───● The Energetic College Girl is Given the Runaround ●○●

Because Koumi found out my destined person was Masato, she also learned that Masato works at a boy’s bar.

So, it would be fine to go hang out at Masato’s bar with Koumi… but I just didn’t feel like doing that.

“Haa… I came…”

I got off at the station Masato always uses… in other words, the station where the bar is. This place, too, is packed with memories of Masato and me. After getting dumped by a senior in my circle, walking tattered and broken, dropping my contact lens—that’s when I met Masato.

To think he works here… that Masato is here. It’s strange I didn’t even imagine it back then. If I’d thought about it a little, I should have realized my destined person might be Masato.

Today, I came to visit without sending any particular message to Masato. I-I brought money properly…?

I opened the bar door. This moment always makes me nervous.

“Welcome, Milady.”

“Ah, um, is Masato on shift?”

“Ah, Masato. He’s scheduled from 19:30 today, so if you wait about 30 minutes he should arrive, but…”

“Ah, then I’ll come back later!”

Huh, I thought Masato always started at 19:00, but maybe something came up at the university?

I could have waited inside, but I hated the idea of Masato seeing me being served by another boy when he arrived, so I left the shop.

Luckily, I know a nearby café, so I’ll kill time th—

“Oh my?”

The moment I stepped out of the shop, a beautiful woman was standing right in front of me. Whether she was on her way home from work or not, dressed in a violet-blue suit, she radiated the vibe of a capable woman.

But I didn’t recognize her. I looked behind me just in case, but no boy was following her out. That voice was definitely directed at me. Wh-who might you be…?

“Um…”

“You’re Masato’s friend, right?”

“Eh?”

I was surprised to hear Masato’s name from such a person.

“I saw you talking with Masato here the other day. When I asked him, he said you were a friend from school.”

“Ah, um, yes, that’s right.”

“Is Masato not working today?”

“Ah, no, apparently he clocks in about 30 minutes from now?”

“Oh, is that so. Then maybe I’ll come back around then, too.”

“Eh?”

The older woman turned on her heel. If she’s leaving because Masato isn’t there… does that mean she comes to the shop solely for Masato?!

“U-um!”

I inadvertently called out to stop her. The lady, who had started walking in the opposite direction of the shop, turned back to me once more.

“Um, what, uh, what is your relationship with Masato…?”

Oh god, if I ask this, she’ll think I’m a weirdo… but I’m curious… If this lady is just a customer, that’s fine, but something, my intuition, is telling me it’s not just that.

Fearfully observing the lady’s demeanor, she wore a somewhat wicked smile.

“What kind of relationship do you think?”

“Eh…”

“Let’s see. You’re waiting for Masato too, right? How about a little tea? I’d like to hear about Masato at school.”

“Ah, um, yes.”

Without really understanding why, I ended up following the lady.

Eh, I’m not being taken somewhere terrible, am I…?

A few minutes following the lady. We arrived at a café with a nice atmosphere that I had never visited.

“I’ll have Earl Grey. And you?”

“Ah, um, then, the same…”

Mochizuki-san ordered from the waiter with practiced movements. On the way here, I learned her name is Mochizuki Seira-san, and that she visits the shop as a customer.

Every single movement feels like a capable person, making me nervous. This person is Masato’s customer…?

“Masato is popular at school too, isn’t he?”

“Ehhh?! Um, well, yes, but he’s not really in a circle or anything, so it’s not like he’s ‘Super Popular!’ or anything… but…”

This is a fact. When Masato is in the cafeteria or classroom, he certainly gets spoken to, but since he doesn’t belong to a specific group, he’s treated a bit like the department’s handsome guy. Like, just looking at him is healing… I thought so at first, too.

“Is that so. Fufufu, I can kind of imagine it. I wish I could have met Masato back in my student days, too.”

Judging from the way she speaks, it’s clear she cares about Masato considerably. Just a customer… doesn’t seem likely after all.

