The following week. As I changed into my uniform at my part-time job and entered the hall, I noticed Honoka-san with a troubled expression. Sensing my presence, she quickly smiled and spoke up.
“Good morning, Tatsuya-kun! Let’s do our best today!”
“Good morning. Of course, I’ll do my best, but… is something wrong?”
When I asked, Honoka-san awkwardly scratched her cheek.
“Ahaha, was it that obvious? Well, I’m just dealing with a little problem.”
“Are you okay? If there’s anything I can do to help, I will.”
“Um…”
Honoka-san paused for a moment, placing her index finger on her upper lip before finally opening her mouth. However, before she could say anything, other part-time staff members arrived.
“Good morning, Honoka-san, Muryou-kun.”
“Good morning! Let’s do our best today!”
Honoka-san responded with a smile that made it hard to believe she had been troubled just moments ago. As I watched her with a puzzled expression, she whispered to me as she passed by.
“Wait for me after work, okay?”
With just that, she left without waiting for my reply.
◇
“Sorry, Tatsuya-kun. I’m late.”
“No, I was just playing with my phone to kill time… so…”
When I saw Honoka-san appear, I almost dropped my phone.
“Huh? What’s wrong?”
“No, it’s just…”
Since I usually only see her during work, I had only ever seen her in her pantsuit uniform. Off-duty Honoka-san was wearing an off-shoulder white sweater, a brown skirt, and black thigh-high socks. Her usually neatly tied ponytail was let down, with her hair softly curled and styled with hair products. Her makeup was natural and cute, giving her a lovely appearance.
The contrast between her usual neat and tidy image and this soft, feminine look was striking. It was a gap that hit hard. She was too cute.
“Honoka-san, you look really cute.”
“Wha—?! S-stop it, you’re making me embarrassed…”
Honoka-san lightly held down her skirt with her hand.
“I’m already 22, you know? To you, I must seem like an old lady, right?”
“No, you’re more like a cute older sister. It’s really nice.”
“S-stop it… It’s so embarrassing…”
Honoka-san fanned her reddened face with her hands.
“Anyway, let’s hurry up and go.”
“Where are we going?”
“An izakaya!”
“Honoka-san… I’m still underage, you know?”
Led by Honoka-san, we walked for about twenty minutes before entering a stylish, traditional Japanese-style restaurant. It was relatively close to my house, but I had no idea such a place existed. It seemed she had made a reservation in advance, as she gave her name and we were immediately led to a private room in the back.
The tatami-mat room looked like it could only fit about six people. The back of the room was glass-paneled, offering a view of an elegant miniature garden. A golden osmanthus tree was in bloom, and a small stream of water trickled below, where a stray frog seemed to be comfortably settled.
In other words, this was clearly an expensive place. I instinctively touched the wallet in my back pocket. Would I have enough?
As I was prompted to sit in the inner seat, I suddenly remembered something. There was supposed to be a concept of “upper seat” and “lower seat,” right?
“Um, which one is the upper seat? Sorry, I’m not really sure…”
As I half-stood up, Honoka-san giggled.
“That kind of thing only matters at big corporate drinking parties. Are you nervous, Tatsuya-kun?”
“Uh, yes. I thought izakayas were more lively places. This place has such a refined atmosphere, it’s making me nervous.”
And being in a private room at such a place with a beautiful and cute older sister from work was making me even more nervous.
“It feels more like a high-end restaurant than an izakaya, doesn’t it? But the food here is really good, so you can look forward to it.”
“I’m excited. But is it really okay for a high schooler like me to be in a place like this?”
When I said that, Honoka-san dropped the towel she was holding.
“Eh? Ah, right. You’re still in high school! You always seem so mature and composed, I thought you were a college student… Wait, is this illegal? Is it against the law to bring a high schooler to an izakaya?!”
“I’m not sure. As long as I don’t drink alcohol, I think it’s fine.”
Honoka-san quickly checked something on her smartphone, then let out a sigh of relief and handed me the menu.
“As long as you don’t drink alcohol and we get you home by 11 PM, it should be fine. Phew, that’s a relief. The non-alcoholic drinks are listed here, so feel free to order whatever you like.”
“Thank you.”
As I looked through the menu, the waiter arrived, so I ordered an oolong tea for now. Honoka-san ordered a beer. She’s an adult.
We clinked glasses for a toast, and Honoka-san downed about half of her beer in one go.
“Let’s get something to eat! Do you have any likes or dislikes, Tatsuya-kun?”
“I’m fine with almost anything except for strong herbs like cilantro or Italian parsley.”
For a moment, I thought of tantanmen when asked about my favorite food, but I figured it wouldn’t be available here, so I kept quiet.
“Okay. If you see anything you like, feel free to order, okay?”
Honoka-san called the waiter and smoothly placed our orders. A quick glance at the menu showed that most of the dishes were in the four-digit price range, making me anxious. If we were splitting the bill, I might have to embarrassingly ask Honoka-san to lend me some money.
