"You're serious? My salary is 300,000 yen per month?! And I'm just a part-timer, not even full-time!"
"Yes, that's right. This job does require a certain level of expertise, after all. And in terms of appearance, you're the most impressive candidate I've seen in a while. Though… your height… cough, sorry about that."
"..."
Togawa Sakiko really wanted to snap back with a "How polite of you." But after some thought, she held her tongue.
Still, she couldn't help feeling a little suspicious. This store did seem high-end, but why was the owner being so generous to a high school first-year like her?
Something about it felt off.
"Togawa-san, can I call you 'Sakiko-chan' from now on?" As the store's acting manager, Kujo Azuki was well aware of the situation. Smiling warmly, she addressed the girl before her. "If you have time today, would you like to try working right away?"
"But what about the uniform…"
"No worries. You don't have to wear it on your first day. This is mainly to see if you're suited for the job. Of course, if you're busy today, tomorrow works too."
"Tomorrow…"
No, tomorrow she had already made plans to meet Chi-chan at the company. If Chi-chan didn't see her there, she'd probably start overthinking things.
Besides, she was planning to resign from her customer service job tomorrow. This new job had stricter time commitments, and the high pay naturally came with more demands.
For example: No absences allowed unless under special circumstances like illness or exams.
Even as a part-timer, Sakiko had to come in right after school every day. The clock-out time wasn't too different from her previous job—she was still a student, after all. Working until late at night wasn't an option.
But on weekends, the hours were longer. Since weekends were peak times for customers shopping for instruments, the workload would be much heavier.
According to Kujo-san, their clientele wasn't just parents buying instruments for their kids. Many adults came in as well—people who had missed the chance to learn music when they were younger. They might never reach professional skill levels, but they did have disposable income.
And sometimes, when inspiration struck, they'd splurge on expensive equipment…
Only for it to collect dust.
Regardless, weekends were packed with customers of all ages, meaning Sakiko's job would be much more demanding than on weekdays.
"No problem, Kujo-san." Sakiko flashed a confident smile. She wasn't just a pianist—she had plenty of other skills too. "I'll do my best at this job."
"Great."
Seeing the girl her boss had specifically instructed her to look after accept the job requirements, Kujo Azuki let out a small sigh of relief.
Of course, there was one more thing she had to pretend not to know—Tsuzuki Chihiro's true identity.
Although… she hadn't actually met Chihiro before. All she had was a two-year-old solo photo given to her by Tsuzuki Shifune.
...
"Customer's here."
"Ah… right."
Though she had gone through a brief training session during the interview, now that she was officially starting as a sales associate, Sakiko felt a wave of nerves as she turned toward the entrance of Sunkei Music.
But her view was partially blocked by shelves, so she couldn't see the customers' faces. She could only tell that three or four people had entered together and were making a beeline for the bass section.
"Don't be nervous," Kujo-san reassured her with a gentle smile. "I'll demonstrate first—how to interact with students around their age. Just observe and learn."
"…Okay."
Sakiko trailed behind Kujo, stopping a short distance away from the shelves.
Now, she could finally see who had walked in.
One mature-looking girl.
One black-haired, long-straight-haired JK.
One petite girl.
And—
Chi-chan?!
"Good morning, everyone. How can I help you—ah, La—"
"La?"
Chihiro tilted her head, puzzled by the store manager's sudden hesitation. Then, as if it had just occurred to her, she cupped her hands around her chest and mused, "Hmm… well, I suppose they're not small."
"Ha ha… You're quite the comedian, aren't you?" Kujo nearly blurted out Chihiro's real identity, but managed to stop herself just in time. Though, she did notice the peculiar looks from the girls standing beside Chihiro.
"Eh? Sakiko?"
"Ah…"
Well.
Looks like her moment here was over.
Kujo let out a knowing smile, stepping back as she patted Sakiko's shoulder and feigned surprise. "Oh? You two know each other? Well then, I suppose I'm not needed here."
"I…"
Sakiko hesitated, then took a deep breath before looking gently at Chihiro.
She paid no attention to the others standing beside her.
She had no idea why Chihiro was here, but she didn't feel awkward about it. If anything, the fact that her first customer was Chi-chan felt like fate.
Although… this version of Chi-chan seemed very different from the delicate girl she remembered.
But some things hadn't changed—like the warm way Chi-chan looked at her.
"Chi-chan, you're buying a bass?"
She didn't know much about basses compared to pianos, but Sakiko was at least familiar with some well-known brands and models.
Though… when did Chi-chan start learning bass?
What a shame. If it had been piano, that would've been so much better.
"Yeah, I want this one."
Chihiro scanned the selection of instruments before finally pointing at one and saying, "This should be an ESP GM series, right?"
"This one?"
Sakiko glanced at where Chihiro was pointing, and her expression suddenly shifted.
Isn't this… the same bass as Soyo's?
A coincidence? No way…
Chihiro had mentioned before that she worked at Soyo's place part-time.
Could it be that she was learning music because of Soyo?
That Soyo, being her stingy self, refused to let Chihiro play her bass, so Chihiro was using her own salary to buy one instead—
…Okay, that theory sounded pretty far-fetched.
"Chihiro, do you know about pedalboards?"
"Oh, what, you think I don't?" Chihiro shot a glance at Momoka, clearly unimpressed by the attempt to tease her. Smirking, she turned to Sakiko. "Sakiko, I'll take a Free The Tone PT-5D power supply. And get me their cable controller too—ARC-3 model."
"As for a tuner, just get me a cheap one. And for a patch bay…"
"..."
Sakiko fell silent.
She stared at this somewhat unfamiliar version of Chihiro, momentarily unsure of what was real.
This was clearly… not a beginner.
And suddenly, the people standing beside Chihiro felt like a true group—while she… felt like an outsider.
So what did all those past memories mean?
Had she just assumed that Chihiro, with her tragic background, should be weak and in need of protection?
Was that why she'd treated her like a younger sister? Because if someone else was more fragile than her, it made her own strength and perseverance feel meaningful?
But… did she really know Chihiro at all?
"…Sakiko? Sakiko?"
"Ah—" Sakiko snapped out of her thoughts, avoiding Chihiro's gaze. "Sorry, I spaced out for a second."
And at some point, the others had quietly stepped away, giving them space.
"Oh, right!"
Sakiko's eyes lit up. "Chi-chan, why don't you quit working for Soyo and join me here? The benefits are great!"
As a good friend, it was only natural to share opportunities, right?
"Uh…"
"What's wrong?"
"…Sakiko, actually… Soyo already kicked me out."
"…What?!"
---
T/N: ifhauhuehuehuheuhe hehe