“Um, do you go to that shop… to see Masato, Mochizuki-san?”

“You can call me Seira. That’s right. I go to see Masato. No mistake there.”

I knew it…

The waiter arrived, and two teacups were placed in front of Seira-san and me. The gentle scent of black tea spread out.

I decided to ask Seira-san, who was sipping her tea quietly, the thing I was most curious about.

“Um, Seira-san… do you like Masato as a boy at the bar?”

“No? I like him as a man. Obviously.”

“…!”

The answer was so straight that I involuntarily swallowed my breath. Under the table, my clenched fist tightened. Because that was something I hadn’t been able to say with my chest high lately.

“The fact that you’re so curious about that… means you like Masato too, right?”

Seira-san was looking at me as if testing me. Honestly, it’s a little scary, but there’s no point in lying here. And above all.

“…Yes, I like him. Ridiculously so.”

This feeling alone, I can’t lose. I have the confidence that my love for Masato won’t lose to anyone.

“…Fufu, I suppose so.”

Surprisingly, Seira-san’s reaction was thin. I felt slightly let down.

“Eh, you aren’t going to get angry or anything? Like, ‘Masato is mine!’ or…”

“People don’t say things like that these days. Rather, after everything he did for you, it would be rude to Masato if you didn’t like him.”

“Eh… You know about me…?”

“Yes. I know it very well.”

Seira-san smiled. No, this person is definitely scary!

After that, I heard about how Seira-san met Masato. Certainly, if I were in Seira-san’s position, I would undoubtedly be attracted to Masato too.

I told my story as well. Avoided stories involving Koumi as much as possible, though.

Honestly, at first, I felt anxious and thought Seira-san was scary, but the time spent talking about Masato… about the person we like… wasn’t actually unpleasant. Feeling strangely moody, I spent the time at the café.

“Isn’t it about time Masato clocked in?”

“Yes, that’s right. Um, what will you do?”

“Ah, you can go ahead. I’ll go later.”

“Eh?”

This proposal was a little unexpected. Talking to Seira-san, it was conveyed that her time at the bar was very important to her, so I thought she might say something like, “This alone I won’t yield.”

“Then, I’ll take you up on your offer…”

I don’t know her intention, but I’ll let myself go while Seira-san’s mood hasn’t changed. I was looking forward to seeing Masato in his uniform a little, anyway.

She told me the money was fine, but I couldn’t let her do that much, so I left the payment on the table and went outside.

“Then, excuse me first…”

“Yes, go ahead. …I’ll have him pamper me later.”

“…Eh?”

Just as I was leaving, a bombshell statement flew from Seira-san. H-have him pamper her later? What does that mean?

“U~mm… Pamper you… as in how…”

“There’s no deep meaning, you know? Just that after you go home, I thought I’d have Masato pamper me, that’s all.”

“L-later? You just mean at the shop, right?”

“I didn’t say anything specific. ‘Later’ could mean after you go home, or maybe… after good girls have gone to sleep?”

“…Tch!”

A bad chill stroked my spine.

Could it be that Seira-san is already, with Masato—

“Look, look, if you don’t hurry, another customer might take Masato, you know?”

“Tch…!”

Feeling as though my hair was being pulled from behind, I left the shop.

Dragging my messy thoughts and the tightening pain in my chest, I walked quickly through the busy streets.

It’s a lie, right? Masato and Seira-san, they haven’t crossed the line or anything, right?

“…Moo—!”

Just imagining that Masato might already belong to another woman made emotions overflow so much I couldn’t endure it.

Scritch-scratch, I scratched my head violently. Lately, I’m just being swung around by my own emotions.

My guilt toward Koumi was supposed to have eased a little with the “Let’s conquer Masato together!” direction. But recently, different emotions are getting in the way.

And thinking there might be another woman for Masato makes me this frantic.

“…Ah, I see. I—”

I realized it, this late in the game.

The feeling of liking Masato inside me is… much more than I thought myself.

It was a heavy emotion.