Speculation and Part-Time Work

Takuya Kanzaki didn’t consider himself some elite student.
Sensui Academy’s deviation value was only 52, and as grade one, he ranked around 500th in national mock exams.

His athleticism was similar—he couldn’t compare to those who dedicated three years of high school to a single sport.
His national karate championship win came from his sorcerer physique overwhelming opponents with raw power.

But when it came to observation, he was extremely confident.
That extended to his deductive reasoning and imagination afterward.

So after a series of probes, he was left puzzled instead.
What was going on with this Shizuki Yurina?

She was probably his girlfriend—at least in her mind.
And she was the type he could actually fall for.

But her behavior was odd.
She called Rie Takashiro a friend but clearly disliked her, yet tried hard to maintain the relationship.

He knew girls forcing themselves into cliques to avoid exclusion, but this wasn’t that.

She also seemed completely unfamiliar with the school, unlike a second-year should.
If she were a twin spy impersonating Yurina, many things still didn’t add up.

So he tested her with a lie, to see her reaction.
He had no memory of going out with Yurina, but he picked the day he attended the Kanto Sorcerers’ Conference.
If his ability activated in front of those powerful sorcerers, they’d surely notice.
In other words, if she called his bluff, it would confirm she knew his forgotten memories.

“Of course I remember. We had so much fun.”

But she lied.
She likely had no memories either—or only fragments—and lied to avoid worrying him.
No, she wasn’t worried about him. That deduction didn’t hold.

He probed sideways a few more times.
Gradually, a new theory formed—
Yurina Shizuki might have no memories at all.

Takuya was bold in his thinking.

With this hypothesis, he arrived at an answer that made his ability logical and explained Yurina’s actions:
His power wasn’t world-altering—it was time reversal.

Because of time reversal, he appeared to “avoid accidents.”
He and Yurina became lovers not in the past, but in the future—so she was his girlfriend, but he had no memory of it.

This also made the twin spy theory plausible.
As a sorcerer, though, he leaned toward illusion magic: someone disguised as Yurina to deceive him.
But that didn’t explain her lack of malice toward him.
‘Just in case, I should grab some anti-illusion tools when I get home.’

****

Mana successfully navigated lunch, letting out a breath of relief.
She didn’t know how intimate Yurina and Takuya originally were, but occasional distance shouldn’t be an issue.

More precisely, for her “personal safety,” keeping some space from Takuya was best.
Of course, breaking up would be bad, so she’d throw in goodwill gestures when needed—like making him a bento.

“What a rocky road…”

This wasn’t sustainable.
The proper path was earning enough for Ochi family intel and switching back.

But her current identity prevented dropping out to work full-time.
Deep down, she feared her recklessness would cause irreversible damage.

Abilities like time reversal probably couldn’t be used casually.

The remaining classes flew by.
During club time, after confirming with the teacher that she was in the go-home club, Mana grabbed her bag and headed to the station.

For safety and convenience, her job was near the new home.
A short walk after the station, and she arrived.

“Yurina? Hurry, hurry! We’ve been waiting!”

Pushing open the door, the manager jumped up joyfully, pulling her inside.

It wasn’t a shady place—just a restaurant on a busy street.
Mana’s role was a standard waitress.

The manager’s enthusiasm stemmed from her looks drawing customers; during the interview, he’d bluntly suggested making her the poster girl.

Mana had planned to refuse, but this was the only place offering 1300 yen/hour from the start.
Later, from senior part-timers, she learned the restaurant had thrived during the bubble economy but declined since.

The new manager overhauled everything, pushing a “beautiful girl cafe” gimmick, angering veterans into quitting en masse, leaving them desperately short-staffed.

That’s when Mana arrived—perfect looks for the manager’s vision, and competent too.
She memorized the menu and full workflow during the interview.
In his eyes, she quickly rose from newbie to mainstay, even future pillar.

“I’m counting on you, Yurina!”

She soon saw he wasn’t exaggerating.
Despite being the rookie, she outworked the three seniors.

During dinner rush, she handled half the customers alone.
By closing, she was utterly drained.

“Yurina, you were amazing today… Let me think—from tomorrow, your wage bumps to 1500 temporarily, until we hire more… No, keep it at 1500 forever. You’ll be shift leader on your shifts. Please don’t quit!”
The manager knew he was overworking her, pleading with clasped hands.

“Manager, you need to hire more people. I’m too busy to serve customers properly—it’ll hurt long-term growth.”

Mana wouldn’t quit such high pay, but she worried his efforts wouldn’t pay off.

“Don’t worry—even if just to let cute Yurina shine beautifully, I’ll hire like crazy!”
Touched by her reversed concern, the manager was fired up, jogging in place to show his resolve.

Bidding farewell to the manager and colleagues, Mana left through the back door.
A leisurely fifteen-minute walk brought her home.

Taking a deep breath, she schooled her features, erasing fatigue, then opened the door with a lively voice:
“I’m home!”

Unbeknownst to her, Takuya Kanzaki had witnessed it all.
He had no interest in stalking, but Yurina’s bizarre actions piqued his curiosity and urgency to verify his ability.
Besides, if this was a fake Yurina, he owed it to his real girlfriend to act.

But from what he saw… Yurina was just working hard at life.
No contact with potential spies, no plotting.

After thinking, Takuya called a nearby sorcerer contact to investigate the Shizuki family.
By the time he got home, basic info was in his email.

“Single-parent family… sold the house…”

He quickly pieced together why she was working.
Then, using the number from the report, he called Yurina.

****

The Shizukis usually ate dinner after 8 p.m., perfect timing for Mana’s return.
Her only guilt was not helping Ryoko cook afterward.

“Yurina, how’s the job?”

“No issues. Seniors and the manager are nice, and I’ve got the workflow down.”

Mana was sneaky—she reported 900 yen/hour to Ryoko (standard for high schoolers).
The extra, she’d save for intel or family emergencies.

Ryoko really wanted to ask if she was tired, but Mana had composed herself before entering.
From now on, she wouldn’t overwork this body.

Unable to quit, her solution was boosting physical fitness.
Her master had taught a breathing technique specifically for improving constitution.

No ripple or water-fire breathing nonsense, but early results were dozens to a hundred times better than exercise.
Later stages weakened sharply—human limits and all.

Plus, it allowed study during practice.
Once her stamina rose, her promise that work wouldn’t affect school would hold true.

After dinner and dishes, Mana did homework with Misaki in the living room.
Soon, her phone rang—an unknown number.

Answering while heading to the bedroom, she was shocked to hear Takuya Kanzaki:
“Yurina, don’t hang up! I really know I was wrong. I wasn’t good enough before—please forgive me?”