Delivery Boy and Masked Girl - A delivery boy discovers the secret of a beautiful gal at his delivery destination. - Chapter 16: Book cover And The Reason.

Book cover And The Reason.

“Here, Hasumi-kun, please have it.”

“Ehh…?”

After delivering the food as usual, Shizuki, who was as usual in her sober mode today, handed me something.

A yellow cloth of rather firm material, with blue flowers and leaves embroidered on it.

It was folded in half and was about the size of a B5 notebook.

“…What is this?”

“It’s a book cover.”

“Oh.”

I see, if I have a nice look at it, it certainly has a structure that could hold a book.

But why did she give me this?

“I made it the size of a comic book. Please accept it.”

“Oh, you don’t mind, do you?”

“Yes. It’s to thank you for taking care of me while I had a cold. It’s not enough for me to lend you the manga only.”

“No, I told you not to worry about it…”

As always, she’s a very polite and humble person.

Moreover, ‘I made it’ means she must have worked hard on it..

“Now you can read the manga in the classroom without a worry.”

“Well, that’s certainly true.”

Shizuki was proud of it.

But I didn’t care about it to begin with.

If she went to the trouble of making it for me, it would be a shame not to accept it.

With that in mind, I carefully put the book cover in my delivery bag.

“Thanks, Shizuki.”

“It’s fine. It’s my pleasure.”

Shizuki smiled and looked really happy.

The smile on her face made me unexpectedly nervous.

I’m sure this beautiful girl here has slayed many men in the same way…

“How many volumes for ‘Sixteen Love’ have you finished till now?”

“As of now I’m at Twenty-seven, I think. It’s almost finished.”

“What!? You’re already at 27!? That was fast…!

“I just can’t stop reading it, it’s so interesting.”

“Ehh? Hehehe~ …I see. We’ll talk more about it when you finish reading.”

“Yep.”

Shizuki’s tension was high.

With a bag of bread in her hand, she was shaking her body as if she was excited.

Before I knew it, we had become almost like friends.

I can’t believe that such an average guy like me would come in contact with her.

Well however, We still don’t talk at all at school yet.

“Ahh, Hasumi-kun.”

“Hmm?”

“Why are you working for ‘Eats and Eats’ as a part timer?”

Shizuki asked me that in a slightly calmer tone.

She’s always interested in the strangest things.

But it’s nothing to hide, I suppose.

“It’s fun. And many other things.”

“Fun you say? You seem to have a hard time pedaling your bike…”

“No, that’s not what I meant. Eats and Eats doesn’t have a fixed workplace like other jobs. And that’s just the way I like it.”

Upon hearing my words, Shizuki tilted her head with a strange expression.

Well, maybe it’s hard to imagine if you just hear it in words.

“No workplace means no human interaction. And since all I do is carry things and hand them out, I hardly have to deal with seniors, juniors, or customers.”

In fact, when I started high school, I had several part-time jobs.

I started and quit, started and quit, and none of them lasted.

The reason was quite simple: I was too slow-paced and unpredictable to fit into the workplace.

For some reason, I don’t know, I’m starting to feel sad saying that to myself.

“I don’t mind working. I like it. But forcing myself to fit in with the group is exhausting.”

“…Hasumi-kun.”

“Besides, if it’s raining or I don’t feel like it, I don’t have to work. It’s nice and easy to realize that you can earn as much as you want to.”

“…I see.”

Shizuki laughed with a sorrowful look on her face for some reason.

I have a funny feeling of guilt about this now.

“Oh, by the way, Shizuki doesn’t seem to have a part-time job, are you not in any club activities?”

“Huh? Ah, yes. I’m in the go-home club.”

“I see. Well, all the flashy gals seem to be in the go-home club.”

I could often hear them talking about where they are going and what they are going to do after school.

“What does that… mean, ‘F-flashy gals’…”

“Ahh”

Oops, that slipped out accidentally.

“Ah! Is that the term you gave to us!? That’s what you call us!?”

“No, I-I just use it to show my friendliness towards you guys.”

“Hasumi-kun!”

Shizuki swung her arms in anger.

I think the term is right on target, but I guess she didn’t like it.

I didn’t mean to say that in front of Shizuki nevertheless.

“Well, I’d better get going.”

“Ehh uh… Okay. I guess…”

“…What’s up?”

“N…No! It’s nothing!”

Shizuki looked gloomy for a moment, then quickly smiled again.

What is it with Shizuki?

I wondered if there was something more she wanted to do.