Chapter 94
Chapter 94
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 94
Chapter Title: Still Four Years Too Early (2)
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Karin sat on a street bench, staring blankly up at the sky while the blazing sun beat down on her. The sky was clear, the world beautiful, yet here she was, alone like a scarecrow in a place that felt like it would scorch her skin right off—what in the world was this?
For starters, the cafe manager had promised to find her a place to stay, then left her here and vanished somewhere. Now she was out on the street alone in casual clothes for the first time in ages instead of her uniform, and it made her oddly self-conscious.
Did she look strange? In a city full of adventurers, her light, flowing outfit felt terribly out of place.
Including what Reimi had teased her about, most of the clothes her mother had bought reflected her tastes—designs that emphasized her chest and hips.
She hadn't thought much of it back when she wore them all the time, but after wrapping herself up in her uniform for so long, slipping into these made her hyper-aware of her body.
He'd better hurry...
She sighed, thinking of the cafe manager, who hadn't sent any word yet.
With nothing much to do, she passed the time counting the few wispy clouds drifting by—when someone tapped her shoulder from behind.
"Hah."
The moment she started to turn, something cold pressed against her cheek, making her let out an embarrassed squeak. But when she whipped around, it was none other than the cafe manager.
"You scared me."
"Figured you'd be hot, so I brought something to drink."
"Thank you."
Just then, her body had been heating up under the relentless sun, so she took it without asking what it was and checked the contents. It was a fruit drink made from some fruit she'd never seen before.
It felt a bit iffy, but she didn't think he'd give her anything weird, so she took a sip.
Sweeter and more tart than expected—it instantly cleared her heat-fogged mind.
The cafe manager, sipping the same drink, had his mouth twisted just a bit, as if he found the tartness odd too.
"The taste is a little... unique."
"But it woke me right up."
"Good to hear."
He sat down beside her, and they quietly finished their drinks. Once they were done, he stood first, and she followed him without knowing where they were headed.
She figured he'd found her a place to stay, but trailing after him like a duckling led her to a clothing store.
"You looked uncomfortable in your clothes earlier. Thought it'd be good to pick up a few comfy ones. What do you think?"
Huh?
Karin felt a bit dazed. Had she let it show despite trying not to, or was the cafe manager just that observant? She couldn't tell.
Is this why he's so popular?
She considered accepting the kindness, but didn't want to owe him unnecessarily, so she turned it down. She'd just remember the store's location and come back alone later.
"No vacancies for lodging right now. For the time being, stay in my room."
"Is that okay?"
"No big deal. I can sleep anywhere without issue."
Sleep doesn't seem to be his problem.
If I hang around his room all the time, won't all the women around him try to kill me?
She even pictured it: if Senior Ermina visited over the weekend and found out she was crashing in the cafe manager's room—what face would she make?
The nicer they usually are, the scarier it'd be.
But seeing his utterly sincere, nonchalant expression, she couldn't argue. In the end, she nodded.
Well, I don't have to tell anyone I'm staying there. I can keep it secret.
"Wait here a sec," he said, ducking into the clothing store. He emerged with a wide-brimmed hat and plopped it on her head. With her skin stinging a bit less, they headed back to the cafe.
"...Do you do this for everyone?"
"Huh? Do what?"
"...."
Most of the drama around him is probably self-inflicted.
Glancing at her reflection in a shop window as she passed—cute hat and all—she started thinking his good sense was the real root of the problem.
If our first meeting had been after I graduated the academy, just a normal encounter... would I have fallen for him?
Thinking it was the first time a guy had ever been nice to me.
Suddenly struck by a pang of misery, Karin followed him into the cafe with a sulky expression, blankly watching as he prepared to open.
Not sure what to make of her stare, he pulled cookies and candy from the fridge and set them on her table. After a moment's hesitation, she popped a candy in her mouth.
Delicious.
She forgot her brooding in an instant, slurping away at the candy—when the door opened and Cosetica walked in.
"Oh. You really are staying here."
"Yeah. That's the plan."
"You can talk after you finish eating."
She dragged over a chair from the next table and thwacked Karin's back playfully with her tail.
This one's got a great personality too.
Unlike my cat back home that just bit me all the time.
Reminiscing about the pet she'd left behind, she chatted with Cosetica—meanwhile, the coffee that came out looked tasty.
Topped with cream, probably.
"Cafe manager. Um."
"Had it ready ahead of time."
"Eh?"
Karin took the Einspänner with a look that said of course, then stopped thinking and scooped up some cream.
Delicious.
"I see where all our friend's food goes now."
"Everyone says the same thing."
"No belly to show for it. Blessed metabolism."
"Doesn't Big Sis stay slim despite what you eat?"
"Work stress plus an adventurer's calorie burn? It's normal."
Hee hee. Cosetica laughed, poking Karin's stomach. It tickled so much she nearly spat out her coffee, but she swallowed and spoke up.
"That tickles."
"Sorry, sorry. Just looks good when you eat well."
"Yeah, eating well is always a good thing."
"See? The manager agrees."
"I don't just eat nonstop, you know."
"Sure, sure."
Of course, she didn't refuse the pancakes he brought out next.
Why does the world have so many delicious things? It's infuriating.
Karin accepted everything he offered, letting Cosetica pet her. Despite being a cat beastkin, Karin felt like the one being treated like a cat—but she couldn't set down her food, so she kept devouring it.
"You buy that hat here? It has a familiar style."
"The cafe manager got it for me."
"Oho."
"The sunlight was too harsh."
"Well, the manager's famous for being nice to any girl."
"It's not just girls—he treats everyone the same."
"The receivers don't know that."
For her finale, Karin nibbled on one of the initial cookies, nodding in agreement. Just today, his actions went beyond good manners—bordering on flirtation.
Pointing it out made the cafe manager set down his coffee with a slightly dissatisfied look.
That's the face of someone who thinks his actions are perfectly normal, and being kind to everyone is the most natural thing.
Karin thought that, feeling a strange pang of regret over the empty cookie plate as she spoke.
"Cafe manager, you need to act a little mean sometimes. Or at least, not be too considerate."
As he refilled her snacks right away, she shot him a firm look while munching. To wash away the sweetness, he brought iced green tea—brewed strong and chilled.
A bit bitter, not quite her taste, but refreshing.
"...."
"Need anything else?"
"No no no no. That's exactly what I mean—don't do stuff like this. Most people would mistake this level of care for having feelings."
"You think I have feelings for you?"
"Uh. Well."
No, probably not.
Still, Karin urged him to think about it more.
Being ambiguously attentive to everyone just led to misunderstandings all around.
The cafe manager sipped the coffee he'd brewed, mulling it over leisurely before replying.
"Could be right. So, you want me to be cold to you?"
"...No."
"Thing is, I think there's this thing called expectations between people. If you don't meet them, folks get upset. I have a rough idea of what people expect from me and what kind. So I act accordingly. Even if it causes issues, not doing it won't make the problems vanish or get solved."
"Maybe you're right."
"I've got my reasons too."
Watching him start the dishes, Karin found herself pondering too. Academy rumors painted him as the perfect noble. As a cafe owner, a kind and capable boss. In combat, a flawless superhuman. But the human expressions and worries he occasionally showed made him feel approachable instead.
How many different faces will I see staying here? How many thoughts will I hear?
And how will it all change how I see him?
Maybe more changes than she expected. With that thought, Karin tilted back her cup and downed the last of the cream.
It was delicious.