Chapter 103: Too Many Plans
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 103: Too Many Plans
After finishing my workout, I came home, took a quick shower, and sat down at my desk to organize my schedule for the upcoming summer vacation.
First.
The first plan on the list was a two-day, one-night trip to the beach with the members of Forest School's Group D.
We were heading to Onjuku Beach near Chiba, and we'd be staying the night at a guesthouse run by Yaguchi's relative.
The date was set for August 8th. Since it was the peak of the holiday season, we decided to avoid the weekend.
And second.
The student council's get-together.
The day before the vacation ceremony, I was at a student council meeting when someone suggested we all go on a trip to an island this summer.
The president, being a third-year who would be graduating next year, looked at me with pleading eyes, saying she wanted to make one last memory with everyone.
Of course, I couldn't refuse a request like that, so I agreed to go.
That trip is scheduled for August 16th, in the middle of the month.
The third plan was made just this afternoon: going to a festival with my junior, Minato Nao.
The festival is this Saturday. Seeing as she was the one who suggested it, she must have been planning this for a while.
Otherwise, she wouldn't have been able to clear her schedule so perfectly.
I'm a little worried about a famous celebrity like her wandering around a festival with me, but this is a rom-com world, so it'll probably be fine.
The final plan is a trip to Fuma-senpai's hometown.
From what I've heard, it's quite far from Tokyo, taking almost ten hours by car.
She said I need permission from the village elders to be taught the Fuma Secret Assassination Art: Hayate, which she mentioned before.
Unlike the other plans, Fuma-senpai said any time was fine and that I should just let her know when I'm free.
She mentioned she'd just be working her part-time job unless something special came up.
So, while I haven't set a date yet, I plan to schedule it so it doesn't conflict with anything else.
"…I've got something going on almost every week."
For someone like me, who was living the life of a loner until just last year, this feels incredibly strange.
Is this the life of a normie?
…Probably not.
I chuckled, put down the calendar I was holding, and after a bit of web surfing on my phone, decided to head to bed.
*
For students used to a structured routine, vacation is nothing short of poison.
Unlike school, where every day is rigidly scheduled, an irregular and unplanned life inevitably makes a person lazy.
I know this fact all too well, so I refused to let myself slack off.
Having tasted the sweetness of rest, even if for just one day, I immediately drew up a daily schedule and posted it next to my desk.
"Mm, perfect."
It was a truly perfect routine for progressive muscle growth.
With this, I felt I could reach my goal of a 1100 kg total on the big three lifts during the break.
It wasn't just that I'd been short on workout time lately; my fight with Ivan made me realize I needed to get stronger.
And the best way to get stronger was, of course, training.
"Yoo-Sung-ah! Time to eat!"
"Coming!"
I was admiring my schedule with a sense of satisfaction when my mother's call prompted me to hurry out of my room.
*
Lunchtime.
"Ryu-chan! Hi!"
"Huh?"
I was taking a break from my training to help out at my parents' restaurant when I blinked in surprise at the familiar face that pushed aside the noren and stepped inside.
It was Rika and her mother, Maria.
"It's been a while, hasn't it, Yoo-Sung-kun?"
"Hello."
I gave a quick bow to Maria, who was waving cheerfully, and guided them to a table.
"What brings you here?"
Maria covered her mouth with her hand and chuckled.
"We came to a restaurant to eat, of course. What other reason would there be? I heard from Rika that the Cheonggukjang here is delicious, so I came to try it."
I couldn't hide my surprise at her words.
"You're British, but you eat Cheonggukjang?"
Maria nodded and said, "There was a time when I was really into Korean dramas. Back then, I was visiting Korean restaurants almost every day. I only eat it occasionally now, though."
In any case, they were customers, and I couldn't just turn them away, so I led them to a table in the back.
"Two customers!"
I called out loudly so my parents in the kitchen could hear, then brought over some barley tea and wet towels.
"What would you like to order?"
