My Beautiful Childhood Friend Is Working in a Maid Cafe For Some Reason - Chapter 55

“Have you calmed down?”

“Yeah.”

Yukina had completely stopped crying. I wasn’t sure if she was embarrassed because I patted her head or because she cried, but she hid her face with both hands, clearly flustered.

Seeing her like this, I thought she had such a cute side to her. But I kept that to myself.

“…Don’t say anything.”

“About what?”

“About me crying.”

“Got it.”

From the start, I wasn’t planning on telling anyone. It was something I’d keep to myself.

“Hey…”

“What is it?”

“Thank you… for saving me.”

“You’re welcome.”

Yukina thanked me honestly. It was rare for her, so I was sure she was in a softening phase.

“Was it okay?”

“What was?”

“Saying that we’re childhood friends… You might get some weird rumors again, you know?”

“Ah… That.”

Whether it was okay to say that Yukina and I were childhood friends wouldn’t be clear until tomorrow. After all, this school even had an online bulletin board.

“Well, rumors are just rumors, so I don’t care. Besides, I’ve gotten tired of staying quiet while people treat you badly. If they want to gossip, let them.”

As I said this with a laugh, Yukina looked up and gave a small smile.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Well, maybe it’s just a tiny bit of pride, or something?”

“I don’t get it.”

“You don’t need to get it.”

Honestly, I didn’t even understand what I was saying. What’s with this ‘tiny bit of pride’? But it came out naturally… why was that?

“Now that I think about it, this is really embarrassing. Sorry for such a lame way of helping.”

I started to wonder if there was a better way to help her. Just saying what I wanted and then running off—that was so lame.

If I were the protagonist of some story, I’d have saved her more coolly, said something clever, and made her smile instantly. But Yukina and I aren’t protagonists or heroines, just ordinary childhood friends, so that’s impossible.

“That’s not true!”

“Yukina?”

“Um… Yusuke, you were cool…!”

“…!”

That was the first time anyone had ever said that to me. My whole body felt hot.

But what made me feel the hottest was the fact that Yukina, while embarrassed, said it seriously.

“You don’t have to flatter me, you know?”

“I’m not flattering you.”

Yukina took a small breath and calmed herself.

“Hey, Yusuke, do you remember? The time when I used to be bullied?”

“Yeah, I remember.”

Yukina was often bullied back then. Just because her long, beautiful black hair was called creepy.

“Back then, you protected me too. Just like today, you took my hand, patted my head while I was crying, and told me not to cry anymore, to make me feel safe.”

It seemed my memory earlier was correct.

Every time Yukina was bullied, I felt like I had to protect her. If she was crying, I thought I had to make her stop. Back then, I fancied myself as a hero protecting the girl I liked.

“Ever since then, I’ve always thought you were cool, Yusuke.”

“Oh… I see…”

“Yeah!”

What’s going on, what’s going on, what’s going on!?

I was heating up at an incredible pace. I must be completely red right now, and I didn’t want her to see.

“Yusuke, you’re still a hero.”

“S-stop it… Hearing that from someone else is really embarrassing…”

“It’s not embarrassing at all. You’re a hero, Yusuke.”

After that, Yukina kept calling me a hero unnecessarily, and I really just wanted to crawl into a hole. No, more than that, I wanted to dig a hole and bury myself.

“Alright, let’s head home. I’m getting tired for no reason.”

Mainly because of the repeated calls of “hero,” which drained my energy.

The sun was starting to set, and I figured Yukina was feeling a little better, so I stood up.

“Yusuke… Are you okay with work? Isn’t it today?”

I was impressed that she remembered and replied to Yukina, who looked anxious.

“I’ll call in and say I’m taking the day off later.”

“B-but you won’t get fired because of me, right…?”

Yukina was fidgeting nervously. Somehow, the way she was now reminded me of the old Yukina, from when we were close.

“Well, if I get fired, I’ll just find another job, so don’t worry. Maybe I’ll even ask to work at Poplar. I’m sure they’d let a guy work in the kitchen, right?”

“B-but…”

“Hey, Yukina—”

I tried to reassure her with something I genuinely meant. Still, Yukina looked worried, so I put on a slightly serious expression.

“Even someone as dense as me, if asked to choose between you or a part-time job, would obviously pick my childhood friend, right?”

“…!”

“And besides, I’m not so rotten that I’d just leave you in that state and go back to work.”

It seemed like her eyes behind her glasses were trembling again.

I grabbed Yukina’s hand and helped her stand up as if she was about to cry again.

“Everything I did was my own choice. So, there’s no need for you to feel burdened by it. Got it?”

When I patted her head gently, she tried to grab my hands as if to stop me, but I noticed the corners of her mouth were slightly turned up.

If she’s not seriously mad… then I’m even more determined to continue. I kept patting Yukina’s head, just to get back at her a little.

“S-stop it…”

Pat, pat, pat, pat, pat, pat.

“H-hey, I said stop it…”

Pat, pat, pat, pat.

Pat, pat, pat, pat.

“Come on, I told you to stop!”

“Haha, so you’re finally feeling better?”

It seemed she wasn’t going to cry anymore. A part of me was relieved, even though I also felt a little sad that it was over. But more than anything, I was glad she was feeling better. I had mixed emotions.

“Geez. If I turn into an idiot because of this, you’ll have to take responsibility, okay!?”

“I don’t mind.”

“Huh… Do you even know what that means?”

Yukina suddenly got flustered, her cheeks slightly red as she fidgeted.

“It means if you turn into an idiot, I’ll take responsibility, right?”

“Y-yeah, but… Really?”

“Yeah.”

Then Yukina suddenly said something I didn’t quite understand.

“Um, I… I suddenly can’t figure out what 1 + 1 is. I’ve turned into an idiot!”

She kept glancing at me. I see, she’s testing me all of a sudden.

But Yukina, you’re too naive. Too naive!

“Yukina.”

“Y-yes!”

“The answer to 1 + 1 is 2!”

I answered with a smug look. This was a piece of cake!

“Uh… What are you talking about?”

“No, I mean, if you turn into an idiot, I’ll make sure to teach you properly, right? What else could it be?”

If Yukina turned into an idiot, I’d take responsibility by teaching her, since she used to help me study. I figured that’s what she meant, right?

“Ugh, Yusuke, you idiot! I knew it would turn out like this!”

Yukina turned into her usual tsundere self.

I was surprised by the sudden change, but I figured it was best not to dig too deep into it. Time to head home.

I picked up Yukina’s bag without asking and started to walk. But Yukina called out to me, so I turned around to see her blushing, with her hand reaching out.

“H-hold my hand.”

My mind went blank for a moment. Uh, what did she say? Hold hands? Me and Yukina?

Everything up until now had been just part of the mood. But now that it was over and she asked directly, it felt different. It was embarrassing.

Seeing me frozen, Yukina spoke up nervously.

“Hey, is it… no good?”

The tsundere Yukina from a moment ago is gone. She had completely vanished.

And there was no way I could turn down a request from Yukina like this.

“Just for today…”

I ended up acting like a tsundere myself as I held out my hand, and Yukina grabbed it with a beaming smile.

Just like before, I started walking, leading Yukina along with me.