Hi guys. sorry there was a mistake with the last chapter. It was supposed to be “host or a nurse” and not “host or a nursery teacher”
Saotome-san leaves a strong first impression
~Ding-dong~
「Oi, Matsu I am here」
「Thanks a ton, Tsuchiya!」
「Uaah, was it the next door?!」
As I opened the door, a dark-skinned man with short hair suiting his complexion and carrying a backpack was standing before apartment number 605. It was Tsuchiya Haruto, my former colleague from the same province that I am meeting for the first time in three weeks.
I was waiting here as the intercom is audible even from Mio-san’s apartment (number 603). Looks like he was surprised more than I expected him to be. However taken aback, his hands still tightly clutched the bag from the pharmacy.
「How was it? Were you able to buy everything?!」
「Un, Of course! I managed to get the grape flavour too」
「Aaa, I am grateful」
「And the sake too, here..」
Tsuchiya, much to my surprise, took out a 1.8L bottle from his mountaineering backpack. Moreover that label.
「Dassai.. you, did you go all the way home to get this?」
「Hahaha, I didn’t know what to get and thought might as well get this as you cannot go wrong with the best! Anyways you seemed to be in trouble so」
「…..Thank you!!」
『Dassai』, it is a Junmai Daiginjo sake that is manufactured in Yamaguchi prefecture. In short, it is a slightly expensive sake. It is expensive not because of exorbitant pricing but because of its unique sweetness and rarity driven by brand value.
For the people of Kyuushu in particular, it is dear to their heart. A lot of them, when moving out for work, take a bottle along with them, as it carries with it the nostalgic scent and flavour of their hometown.
「It’s something that you treasure, isn’t it?」
「That’s right, but no worries. Once I hand it over, you are going to explain everything to me. What’s going on?」
「Aa, actually—」
「Excuse me, are you Matsutomo-san’s neighbour?」
「Ah! Mio-san, did you wake up already? …….Eh?」
I turned around, hearing Mio-san’s voice. Wearing a pink cardigan over her pyjamas, Mio-san was standing over there using the wall to support herself. Her disheveled hair was put into order in a simple manner using her hands.
It’s not a bad thing but, what is this bad premonition that I am getting?
「He, Hello I am Tsuchiya Haruto! Wowww a gorgeous beauty. Oi Matsu, so it was a gorgeous beauty. Why are you there at such a beauty’s house?」
His eyes are glued to Mio-san as he roughly shakes my shoulder. His palm is all sweaty.
「Why do you have to repeat things twice. This is Saotome Mio-san, my neighbour and also my employer」
「Employer? Not your manager or superior?」
「Yes, I have signed an employment contract with her. I help her out in managing her house; I am getting paid well enough to make living doing only this much.」
Before Tsuchiya arrived, I thought hard on how to explain things. I realised that things can easily be settled if I deceive him, but doing such a thing to someone who sacrificed his precious early day off and even went so far as to bring out his treasured 『Dassai』, would be very much rude and impolite.
Therefore, even if things get complicated, I decided to explain it honestly.
「What are you talking about… I don’t really get you」
「I requested him. It’s embarrassing to admit it but, being a workaholic I started to fall apart and longed for a social life」
Ah, I see now.
In front of Tsuchiya, who she is meeting for the first time, work-mode Mio-san has taken over.
「Umm.. Saotome-san? You seem to have caught a cold?」
「Yes, it’s because of neglecting my health. Thanks a lot Tsuchiya-san for buying the medicine for me! I am really sorry that you had to witness me in this sorry state」
「Not at all! It’s not a big deal」
This guy, his attitude has completely changed with Mio-san smiling at him.
「They say that birds of a feather flock together. As expected of Matsutomo-san’s friend, you are really kind」
「If you suddenly praise me like that…..Hahahaha」
「It’s getting more difficult for me to stand, I will definitely express my gratitude to you later on. Thank you for everything. Please excuse me」
「Please don’t mind it!…. Fuaagh」
Tsuchiya who was shaking my shoulder till Mio-san disappeared from the corridor had a blank expression for about five seconds. He then let out a sigh and this time grabbed both of my shoulders.
「Matsuu, was she the one who was one the phone a while back? She gives of a completely different impression.」
「Eww gross, your face is too close. Now don’t we all behave like a kid when we are sick or when we are too tired. Mio-san’s case is just a bit on the extreme side.」
A little huh.
Well, night-mode Mio-san is something from her personal life so, I can’t really talk about it to him.
「That aside, Matsu—, you didn’t tell me that you have gotten yourself such a great job! And all this while I was having hard time under that wiggy cuckoo」
「I kept silent because I didn’t think it was a grea….. Wait a second, that guy started using a wig?」
The wig-head mentioned here should probably be section chief Hayakawa, master of the art of dumping his work onto others.
His nickname when I used to work was ‘bald cuckoo’.
「All of a sudden he started wearing a wig with plenty of hair and said, “ Hahaha, finally the efforts on growing my hair have yielded results. Listen well everyone, if you put in your efforts, you will definitely be rewarded.”」
「What about Murasaki?」
「I managed to drag her back before she could say something…」
「Thank goodness!」
Murasaki is our junior. I got her a stuffed cat when Tsuchiya took us to the game center on her first year of employment.
Sporting a short build and a child-like face, she was popular for being cute when she entered the company. Honest and straightforward to the core, she doesn’t beat around the bush and her words are blunt. This has caused quite a few incidents in the company within her first month of employment.
I was worried that she might have said something this time too. Thankfully Tsuchiya was there to stop her.
「Now then, go back to nursing Saotome-san」
「That’s right, thanks a lot for today!」
「Ah, take care and don’t put your hands on a sick person」
「I won’t. Probably…」
At the end of the day it might even be dependent on the effectiveness of the Lord’s Prayer. It’s certainly something that only God knows.
「No, but still Saotome-san. Saotome-san gratitude—」
「I think it’s fine to have some expectations. Working in the sales department of a marketing company she is well versed in getting presents and stuff」
Tsuchiya should probably not expect things like a romantic late night dinner in a scenic restaurant or something. Still, he could go for it and invite her out.
「Hehe. Then I am going home. Convey my regards to Saotome-san」
「Yes. I will also take you out somewhere, so look forward to it」
「Great!!」
Men from Kyuushu might tend to be skirt chasers, but they are a generous, docile and emotional lot.
Even though it was a top-tier black company, having met a person like him, it was well worth my time there.
As he was heading towards the elevator, Tsuchiya remembered something and stopped in the middle.
「Aa」
「What happened?」
「It’s about the Dassai from earlier」
「Yeah, tell me」
「It’s only for the sake of Saotome-san, who is sick. Don’t you dare drink it.」
「Ehh?」
「On top of cohabiting with Saotome-san, you kept quiet about it. Unforgivable」
「Eeehhhhh?」
「Then, goodnight」
「…….Eh?」
Honestly speaking, I give up.
Thanks for the chapter! Tsuchiya sounds like a real bro, glad to see more characters being added.
Thinking the simplified truth would clear your friend’s mind of the gutter was naive.
Of course, a lie would provably have collapsed swiftly in an ugly fashion under the weight of questioning & Mio’s jealousy inducing appearance.
Lol
He could have always remained a host (笑)
Finally side chara beside the baldy and his superior. Seem like the kouhai will come to apartment too.
Thx for the chapter !!
haha, you can look forward to it