The Story Where I, the Strongest Mercenary, Was Reincarnated as a Bullied Introverted High School Student ~ When I Was Freely Enjoying My School Life, for Some Reason the Girls Around Me Started Glancing at Me~ - Chapter 24: Unrivaled in Combat

We got through the busy lunch service until 3 o’clock and closed the restaurant temporarily.

Then, the high school girl staff came running over to me with sparkling eyes.

“Jinta-kun, good work!”

“Thank you for helping us so much!”

“Jinta-kun, you can speak foreign languages!”

“And you made all the customers really happy too!”

“You looked so cool and handsome while working!”

Their saccharine voices that I had never heard before… The creepiness made my face twitch.

“…Was I ever called ‘Jinta-kun’? I only remember being ridiculed as ‘damn loner’ and such.”

“S-sorry about that…”

“Well, Jinta-kun was kind of… quiet before.”

“Yeah, today really changed our impression of you.”

“We misunderstood you! Let’s rest together in the break room!”

“And hey, let’s hang out sometime! Jinta!”

“Oh, maybe if I feel like it.”

Seriously, suddenly changing their tune. Couldn’t they have shown even a little of that kindness to the original Fushimi Jinta when he was alive? Feeling exasperated, I went to the kitchen where Kanai was glaring at me with puffed cheeks.

“Hey hey, you’re stuffing your cheeks too much. Your cheek pouches are full, what are you, a squirrel?”

Even when I cracked a joke, Kanai crossed her arms looking displeased.

“Ah, yes yes. How nice for you. You’re so popular with the girls now.”

Did this girl use formal speech when angry? It was interesting how her personality showed through. And I could immediately tell why she was angry. Even though Kanai worked hard too, only I was being fawned over.

I sighed and entered the kitchen, going next to Kanai.

“Wh-what…? You’re the most tired, right? Go rest quickly.”

“What are you saying? You’re the one who worked hardest.”

I understood well from Fushimi Jinta’s experience how hard it was to handle the kitchen alone. Kanai, who managed it properly without mistakes, was the unsung hero. She followed my instructions too.

“All the dishes that were served seemed to be delicious. The customers were happy too. Keep it up for the evening service.”

“Th-that’s… because you finished all the prep work early this morning…”

“Yeah, doing Kanai’s prep too was tough. Having to feed you and all.”

“Geez! You always do that.”

When I teased Kanai again, my vision suddenly warped. I staggered and put my hand on the counter.

(Damn… what’s this? Sudden drowsiness again…)

It was probably due to the strain on Fushimi Jinta’s brain by coordinating with surroundings while using multiple languages. In a way, this was also a battlefield. There was no way he’d be used to this kind of thing, so the tension snapped and this body’s brain reached its limit.

“H-hey! Fushimi, are you okay!?”

“Ah, sorry… just a little tired… I—”

With a sensation like being embraced by someone, I lost consciousness…

◇◇◇

When I opened my eyes, I was lying on my back with a wall in front of me.

(…What’s this?)

For some reason, drawn to touch it with my hand, I felt a soft sensation.

“Kyaa!? Hey, what!?”

“Ow.”

Immediately after, the pillow moved and I hit my head on the floor. There was Kanai with a bright red face.

This was… the storage room behind the kitchen? I was here alone with Kanai. Apparently I had been getting a lap pillow from her and because of her large chest blocking my view, I had thought it was a wall.

“You woke up! Geez, you suddenly collapsed and scared me!”

“Kanai caught me? Did you carry me here too?”

“That’s right. I made sure no one would find us by dragging you from the kitchen to the storage room, and I told the other girls you went home for now. You can rest easy. Saida went out to play pachinko too, so I don’t think he’ll come to the store for a while.”

Saying that, Kanai sat in seiza again. Looking at the time, more than an hour had passed since then.

“Why did you carry me to the storage room? And you stayed with me the whole time I was sleeping?”

“Y-you’re hated by Saida, right? So, you know, it would be dangerous sleeping alone… No one would find you here.”

“I see, thanks. That helped.”

Indeed, sleeping defenseless in front of Saida right now would be dangerous. The storage room floor must be hard and cold, yet this girl sat in seiza the whole time lending me her lap. She really was a good person. Also, she dragged and carried me, so she was pretty strong.

“Come on, you can still sleep.”

Kanai said that and patted her own lap. However, at this rate Kanai’s body would get tired instead. We still had the evening service. I looked for words to politely decline.

“No, the height is a bit… my neck hurts.”

“Are you saying my thighs are fat? I’ll strangle you.”

I had said it to avoid the lap pillow, but it was half true. Had Kanai been self-conscious about it? She was smiling but angrier than ever. It’s okay, thick thighs were strong and good.

“Speaking of which, I hadn’t asked. Why did you fight with your parents this morning?”

