When an Oblivious Handsome Older Man Went Back in Time and Was Building Harlem - Chapter 29

The asphalt is scorching hot, almost like it’s burning. The heat is so intense that mirages start to appear. It’s the peak of summer in August. The reason I’m out in this sweltering heat is that my mother asked me to buy some bread from the nearby bakery.

(Haa… I finally arrived.)

That bakery had been around for quite a while, but I hadn’t really been there before.

“Welcome… Takai-kun?”

“Ah, Itou-san?”

Cool, I think, at the same time, I spot a familiar figure. Did the heat get to her? But it’s Itou-san, right? She recognizes me as Takai.

“Oh, this is my uncle’s shop, and I work part-time here.”

“I see.”

“I want to become a pastry chef in the future, so I’m studying here a bit.”

Itou-san was arranging bread with a smile as she gives off the impression of a young person moving towards her dreams, and it’s very heartwarming. I can’t help but smile at myself.

“Is it okay if I order?”

“Here you go!”

I choose the bread my mother eats and the bread I eat, and pay for it.

“That will be 1680 yen.”

“I’m sorry, I don’t have any change.”

“No, don’t worry about it… I’ll take 2000 yen.”

Looking at her hands, it seems she really wants to become a pastry chef, and I could see burn marks from the oven.

“Oh, I’ll give Takai-kun a bonus! Just wait a moment!”

After saying that, Itou-san retreated to the back of the store. A few seconds later, she returned with two muffins in her hands.

“This is what I just baked, but my uncle said it’s not ready to be served at the shop yet… It would be a waste to throw it away, so I distribute it to regular customers like this.”

“…I’m not a regular, but is that okay?”

“We’re in the same class! Okay!”

Unable to stop quickly wrapping the muffins in bags, I gratefully accepted the muffins.

“Hey, if it’s not too much trouble for Takai-kun, could you keep accompanying me for tastings like this?”

“Not at all, it’s perfectly fine. Rather, is it really okay to get something that looks this delicious for free?”

“Yeah, it’s totally fine. I’m using the leftover flour, and there aren’t many of them anyway.”

In that case… I agree. Since she’s probably making it with the store’s equipment, it should be delicious, and it wouldn’t be a bad deal for either of us.

“Then, I’ll contact you again once it’s done!”

“Thank you, too. Since I have club activities, it might be rare for me to come during the day like today, but I’ll try to come whenever you let me know.”

“Eh, thank you!!”

=========================

“I got a muffin because of that story.”

When my mother found the muffin in the bag and asked, “What is this?” with genuine curiosity, I explained the current situation clearly.

“It’s moist and delicious? Next time you see Itou-san, tell her it was delicious.”

“I’ll send in a message for you.”

“Oh, right. It’s that kind of era now.”

While I was sending a message on my smartphone, my mother stared at me with a smirk on her face.

“What.”

“Anything. Just that, don’t you think that Itou-san likes you?”

“That’s not true. Mom also tends to jump to conclusions about love, but that’s not good.”

Midori always ties everything to romance, and it quickly turns into a conversation about his girlfriend, which is incredibly annoying. But I think he can read the room because he stops when it really gets annoying.

“Why? It’s obvious that giving sweets to just a classmate who isn’t even a regular is because she has feelings for you.”

“Haa.”

Setting aside my mother, who is engrossed in her love stories, I eat the bread I bought. Each one is quite filling and delicious for the price. I think about going again, but my mother’s comments make me conscious of the futility of it all. Besides, it was Itou-san who planned the date with Shimozono-san. There’s no way Itou-san likes me.

“You might not like Itou-san, but if you get a girlfriend, make sure to tell Mom, okay? Mom is looking forward to it.”

If I could get a girlfriend? If I could date Miwano-san, no, is it foolish of me to think like this? But I’ve started to think about dating her, maybe because I’m being influenced by my physical age. I don’t want to be influenced by my physical age any more than this, I thought.