Convenience Store Worker From Another World Chapter 119

Episode 119. To forget the memories you want to forget

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A few years ago, when I was working at a human resources agency, there was a comment that older people I encountered at construction sites would often make.

‘Back in my day, I was in Vietnam on some really important missions. If you told me to go after someone, I’d go after them. If you told me to go swimming, I’d swim. You get it?’

Of course I would, I said, and let it slide. If those words were true, they would probably be considered ‘very important’ in the military, and I shouldn’t be hearing them. Where would I be taken?

If it’s something made up, there’s no need to hear it, so it’s something to just ignore.

I decided to take what you just said as that. No matter what you say, I have no way of determining whether it is true or not, so I just ignore it.

“It’s just an old man’s words, so I don’t think you’ll believe me.”

The elders are also giving this hint. Now that the premise has been established, I decided to take it a step further.

“I wonder if that companion was escorted for some reason―”

“It wasn’t for a good reason.”

“…ah.”

“Just know that.”

The tone is firm. If you take one more step, you’ll fall off a cliff.

Even though the conversation was cut off forcibly, I was grateful that you even spoke this far. You answered the questions I didn’t want to ask as best as you could. I thought it might be a way to repay you.

“It’s the first time in my life that I’ve heard you refer to your wife as your companion. Sir.”

“…Is that so?”

“You’re calling me by such high praise. I guess you love each other very much. You must have been together for a very long time.”

“Because the spirit was so kind to me. I’m trying to repay him.”

I think your elder companion was a spirit.

Spirits. In the world I live in, spirits are usually amorphous lumps of fire or water droplets that have free will… .

This isn’t it. It looks very human, but it’s not human. Knowledge has increased.

“… … .”

“hmm….”

The old man who finished speaking became quiet as if lost in thought, and the atmosphere became cold. I thought I could enjoy talking about my companion just as I did when I talked about my granddaughter…

I feel like I scratched and made a fuss without thinking. Still, if it’s a situation where I have to apologize, I’ll do it even if it means making more fuss. I waited for about a minute while thinking that.

“… The boss told me earlier. He said that the owner of the business used to collaborate with one of the members of the unit I belonged to.”

“Uh… yes. That’s right.”

To be exact, the question was whether the person who worked with the store manager was Mr. Wolf or not, but this has now been resolved. If they worked together, they would have recognized each other the moment they made eye contact.

One of the two must have brought it up. I think the reason the store manager didn’t ask first was because it was a sensitive topic to ask about since he didn’t know Elder Wolf very well.

“Have you ever heard of who that person is?”

“I couldn’t hear exactly who it was, but they said they were escorting the president.”

“Ah. You’re the captain… .”

The old man muttered as if he had something to say. It seems that it is now an established fact that the old man is a former knight.

“Have you heard how things are going?”

“I didn’t hear that either. The store manager said it’s been a while since he contacted me.”

“… I see. Thank you for your answer, sir.”

After speaking, he was silent again. He kept his hands on the counter and looked down, as if he had a lot on his mind. Maybe he was looking back on the past years.

At least it seems like it’s hard for him to stand still. I suggested it to him.

“Sir, how about we sit down and talk? Looking outside, it doesn’t look like there will be any guests today.”

“Ah… yes. I’m sorry for worrying you.”

So he sat down at the table first, and I took out two bottles of water from the beverage display and brought them to him. Maybe it was because we changed seats, but the old man was able to breathe a little easier and continued talking.

“The last time I saw my unit members was right after the war ended. We took a picture to congratulate each other on our safety and then parted ways.”

“You haven’t been in contact with each other since then?”

“Yes. We made a promise to each other. That war didn’t only leave us with good memories.”

Then what kind of memories did you have? If you are a member of a different race who has lived in this world, you will be able to recall the important events in the history books and recall them in detail.

But I can’t do that. I’m a foreigner.

So I can only quote my memories of the world, and the textbooks I read somewhat omitted most of these things, but described them concisely and clearly.

How many people died in total in each battle. It was a brutal battle.

In their case, the tragedy must have been particularly severe. Isn’t escorting someone no different from having to take on the threats posed to the person being escorted?

It would have remained as a memory that you don’t want to recall. The most effective way to avoid recalling something is to throw away everything that reminds you of it.

