It Seems Like a Girl I Don’t Know Is Doing Housework at My Place. But She’s Cute, So I’m Watching Her.

“──Welcome!”

The sound of the door chime triggered an automatic response from me.

After working at Marine Snow long enough, customer service phrases had become second nature. Recently, though, a small change had occurred.

“Oh, hey.”

“Oh, it’s Harusaki-san. Good evening!”

“Good evening.”

I had begun to form a connection with certain customers—specifically, the people from Avant-Garde. My relationship with them started through Chiaki-san, and now, we were close enough to casually chat between my shifts.

“You’re a waiter today, huh?”

“Yeah, the kitchen got swamped. Let me show you to your seat.”

Since I couldn’t talk for long, I returned to work quickly, guiding Harusaki-san to an open table and preparing her water and cutlery.

“Feel free to call me once you’ve decided on your order.”

“Ah, I’ve already decided.”

“Of course. I’ll be right with you.”

As expected from a regular, she had already made her choice, and the order flowed smoothly.

“By the way, when is Mizuki-san getting off work today?”

“Huh? Oh, I’m actually finishing up soon. Why do you ask?”

“Well, Ran’s in a rush. She wanted to get a few things ready before you get back.”

“That sounds ominous.”

“Yeah, so I came by to warn you while grabbing some coffee.”

“… Thanks for the heads-up.”

“No problem. I’m sorry for the trouble Ran causes.”

We both exchanged polite nods, though mine was brief since I was on the clock. I really appreciated the effort, though. It wasn’t every day that someone would come all the way to the café just to give me a heads-up about Chiaki-san’s plans.

Harusaki-san laughed it off, saying the coffee was the main reason for her visit, but I had my doubts. I knew she enjoyed the coffee here, but I also knew how much effort it took to deal with Chiaki-san.

“Anyway, please enjoy your time.”

I ended the conversation and headed toward the kitchen, where I passed the order along. While I was there, I approached the manager, who was nearby.

“Hey, Manager. Can you hold onto this check for me?”

“Eh, what’s going on?”

“Nothing major. I’m planning to cover the bill for that table when I clock out. You don’t mind, do you?”

“Mizuki’s paying? For table four… Oh, it’s one of the regulars. Wait, are you trying to pick her up? That’s a no-go, man.”

“Come on, it’s not like that. We’re just acquaintances. I owe them a favor, so I’m paying it back.”

“Oh, sorry, sorry. Just a little joke. I know you wouldn’t do something like that.”

The manager laughed, but I let out a small sigh. Even as a joke, it didn’t feel great to hear something like that.

“But really, it’s kind of unusual for you, isn’t it? I’ve noticed you’ve gotten close with that group of regulars. Is this the first time you’ve made friends with customers?”

“What’s with that ‘first-time-making-friends’ tone…?”

“Haha, well, it’s not far off, right? You’re usually someone who strictly separates work from personal life.”

“I won’t deny it.”

It wasn’t just that I kept work and personal life separate. The truth was, I was bad at socializing in general. Even in my private life, I didn’t really interact with people much.

In fact, I barely recognized our regular customers at all. It was only after spending so much time at the café, in work mode, that I started to remember who they were.

“I met them outside of work, and we formed a connection there. One thing led to another, and here we are.”

“I see. For you to be chatting with a group of women—it must’ve been quite the strong connection.”

“Strong connection doesn’t even begin to describe it.”

I mean, we were involved in a criminal situation—granted, with an “allegedly” attached to it.

I knew I was surprising the manager with my openness, but if I told him the full story, he’d be completely shocked.

“Anyway, I’ll take over their check. Let me know when you’re done getting changed, and you can clock out.”

“Seriously? I’m not quite done with my shift yet.”

“Fifteen minutes early is nothing. We’re not too busy today, and I need to cut some costs.”

“Got it. Thanks. I’ll head out then.”

With the manager’s permission, I was done for the day. After a quick stretch, I returned the equipment and made my way to the staff room.

“…Wait, Mizuki-san, are you clocking out? Isn’t it a little early?”

“The manager said I could go. We’re good on staff today.”

“What the hell! That’s so unfair! We still need to keep things running smoothly!”

“Getting mad at me won’t change anything…”

I understood where Kondo-san was coming from, though. It’s frustrating when someone else gets to leave early, leaving more work for those still on the clock. It’s just how things go.

“So, what’s with the phone? Break time’s long over.”

“Bathroom break! It’s boring sitting on the toilet without anything to do.”

“…Uh, yeah, I regret asking. Also, you’re a high school girl, right? Let’s keep it a bit more ladylike.”

“Hahaha! You’ve got way too many illusions about what it means to be a high school girl! We even yell, ‘I’m off to the bathroom!’ in class.”

“Uh, right. No comment.”

I was seriously unsure how to respond. In today’s world, even mentioning this could get me in trouble for harassment.

“By the way, Mizuki-san, don’t you have a girlfriend? You wouldn’t hold such fantasies if you did.”

“That’s a sudden change of topic. And no, that’s kind of a… weird assumption.”

But it’s hard to deny completely. I didn’t have a girlfriend, but… well, I had a stalker once.

“…Anyway, see you later. Kondo-san, you should get back to work, too.”

“Wait, seriously? You’re gonna leave it like that? I’m dying to know more!”

“Sorry, but it’s not something I really want to get into.”

Especially not with a high schooler. It’s not a story that should be told lightly, considering it involves, well, a crime.

“Oh my god, I’m so curious! I can’t concentrate on work now! Did you get mixed up with a crazy yandere or something?”

Well… not exactly wrong.