If You Cheat, Just Don’t Tell Me - Chapter 8

“I hear you’ve been working pretty hard lately.”

Lately, when we ride our motorcycles, it’s mostly through the city during daytime or out in the vast open fields outside town.

Even when we’re riding around, it’s not just aimless cruising. Since we’re out during the day anyway, we might as well pick up a job or two to earn some cash—deliveries, monster subjugation, that sort of thing.

As a result, I’ve been going to school less frequently than before, but my income has increased, making it easier to save up. Building funds to move out of home is definitely a good thing.

…Maybe it’s about time I seriously start thinking about life after moving out? Where to go, where to live when I get there, what kind of work to do.

With these thoughts lingering in the back of my mind, that day I was out in the city doing delivery work.

The great thing about motorcycles is their maneuverability. They’re way faster than delivering on foot. Taking advantage of that, the packages we carry are usually urgent deliveries or fresh foods where quality matters.

“Hey, Granny! Brought your vegetables.”

I open the back door of the old-town diner, tucked away slightly off the main street, to drop off the goods.

These are fresh vegetables, straight from the farm. Apparently, they used to bring them from the market using handcarts, but now we pick them up directly from the farmers and deliver them by bike.

“Just leave them in the usual spot!”

From deep inside the hallway beyond the back door comes the voice of the granny who runs the diner. Ever since we started delivering farm-fresh veggies, this already popular place has been drawing even more customers.

Seems Granny’s cooking has gotten even tastier. Not that it matters much to us, we’re just delivering vegetables but I guess more customers is a good thing.

Following Granny’s instructions, I start unloading the vegetables into the storage area just inside the back door—a well-ventilated, shaded spot. Leafy greens, root vegetables, mushrooms, even fruit.

I transfer them from the bike’s bags into the shop’s baskets, then carry them to storage. It only takes a few trips back and forth, but with the weight of the vegetables, it’s decently heavy work. For someone like me who can use a bit of magic, it’s no big deal, but for non-magic folks like Granny, it’s probably a chore they’d rather avoid.

“Granny! What about the delivery fee?!”

After moving all the vegetables, I call out again to Granny, who’s probably still deep in the hallway. This delivery fee is what puts cash in our pockets.

It’s a paltry sum, but every little bit adds up. I’ve learned firsthand that doing enough deliveries makes it worthwhile. Thanks to the bikes, we’re fast, so racking up jobs isn’t as hard for us as it is for others.

“Alright, alright, I’m coming! Just a moment, dear customer!”

The second part was probably directed at a customer in the shop.

True to her word, it isn’t long before the elderly granny, wearing a white apron and headscarf, comes walking down the hallway.

“Here, the delivery fee.”

She hands me a few coins.

Counting them, I realize there’s a mistake.

“Hey, Granny, you gave me too many. Aren’t you a bit young to be getting senile?”

“Quiet, you! That’s a little bonus for you.”

“Bonus?”

What’s that about? I’ve got no reason to suddenly get something like that. What’s going on?

“I hear you’ve been working pretty hard lately.”

“Huh? …I’m not doing anything different from usual.”

“Word’s going around—you’ve stopped riding at night, you’re taking on more daytime jobs, working harder. You stand out, you know. You and your friends included.”

Hearing Granny say that leaves me stunned for a moment. It’s true I haven’t been riding at night lately, and I guess I have been working more but why is that kind of talk going around?

I won’t deny that we stand out. There’s no other group in this town riding around on motorcycles like we do. Whether it’s delivery services or the patrol squad, nobody else has these many bikes cruising around.

“I don’t know what’s going through your heads, but objectively speaking, the townsfolk are grateful for what you’re doing now. So, that extra is a bonus for working hard.”

“…If you’re giving it, I’ll take it.”

“You’re just a kid, so when an adult offers you something, you should take it graciously.”

“I’m not a kid anymore.”

I can’t help retorting as I pocket the coins.

Right after, I regret it. Arguing back just proves how childish I am, and I can’t deny what Granny said.

“To me, all of you are still just kids. Especially someone like you, who gets influenced by that girl you were riding with the other day.”

“Huh? She’s got nothing to do with this!”

I snap back immediately at Granny’s words.

Then I realize, the more I argue, the more it looks like I’m admitting it and I fall silent.

Granny laughs heartily at my reaction. From down the hall, I hear a customer calling for her.

Just an ordinary slice of daily life. But even though it looks the same as always, little by little, it’s changing; our new everyday.

I realized I didn’t mind the changes Freya had brought into my life.

“Hey, Dicca.”

“What?”

“So what are you gonna do about Freya-chan, anyway?”

The usual gang, gathered at the meeting place even though we’re not out riding. Chatting animatedly about daytime jobs and fun, showing off new acquisitions, joking around and laughing together.

In the meeting hall, which felt a little livelier than before, Alta and I were talking just like always. Since we weren’t riding, we were just sitting in chairs.

“Are you accepting the engagement?”

“If she’s not gonna break it off, what choice do I have?”

“I don’t know why Freya-chan is so hung up on you, but that’s not what I’m asking. I’m asking what you want to do.”

Alta’s voice was a little more serious than usual. Was it just curiosity, or was he genuinely thinking about me? With Alta, it was probably the latter.

“I…”

I start to answer Alta but hesitate.

What do I really want with Freya? What do I want to become?

The things I’ve been avoiding thinking about, using “Freya won’t break off the engagement” as an excuse. The things I’ve been letting slide with a “what can you do?” attitude.

“Well, look. Forget about the house stuff and the future for a minute. Isn’t it important to seriously face Freya-chan?”

“…You, with a face like that, sure do run your mouth.”

“What’s my face got to do with it?!”

I tease him, but…

I think I understand Alta’s saying this for my sake.

“…Alright, I’ll think about it. Only ’cause it’s your advice.”

“…Yeah.”

That’s what I told Alta, and I spent the rest of that day leisurely gazing up at the night sky.