Reuniting with Yandere

Department stores are convenient places to buy things. While some people enjoy spending time in this fancy place, I personally rarely go there. The reason is simple if you wander around this place without a definite purpose, you'll just be wasting money without even realizing it.

Intending to buy shoes, I went to the store my sister suggested.

"Welcome!"

I was greeted by the clerk upon my arrival at the store. She is a woman in her mid-twenties. She was wearing a shop uniform and makeup that made her look very mature.

"Is there anything I can do for you, Sir?"

"Ah! I'm looking for hiking shoes."

"This way."

The clerk guided me to a place that displayed many hiking boots.

"Do you have any preference, Sir?"

"I think anything that durable yet comfortable will be fine."

"In that case, I recommend these."

The female attendant took three shoes from the display.

The first shoe is black with some shades of red. It has a high collar and a thick sole. The design looks rugged and seems to be designed for various terrains.

The second shoe has a bright color with shades of gray and blue. The design is trendier than the previous one but still has a thick sole to prevent slipping.

The third shoe is not much different from the first. It's just that the color is not black but brown. While the first shoe looked slimmer, the design of this third shoe is a little more 'chubby'

"So, which one do you prefer?"

"Hm... I like the look of the second one, but considering its function, the third one seems the most convincing."

Seeing that I still couldn't decide, the clerk suggested I try the shoes.

"You can try it too if you want."

"May I?"

"Of course."

I did as suggested. I tried all three in sequence.

The three shoes come in different sizes. Some are oversized and some are too small. But I'm just going to try them on, so I can just ask for the right size after deciding which one to buy.

This is surprising. The third shoe that looks big is not as heavy as I thought. But I still don't like the design. If I had to choose, I'd prefer the first one. The second one is good if I'm just going to use it for a casual walk. But for hiking, I'm not sure I'd wear it.

"So, what do you say?"

"I still can't say for sure. Are there shoes like this one but with a trendier design?"

I asked the attendant while showing her the last shoe I tried on.

"Please wait a moment. I'll check our stock."

"Sorry for the trouble."

"No no. It's completely fine."

That onee-san smiled at me as I bowed my head to apologize. She then left me to go to the employee-only section of the store.

I waited for a while before she finally returned with another pair of shoes.

"How about this one?"

She brought me a slim version of the third shoe. The color is still brown, but the design is not as dull as before. It's even better than the first one if I may say so.

"Can I try it?"

"Yes, please."

I tried on these new shoes a bit impatiently.

Un! I like it.

I felt satisfied after actually trying it. It feels comfortable and looks pretty cool.

"I'll take this."

"Thank you for your patronage."

We went back to the front counter to finalize the payment. But before that, I asked if there is a slightly larger size because the shoes I tried on were a bit cramped. I'm afraid my feet will get blisters if I use them for long walks.

While waiting for my purchase to be finalized, I looked around the store.

My eyes immediately caught the sight of a couple who were also shopping at this store. They looked happy even though they were just looking through the goods. They laughed, held hands, and the girl occasionally rested her head on the boy's shoulder as they wandered around the store.

Seeing the bakappuru made me think of my long-lost partner. It's not like she's gone, it's just she hasn't updated me in a long time.

Even after I walked out of the store, I still couldn't get the sight of the couple out of my head.

Now that I recalled it, I felt lonely.

I lifted my head only to realize I had walked quite a distance to a place I was unfamiliar with.

"And now what? I got what I wanted and it was done faster than I imagined. Should I just go straight home?"

I think about it for a moment. Since I'm already here, it would be a waste if I just go straight to the home. So, maybe I'll just wander around a little longer.

Even if I say so, I don't know where to go. I just wandered around aimlessly looking around.

Plus, I felt that being alone in this place was a little out of place. Everywhere I go, I see people going out with their friends, partners, or families. And here I am walking alone like a lost child.

"Let's just go home."

When I was about to take my leave, I saw someone I knew. I caught her figure from afar so I'm not sure. But there was no way I could have misrecognized her.

I walked to the store where I saw my acquaintance. It was a kind of restaurant that served overseas dishes. I pretended to be a customer and sat on the available seats.

There's no mistaking it's her.

My eyes followed a woman in a waitress uniform wherever she go. Just as she went back inside, another waitress came up to me.

"What would you like to order?"

"A coffee please."

"We have Americano, Cappuccino, Latte, Café au Lait—"

"Americano please."

The waitress began to recite the menu as if protesting my unclear order.

"Anything else?"

"That's all."

"One Americano, is that right? Please wait a moment."

When the waitress was about to leave, I called her back.

"A-Ano...!"

The waitress lazily returned to me.

"Is there any problem?"

"I would like to ask if anyone named Tsukinaga-san works here?"

The waitress squinted. Perhaps she felt suspicious of my behavior earlier.

Don't want to cause a fuss, I hurriedly cleared up the misunderstanding.

"My name is Minamoto Kenjiro. I went to the same school as Tsukinaga Chinatsu-san. I didn't expect to see her here, so I just wanted to say hello. If it's not too much trouble, could you pass on my message to her?"

The waitress was still looking at me suspiciously. But, perhaps because she didn't detect any lies from me, she lowered her guard.

"Understood. I'll tell her."

"Thank you very much."

The waitress walked away and went inside.

Not long after, I could see Tsukinaga-san's panicked face as she came out of the kitchen and saw me. She was carrying a tray of coffee with her.

"What are you doing here?!"

She yelled in a low voice.

It's her. It's definitely her.

All sorts of feelings were mixed up inside me. On the one hand, I was relieved to be able to see her again after so long, but on the other hand, I was also annoyed with her for not telling me anything.

To vent all my emotions, I went and teased her.

"Is that how you treat a customer?"

Tsukinaga-san gasped in disbelief. But then she put down the coffee she kept carrying in a good manner.

"Your order, Sir."

"Humu humu!"

I nodded arrogantly. On the other side, Tsukinaga-san gave me bombastic side eyes.

Alu took the coffee cup in front of me and tried to sip it. Almost at the same time, I immediately moved it away from my mouth.

"Yikes! What is this?! It's so bitter."

"Of course. You order an Americano, bitter of course."

Do Americans always drink this?!

Although I sometimes drink black coffee, this is much more bitter. I underestimated it too much.

"So, are you finally going to talk why are you here?"

I wiped my mouth with the tissue on the table.

"Are you sure you have that much time now? Because I think we're going to have a long chat."

I spoke not looking at my interlocutor, but in the direction Tsukinaga-san had come from. I could see a few people peeking through the translucent glass on the kitchen door.

Following my line of sight, Tsukinaga-san also looked in the same direction. But the moment she did, those people immediately hid.

"Sigh... Wait here, I'll be taking a break soon."

"Keep up the good work."

I waved with a big smile at her. But, Tsukinaga-san returned my smile with a frown.

We both knew we are going to have an uncomfortable conversation. Even so, we still need to talk, because that's how couples work.