Convenience Store Worker From Another World Chapter 23

Episode 23. Traumatized nerd (2)

The Pomeranian’s voice was deep and resonant.

If I had heard it from afar, I would have exclaimed in admiration, “What a voice!” I have no idea where that voice comes from in that small throat.

“Were you able to tell?”

“exactly.”

“But why didn’t you say anything earlier?”

“I don’t usually talk much.”

“Then why are you talking about it now?”

“Wasn’t it you, the boss, who asked first if you had anything to say?”

That’s true, but what if I really say it?

It’s not an empty remark, but of all the situations I’ve experienced during the past three days of work, this one feels the most bizarre to me.

I can understand the dog-headed kobolds and orcs because that’s just how they look, but this guy, no matter where you look, looks no different from the Pomeranian in my neighborhood.

Even after I finished speaking, he just looked up at me with his tongue out and panting. Are all the dogs in this neighborhood like this?

“Hey, uh… what’s your name?”

“I’m a dog.”

“Your master calls you that? Puppy?”

“exactly.”

The name is really random. Are you not interested in dogs?

“Anyway, Puppy. I’m curious. Do other dogs know how to speak besides you?”

“I don’t know. I’m not old enough to be able to answer that question with certainty.”

“How old are you?”

“I’m two years old this year.”

He’s two years old, but how does he speak so well?

Anyway, since I am young and don’t know much, I did some calculations on my own.

If we assume that this guy has been going for walks outside since he was about 6 months old, that means he hasn’t seen another dog talk for at least a year and a half.

If that’s the case, then I think it’s safe to say that most, if not all, dogs can’t do it.

Of course, I’m not sure.

It seems like the fastest way would be to call the store manager and ask, but the timing is ambiguous. There’s about 15 minutes left until the guy’s owner comes back, and if I stay on the phone, it’s obvious that time will pass.

So rather than trying to resolve your curiosity right away, I think you were worried because you couldn’t say anything, so I’ll have to find out what it is.

“You idiot. Weren’t you going to say something earlier?”

“Um… I thought this kind of thing happens often… .”

“What? The owner left you here and went to get money for cigarettes?”

“exactly.”

“Is that so?” Your master just has a weird drinking habit. The Pomeranian’s tail drooped after hearing the answer.

“I see….”

“I guess you’re not really in the mood for this situation either.”

“I guess so.”

“If you don’t like this, tell your master. I can’t just ignore it, right?”

“That’s also a bit difficult….”

I tried to summarize what he was muttering while looking sullen, and it was something like this. He said that he had never spoken to his master, and his master did not know that he could speak.

“Why have you never said anything?”

“That… When I was young, I overheard the master and mistress talking. When the master kept making noise, they… Seong? What was that?”

“Vocal cord removal surgery?”

“I think that’s right. Since I was told to do that, I haven’t barked in front of my owner at all. And of course, I haven’t even spoken to him.”

Hearing this from the person himself was absurd, but I understood it well. How could I speak when he was trying to make himself mute?

“And since other dogs didn’t talk much either, we all thought they were scared and lived like that.”

“I’m not sure about that. The other dogs didn’t talk either, but they must have barked.”

“Hmm… I guess that’s true…”

It just seems like this guy is special. The Pomeranian, whose ears were now drooping, hesitated for a moment before asking me.

“Do you happen to know anything about how other dogs live?”

I was about to answer whether I would understand that, but then I remembered a few stories I had heard about people raising pet dogs. I should at least answer this.

“Well, they get cute and lovely and stuff. I know a guy who takes his dog overseas and goes around here and there.”

“That’s… a little bit jealous.”

“Your master doesn’t do that kind of thing very well?”

“I can’t go out, except for the occasional walk at night. And besides that… .”

After that, the Pomeranian continued to complain, and one of them was about food.

Eating dog food itself isn’t bad, but when it’s mealtime, you sit on your lap and order chicken to eat, you’re so jealous or something.

Besides that, it is not pleasant to have your master come home drunk and treat you like a fool, and it is also extremely boring to just stay home while your master goes to work.

After listening to everything, I told him what I thought.

“Isn’t it just that you’re not the type of person who treats dogs like dogs?”

“Do you think so?”

I think so. I don’t think dogs that run out when the door is open and don’t come back are just running out because they’re bored. I think they might also be running out because they like the outdoors.

“hmm….”

He starts to drag out his words, wondering if there is a change in his mind. I added it because I was worried.

“But that doesn’t mean I’ll leave the house.”

“… … .”

“I’m not joking, Inma. Dude, you’re gonna have a hard time if you leave home. You’re a Pomeranian, so what are you gonna do if you get caught by a dog meat truck while you’re out and about?”

In reality, there’s no way a dog meat truck would drive by this intersection, but I told him that because I thought he was having weird thoughts, so I thought I’d scare him.

Judging by the Pomeranian’s shaking eyes, it seemed to be working.

“That’s true… but… .”

“So, talk to the owner and ask him to take the dog for walks more often. Anyway, try talking to him.”

After that, it was quiet. The owner of this guy was also approaching his expected arrival time.

The Pomeranian, who had been quiet for a while, suddenly tilted its head as if something had occurred to it and asked.

“Excuse me, can I ask you one more question?”

“What is it?”

“Well… the master said that the main character should do something.”

He tilts his head from side to side several times and begins to put fragmentary thoughts into his mouth.

“The words that came out then were, well… well… anyway, what kind of surgery was it?”

“…Neuterization surgery?”

“I think that’s right. The boss is really knowledgeable.”

He looks at me with his tail wagging, as if he’s happy that I understand, and asks,

“But what on earth is that?”

Hey, sir, this guy opened a tonkatsu restaurant.

“Hey, Puppy. I’ll take back what I said earlier, so just get out of the house.”

“I think it’s a little different from what you said earlier?”

“So you’re saying you’re canceling? No kidding, you’re in serious trouble, Inma. I told you you’re going to have to eat pork cutlet.”

“Isn’t the pork cutlet good? I just watched the owner eat it, but it smelled really good. So the pork cutlet must be delicious too.”

Well, maybe your thoughts will change after you visit a tonkatsu restaurant once?

I quickly checked the time on the POS machine. There were less than 3 minutes left until the owner of this thing arrived.

So I briefly explained to him what tonkatsu was and why dogs who ate tonkatsu became so gloomy. I thought it was a reality that would be hard for a two-year-old small dog to accept.

But it was in vain. As if he immediately understood what I meant, he muttered while shaking his body.

“The original text… becomes a ghost, is that what you mean…?”

“Yeah, Inma… .”

“Why… did my own people have to suffer such cruel and ruthless acts…?”

There are many reasons for neutering.

First of all, it has health benefits. It helps prevent testicular cancer, benign prostatic hyperplasia that occurs with age, and bladder cancer, and it is also effective in suppressing s*xual impulses and aggression.

Of course, it does have its drawbacks. Because the hormonal secretion system is disrupted, it is easy to become obese or depressed, and especially if the eggs are removed during the growth period, growth may become unbalanced and the skeletal structure may become abnormal.

But this is a story about guys who can’t say they don’t want to do something, and this guy talks.

I don’t know if other dogs would be confused and ask, “Where are my eggs?” or not, but if the person in question has clearly expressed that he or she does not want to do it, isn’t it right not to do it?

“When is your master having surgery?”

“I think I heard it was Monday morning.”

It’s now 2 a.m. