As usual, yeeess...here I am, Kamachi Ai...desu! Reporting for duty...

  ...as a convenience store worker.

  "Ahh, same boring day as usual huh, I thought it would be something special or something like that...well what can I expect, an ordinary girl like me, working as an ordinary cashier in convenient store, how more ordinary could it be? Boooring as hell!!..."

  "Well, it wouldn't be if for some reason a kaijin crashed into a store and wreak havoc here so I could get some free time while the store is being repaired...AAAAHHH! I spout nonsense again!!" It wouldn't be Kamachi Ai without dramatic head sway she usually does when frustrated.

  (Kaijin: Humanoid monster often seen in various superhero media)

  AaaAAaah!! This is because I have no money that I'm now stuck working here every day!! Where's my supposed dramatic life could be?

  Here it was, kamachi Ai, in the same uniform as before, sketched some circle with her finger on the counter to kill some time. Sometimes, she stared at the end of the room with a blank stare, which from the outsider's perspective, made it seem like Ai was some kind of empty husk that died from severe monotone normalcy that sucked the life out of her.

  Until her mind wandered back to several days ago...the moment where she met a girl named Konoda Mizu, that glittering, shimmering, confetti filled long hair of a rich girl, she could only imagine what Mizu would usually do at the time like this. Traveling? Karaoke? Shopping? Watching movies? Well, her mind couldn't comprehend the possibilities of what an actual rich girl would do in her spare time after school...well, mostly because Ai...this Kamachi Ai, was broke.

  That girl...that overly accessorized hair of a girl...it's been days since I met her, I wonder how she's doing right now...

  ...A crimson hue emitted from Ai's face, as she realized what her mind was wondering about, abruptly hide her face with her arms, folded.

  Wait—why am I thinking about her?? She's nothing but another customer of this shop!! Get yourself together, Kamachi Ai!!

  With that embarrassing thoughts out of the way, Ai collapsed like usual on the counter and stretched her arms upfront, since no one currently visited the store right now, all she could hear was a humming sound coming from the fluorescent lamps.

  "Well, maybe if no one is visiting this store at this hour right now, then...hmm, I'm...fine with some slacking, right?"

  Her hand slowly reached out to the drawer on the counter, slowly and steadily...pulled out a light novel out and opened the last page she read yesterday.

  Ain't nothing beat the satisfaction of reading a light novel in a quiet shop, hehe~

  Minutes went by as Ai engrossed herself in the world of the book in her hand, time to time, she wiped her tears from laughing or crying at the story.

  "Oh gawd!!...Why didn't you say that sooner to her?! She'd think you're hating her or something, you dumb protagonist!!"

  Well, It's a light novel after all, no way it'd be realistic, am I right?

  An hour has passed, and half of the book already burned into Ai's memories, as she gripped the sides very hard to that one particular page on the book...

  The book Ai read was just an average....or not-so-average light novel, definitely filled to the brim with lilies...and petals.

  Let us saw what Ai actually read...shall we?

  ===

  Beyond the loud sounds of vehicles that passed Ria from behind, as well as many passerby that chattered as they walked past her, she couldn't help but imagine, what if she never expressed what she felt to the one she cherished the most, Sena, just before she left from her side forever?

  I...maybe...have lied to myself, I lied, lied, and lied to myself and my heart, for so long, that it started to chip away my sanity...if I have to be honest to myself...Sena-chan, I might actually like you, really, really like you...

  I don't care if we're both girls or whatever, ignore all of that! The most important thing is, that I lied about not liking you...but what if Sena-chan didn't think the same way about me? About us? And for her, we're just friends that cling way too close at the end of the time?

  Ria cupped her own face many times, trying to regained some composure of herself and her will to expressed Sena what she wish to say from the deepest part of her heart.

  "I can't stay like this forever, I should find her, quickly! Before she departed!" Ria clasped her hands on the fabric above her chest and wiped her tears.

  "This is my only...No, my last chance to tell her what I actually felt about her!" As Ria ran from the entrance of the station all the way to the subway station.

  Her steps was suddenly frozen from a yell that echoed directly to her ears.

  "Ria-chan!! Wait!" The voice, it was Mako, as she told Ria to stop, she was scared, so frightened, and filled with desperation.

