Chapter 6 - The Goddess is a Glutton (リア神は食いしん坊説)

After I finished my usual part-time job, I suddenly received a 'complaint'.

Yes. Customer complaint seeking compensation.

I think any working person would put themselves on guard when they heard that word.

The current society was very sensitive to customer complaints so that the term 'Karen' exists.

And someone who worked part-time like me couldn't escape from those 'complaints'.

I once received a complaint that "the fries are cold". At that time, I could do nothing but apologize. It was a bitter memory.

Well, since then, I had been careful, paying close attention to make sure I wouldn't receive another complaint, so I couldn't say customer complaints were all bad. It would incite the growth of the employee. However, this would also depend on the mentality of the recipient...

"Tokiwagi-san. Are you listening to me? I'm here to complain to you, okay?"

Yes. I was getting a complaint from the Goddess.

By the way, Wakamiya wasn't complaining when there was a cash register between us. She told me that after I went out of the back door as usual. For her not to interfere with my part-time job should be proof that she was an earnest person.

I pondered, trying to find out why Wakamiya got angry at me. When I was on my shift, Wakamiya was...

She ordered a burger set and donuts just as she did the other day, then she was studying. In other words, she was acting the same as usual.

Did I do a mistake when I offered her the new products?

But this time, I wasn't feeling particularly awkward anymore. I believe that my customer service was perfect.

But when I looked back, I noticed that Wakamiya was already in a bad mood around that time.

And after I finished my part-time job, she caught me right after I got out of the back door. Since this had happened for a few days, I didn't get surprised anymore that Wakamiya was waiting for me the moment I went out.

That means, I didn't anger her when I was working?

I glanced at Wakamiya. Today, she didn't have the apologetic aura she always had when she asked me to send her home again. Presently, she was looking at me with a sharp glare.

I instinctively gulped. No good, I couldn't stop sweating... This might what a frog felt when it was being stared by a snake...

"Um, let me get this straight first. Are you complaining about my service? I don't think I did any mistake for that."

"No."

Apparently, she wanted to complain about something else. I wracked my brains over and thought again about what did I do to make her angry.

"Hmm..."

This was my conclusion. I had no idea.

In the first place, I never had a girlfriend before. No, even less than that...

For a boy like me who had almost no relationship with girls, I didn't have the advanced skill of 'sensing a woman's mind'.

"Do you know what's different about me today?"

"I'm angry, okay. Do you know why?"

Such was the common girl's template dialogue, but...

I don't know how to answer them!!!

I wanted to say that in a loud voice. What's more, I felt like no matter how I answered, she would tell me that, "You're wrong". Or that "There's also that, but that's not what I'm talking about right now."

Well anyway, this was impossible for me. I gave up. Nothing came to my mind.

"It looks like you don't understand what I'm talking about..."

"Sorry."

"It can't be helped. Tokiwagi-san, you ignored me after school, right?"

"Ah... Did you call my name...?"

"Yes. I called you, but you ignored me."

Certainly, I heard a voice calling my name from behind when I was in a hurry to go to my part-time job... I thought I heard wrong, but apparently Wakamiya called me.

"I didn't think that someone would call me... I thought I misheard."

"I called you from a pretty close distance, though..."

Wakamiya glared at me. Her slightly bulging cheeks were cute. I unconsciously wanted to touch it, but I endured my impulse.

"Well, I'm not used having someone call me like that. Also, I don't want to look back and end up being too excessively self-conscious or create a strange atmosphere."

"But Tokiwagi-san ignored me, leaving me behind on that spot in a strange atmosphere..."

"Ahh, I'm sorry about that. It's my fault."

I bowed my head. The strange atmosphere after getting ignored by someone was definitely unbearable.

I understood that because I had experienced it many times. It didn't really matter, though...

"I think it would have been nice if you responded a little. You're completely unresponsive that I even thought I called the wrong person."

"It's rare for other people to call my name. Only Keichi will call me, but he usually starts talking with 'oi' or 'hey'."

"Uh, I feel like I shouldn't have asked you this."

"You don't have to look that awkward. I'm used to it, so it has changed into every day's occurrence."

"Do you need a handkerchief?"

"No need. I'm not crying, okay."

"Is that so?" Wakamiya said, putting back her handkerchief to her bag.

Rather, why would she think that I was crying? I wasn't that sentimental. If anything, I had a strong mentality.

So it didn't matter to me at all.

My mentality was so strong that I could even shout to the whole town, "Being alone was the best!!"

But of course I wouldn't do that kind of thing.

"Well, leaving that aside, I'm sorry for ignoring you."

"No, it's doesn't matter anymore. Now that I know the reason, I'm going to be careful from now on."

"By the way, why did you call me?"

"It's not really important..."

"I see."

I was curious, but she looked like she didn't really want to talk about it. I decided not to pursue it.

Well, rather than that, I had to tell her something important. That was the priority.

"Ah, right. Wakamiya-san, here's a piece of advice for you."

"Advice? What is it?"

"Don't talk to me at school."

"Why?"

Not understanding what I mean, Wakamiya tilted her head.

She's really careless, huh... Good grief.

"You don't want to hear rumors of having a relationship with a guy that you don't like, right? Not to say, I have sent you near your home many times. It won't be strange for someone to see us soon."

"I see... You're right..."

"Well, that's it. If you understand, then—"

"It's fine." Before I could tell her not to get involved with me in the future, Wakamiya cut my words. Her glare was sharp, something close to anger. "I don't care about the rumors."

"But..."

"The person concerned is saying that she doesn't care, so that doesn't matter. And..."

"...And?"

"The... the donuts here. I feel lonely when I can't eat them."

"Huh?"

Surprised by Wakamiya's unexpected remark, a weird voice escaped my mouth. Then, something gradually welled up within me——

"Pfft."

I couldn't help but laugh. I didn't expect her to feel reluctant parting with the food. Rather than feeling sad at how I lost to food, Wakamiya's gluttonous remark hit my spot, making me unable to stop laughing.

"Y-you don't have to laugh, right!?"

"I don't expect that you'll mention the donuts. Right, I'm curious about that too since you always order that."

"It can't be helped that I come to like it!"

"Hahaha. I agree with that. Well, if you like the donuts that much, I can teach you how to deliciously eat the donuts in this store."

"Really!? Then I'll look forward to it!"

She was really excited. It's almost like her monotonous voice when we first met was a lie.

"But Wakamiya-san, please be careful about the time so that I won't have to send you every time, okay? You also don't like it when your parents are scolding you, right?"

"I will do my best."

"That sounds like what someone will say when they're not going to do it."

Wakamiya chuckled. "You're right."

Needless to say, I was fascinated by that smile.

This relationship, which I thought would end soon, seemed like it would still continue.

[It's actually not 'Karen', but 'customer harrassment'. Like when customers make unreasonable complaints about the product, harrassing the staffs. But what came to my mind when I saw "customer harrassment" is "staffs harrassing the customers", so I changed it to Karen for the memes hehehe.]

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