It Seems Like A Girl I Don't Know Is Doing Housework At Home. But It Was Cute So I'll Keep An Eye On It - Chapter 3

Episode 3: Who is Silky?

“Hey, Mizuki. Table three, please.”

“Got it.”

Café Marine Snow—a privately-owned café located in the bustling area near the station, known for its cakes and coffee, where I work part-time.

“Excuse me, I’ll take your order.”

“Just a moment, please.”

Due to its location, the café has a somewhat hidden atmosphere. It doesn’t attract many new customers who just happen to stop by, but rather, it’s characterized by a higher number of regulars. The owner of this café often mentions this.

In reality, while it may not be renowned as a popular spot, I think it’s a great café. Despite having few new customers, the fact that they can sustain the business means they’re turning those few newcomers into regulars.

“Hey, Mizuki. Take this to table two next.”

“Sure thing.”

So, surprisingly, this café is quite busy. It’s privately owned, yet they can afford to hire multiple staff members, including me. And they need to, to keep things running smoothly.

Moreover, having many regulars also means there’s a proportional increase in potential stalkers, which puts me and the staff in a delicate position.

“…But man, it sure is busy today.”

Well, at this point, dealing with the current rush is more important than harmless stalkers. Specifically, figuring out why there are more customers than usual.

“Hmm? Mizuki, something on your mind?”

“Manager. Well, there seem to be more new customers today than usual. Wonder why.”

“Oh, yeah. I heard from some customers, apparently it’s because of a Horoscope live concert. I don’t know the name, but it seems a popular band participated.”

“I see. So, that’s the reason.”
With the boss’s explanation, it all makes sense. The Horoscope live concert at a nearby venue seems to be the cause of this crowding.

I’m not very familiar with it, but apparently, this venue regularly hosts live events or something similar. And when a popular band participates, audiences flock to nearby shops after the show.

It seems that’s what happened today. …Quite troublesome. While it’s a bonus time for the café in terms of foot traffic, it’s nothing but a hassle from the perspective of a part-time worker.

“So, does that mean this peak will continue until the concert is over?”

“Who knows. Why not ask while serving? Here, take this to table four.”

“Huh? Did someone order extra at that table?”

“No, it’s a complimentary service. Seems like something nice happened.”

“I see. Understood.”

Oh, it’s just the boss being his usual generous self. If it’s not a mistake in the order, then I don’t have anything to say.

With that said, I’ll take these four cakes to the table where the four regular female customers are sitting.

“Pardon me. Here are the raspberry cheesecakes.”

“Huh? Um, we’ve already ordered everything…”

“I’m aware. These cakes are on the house. It seems something nice happened, so it’s a celebration from the boss.”

“Really!? Wow, thank you so much!”

Upon hearing it’s a celebration, all four of them cheered. It’s a surprisingly typical reaction from ordinary women, as far as I can observe without being noticed.

The four regulars. Their attire varies slightly, but they give off the impression of gals or punks, more on the outgoing side.

Although their appearances differ somewhat, they all seem well put-together, giving off an air of being top of the social hierarchy.

And they’re probably young, maybe high school graduates to early twenties. It’s unclear whether they’re students or office workers, but judging from their belongings, they’re likely involved in music-related gatherings.

…Hmm, I guess they don’t seem to fit the bill. They’re close in age to the suspected stalker, but their outward demeanor is too different.

“Please, enjoy.”

“Oh, thank you! That’s really kind of you!”

“No, no. Please convey your gratitude to the manager. I simply delivered them as instructed.”

“Oh, right! Please, nii-san, join in the celebration! Since you’re not a stranger, we’d love to hear your congratulatory words!”

Even though they’re regular customers, I think it’s normal for the manager and employee not to know each other well. ……Well, I won’t say anything inappropriate because it could lead to complaints.

“Hey, Ran-chan!? Please stop, it’s annoying! …Sorry, store clerk. Our friend here is causing trouble.”

“No, it’s no bother at all. As for me, I have no objections to sending a congratulatory message. However, I think it would be rude to convey it without knowing anything, so if it’s not too much trouble, could you just tell me what the celebration is about?”

“Oh, you’re asking about that!? Well then, let me tell you! We’re about to become legends!”

“……”

“Huh?”

What’s the right response here, as a staff member?

“Ran. That didn’t explain anything. You’re just making things worse for him.”

“That explanation only conveyed that you have a legendary level of stupidity. You’re bothering him unnecessarily, even though he’s already troubled…”

Ran, the punk-looking woman, tilts her head, while the remaining three collectively facepalm. This must be their default behavior…

“Sorry, this idiot is a handful. Let me explain instead. We’re a band called Avant-Garde, and we’ve recently signed with a label… um, a music company.”

“I see! So, you’ve debuted professionally. That’s a significant achievement!”

“Well, we can’t exactly boast about being pros yet. We haven’t signed with a major label, and even releasing a single CD is quite challenging in today’s market.”

Hmm, I see. They’re leaning towards being amateur professionals in the music industry.

Still, holding a celebration like this suggests it’s a significant event. So, as a staff member, I should say…

“Not at all. I may not know much about music, but I still think it’s a remarkable achievement. Especially since you’ve signed a contract involving money and a company, I believe it’s fair to call yourselves professionals.”

“Y-Yeah! That’s right! Meg should be more confident! Nii-san5, you understand!”

“Quit it! You’re causing a scene! That’s enough, you idiot!”

Oh, Ran just got scolded by Meg, the gal-like woman. Judging by her quick reaction, she seems quite adept at handling situations.

That said, it’s getting a bit too noisy for comfort. They were relatively normal until I arrived. Once the outsider leaves, it’ll probably calm down naturally.

Well then, let’s wrap up the conversation and make my exit.

“You seem to get along well. As an outsider, I’ll take my leave now. Please, enjoy yourselves.”

“Oh, yes! Sorry for causing you any trouble! Thank you so much!”

Alright. My farewell seemed to go smoothly without any awkwardness. Hopefully, there won’t be any complaints.

“…Oh, I forgot to ask about the Horoscope concert.”

Well, it’s too late to go back and ask now. I’ll just have to let it go. Let’s brace ourselves and deal with this unpredictable peak time.

…But seriously, who could the stalker be?