Chapter 2 part 2

Several days later on a weekday, I was helping out at Kura after school as usual.

“All right, Aoi. I think it’s time we changed the window display, so could you take down the current one for me?” Holmes asked, approaching me with a box.

“Sure,” I nodded enthusiastically. My duties here generally only consisted of cleaning and watching over the store, so I was happy to get a more meaningful task. Even cleaning didn’t make me feel useful at all, since the place was already clean when I got here. Holmes and the manager were apparently more grateful to have someone to keep watch than I would’ve thought, because they both had the tendency to want to suddenly leave the store—but I still wanted to be of more use, so I couldn’t have been happier.

The window display had tea utensils arranged in it. One by one, I dusted them off, wrapped them in paper, and placed them inside the box. The tea utensils were cherry blossom themed.

“Kyoto’s cherry blossoms are ending soon, huh?” I murmured while staring at the patterns.

Holmes, who was doing the accounting, quietly answered, “Yes,” with a nod.

“What will be going here next?”

“I was thinking we’d theme it around the Aoi Festival.”

“Oh, I see.”

As we were talking, I noticed an elderly man determinedly walking towards the store. Just as I was wondering about him, he opened the door rather forcefully.

“Hey, Kiyotaka.”

Whoa, what’s with this person?

He had a mustache and wore traditional Japanese clothes and a hat with a visor. He looked totally retro but radiated a “chic” fashion sense and cleanliness. There was something intimidating about this gentleman.

Holmes gaped at him before saying, “Owner.”

“Huh?” My eyes opened wide as well. Owner? This person is Kura’s owner? The nationally certified appraiser, Seiji Yagashira?

In other words, Holmes’s grandfather?

“Hey, looks like you’re doing well.” The owner smiled heartily and glanced at me. “Huh, you got a girlfriend? Now that’s exciting.”

I was startled, but before I could deny it, Holmes responded, “This is Aoi Mashiro, who’s helping us with the shop. I told you over the phone that we hired a high school girl as a part-timer. Did you forget?” Holmes sighed, exasperated.

“Oh yeah, you did say that. Aoi, my grandson is a real oddball, but please bear with him.”

The owner extended his hand for a handshake, and I hesitantly shook it, saying, “Yes, please bear with me as well.”

The owner withdrew his hand and said, “What a cutie. Would you like to get coffee at that cafe over there?”

“Huh?” My eyes widened.

Holmes instantly cut in. “Please don’t hit on the high school girl who’s here to work.”

H-His grandfather was hitting on me?

“Don’t say it like that. I was just trying to be friends,” the owner pouted, not looking very happy.

Holmes closed the accounting book and sighed. “More importantly, you brought something troublesome here again, right?”

“Now that’s my grandson,” the owner said, folding his arms and looking proud.

“I see a mother and her daughters looking nervous outside the shop. You invited them here, right?”

The owner quickly turned around and opened the door for them, like a gentleman. “You came! Welcome.”

“Hello.” The group bowed as they came in. There was a middle-aged woman dressed in an expensive-looking kimono, a pretty woman in a dress who looked around university age, and a girl who looked around the same age as me.

Wait…that last one looks familiar. As I was squinting at her, she asked, “Are you…Mashiro from Class 1?”

“Y-Yeah, you’re Miyashita from Class 2…right?” Now I remember; she goes to my school and we’re in the same year. We’re in different classes so I don’t know what she’s like, but I know her name and face because we’ve been in combined classes before. Her name is Kaori Miyashita.

“Why are you here, Mashiro?”

“I-I work here.”

“Oh, I see.”

As we were having our awkward conversation, the owner smiled and said, “Oh, you’re friends with Miyashita’s youngest daughter? What a coincidence!”

Um, I wouldn’t say we’re friends…

Ignoring my hesitation, he continued, “Come and take a seat, Miyashita.” He guided the guests towards the sofa. “Kiyotaka, prepare tea. Aoi, bring the standing signboard inside and put up the ‘Closed’ sign.”

“O-Okay.”

Wow, he’s closing the store. What on earth is happening?

Feeling a bit anxious, I changed the front door’s sign to “Closed” and brought the signboard inside.