“Just before we went our separate ways, the captain said that if we ever wanted to meet again, let’s meet after forgetting all the bad memories.”

“yes….”

“But, it’s already been decades since that happened.”

Time really flies.

After concluding his speech, he slowly grabbed the bottle of water, opened the lid, and took several sips.

Even while drinking water, his gaze remains focused on the front. He is staring intently at something invisible. I waited until he put it down and then asked.

“Do you want to see them again? Those people?”

“I think so. I thought I had forgotten everything, but it came back so vividly after just one conversation.”

“then-“

“Still, I don’t really have any desire to meet you.”

An old man who cuts off words almost as if cutting with a knife.

I can see that your mind is complicated. I can also guess how it got complicated.

The captain said this. Let’s meet again after forgetting all those memories.

The old man hasn’t done it yet. He said that he thought he had forgotten, but if you think about it, is it really true? Well…?

If you’ve ever forgotten something, you know how to forget it. I don’t think there’s any reason to be so sensitive about something that could be solved by just doing it that way.

If we assume that you have never forgotten, that you have not forgotten. You may think that you cannot meet your unit members because you have not forgotten. If you forget, let’s meet. This is the captain’s last order.

Or maybe they are worried that they will find and bring back forgotten memories. Either way, it is reasonable. There is no refutation, and no heart.

Still… there were things that came to mind. I asked the old man as carefully as I could.

“… Uh, can I just tell you what I think? I know it may be presumptuous, but… .”

“No. Since the boss answered my question, I should listen to him too.”

I asked for permission. Men don’t fight each other, sir.

I took a deep breath and exhaled.

“I don’t think you’ll ever forget that memory. You’ll never forget it alone.”

The terrible memories of war. Memories that were accumulated decades ago. You tried to forget them on your own for decades, but it didn’t work?

Then it just won’t work. The methods we’ve used so far won’t work. We have to find another way. Then what is that way? Has the old man tried talking to someone?

I don’t think you could do it. Who would you tell about your mission in the special forces? A quirky person from another world? I’m not sure. I haven’t lived long either.

You need to talk to someone else. Who would be a good person to talk to? Someone who understands what you’ve been through. Someone who’s been through the same thing.

“Come back after you forget. That’s what the captain said. I think we should interpret it a little differently—”

“In the military, your superiors’ orders are absolute, sir.”

The old man responded immediately in a calm tone.

This seems to be the reason. Former military. For soldiers, orders from superiors are absolute, so they have no choice but to follow orders without self-interpretation.

If you forget, let’s meet. This is also a command to forget. Forgetting is an unconscious action. At the point when you become conscious that you must forget, it has already become an unforgettable memory.

He’s the captain, he’s the superior. I don’t think he would have told me to be conscious of something that even a nerd like me could think of. Then why on earth would he have said that?

“That’s because at the moment of our separation, it didn’t seem like he was giving me the order as a superior. I.”

“… … .”

“Because he was your superior, he must have been through more, and so it must have been harder for him. That’s probably why he asked you for a favor at the end.”

“… What would you like to ask?”

“If by any chance you forget first, could you come to me and tell me how…?”

Let’s think about it rationally. Since then, many years have passed equally. The old man has been here for several decades, and the general has been here for several decades.

Back then, they were both young, so age might have meant something, but now, I don’t know if it means much. When you compare 20 and 27 years old, or 80 and 87 years old, don’t you get different impressions?

They are of similar age. And, if an elder of similar age couldn’t forget you, how can you guarantee that the general would have forgotten you?

I don’t think so. At the point when he first mentioned, “Let’s meet up if you forget,” I think the captain was aware that this was a memory that had to be forgotten.

“It’s just my opinion. It’s just a thought, but it might be a memory that’s hard for him to forget. Maybe he left it there on purpose because he didn’t have the confidence to forget it.”

“… You might be waiting for me to come to you. Is that what you mean?”

“I think so. If you’ve been through the same hardships, it’s better to resolve them with someone who has been through the same hardships. That’s the easiest. There’s no need to explain.”

You may worry, ‘Will I be of any help if I go?’ After all, the elderly person has not forgotten. If you go and ask why you came, you may not have anything to say.

Still, if it were me, I would say this. Cheerfully.

“I came to pour you a drink, sir,” he said.

“… … .”

