Chapter 3 First Male friend

Oh, the reason this place is crowded is that the waiter is a man.

What a waste of time. 

But it's only one man, I don't get why these people get very excited over it. But whatever was more outrageous was the price of it when I grabbed myself the menu on the table, I noticed the price when I looked at the several pictures of food with a price of it below. Is this cafe plan to rob people in broad daylight?

I hope I still get to use the discount they offer Because if not, I'm not sure I can even afford to stay here with the little cash I've got.

I kept scrolling down the menu, feeling grimmer and grimmer as I went. Everything here costs so much. Is there anything that isn't robbery?

Do they think slapping a pretty face on their staff means they can charge whatever they want?

Ugh, you know what? I'll just ask the waiter which dish is the least expensive.

I raised my hand to call him over as soon as I noticed he'd finished serving another table. His eyes flicked toward me, and the moment he saw me, his previously neutral expression lit up like he had just spotted a long-lost friend. In a flash, that stoic mask turned into a bright, almost unnervingly eager smile, and before I knew it, he was making his way over to my table with a sense of urgency.

Why is he smiling at me like that? I couldn't help but shift uncomfortably in my seat. I'm not into men, and this is getting seriously weird. Should I leave now?

As he arrived at my table, I couldn't help but flinch, but he seemed to brush it off. He raised his paper and pen with a cheerful demeanor and said, "Hello, mister! What can I get for you today?"

"Uh… yeah. Could you just tell me what the least expensive dish is?" I asked, hoping to get this over with.

"Sure thing!" he replied with that same friendly smile. "And would you like a drink with that?"

I hesitated for a moment, looking at the menu's inflated prices. "Uh, just water, please."

"Water it is!" he chirped. "I'll be right back with your order."

He jotted down the details, still beaming, before hurrying off toward the kitchen. I watched him disappear, finally letting out a breath I hadn't realized I was holding. That was… exhausting.

But the sense of unease didn't leave. I could feel eyes on me from all directions, as if I was some sort of exotic attraction from the women. People in the café kept glancing my way, pretending not to when I caught them staring. 

A woman sitting at the table beside me broke the awkward silence. She leaned in slightly, curiosity lighting up her eyes. "So… why are you here?"

I shifted in my seat, trying to ignore the stares. "Nothing much. I was just curious about why it's so crowded here and wanted to try the food."

"Oh..." she said, her tone shifting. "Do you want to get married?"

I blinked, stunned by her sudden question. "...What?"

She stared back at me, wide-eyed, as if she didn't realize what she'd just said. "What?"

For a second, we both sat in awkward silence, her words hanging in the air. Did she just let her thoughts slip?

"N-no," she stammered, her face quickly turning red as she fumbled to recover. "What I meant is… this place is famous because a cute male works here. That's why it's so crowded. A lot of women come here, including me…"

I raised an eyebrow, still trying to process what had just happened. "I see…"

I ask a few more questions and even tease her a few times since she has a rather funny face with how many times her expression changes the longer we speak with her. 

But for some reason in the middle of the said question she gives me her fucking bank card with the pin in there for whatever reason

I was weirded out and refused it despite her pleas. Eventually, after what felt like an awkward eternity, she reluctantly put the card away, looking slightly disappointed but not saying anything further.

Finally, after what seemed like forever, the waiter returned with my order. He placed a simple dish of omelet rice in front of me, his cheerful smile never fading.

The moment the smell hit my nose, my stomach growled loudly, reminding me just how hungry I was. Without wasting any more time, I grabbed the knife and fork and dug in.

Each bite was like pure bliss. The omelet was fluffy, and the rice perfectly seasoned—it was way better than I expected for such a simple dish. I found myself quickly devouring it, savoring every mouthful.

"…Is it good?" the office lady beside me asked, her voice timid but curious.

"Yep." I nodded, still chewing, the satisfaction clear in my voice.

Everything about the food was great—except the price. That nagging worry kept creeping back into my head. Is this meal worth the money? I pushed the thought aside for now, determined to enjoy the food while it lasted.

As I continued munching, we kept up a light conversation, her expression relaxing as we spoke. But after my tenth bite, I couldn't ignore the strange feeling anymore. I felt eyes on me—again, but this time it did not came from the women.

I glanced up and caught the waiter, the same guy who served me, standing nearby. He wasn't discreet at all, blatantly staring at me from across the room. His eyes flicked back and forth between me and the customers he was supposed to be attending to like he couldn't quite focus on his job.

