Convenience Store Worker From Another World Chapter 153

Episode 153. Everything has a cause and effect (5)

* * *

You might wonder. No, how can people live in a place like this?

“With a convenient location that takes only 5 minutes to walk to and from work, where else could you find a better fit for you?”

“It takes 40 to 50 minutes to get to here from the academy district by subway, so how can I commute to work in just 5 minutes on foot?”

“That’s something you can do by changing jobs.”

“Ah. I’m not going. I’m not going.”

He even waved his hand. It seems like this professor hasn’t given up on his dream of having me work under him, and they’re all doing this for each other’s sake. I’m the kind of person who gets dizzy just reading a single English sentence.

If you give that guy a thesis in this world, all he’ll get is a doodle in the corner of the thesis and an animation and submit it. If he doesn’t know that, why does he keep trying to sell assistant professor positions?

While I was blushing, the professor’s expression didn’t change at all, as if he had expected that reaction. He looked down at me for a moment with his sharp eyes, then continued speaking in a flat tone.

“Even if it’s not a dormitory within the academy district, there are probably a few facilities where you can live using your certificate as an entry ticket.”

“In a place like that, you have to live in a group, right? There will be other anti-magicians there too.”

“I guess so.”

This doesn’t appeal to me either. I can’t imagine having breakfast at the same table as orcs and dwarves, or splitting up the time to do laundry.

“… I’ll think about it. Thank you.”

Still, I think it would be a good alternative if I can’t find a place to live. Even though I hate group living, I can’t stay in a jjimjilbang for two or three weeks.

While I was thinking, the phone the professor was holding out rang. I checked it without thinking much, and it said ‘Deputy Director of the Magic Agency’.

The professor stared at the ringing phone screen, pressed the call rejection button, and put it back in his pocket. Then he asked me.

“Do you have any other questions?”

“Uh… But weren’t you supposed to answer the phone just now?”

“I didn’t even bother to ask what he had to say.”

I see a really novel way of talking. Judging from the way his eyes are slightly furrowed as he speaks, it seems like the deputy manager is not a person that the professor likes.

“Is there anything else besides that?”

“Actually, there is one more thing.”

This is a question for a convenience store employee. There are no pedestrians on the street right now.

It may be because of this gate gun that the alien races of this world are reluctant to wander around, but honestly, the streets themselves look unpleasant to walk on.

There was mud everywhere, and some of the store signs across the street still had fallen over. The LED billboards at the bus stop were blurry, perhaps because they had been soaked in water.

I think the streets will be filled with pedestrians again after these things are cleared away. When asked, the professor answered without a moment’s hesitation.

“It’s late. There are many places to clean up, including government offices, major facilities, and densely populated areas.”

“I guess other places are in similar situations to here.”

I thought back to the news footage I saw with the store manager this morning. A chicken as big as a house was climbing onto the roof of a chicken restaurant and crowing at the top of its lungs.

It would take ages just to clean up the feathers that were blown away while slaughtering that chicken, and it probably wouldn’t be much different in other places. I guess we can be thankful that there were no cars smashed up here.

“Yes. It will take about two weeks for this place to be cleaned up.”

It seems like the gap in sales will only get bigger for the time being. The store manager said that customers come in occasionally, but that’s probably because he hasn’t heard anything about it yet…

“Is there anything else?”

“… Yes. None.”

“Okay, I just have one question to ask before I go.”

“What is it?”

“What is your relationship with the store owner?”

As soon as I heard it, I couldn’t answer right away because I thought, “Why are you asking such a thing?” If you’re an owner and an employee, then you’re an owner and an employee, so why are you asking such a thing?

“I’m asking how much you know about the owner.”

“Can you be more specific? Are you curious about where I live, or my age?”

“…hmm.”

If you don’t respond even after giving an example like this, it seems like you have another question, so you should ask what exactly you are curious about before you can answer or not… Ah.

I remember the scene I saw earlier. The second-class gentleman, who had a stiff neck, was showing all the formalities to the store manager.

The professor wouldn’t be this formal with every single customer every time he stopped by a convenience store, so he must have his own reasons. After choosing his words for a moment, he answered.

“I didn’t ask him specifically. I just know he’s a good person.”

“Do you know nothing else?”

“Yes. It would be more helpful if you asked the store manager directly rather than me. While you’re at it, why don’t you buy some kimbap?”

This is the second time this guy has come to visit, and he always just says what he wants to say and leaves without buying anything. This is a convenience store, not a meeting place.

While we’re at it, let’s try to increase the store’s sales a bit. The professor was staring intently at the inside of the convenience store. The store manager at the counter was also looking in our direction.

The store manager tilted his head after making eye contact with the professor. The professor, who had been staring at the store manager for what felt like ten seconds, nodded slightly and spoke.

“I will contact you later.”

Then he got into his car and drove away, but I can’t even guess what he was curious about. Was it something he was dying to know about but couldn’t bring himself to ask?

As I looked in the direction the car had left, a humid wind blew and gave me chills. As soon as I entered the store, the store manager asked.

“Chan-i, did you have a nice conversation?”

“Yes. I did my job well, but… I heard some bad news from the store.”

“huh?”

After telling the bewildered store manager everything about me and my house, I finally told him that it would probably take two weeks for the street to be cleared. The dark clouds hanging over the store’s sales would also be cleared by then.

I thought it would make the store manager depressed, so I put it off as much as possible, but when the store manager heard what I said, he just seemed lost in thought and didn’t react at all. My feet started to go numb for no reason, so I called the store manager over.

“Store manager?”

“… Oh, yeah. Anything else?”

