The Perfect Beef Jerky

A few days later, in CirCLE, I mustered up the courage to approach Marina.

"Marina-san," I called out to her, my voice surprisingly steady despite the nerves swirling within me.

"Yes, Part-timer-kun?" Marina responded, turning to face me with a curious expression.

"Would you... um... mind going on a date with me?"

Marina's eyes widened in surprise, clearly caught off guard by my unexpected request. "Wait, what?"

I took a deep breath, trying to compose myself. "I finally received my paycheck, and I thought... maybe I could use it to take you out," I explained, feeling a blush creeping onto my cheeks as I extended my hand towards her.

"Part-timer-kun, didn't you say you were saving that money for your guitar?" Marina countered, her brow furrowing in concern.

"Oh... uh..." I faltered, realizing that I hadn't thought this through entirely. "Is that a way of saying no?"

Marina chuckled softly, shaking her head. "Haha, not exactly. It's just that I'm not free this week since my friends invited me out," she explained, her smile warm and genuine. 

"I see."

"Thank you though, you really caught me off guard," Marina said, her smile widening.

"Heh, What can I say I'm good at catching people off guard," I quipped, trying to lighten the mood with a small smirk.

Marina laughed, "Right, right. Help me out here before you go." Sorry, Part-timer-kun, I wanted to go out as well but my friends want me to go with them.

Oh right, I forgot that today's shift is half-day, Maybe I'll just go out alone. Argh! No point beating around the bushes, I should just focus on my work.

And so I did focus on my work. (A/N: If you're wondering what he was doing, he is cleaning and displaying some posters outside)

An hour later, I approached Marina to inform her that I had finished my work for the day. "Marina-san, I'm done with the work," I said, trying to sound casual despite the lingering disappointment.

"Oh? Good job! You can go home now," Marina replied, her smile brightening the room.

"Oh, I'm not going home. I'll just go treat myself."

"Eh? I see... Alright then... Have fun~"

I bowed respectfully before leaving CirCLE, determined to make the most of my half-day.

Now then... What should I do... 

As I pondered my options for how to spend my free time, I noticed a familiar figure walking along the same street as me. It was PAREO, seemingly engrossed in her surroundings.

"Coincidence?" I mused to myself, intrigued by her presence.

Curiosity piqued, I decided to follow her discreetly, my steps falling in sync with hers as she glanced around at the shops lining the street.

"What's she up to?"

Meanwhile on PAREO's Perspective...

"Hmm... Beef jerky is always a safe choice, but perhaps there are other flavors she'd enjoy."

PAREO's eyes lit up with excitement as she spotted the display of beef jerky. "Oh! What about this one?" she exclaimed, pointing to the teriyaki-flavored beef jerky. "CHU²-sama will definitely love this!" But then, her attention was quickly drawn to another flavor. "And look at this—pepper beef jerky! That sounds delicious too!"

PAREO's brows furrowed in concern as she scanned the area, a feeling of unease settling over her. "Something feels off," she muttered to herself, her eyes darting around. Then, her gaze caught sight of a familiar figure in the distance. "Oh? Is that...?"

Switching to Kyo's perspective. a wave of panic washed over me as I realized I'd been spotted. With a quick glance over my shoulder, I ducked behind a nearby pole, heart pounding with anxiety. "Did she see me?"

Peeking cautiously from my hiding spot, I scanned the area for any sign of PAREO. But to my surprise, she seemed to have disappeared. "Where did she go?" 

Suddenly, a voice behind me made me jump, and turned to find PAREO standing there, a curious expression on her face. "What do you think you're doing?" she asked, her tone laced with amusement.

"I-I'm not... I mean, I was just... um..."

Did she just teleport!?

PAREO raised an eyebrow, "Stalking is not a good habit, Nakasone-san."

"I-I'm not stalking!" 

"Then what would you call it?" 

"Uhm... Observing?" 

I chuckled nervously, feeling a bit embarrassed by the situation. "Sorry about that. I promise I wasn't really stalking you."

PAREO finally found her phone and sighed in relief. "I believe you. Just don't scare me like that again, okay?"

"Got it, I'll be more careful next time."

