“I can’t get a girlfriend…!”

With that anguished cry, my friend from our first year, Sasaki Souta, collapsed face-down onto the freshly cleaned table.

The first thought that came to my mind, as a waiter at this family restaurant, was that I’d rather he didn’t do that—his face was going to leave oily marks on the table. But I didn’t bother saying it out loud. A friend doesn’t kick someone when they’re already down.

“Well, it’ll happen eventually. Cheer up.”

“Easy for you to say. What about you, Natsuki? Don’t you want one?”

“Well, yeah, I guess. But that doesn’t mean just anyone will do.”

Easy for me to say? Yeah, maybe. As I dipped a fry into a sea of ketchup and popped it into my mouth, the salty crunch combined with the tangy sauce kept my hand reaching for more.

“Our fries really are the best.”

“Right? And they always give you extra. If you see whoever’s on shift, tell them thanks for me.”

“Will do.”

Souta sat up and started eating as well. The mountain of fries looked like a triple serving, but he had only ordered a single portion. Someone in the kitchen must have noticed me and thrown in a little bonus.

Now that I think about it… who’s on shift today? This ridiculous portion size… Could it be the manager? She did mention she’d be at this branch today for some interviews.

“Still, though—”

Souta licked the ketchup off his fingers as he spoke. I handed him a napkin.

“I can’t believe we’re already in our second year and none of us have girlfriends. And not just me—every single guy at Aotaka High School. What happened to our legendary bond with Suzakura High School?”

“Yeah, I hear you. Honestly, before we got in, I thought getting a girlfriend here would be a breeze.”

Aotaka High School and Suzakura High School—our town’s famous all-boys and all-girls schools, known for being closely tied and producing tons of couples every year. Everyone knew the rumors, including me back in middle school.

“But seriously… What the hell is this ‘Prince of Suzakura’ thing…? Nobody told me about this…”

Once again, Souta collapsed onto the table.

The “Prince of Suzakura”—the person at the center of all the latest gossip at Aotaka High. Apparently, this one girl from Suzakura High had become so insanely popular that all the girls were obsessed with her, leaving the guys from our school completely out of luck.

What was her name again…?

“Damn it… Tachibana Iori… I won’t forgive you for this…”

Souta muttered the name under his breath. Right, it was Tachibana Iori.

That faceless Suzakura student had somehow become the scapegoat for all of Aotaka’s frustrations. If I had to put a name to it, I’d call it “misplaced resentment”—or maybe just plain “sore losers.” Either way, it was a little pathetic, so I silently sent her my sympathies.

“But is the rumor even true? I mean, can one person really ruin everything for an entire school?”

“Maybe not, but look around. It’s happening. I don’t wanna graduate with all my friends still single.”

“Not like that really matters, though.”

It wasn’t any of my business how other people handled their relationships. Besides, being the first to graduate with a girlfriend wasn’t exactly an accomplishment.

“Oh, I gotta go. Can you finish off the fries for me?”

I grabbed my bag and stood up. It was almost time for the shift meeting, and I had to get to the back room. Even though it was evening, we still called it a “morning” meeting—one of those weird work habits.

“Already? Well, good luck with work.”

Souta waved a fry at me as I left.

◆

The walk to my workplace took about thirty seconds. All I had to do was cut through the parking lot and head to the back.

When I opened the heavy metal door, I saw my manager sitting in front of a computer, frowning at the screen. Her long black hair nearly brushed the floor as she sat.

“Good morning, Manager.”

“Hm? Oh, Natsuki. Enjoy the fries?”

She grinned at me. Even in uniform, she looked like someone my age, but no one actually knew how old she was. She was not only the manager of this place but also the owner of several Cyberia restaurant branches—a local legend, really.

“I figured it was you, Manager. That was at least three servings.”

“High schoolers should eat plenty. Of course, I expect you to work just as hard as you eat.”

“Of course. But I’d still do my job even without the fries.”

“That’s the spirit. My future manager is as dedicated as ever. I like that.”

She laughed heartily. There was no way a teenager could pull off a laugh like that—definitely not my age.

“I keep telling you, I’m not taking over. I plan on going to college.”

“Yeah, yeah. No rush to answer, kid.”

She trusted me a lot. It wasn’t the first time she’d half-jokingly suggested I take over someday.

“By the way, Manager, how did the interviews go?”

I washed my hands and pulled the changing room curtain shut before asking.

“Oh? What’s this? Curious if a cute girl got hired?”

“No, just wondering since I’d probably be in charge of training them.”

Well, maybe I was a little curious. But work was work.

“Hah! Then listen up, Natsuki—big news! I hired someone. A girl your age… a second-year from Suzakura High!”

Her tone was excited, but my enthusiasm was nowhere to be found.

“…Suzakura, huh?”

“Huh? What’s with that reaction? Aotaka and Suzakura are known for their legendary couples! Back in my day, Suzakura-Aotaka pairs were all the rage.”

The manager was an alum of Suzakura High, so she didn’t understand my hesitation. I could hear her confusion through the curtain.

Sure, maybe that was true back in her time. But not anymore. Nowadays, Aotaka and Suzakura were practically at war. The “Prince of Suzakura” had sucked all the romance out of our school.

“Maybe that used to be the case, but not now. Some Suzakura student—Tachibana something—is being called the ‘Prince,’ and all the girls are crazy about her. We don’t stand a chance.”

Saying it out loud felt embarrassing. It meant admitting that every Aotaka guy had lost to one girl.

But instead of teasing me, the manager asked something unexpected.

“Wait… Are you talking about Tachibana Iori?”

“Huh? You know her, Manager?”

I was caught off guard. Was the “Prince of Suzakura” so famous that even my manager had heard of her?

“Yeah. Because…”

She smirked and held up a resume.

“The girl I just interviewed—she’s Tachibana Iori.”

“…What!?”

Her words hit me like a truck. I forgot I was half-dressed and yanked open the curtain in shock.

“Congrats, Natsuki.”

With a mischievous grin, the manager looked up from the resume.