Uncle Hikigaya is Forever Young [16]

“Excuse me! Can we get some extra soup, please?”

After chatting with Hikigaya Ryōhei for a bit, Miura Kōzō, who'd quickly finished his noodles, called out to a nearby server.

“Coming! Please wait a moment.”

A petite server hurried over with an oversized tray in hand. Surprisingly, the voice that answered was gentle and youthful, obviously belonging to a teenage girl of around fifteen or sixteen.

Both middle-aged men immediately noticed, by voice alone, that this was a very young girl.

And for Ryōhei, the voice sounded oddly familiar… Wait, isn’t that the JK working part-time with me at the convenience store—Aoyama Nanami?

Almost instinctively, Ryōhei turned around and examined the waitress wearing a work cap.

Sure enough, it was Aoyama Nanami, skillfully placing Kōzō’s ramen bowl onto the tray.

Actually, Ryōhei didn't know all that much about this gentle-tempered girl who occasionally showed flashes of a quiet independence—even though they shared shifts at the convenience store for more than five hours every day.

For Nanami, Ryōhei was still an uncle in his thirties, after all. Having recently left her hometown to chase her dreams in the big city, she naturally maintained a certain distance and caution around adults like him.

Although she would occasionally chat with this uncle, she always carefully guarded her personal privacy.

Similarly, Ryōhei had no particular desire to learn more about Nanami.
She's still just a kid!

At most, he'd lend a hand when she needed help with heavy lifting.

Beyond that, he’d address her only formally as “Aoyama-san” or “Aoyama-kun.”

In short, their relationship these days remained firmly at the level of coworkers—respectful… no, rather, indifferent.

“Oh, Aoyama-san! You work here too?”

Ryōhei asked in mild surprise. From what he recalled reading in Sobu High’s admission handbook, high schoolers were typically only allowed one part-time job. Although he wasn’t sure which school Nanami attended, surely no school would permit students to juggle multiple jobs.

“How do you know... Eh?! Hikigaya-san?! Um... please, please don’t tell anyone about this! There’s a reason I have no choice but to do this!”

Nanami, initially absorbed in her work, jumped in shock at hearing someone call her name—she absolutely didn't want anyone to know she was working multiple part-time jobs.

Her entire body froze up instantly, shrinking back a bit, relaxing only slightly after realizing it was Ryōhei.

From the impressions she’d gathered over the last couple of weeks, Hikigaya Ryōhei wasn’t the type of loudmouth adult who’d casually gossip. He seemed different from other ordinary uncles she'd encountered while working part-time in Tokyo.

Or rather, his entire demeanor didn’t quite match his position as a convenience store worker. But why exactly?

With her limited experience, Nanami herself couldn’t pinpoint the reason clearly...

But if it's Hikigaya-san, he probably wouldn't meddle needlessly.

Or so she hoped.

Seeing Nanami suddenly looking so anxious and earnestly begging him, Ryōhei felt helpless. Do I really look like such a busybody?

Or is this just how Japanese people usually act?

“Okay, okay. I won’t pry into your business. I was just a little surprised—that’s all. Of course, I won't say anything... But make sure you get enough rest.”

Ryōhei said these words with a relaxed smile, visibly putting the girl at ease. Nanami let out a deep breath, closing her eyes briefly in relief.

But she quickly remembered this was actually her third job today—she couldn’t afford to slack off.

“Um, I'll go refill the soup now! Please let me know if you need anything else!” Nanami hastily fled. Getting discovered by someone she knew while working multiple jobs was completely beyond her plans, leaving her feeling rather embarrassed.

“Hm? Who was that?” Miura Kōzō asked curiously, glancing at Nanami’s retreating petite figure.

“A coworker from my part-time job. Probably also a high school student.”

“Oh, I see.”

Miura Kōzō nodded with a lack of interest, having little curiosity about this topic.

Instead, he immediately resumed complaining about his daughter Yumiko’s dyed hair.

He continued, worrying aloud about Yumiko constantly going out during the day lately—what if she started dating already… He just hoped she wouldn’t get deceived by some brat.

After finishing their ramen, the two men went for a short stroll.

Eventually, Miura Kōzō excused himself, saying he needed to buy medicine for his wife.

As for selling the piano, he assured Ryōhei he'd handle finding a suitable buyer.

The way this slightly overweight middle-aged man deliberately emphasized “a suitable buyer,” coupled with the mischievous expression on his large face, gave Ryōhei the distinct impression there was a hidden meaning.

But he didn't ask further. After all, he needed time to adjust to the original “Hikigaya Ryōhei’s” existing personal relationships.

“Wait for my good news!” Miura Kōzō shouted back after walking a few steps.

“Oh, and hey! You graduated from Tokyo Gakugei University, right? You aren't seriously planning to live by doing odd jobs forever, are you? Ever thought about becoming a teacher? It shouldn't be a problem with your qualifications.”

Miura Kōzō suddenly felt the need to ask this. If Ryōhei was stuck doing only temporary jobs forever, it’d become tough to introduce him to potential marriage partners.

“Ah… I've been thinking about it!”

“Well, that's reassuring!”

...

The next day, Aoyama Nanami anxiously arrived at the convenience store, noticing Ryōhei had already started his shift.

Had it been someone her own age, she wouldn't feel so awkward, but the fact that a middle-aged uncle now knew she was working multiple jobs… For the thin-skinned Nanami, this was really uncomfortable.

Would he think she was a money-obsessed girl?

Or worse, would he suspect she was doing enjo-kōsai (compensated dating)? She’d heard about girls doing that sort of thing for money.

No way…

The thought of seeing him today had kept her tossing and turning all night.

Ryōhei, however, just greeted Nanami as usual, saying nothing extra. Actually, their usual interactions were always just like this—only Nanami’s mindset had changed today.

Having recently arrived from her simple, rural hometown to the bustling Tokyo metropolitan area, she still deeply cared about how others perceived her.

Usually, thanks to Ryōhei’s quiet support, working at this convenience store felt relaxing and easy.

Today… it felt almost unbearable.

Those five hours dragged by like years.

They say one's skin gets thicker with experience, but Nanami wasn’t at that stage yet.

In fact, being near Ryōhei even made her think of her father, who hadn't been very supportive of her dreams.

The moment their shift ended…

The girl—who had been carrying this anxiety and secretly overthinking everything—couldn't hold back anymore. Rushing after Ryōhei, who was leaving the store like always, she blurted out in heavily accented Japanese:

“Now hold on, Hikigaya-san, don’t go takin’ me the wrong way! What I mean is… shoot… my dream’s bein’ a voice actress, ya hear? Uwaa—my Kansai slipped out!!”

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This is a fan translation of 比企谷大叔永远年轻 by Stargazer All rights to the original work belong to the creator. Please support them by exploring their original work or sharing it with others if you can. Thank you for reading and supporting my efforts to bring this story to a wider audience!