Maria, who had been scanning the menu on the wall with interest, asked me, "What do you recommend here?"
This wasn't my first or second time helping out, so I answered smoothly without hesitation.
"Most of our customers order the yakiniku. We get our meat from a butcher that processes pigs daily, so it's always fresh. Other than that, gimbap, bibimbap, yukgaejang, and kimchi jjigae are also popular."
"Hmm, is that so?"
We basically have all the classic Korean dishes, so it was understandable that it took them a while to decide.
I gave a wry smile and told them to let me know when they were ready, then served the basic side dishes.
Unlike other restaurants, we provide basic side dishes like seasoned vegetables, stir-fried fish cakes, and kimchi for free, which made us popular with the residents of the nearby shopping district and residential area.
Tokyo prices are so high that it's impossible to serve a huge spread of side dishes like they do in Korea, but my parents always cook with the desire to give our customers even just one extra thing.
"Wow! This fish cake is delicious!"
Rika must have been starving, because she exclaimed in delight the moment she took a bite of the side dish.
Noticing how dressed up they both were, I asked, "Were you two out somewhere?"
Rika answered while munching on some japchae.
"It's vacation, so Mom and I went to the outlet mall for some shopping. We were planning to eat there, but I remembered the Cheonggukjang I had last time and brought her here instead."
I see. So that's what happened.
I nodded, then glanced at Maria's profile as she continued to study the menu.
Her blonde hair, flowing past her ears, shimmered softly under the restaurant's lights.
Honestly, who would look at her and think she was the mother of a seventeen-year-old daughter?
People often say Westerners age quickly, but Maria maintained a youthfulness that seemed to defy time.
Anyone who didn't know them would mistake them for sisters, not mother and daughter.
"Alright, I've decided."
Maria looked straight at me, having apparently made up her mind.
"May I order?"
"Ah, yes."
I took out the notepad and pen tucked into my apron.
"Let's see... one Cheonggukjang, two rolls of gimbap, one yukgaejang, and one assorted jeon."
I jotted down the list of dishes she rattled off, then asked, "That's quite a lot of food. Will the two of you be able to finish it?"
Maria confidently patted her stomach.
"Don't be fooled by my appearance, Yoo-Sung-kun. I'm quite a big eater."
Coming from someone with such a slender figure, that wasn't very convincing.
Well, they can just get the leftovers to go, so it should be fine.
I scratched my head with my pen and asked, "And what would you like to drink?"
"An Oolong Highball!"
At that, Rika, who was sitting next to her, glared.
"Mom! We drove here!"
Maria grumbled about her being a spoilsport before asking to change it to oolong tea.
"Yes. Order received."
I spoke politely, bowed my head, and passed the order to my parents in the kitchen.
With that, my job in the dining area was done.
All that was left was to work hard cooking in the kitchen.
Thanks to the mother and daughter visiting just after the peak lunch hour, the restaurant was empty and quiet.
Of course, the sound from the TV was still on, but to me, it was practically white noise.
I was so used to it that it didn't even register as noise anymore.
There wasn't much to do just standing around, so I was doing some light stretching when Maria, who had been watching me with a grin ever since ordering, beckoned me over.
I walked over, wondering what she wanted, and she rested her chin on her hand and asked, "By any chance, Yoo-Sung-kun, are you interested in Comiket?"
"Huh? Comiket?"
I blinked blankly at the completely random word.
It was only natural, since Comiket is Japan's largest subculture festival.
A dream festival held only twice a year, in summer and winter.
Of course, I had never been.
I only knew it by name.
"I want to do a team cosplay this time, and there's a role that would be perfect for you, Yoo-Sung-kun."
Maria said, flashing a captivating smile.
"Would you be willing to do a team cosplay with this old lady? I'll provide the entire costume. I'm sure it'll be a fun memory."
And I couldn't help but be flustered by Maria's sudden proposal.
'She wants me to cosplay?'
It seems I've underestimated this world.