I Will Do Everything In My Power To Bring Happiness To The Enchanting Beauty Who Can No Longer Smile. - Chapter 46: Jealousy.

Jealousy.

“—Hh, —”

The girl standing in front of me seemed like she was trying to say something, but all that escaped her lips was a faint rasp of air.

Her face was pale, her teeth chattering softly. The attitude she had earlier—while not outright arrogant, certainly unpleasant—was completely gone now.

…The reason for that was clear: the gaze of another girl who had been silently staring at her the whole time.

“Rea. You’re standing too close to Shigure-kun.”

“S-s-sorry…”

Tsubame’s words carried a weight that was almost suffocating. Every syllable she spoke exerted a crushing pressure. Rea couldn’t even form a proper response under it.

Despite Rea’s obvious distress, Tsubame didn’t look away for even a second. The air between them was so tense, not even a whisper could slip through.

“…”

“…”

“…”

“…”

“Are we done talking?”

“Y-yes…”

Her voice was so faint, it was as though her lungs had been completely wrung dry. Sweat beaded on her forehead, and her trembling hands betrayed her fear.

Just when it seemed like she might collapse at any moment—someone appeared at the entrance.

“Excuse me, miss. I’m sorry, but I must ask you to refrain from disturbing the other guests.”

It was a polite reprimand, but to her, it must have felt like a lifeline.

“S-sorry, I-I didn’t mean…”

She looked like she had just finished a sprint—breath ragged, sweat dripping. She began backing away as though trying to flee the room.

“Rea.”

Tsubame called her name. Rea flinched violently, casting a cautious glance back at us.

“We’re doing a shoot together for the first time in a while. Let’s make it a good one.”

“Y-y-yes! I-I’m sorry!”

And with that, Rea practically bolted from the private room. Once she was gone, the middle-aged man—most likely the store manager—stepped forward and bowed deeply.

“I sincerely apologize for the disturbance and any trouble caused.”

“…This isn’t like your establishment. What happened?”

“The staff currently at the front desk is still in training, so we had them working solo today for the sake of experience. As a result, they were slow to respond to the guest who forced her way in, and failed to contact me in time. This oversight is entirely my responsibility as the manager. I am truly sorry. This may not be enough to make amends, but please—there’s no need to pay for your meal. Also, if I may…”

The man presented two black cards. Curious, I looked at them. The shop’s name was printed on them—alongside the word “VIP.”

“With these, your meals here will be complimentary.”

“…Huh?”

The words left my mouth before I could stop them. Who could blame me?

Free meals? That meant…

“If you present this card at the register or upon arrival, your payment will be waived. There are no expiration dates or usage limits. If you’re accompanied by others, the same applies to them as well. Please feel free to use them at your convenience.”

“I-I mean, that’s a bit too much…”

“Shigure-kun.”

Just as I was about to politely decline, Tsubame called my name. When I looked at her, she met my gaze—her eyes clearly urging me to accept.

I hesitated briefly, but decided to trust her judgment and quietly accepted the card.

“We will ensure such an incident never happens again.”

“…I trust that you will.”

“Thank you for your understanding. And once again, we offer our sincerest apologies. When you’re ready to place your order, please call for us.”

With that, the manager gave one final bow and left the room. My eyes fell to the card in my hand.

“…So, what do we do with these?”

“Use them freely. It’s probably also meant as hush money.”

“I see. So, a quiet way of asking us not to talk about what just happened.”

“Exactly.”

This café was known to be frequented by celebrities, so security and discretion must be paramount.

This time, it was just a fellow colleague—but what if it had been a fan? Or worse, someone with bad intentions? That kind of breach would seriously damage their reputation.

“I’ve got a name out there too. I can’t afford bad press.”

“Then, you’re not going to tell Amamizu-san and the others about this?”

“No, I’m sure that guy already contacted them. It’ll leave a better impression than if we tried to hide it. Rea’s agency will probably reach out soon too.”

“Got it… Talking like this really reminds me you’re a celebrity. Strange as it sounds.”

This kind of quick thinking wasn’t something I could do. It’s only possible because she’s lived through so much more than I have.

Even as I said that, I noticed the air in the room was still heavy. Tsubame’s expression remained stiff.

“Tsubame.”

“Yeah?”

I opened my arms slightly. She hesitated for just a second before reaching out—and then quietly leaned into my chest.

“…I didn’t like that.”

“Huh?”

Tsubame murmured softly. The pressure of her hug tightened, and when I looked down, I found myself gazing into eyes as dark as the night sky.

But this time, I saw something I had never seen in her before—an unfamiliar color mixed into her gaze.

“I didn’t like seeing you talk to Rea.”

“…Was it because of her attitude?”

“That’s part of it, but not all.”

“…Then what do you mean?”

“I didn’t like seeing you talk to another girl.”

“—”

The words stole my breath. She was too cute. Too powerful at this range.

So… was Tsubame saying she was jealous?

“I’m fine with Setsu-chan. It’s obvious how much she respects you. But someone like Rea, who doesn’t show respect and judges people at a glance… I can’t stand that.”

“I-I see…”

“We finally had some time alone too…”

She pouted and snuggled her face against my chest. She could probably hear how fast my heart was beating.

“Your manager’s probably going to call soon too… mmmph.”

“…We can come back here together anytime.”

“Yeah. We’ve got the cards now, after all.”

Since they wanted us to use them, we might as well be grateful and do just that.

As those thoughts crossed my mind, I held her close for several more minutes. Eventually, the tension in Tsubame’s expression softened, and the usual warmth returned.

“Shall we place our order now?”

“Yeah.”

I loosened my grip, signaling the end of our hug—but Tsubame stayed close, clinging to me.

“…”

“…Is something wrong?”

“No, but… we should probably look at the menu and place our order.”

“…Can’t we stay like this a bit longer?”

“W-well, after what just happened, if the staff saw us like this now, they’d probably be very confused…”

They definitely would. Tsubame had just finished staring someone down like a lioness. The shift in mood would be whiplash.

“Let’s order now, and when the food comes… we can hug again, okay?”

“Hmm… fine. Later, then.”

With that, Tsubame finally let go and reached for the menu. The warmth and softness I had felt disappeared, and I exhaled a quiet sigh of relief.