Chapter 220: Yeah! I'm an Otaku! #2
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 220: Yeah! I'm an Otaku! #2
“We’ll have two Green Tea Lattes, one Strawberry Yogurt Smoothie, five Caramel Honey Lattes, and three Chocochip Frappuccinos... please.”
“Two Green Tea Lattes, one Strawberry Yogurt Smoothie, five Caramel Honey Lattes, and three Chocochip Frappuccinos... Is that correct?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“We give one stamp on our coupon card for each drink, and with this order, you can get one drink for free. You can add anything you like, what would you prefer?”
“Oh, really? In that case... I’ll have a Strawberry Yogurt Smoothie, please.”
“Got it. How will you be paying?”
“You take cards, right?”
“Of course.”
After ringing up the group’s order, I glanced around the cafe.
It was more crowded than yesterday. Even though it was just before lunch, the hall was almost full.
Besides the large group, there were four other customers waiting for their drinks... Looks like I’ll have to move fast for a bit.
“Captain, you take the group order. I’ll handle the existing ones.”
“Got it. Better to start with the honey lattes, right? It’s easier to wash the blender that way.”
“Right.”
“I’ll get started.”
No matter how quickly we moved, we only had one blender, so making the drinks and washing it in between took up a fair bit of time.
On top of that, we had to take new orders in the middle of it all, which kept pushing our drink-making time back.
Still, by working our hands and feet off, we managed to handle all the orders, albeit a little behind schedule.
“...It’s only been a few days, but that was the busiest we’ve been so far.”
Renka said, watching the last customer walk away with their drink.
I nodded in agreement, wiping the cold sweat from my forehead with a clean towel.
“I know, right? Good work today.”
“You too. Take the cups from the return counter to the sink.”
“Ordering your master around is a bit...”
“You wanna get hit?”
I chuckled at Renka’s usual reaction and stopped teasing her, heading for the return counter.
As I was collecting the pile of cups, a problem arose.
“Excuse me... can I talk to you for a second?”
A man had approached Renka while she was alone.
He had a lecherous look in his eyes. I could tell right away he was about to ask for my slave’s number.
I’d expected this to happen sooner or later, but facing it head-on was still annoying.
Before Renka, who was looking puzzled, could say a word, I quickly walked over to the counter.
Then, I stood right next to her and asked the man.
“What is it?”
Did my stern expression intimidate him?
Or did he think I was Renka’s boyfriend?
The man scratched the back of his head and gave an awkward smile.
“Oh, no, I just forgot the name of the drink... It was delicious, what was it called?”
Delicious, my ass... Fucking bastard looks like a pretty boy.
“The Chocochip Frappuccino.”
“Ah, thank you.”
“You’re welcome. Enjoy your drink.”
I cut the conversation short with a final remark. The man, looking slightly disappointed, left the cafe with the guy who appeared to be his friend.
Honestly, I can’t take my eyes off Renka for a second.
She’s lewd by nature, so of course she attracts guys like that, not to mention ridiculous bastards like Tetsuya.
She desperately needs to be trained. I’ll have to put a slave collar on her or this will never stop.
“Why’d you have to be so aggressive and embarrass the guy like that?”
Renka, who had been quiet until now, asked.
I turned to her and shrugged.
“Felt like he was about to ask for your number, Captain.”
“I kind of got that feeling too, but... why were you the one getting all serious?”
In DokiAka, there was a similar, though not identical, event.
It was one of the events you had to go through to capture Renka’s route.
Back then, the only options were indecisive, but things are different now.
I snorted and replied.
“What kind of master would just stand by and watch someone hit on his slave?”
“W-What...!?”
The words were so unexpected that Renka’s voice shot up involuntarily.
It was loud enough to be heard over the bustling street noise.
At her outburst, all eyes in the cafe turned toward us.
“Ah, um... I’m sorry...”
Noticing the stares, Renka flusteredly apologized to the customers.
Then she dragged me to a corner enclosed on three sides and glared at me.
“W-Who’s your slave...!? Are you kidding me...!? You piece of trash...! You son of a bitch...! Die...!”
Why does it feel so good to be cursed at?
It must be because Renka’s reaction is so adorable.
“Behave yourself.”
“Behave myself? What are you talking about!? Have you completely lost your mind...?”
“Think whatever you want. I’ll wait for you today, so let’s go home together.”
“You psycho...”
“Let’s get back to work. We’re busy.”
Renka’s lips jutted out in a pout.
She seemed to have a lot more to say, but just as I’d pointed out, the cafe was too busy for her to argue any further.
When she starts grumbling later, I’ll just have to say this again.
It’s very effective.
* * *
“I’m done eating.”
After the cafe had quieted down, Renka returned from her meal. I was washing dishes, and I wiped my wet hands on my apron.
Renka scowled and snapped.
“Why are you wiping your hands on your apron? That’s disgusting.”
“What’s disgusting about it? It’s clean.”
“You told me to wear rubber gloves, so why aren’t you? That’s rich, you know?”
“Why are you so grumpy again? Are you rebelling against me now?”
