Chapter 5: 2nd Place

That day, the weather was bad, and the forecast had warned of heavy rain.
So I went out with an umbrella.

And sure enough, the rain came pouring down.

I did have my umbrella, but still—there was no need to walk through such a downpour.
With that in mind, I looked around—and there it was: a café.
—The “Ghost Café.”

At the time, I just thought there was a café, that’s all.
When I went inside, a cheerful girl greeted me and took my hand, leading me to a seat.

I thought, “Is this some kind of dangerous place?”—but when I looked at the menu and saw the prices were normal, I felt reassured, you know?

And then, when I looked around, something just felt off.
There were cute girls everywhere—and one of them even sat right next to me.
I don’t remember what we talked about, but I was trembling the whole time.

Now I think I should’ve just enjoyed it more.
But back then, I probably kept thinking it was some kind of dangerous place.

The bill was normal too—but three days later, when I passed by the café, it was completely deserted.

I still don’t know what that was all about.

And so, number two on the list goes to—the “Ghost Café.”

Huh? You worked there too?
If we’d met, I’m sure I would’ve remembered—someone as cute as you.

Ow, ow! Hey, don’t hit me just to hide your embarrassment!

All right, all right—next! Let’s move on!