Chapter 17
Chapter 17
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 17
Chapter Title: The Outsider Getting a Complaint from a Customer
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◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Week 2 of May. After school ends, the three of us gather to chat, then I head to the sandwich shop with Yoo So-mi.
And Han Si-a, who attends cram school, shows up a bit earlier than the others to have dinner at the sandwich shop.
Somehow, this had become our everyday routine.
In the quiet hours before the evening rush at the cram school district, I still handle kitchen duties.
Today, as usual, I'm prepping sandwiches to 50% completion for quick assembly during peak times and chopping vegetables to add as fillings.
On top of that, restocking mustard sauce and ketchup is part of my job too.
Since I'm the only staff around who can handle heavy lifting during these hours, I usually fetch and move heavy stuff from the storeroom as well.
For example, opening large commercial cans of sauce and portioning them out. These things are heavy.
I pull out a massive business-sized ketchup can from the storeroom and wipe the top thoroughly with a rag to prevent contamination.
Then I use the can opener to cut off the top and divide the contents into pre-washed and dried ketchup containers.
Some go in the kitchen for use there, and the rest need to be taken to the counter outside.
Since squirting ketchup on sandwiches is the final step in assembly, it always happens out front.
I hug the ketchup containers to my chest and head to the counter.
"So-mi, I brought the ketchup containers.... Where'd she go?"
Yoo So-mi, who should be at the counter, is nowhere in sight.
I glance around the shop and spot Han Si-a, munching away on her sandwich alone as usual.
Our eyes meet, and without a word, she uses one arm to point toward the outside of the shop.
I look out, and there she is—Yoo So-mi, on the phone.
Her smartphone case has huge bunny ears attached and is decorated with character stickers.
Most people wouldn't notice, but up close, they're all characters from anime.
Lately, Yoo So-mi has been leaving the counter empty like this more often.
I don't know if it's family issues or event prep not going smoothly, but if the boss catches her, she'll get in trouble.
So I stand in for her at the counter, and just before Han Si-a finishes her meal and leaves, she speaks up.
"She's been taking calls like that even during work these past few days. So-mi's complexion didn't look good."
"Yeah?"
I hadn't noticed her expression looking off. I rarely see anything but her smiling face.
I don't react much, so Han Si-a speaks with a hint of irritation.
"Don't you manage your junior as the sandwich shop's senior part-timer? Don't you know the only competitive edge this place has in the cram school district is that the high school girl at the counter is pretty? Relying just on the prime location near the cram schools and slacking off will tank the business in no time?"
"No... I'm not even the manager, just a part-timer. Isn't it a bit much to pin that on me...?"
Han Si-a lets out a heavy sigh and says in her bright, tinkling voice.
"Lis.ten.to.this. Dear.server. Your loyal customer is filing a complaint right now. So whether you're a part-timer or the boss or whatever, you bow and apologize!"
...That's true.
Where did this first-year high schooler learn to pull rank on servers like this? She's scaring me—she looks like she'll yell "Get the manager out here right now!!!" any second.
Still, I guess she's worried about her friend in her own way, so I'll let it slide.
Han Si-a leaves the shop and heads back to cram school, and soon after, Yoo So-mi returns from her call.
Her face matches what Han Si-a said—it doesn't look good at all.
From what she told me before, she's probably dealing with issues related to next week's event...
"Ah, Yi-an, sorry! I thought it'd be a quick call, but it dragged on... Thanks for covering the counter for me."
Her face was all gloomy just moments ago, but now she's beaming again.
From what I heard, the event she's in seems tangled up with some shady criminal type, so I've advised her multiple times to be careful.
Even so, she's determined to keep participating, so I've decided to respect Yoo So-mi's wishes as the person involved.
For now, I'll hold off until she directly asks for my help.
"Oh, So-mi. By the way, how's the promo for your booth going? That 'older sister' person is handling it, right? I'd like to check it out—mind sharing the link?"
