortable.
"We'll head off then. You take care too, Ms. Odoriko. If anything comes up, just give me a call," Andrew said with a smile.
Under Odoriko's slightly admiring gaze, Andrew left with Mahiru Shiina, walking Asada Shino home together.
Since that murderer was still on the loose, it was dangerous for anyone to be out walking alone at night.
But Andrew wasn't the type to shy away from that kind of trouble—he insisted on walking Shino home himself.
A guy like that? A Total man's man. Just being around him made people feel safe.
The more Odoriko watched him, the more her heart fluttered.
Still, having a crush is one thing—actually making a move is something else entirely.
It was obvious Andrew liked Mahiru Shiina. He even called her by her first name, casually.
Odoriko figured she'd keep observing for now. Finding someone to rely on wasn't something she could rush into.
Outside Asada's House
"Thanks for walking me home, Mahiru, Andrew. Would you like to come in for a bit? Otherwise I'd feel really rude."
Asada Shino looked at the two with hopeful eyes.
"Sure, we'll take you up on that," Mahiru Shiina replied with a cheerful smile.
After spending more time together today, she'd come to appreciate how serious Shino was about her job—she really was a good person.
All those rumors must've been nothing but malicious lies.
If Shino were really some cold-blooded killer, then wouldn't all the people bullying her be dead by now?
"So yeah, sorry for the intrusion," Andrew said as he and Shiina stepped inside.
They took off their shoes and slipped on the slippers Shino had just bought.
As expected, the place was tiny.
Other than a small bathroom and kitchenette, there was just a bed in the bedroom. Even the closet didn't have many clothes.
This girl, clearly being targeted by others, was living a super frugal life.
That was probably part of why she felt insecure around someone like Mahiru Shiina.
Compared to Mahiru, a sparkling rich girl, she felt like a nobody.
Asada nervously clutched the hem of her shirt, cheeks slightly red.
"Sorry, my place is really small… we'll have to sit in my bedroom."
"No worries, it's really neat and clean," Mahiru replied with a smile. "Oh, and Ms. Odoriko asked me to take some unsold discounted ingredients home today. Asada, mind if I use your kitchen?"
"Of course not! I'll help too!"
After chatting a bit, they decided to have dinner there. Mahiru and Shino headed off to the kitchen together.
When Shino saw the ingredients being pulled out of the bag, she couldn't help but gasp.
"Ms. Odoriko is seriously generous! These ingredients still look totally fine—she could've just sold them tomorrow."
Mahiru nodded with a smile. "Right? We're really lucky to have a boss like her."
It was her first part-time job, and she'd heard horror stories from classmates about bad coworkers or strict seniors, so she'd been nervous at first.
But Odoriko was so kind… although Mahiru couldn't shake the feeling that the way she looked at Andrew was a bit off.
Also, who lets a guy sleep in their private rest room? That's way too trusting!
And being that trusting? Probably means she likes him!
Thinking about this, Mahiru sighed quietly and sneaked a peek at Shino, mumbling in her heart:
"What do I do when my guy keeps attracting attention? I guess I should just pamper him silly, feed him well, and turn him into a total couch potato—so useless that no one else wants him. That way, he'll belong only to me!"
Meanwhile, Asada Shino—still unaware of Mahiru's "boyfriend training" mindset—couldn't help but sigh herself.
"Yeah, Ms. Odoriko really is amazing. When she found out I was being bullied by Kurata, she fired her on the spot. But I really need to thank Andrew too."
"Shiina, I want to properly thank him. Do you know what kind of stuff he likes?"
With a serious expression, Shino looked to Mahiru for advice. Mahiru froze for a second.
Wait, what?
Was she supposed to help another girl win over her own crush?
But seeing Shino's sincere face, Mahiru felt like maybe she was just overthinking it.
Shino probably just wanted to show some appreciation, nothing more.
So Mahiru smiled and answered, "He's a bit of an otaku. He likes anime stuff—manga, light novels, that kind of thing."
"Actually, he told me he's more of a 'creative' otaku. Today, he even went to meet an editor from Undead River Publishing. Turns out, the light novel he wrote just got approved for publishing! He's going to have a physical book out soon!"
Shino's eyes widened, her small mouth forming an "O" in surprise.
"He wrote a light novel… whoa, that's insane! Doesn't that mean Andrew's gonna be a real author soon? We'll have to start calling him Mr. Andrew!"
Mahiru laughed and nodded, her expression naturally full of pride.
She didn't really understand otaku stuff herself, but thinking of Andrew, she decided she should probably start learning more.
Might as well begin by reading his light novel.
Shino, still reeling, hadn't expected any of this.
Not only was Andrew good-looking, dependable, and mature—he was also super talented.
Still in high school and already debuting as a novelist? That meant no more crappy part-time jobs for him.
He was way ahead of most guys in their grade.
"Ugh… I have no clue what kind of gift to get him. Mahiru, got any suggestions?"
Shino wasn't into anime or games either, and she didn't have any friends to ask—being isolated like she was.
Her life kind of sucked.
The worst part was, she couldn't even talk to her mom about it.
Her mom, just like everyone else, looked at her with fear in her eyes.
As Shino looked to her for help, Mahiru felt a little stumped, but for the sake of friendship, she came up with a reasonable answer.
"I think what matters most isn't the gift itself, but the thought behind it."
"As long as your feelings of gratitude come through, I'm sure he'll appreciate it. Guys are usually happy when girls put effort into something for them."
She said that with a smile, but in her heart she whispered:
"Just don't go gifting yourself to him, alright?"
After all, Mahiru was a girl too.
Back when she'd hit rock bottom, feeling like the whole world had betrayed her, Andrew had barged into her life so directly, dragging her back into normalcy.
That gratitude, and the deep emotions she couldn't put into words, were why she depended on him so much.
And now, Shino was a lot like her back then.
After being bullied, ostracized, and hurt for so long, a tall, handsome guy suddenly showed up and became her ray of light.
If Mahiru were in Shino's shoes, she'd probably want to hold onto that light too.
When life's been nothing but grey, even the smallest bit of warmth feels like a treasure.
"..."
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