  "Mako-chan, What is it again?! I told you, I'm in a hurry right now!!" Ria instantly hushed Mako, telling her to stop bothering her while she chased the one she was supposed to meet for the last time.

  "NO! It's not like that!"

  "What is it, then?"

  "I know that you'd never think about me the same way as you'd think about Sena-chan, but...it's fine, it's fine for me!" tears started flowing on Mako's cheeks as she declared her resignation for Ria.

  The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

  "Mako..."

  "But—I just wished for you to not abandoned me as friend!...That's all I ever wanted from my life...and watching you happy with Sena-chan also makes me happy..." as Mako quickly approached Ria to gave her the final push she needed to further solidify her will for Sena.

  "That is why...go! Find her as soon as possible! You still have time, she's still waiting for you! Ria-chan!"

  "Mako-chan...y-yeah, thank you!! Thank you!"

  "Itterasshai (Take care, and be careful)...Ria-chan..."

  "Well then, I'm going now!" as Ria turned her back on Mako and rushed to the train stop.

  Good luck, Ria-chan...

  Sena-chan...where are you?

  Ria scoured many spots on the stop, wondering where Sena might be before she departed, until she found Sena still on the bench, waited for her train.

  "Sena-chan!" she yelled at Sena loud and clear as Sena turned her had towards Ria.

  "Ria-chan...why are you here?"

  "Sena-chan, I–, I actually..." she tried her best to formulate coherent speech while something has bloomed inside her heart.

  Sena, realized that Ria was struggling to say something, quickly grabbed her hands and pulled it up to their face, which calmed Ria for a moment.

  "Ria-chan, just tell me what you want to say..."

  "Sena-chan, I..I–, I might actually like you!!" Sudden burst of sentence accidentally came out of Ria's mouth.

  Oh no, I said it, I finally said it, I bet Sena-chan would hate me for it! It's over...

  "So...that's how you felt about me, Ria-chan?" Sena tilted her head as she smiled to Ria who crumbled in front of her.

  "Y-you, didn't like it?"

  "No~, Well, I might be mad for a little bit" Mischievous smile formed on Sena's lips.

  "Why?" Ria stunned and asked for reasons.

  "Because you didn't tell me sooner, that's why" as Sena pointed a finger on Ria's nose.

  "You don't hate me?"

  "Why would I? You're my only best friend..." she turned her head down, slowly getting quiet about it.

  "...and the one I liked the most..." quickly lift her head to face Ria.

  "Sena-chan..."

  With a gentle embrace, Sena pulled Ria's head closer to her face as she planted a kiss on Ria's forehead. The kiss felt so soft, the lips stayed like that for a minute that time felt like it has stopped for both of them. As Sena's lips departed from Ria's forehead.

  "Fufu, have we officially became lovers?"

  "Maybe...you are right..." Ria felt happy that her love for Sena has been reciprocated, but deep down she felt an obvious pang of sadness crept out of her heart.

  "Ria-chan? What happened? Why are your eyes so teary-glossy?"

  "I–I couldn't accept the fact that you are actually leaving me forever, just as I expressed my love for you, thinking about it makes me hurt..."

  "Eh? Who said I'm leaving you together"

  "Eh? So...where exactly are you doing to go? And for how long?"

  "Oh my, I forgot to tell you! I actually planned on visiting my relatives on another prefecture for a whole week? Where do you get that I'm leaving you forever?"

  "Ah—so you are not actually leaving forever, oh god...it's a relief~"

  "Don't tell me, you can't stand the fact that I'm leaving you even for a week?"

  "S-shut up!"

  "giggles Ahh~, clingy Ria-chan is so adorable...so, what we will do when I returned from my vacation?"

  Upon hearing the question, Ria couldn't help but playing with her fingers. I want to have date with Sena-chan! was what Ria wanted to say to Sena, but getting that out is heavier than lifting a bowling ball.

  "D-Date?" with a reddened face which so obvious to Sena that she laughed watching Ria being so flustered about their plan.

  "Well then, it's on! We're having a date next week! So prepare yourself, Ria-chan, hihi"

  "Yes! I'm looking forward to it!!" Ria smiled knowing that Sena eagerly accepted her plan.

  "Ah– the train has arrived, see you next week, Ria-chan!!"

