V2 – Episode 41 – Part-time Job

Chapter 4 – Persuading Mother Enami

Volume 2

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…It was that night that I received a line from Enami-san.

Risa Enami: Hey.

The phone vibrated. A casual message, as if she was speaking to me verbally. I stopped solving the math problem and touched the screen.

The air conditioner hasn’t been working well since a while ago. I turned up the temperature once with the remote control and typed a reply.

Naoya Ookusu: Mm?

The cold was making it hard for her to do anything, but I wondered if she was feeling a little better.

I waited for the next message as I continued my studies. After about five minutes, my phone finally shuddered.

Risa Enami: Nothing to do.

Just one text. I couldn’t believe that it would take five minutes just for this. Either she didn’t notice my message right away, or she was wondering what to type. It was hard to imagine the latter, so maybe it was the former.

It’s been a while since I’ve heard from Enami-san. I don’t think I’ve heard from her since the time I got beaten to a pulp by those delinquents.

It was already past ten o’clock. I was starting to get sleepy.

On the other hand, Enami-san may have slept too much and is now feeling wide awake.

Naoya Ookusu: How’s your cold?

Risa Enami: I’m almost recovered.

This time it came quickly. I sip from the plastic bottle on the desk. It’s a caffeine-free energy drink that I’ve been into lately. The carbonation spread in my mouth.

Risa Enami: It’s been a long time since I’ve had a cold. I realized how hard it was to be sick. I couldn’t stop the chills.

Naoya Ookusu: Indeed, you looked so pale when we came. It seemed like you had no time to care about us.

Risa Enami: …I’m sorry about that. I really wanted to send you away. I didn’t want you guys to have to deal with that by staying here too long.

Naoya Ookusu: I know. We didn’t mind a bit, either. By the way, did Nishikawa visit you again today?

Risa Enami: She did. We had more time today, so we talked a bit.

Naoya Ookusu: I see.

Then maybe I should have gone too.

However, Nishikawa is really diligent. If Nishikawa were a man, all women would fall in love with her. But Nishikawa is also popular among men. Although her appearance is flashy, she is usually cute and has a good personality.

I closed my math book and fell into the bed with my phone in my hand. The wind from the air conditioner blew at me. A lot of papers on the wall are shaking and making little noises.

A lot of letters are dancing. Words that have been repeatedly pounded into my mind. When Sayaka saw this scene, she was taken aback and seriously worried, saying, “Are you back from the battlefield or what?”. I’m sure Enami-san would be taken aback and make fun of me if she saw it.

I couldn’t see much out the window due to the reflected light. I bit down a yawn.

Naoya Ookusu: How’s your mother doing?

Risa Enami: She’s not yet recovered.

The living room is mostly cleaned. Now all I have to do is clean up the kitchen and I’ll have accomplished my request.

However, the situation hasn’t changed one bit.

I was concerned that even if we cleaned it up, it would become dirty again.

Naoya Ookusu: Is it hard?

Risa Enami: Not really. I’m already used to it. I’ve been trying not to get too involved.

Naoya Ookusu: I heard from Nishikawa. I heard you’re crammed with part-time jobs.

After a pause of about a minute, the next message is sent.

Risa Enami: Oh yeah. I heard that. Well, it’s not something to hide, I guess.

Naoya Ookusu: Is that the reason why you were often late?

Risa Enami: Yes.

The old Enami-san that I remember is the one who is always late, and the one who sleeps in class. I thought she wasn’t interested in others, but maybe she was exhausted before that.

Risa Enami: Even if you call it a part-time job, it’s not like I’m doing anything weird. I often worked late at night at a karaoke bar or a convenience store. I didn’t want to stay in one place of work too long, so I worked at different places from time to time. In those workplaces, the work doesn’t change much, so I could apply quickly even if I had to switch around a lot.

Naoya Ookusu: How many shifts do you work?

Risa Enami: Every day

Naoya Ookusu: What about sleeping hours?

Risa Enami: Not much, I guess. I’ve been cutting back on my shifts lately, so I have a lot more time to spare.

I was surprised that she spoke more easily than I expected.

Maybe she really didn’t want anything to do with his mother. Otherwise, she would have put in an earlier shift. Perhaps she was just hanging out while there was still daylight and didn’t come home at night for her part-time job. As a result, the things she had been holding onto became apparent in this way.

–I’ve been cutting back on my shifts lately, so I have a lot more time to spare.

I thought that this “recently” was referring to the time when Enami-san became serious. If that’s the case, then it wasn’t just a matter of money that she was working part-time.

Naoya Ooksu: But you continue to work?

Risa Enami: That you see. It’s not that I don’t like to do part-time work or anything.

Naoya Ookusu: How did you manage not to get caught by the school?

Risa Enami: Well, there’s no problem. I chose a place where people from our school are unlikely to come.

In fact, I’ve never heard anything about a part-time job from Shiroyama sensei. He simply told me that she was late because she was unserious.

Suddenly, I thought back to the photo I had seen in Enami-san’s room. I couldn’t ask her about that picture. However, I had a hunch that the image that lingered in my mind was the key to unlocking the inner workings of Enami-san’s mind.

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TN: here’s an extra chapter I wanted to release yesterday as thanks to the Ko-fi.

IMPATIENT MTL READER

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