“I’ll also ask you how you’ve been.”

Have you forgotten the old days? I can’t forget them.

But why did you come? I came because I thought you might not have forgotten.

Well, it must have been moderately horrific back then. Yes, it was horrific.

Even if we don’t know how to comfort each other, can’t we? Can’t those who can’t forget the memories that should be forgotten share their pain?

I hope so. After thinking and finishing my speech, I looked at the old man and saw that he was wearing his hat pulled down low.

From the bridge of the nose to under the eyes. So the eyes were not visible. He continued talking in this state.

“The captain was a strong man. He took special care of me when I was newly assigned to the unit, and he always took the lead when there was a group mission.”

“You are a true soldier.”

“Yes. So I never thought about it even once. In the direction that the boss told me to go… .”

He looked inside his hat, then put it back down, returning to his original gentle tone of speech.

“I will think deeply about what you have said. Thank you, sir.”

“No, I should be the one who feels sorry. I said whatever came to mind without thinking much about it, but you said you would think about it deeply…”

To be honest, I was really nervous. How much is appropriate to say to someone I consider close? Will they listen to me attentively?

This is a problem that should be especially considered if the subject is a shoulder dislocation specialist. I said this because I believed that the elder would not do that, and fortunately, my belief was proven right.

While I was secretly doing Lamaze breathing to relieve my pent-up breath, the old man looked at me intently and said.

“Before I first came here, I never thought I would have this conversation with you, sir… .”

“I think so too.”

“It’s a really interesting place. The boss and the owner are all very nice.”

I’m a strange guy. How many other guys are there who came from another world besides me? And speaking of the store manager… .

“The store manager says he is a former great wizard, but I’m not sure if that’s true or not… .”

“Huh. If you were a former great wizard, did you do this and that before opening the convenience store?”

“I think so. I’ve only heard a few things―”

I opened my mouth to lighten the mood by saying this, but stopped myself. A passerby was walking towards me from outside the main entrance window.

The fact that he walks with a figure eight gait is ominous. When I see him approaching, I see that his ears are particularly pointy, which is even more ominous. When I see him standing in front of the main gate, holding onto the door for a long time, I can tell just by looking at him… .

“… Oh, I’m drunk.”

A drunken middle-aged elf. That is, the truth. He either opened the front door or fell down holding it, and as soon as the door opened, he lay down on the floor and started rolling around.

“Hey, hey hey. A guest is here.”

If you are a guest, you should behave like a guest. I got up slightly and asked for the old man’s understanding.

“I’ll just clean that up for a moment, sir.”

“Come with me. I’ll help you if you need anything.”

It was burdensome, but I didn’t say anything because the old man seemed strangely motivated. As soon as I touched the shoulder of the elf hanging in the gap of the front door, the elf shouted.

“Hey!! How dare you touch a guest’s body?!”

“Hey, stop being so angry. If you sleep in a place like this, your mouth will become loose.”

“This is crazy! Hey. I’ll give you this, so go get me a bottle of soju.”

I thought he still had the presence of mind to buy something, but I was wrong. The elf took something very strange out of his pocket.

I mean, squirrels.

“No, where did you catch that squirrel…?”

“Hey. Take it and go get some drinks, quick.”

There are cases like this at convenience stores. Gentlemen who take out something of unknown origin that is neither cash nor a card and ask you to barter.

Really drunk guys are especially like this. The solution is to just call the police.

“Hurry up and get it, I said soju!! Are you ignoring me right now?!”

“Should I contact you, sir? Or-”

“No. Let’s get this guest out of the way first.”

It was because I didn’t like the cold wind coming in. I thought I’d give it a little bit of a chance and let it go, so I checked the hand the elf extended, and no matter how I looked at it, it was definitely a squirrel.

That brown rodent with a bushy tail and thin claws. But this guy is holding something in his hand.

It wasn’t visible because it was hidden between the fingers of my clenched fist, but this… .

“uh….”

No, really, what is it? An acorn?

The size is definitely that of an acorn, but the color is strangely strange. It’s purple, and it looks like a rock I’ve definitely seen somewhere before.

“Please step back, sir.”

The old man spoke from behind, and the back of my neck was grabbed. At the same time, I was thrown backwards, and there was a short squirrel cry.

-Tick!

At the same time, lightning struck the ceiling.