I Got Cheated On, so I Thought I’d Cheat Back and Went to a Group Date, I Ran Into a Classmate Who Used to Boss Me Around and Now We’re Living Together - Chapter 29

“Oh, aren’t you… Machida-chan’s boyfriend?”

“…No, I’m not her boyfriend.”

After parting with Umi, I went over to Nene-san’s workplace to see what the man who had been waiting for her looked like. And right there, at the shop entrance, while adjusting the menu board, a cool-looking foreign man spoke to me.

I had seen his face once before when I visited. He had been giving directions in the kitchen, so he was probably…

“Uh… are you the manager?”

“Manager doesn’t sound cool. Call me the chef-owner.”

He finished fixing the menu board and then said,

“Barutoro Katorou. That’s my name.”

So, Katorou-san… His Japanese was fluent, but he didn’t seem half-Japanese. There was a distinct accent in his speech. Maybe he came straight from Italy.

“Today’s recommendation is eggplant arrabbiata. Do you want to try it right away?”

“Ah, um… before that, can I ask for some advice?”

“About Machida-chan? Our shop doesn’t care about romance, so if you want to date her, go ahead. But hey, you’re still a college student, so make sure you use protection, alright? Haha.”

“N-no, that’s not what I mean… Nene-san told me recently that someone has been waiting for her outside after her shifts, and it’s been on my mind.”

“Waiting for her outside…?”

Katorou-san looked puzzled.

…So Nene-san hadn’t told him after all.

“…What do you mean by waiting for her outside?”

“Ah, um… Nene-san said that one of the customers, an office guy, sometimes waits outside after her shifts are over.”

“Really? Ahh~, well I’ll be… I didn’t know that.”

“So she really didn’t tell you… Nene-san shouldn’t be keeping something like that from the one person she ought to tell.”

“Well, I’m like a strict teacher to Machida-chan, so maybe it’s hard for her to talk to me about things like that.”

Katorou-san scratched the back of his head.

“On the other hand, if she told you, that means she trusts you. What was your name again?”

“Ah, Shiraki.”

“Shiraki-kun. So what exactly are you here for right now?”

“I came to check what that office guy looks like. Has he already shown up today?”

“I’m not sure. I only just heard about this from you. If it’s one of our regulars, that’s the tricky part… But right now, we’re in the one-hour prep break before dinner service at six, so there aren’t any customers here.”

“Oh, I see.”

“But that means this is the perfect time to hear the story directly from Machida-chan. Come on inside.”

“Ah, yes, then I’ll come in…”

And with that, I followed Katorou-san into the restaurant.

“Hey, Machida-chan.”

“Yes, what is it, manager… Wait, Sousuke?”

Nene-san appeared from the back of the kitchen in her white chef’s coat and looked surprised to see me. I hadn’t called ahead, so that was fair.

“…Eh? What is Sousuke doing here?”

“I came to check the face of that office guy who’s been waiting for you.”

“Machida-chan, you should’ve told me that a little earlier.”

When Katorou-san said that, Nene-san lowered her eyes and looked a bit uncomfortable.

“I’m sorry… I thought it might cause trouble for the shop.”

“Trouble? There’s no way. You’re an important worker here. What would really cause trouble is if you kept quiet, suffered all alone, and then quit. If Machida-chan left, this place would instantly turn into nothing but sweaty guys.”

“Aw, boss, that’s too harsh.”

The male staff groaned in protest, though they were laughing as they said it. It was clear the workplace atmosphere wasn’t bad at all, which was a relief.

“Anyway, Machida-chan, if that office guy shows up today, can you let us know? It’s not just Shiraki-kun, our side will do what we can too.”

“Ah, yes… thank you, manager.”

This was a good workplace. With this, Nene-san’s allies had suddenly multiplied.

“I’d like to help keep an eye on the guy, too. It’s kind of like a store detective. Would it be okay if I stayed here as a customer for a while?”

“Sure, Shiraki-kun. But if you’re going to hang around, I’d appreciate it if you ordered at least one dish.”

Since that was the deal,

“Ah, then… I’ll have the eggplant arrabbiata.”

That’s what I said.