My Girlfriend Who Is Older Than Me Teases Me When I’m Working At A Bar, But Maybe Because Of Alcohol

Solving The Case.

“Oh, Toma-chan, are you dating Mii-chan?”

“W-Why are you saying something so ridiculous?! Th-There’s no way that’s true…”

As Toma arrived at his workplace, Shine, and started preparing at the back of the store, teasing voices from Miki reached him.

“But I saw it on the surveillance camera. You and Mii-chan were holding hands and walking here together. And right when you entered the store, you had a conversation like, ‘Well, I’ll let go now…’ ‘Yeah…’ It sounded like a conversation between an innocent couple.”

“D-Do surveillance cameras really pick up voices like that?!”

“It’s common sense by now… Surveillance cameras these days have that kind of capability everywhere. Otherwise, they wouldn’t be able to fulfill their security role properly, right?”

“W-Well…”

Recording audio is crucial. When a thief enters the shop, even if their face is covered and their identity is unknown, if their voice is recorded, it can be determined whether they are male or female.

From the intonation of their speech, it is possible to make guesses about whether they are Japanese or foreign, from a particular region, and so on.

“Uh, um… So, isn’t it unusual today? Miki-san, you are here waiting in the back while your husband is out in the front, right?”

Toma intended to divert the conversation by asking the question that had been bothering him, in order to change the topic.

“…There’s something that has been bothering me since yesterday, you see. That’s why I asked him to change today.”

“Something bothering you?”

“While you’re getting ready to go out, can you watch this scene here?”

Miki beckoned Toma, who was fastening his shirt buttons. She pointed to the monitor of the surveillance camera. Toma leaned in and focused his gaze on the screen.

“That… Isn’t that the footage you mentioned earlier? Please stop teasing me already…”

The screen displayed an image of Toma and Mio holding hands outside the store.

Toma realized that Miki was trying to show it again just to tease him, but as he observed Miki’s serious expression, his awareness naturally shifted.

This was not for teasing purposes; it was to show something else.

“As expected of Toma-chan. You’re perceptive, and I appreciate that. The moment I want you to see is a few minutes from now.”

Miki clicked with the mouse, replaying the footage from the surveillance camera.

“Well, I’ll let go now…”

“Yeah…”

“So embarrassing…”

As Miki had mentioned, the audio was also included. Toma continued watching, enduring the public display of affection, but nothing problematic had occurred yet. Toma and Mio let go of each other and entered Shine.

“It’s after this.”

“Okay.”

It was several seconds after that statement.

A stretched figure was reflected on the asphalt—a third party captured by the surveillance camera.

“This… guy…”

“I knew you couldn’t forget him. He’s a detestable customer for both of us, me and Toma-chan.”

…

Toma and Miki stared at the person on the screen with stern expressions.

“I knew I would never get the chance to hook up with such a fine woman again, so if she had come today, I was planning to get her drunk and take advantage of her.”

That customer, taking advantage of Mio’s absence, had subjected Toma to humiliating remarks and managed to anger him the most.

“Lately, there have been reports of suspicious individuals, so I casually checked the camera yesterday, thinking there might be something captured. And this person appeared.”

…

“He made such comments about Mio, so I thought there might be something happening today… and as you can see, here it is.”

Today was Toma’s work day. It was within the realm of expectation since he and Mio had been coming to this store together recently. Targeting that possibility led to hitting the mark.

“There’s no doubt that he followed behind Toma-chan and Mii-chan.”

“Miki-san… What about the police?”

“I’ll contact them now, but we can’t expect much. The police would need more decisive evidence to take action, and I often hear that they’re short-staffed during this time due to being on duty.”

…

“So that’s why you had your husband at the counter. To be prepared if something happens at the store.”

“That’s right… In case of an emergency, my husband would be more helpful than me. He’s the top bodyguard.”

Sometimes, the only way to counter force is with force. Recognizing the danger, Miki took the best possible precautionary measures.

“Of course, it’s best if nothing happens…”

“But Toma-chan, make sure to stay cautious as well. We can’t understand what these kinds of people are thinking.”

“Understood… Then, please take care of things today.”

“Yeah. Good luck.”

Smiling to dispel the heavy atmosphere, Miki nodded and saw Toma off.

What happened a few hours later proved Miki’s words to be true.

An incident had truly occurred…

***

21:17. The worst had arrived.

The time when the customers who enjoyed their drinks at Shine were leaving, and the atmosphere inside the store had settled. It was precisely at that moment that the man entered.

“Hahahaha! This is getting interesting!”

The man wielded a knife in his hand and laughed loudly.

Various shards of bottles scattered on the tables, fragments of broken lights, wine and whiskey stains seeped into the wooden floor, a potted plant that had fallen after spilling soil, chairs haphazardly toppled over.

Despite being in business, the scene was reminiscent of the aftermath of an earthquake.

And then,

“T-Toma-kun… I’m sorry…”

“Darn it…!”

Toma, straining his voice, leaned against the counter, clutching his right arm.

Beside him, there was a broken wooden chair lying on the ground.

The moment this man entered the store, he launched an assault by throwing chairs around inside.

He didn’t care where he aimed. He had the sole purpose of wreaking havoc in the store.

When one of the chairs, thrown among the others, happened to be aimed at Mio, Toma shielded her with his own body.

Toma gritted his teeth, sweat pouring down his forehead. It was evident to anyone that he was experiencing intense pain, and Mio, being a nursing student, understood that there was a possibility of his bones being injured.

“Yu-Yuuto-kun… Why would you do something like this? This… it’s a crime!”

