I'll Take This Love Home With Me For Now ch9

Chiaki is being approached by Mashiro's ex-partner!

This is my favorite night café.

Yeah...
This place has good food.
I've been here quite recently.

My ex-partner brought me here once
and I've popped in from time to time ever since...
Heh.
Ah.
Let's hold a toast.

Thank you for inviting me today.
Same to you.

So, Haida-san, how long have you been interested in beautician work?
It all started when I went with my mother to see a cosmetics saleswoman...
Aah... That makes sense.

My father is from Kyushu whereas I was born in Tokyo.
He got fed up with my mother's spending habits...
So you're trying not to follow in your parents' footsteps?
That's right! But it hasn't been going so well.

I'm still living the single life.
Maybe I'm just not cut out for romance.
These things happen...
I've experienced my fair share of marriage interviews too, but nobody really clicked with me.
I don't care if people talk behind my back, so long as they do their jobs...
Ahahahaha

Hah...
...Y'know,

I've never talked this much with a client
until now.
Eh?
I'm so happy...

Talking with you has given me a goal too, Chiaki-san.
Fufu.
It's an honor.

...
Um...

Saying this to a real estate agent
might be a little weird, but...
What is it?

...There's something I want to ask you, Chiaki-san.

She's not answering...!
Why not!?
Is she spiting me!?
Is she having so much fun that she hasn't noticed her notifications!?

Mashiro-chan...

...To think Ena would be this stubborn...
I can't believe she showed up right when things were getting good with Chiaki-senpai.

The fact I ruined my ex and cast her aside...

If Chiaki-senpai
were to find that out...

She's be disappointed
and break up with me...
wouldn't she?

I guess workplace romance really is risky~...
...No.

I was going to cast Chiaki-senpai aside once she had fallen for me either way.
This is way earlier than planned, though.

Chiaki-senpai
Mind if I come over today? There's something I want to talk about.

Argh geez.
This is the worst...

She's definitely gonna dump me...

Excuse me~
Good work today.
I'll get in touch another day.

Mashiro-chan
Where are you right now?
Answer me.
Missed call

p10

Hah~<3
Mashiro-chan finally contacted me herself~...<3
I gotta screenshot this...<3

p11

Argh~
This sucks~

Hah...
Maybe I should turn it off...

p12

...No.
That's a line a working adult can't cross...
Ah.
She hung up.

Hah...

Why am I so bummed about this?
Because a third party "ex-girlfriend" got between me and Senpai?
Because all that time I dedicated to Chiaki-senpai has gone to waste?

...Because I still haven't gotten Senpai to fall in love

p13

...with me?

Ah.
Oh crap.

Just when I thought I hadn't been feeling it lately...

I wanna disappear...

p14

...What are you doing?

p15

Eh?
Ah...
Chiaki-senpa-
Are you feeling unwell?

No, I'm perfectly...

Hah
Chiaki-senpai's pissed.

Ena must've told her everything.

There's nothing I can say...

p16-17

It's way too careless for a woman like you to be at the park at night all by herself.

Having self-restraint and being stable is your advantage, isn't it?
Don't make me worry about you.

p18

...Chiaki-senpai.

You were worried about me?
Tch.
Ah

I wasn't worried. I'm just telling you not to disappoint me.
...You didn't instantly reply to my texts,

so I figured something must've happened.
People sometimes get treated harshly just because they're a woman, right?
Y-...

You're exaggerating.
People pass through here all the...
Quiet.

p19

You listening?
I can't stand it when people look down on you.
My pride won't allow it.

Come on.

You're not feeling unwell, right?
Let's go home.

p20

...That's so like Chiaki-senpai...
What are you laughing about?
Sorry.

Getting upset because she's worried.

It's because it's Chiaki-senpai that I don't hate it.

p21

Hah...

Ah.
...Um.

About the client you went to dinner with today...
Ah, that's right.

Her name was Haida-san.
We hit it off quite well.
We're both single women who are dedicated to our jobs, so we had a lot in common.

While we were just talking, she suddenly started building up to something.
And just when I was wondering what it was,
she simply asked... "can we be friends?".
She's a funny one.

p22

Is... that so?

And then...
From the way Chiaki-senpai's acting...
she didn't hear anything from Ena?

...and...
Thank goodness...
...now on.
Are you listening, Mashiro?

Ah, sorry.
What is it?

As I was saying...

p23

Work's about to get busier from now on.

We won't have as much time to spend together as we do now.

Now's probably the perfect time.

Eh...?

p24

Let's break up,
Mashiro.

Warning