Episode 3: First Coworker at the Part-Time Job
“I ordered a futon online, so today…”
Möbius-san came out of the bath, drying her hair with a towel, and looked around the room.
Without her makeup, her whole impression changed — she looked just slightly younger than usual.
“Ruri. You good sharing my bed tonight?”
“Hyah, y-yes, please, um, please don’t be too rough with me…”
“Keep making jokes like that and I’ll actually do it, you know?”
Möbius-san sighed, grabbed my hand, and pulled me down onto the bed. The sweet scent of her shampoo hit me, and my heart skipped.
“Ah, um, w-well, uh…”
Being an introvert, I obviously have zero dating experience. Needless to say, nobody’s ever pushed me down onto a bed before either.
Oh no, this is bad, what do I do!?
“S-sorry for making jokes like that, I know I’m just an introvert…”
Möbius-san and I had been internet friends first, so the internet-brain humor had slipped out without me meaning it to.
“Ugh, come on, now it sounds like I’m the one doing something wrong. I’m just saying, be careful. Some people take that stuff seriously, you know.”
She laughed gently and climbed off me, then patted my head a few times, soft and reassuring.
“If you know your face is your weapon, you need better situational awareness too. Got it?”
“Y-yes.”
“Alright, let’s sleep then.”
We pulled the covers over ourselves together. She’d let me have first bath, saying something about me being her guest.
The single bed was cramped, and even without moving, my arms and legs kept brushing against Möbius-san.
But for some reason, that made me feel calm.
Maybe after everything that happened today… another person’s warmth is just comforting.
“…Um, Möbius-san.”
“What? Can’t sleep?”
I took a small breath in.
It might be pushing my luck, but we were going to be living together from now on, so I decided to work up the nerve to say it.
“D-do you think… it’d be okay if you held me…?”
“…You, seriously…”
“I-if it’s too much trouble, that’s totally fine, really…”
Möbius-san looked exasperated, but she wrapped her arms around me tightly anyway.
“Night, Ruri.”
“…Okay.”
I didn’t know being held by someone could feel this reassuring.
I quietly slid my arm around her waist. And felt a small flicker of relief again, when she didn’t pull away.
◆
“Ruri, wake up.”
Möbius-san shook me awake. Sunlight was streaming in through the window, and the clock read exactly noon.
It was Saturday, so it wasn’t really a problem, but still — I couldn’t believe I’d slept that soundly in someone else’s house.
“The other part-timer’s coming in today. You’re doing training with her, so get ready.”
“Training…?”
“Customer service stuff. Also, opening day’s next Saturday, by the way.”
“O-okay, got it…!”
I shot up in a panic, dug through my bag, and pulled out my makeup pouch.
I couldn’t imagine getting along easily with someone who’d actually apply to work at a maid café on her own initiative, but I needed to make sure my makeup was on point so I wouldn’t get underestimated right out of the gate.
“I-it’ll be fine, it’ll be fine… I-I’m probably the cutest one there… m-maybe by some miracle I’ll make a friend and this’ll turn into a fun part-time job…”
I muttered it to myself in front of the mirror, like I was trying to talk myself into believing it.
Möbius-san sighed at the sight of my face gone pale with nerves.
◆
Ten minutes before training started, Möbius-san and I headed down to the first floor. A girl was already standing in front of the shop.
Long black hair, dressed in an outfit that screamed “landmine-type.”
“Oh, Hayashi-chan. Sorry to keep you waiting.”
“It’s fine. I just got here.”
Despite her appearance, the landmine-type girl bowed politely. I peeked out from behind Möbius-san’s back to get a look at her.
Wh-what is this, she’s expressionless and kind of scary…
“Hayashi-chan, this is Nanami Riri, hired yesterday. Same grade as you in high school, so be nice to her, okay? Go on, Ruri, introduce yourself.”
“Y-yes. Um, ah, I’m, I’m a second-year in high school, Nanami Riri. ‘Ruri’ is my name on social media, and um, I was thinking I’d use that name here at the café too, so, um… nishe to meesh you, pleashe take care of me!”
I completely butchered it.
Twice, even.
I couldn’t bear the icy stare and ended up curling into a ball, clutching my head.
“S-sorry, sorry, sorry for getting ahead of myself thinking someone like me, an introvert, could actually work here…! P-please forgive me, also I don’t have any money right now…”
What do I do. What if I never fit in and end up completely isolated.
That’s how it goes, right? They’ll whisper about me behind my back in the break room while I’m right there…!
They’ll call me trash with nothing going for me but my face, laugh about how in twenty years I’ll be some unemployed shut-in living in my childhood bedroom, and I’ll be too scared to say anything back…
“Don’t worry about it, Hayashi-chan. This is probably just her default setting.”
“I see…”
“Ruri. Stand up properly, you need to hear Hayashi-chan’s introduction too.”
“Y-yes ma’am!”
I scrambled back to my feet. Hayashi-san opened her mouth, expression still blank.
“Second-year in high school. Hayashi… Cosmo. I go by ‘Sora’ at the shop.”
“Huh? C-cosmo? Is that your real name?”
The question slipped out before I could stop it, and she shot me a sharp glare.
Then, the corners of her mouth curved into a smile, though the rest of her face stayed still.
“It’s written with the characters for ‘universe.’ Read as ‘Cosmo.’ Is that a problem?”
“N-no problem at all! It’s nice to meet you, Cosmo-san!”
“I find it unpleasant when people use my actual name. Could you not?”
“Y-yes ma’am…”
Oh no. This is bad.
My part-time job life is already looking hopelessly bleak…