“I didn’t ask about anything else because it seemed like the most important thing. Then he said he was busy and just drove away. Why?”

“That’s because the professor seemed to be staring at me intently. I was wondering if that was the case.”

It certainly seemed like he had a lot of questions about the store manager. But I wondered if it was right for me to say this. It seemed like the professor was asking me questions that he couldn’t bring himself to ask the store manager.

I thought about it and said it as it was, without any personal opinions. Since the store manager is the person involved, he should know about it too.

“Yes. I thought you were curious.”

“What kind?”

“He didn’t say anything. Like what kind of relationship we have with the store manager, or how much he knows about the store manager.”

“Hmm….”

The store manager with his arms crossed didn’t change his expression. He still had the same puzzled look on his face, but since I’d been seeing him for quite some time, his appearance now looked a little different.

It’s not that I don’t know what you’re curious about, it’s just that… .

“…Why did he ask Chan-i that?”

The expression on his face is one of curiosity as to why he is curious about that. I was convinced after hearing that just now. It was the slightly subdued tone in his voice when the store manager changed the subject.

I immediately changed the subject.

“Even if the store manager doesn’t remember, the professor probably does. He did a lot of things before he retired―”

“Chan-i.”

“…yes.”

“Chan-i, do you have any questions for me?”

There are a lot of reasons. One of them is the reason why the store manager runs a convenience store.

In addition, there are other things such as the reason for retirement, the reason for not having a single wrinkle on your face despite having done so much, and how old you really are, not just on the face value.

And, the store manager’s name. I’ve come to know the names of all the customers I’ve met here, but I don’t know the name of the person I’ve seen the most. If I ask him this now, will he answer?

I looked into his eyes. At this moment, I had no idea what the store manager was thinking. I thought about it for a moment and came up with an alternative.

“For example?”

I know the store manager doesn’t like talking about himself. I’ve asked him several times about why he runs a convenience store and his age, and I’ve always gotten vague answers.

So I don’t intend to force you to ask. I’ll just ask you to give me an example. As I spoke, the store manager’s lips parted for a moment… .

I lowered my gaze slightly. The voice answering me was gloomy.

“Just, that’s why I don’t say things like this.”

It seems like he can’t tell me anything. He doesn’t really care.

“When the professor asked me about the store manager, I only said this one thing: He’s a good person.”

“…huh.”

“That’s fine with me, so don’t worry too much about it.”

Even I don’t really like talking about myself right now. My life as an adult, the things I’ve worked so hard for, and some of the things I’ve experienced along the way.

It all boils down to one thing: ‘I just did my work.’

The ten years of living like an old-fashioned machine are summarized in just one second, in just three words. That’s why I don’t like it. And I don’t intend to force others to do things I don’t like.

So, I’ll just wait. Until you feel like telling me. By then, there’ll be some squid legs on the table, a pitcher of beer, and two glasses.

Still, the store manager’s gloomy expression did not disappear, so I secretly checked the time. It was now 9:30.

“Please come in a little early today, manager. You’ve been working for a long time.”

He just nodded slightly, perhaps because his thoughts had deepened due to the conversation. As for the handover matters, today is quiet, and the labels for the new products in June will be delivered soon. Two things.

After finishing briefly, while I was counting cigarettes, the store manager spoke from behind me.

“You know I’m retired, Chan-ah. The wizard.”

“Yes, I know.”

“I retired because I wanted to live quietly. There were a lot of people who didn’t like me because of what I did.”

The store manager is not someone who would be hated anywhere. What is the reason?

After scratching my head and shaking off the questions that were about to arise, I returned the favor as much as I had received.

“Thank you for your answer, sir.”

“Yeah. Good work, Chani.”

* * *

From 9:30 PM to 9:00 AM, 200,000 won was sold. It’s not even half of the usual amount.

It was a sales figure that clearly demonstrated the extent of the impact that the core gate had on the world. There were other cases besides sales figures, for example… .

“I don’t see it on the shelf, but do you have any ramen left?”

“They’re all sold out as soon as the sun rises this morning. You’ll probably have to come tomorrow.”

Ramen was selling like hotcakes, and I could guess why. The houses of the nobles living in lower elevations than this street would have all been flooded. The same would have happened to rice.

Because there was nothing to eat right away, there were quite a few customers looking for easy-to-cook ramen. The customers looked so bad that I felt bad for sending them away.

Other than that, they seemed to be office workers who lived in high places. They came to the store because they had to eat and live, but the things they were muttering from time to time were quite annoying to hear.

“Damn, I’m glad I didn’t have to work for a while… ”

“That’s right. It’s not going to rain anymore.”

The two suit-clad goblins, perhaps regretting that they could no longer enjoy their legally paid vacation, muttered something like this as they each bought a pack of cigarettes and left.

I wondered if it was right for them to say something like that when their house was flooded and there were customers coming to buy ramen, but if they were to force themselves to understand, then I could understand. It probably had nothing to do with them.

Likewise, it was a story that had nothing to do with me whether I would be lynched or not, saying things like, “Is that something to talk about now?” Anyway, there were times when I felt my heart sink, and there were times when I heard things that made my heart ache…

It was 9 o’clock, and the pedestrians who had been plentiful had disappeared like ghosts.

This is probably a result of the collective psychology of going out only as much as necessary. Going to work is mandatory, but going out is optional. The weather is still gloomy.

Since cigarettes weren’t selling very well, after about 30 minutes of counting cigarettes and wiping the mud off the floor, I had nothing else to do. I was thinking about sitting at the counter and watching the news.

– Jangle.

The bell rang, and a welcome guest arrived.

“Welcome… Hey, it’s been a really long time, Hanaya.”

“Hello, sir.”