NEET Receives a Dating Sim System

65 Editor

"Occasionally, I also read light novels as well. Although I probably don’t read as often as you or Mayuzumi, I think I can distinguish between what’s good and what’s not."

"Ah… I’ll be more than happy to let you read it." Seiji nodded as he placed his notebook on the table. "Then feel free to have a look. Give me your review after you finish… I’m going to go change clothes for work now."

"Alright, you go ahead."

Rika picked up and opened the notebook as Seiji left the room.

‘Unexpectedly, he hand-wrote the whole thing… His handwriting is pretty neat. I didn’t know that Haruta-kun had such a talent. "I’ll die if I don’t become handsome!" is the title? Haha, could it be… Did he really use himself as the model for his main character?’

The somewhat unorthodox title instilled Rika with a sense of curiosity, so she began reading, filled with expectation.

‘His word choice isn’t bad at all… It’s easy to read, and the sequences are pictured vividly in my imagination. All in all, it’s quite interesting.

‘There are a few references that I don’t get, but the commentary is hilarious; there’s a subtle feeling of enjoyment.

‘The girls are lovely as well! Hah—I wonder if he based them on people he knew…’

The beautiful store manager slowly lost herself in reading Seiji’s story.

…

This morning, the kitchen employees felt that something strange was happening.

The joint store manager and owner, Rika Amami, didn’t show up until really late, and it was obvious that her heart wasn’t in her work. She kept leaving for some unknown reason.

Her uncharacteristic daze was a huge contrast with her typical reliable and strict nature.

What was going on?

The kitchen employees chatted with each other about this topic whenever they had some free time in between baking.

"Did something happen in her family?" This was the normal line of thought.

"My guess is that an ex-boyfriend called her." This was a gossipy way of thinking.

"Could it be that she’s on her period?" This was a biological way of thinking.

"You’re all so naïve! Heh heh, according to my deduction, the store manager is actually wondering if she’s pregnant or not!" This was an outlandish way of thinking.

"Who’s pregnant, you say?" The store manager’s icy cold voice suddenly sounded in their headset’s channel.

The male employee who had been acting rather pretentious with his ridiculous deduction suddenly froze up as the others all stared in his direction. They gave a sympathetic glance towards the microphone on his headset which he had forgotten to turn off before they averted their gazes in unison, pretending to be unfamiliar with this idiot.

"Katou, would you prefer to have a salary deduction or kneel and apologize to me? It’s your choice."

"No!!! I’m sorry!! Forgive me, Store Manager—!"

The other employees inwardly cringed upon hearing such a desperate yet silly reaction from him.

"What’s going on back in our kitchen?" Seiji sighed as he adjusted his headset.

"Well, who knows?" His coworker Tanaka shrugged, displaying that he, too, was unaware of what was happening.

After the store’s rush hour, Seiji finally received an opportunity to rest.