In This World That Favors Men, I... ~Starting a Sweet School Life in a World With a 1:8 Gender Ratio~ - 24

Chapter 24: A Stroke of Luck

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I started playing games, but spending my entire summer vacation on just that felt a bit dull. 

You think so too, right?

Besides, I’d like to try working part-time to earn some money for games and socializing. Thinking that, I decided to check the school’s regulations on part-time jobs.

-Must have parental permission

-Working in uniform is prohibited

-Limited to designated job types

-Restrictions on working hours

-Must notify and report to the school

As long as I cleared these conditions, it seemed like I was allowed to work. What kind of part-time job would be good for a short-term gig? Something I could do during the day…. Maybe a restaurant job?

If I remembered correctly, there were a variety of restaurants around the station. Since coming into this life, I hadn’t been around that area yet and with the change in gender ratio, things might not be the same as before. I should check out the situation first.

***

Some of the restaurants near the station had changed drastically, but surprisingly enough, many were similar or nearly identical to how they used to be. The ramen shop, yakiniku place, pizza delivery store, and Chinese restaurant on the main street had taken on a much more casual atmosphere. But the soba shop and sushi place still looked somewhat familiar.

For Yuusei Takeda and his family, this town was an unfamiliar place they had just moved to. But for the previous me, this should have been the town I grew up in. Thinking that, a childhood memory suddenly surfaced. If I remembered right, we moved to this town when I was about two or three years old. On my days off, my usually busy parents would hold my hands and take me to a café around here for sweets.

They’d say, “You can order whatever you like,” and my greedy younger self would go overboard, ordering multiple items. Of course, there was no way I could finish them all, so my parents would sigh and help me eat the leftovers. I couldn’t recall their faces from back then, but the scene itself came back to me in a hazy way.

Banana juice, pancakes, chocolate parfait, pudding à la mode. Shaved ice with strawberry syrup. Where was that café called again?

I wandered around for a while, searching , but couldn’t find it. A large café chain had taken over a spot on the main street, so maybe it had closed down? That would be disappointing, but I couldn’t shake the lingering feeling. So just in case, I decided to check one street behind the main road.

And then… There it was! 

That’s it. That brick-tiled building. The green sign. There’s no doubt about it.

Finding the shop that matched my memory filled me with excitement.

Alright! Let’s check it out.

At the entrance of the café, there was an old-fashioned display case showcasing wax food samples—melon soda, Napolitan pasta, and just as I remembered, pancakes and pudding à la mode. Since I was here, I might as well go in. I gently pulled the door open, and a small bell rang with a jingle. The café was small, allowing a clear view of the interior from the entrance. But there wasn’t a single customer in sight.

They are open… Right?

Perhaps because of the bright sunlight outside, the interior seemed a little dim, giving off a quiet and tranquil atmosphere.

Is no one here?

Feeling a bit suspicious, I took a few steps inside when…

“Welcome. Table for one?”

An elderly man wearing a white chef’s uniform appeared from behind a partition against the wall. He must have come from the kitchen. Somehow, he looked familiar.

“Yes, just one.”

“Right this way.”

He led me to a bright four-person table by the window. After a short wait, he returned with a menu and a glass of water.

“Sorry about this. Our waitress suddenly took the day off, so I’m running the place alone today.”

“That must be tough. Did something happen to your employee?”

“Well, she’s not exactly an employee. She’s my wife, my old lady. She went out shopping on her bicycle and got into an accident.”

“Huh?! An accident?”

A small, quick-moving elderly woman. That was the image that popped into my head. Was it a memory from the past? I wasn’t sure if she was the same person, but an accident… Was she okay?

“Yeah, luckily, it wasn’t too serious. But she hurt her back, so she won’t be able to take off her corset for a month, and she needs to rest. They said she’ll need rehab too, so she won’t be able to work for a while.”

“That sounds tough. I hope she recovers soon.”

“Thank you. I’ll be sure to tell her. If I say a handsome young student wished her well, I’m sure she’ll perk right up.”

I ordered pudding à la mode and iced tea. It might seem childish, but after seeing the display, I suddenly craved for one. When the pudding à la mode was placed on the table, the colorful presentation looked incredibly appetizing to see. 

Of course, the centerpiece was the pudding—custard pudding dripping with caramel sauce. On top, a swirl of whipped cream and the classic bright red canned cherry. Beside it, a scoop of vanilla ice cream, shaped into a perfect hemisphere. The main stars—pudding and ice cream—were surrounded by an assortment of fruits arranged with whipped cream accents.

Sliced bananas, crescent-shaped orange slices, and round-cut kiwi. Since it was summer, there were no strawberries, but instead, triangular cuts of melon and watermelon. Oh, and even pineapple. Quite the luxury, huh?

Both in appearance and taste, it was exactly as I remembered. It felt like confirmation that the previous me had truly existed. I felt a small sense of relief and the pudding was delicious too. That classic custard pudding… Maybe this was where the old me first fell in love with pudding. For some reason, that thought crossed my mind.

I decided I’d come back from time to time. With that settled, I headed to the counter near the entrance to pay. As I waited for the bill, my eyes wandered behind the old man at the register. I hadn’t noticed it earlier, but there it was, a handwritten sign:

「Urgent! Waitress Wanted!」

“You’re hiring?”

“Yes, that’s right. Ever since a café opened near the station, we haven’t been as busy, so we managed somehow. But now that summer’s here and we’re serving shaved ice, more people will start coming in to cool off. I won’t be able to handle the café alone during the day.”

“It says ‘waitress.’ Does that mean only women can apply?”

“No, there’s no rule about gender, but at this wage, only women tend to apply.”

I see. Male students could rely on stipends, so maybe they didn’t go for service jobs as much.

“What about me? I was actually looking for a short-term summer job. I live nearby, so I can walk here.”

“Really? That would be a huge help.”

“I’ve never worked as a waiter before. Will that be okay though?”

“This is just a café. The service routine is pretty straightforward. As long as you get used to carrying trays, you’ll be fine.”

“I’ll work hard to learn quickly. I look forward to it.”

And so, by sheer luck, I landed my summer job. The basic shift was from late morning to the afternoon. Wednesdays were the café’s regular closing day, and since Sundays were always slow, they decided to close on Sundays too until Obaa-san recovered.

I’d be starting work tomorrow. Since I was a guy, they even bumped my pay slightly above the listed rate. As for the uniform, I just needed to wear a light-colored shirt and dark-colored pants—no official uniform, since they only had a female version. My work outfit would be my own clothes with a café apron.

Alright. I’ve secured a job. Next up—figuring out how to enjoy my summer.

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