“A crime? I don’t care about that. I was set up by that guy. That’s why I’m going to get my revenge. I’ll wreck this place and him completely.”

The man, Yuto, trembled. It wasn’t out of fear of his own actions; it was the palpitation caused by anger.

“Re-revenge? D-Did Toma-kun do something to you?”

“Yeah, that’s why you should step aside. If you are there, I can’t kill him, can I, Mio-san?”

“I-I would never allow something like that… So please… stop… reconsider…”

Now it was Mio’s turn to step forward, shielding Toma, but her voice trembled. Her face showed a fear she had never experienced before.

An unarmed and defenseless woman without any martial arts training was standing up against Yuto, who had a knife.

This action only further fueled Yuuto’s rage.

“Stop? What? Don’t mess with me! Just get out of the way already. I might end up hurting you too, Mio-san. Ah, maybe that wouldn’t be so bad…”

“Hih…”

“Maybe I should rip your clothes as well. Yeah, that sounds good!”

“….S-Stop… Please… stop… I beg you…”

Yuuto’s lips curled into a sinister smile, instilling fear as he slowly closed the distance. He raised the knife above, his face resembling that of a demon.

Even so, Mio didn’t move. She stood in front of Toma, spreading her arms wide, desperately trying to protect him.

“Mio-san… Please, run away…”

“No way! I can’t do that! Absolutely not!”

Mio shook her head, showing her unwavering determination not to back down. She knew that if she ran away, Toma would be in danger, and she understood that it would be stained with blood.

“I’m sorry, Mio-san. It’s because of that guy too!”

Yuuto licked his lips, waving the knife as if playing a game. It seemed that giving people fear brought him pleasure, as he let out a creepy laughter.

Beep beep beep.

An alarm sound echoed through the store, as if exposing the intruder. Yuuto, in frustration, directed his gaze toward the source of the sound, the ceiling.

“Tch, annoying noise.”

“…It’s an alarm sound. It’s only natural, right? We can’t just let criminals have their way.”

Then, a man interrupted smoothly, stepping in from behind the counter.

Extending a strong arm in front of Mio’s body, the owner of the store, Wataru, faced Yuto with a calm voice.

“Huh? You should just retreat behind the counter like earlier.”

“I haven’t fallen so low as to retreat behind the counter for no reason. It’s infuriating to see this beloved store destroyed like this… It makes my blood boil.”

Despite the situation, his expression and tone of voice remained as usual. However, veins were visibly pulsating on his forehead.

It was because he knew the love and dedication that his wife, Miki, poured into this store…

“Mio-kun, take Toma-kun and evacuate to the back,” Wataru instructed, glaring at Yuuto to make his command clear.

“Oh, you think I’ll let that happen?”

“You won’t let me, that’s why I’m saying it!”

In an instant, Wataru exploded with anger that had been building up unexpectedly. His voice became loud and imposing, causing even Mio, who was on his side, to flinch.

At the same time, something long and silver was thrown from Wataru’s hand.

“?!?”

It was a preemptive attack that could be called a surefire move.

With a “whoosh,” it passed by Yuuto’s ear, hitting the wall and creating a sharp sound that reverberated through the air.

In that split second, everyone was left bewildered, unable to comprehend what had just happened. Stunned, the movements of everyone except Wataru came to a halt.

“Mio-kun! Now is the time!”

“Yes!”

Released from the momentary paralysis by Wataru’s words, Mio gasped and quickly led Toma to the back, which served as the staff room.

Wataru, the store owner, didn’t miss the opportunity created by the momentary opening Yuuto showed. He didn’t miss the timing to evacuate them to the back.

The air became heavy, the alarm continued to sound throughout the store. Breaking the silence, Wataru was the one to speak up.

“…Using a bottle opener as a weapon is quite clever, don’t you think? It’s not a projectile, but it proved to be effective against someone wielding a blade,” Wataru remarked.

“You b*****d…”

The object that fell to the floor was a metal bottle opener, used to open crown caps on beverage bottles.

The reason Wataru didn’t immediately confront Yuuto was that he had a throwing weapon. He wanted to gain any advantage he could. As a result, he succeeded in evacuating the two of them.

For Wataru, Toma getting injured was unexpected, and due to their positions with the counter between them, it was impossible for Wataru to shield Toma. Acting calmly and making the best decision, Wataru showed his true competence.

“I suppose you planned to take advantage of a time when there were no other customers except for Mio-kun, but ironically, that’s what saved us. As long as those two are evacuated, there’s no need for hostages anymore,” Wataru said.

“I don’t need hostages anymore. If I kill you, everything will be fine,” Yuuto retorted, holding the gleaming blade.

“That’s one way to go about it, but the police should be arriving soon,” Wataru calmly responded.

The alarm sound was not part of the store’s security system. It was a modification made by changing the usual background music that played through the speakers in the ceiling. It served to intimidate the opponent even just a little and to convey to Miki that the report had been completed…

It was something she had previously informed Wataru about, just in case.

“It would be a good ending if I could finish them all… Kill them all,” Yuto declared.

“Hah, seems like you don’t understand why I chose a one-on-one fight,” Wataru responded, exhaling a sigh of exasperation.

At that moment, Yuto raised his blade and charged straight ahead, attacking with amateurish and monotonous movements.

Wataru, assuming a defensive stance, widened his pupils.

“Haa!”

As the sharp shout of determination echoed, a dull thud reverberated throughout the entire store.

A few minutes later, several patrol cars and an ambulance arrived at Shine.

Yuuto, with a swollen face and struggling while being restrained, presumably from being punched in the face to incapacitate him. Toma, on the other hand, was transported to the hospital by the ambulance.