The Original Owner's memories quickly surfaced in his mind, though they weren't particularly deep.
The girl before him had likely arrived in Akihabara after the Original Owner had already been working at the bookstore for a while; she was a street singer who specifically came here to perform.
However, since the Original Owner wasn't interested in music and was obsessed with drawing manga, he had only seen her from a distance a few times on his way home from work. He had never approached to listen to her sing, let alone had any interaction with her.
The only thing that left a relatively deep impression on the Original Owner was that among all the street singers in Akihabara, as long as this girl was present, she always had the most listeners gathered around her. She seemed quite popular.
So...
"May I help you with something?"
"...It's nothing."
Hearing his question, she shook her head and said,
"I was just passing by, and... you draw very well."
"Ah, thank you."
Akira realized that she had likely been passing by by chance, noticed him drawing, and paused for a moment to watch.
He felt a bit strange because in his previous life, he was just an ordinary person. Most of the time, he was like the girl before him—the one watching others.
Being watched and praised by someone because of a talent he displayed was a first for him.
Their conversation ended there. The girl gave him a slight nod of acknowledgment and prepared to leave.
But then he thought about it and spoke up to stop her,
"Please wait a moment."
"?"
The girl stopped and looked back, her expression somewhat puzzled.
He stood up from the bench, tore the sketch of the streetscape from his notebook, and handed it to her, saying,
"If you don't mind, please take this."
"Eh? Is it okay?"
The girl's eyes widened slightly upon hearing this, her expression one of surprise.
"Of course, it's not anything precious."
This sketch was essentially a whim, a tribute cosplay, and the drawing itself didn't have much meaning; it would probably just gather dust permanently if it stayed with him. In that case, it was better to give it to someone who appreciated it.
"Then, I'll take it."
The girl temporarily set the speaker box aside and very formally took the drawing with both hands. She couldn't help but gaze at the streetscape in the drawing for a moment before carefully putting it into her inner coat pocket.
Seeing that the girl seemed to really like the drawing, he felt he had indeed made the right choice.
With this drawing in her hands, it would probably be well-cherished, right?
"Well then,"
This time, it was he who nodded to the girl and turned to leave.
After all this, his break was almost over, and it was time to go back to work.
"..."
The girl stood where she was, a hint of curiosity flashing in her eyes as she watched his retreating back. After a moment, she also turned and left.
---
As the sun completely set, the dim streetlights and brilliant neon signs of Akihabara lit up one after another, as if entering a completely different world. The number of pedestrians on the street increased once again.
From 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM was Akihabara's second peak flow period. Although the peak volume was far less than in the afternoon, most of them were office workers who had just finished work, and their spending power was not lacking at all.
This time period was when Akihabara's izakayas, maid cafes, game centers, convenience stores, and other shops were busiest. At the same time, many street singers began to appear, giving Akihabara a different kind of color from the daytime.
Their bookstore could also share in a bit of the excitement, but not much.
So at 8:00 PM, the bookstore closed on time. Next were the trivial tasks of unboxing and restocking, inventory and accounting, cleaning and locking up, and so on. Since they no longer had to receive customers, the work didn't have to be as serious and meticulous as during the day; they could relax a bit.
"Mochizuki-kun, thanks for your hard work today. Get home safely."
Sakamoto Kayo waved goodbye with a smile, but as the store manager, she still had some work to finish and had to stay in the store for a while longer.
"I understand."
Akira nodded. Looking at Sakamoto Kayo, who still had to keep busy, he also said,
"You've worked hard too, Store Manager."
"Thank you."
Sakamoto Kayo said with a beaming smile,
"But I'm actually okay. After all, the Assistant Manager will be coming to take over my shift soon, and I'll be able to have three days off in a row."
"..."
...Alright, pretend he didn't say anything.
Walking toward the subway station, although many shops on the street had already closed, the maid cafes and izakayas were in the middle of booming business. There were also many office workers on the road chatting and laughing with their companions, creating a different kind of liveliness against the backdrop of the brilliant neon signs.
Just then, Akira suddenly noticed many passersby gathering by the roadside, and from the center of the crowd came music he was very familiar with—