Natsume Chikei stepped out of the changing room in his school uniform and found Fujiwara Aoi already waiting outside the office door.
She had also changed back into the Private Gekko Academy uniform.
The outfit suited her fresh short hair and healthy wheat-colored skin perfectly, making her look even more energetic and full of life.
“Let’s register our shift preferences on the computer now,” Natsume Chikei suggested.
“Mm-hm!” Fujiwara Aoi nodded happily, her eyes curving into happy crescents.
The two of them walked into the staff room one after the other.
In the corner of the room sat a computer the manager used for work and for employees to input their shift schedules.
Natsume Chikei turned it on, opened the schedule file on the desktop, and began carefully filling in the time slots he was available to work in April.
Fujiwara Aoi’s original goal had been to find out Natsume Chikei’s schedule, so she naturally leaned in close beside him, eyes fixed on the screen.
But only a few seconds later, she suddenly realized how close they were standing.
Their shoulders were almost touching.
Close enough that she could smell the faint, clean scent of laundry detergent on him.
And with all the other employees already gone, the large staff room now contained only the two of them.
The realization made her heart start racing on its own.
She secretly glanced sideways at Natsume Chikei beside her.
When her gaze landed on his focused profile, the clean lines of his face made it hard for her to look away.
“I’m done.
Your turn, Fujiwara-san.”
Natsume Chikei suddenly turned his head.
Fujiwara Aoi jumped, her heartbeat nearly stopping.
She reacted quickly and immediately turned her face toward the computer screen.
Even so, her heart was still pounding hard.
She had no idea whether he had noticed her staring.
“Mm… mm, let me do it.”
Fujiwara Aoi forced herself to sound calm as she answered.
But her cheeks were already burning red like ripe apples, and her heart was thumping so loudly she could hear it clearly in her ears.
She was even worried that Natsume Chikei might hear it too.
Heart, stop racing already!
Fujiwara Aoi screamed inwardly, yet the blush on her face only grew deeper.
Natsume Chikei politely stepped back to give her space to use the computer.
Fujiwara Aoi quietly let out a breath of relief.
If he had stayed standing right beside her, he might have noticed that she was deliberately making her schedule match his exactly.
Soon enough, Fujiwara Aoi quietly adjusted her own shift times so that every single slot lined up perfectly with Natsume Chikei’s.
“I’m all done.”
Natsume Chikei nodded.
“Then let’s head home.”
After locking up the coffee shop, the two of them walked side by side down the streets of Shibuya.
Even though it was only ten at night, the streets away from the main commercial area were already quite quiet.
Their coffee shop wasn’t in a busy district, so there were very few pedestrians around.
Only now did Natsume Chikei realize that this was the first time he and Fujiwara Aoi had gotten off work together since he started the job.
Fujiwara Aoi noticed it too, and a small wave of happiness rose in her chest.
She suddenly remembered she still didn’t know where he lived and asked curiously,
“By the way, Natsume-kun, is your house far from the coffee shop?”
Natsume Chikei pointed ahead.
“Not too far.
About a fifteen-minute walk.”
“What about you?”
Fujiwara Aoi’s eyes widened in surprise.
“Eh?
Your place is in this direction too?”
“I only need five minutes to get home!”
Natsume Chikei looked mildly surprised.
“I didn’t expect that.”
Fujiwara Aoi started walking with light, happy steps, her face glowing with joy.
Since they were going the same way, didn’t that mean they could walk home together often from now on?
And he could even drop her off on the way?
“I can’t believe we live in the same direction~” Fujiwara Aoi said happily, then changed the subject.
“Oh right, Natsume-kun, which club are you planning to join?”
“I haven’t decided yet.” Natsume Chikei shook his head.
“What about you?
Have you already chosen one?”
“Me?
I already joined the track and field club!” Fujiwara Aoi said cheerfully, making a little V-sign with her fingers.
“Why the track and field club?” Natsume Chikei asked curiously.
“…Actually, there’s no special reason.
I just like the feeling of running!” Fujiwara Aoi gave him a bright smile.
“I see.” Natsume Chikei nodded in understanding.
“Then what club are you thinking of joining, Natsume-kun?” Fujiwara Aoi asked again.
Natsume Chikei thought seriously for a moment.
He really didn’t have any particular club that interested him.
Besides, his schedule was already tight.
Between his part-time job and writing his novel, and now participating in the shogi tournament, it would be difficult to commit to regular club activities in the short term.
With that in mind, his options suddenly became much more limited.
Clubs like kendo, track and field, or baseball usually required regular training after school.
Unless he chose the “go-home club”—just head straight home after classes.
But since he was getting a second chance at high school life, Natsume Chikei didn’t want to spend it in such a plain, uneventful way.
That kind of high school experience felt like it would be missing something.
If he found an interesting club with flexible activity times, he wouldn’t mind joining.
“I still haven’t decided,” Natsume Chikei explained.
“There are club recruitment and open house events these next few days, right?
I’m planning to check them out when I have time.
Maybe I’ll find one I like.”
Fujiwara Aoi nodded repeatedly, her smile bright.
“Mm-hm, that’s the best way!”
The two of them continued chatting as they walked, and the night streets of Shibuya felt a little less lonely because of their conversation.
Natsume Chikei’s gaze occasionally drifted to the sports watch on Fujiwara Aoi’s wrist.
[Sports Watch]
[Quality: White]
[Effect: Increases training/exercise effects by 15%]
[Description: The girl’s day-and-night training is all for the ideal in her heart!]
[Synthesis Condition: Requires at least three pieces of equipment of the same type!]
Because he had paid the 20,000 yen entry fee for the shogi tournament, Natsume Chikei now only had around 25,000 yen left on him.
He remembered Fujiwara Aoi saying the sports watch cost over 60,000 yen.
The tournament prizes worked like this: first win gave 10,000 yen, second win 20,000, third win 40,000, and so on…
If he could win three matches in a row, he would earn 70,000 yen.
At that point, he might be able to buy her a similar or even more expensive sports watch as a gift and use the opportunity to swap for her special equipment.
After all, the condition of “collect three special pieces of equipment to obtain one attribute point” was very tempting.
Whenever he encountered special equipment, Natsume Chikei wanted to find a way to get his hands on it.
Whether it was his sister’s bracelet, Yukimura Suzune’s small ornament, Aunt Kondo’s fighting magazine, or the confession cherry blossom tree at school—he wanted all of them.