I asked about something I was curious about to change the subject. Kanai sighed deeply and began talking.

“…I’m stupid, you see. My father told me that if I don’t study hard, I won’t be able to get a job anywhere.”

“Ah, studying. That’s tough.”

I had learned languages to excel as a mercenary but had hardly went to school, so I hadn’t studied much. I understood well Kanai’s feelings about being bad at studying. I’d probably struggle too since I’d be attending Shigemichi High School.

“But I really want to study cooking. I love customer service too. Well, I can’t do either as well as you though.”

Kanai always looked happy when working at the restaurant. She sparkled as if taking pride in making customers smile. In fact, customer reviews were full of praise for Kanai’s service.

“But my dad said ‘restaurant work is a bottom-tier job!’ to make me give up. That made me angry.”

“Of course you’d be angry about that.”

“R-right! This morning, you made me breakfast, right? That made me think that what I want to do really is important.”

Kanai looked a little happy, but soon sighed and became depressed.

“But I’m starting to think that just working hard at my part-time job might not be enough… I might not be able to get a job like my parents say.”

“It’s okay. Kanai is working really hard. Someone is watching you properly.”

“…Right, today Fushimi was watching over me. Maybe that’s enough for now.”

Kanai said that and smiled.

…I mean, the chairman and president who came as customers today were watching her. And they’d praised her work highly. They already remembered her name and face too, and they said they’d come again today, so they’d probably approach Kanai with some offer too.

“Well, we should start prep for the evening service. Kanai, will you help me?”

When I said that and tried to leave the storage room, Kanai grabbed my hand.

“Go home and rest today! We’ll manage the evening service by ourselves.”

Kanai’s suggestion was appreciated, but I wanted to work the evening too. Today was the first day of the international exhibition. And the exhibition theme was ‘Japan’s Cutting-Edge Science and Technology’.

While working, I had listened to conversations of foreign customers, which was quite useful for information gathering. Some guys were talking about suspicious things. The ISBM I’d destroyed also used Japan’s cutting-edge science technology. Even mere mafia could make weapons, and mafia often used open shops like this to evade investigation. I might be able to find leads on the organization that had destroyed SWORD.

(But it’s true that I am tired…)

While thinking that, my smartphone vibrated. Looking at the screen, a RINE message had come from Ami.

‘Yay! Jinta, are you watching? Your precious friend Char-chan is doing this right now!’

Along with that message, a photo was attached. Ami and Char were taking a selfie together in yukata, making peace signs. Char looked a little embarrassed in the unfamiliar yukata, her face red.

‘We’re going to a festival now! Char-chan is having fun too, so don’t worry! Jinta, work hard at your part-time job!’

“…”

After saving the image to my precious folder, I renewed my determination.

“Kanai, I’m fine. All my fatigue just disappeared.”

“Eh, what happened?”

“My sister sent me a message saying ‘work hard at your part-time job’.”

“…Is Fushimi a siscon?”

“No, I’m a good big brother who cares about family.”

Thinking again that I was glad I had protected Japan… I headed to the kitchen.

◇◇◇

Before Saida came again, I wolfed down about six servings of the restaurant’s food.

“…Was I made an accomplice to ‘this’?”

Muttering that, Kanai glared at me as I continued eating, but when I stuffed a piece of baguette in her mouth, she forgave me with an exasperated expression.

And so the other staff returned to the restaurant and evening service began. The high school girls continued praising my work while pressing their bodies close to me, which Saida and Kanai watched with displeasure. I wanted them to scatter since they were in the way.

Two hours after service started, the restaurant was overflowing with foreign customers in the evening too. Among them, a small customer with a deeply pulled hood entered.

“Um… I can eat Japanese food here, right?”

“Yes, are you alone?”

“Alone! Um, I’d like to go to an inconspicuous seat.”

From her voice I could tell she was a girl, but she seemed to have some special circumstances. Being cautious, I guided her to a back seat and took her order.

“Um, what’s delicious? I can’t use chopsticks.”

“How about okonomiyaki then? It’s easy to eat with a knife and fork too.”

“Okonomiyaki! I know that, I wanted to try it! I’ll have this!”

When I served the food to her as she rejoiced innocently, she began eating deliciously with sauce on her cheek.

Less than five minutes later, “it” happened. Two men who entered after her suddenly pulled out survival knives and attacked the hooded girl.

(Seriously, so obvious… They can’t hide their bloodlust at all.)

Having anticipated this, I immediately rushed to her side. I didn’t know the circumstances, but I’d subdue these guys first and ask questions later.

“Excuse me, let me borrow this for a moment.”

“Huh?”

Taking them from the girl who was eating, I held a fork in my left hand and a table knife in my right hand and blocked their survival knives.