My Awkward Senpai (不器用な先輩。)

MY PHONE

IT'S ON MY DESK

BRING IT!

Kannawa-san?

My phone!

I'm tellin' ya to bring it to me!

Y-Y-Yes, ma'am!

Why are you spacing out, Kamegawa?

Did Kannawa-senpai get mad at you?

Well, that's partially true.

Partially?

Oh, no...

I noticed Senpai's dialect slips out when she gets flustered.

She did it just a bit ago.

Dialect?

Oh! I need to head back.

I'll catch you later.

Okay.

Dialect, huh?

I haven't heard her using a dialect at all, though.

MY AWKWARD SENPAI

"Mom's Comin' to Visit!"

You've been sighing for a while.

Cut it out. It's making me feel down.

I-I'm sorry.

My parents have been messaging me nonstop,

even after I told them I can't reply when I'm working.

You're still a kid if you feel annoyed about your parents reaching out.

You don't understand what a blessing it is.

You're absolutely right.

I did it again!

I could have said that in a nicer way!

YU-CHAN

Do your parents call you "Yu-chan"?

Don't be late to our next meeting,

Yu-chan.

I knew you'd say that!

Just messing with you.

You should go visit your family sometime.

I guess I could visit this weekend. I don't have any plans.

Do they live near here?

- They live in Kawaguchi City, in Saitama. - That's close!

Which is why they sometimes come to check in on me.

They nag at me to cook my own meals or to clean and such.

It's not always nice that they live so close.

I see. That can be a lot...

Yu-chan.

Hey!

That being said...

I wouldn't want my parents to see me livin' alone like this.

I'm glad my hometown's all the way in Kyushu.

Time to go shopping.

NAKA STREET SHOPPING DISTRICT BIG BARGAIN SALE

I haven't been here in a while.

What should I get?

WAGYU FAIR

That's right! This is what it's all about!

I can eat whatever I want, whenever I want!

This is the true pleasure of living alone!

This is it!

It can't be helped, since it's a limited sale.

If they're offerin' such a kindness, I gotta take advantage of it.

Huh? Kannawa-senpai?

What?! What are you doing here?!

I come here sometimes, since it's in my neighborhood.

Shoot! I forgot!

Senpai?

Wait a minute.

Didn't you say you were going to visit your family?

I thought I would,

But it turns out they took off on vacation today.

I didn't know you shopped at this store, too.

Yeah I... Sometimes...

What are you shopping for?

The veggies here are pretty cheap.

I... I see.

Shoot... I only came here to buy bento.

He's gonna find out that I don't cook!

Tonight's menu is teriyaki tuna and deep-fried eggplant.

Oh! Make that one thing, too.

The fluffy thing.

You mean the yam okonomiyaki? You really do like that stuff.

Yeah, I really do. I could eat it for every meal.

He looks super jealous of them.

Well, of course he does.

Could it be that Senpai and I look like a couple?

Wait, what am I thinking?

Hey, do you...

It's admirable that you do your own cooking,

but are there times you wish you had a girlfriend who's a good cook?

Huh?

Why did I just ask that?

Hmm... Well...

Being a good cook is a nice thing.

But...

Being able to cook together, or if someone who usually never cooks

spends time practicing cooking for me...

That would be... Yeah! That would be nice... I think.

Speaking of which... What did you come to buy, Senpai?

V-Vegetables!

Oh! I heard mustard spinach is on sale today.

I...

I see...

Good work!

There. Oh. Good work.

Sorry to dump the meeting for the collab café on you.

Did it go well?

It did.

We finalized the merchandise lineup, as well as the restaurant's layout...

Wait... Senpai!

What happened to your hand?!

Oh, these?

Th-They're just paper cuts!

Don't worry, I'm fine now.

Is it even possible to get that many paper cuts?

Ugh.

I told Mom not to call me on weekdays!

Just ignore her.

You're still a kid if you feel annoyed about your parents reaching out.

You don't understand what a blessing it is.

Sorry, but could you fix this for me?

- Huh? Oh... Sure. - Hello?

Hold on. I'm going somewhere I can talk to you.

Fix this?

- Hello. - You finally answered, Azusa-chan!

I've called you so many times now.

Yeah, yeah.

Listen. Remember Sayo-chan next door? Her grandbaby was born just yesterday!

Things seem to be goin' well there, and I just...

I told ya, stop callin' me on my work days!

Oh, sorry, dear!

I only wanted to ask ya something important, that's all.

Fine. Just one thing.

'Kay!

- Are ya by any chance... dating anyone? - What?

Y'know how you asked me to send ya a pic of the yukata the other day?

That's when my motherly intuition kicked in.

Wh-What's that even mean?

Oh, if you're not, that's fine, too!

If push comes to shove, arranged marriage is an option.

I have a boyfriend, so there's no need.

Huh?! Wait! You do?!

What's he li—

I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to eavesdrop...

I know you told me to fix this,

but it's still got some ink, so I don't know what exactly needs to be fixed...

Huh? No, I wanted you to fix it back where it belongs...

Wait. Is "fix" dialect?

Oh! Is that what that was?

I'm sorry! I didn't realize.

No, that was on me.

I'm sorry. "To fix" means "to put away," so...

Oh, it's okay!

I sometimes look up your dialect,

but this time I took it too literally.

What? D-Do I speak in my dialect that often?

I was doin' my best to speak in standard Japanese to avoid work-related issues...

Could it be that there were times something I said

didn't parse well just 'cuz I didn't realize?!

- Oh... - So there were?!

N-No, there weren't! Please don't worry!

Sorry...

There were... actually a few.

Figures.

Um, Senpai—

Kamegawa!

Yes?

From now on, if something I say doesn't make sense, tell me.

Please.

Y-Yes, ma'am.

The person Senpai's dating...

Mom again?

- Hello? - Oh! Azusa-chan!

I told ya, I'm workin'!

I forgot to tell ya an important thing.

I'm in front of your house right now.

- What?! - Huh?!

What time are ya off work?

If it's possible, I'm thinkin' we can go out to eat

with that boyfriend of yours that you mentioned.

Hello? Did ya hear me? Azusa?

What?!

Are you all right, Senpai?

My mother appears to be...

at my house.

What? Right now?

And she...

asked if I could go out to eat with her and my boyfriend.

Huh?

Th-That's great!

It's not!

- I don't... - What?

I don't even have a boyfriend.

Why am I relieved?!