 "Alright then. Anyway, what brings you here?"

"Oh, I was just wandering around, trying to decide what to do for the rest of the day."

"Well, if you're not busy, do you want to help me find a good beef jerky for CHU²-sama?"

"Ehh?"

 PAREO seized my arm, excitement radiated from her like a beacon. "Come on, Nakasone-san! Let's head to the supermarket!"

"W-Wait, PAREO! slow down!"

As PAREO dragged me through the supermarket, her eyes scanned the shelves with laser-like focus. "We've got to find the perfect jerky for CHU²-sama!"

Struggling to keep up with her brisk pace, I stumbled along behind her, The supermarket buzzed with activity, shelves brimming with an array of snacks and treats.

"Um, PAREO, do you have any idea what kind of jerky CHU²-san likes?"

"Hmm, not really... But I'm sure whatever we choose, she'll love it!"

Are you serious?

As we scoured the meat section of the supermarket, PAREO's expression gradually shifted to one of disappointment. "Huh? It looks like they're all out of meat."

"Oh, I apologize for that," the store clerk interjected, looking apologetic.

"It's okay, we'll just have to try another shop," I said, with a smile as PAREO dragged me away.

We ventured to another shop, hoping for better luck, but to our dismay, it was also devoid of any meat.

"It seems like luck isn't on our side today, huh." I said feeling bad for PAREO.

"Yeah... But let's not give up just yet! There's still one more shop we can check!" 

Ohh! How determined

As we traversed from one supermarket to another, the frustration of not finding any meat began to wear on both PAREO and me. With each empty store, PAREO's disappointment grew more palpable, her usually cheerful demeanor overshadowed by her longing for success.

"Why is there no meat anywhere? This is ridiculous!"

"Let's not lose hope, PAREO-san. We'll find meat eventually."

As the sun began its descent, casting long shadows across the streets, our exhaustion matched the dimming light. But just as our spirits were at their lowest, a familiar voice rang out, cutting through the despair.

"Huh? Nakasone-kun?" the voice called out.

I turned to see Kitazawa-san, "Kitazawa-san? What are you doing here?"

With a bright smile, Kitazawa-san explained, "Our shop received a last-minute invitation to a night party, so my father ordered a surplus of meat from various shops!"

Just then, our world seemed to shift as we heard Kitazawa-san's words.

"Come again?" 

"My father ordered a surplus of meat from the shops!" Kitazawa-san reiterated with a wide grin.

PAREO and I exchanged astonished glances. "So... your shop has an abundance of meat in stock?" I clarified, my excitement rising.

"Yes, exactly! We have plenty of meat available for the party tonight," Kitazawa-san confirmed, her smile infectious.

PAREO's eyes sparkled with newfound hope as she turned to me. "Nakasone-san, did you hear that? This could be our opportunity to find the perfect jerky for CHU²-sama!"

"Eh? Beef jerky?" Hagumi questioned with a tilt of her head.

"Kitazawa-san," I said, gently grabbing her shoulder, "Is there perhaps a beef jerky available?"

"Oh... Beef jerky, huh? We do have some!" Kitazawa-san replied with a smile.

"Please lead the way!"

"Sure thing!~"

And so, PAREO and I followed Hagumi to the shop and purchased a rather unique befe jerky.

And I must say... This kind of beef jerky is very unique that even I cant understand how the Kitazawa shop did this but I won't complain since it's still a beef jerky.

A few minutes later... PAREO's perspective.

"What took you so long, PAREO?" CHU² asked, raising an eyebrow.

"CHU²-sama! Look what I got for you!" PAREO exclaimed, holding up the pack of beef jerky, albeit in a croquette version.

"Is that beef jerky?" CHU² inquired, eyeing the pack with interest.

"Yep!" PAREO confirmed with a proud smile.

CHU² reached out, taking a piece of the beef jerky and tasting it. Her eyes widened in surprise. "Ohh! It's so crispy! Good job, PAREO!"

"Right! CHU²-sama!" PAREO beamed with delight, her efforts validated by CHU²'s approval.

And so, in the end, PAREO successfully found a beef jerky that pleased CHU².