Insensitive Bocchi-kun ~Reluctantly Heading to School Today~ [Dropped] - Chapter 82: Part-time Job at DocManald ④

Chapter 82: Part-time Job at DocManald ④

“Phew, part-time work is really exhausting, isn’t it? Haha, it’s quite tough. I’m beat.”

Right now, Alice stood before my eyes, saying these words while forcing a kind smile.

“Ah, you’ve worked hard… Take it easy today.”

“Yes! Thank you very much!”

Alice must have had a tough time, indeed…

Usually, you wouldn’t do such things in this part-time job.

Well… I’ve spoken sternly to the manager, so it should be a bit better next time.

Honestly, it also depends on the customers…

Some of the customers who come to see Alice are somewhat…

“Even so, both you and Linlin-san have been doing this tough job for so long. It’s amazing!”

No… Alice, that’s not the norm. That was unusual…

“…”

And why has Linlin been spaced out this whole time?

“Hey, Linlin, what’s wrong?”

“Well… I’ve lost my confidence. In many ways…”

“I don’t really get it… but good job.”

I don’t quite understand, but it’s probably best not to touch on it right now…

By the way… My smartphone has vibrated a few times today. 

I wonder who it was from…

As I pondered, I slowly pulled out my smartphone from my pocket…

It reads… “Saori”?

Wait, why?

I know her contact was in there, but why?

Why would Hiragi-san have any business with me?

“Ken-chan. Why did you leave without saying anything!”

“Missed call”

“Ken-chan, call me as soon as you see this.”

“…”

Did I do something… huh?

Whoa… another call just came in.

Wait… what? A video call?

“Ah, finally got through. Seriously, Ken-chan, I’m mad right now!”

Whoa… I accidentally picked up.

“Ah…”

It’s really her…

For real… but why?

“Why did you disappear without saying anything? I’m so lonely!”

“Huh?”

The call was so sudden that I still couldn’t fully grasp the situation.

Lonely?

“Hey, you’re coming back, right? This isn’t a final goodbye or anything, is it?”

“Uh…”

“You’re coming back, right?”

“W-well, if there’s a chance.”

“Seriously… what do you mean by ‘chance’? Do you hate me, Ken-chan?”

Eh… hate? What kind of question is that, out of nowhere?

An idol is video calling me. What is going on here?

“No, I don’t hate you, but…”

Seriously, what is this…?

“Then come back.”

“Uh…”

Why would it turn out like this?

To be honest, thinking about it afterward, I sort of don’t want to go back there. It was quite a strenuous job…

Why does Hiragi-san want me to return to that part-time job so badly? Are they really short-staffed?

Or maybe, is she planning to prank me again?

“…”

“Hey, Ken-chan. What are you doing right now, by the way?”

…What? Why is she curious about that?

“I just finished my part-time job.”

“Ah, at DocManald’s, right? Also Ken-chan, don’t be so formal! That’s not allowed!”

“Ah, okay. I mean… yeah.”

“Fufu, maybe I’ll visit when I have a day off.”

“…”

What on earth is she thinking?

Is it really a prank this time?

What does she intend to do…?

“Hm? Kento, who are you talking to?”

Huh?

Before I knew it, Linlin was beside me.

“Eh, Ehh? W-why is Saorin there? Saorin is there, right? What’s going on? Kento… Eh? Are you on Line with Saorin? Eh?”

“Huh, Ken-chan. Who is that girl?”

“Eh? Just a coworker from my part-time job…”

“She’s speaking informally too…”

“Hm? What are you doing, Mamiya-kun?”

Before I knew it, Alice was also peering into my smartphone from the side.

I felt cramped, sandwiched between the two of them.

Their faces were uncomfortably close as well…

“Huh, a foreigner? Ken-chan, who is that girl?”

“S-she’s also a coworker from my part-time job.”

“Eh, from DocManald’s, right?”

“Yeah, that’s right…”

“Isn’t the level too high…?”

Level? What is Hiragi-san talking about?

“And she’s different from the pancake girl…”

Huh? What did she just say? Her voice suddenly dropped too low to hear.

“Wow, she’s someone from TV. That’s amazing, Mamiya-kun. Is she your friend?”

“No… she’s not.”

Alice, let’s keep quiet about the slightly embarrassing fact…

I barely know her.

In fact, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say I’m a complete stranger from her perspective.

Maybe I was getting a bit too full of myself, thinking we were acquaintances.

“Ehh, Ken-chan, that’s mean.”

Mean? What is?

“Um, the girl who’s been there from the beginning, is she also a foreigner? She looks Japanese but her intonation is…”

“Ah, this is Linlin. She’s from China.”

“L-Linlin-chan… ah, I see.”

“K-Kento, Saorin just said my name. Eh, what on earth is happening? Eh?”

Ah… yeah, I get it.

I understand that feeling of excitement, painfully so.

“I-I am Alice! I’m from Germany!”

“A-Alice-chan… G-Germany.”

Even if Alice doesn’t fully understand, it’s natural to feel nervous around a celebrity.

Of course.

“Anyway, I’ve just returned to my part-time job, so it might be difficult to come back. Sorry about that.”

Tanaka-kun would normally go… I’ll have him work for both of us.

“Ah, is that so? Uh, I’ll contact you again later.”

Again?

She’s a top idol, right?

She wants to contact an amateur like me again?

Is she planning to prank me after all?

I couldn’t think otherwise.

Perhaps her plan was about to fall apart because these amateurs suddenly showed up and she got flustered…

Something about her behavior is too suspicious…

But why is she so insistent on pranking an amateur like me?

It’s weird…

“By the way, gone now, right? Ken-chan.”

Gone? What does that mean?

“Huh?”

I’ve been thoroughly confused for a while now.

“Anyway, I’ll hang up for now. Bye.”

Ah… it’s over.

So, what was that all about?

A top idol suddenly appearing on my smartphone…

This is too extraordinary, what’s going on?

“Fufu, Mamiya-kun is really amazing. You’re friends with someone from TV.”

No… that’s not the case, Alice.

Just like Alice said, that person from TV lives in a different world than me.

I probably won’t meet her again.

Probably.

Wait…?

“Kento… you’re going to explain to me in detail about what just happened, okay?”

Why… why did her face suddenly turn so scary when she was excited and happy just a moment ago?

This is strange… really, why?

What the heck is going on here, in general?

I seriously don’t understand…

Wait, again?

Huh…?

Now it’s a call from Miki?

And another video call, no less…

What’s going on? Seriously.

My smartphone keeps shaking in my right hand…

“…”

“Eh? K-Kento, could this Miki be…?”

“…”

Yeah, probably the Miki that Linlin is thinking about right now.

“What on earth are you, Kento…”

I’m just a loner, though…

“Hm? Aren’t you going to answer it? Mamiya-kun.”

Ah, Alice. It’s just my intuition, but it’s better not to answer…

I don’t know why, but my gut feeling is telling me so.

Either way, I’ll get scolded later… but for some reason, I have goosebumps telling me not to answer right now.

“…”

This is taking too long.

The call won’t stop…

“…”