Volume 13 Chapter 235-2 Fuji Department Store-aneki, The War Begins
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
I wonder… Have I finally become the kind of woman I used to look up to back then? Someone who can actually get things done?
”Thank you so much, Senpai!!”
”No worries, no worries. Oh, and they need extra hands on the third floor, so could you help out over there?”
”Yes, ma’am!”
Hang in there, rookie.
I give the new girl a gentle nudge and watch her scurry off.
Alright, next up is…
”Excuse me, could you tell me where the special gallery is?”
”Of course! Right this way.”
Before I have time to catch my breath, I’m off again, leading the next guest toward the special exhibit.
Rumor has it, this gallery’s full of ar2rks celebrating the birth of Aqua-sama and Kanon-sama’s child.
But the real star here──the one everyone comes to see──has gotta be the painting Shirogane Aqua made for his art homework.
While I’m showing the guest around, I sneak a quick peek at Aqua-sama’s piece myself.
What the heck is this…?
For a second there, I almost made a totally dumbstruck face──in front of a customer, no less.
”So this is Aqua-sama’s artwork, huh…”
”Says here the title is: ‘Merry-san and Emily Eating the Famous Banana Sweets in Minato’.”
”Wait, seriously!? That’s supposed to be Merry-san?!”
”That isn’t a sheep──looks more like a Dubai goat to me!”
”And this lewd-looking face? No way that’s Emily-sama… That’s totally Hagetoru, isn’t it?”
”Banana? You sure that’s not… something else?”
”I mean, c’mon! All I see is a Dubai goat and Hagetoru doing something dirty in Minato.”
”Ah, so this must be that meme blowing up social media──girls from Minato heading to Dubai to milk goats, right?”
Hold up.
Was that really the story?
If I remember right, wasn’t it that Hagetoru found some sketchy job ad on an old forum, jumped at it, and got shipped off to Dubai──then all sorts of stuff happened, she saved some kid, the kid’s billionaire parent adored her, and she got a goat as a reward?
That one, yeah.
Speaking of which, whatever happened to that goat from back then?
I feel like Hagetoru said she gave it to some farm or something… or did she?
I honestly don’t remember.
”Ugh, I’m wiped…”
Sometime past 3, I finally grab my super-late lunch.
Damn, Mayuzumi-kun’s sweet tamagoyaki recipe is hitting every corner of my soul right now.
And man, Nee-san’s cooking──plus Chinski’s katsuobushi kinpira──absolute comfort food.
There’s just something about it.
Makes me feel calm, like all’s right in the world.
I shovel down Tenga-senpai’s bamboo shoot rice with those on the side.
Heaven.
’Alright then, let’s roll back the lunchtime coverage one more time.’
’Yeah, let’s. Stuff like this? You can’t watch it too many times.’
Everyone in the break room snaps their eyes to the TV.
Aqua-sama and Kanon-sama appear, each cradling one of the newborn twins.
Huh.
Guess this part’s a royal Stars family tradition or something.
Seriously though──she gave birth just after 5 in the morning, and by noon Kanon-sama’s out front looking like a goddess, twins in her arms?
How is she real.
I wouldn’t know──never been pregnant myself──but every mom on staff was losing it over how insane that is.
”Normally, you’d be completely wiped out, right?”
”Totally. No way I’m showing my face to anyone after that.”
”Sorry, boys, but for most women this just isn’t possible.”
”That’s less ‘Stars Royal Family’ stuff and more ‘Kanon-sama and crew are built different.’”
Huh.
I guess that’s just how it is.
Looking at those twins… I kinda can’t wait to see what they’ll be like someday.
And hold up──Aqua-sama’s kid’s got blond hair and blue eyes.
No joke.
Bet the bulletin boards are going wild──’The real-life Yuujin-sama is here!’
I immediately pull up the forums.
Yup.
There it is.
Knew it.
Dammit.
I wanna post, too!!
”Mmngh, mmngh… gulp. Whew! Guess it’s time to power through the rest of the day.”
With Kohina Yukari’s kusa-mochi stuffed in my cheek, I swap out the supply lines for the front lines──back to the retail warzone.
Next thing I know, it’s 7:30 PM──only 30 minutes till closing.
Even the shoppers pause for just a second.
Wait──that’s fireworks!
Oh, right.
The lunchtime news said there’d be displays all over Japan tonight.
Probably lighting them off near Meiji Shrine, I bet.
I wanted to see them.
The staff must’ve heard my thoughts──they pull up the livestream on the store’s big screen.
Whoa.
There’s more than fireworks──looks like they’ve got a drone show going over in Ariake, too.
Our store’s about to kick off the long-haul sale tonight, but I get the feeling the party is just starting everywhere──like the whole country’s gonna be celebrating for a month straight.
”Alright, everyone! Thirty minutes to closing──let’s give it all we’ve got and finish strong!”
”””””Yes, ma’am!”””””
I rallied the team in the staff room──most of them looked like they might collapse any second.
C’mon, heads up.
Hold yourself together.
We’re employees of what might just be the world’s top department store──there’s no way we’re letting customers see us looking beat.