I raised an eyebrow and called him out, my voice low but sharp. "Is there something wrong, kid?"

He flinched, clearly startled that I had noticed. After fumbling for a moment, he slowly made his way over to me. "I—I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable…" he stammered, looking genuinely flustered. "It's just… it's my first time seeing another male since I started working here."

I sighed, trying not to sound too annoyed. "It's fine. Forgiven." Then, curiosity got the better of me. "But, if you don't mind me asking… why's a young student like you working here instead of, you know, being in school?"

"O-oh, uh…" He scratched his cheek nervously, shifting the tray in his hands as if it could somehow shield him from the conversation. "I actually plan to enter one of the schools nearby. I was recently bedridden in the hospital, so… things got delayed."

"Hm, which school?" I asked, intrigued.

"Aino Gakuen," he said, glancing up briefly.

I raised an eyebrow at the coincidence. "Oh, that's the school where I'm going to work."

His eyes lit up with curiosity. "Really? What kind of work do you do? Are you a teacher?" He grinned slightly. "Should I start calling you 'sensei'?"

I shook my head, and his face turned puzzled. I couldn't help but chuckle at his confusion. "Nah, not a teacher. I'm going to be working as a security guard."

After I answered him, the once-crowded café suddenly went eerily silent.

I frowned, feeling a wave of unease wash over me. I glanced around, trying to figure out what caused the shift. A bunch of girls were staring at me, their eyes wide in shock. The moment they noticed me looking back, they quickly averted their gazes—some pretending to eat, others suddenly absorbed in their menus or whispering with their friends.

What the hell is going on? I thought, just about to point it out when the waiter's panicked voice cut through the tension.

"B-but that's one of the most dangerous jobs for men!" he exclaimed, his expression twisted with concern.

His reaction made me pause for a second. In this world, men were rare and protected, so for them, danger was something to be avoided at all costs. Maybe if I were a man from this world, I'd react the same way.

But I wasn't like them. 

"I may not look like it..." I said as I casually rolled up my sleeve, revealing the toned muscle underneath. "But I'm at least stronger than most men."

His eyes widened in awe, and he clapped his hands together, genuinely impressed. "Wow, that's amazing!"

Before I could react to his admiration, I heard a few murmurs from the tables around me. "Oh my god, so hot..." "I wish those strong hands would push me down..."

I glanced around, and to my disbelief, all of the girls nearby were blushing, their gazes locked on me.

Do these girls not understand the concept of privacy? I thought, resisting the urge to roll my eyes.

Clearing my throat, I turned back to the waiter, deciding to lighten the mood. "If you're planning to join the school I work at, I don't mind. Just make sure you're on time for your first day. Wouldn't want to have to 'punish' any bad students," I added with a playful wink.

He chuckled nervously, his cheeks tinged pink. "Hehe… sure... anyways do you want to exchange numbers? Since... we are a fellow men?"

"Sure," I replied, smirking. "I didn't bring my phone with me, so can I have your number instead?"

"Uh yeah my number is-"

"That's enough"

An elderly grandmother emerges from behind the counter, her stern voice silencing our chatter.

"What's wrong, Grandma?" one of the other guys asked, looking bewildered.

"And what do you think you're doing, giving out your personal number in public?" she scolded, her eyes narrowing. "You do know that every girl in this café is just waiting to get a boy's contact information, right?"

I glanced around to see if what she said was true, and to my surprise, I spotted all the girls pulling out their phones, and tapping away at the screens. But the moment they noticed our gaze, they quickly concealed their phones, averting their eyes and letting out quiet whistles of embarrassment.

Ah, dammit, I thought. Old habits die hard. I had almost forgotten that in this world, the roles were reversed. But, damn, that was creepy how the women were acting.

I know you girls are desperate, but this is a bit too much.

After I finished taking his number, I wrapped up my meal, relishing the last bites of the delicious omelet rice. I gave a quick goodbye to the office lady who had been sitting beside me, then pushed my plate aside and stood up, heading toward the cashier to pay for the meal.

As I approached the register, the same elderly grandmother greeted me. "That will be 10,789 yen, please."

What a ripoff. And you're saying these are the cheapest meals they have to offer?

"Anddd... With 90% discount that Will be ....."

Maybe I should come back again. I mean the food is not that bad.

And with that, my day ended with me eating at a Cafe and heading back home to rest.