Dumped by One, Chased by Another? My Ex's Sister Is a Gal and She's Coming for Me - Chapter 85

“An interview?”

It happened just as I finished grilling the chicken steaks and preparing the salads—everything for the meal was done.

All that was left was to plate the food and serve it to the children.

Apparently, the visitors were a production crew from a documentary program on a local TV station.

They were working on a feature about “children’s cafeterias,” and had chosen ours as one of their subjects.

“They seem to want to present the children’s cafeteria in a positive light,”

Oe-san said, her expression somewhat uneasy.

“I thought it might be good if our work got more attention.”

“But?”

She didn’t look convinced.

For a moment, I wondered if something had gone wrong with the staff—some sort of dispute, maybe?

“Well, originally I was going to be the one interviewed, and then they’d film us eating with the children,” she explained.

“Okay.”

“But when I mentioned that some university students were helping out today, they said they’d like to interview you two as well… What do you think? Of course, if you’re not comfortable, I’ll decline on your behalf.”

“Ah, I see.”

So it wasn’t that something unpleasant had happened—it was just that Oe-san wasn’t sure whether she should agree to the request on our behalf.

That thought alone was a relief.

And at the same time, I found myself feeling grateful to be working alongside someone like her.

Not because she volunteers or because she runs the cafeteria— but because her respect for others clearly shows in how she handles even the smallest decisions.

_

“I’m fine with it.”

“Me too. I don’t mind at all.”

There wasn’t any real reason to refuse.

I didn’t feel particularly shy about being on camera.

Unless they planned to throw some nasty or provocative questions our way, there shouldn’t be any issue.

“All right, we’ll begin the interview now.”

When you hear “media,” you tend to imagine pushy people with invasive questions. But this crew wasn’t like that.

Maybe we just got lucky with a decent team today—though I suppose not all reporters are this thoughtful.

“First of all, what made you decide to get involved with the children’s cafeteria?”

“I’m a member of a university volunteer group, and we get information about all sorts of volunteer opportunities. That’s how I first learned about the children’s cafeteria.”

“I see. And among those options, what made you choose this one in particular?”

“Well, I really like kids… and not having enough food is such an obvious and urgent problem. I wanted to do something to help with that.”

“Understood. After actually participating in the activities, is there anything that stood out to you? It can be something fun or even something difficult.”

“Let’s see. Cooking for a large group is really tough. And while I’m doing okay, I can see that Oe-san is always working hard to manage everything. Still, when we see the kids smiling and enjoying the food, it makes it all worth it.”

To my surprise, all the questions were completely reasonable.

They wanted to know why college students volunteer, how we got involved, and what we find rewarding about it.

Each question was focused on understanding and promoting the reality of the children’s cafeteria.

Not all media may be like this, but I found myself reevaluating my impression of reporters.

“Thank you. Now, I’d like to ask you a few questions as well.”

“Hmm?”

Something was tugging at the back of my mind—like I was forgetting something important.

The reporter turned to Haruki and began asking the same questions.

“I joined because he invited me and Ah.”

“Huh?”

“Ah!”

Haruki had blown her own cover.