I’d heard a bit about how the flagship was doing today, but honestly, this place──the first spot Aqua-sama ever came to for an event──was insane.
The crowd’s been wild, all celebrating.
Can’t blame the newbies for looking like they’re about to drop.
Still, this is a perfect chance for them to grow.
I just hope no one pushes past their limit.
Worst case──I’m here, and so are the other seniors.
We’ve got their backs!
”We’re done!”
”Great work, everyone! You did amazing!”
The branch manager made her rounds on the floor, praising each and every person.
No surprise there──by the end of the day, she looked as sharp as she did this morning.
Not a single wrinkle on her jacket, not a hair or swipe of makeup out of place.
It’s like she’d just walked in, fresh and ready.
”Let’s hit Takeko ramen before we go home.”
”Right? I could seriously go for something greasy.”
”Hey! Don’t even think about garlic──you all work tomorrow too!”
”I heard they’ve got that special Birthday Victory Ramen for girls──Hagetoru herself came up with it!”
”Wait, what?! That’s a thing?!”
”Yeah, Takeko’s running a birthday event too. Auntie Takeko even has Aqua-sama’s phone number, y’know.”
”No way we’re getting a seat then──it’s gonna be jam-packed. Maybe I’ll just settle for yakiniku.”
”I said NO strong-smelling food! You’ve all got work tomorrow, remember?!”
As I listened to their chatter, I fixed myself up in the locker room.
Whew. Maybe I’ll treat myself to something on the way home too.
”Alright, everyone──see you tomorrow.”
”Good work today!”
”Thank you for everything!”
”Senpai, count on us again tomorrow!”
As I left the Fuji Department Store in Shinjuku, I made my way toward Shirogane Kingdom through Main Street.
I could’ve grabbed a taxi right away, but… I wanted to walk a little, let the festival energy linger just a bit longer.
Every station on TV’s running specials──right now, there’s footage splashed across the giant screens of everyone in eau de Cologne throwing a live party for the newborn.
’We are truly, terribly sorry!!’
Meanwhile, there’s the Prime Minister again──guess she was out playing baseball this morning──now showing up on another screen to deliver her usual, slightly pathetic apology.
Yeah, dude’s not sorry at all.
Supposedly, that baseball game just hijacked today’s TV schedule on the fly too.
Saw someone post about it on the bulletin boards.
Well, someone inside Shirogane Kingdom had to have recorded it.
I’ll get them to show me later.
”Ah.”
I meant to just grab a bite somewhere around Shinjuku, but… turns out I’ve wandered way further than I thought.
Okay, wait, wasn’t there a good pasta place somewhere around here?
I cut through a side street, making my way to my target.
”…Huh? Wait a sec.”
Did I take a wrong turn?
No, wait──that pasta place, last time I went was back in college, right?
It might’ve closed down ages ago.
Shops flip over so fast in Tokyo, unless it’s some old-school classic, chances are it’s just gone when you’re not looking.
On my way back, I spot a food stand.
Ramen, huh.
Honestly, ever since everyone started raving about Ramen Takeko earlier, I’ve been craving something salty and rich too.
Yeah, forget pasta.
What I need right now is ramen.
Definitely ramen.
I part the noren curtain and grab a seat.
”Oh! Off work for the night?”
”Ah──”
Aqua──ka, Aqua-sama!?
I turn, and there, right beside me, sits Aqua-sama.
”Wh-What are you doing here?!”
”Ah, well──just finished a meeting about our upcoming schedule and stuff, so I’m heading home now.”
Oh, right, makes sense.
They’ve got that tour coming up, don’t they?
Even if they canceled, nobody would blame them, but──not Aqua-sama.
There’s just no way they’d ever let their fans down.
”Wait──did you stop by Fuji Department Store to help out?”
”Yeah.”
”Sorry for dragging you into all this… Making you even busier.”
”No, no, it’s fine! Honestly, we kind of jumped on this ourselves──ah, and, congratulations again!”
”Thank you very much for having me.”
We both nod our heads respectfully, our necks creaking with each bow.
”If you’d like, I’ll treat you. Order whatever you want.”
”In that case, I’ll have… this, um, the light-flavored simple late-night soba, please.”
I thought about going for something rich, but considering tomorrow, I decided to go light.
I mean, it’s not like Aqua-sama would care, but I just didn’t want to be the girl with the garlic breath next to her.
Even though it was just a few minutes, it was a truly enjoyable time.
”Then, I’ll be heading back to the Shirogane Kingdom now.”
”Ah, yes.”
”In that case, hop on the back of my bike. I’m heading back too.”
”Huh?”
Is it really okay?
Could it be that I’m… not going to die tomorrow?
No, even if I were to die right here in my bed, I might be happy.
After finishing the ramen, I was taken back to the Shirogane Kingdom on the back of Aqua-sama’s bike.
It really was like a dream.
Bath-aneki, Lip-reading expert-aneki… if I die here in bed, please gather my bones.
The moment I entered my room, I collapsed onto the bed and fell asleep as I was.
Well then, good night.
Let’s do our best again tomorrow.
Fuji Department Store-neki “Our battle is just beginning!!”
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
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