Of course, if she calls on me, I'm ready to rush over and smash that criminal's head in anytime.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ *** - Yoo So-mi's POV
A delinquent high school girl's day starts earlier than most.
Because she has to put extra effort into her makeup and primping compared to others.
First thing upon waking, she does some light stretching.
Neck, shoulders, back, legs, ankles. And shoulders again.
Ever since middle school, her breasts have grown quite large and heavy, so this simple morning stretch greatly helps prevent shoulder stiffness or slouching from the weight.
Also, her hair—kept in a bright brown since starting high school—requires delicate care from repeated bleaching and dyeing.
Even shampooing demands lukewarm water, not hot, and drying must be done only with cool air.
Treatments and hair packs? Just assume they're daily essentials. Skip once, and laziness creeps in until you stop altogether.
That's why even showering and washing my hair takes quite a bit of time.
But if I went to a salon and heard something like, "Miss, your hair damage is so severe, you might need a short cut~" it would break my heart. So today, too, I diligently manage my hair.
After washing up, I apply body lotion everywhere and do basic face makeup.
Honestly, makeup doesn't make me look prettier. No prominent acne scars or anything.
What matters is giving others the impression that "she's wearing makeup."
So basics: moisturizer and colorless sunscreen. Eye makeup? Just the motions.
Lips show makeup the most, though, so I use my secret weapon—a tint in the shade Mom and Sis recommended as the best match.
Once makeup's done, I practice expressions in the mirror.
Angry face! Glare! And smiling face!
These were perfected through dozens of trial-and-error sessions in front of Mom and Sis.
Girls are subtly sensitive to hierarchies among themselves, so this is the culmination of my research to avoid being underestimated and bullied.
Even just this takes time, so if I don't hurry, I'll be late for school.
First, I smile and see off Dad on his way to work, then wake my sister—who's still flailing in dreamland—while Mom preps breakfast.
My sister, who's a year younger and now in her third year of middle school, is apparently a school idol, unlike her delinquent big sis.
Her hobbies—unlike mine of just watching anime—are hanging at cafes with friends and karaoke with friends.
At breakfast with Mom, Sis, and me, Mom asks me.
"How's school life these days? Midterms just ended—made lots of friends?"
"Hmm... There are a few girls in class I'm kinda close with, plus one friend I work with at the sandwich shop, and another close girl who comes there all the time! Especially the work friend and that other girl—we've been meeting up after school lately to chat, so school feels more fun thanks to them."
Now fully awake with clear eyes, Sis chimes in.
"Got a boyfriend?"
"Nope?"
"Sis has a personality that seems like it'd get duped by bad guys, so if you're dating, you need my permission first?"
"Hmm... Maybe?"
My sister's got that popular anime "siscon" vibe. A few years back, she even said weird stuff like "Don't get married, live with me forever."
She stopped after I got bullied in middle school, but she still often whines for hugs or snuggles up next to me on the couch during TV time.
She claims she hugs her friends too, but I've never seen it, so I don't quite believe her.
Anime siscons usually cling to opposite-sex brothers, so she's an odd one.
As I'm thinking that, Mom asks again.
"The event's coming up soon. Prep going smoothly? If you need help, don't hesitate to ask."
Objectively, I'd love the help. First event ever—too much I don't know, problems popping up everywhere.
But I've decided my path: I'll draw character art and make my way.
Luckily, Dad's a capable breadwinner earning big at a good company, and he's promised support even if I go into art.
As long as I keep up in class without falling behind, grades don't matter.
So I need to be as serious in my field as others are in exam prep.
I've seen up close how hard Yi-an and Si-a grind for test scores.
I'm still a high schooler, full of shortcomings for my first event, but clashing head-on will teach me invaluable lessons.
So I can't whine at this stage yet.
"Truth is, it's not always easy. But it's my first event and key experience for my career path. This time, I want to handle it myself without relying on you guys."