Today was officially the weekend.
No school meant zero chances of running into Shizuku-senpai or Kazari-senpai.
I didn't have to worry about long-range target practice in my living room, and I certainly didn't have to think about asphalt pavers demolishing my apartment building.
I woke up at a reasonable hour, ate a completely average breakfast of toasted bread, and decided to reward my survival instincts with a trip to the grand commercial district down the train line.
My mission? Secure some fresh manga.
After a twenty-minute train ride, I was strolling through the massive, high-spec mall.
As I wandered into the bookstore, my yuri radar instantly flared.
Right there on the promotional display table was a brand-new release on a massive launch sale.
The cover featured two gorgeous, fiercely competitive office women.
The synopsis read: Co-Worker Nemesis to Lovers.
"Oh, my holy gracious,"
I whispered, clutching the book against my chest like a holy relic as I rushed to the cashier.
"An enemies-to-lovers office drama? With high-stakes workplace tension? The universe is truly providing for my culture today."
With my precious purchase secured in a paper bag, I walked out into the busy open-air courtyard of the mall, humming a cheerful little tune.
I was entirely in my element—just a standard, plain-faced background character enjoying her weekend.
“Waaaaah! Big Sis! Big Sis!”
A sharp, heartbreaking wail cut right through the chatter of the crowd.
I blinked behind my glasses and looked over.
Standing near a decorative marble fountain was a tiny girl, no older than four, crying her absolute eyes out.
She was clutching a plush rabbit, completely swallowed up by the sea of passing shoppers.
I might be a self-proclaimed NPC, but you can’t just ignore a crying child.
I trotted over, trying to look as non-threatening as a sleep-deprived high schooler could.
"Hey there, little one. What's wrong? Are you lost?"
The little girl sniffled, wiping her nose with her sleeve as she looked at my thick, black-rimmed frames.
"I... I lost Big Sis. We were looking at the toy store and then she vanished!"
"Don't worry, I've got your back,"
I said, offering my warmest, most dependable smile.
"Let's go find the nearest customer service center. There are nice people there whose entire job is to locate missing sisters. Hold onto my hand, okay?"
The kid nodded, clutching my fingers with her tiny, sticky hand as I guided her through the crowd toward the mall's information desk.
Within a few minutes, we reached the security station, and the receptionist immediately began dialing the mall-wide announcement system.
But before the microphone could even click on, a frantic, breathless voice echoed from behind us.
"Momo-chan! Oh my god, Momo-chan!"
I whipped my head around.
Sprinting across the polished tile floor, her chestnut-brown hair slightly disheveled and her wide amber eyes filled with sheer panic, was none other than the canonical heroine herself.
Hinata Haruka.
"Big Sis!" the little girl cried out, releasing my hand and bolting straight into Haruka's arms.
Haruka dropped to her knees, hugging the toddler tightly against her chest as she let out a massive sob of relief.
"Thank goodness... I turned around for one second to look at the display and you were gone! Don't ever run off like that again!"
After a long moment of soothing the crying toddler, Haruka finally looked up to thank whoever had brought her cousin to the station.
The moment her amber eyes locked onto my thick glasses, her jaw dropped in pure, unadulterated shock.
"M-Mei-chan?!"
"What are you doing here?!"
"Heya, Haruka-san!"
I blurted, completely thrown off by the sudden main-character encounter on a Saturday.
"I was just... out buying text materials! Is this little one your cousin?"
"Yes! This is Momo-chan,"
Haruka explained, standing up and smoothing down her casual weekend denim skirt, looking so drop-dead adorable without her school blazer that my heart did a violent backflip.
She looked at me, her amber eyes shimmering with a deep, profound gratitude.
"Mei-chan, you really are an angel. First you save me from the guys at school, and now you save my cousin... I don't even know how to repay you."
"Please, it was nothing! Just standard civic duty!" I babbled, desperately trying to play it cool while my inner lesbian did chaotic gymnastics.
Haruka peeked down at the paper bag clutched in my hand, catching a glimpse of the glossy manga cover sticking out—showing the two office ladies leaning in dangerously close to each other.
Her cheeks flushed an even deeper shade of crimson, but she quickly cleared her throat and offered a radiant, world-saving smile.
"I'm really sorry for the trouble"
Haruka said to the receptionist lady.
"Ah, no it's okay. I'm glad you two reunited so quickly."
Haruka franticly walk towards me fidgeting her long fingers.
"Actually... it's just about lunch time,"
Haruka whispered softly, her fingers nervously twirling a strand of her wavy brown hair as she looked up at me through her eyelashes.
"If you're not in a hurry... would it be okay if the three of us go eat at that cute terrace cafe over there? My treat! I really want to spend some time with you today, Mei-chan."
Ding! [CRITICAL WEEKEND EVENT ENCOUNTERED: THE HEROINE'S CAFE DATE! INTIMACY COUNTER: MAXING OUT!]
I came to the mall to read a fictional yuri story about workplace rivals, but instead, I just walked straight into a real-life weekend date with the actual heroine.
Fuyumi and Shiori are currently locked out by the weekend boundary, the boy band is nonexistent, and I am about to have lunch with a beautiful girl who is looking at me like I just invented fire.
The background life is officially a myth.