Give Up, Heart, Stop Already!

After changing back into his school uniform, Natsume Chikage stepped out of the changing room and found Fujiwara Aoi already waiting outside the office.

She had changed into Moonlight Academy's school uniform as well.

The outfit complemented Fujiwara Aoi's neat short hair and healthy tan skin, making her look even more energetic and vibrant.

"Let's register our preferred shifts on the computer now," Natsume Chikage suggested.

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"Mm-hm!" Fujiwara Aoi nodded happily, her eyes curving into crescents.

The two entered the staff break room one after the other.

A computer sat in the corner of the room, used by the manager for work and by employees to register their shifts.

Natsume Chikage turned it on, clicked on the shift schedule file on the desktop, and carefully filled in the hours he was available to work in April.

Fujiwara Aoi had originally wanted to find out Natsume Chikage's schedule, and now she could not help edging closer to him, staring intently at the screen.

However, only a few seconds passed.

She suddenly realized that she was standing far too close to Natsume Chikage, their shoulders even touching.

Close enough for her to catch the faint fresh scent of laundry detergent on him.

And all the other employees had long since left. In the spacious break room, only the two of them remained.

Once she realized that, Fujiwara Aoi's heart began racing uncontrollably. She secretly glanced at Natsume Chikage beside her.

When her gaze landed on his profile as he focused on the screen, she found herself unable to look away from his sharply defined features.

"I'm done. Your turn, Fujiwara."

Natsume Chikage suddenly turned toward her.

Fujiwara Aoi jumped in fright, her heart nearly stopping.

Fortunately, she reacted quickly and immediately turned her face toward the computer screen.

Still, she was incredibly nervous, unsure whether he had noticed her staring at him just now.

"Y-Yeah... let me do it."

Fujiwara Aoi replied, forcing herself to stay calm.

But her cheeks were already as red as ripe apples, and her heart pounded like a drum.

The violent thumping sounded especially clear in her ears, and she even worried that Natsume Chikage beside her might hear it.

Give up, heart! Stop already! Fujiwara Aoi screamed inwardly, but the blush on her face only deepened.

Natsume Chikage politely stepped aside and backed away a few steps, giving Fujiwara Aoi space to use the computer.

Fujiwara Aoi secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

If Natsume Chikage had remained beside her, he might have noticed that she had deliberately arranged her schedule to be exactly the same as his.

Very quickly.

Fujiwara Aoi quietly adjusted her schedule, ensuring that every time slot perfectly overlapped with Natsume Chikage's.

After finishing that little maneuver, she clenched her fist in satisfaction, then shut down the computer and said to Natsume Chikage,

"I'm done."

Natsume Chikage nodded.

"Then let's clock out now."

After locking the Coffee Shop's front door, the two walked side by side through the streets of Shibuya.

Though it was only ten at night, the streets away from the main commercial district were already rather deserted.

The Coffee Shop where they worked happened to be outside the bustling area, and there were very few pedestrians on the streets at this hour.

Only then did Natsume Chikage realize that this was the first time he had gotten off work with Fujiwara Aoi since he had started working there.

Fujiwara Aoi noticed it too, and a small thrill of happiness rose in her heart.

She suddenly remembered that she did not know where Natsume Chikage lived, so she asked curiously,

"By the way, Natsume, do you live far from the Coffee Shop?"

Natsume Chikage pointed down the road ahead.

"Not too far. It's about a fifteen-minute walk."

"What about you?"

Fujiwara Aoi's eyes widened in delight.

"Huh? You live in this direction too?"

"It only takes me five minutes to get home!"

Natsume Chikage looked slightly surprised.

"I didn't expect that."

Fujiwara Aoi walked with light, cheerful steps, her face glowing with happiness.

Since she and Natsume took the same route home, didn't that mean they could often get off work together in the future? Maybe he could even walk her home on the way.

"I never thought we took the same road home~" Fujiwara Aoi said happily, then changed the subject. "By the way, Natsume, what club are you planning to join?"

"I haven't decided yet." Natsume Chikage shook his head. "What about you? Have you already chosen one?"

"Me? I already joined the Track and Field Club!" Fujiwara Aoi playfully raised her index and middle fingers in a victory sign.

"Why did you choose the Track and Field Club?" Natsume Chikage asked curiously.

"...There's no particular reason. I just like the feeling of running!" Fujiwara Aoi flashed a brilliant smile.

"I see." Natsume Chikage nodded in understanding.

Some people ran often simply because they enjoyed the feeling of running freely.

"So what club are you going to join, Natsume?" Fujiwara Aoi asked again.

Natsume Chikage thought about it seriously and realized that there really were no clubs he found particularly interesting.

Besides, he did not have much time to begin with. Aside from working part-time, he also had to write his novel.

Now that he had joined the Shogi tournament too, it would probably be difficult for him to make time for regular club activities anytime soon.

Thinking about it that way, the number of clubs suitable for him immediately shrank considerably.

Clubs like the Kendo Club, Track and Field Club, and Baseball Club usually required regular practice after school.

Unless he chose the "Go-Home Club"—where he could go straight home after school.

But since he was getting another chance at high school life, Natsume Chikage did not want to let it pass by so blandly.

That kind of high school life always felt like it would be missing something.

If he came across an interesting club with flexible activity hours, he would be more than willing to join.

"I haven't decided yet," Natsume Chikage explained. "Aren't there club recruitment and visiting events these next few days? I'm planning to take a look when I have time. Maybe I'll find a club I like."

Fujiwara Aoi nodded repeatedly, her smile bright. "Mm-hm, that sounds best!"

The two continued chatting as they walked, and the streets of Shibuya felt a little less deserted beneath the night sky because of their conversation.

Natsume Chikage's gaze occasionally fell on the Sports Watch on Fujiwara Aoi's wrist.

[Sports Watch]

[Quality: White]

[Effect: Increases the effectiveness of physical training by 15%]

[Description: The girl's efforts day and night are all for the dream in her heart!]

[Synthesis Requirement: At least three pieces of equipment of the same type are required!]

After paying the 20,000-yen entry fee for the Shogi tournament, Natsume Chikage had only around 25,000 yen left in total.

He remembered Fujiwara Aoi saying that the Sports Watch was worth over 60,000 yen.

The Shogi tournament prize structure was: 10,000 yen for winning the first match, 20,000 for the second, 40,000 for the third, and so on...

If he could win three matches in a row, he would earn 70,000 yen in prize money.

Then perhaps he could buy Fujiwara Aoi a Sports Watch of the same price range, or even a more expensive one, and use the opportunity to trade for her special equipment.

After all, the condition of "collect three pieces of special equipment to gain one attribute point" was extremely tempting.

Whenever he encountered special equipment, Natsume Chikage hoped to find a way to obtain it.

Whether it was his sister's bracelet, Yukimura Suzune's small accessory, Aunt Kondo's fighting magazine, or the school's Confession Cherry Blossom Tree, he wanted them all!