That Half-Finished Drink Was Lethal— What Happened When I Left My Bottle Behind in a 1:4 Male-to-Female World - 5

Chapter 5: That Man, Unaware—Five Minutes of Rest Until Death

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“Listen, Yuu. Make absolutely sure you don’t act rude toward the new girl starting today.”

The manager’s back looked unusually small, and it trembled slightly.

The café where I worked part-time, “Les Ailes.” It was a brand launched with full backing from the Ootori conglomerate, and its sales had been steadily rising. But that success seemed to have backfired.

《The Ootori conglomerate. A massive organization that controlled this country’s economy. Its management is ruthlessly strict, and any store deem unfit by its unique auditing system would be dismantled overnight.》

“That ‘Ootori Judgment’…There’s a rumor that an unannounced inspection from headquarters is coming to this branch too. This new hire might be an agent of that inspection or the inspector themselves…”

If the evaluation was low, you were fired on the spot. That was the iron rule of the Ootori conglomerate.

“It’ll be fine, Manager. I’ll just serve customers with sincerity like I always do.”

“That ‘like you always do’ is exactly what scares me about you…!”

How rude. My service is completely normal. If anything, it’s exemplary, right?

The manager held her head in her hands.

Geez… She doesn’t need to be that cautious.

Just as I was thinking that, the shop’s doorbell rang with a clear chime.

“Excuse me. Starting today, I will be training at this location. My name is Rei… no, Reika.”

The atmosphere in the café froze instantly. Standing there was a single woman.

Reika Ootori. Her hairstyle was unnaturally heavy, like a black wig, and she wore thick glasses that covered half her face. Despite such a “plain and unfashionable appearance,” there was something undeniably unusual about the aura she gave off. The skin visible behind her glasses was smooth and pale like porcelain, and the occasional glint in her eyes was as sharp as a hawk piercing its prey.

What is this pressure…? Is she really just a new employee?

More than anything, her posture was beautiful. Her back was straight as if reaching toward the sky, and even her fingertips were perfectly controlled in their movements. She was far too “eye-catching.” She should have been trying to hide herself with that plain appearance, yet her elegance and overwhelming aura of a “strong individual” dominated the surroundings. And on top of that, even through her unfashionable uniform, the volume of her chest stood out in a different way, overwhelming those around her.

…Big. No, now’s not the time to be looking at that. She might be an inspector.

“Ah, yes, Yuuki-kun will be in charge of you. I’m counting on you.”

The manager fled as if she was trying to escape, and I stepped forward in front of her.

“Nice to meet you, Reika-san. I’m Yuuki. You don’t have to be so nervous. This cafe is a fun place.”

I held out my hand in a friendly manner, but Reika-san stared at it for a moment as if it were something filthy. Then she immediately put on a business smile devoid of warmth.

Does she hate me? …No, maybe she’s just shy. Yeah, that must be it!

“Thank you for your kindness, Yuuki-sama. I shall strive to become a useful asset as quickly as possible. I look forward to your guidance.”

Her voice was as clear as a ringing bell. Yet beneath it lay an icy coldness.

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“Welcome! Thank you for coming again, Sato-san!”

The customer who entered was a regular, a well-built man.

“Sato-san, why don’t we stick to just one parfait today?”

I lowered the menu and gave him a troubled smile.

“I heard from your wife that you’ve been worried about your blood pressure lately. If you eat three today, you’ll just get scolded again tomorrow, right? I’ll serve you our new herbal tea instead. Deal?”

Reika-san furrowed her brows and watched me with a serious gaze.

She’s really serious, huh… She must be trying to learn the secrets of customer service. Good, good. That’s a great attitude.

I found myself thinking that, even though it was inappropriate to be thinking about that while working. 

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A few days later.

“Yuu-kun, thanks for the other day. I didn’t get scolded by my wife thanks to you.”

Sato-san brought a mountain of apples. Fruit had been expensive lately, so I was really grateful for the gift. 

Huh…? Come to think of it, Reika-san looks pale. Is it the stress from the inspection?

“…Reika-san? Is something wrong? You don’t look well.”

“It’s nothing! I simply think this workplace is inefficient!”

Efficiency, huh. Maybe she’s still bothered by me knocking over that case during yesterday’s delivery.

“Haha, yeah. Efficiency matters, but if the customers are smiling, that’s what I’d call the ‘right answer.’ Why not just try enjoying it for now?”

The crease between her brows remained deep.

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The next night.

Because we were rearranging the interior, Reika-san and I stayed late into the night.

“…gh… j-just a little more…”

Her voice, as she supported the equipment, sounded like it might give out at any moment. For someone raised like a proper lady, this kind of heavy labor was too much.

“Reika-san, just a bit more. Hang in there…!”

The moment I called out to encourage her, her shoe slipped on the tile.

“Ah…”

The massive metal object began to tilt. My body moved on reflex. I pulled her close by the waist and slid with her toward the wall.

THUD!!!

The heavy object crashed down behind us, shaking the ground.

“Hah… hah… are you okay, Reika-san?”

I could feel her trembling shoulders in my arms. From her loosened collar, I could tell my body heat was being transmitted directly to her.

“…ah… ah…”

She tried to say something, but instead stared at my throat and chest with heated eyes.

(My heart is beating so fast… Wait, aren’t her eyes looking kind of moist?)

Was it just my imagination, or was there a fragile light in her eyes, as if something inside her had shattered? By the time we finished and entered the break room, my stamina had completely run out.

“Sorry… just five minutes… let me sleep for a bit…”

The moment I collapsed into the chair, my consciousness cut off. In my deep sleep, I had a strange dream. A ticklish sensation, like a snake crawling over my body. Wrapped in a sweet scent, there was a heavy heat that somehow felt pleasant.

Several hours later. I woke up to the dazzling light of the morning sun. My whole body felt heavy. For some reason, I felt as drained as if I had been sprinting at full speed all night.

“…? What is this…?”

When I wiped the corner of my lips with my fingertips, a sticky residue remained.

Is it sweat? I must have sweated a lot after all that heavy work… But it kind of smells sweet?

Even so, there was a strangely vivid sensation lingering up to my neck, and I tilted my head in confusion. Then I noticed Reika-san sitting a little distance away, desperately reading a magazine… upside down.

“…Reika-san, good morning…”

“Eek…! G-Good morning, Yuuki-sama!”

She flinched as if jumping, her shoulders trembling. Her fingers gripping the magazine were shaking, and the side of her face was flushed red all the way to the tips of her ears.

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