“...Hey, just hurry up and go get your damn food.”
“Will do.”
Smiling slyly at Renka, who had given up on the conversation, I took off my apron and was about to head to the gyudon place.
Just then, a cheerful-looking little boy walked into the cafe, holding his parents’ hands.
A family of customers, it seemed. Thinking nothing of it, I was about to leave when,
“Oh? It’s the pretty big sister from yesterday!”
The little boy pointed at Renka, his voice full of excitement.
Hearing the pure, high-pitched tone unique to a child, I paused, curious, and watched the situation unfold.
“Huh...? Me...?”
Renka’s eyes went wide as she pointed to herself. The boy grinned and nodded.
“Yeah! I saw you yesterday! At Robot Mania!”
The moment the words ‘Robot Mania’ left the boy’s mouth, Renka’s eyes started shaking as if an earthquake had struck.
She even started glancing at me with a shocked and panicked expression.
The reason Renka was acting like this was because Robot Mania is a figure shop.
The very one I had texted her about yesterday.
“You’re the big sister who bought the RZ-78 mini figure there!”
At the specific model name that came out of the child’s mouth, Renka swallowed hard and forced a smile.
“M-Me...?”
“Yeah!”
“.....”
Breaking out in a cold sweat, Renka looked at the child’s parents with eyes pleading for salvation.
Noticing how uncomfortable she was, the parents quickly came to the counter.
“Um... we’ll have two cafe lattes and one fresh pineapple juice, please.”
“Yes...! Two cafe lattes and one fresh pineapple juice...! Do you... have a coupon?”
“No, I left it at home.”
“Ah... in that case, could you just give me your name? I’ll stamp it for you the next time you come.”
“It’s Izawa.”
“Izawa-san... got it... Then... I’ll take your payment.”
After taking the parents’ money and giving them their change in the awkward atmosphere, Renka shut her eyes tight at the boy’s unintentional coup de grâce as he returned to their table.
“Please make it delicious, big sister!”
Renka must be cursing the little boy in her head.
His words had unintentionally exposed her embarrassing secret, and she must be filled with the desire for revenge.
But even though Renka looks tough on the outside, she’s soft on the inside... so she’s probably just thinking about giving the kid a few flicks on the forehead.
* * *
“It’s cold today, isn’t it...?”
In the car on the way home.
Renka suddenly brought up the weather.
“Yeah. It is cold.”
“Right... it’s cold.”
“I turned on the heater. Is it not warm enough?”
“No... it’s warm.”
“Okay.”
“.....”
“.....”
The conversation died, unable to continue.
As if she hated the awkward atmosphere hanging in the air, Renka cleared her throat a few times and spoke.
“You’ve gotten quiet...? Since lunch...”
“Do I seem that way?”
“Yeah. Was the food bad?”
“You think I’m quiet because the food was bad? Me?”
“...Whatever, forget I said anything.”
So, she’s getting anxious because I haven’t brought up the fact that the kid caught her buying a figure. She must have expected me to tease her relentlessly.
I wonder if I can consider this part of her training.
“By the way, Captain.”
“.....”
“Captain.”
“Fine! I’m a weeb! I like this stuff! So what are you gonna do about it!?”
Renka suddenly screamed, her voice echoing loudly inside the car.
Startled by her unexpected confession, I turned to look at her with a dumbfounded expression.
“Hey... what are you doing, screaming while I’m driving? You scared me.”
“.....”
Realizing her mistake, Renka pressed her lips together tightly.
Seeing this, I forced myself to hold back a burst of laughter and turned my head back to the road.
Her sudden outburst must mean the frustration she’d been holding in was huge.
She must hate stewing over things internally. Now that she’s been caught anyway, she’s probably trying to find peace of mind by admitting it, just like I told her to before.
She must have also been worried that if she kept playing dumb, she’d just end up getting pushed around by me.
Whatever the reason, her straightforward admission was both hilarious and admirable.
Driving with the most nonchalant expression I could manage, I said.
“You were hiding a figure under your coat yesterday too, weren’t you?”
“.....”
“It was totally obvious. See how much better it is to just admit it? Good job.”
“Shut up.”
“Why are you cursing? If you want to be a closet weeb, you should have hidden your identity better. You’re taking it out on someone else when you’re the one who wasn’t careful? This was bound to happen. You should be glad you weren’t caught by another student from our academy.”
“I said, shut up.”
“A minute ago you were complaining that I was too quiet... Anyway, what anime is the RZ-78 figure from?”
“.....”
She glared at me, her eyes burning with rage.
Feeling awkward, I smacked my lips and quickly tried to calm her down.
“Okay, okay. I’m sorry.”
“Don’t use informal speech...!”
“I’m sorry.”
Her face is so red it looks like it’s about to explode. She’s so cute I could die.
It’s a little disappointing that I didn’t get her to confess myself and had to rely on the kid’s help, but it doesn’t matter.
In any case, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call today a day of suffering for her.
When she gets home, won’t she be screaming into her blankets and punching her pillow?
While throwing in a few hearty curses at the innocent MK, of course.