It's Hard for me, an Unremarkable Guy, to Believe that someone as Popular as Hirose-san would be Interested in me. - Chapter 1

“Great work today!”

After finishing my shift, I went to the back room to get my things, and I happened to run into a coworker who had also just finished her shift.

Her name is Meruna Hirose. She’s a floor staff member at our family restaurant and is known as the cutest girl at work.

With her big, round, double-lidded eyes and her ever-present bright smile, she’s undeniably adorable—anyone would agree. It’s no wonder she’s incredibly popular.

On the other hand, I’m Souma Yoshizawa, a kitchen staff member. I have slightly sharp eyes and a neutral, expressionless face. I’m often told I look intimidating or unapproachable. Needless to say, I’ve never been popular.

“Oh? Yoshizawa-kun, are you heading home too? Me too!”
“Ah, yes. I’m just about to leave.”

Hirose-san is the only one who ever talks to me so cheerfully. Once again, I was reminded of her incredible social skills, and it made sense why everyone liked her so much.

In fact, there are even regular customers who come to the restaurant just to see her. And yet…

“Hey, Yoshizawa-kun, we’re the same age, right? Why are you so formal with me?”
“Uh, well… I guess it’s just a habit?”
“We’re off the clock now, so let’s talk casually, okay?”

Sometimes, she looks up at me with those ridiculously cute puppy-dog eyes and says things to close the distance between us.

But I know better. It’s just her amazing social skills at work—there’s no way there’s any deeper meaning behind it.

“Uh… I’ll think about it. Well, see you.”

So, I gave a half-hearted reply, grabbed my stuff, and headed toward the exit, eager to leave.

But then—

“W-Wait a second! Let’s walk to the station together?”

Hirose-san suddenly grabbed my sleeve to stop me.

“…Huh?”

When I turned around, our eyes met. Seeing her up close, her flawless face almost made me lose myself.

(Wow… She’s so cute. Even cuter up close. Her big, round eyes, her porcelain-like skin—it’s like she’s a divine masterpiece.)

But the thought of walking home together and making her realize how boring I am made me hesitate. Then—

“Please… let’s walk home together?”

This time, she looked at me again with pleading eyes, as if begging.

For a split second—a brief moment—I wondered if she really wanted to walk home with me that badly. But I quickly snapped out of it.

There’s no way someone as adorable and beloved as Hirose-san would want to walk home with someone as dull and expressionless as me. Clearly, there must be another reason.

Oh, right. It’s already dark outside, and it would be dangerous for a girl as cute as her to walk home alone. She just needs someone to accompany her. That must be it.

Realizing this, I even felt bad for not noticing sooner.

“Oh, sorry for not being considerate. It’s dangerous for a girl to walk home alone at this hour, isn’t it?”

That’s what I told her, but—

“Huh? …That’s not it. I just… want to get closer to you, Yoshizawa-kun.”

In a small, hesitant voice, Hirose-san said those words.