  "See you!!"

  ***

  ===

  "Oh my god! They actually got together!!" Ai squealed from reading the book, but quickly snapped as she scanned the surrounding for anyone that might have seen her, but it was empty.

  Ahh...unfortunately the store still empty, I don't want anyone to found out me reading this novel...

  She didn't actually wanted to read this book at first, but her friend, Kana, a bookworm on her class recommended her this...more like she forced Ai to read it.

  Maybe I should read the next chapter...AaAHH!

  *Ding* a customer visited the store, which startled Ai as she hurriedly put the book back inside the drawer, hoping the customer didn't notice what she read.

  I hope they didn't see it...BECAUSE it's absolutely embarrassing!!

  The customer was an older lady with glasses, probably around her 30s as seen with the formal outfit she wore and the bag she carried around in her hand.

  "Welcome to this shop, may I help you with something?" She placed a smiley face in front of the customer, a habit she did for as long as she remembered working as convenience store worker.

  "Ara~, so polite, it's so rare to see a hardworking girl like you work a part-timer here, kinda reminds me of when I was young..."

  "And...is there really any difference with it to the one in front of you?"

  "No–, not at all! That's why I said that it reminds me of my past, ahh how nostalgic..." The lady put her free hand on her hip as she exclaimed the nostalgia of her working part-time when she was young.

  "Haa...alright then, do you have any reason to do a part-time job at that time? You know, books you want to buy? Clothes? Bag?"

  "Not really, I worked a part-timer...because I don't want to rely on my parents too much..."

  This lady has a more noble reason than mine!! I sensed a flashing light of an aura coming from her!! It's so blinding!!

  "Hee, that's a very good reason right there, compared to me....working because I have no money...so boring isn't it?"

  "My-my, don't say it like that, sweetie! Tho, I won't totally lie about that...working sure is boring~, right? Sitting and typing for hours while getting yelled at by seniors....ahh...I want some more time to laid back and watch some drama or something..."

  This adult woman also felt the same thing about working? Well, isn't that make us, you know—like comrade?

  "Eh? Is that so?"

  "It is! All I wanted to do right now is to rest, go to karaoke, and drink something with my buddies!! Ahahahaha—"

  Ah, she's a total sucker to laid back and lazed out...

  "But, if I have to say something to you, sweetheart...even if it seems boring to you, you have to keep smiling!"

  "Smiling?" Ai tilted her head in confusion.

  "Yes, smiling...because no matter how hard it is, or how boring it is, working as convenience store...is actually kinda fun!"

  "Fun? Are you making fun of me?"

  "Why would I, as a former convenience store worker like you...being able to meet so many different people, bring something fun to the table of otherwise boring job"

  "Meeting many people?"

  "Yes, even for a smart girl like you, should know to find the silver lining of everything isn't it?"

  "Haa..."

  She's right tho, meeting so many faces, talking with them, helping them...somehow, is not bad, at all! Especially...that girl, her randomness and shenanigans, actually made my day brighter than before...

  As Ai let out a sigh of resignation that she accepted the lady's opinion, she noticed something peculiar from the customer in front of her...that long pink hair, sorta reminded her of someone...

  Looking a bit closer, this woman...looks kinda like...oh god, don't tell me...

  "Oh, we talked so much that I forgot to introduce myself, well since we're having a fun conversation, might as well become friends too, isn't it? My name is Konoda Saki, nice to meet you Ai-chan!" as Saki offered Ai her hand for a shake.

  "K-KONODA!!?" Ai jolted back from hearing the name.

  "What happened, Ai-chan?"

  Crap, Konoda...that Konoda!!

  "N-nothing, nice to meet you...Saki-san..." she shook the hand with abrupt and rapid shaking.

  "Fufu, well then...I'm gonna go and find something I want to buy, see you in a minutes, sweetheart~" Saki turned her back on Ai as she left to scour the shop.

  Why? WHY? Konoda Saki...is she Mizu's mom? Sister? Which is it?! And that pink hair!! It's definitely that Konoda!! Why two Konodas became my friends one after another??

  "I can't think of anything else!! AaaaAAhhH!" Once again, Ai did her known dramatic head sway upon learning the lady's identity...

  ***

  chapter...! ^_^

  Update: Fixed some typo in family name