A Young Male Hairdresser, Assigned To help Out At The Branch, Finds Himself Bothered By The Playful Antics Of A Lively High School Gal Model Who Seeks Attention. - Chapter 12: Dining Out 2

Dining Out 2

The sound of sizzling meat being grilled at high temperature. Oil drips onto the grill, and a tantalizing aroma fills the air.

As they placed their orders, the two started preparing their meal.

“Here, for now, I’ll give you this. It’s beef tongue that I raised and grilled myself. Doesn’t it look delicious?”

“Oh, thank you.”

“Here you go.”

She grabs perfectly grilled beef tongue with tongs and places it on Shuuto’s plate.

“Oh, and the cabbage and bell peppers look good, but do you want to eat them?”

“No, I prefer meat.”

“Fufu~, you suddenly sound like a child.”

At the salon, Shuuto’s dependable and mature image prompts laughter with this comment. She chuckles, covering her mouth with her hand.

“Is it okay for your nutrition to be unbalanced? With a busy job, you should think about your diet.”

“I never thought the day would come when a student would give me such advice.”

“I never thought I’d be giving such advice to a skilled hairstylist.”

Playfully retorting, she places grilled meat and vegetables on her plate. Being a model, it’s evident she strives for a well-balanced diet.

“Well, even if it sounds messy, I think it’s more manly for someone to eat whatever they like without worrying about nutrition, you know?”

“I suppose.”

“However, I can be strict with my boyfriend. I’ll make him maintain a balanced diet, even if it means forcing him. When I make curry, I load it with lots of vegetables.”

“Wow, that’s impressive.”

“Yeah! It’s amazing, right?”

With a proud expression, she dips the grilled beef tongue in lemon sauce and wipes her mouth with a napkin.

Looking at her like that,

(Well, she probably has never had a boyfriend, though.) I make such remarks in my mind. 

Shuuto is someone who firmly utilizes the recent incident.

“By the way, Rikka-san, can you cook? You’re still 18, right?”

“Oh, did I not mention it? The school I go to is quite special, so I don’t have to go every day.”

“Special?”

“Yeah. I only go to school about twice a week, so I have a lot of free time. That’s why I cook and do other things to pass the time.”

“Ah, I see. It makes sense. If you’re doing modeling work, a correspondence school would be the most convenient.”

“Ha! You got it. I do go to a correspondence school. Surprisingly, not many people know that.”

“Well, I graduated from a correspondence school myself.”

“Huh, really!?”

“Yeah.”

I nod with a knowing smile at her surprised expression.

“I chose a school with a flexible schedule because I had an environment where I could practice cutting if I had the time.”

“You’re really something, Onii-san. You chose a school with a future in mind.”

“I just had a clear idea of the profession I wanted. I just wanted to gain experience for now.”

“That’s kind of nice. Finding someone who went to correspondence school. I don’t know anyone around me who did.”

“It’s because it’s an unusual choice for higher education. I understand how you feel.”

During my student days, I was the only one who chose correspondence education. In other words, I was the only one in my grade.

To put it in a negative way, it’s not exactly a mainstream choice for higher education.

“Is school enjoyable for you, Rikka-san?”

“Not at all. I’m always alone.”

“Hahaha, I was like that too. Since you don’t see classmates every day, you don’t make many friends.”

“Yeah, exactly. I really can’t make friends.”

While Shuuto engages in a nostalgic conversation, Rikka, who is currently attending school, nods in agreement with a serious expression.

“Besides, I was bullied in junior high, so I don’t have friends to hang out with.”

She says it with a calm face, preventing the atmosphere from becoming heavy, allowing Shuuto to easily respond.

“I can’t change the past, but now you have one more friend, right?”

“Huh? A friend for me? Who?”

“Who else but me?”

With a casual expression, Shuuto points at himself, leaving her with a bewildered look. However, she quickly seems to understand what he meant.

“Fufuu~, I see. So that’s your strategy, skillfully getting close and not letting customers slip away. That’s your strategy, right, Onii-san?”

With a move of her well-shaped eyebrows, she conveys her thanks and places another slice of beef tongue on his plate.

“I don’t have such a strategy.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. Well, it might be more accurate to say you’re more like a benefactor than a friend.”

“Benefactor? Did I do something?”

“You promoted Charlotte on social media, right? Thanks to that, both the main and branch saloons received a lot of reservations.”

“Oh, did you notice that I was promoting it? I did a silent post, though.”

“Of course. I figured it out right away.”

Suddenly, there was a surge in reservations, surprising both the manager and the owner.

Of course, the reason became clear immediately, and it was conveyed to all the staff.

Thanks to the promotion by the model Rikka.

As a result, the owner contacted them saying, “We’ll give you an additional bonus for handling this increase in customers,” creating a workplace more lively than usual.

“Indeed, it’s impressive how much influence models have, isn’t it, Rikka-san?”

“No, it’s not like that at all. Besides, I did it on my own, so I’m not some benefactor or anything.”

“The owner was really pleased. They wanted me to pass on their thanks to you.”

“G-geez, when you put it like that, it’s embarrassing…”

As soon as she finished updating them on recent events, Rikka’s gaze began to wander as she checked the doneness of the meat and vegetables on the grill.

She seemed to be trying to distract herself.

“Hey, it wasn’t because of me that there were so many reservations, okay?”

“I don’t think so…”

“It’s not my doing. It’s just that the salon already had a good reputation, so there were a lot of reservations to begin with. I just made the most of it, that’s all.”

“You don’t have to be so modest…”

If she hadn’t promoted it, the reservations wouldn’t have doubled.

Regardless of the salon’s reputation, it was Rikka who orchestrated the flow.

“I’m not being modest. After all, I still have a long way to go.”

“Yeah, you do.”

“Thanks to you, Onii-san, I’ve decided to change my way of life. I’m going to show those who bullied me what I’m made of.”

“Haha, that’s the spirit.”

“I’ll make even more of an impact. Ready? Fist bump!”

“Sure, sure.”

Following her lead, he clenched his left hand into a fist and brought it closer for a fist bump.

It wasn’t something one would typically do at a barbecue restaurant, but it seemed like the right way to convey their feelings.