Convenience Store Worker From Another World Chapter 179

Episode 179. We don’t have many friends (1)

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In addition to this one, there were several other brats that the glass guy sent out, and the way he sent them out was so innovative that I couldn’t even imagine. What was it?

“… … .”

Silent pressure. There were two kids who were just chatting away with the ice cream freezer door wide open. Yuri, who noticed them, approached them and started staring at the back of their heads without saying a word.

At a distance where their collars could almost touch. The kids who felt the presence turned around, met Yuri’s eyes, and were embarrassed and started whispering among themselves.

“Uh… who are you?”

“… … .”

“Hey, who is this lady? Do you know her?”

“No, I don’t know. Don’t ask me.”

“… … .”

Even though Yuri-kun makes a loud noise whenever he opens his mouth, he has a uniquely strange atmosphere when he is quiet. Even I find it burdensome, so how much more so must it be for the younger ones.

All of this aside, receiving inexplicable attention from an adult woman is not a pleasant situation for elementary school students. This standoff lasted for several seconds, and then the kids ran away, apparently unable to endure it.

Yuri, who had been looking at the main door through which the kids had left, closed the freezer door and returned to the counter to speak to me.

“My hands are cold.”

“Then put your hand on the freezer window and don’t close it, Inma. I’m calculating, so wait.”

“Yes. Then I…”

After answering, he looks around and walks towards the table, staring intently at the kids playing tag, fighting over their food.

“Hey, be so petty. It would be a waste to give him even a bite of that— huh.”

“… … .”

I thought about stopping them, but I stopped. I just watched without saying anything, so I don’t think they’ll tell their moms about meeting a strange woman…

In this state, 20 more minutes passed, and it was 8:50. The elementary school kids had gone out as if they had made an appointment, and I looked around the inside of the store, which had suddenly become empty.

There was trash strewn everywhere just like yesterday, but at least the toy display cases were intact. Yuri, perhaps because she had nothing else to do, stood in front of the checkout counter and looked around the store as usual.

Then, my gaze stopped at the trash on the table. I immediately spoke.

“I’ll clean that up, so you go eat your lunch or something.”

“Why a packed lunch?”

“Did you eat before you left today?”

“I’m hungry.”

“Even eating breakfast is work.”

“Hmm… aha.”

After talking about work, he finally seemed convinced and took two lunch boxes from the display case and placed them on the counter. One of them was the lunch box I had eaten yesterday. A six-course lunch box.

“You have to work too, oppa.”

I guess he thought I chose this yesterday because I liked it. It wasn’t because it tasted good, I just chose the cheapest one…

Since I finally decided on a menu, I might as well eat it one more time. I scanned the barcode and handed it over to him. He then folded the lunch boxes and started heating them up one by one in the microwave.

By the time the second ring is heard, the table is cleared and I place my lunch box on the cleared table first. Then, another word of waking.

“No, I didn’t bring it specifically for you.”

“No, what the hell are you talking about?”

“The book says that if you do this, your interpersonal relationships will improve…”

“I guess the book is wrong,” he muttered as he went to get his own lunch, but the words just now caught his ear so he asked, “What if it says this in the book?”

“It’s about becoming close. When you do something for the other person, show a little bit of embarrassment.”

“uh.”

“He said that when the other person thinks, ‘Oh, this person secretly cares about me,’ an invisible affection builds up.”

“What is the… book classification?”

“It’s number 657.”

I was wondering why a number suddenly popped up, so I searched on my phone and found out that it was a comic book classification number. If I had known that I would get this answer, I would have asked for the title instead of the classification.

Still, the intention of the conversation was conveyed well. This guy wants to build up an invisible sense of favor. There are probably many ways to learn this, but comics are probably the most fun.

I glanced outside, and there were noticeably fewer pedestrians, perhaps because it was past school hours. The few pedestrians that were around were all just going their separate ways.

I think it would be okay to have a quick conversation like this. I also have something I want to ask of this guy about last night. First of all… .

“…They say that you develop feelings that are invisible to the eye, but if you can’t see them, you don’t know if you have feelings or not.”

“That’s true.”

“Then isn’t it meaningless?”

“I don’t know. Do you have feelings for him, oppa?”

“Thank you for warming up my lunch. Anyway, I have a favor to ask.”

After we got to the point, I got down to business. Could you work for a bit the night before tomorrow? I’ll just take a taxi and come back as soon as I’m done.

I thought he was going to say something like, “What are you looking at?” or “What are you talking about to a kid in training?” but he said this to me without saying a word about any of those things.

“If you could just give me a definite answer, do you like me?”

“There are many emotions that arise when exchanging favors, but usually it’s a feeling of favor. That’s true, but… is there another reason why you’re telling me this?”

I know that since this guy decided to work, he’s been paying a lot of attention to my gaze. Like, he’s been clearing the table consciously, and he’s been listening to me very carefully.

That was unusually direct today. I asked just in case, and it was correct.

“I did some imagination last night.”

“What kind?”

“When I first met you, you were like this.”

“I see. How does it feel when you imagine it?”

