Chapter 37: A Familiar Stranger

What could an extra ten minutes at school possibly change for Bai YuYang?

His tardiness for work was understandable, a direct consequence of missing the subway due to his own actions.

But what was happening now?

Even if YuYang had been an hour late, it shouldn’t have affected this pigtailed girl. He distinctly recalled that in his previous life, she had never worked part-time at this restaurant.

Yet, considering it with reverse logic, could this pigtailed girl also be a reborn individual?

No… YuYang had a gut feeling. He believed the girl before him was merely an inhabitant of this timeline, not another reborn.

Though this intuition lacked any basis, YuYang simply couldn’t shake it.

That made the current situation all the more inexplicable.

Seeing YuYang lost in thought for a prolonged moment, the pigtailed girl was the first to regain her composure. As if struck by a sudden realization, she gasped and retreated into a corner beside a nearby wardrobe.

“… I’m so sorry I bumped into you. Are you chasing me to settle accounts…? Although it’s my fault, could we discuss compensation after I finish my shift…? This job is really hard to come by for me…”

Compensation for what?

Compensation for a mere bump? Did she think he was made of paper?

To avoid startling her further, YuYang deliberately took a step back.

“What are you misunderstanding now…? Just listen to me. It’s quite a coincidence, but try not to be too surprised. I’m a classmate from your school, and also someone who works at this very restaurant.”

The girl’s small mind seemed unable to process all this information at once, as she blinked blankly.

A few seconds later, she suddenly stepped forward.

“Eh?!! Is that true?!”

“Whoa, why are you shouting so loudly? And why would I lie to you?”

The girl had no choice but to accept the truth.

She glanced at YuYang’s collar, where a small blue tie was visible.

At Qi Feng First High, from first year to third year, the ties for male uniforms and the bows for female uniforms differed in color to distinguish grades.

The colors for first, second, and third year were red, blue, and orange, respectively.

The girl then exaggeratedly bowed ninety degrees toward YuYang once more, speaking with a hint of nervousness.

“Blue… second year. Ah… I was rude just now! Hello, Senior!”

“There’s no need to be so dramatic when greeting me. So you’re a first-year student. It’s quite fate to attend the same school and work together, wouldn’t you say? Allow me to introduce myself; I’m Bai YuYang.”

Ah… YuYang decided to put these brain-racking thoughts aside for now and just take things as they came. And this was truly an ironic turn of events! Just earlier, on his way to the library, he had been thinking he wouldn’t encounter this girl again, yet here she was!

Hopefully, they wouldn’t become too entangled in the future.

“Bai… Hello, Senior Bai! My name is Su Xiaomeng! The ‘Xiao’ from ‘dawn’ and the ‘Meng’ from ‘dream’!”

“Daydream?” YuYang blurted out instinctively.

“Eh?”

“Ah, never mind, never mind, I was just rambling. Su Xiaomeng, a beautiful name. Whether it’s dawn or dream, both are full of hope.”

“Eh heh heh… Not at all, I’m actually very pleased with my name.”

The way she rubbed the back of her head, brimming with self-satisfaction, was utterly unconcealed. It clearly showed her straightforward personality. Indeed, she was a lovely child.

However, YuYang shouldn’t be blamed for mentioning ‘daydream’ earlier. Xiaomeng, a dream at dawn, when it’s already bright, isn’t that precisely a daydream?

Having concluded the necessary pleasantries, YuYang noted that the restaurant lobby remained quite noisy, indicating it was still bustling.

“Alright, we can talk more later. It’s busy outside, and we need someone to oversee things. Has Aunt Liu spoken to you about the work uniform?”

“Reporting, Senior Bai! She has told me.” Su Xiaomeng pointed to a set of brand-new, unopened clothes on a seat in the staff lounge.

“Aunt Liu told me that once the person who will train me on the work process arrives, I should change into my uniform and head out. Eh… does that mean, Senior, you are…?”

“No need for ‘does that mean,’ it is me. I’ll teach you how to operate the cash register. Grab your clothes and go change in the female staff changing room. Come out once you’re ready; I’ll be waiting at the cash register.”

“Understood!”

Su Xiaomeng raised a hand over her head, making a playful gesture with a smile, then quickly grabbed her clothes and slipped into the changing room.

Next, YuYang also needed to change into his work uniform. After talking to her for so long, he figured Aunt Liu would likely flare up again once he went out.

He walked to his assigned staff locker and rummaged through his satchel for a good while before finding the key. After all, it had been a long time, and he couldn’t possibly remember which specific compartment he’d put the key in.

Fortunately, it didn’t take long for YuYang to open the small locker. From within, he retrieved the neatly folded work uniform, which should have been separated from him for quite some time.

Speaking of Lingxing Restaurant’s uniform style, it was absolutely unique among the high-end restaurants in the vicinity.

The male staff uniform resembled the black tailcoats worn by butlers in aristocratic families, infused with many characteristics of a Western suit, which made the wearer appear tall and stately.

The female staff uniform was even more distinctive. At first glance, it looked quite similar to a maid outfit from an anime, but it was distinctly different.

It might have only referenced the design style of a maid outfit, with some black and white ribbons around it.

The overall design was very conservative; the long skirt hem extended beyond the knees, and the sleeves were light and airy. Perhaps calling it a princess dress or a pleated skirt would be more appropriate than a maid outfit.

Regardless of whether it was the male or female uniform, the production cost was clearly not low. It was evident that Lingxing Restaurant indeed had a strong corporate culture and had done an excellent job with these superficial aspects.

However, YuYang had always wanted to complain about the designer of the female staff uniform. Don’t think you can fool him; as an old otaku, YuYang immediately recognized the strong anime aesthetic of the outfit.

Perhaps the designer was also an otaku? Well, that wasn’t YuYang’s concern.

He took his clothes to the male staff changing room on the other side and skillfully put on the work uniform.

YuYang had a good physique, and any clothes looked handsome on him, but this tailcoat-style design accentuated his charm even further. So much so that YuYang lingered for a moment, admiring himself in the changing room mirror.

“Cough… Was I really this handsome before, too?!”

That’s enough, that’s enough.

YuYang quickly emerged from the changing room, slipped on the black leather shoes placed by the door, and walked out of the staff lounge with a confident stride. With the blessing of this uniform, Aunt Liu finally allowed him to work at the cash register.

YuYang still remembered the operation of the machine and the work procedures perfectly. Two years of working, doing the same job every day, made it impossible to forget.

He even touched the computer monitor with a nostalgic feeling.

“Ah, old friend, I didn’t expect that you and I would be fighting side-by-side again.”

It would be even better if this old friend didn’t occasionally freeze up like before.

Not long after, Su Xiaomeng, now dressed in her female work uniform, also scurried over to stand beside YuYang.