Chapter 16
by Need_More_SleepChapter 16: Words And Heart At Odds
As she prepared to leave Assault Studies after school that afternoon, Kanako felt like her entire body was about to fall apart. That woman Ranbyou really had used her as a punching bag—every blow hurt.
‘Why must one woman torment another!’ With one hand clutching her chest and the other gently rubbing her buttocks, Kanako wept silently inside. ‘Gotta use pain relief patches again. Does Ranbyou not know her own strength? Doesn’t she know getting punched and kicked in these spots hurts too?!’
Kanako couldn’t shake the feeling that Ranbyou did it on purpose…
In contrast, her experience during shooting training was much better. Nishikigi Chisato even came over to exchange a few words with her and offer some tips on recovery training.
‘Ranbyou, why can’t you learn to be gentle like Nishikigi Chisato?! I curse you to stay single forever!’ Kanako thought viciously.
Carrying her school bag, Kanako struggled out of the smoke-filled Assault Studies building. She had a part-time job tonight and also needed to buy some pain relief patches. She felt utterly miserable.
“Kanako, it seems you were quite well-liked in Assault Studies before.”
Just as Kanako was lamenting the bruises she’d probably have, a doll-like voice snapped her back to reality.
Aria had popped up from somewhere, and the two walked and talked.
“Which eye of yours sees me as ‘well-liked’? Didn’t you see Ranbyou’s fists pummeling my body?” Kanako shot Aria a sideways glance.
“I meant the other students. I heard them all discussing you. It shows you were quite popular in Assault Studies, or rather, respected.”
“……” Kanako couldn’t deny that. The feat from the entrance exam had left too deep an impression on her classmates. Back in her first year, whenever she expressed an interest in teaming up, she could basically always find teammates for the field.
“That… Kanako…”
“What? Spit it out.”
“Thank you.”
“You’re welc— Ah, no, it’s fine. Anyway, I’m only teaming up with you once. After that, I’m not coming back. No need.”
“I know, but… I envy you…”
“What’s there to envy about me? I still get beaten up by Ranbyou.”
“That’s one aspect. Ranbyou doesn’t personally spar with just any student, she picks and chooses. Also, you’re trusted by your classmates, Kanako. Not like me.”
Kanako didn’t respond, just listened silently. Asking further would probably lead to another not-so-pleasant topic.
Aria continued on her own. “No one comes near me in Assault Studies. The gap in skill is too wide, they all keep their distance. So, no one teams up with me. But it’s fine. Who made me ‘Aria’?”
“‘Aria’?” Kanako found the word strange. It sounded similar to Aria’s name but likely had a different meaning.
“It’s an aria in opera. A solo. I was on my own in London and Rome. Nothing’s changed coming to Tokyo. I’m used to it.”
“Liar.” Kanako called out her lie.
“Huh?” Aria’s eyes widened.
“If you were used to it, why would you look for me to team up? Why envy me? Your words and your heart are at odds,” Kanako assessed.
“…You have a point. After all, I’ve already teamed up with you.” Aria smiled brightly, looking very pleased.
“Alright, I need to go somewhere else. Head back on your own.” Kanako waved her hand, preparing to head to the train station.
“Where are you going?”
“Part-time job.”
“I’ll go too!”
“Let me make this clear. I’m just working as a convenience store clerk. It’s boring. And don’t interfere with my work.”
“I’ll just watch from afar. Won’t interfere.”
Kanako tentatively trusted Aria’s promise and brought her to the vicinity of the convenience store where she worked.
“That’s where I work. You’ve seen it, so go back.” Kanako pointed at the convenience store, then left Aria behind and walked into the store alone. Her shift was about to start.
“How long do you work?” Aria called after her.
“Three hours.”
As soon as Kanako entered the store, the manager intercepted her.
“Hey, Kanako’s finally here. Go make me a cup of tea first.” Seeing Kanako, the manager immediately threw out this request.
“Manager, do that kind of thing yourself.” Kanako complained about the manager abusing his authority again.
“Because the tea you make tastes better.”
“Honestly…”
Kanako went into the staff room to change and also made tea for the manager. After all, he was the one who paid her wages, she still needed to keep him happy.
Starting work. The person working with Kanako today was that male student with the surname Shirogane. Since most of them finished school around the same time, their work shifts were also basically the same.
“I’ll handle the cashier work. Shirogane-kun, please help customers with the oden.”
“Sure. Thanks for coming, Kanako.”
Having worked together during spring break, Kanako and Shirogane cooperated seamlessly, swiftly handling various tasks in the convenience store. The hours after work and school were the store’s peak time, a moment’s inattention could delay customers.
A few hours later, Kanako’s shift ended, and other staff arrived to take over. It was time to leave.
“Don’t go~ Kanako, stay and keep me company. I’m on duty till ten. I’ll give you cake.”
“Please don’t be so willful, Manager! There are still customers!” Kanako struggled to break free. ‘Is it really okay for someone like this to be the manager?!’
“I’m leaving first. Manager, Kanako. See you both later.” Shirogane changed his clothes, said goodbye, and left the convenience store.
“Bye.” x2
Maybe she was overthinking, but Kanako felt that after Shirogane left, the feeling of being watched vanished from the store.
‘Was someone surveilling Shirogane Miyuki?’ Kanako had occasionally felt an icy gaze. So strange…
Collecting her pay, changing clothes, buying food and pain relief patches, and ignoring the sobbing manager, Kanako pushed the door open and left.
As soon as she stepped out, she saw Aria waiting.
“You didn’t wait here for four hours, did you?” Kanako hadn’t expected Aria to still be there.
“Do you think I’m stupid? I walked around nearby, then sat in the café across the street for a while.” Aria pointed to the café on the second floor of the shopping mall opposite the street.
Following Aria’s finger, Kanako saw that the café had huge floor-to-ceiling windows facing the street. Sitting at a street-side seat allowed a perfect view of her workplace through the glass—an ideal surveillance spot.
“But it was strange. Is there someone special in your convenience store? A girl sitting at the table opposite me stared at your convenience store the entire time. She wore a baseball cap and sunglasses, a dark trench coat. Her attire and demeanor were quite elegant, and her coffee choice was sophisticated. Probably around our age.”
“……” Kanako was speechless.
“She left not long ago, maybe ten minutes before you came out.” Aria added.
“Probably, maybe, perhaps… just a coincidence…” Kanako gave a dry laugh. Ten minutes ago was exactly when her colleague Shirogane had left the convenience store.
‘I hope it’s not Shirogane who’s being watched…’ Kanako could only pray.
“Whatever, not a big deal. Heading back to school?” Aria asked.
“No, I still need to go somewhere.” Kanako took out the game token voucher Riko had given her.
[To be continued.]
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