“It started to get weird.”

From my perspective, it was beyond weird, it was a mess.

It’s not like you can bring up the topic of other worlds at first sight, and why me? Are you trying to take advantage of my weakness? What’s your basis for this?

Now that we’ve known each other for a long time, it seems like he thinks differently about what he did that day. When I asked him about that, he probably had no intention of working here.

I’ll have to hear what he thinks specifically, though. I took a bite of my lunchbox side dish and waited for his answer, but it seemed like he still hadn’t gotten over his obsession.

“I’m still curious.”

“I don’t like stubborn people. I just want them to understand why they’re being stubborn.”

“What if I don’t explain?”

“At that time, both of us would be frustrated. I would ask, “What is the basis for bringing up a world that doesn’t exist?” and you would say, “I can’t tell you the basis, but I know there is one,” and continue to wonder.”

“I don’t like feeling stuffy. I don’t like holding back my curiosity.”

If we keep our secrets separate, I don’t think Yuri thinks of me as a bad coworker. Neither do I.

Instead, you start to keep asking each other things you don’t want to talk about? Then, you’ll end up just saying whatever you want to say. When you make eye contact, you’ll just fight, and if this kind of relationship is bad, it’s not going to get better.

Yuri, who had been staring down at her own lunchbox, picked up some rice with her chopsticks, started to chew on it, and slowly began to state her conclusion.

“Still, I don’t mind eating with my brother like this now.”

“I see.”

“I learned a lot about work and also talked about comics.”

“Then that’s good.”

“If I apologize in this situation, will they usually accept it?”

“If you’re talking about me, maybe.”

“sorry.”

“Okay.”

Since he has almost never had a conversation with people, this is probably the first time he has ever sincerely apologized. There is no way to know if he is sincere or not since I can’t really tell him what’s on his mind…

I think it’s better for me to think that it’s true, so I’ll just accept it. After this conversation, we ate in silence, and when we were about halfway through, I asked first.

“How much did you learn about store work from the store manager?”

“My sister said, ‘Now, all you have to do is get used to receiving guests.’”

Then I think I should just accept customers. The store manager probably doesn’t see the store the same way as I do, so if I tell him both ways, he’ll get confused.

I have to start work the day after tomorrow, so I think I should start right now. After I finish eating, I should put this guy in his uniform. – As I was thinking that, I saw a familiar-colored figure walking on the sidewalk outside.

“…no.”

“Why, brother?”

All white, with a red backpack on his back. Why is he here at this hour?

I went outside without answering and looked around. One of them had been looking around anxiously, but when our eyes met, his face brightened.

He ran over with a smiling face, nodded, and then shouted confidently.

“I found it, sir!”

“Hey, you, why didn’t you go to kindergarten and came here?”

“You’re late. You’re in big trouble.”

I’m proud of it, very much.

I wanted to, but after listening to what he had to say, I found out that he had his own circumstances. He said that he was originally supposed to get ready at home around 8:30 in the morning and come here in his mom’s car.

But, just as I was getting ready to go out, something urgent came up with my mom, and I told her that I had to go to school on my own, so she took a bunch of uncles and aunts with her.

“Who are you, uncle or auntie…?”

I’ve never seen her house in person, but I’m guessing she lives in a very well-off household. If her mother doesn’t drive and instead has an attendant drive her a limousine, that says it all.

He must have called those attendants uncle and aunt. He said he took a bunch of attendants with him, so it makes sense that he had to come alone… .

“Hey, have you ever been to kindergarten alone before?”

“I’ve been here several times. I’ve never been to Yuchiyeon before… .”

I asked the reason for this, and they said that the kindergarten is quite far from the main gate. It takes more than 20 minutes to get there by taking the kindergarten shuttle bus inside.

So, her mother had already contacted the kindergarten and was planning to wait here for the shuttle bus to pick her up.

“Geundae, you said that your uncle was moving here. That’s why I was looking for him…”

“Have you been looking for it for a long time?”

“No? 3 minutes.”

“I’m sorry. If I had known, I would have spoken more clearly.”

Since it’s a place for 7-year-olds, I thought it would be close to the entrance, but I never thought that you have to take a shuttle bus to get in. How can the site be this big?

If I hadn’t seen her for a few more days, I almost had a call log of a 29-year-old man on my phone. Hana, who had been looking up at me while I was patting her on the head, glanced at her back and opened her mouth.

“Uh….”

Then he bent down and hid behind my knees as a wall. When I looked back, the glass guy had already come out to look around right behind me.

As soon as we made eye contact, one of them grabbed my pants and buried his face in it. First, I should introduce this guy.

“Hanaya. The kid behind me. He’s the new employee who’s going to start working here. You don’t have to be scared.”

“Ah… hello, hello.”

Hana hesitated and lowered her head, perhaps feeling a little relieved after hearing my words.

Yuri, who had been blankly watching this, grabbed hold of my uniform collar just like Hana and stuck her face out to the side.

“Me too.”

“What are you doing?”

“That kid greeted me like this, so I did too.”