NOVEL NEXT Chapter 3
“Mizuki-kun, please take this to table three.”
“Sure thing.”
—
The café, “Marine Snow,” is a privately-owned establishment located in a bustling area near the train station. It’s known for its delicious cakes and coffee, and it happens to be my part-time job.
“Oh, can I place an order, please?”
“One moment, please.”
Due to its location, our café has a somewhat hidden, cozy atmosphere. The owner often mentioned that while we don’t get many new walk-ins, we have a high percentage of repeat customers, or regulars.
In reality, though we might not be famous, I believe it’s a quality café. Despite the low number of new customers, the fact that the business is sustained means those few new ones become regulars.
“Mizuki-kun, this one’s for table two now.”
“Alrighty.”
That’s why this place is surprisingly busy. Even though it’s a small café, we employ several part-timers, including myself, to keep things running smoothly. The number of regulars also means that potential stalkers are proportionally high, which is a bit unsettling both as an employee and personally.
“Still, it’s kind of busy today.”
Well, dealing with harmless stalkers is less urgent than handling the current workload. Specifically, figuring out why we have more customers than usual today.
“Mizuki-kun, is something wrong?”
“Manager, isn’t it busier than usual with new customers today? I was just wondering why.”
“Oh, I heard from a customer that it’s because of a live concert by ‘Horoscope.’ I don’t know the name, but apparently a popular band is participating.”
“I see, that explains it.”
The manager’s words made sense. The nearby live house, Horoscope, seems to be the cause of this rush. I don’t know much about it, but they regularly hold live events or something.
When a popular band participates, their audience often spills into nearby establishments after the concert. That seems to be happening today. While it’s probably a bonus time for the café, it’s nothing but a hassle for us part-timers.
“So, does this peak continue until the concert ends?”
“Who knows. You could ask while serving. Here, this is for table four.”
“Wait, did someone place an additional order there?”
“No, it’s on the house. It seems something wonderful happened.”
“Got it.”
So, the manager’s usual generosity, not a mistake. If it’s not an order error, I have no complaints.
With that, I took four cakes to the table in question, where a group of four regular female customers sat.
“Excuse me, here are your raspberry rare cheesecakes.”
“Uh, we already have everything we ordered…”
“I’m aware. These cakes are complimentary. The manager wanted to celebrate something wonderful.”
“Really? Wow, thank you so much!”
Hearing it was a celebration, the four women each let out a cheer. Observing them without them noticing, I saw they had surprisingly ordinary reactions.
The four regulars, their clothing styles slightly different but leaning towards gal and punk looks, gave off a very outgoing vibe. They all seemed to be in the attractive category, reinforcing their high social status.
Their age seemed to be around high school graduates to early twenties. Whether they were students or working adults, their usual belongings suggested a music-related gathering.
Hmm, none of them seem to match the stalker profile. Though they’re around the same age, their appearance is too different.
“Please enjoy your time.”
“Thank you so much!”
“You’re welcome. Please thank the manager. I only delivered as instructed.”
“Oh, right! Could you celebrate with us too? We’re not strangers, after all. I’d love to hear some congratulatory words from you.”
Even if they’re regulars, I think employees and customers are practically strangers… Well, I won’t say anything that could lead to complaints.
“Hey, Ran-chan! Stop bothering him! Sorry about that.”
“No worries at all. I’d be happy to offer my congratulations. However, I think it would be rude to say anything without knowing what the celebration is about. Could you tell me more?”
“Oh, you’re curious!? Then let me tell you! We’re going to become legends soon!”
“…”
“Huh?”
How should I respond as an employee?
“Ran, that explanation is confusing. You’re troubling him.”
“From that, all he understood is that you’re legendarily dumb. Stop bothering him any more than you already have.”
The woman with a punk look, called Ran, tilted her head while the other three held their heads in their hands. This must be their usual behavior.
“Sorry about her. To explain, we’re a band called ‘Avant-Garde Girls,’ and we recently signed with a label—a music company.”
“Congratulations! So, you’re making your professional debut. That’s wonderful news.”
“Well, we’re not quite professionals yet. It’s not a major label, and in this day and age, even releasing a single CD is tough.”
Hmm, I’m not well-versed in the music industry, but they seem to be somewhere between amateurs and professionals.
Still, considering they’re celebrating like this, it must be a significant achievement. As an employee, there’s only one thing to say.
“I might not know much about music, but I think it’s amazing. Signing a contract involving money with a company is already professional enough.”
“Exactly! Meg should be more confident! You get it!”
“Hey, don’t shout! You’re disturbing the café!”
Ran was smacked by Meg, the gal-like woman. Her quick reaction made it seem like she was used to it.
Despite my remark, it’s appreciated that she quieted them down.
“Anyway, we’re going to soar from here! Aim for the Budokan! Oh, do you want an autograph? Natsuho, sign for him.”
“Why me!? It’s embarrassing, stop it!”
“Aw, come on.”
They seem to have their share of troubles. All except one, maybe.
“I understand. Congratulations once again. Please let us know when your music is released.”
“You get it! Of course! We have several songs, but our recommended ones are the love songs. Natsuho writes the lyrics, and despite her quiet personality, they’re quite dark and intense—”
“Ran-chan!!”
Meg, the other gal-like woman, frantically tried to shut Ran up, perhaps because of the additional unnecessary information.
They seem to be close friends, though their noise level is about to exceed the acceptable limit.
Well, they were having a normal celebration until I came over. Once I leave, it’ll likely calm down again.
“Enjoy your time. I’ll take my leave now.”
“Thank you! Sorry for the trouble! Really, thank you so much!”
Great, it seems my farewell was well-received. No worries about complaints.
“…Oh, I forgot to ask about the Horoscope concert.”
It’s too late to go back now. I guess I’ll just brace myself and handle this never-ending peak time.
—
Though, seriously, who could the stalker be?