Kent’s Secret

After school, when I was about to head home with Caro, Josette and Rachel showed up.

“Alright then, we’re going.”

“Big brother, let’s go, okay?”

The two of them took positions on either side of me and spoke like they were already set on it.

“Um… I said after my shift ended, right?”

When I said that, they seemed like they couldn’t wait and told me they would help with my part-time job. Rachel working at another bakery wasn’t an issue, but Josette was a young lady, so I felt bad making her do that kind of work.

“I will help as well until the shop closes.”

Josette said it with full confidence, but I was worried.

“Then wait a bit. I’ll go put my things away.”

I told them that, had them wait in front of the house, and then Caro and I went to put our things away.

“Sorry to keep you waiting. Then shall we go?”

The four of us headed to Marie’s bakery.

“Welcome back, you two. Oh? And who might these people be?”

Marie called out when she noticed Caro and me coming into the shop.

“Um, my friends from school… I guess? They said they’d help until the shop closes.”

“Is that so? That’s a big help. Then, um…”

“This is Rachel-san, and this is Josette-sama.”

I introduced the two of them.

“I’ll stay with Josette-sama, so Kent-san, please take care of Rachel-san.”

Caro thoughtfully suggested that.

“Alright then, I’m counting on you two.”

With Marie’s permission, the two of them ended up helping at the shop just for today.

Josette helped with bagging at the register, still looking unfamiliar with the work, and Rachel worked with me making bread.

“I looked at the bread on display, and what’s inside really is from our original world, isn’t it?”

Rachel said that while she pulled margarine out of a box with familiar printing and spread it onto bread.

“Yeah. Most of what goes into the bread we sell here is like that.”

I said that while I worked on making jam buns.

“Rachel-san, was it? You’ve got a real knack for this. Want to work here?”

Marie tried to recruit her after watching her work.

“I work at another bakery, so I don’t think I can until that contract ends.”

“I see, that’s a shame. I thought you’d be an immediate asset. If your contract ends and you don’t have anywhere else, feel free to come to me. I’ll pay you well, too.”

Marie said that regretfully.

“By the way, about how much would I get?”

Rachel asked.

“Let’s see… right now, Kent-san and Caro-chan work mornings and evenings, and it’s about 1,000G a day.”

“What? That’s an impossible amount. At my place I’d only get like 200G…”

When Marie told her the wages, Rachel looked shocked. I could tell she realized it was nowhere near what a normal part-time job would pay. She must have thought that meant this shop was making that much money.

Meanwhile, Josette looked like she was struggling with the unfamiliar work. Caro backed her up appropriately, so it hadn’t turned into trouble, but Catherine, watching the situation, looked on nervously.

“Please put this into a plastic bag. Yes, and then into a paper bag like this….”

While giving Josette instructions, Caro wrapped items quickly and packed them into paper bags, handing them to customers one after another. Caro could calculate faster herself, but for Catherine’s sake, she was leaving it to her for practice.

“I thought it would be simple, but it’s actually quite difficult. Still, working feels very fulfilling.”

Josette said that as she worked with sweat on her brow. It was monotonous work, but she seemed to be enjoying it.

“Even so… what is this number of customers…?”

Rachel said that while looking at the line that had formed outside. After the bread-making work settled down, she was outside organizing the customers when she said it. At the bakery where she worked, customers increased at peak times, but she’d never seen a line this long. She could feel firsthand just how popular this shop was. Caro was also outside, organizing the line, moving efficiently without wasted motion.

“As expected of Caro-san. I can’t let you outdo me.”

With a competitive spark, Rachel started organizing the customers with renewed drive.

Then the rush ended, and it became closing time.

“Good work, Kent-san, Caro-chan. And Josette-san and Rachel-san as well.”

Marie praised the four of us.

“Alright, here are Kent-san and Caro-chan’s wages, and this is a little something for today’s work.”

As she said that, she handed wages to me and Caro, and also gave Josette and Rachel envelopes with money inside.

“Huh? Is it really okay for me to get this much?”

Rachel checked the contents, startled. Josette, who was oblivious about money, hadn’t even opened hers.

“You worked hard, so it’s also a thank-you.”

Marie said that. I was curious how much was actually inside, but I didn’t bring it up.

“It looks like I’ll have customers, so I’ll spend the night at my own home. It’s a little disappointing that I can’t spend time with you, Kent-san… though.”

Marie quietly told me that.

“Then shall we go to my place?”

When I said that, the three of them followed me. It was just across the road, so we arrived right away.

“Please, come in.”

When I said that, the three of them entered the house. Caro quickly prepared tea for four and set it out.

“Hey—what is this comfortable space? You’ve even got electricity.”

Rachel said as she looked around the room, then started wandering through the house on her own.

“No way… a toilet with a warm-water bidet. And the bathroom’s a unit bath, and there’s even a washing machine….”

Rachel’s voice came from deeper inside. Josette sat quietly on the living room sofa, but she kept glancing around as if the room itself was a novelty.

“There are so many things I’ve never seen before.”

Then Caro, having prepared the tea, lined the cups up in the living room. With practiced hands, she had tea ready for all four of us. Once we were all gathered, I started talking.

“Um… I’m not sure where to begin… I guess with the fact that Rachel is my little sister….”

I started by telling them about my little sister from the world I used to be in.

“So, I went to an event with my little sister who did nothing but play games, but on the way home we got into an accident. It seems like we died together. And when I came to, it felt like I’d arrived in this world.”

“So that’s what happened. Big brother died too… If only I’d been more careful when crossing the crosswalk.”

Rachel said that apologetically.

“It’s in the past now. It can’t be helped. We have to think about what comes next.”

“And about Big brother’s ability—this house being insanely well-equipped is related to it, right?”

“Yeah. You know the home improvement store where I worked part-time in our world, right?”

I answered Rachel’s question.

“It was the biggest home improvement store in town. I bought all kinds of things there too.”

“Right. Actually, that store’s ordering terminal is here.”

As I said that, I showed her the tablet-like device I used to order items.

“Wow, a tablet. Can I touch it?”

Rachel tried to operate the device, but it didn’t accept any input.

“Huh? Huh?”

“This device seems like only I can operate it.”

I’d had Caro try touching it before too, with the same result.

“So with this, you can order anything you want?”

“It’s not like I can order endlessly. The cost gets deducted from the money I have, so if I don’t have money, I can’t order anything.”

“So if you want to live well, you have to earn money. But even what you already have here would cost a lot—where did you get that money?”

Rachel asked me, puzzled about the money.

“When Caro-san had nowhere to go and was struggling, Josette-san prepared some starting funds for Caro-san. I used that money to buy these things. So everything here basically belongs to Caro-san.”

“Josette-san is rich… As expected of a duke’s daughter.”

After I answered, Rachel praised Josette.

“I simply couldn’t overlook Caro-san being in trouble. I’m glad it seems to have been of use.”

Josette said that shyly.

“It’s gotten quite late, but what will you do about dinner?”

Caro asked Josette and Rachel.

“I will be taking my leave soon. I have a carriage waiting outside….”

It seemed Josette was going home. I could hear a horse neighing from outside, so a carriage really did appear to be waiting.

“I’m glad I followed you, but there were many things I could not understand, so I will look for another opportunity to visit again.”

With that, Josette got into the carriage and left.

“I live in a dorm, so dinner’s provided and I’m fine, but I didn’t file an overnight-stay notice either… I guess I have to go back today. I’ll find another chance to come hang out.”

“Ah—then I’ll walk you to the dorm.”

“I’ll come too.”

Caro and I decided to walk Rachel to the dorm.