Chapter 156: A Robbery?!
“Happy New Year!”
Our voices overlapped, echoing through the restaurant’s back room.
Empty tables, chairs stacked, and the smell of melted cheese filling the air. We were finally done with the holiday rush. Well—half done. Technically, the real chaos trickled on for another two days, but tonight felt like the finish line.
Manna-san, the sweetest devil boss alive, had bought us pizzas as a “thank you” meal. My stomach, abused by late-night bentos and instant ramen, cried in happiness.
“Oh my gosh! I still can’t believe I actually wore the horse mask!” Aki shouted with sauce still on her cheek, holding a slice like a trophy.
Suzuka and Miko burst into laughter. “Lucky you,” Miko said, grabbing her own slice.
“Lucky?” I snorted between bites. “The real shock was that the kids actually liked it.”
Aki puffed up with pride. “Of course! I modified it to be child-friendly.” She pointed dramatically at the horse mask sitting in the corner.
Glitter sparkled on its snout, fake blush painted on the cheeks, and—why, dear god why—lipstick smeared across the muzzle like the Joker.
Honestly? It looked like something that would haunt you in your dreams.
Keiko plopped down next to me, taking her share of pizza. She sighed. “I seriously don’t understand what kids these days like anymore.”
“Heh!” Aki smirked, pointing her greasy finger at Keiko. “That’s because you’re old! You don’t get youngsters anymore!”
Smack!
Keiko didn’t even hesitate. She swatted the back of Aki’s head with a flat palm.
“Ouch!” Aki yelped, holding her head.
I nearly choked on my pizza laughing. Suzuka and Miko froze, trying so hard not to laugh, but the corners of their mouths twitched dangerously.
Keiko turned her glare on me. “And you?”
I raised my hands in surrender, grinning. “Hey, hey, I’m just the audience here. But… maybe time to accept it, Keiko. Generations are changing.”
She gave me a cold stare, puffing her cheeks in a pout. “Fine. Guess I’ll just sulk here.”
Ah, the classic Keiko pout. Equal parts adorable and terrifying.
Aki, of course, decided to push her luck further. “By the way, Ryuko,” she leaned over with a mischievous grin, “you already got something planned for your graduation party, right?”
The words hit me like a bucket of ice water.
“…Graduation party?” I repeated.
Miko jumped up like a firework had gone off under her chair. “Oh my god, that’s right! It’s in three days!!”
The three-day countdown to doom. Perfect.
I scratched my head and sighed. “Not really… I didn’t plan anything.”
Aki’s eyes gleamed like a shark spotting fresh meat. She turned slowly to Keiko and whispered loud enough for all of us to hear, “Don’t let her leave until she agrees to throw us a party.”
Suzuka immediately nodded in solemn agreement. “Yes.”
“Eh?!” I froze. This wasn’t mutiny, this was a heist in broad daylight.
Then—the betrayal. Keiko crossed her arms, smirked, and joined them. “Sure. Until she throws a party for us.”
“Keiko! You too?!” I mouthed exaggeratedly at her. Are you kidding me?!
She only smirked more, sipping her drink like a villainess in a drama.
“Okay, okay, I get it.” I waved my hands. “This is extortion. Blackmail. Illegal workplace harassment!”
Aki raised her slice like a sword. “No, Ryuko. This is what you called a thankful gesture to your seniors.”
Miko crossed her arms, trying to look intimidating but still had pizza sauce on her chin.
While Suzuka nodded awkwardly, clearly not sure how far this joke would go.
I pointed dramatically at Suzuka. “Then Suzuka’s out! She’s technically my junior!”
Suzuka’s mouth dropped. “Eh?! That’s unfair!”
Before she could argue more, Aki and Miko both slapped their hands on mine and shouted, “Deal! We don’t care about her anyway!”
“TRAITORS!” Suzuka howled, grabbing her hair.
I grinned, sealing the pact with a loud “Ohhh!” along with Aki and Miko.
“NOOO! DON’T LEAVE ME BEHIND!” Suzuka threw herself to the floor, fake-crying, rolling around like she’d just lost a war.
The three of us ignored her, piling on more “Ohhh! Ohhh!” cheers like a sports team celebrating a win.
And then—Keiko joined us. She actually joined the “Ohhh!” huddle.
Suzuka’s wail grew louder. “EVEN YOU, KEIKO-SENPAI?! I THOUGHT WE WERE FRIENDS!”
Keiko smirked. “Sorry, Suzuka. Graduation party > friendship.”
It was the most savage betrayal I had ever witnessed.
I leaned back in my chair, staring at the ceiling in disbelief. This is my workplace. These are my colleagues. I am not in a restaurant, I am in a comedy show.
Suzuka crawled toward me on her knees, clutching my leg dramatically. “Ryuko! You can’t abandon me!”
I shook her off like a hero walking away from an explosion. “Sorry, Suzuka. This is war.”
The whole room erupted into chaotic laughter. Even Manna-san peeked in from the doorway, raising an eyebrow at the mess we were making. “You guys do know it’s 12 a.m., right? Hurry and clean before I regret buying you pizza.”
We all froze, then bowed our heads in unison. “Yes, boss.”
But the grins never left our faces.
---
That night, walking home with Keiko, she nudged me with her shoulder. “So? You really don’t have a plan?”
I groaned. “Do I look like the kind of person who plans parties?”
She laughed softly. “You look like the kind of person who panics at parties.”
“Accurate.”
She glanced at me with a small smile. “Don’t worry. You’ll figure it out. And… I’ll help you.”
That little reassurance made my chest tighten again.