The reason Ren Suzuki waited five minutes after Hitori Gotoh left before heading out himself was to deliberately create a "situation" one where she'd be halfway through her lunch and unable to easily escape.
By approaching her as a "guest" and asking to sit with her, he was exploiting her natural inability to refuse a soft weakness she couldn't hide.
Ren had cleverly sealed off all avenues of retreat, carefully setting up this chance to be alone with her.
And as expected, Hitori Gotoh was forced to accept his presence and continued to observe him ever since.
In the end, his seemingly casual parting words were a subtle but unmistakable signal of his interest in her.
As for the results
[Capture Progress Updated. Current Progress: 50%]
[Please continue your efforts.]
"...Yeah, just as I thought."
Children who aren't good with words tend to have far more complicated thought processes.
A direct, overly cheerful approach would only cause them to retreat, and showing unsolicited kindness without understanding can easily backfire.
The key is to approach them just enough, to show concern just enough, while leaving plenty of personal space. Only then will they feel safe enough to accept your presence.
This was a hard-earned lesson from his own past heartbreaks.
"But... it's too soon to celebrate."
Today's lunch was just a preliminary test, at best a preview of the real capture.
The true start would be when Hitori Gotoh willingly finishes that incomplete self-introduction.
From now on, he'd keep showing up here, using "hiding away" as his excuse to close the distance.
He wouldn't make any bold moves until she completely let her guard down.
Until then, was there anything else he could do?
"I should probably find a part-time job first."
After all, dating is an expensive activity, even at the high school level!
This wasn't just his personal theory it was common knowledge.
Dates, shopping, gifts... to ensure the success of future plans, a steady stream of spending money was essential.
Although Ren wasn't exactly poor during his high school years, he still didn't have the luxury of spending freely.
Besides, even if he ignored the financial aspect, he couldn't keep using a single excuse to turn down invitations from his classmates. If he could find a part-time job, "I have work later" would be the perfect, non-offensive reason.
In short, Ren decided it was time to get a job.
"So, where should I start looking..."
...
"Hmm, this place looks good."
Shimokitazawa a well-known subculture hub and an established commercial district in Tokyo was undoubtedly a great place to search for part-time jobs.
It wasn't too far from his school or his home, so commuting wouldn't be a problem.
The next thing to decide was the type of shop.
As a high school student, his options were limited to physical jobs like waitstaff or cashier.
He certainly didn't need to consider positions that required any specialized skills.
In other words, his best bet was to focus on restaurants or convenience stores.
With that thought in mind, Ren Suzuki set off on his "job-hunting journey" from Shimokitazawa Station.
...
"...Huh?"
Not long into his search, while walking around looking for job postings, a signboard near a descending staircase caught his eye.
Following the stairs, he saw a neon sign reading [STARRY] discreetly mounted on the wall at the bottom.
"The sign's all about drinks... is this a cafe? 'Today's guest band'? Oh, it's a Livehouse cafe."
He'd seen a few of these near his university, so it wasn't particularly surprising.
Just as he was about to turn away and leave, a tall woman with long blonde hair casually walked up the stairs.
"...?"
The woman raised her eyebrows in mild surprise when she saw Ren.
"Are you a customer?"
"Ah, no."
Ren immediately smiled and shook his head.
"I was just passing by. Please don't mind me."
"Hmm... that's a textbook customer-service smile you've got there."
Seeing how quickly Ren switched to his sunny, professional smile, the blonde woman seemed intrigued.
"And you're pretty good-looking too. Are you a young model or something?"
"Not at all, I'm just your average high school boy."
Ren maintained his polite smile.
"If there's nothing else, I'll be on my wa "
"...Hey, are you interested in working part-time at our place?"
"...Huh?"
Her sudden offer caught Ren mid-sentence.
Right place, right time.
Since he was job hunting anyway, he figured he might as well check out the pay and conditions here.
"You didn't refuse right away. Seems like you're interested."
Noticing his silence, the blonde woman continued.
"If that's the case, why don't you come take a look inside? It's important to know the work environment, after all."
"...You're right."
Ren nodded and followed her down the stairs toward the door.
...
Once inside, he immediately confirmed the nature of the place.
"Yep, definitely a Livehouse."
Aside from a small drink counter near the entrance and a few tables, there wasn't much else resembling a cafe.
Soundproof dark walls, an open floor that could hold twenty to thirty people, a simple stage, and lots of sound equipment he couldn't name.
A textbook Livehouse setup.
"So, what kind of work here can a high schooler actually do?"
"There's plenty."
The blonde woman pointed at the drink counter.
"You'd be a server and cashier. There are other employees too, but we've been a little short-handed lately, and with more and more female customers, I really need a good-looking guy behind the counter."
"The way you put it is a little suspicious, but I get the logic."
Ren rubbed his chin.
"How busy does it get?"
"Depends on the guest band and whether it's a weekend or weekday."
"What about peak times?"
"Sometimes there's not even standing room left."
"Business is surprisingly good."
Ren raised an eyebrow.
It was clearly a small Livehouse, but even so, fully packing it meant decent revenue.
"What's the working schedule?"
"Weekends, 5 PM to 10 PM. Weekdays, one hour less."
"Wages and payment?"
"10,000 yen per shift on weekends, 5,000 yen on weekdays. Bonus if it's a particularly busy night. Pay is daily."
After answering, the blonde woman gave him a curious look.
"You seem to know your way around. Have you worked part-time before?"
"Well, you could say that."
Though it was in his original world.
"How's the safety around here?"
"Pretty decent. As long as you avoid the bars, you shouldn't run into trouble."
"...Got it."
Ren nodded, then added, "Would it be possible for me to come tonight as a guest, just to experience the vibe? I'll pay for the ticket and drinks, of course."
"Sure thing."
She readily agreed.
"Tonight's guest band is pretty popular with young people. You might like them."
"Sounds good."
Come to think of it, during his university years, he'd only been to a Livehouse two or three times and those were all to accompany his ex-girlfriend.
All he remembered was enduring her endless complaints, never really enjoying the music.
This time, maybe he could finally experience a Livehouse properly.
Just as Ren was thinking that, the door behind him suddenly opened again
"I'm back, Sis! ...Huh?"
A lively, energetic voice called from the entrance.
When Ren turned to look, he saw a blonde, red-eyed girl with a side ponytail staring at him in surprise.
"Whoa, such a handsome guy! But he's still in his school uniform... wait, is he Sis's boyfr... Oof!"
Before she could finish, a hand chop landed squarely on her head.
"Call me 'manager' here. And he's considering working here, that's all."
"Although I haven't officially decided yet... Anyway, let me introduce myself."
Ren stood up and bowed politely to the two of them.
"My name is Ren Suzuki. I'm a first-year student at Shuuka High School. Nice to meet you."
"Whoa, a first-year?"
The older blonde woman raised her eyebrows in surprise.
"Didn't expect that... I'm Seika Ijichi, the manager of [STARRY]."
"I'm Nijika Ijichi, a second-year at Shimokitazawa High! I work here as a server and I'm the manager's little sister! Pleased to meet you!"
The side ponytail girl flashed a bright, energetic smile.
Even though the lighting in the Livehouse was a bit dim, it couldn't hide her infectious youth and energy.
If anything, her presence seemed to brighten up this otherwise dim basement venue.
Maybe I should just sign the contract today.
After all, he was here mainly to earn money, but if he could enjoy this kind of daily cheerfulness, working here might not be a bad choice at all.
With those thoughts in mind, Ren Suzuki quietly drifted into contemplation...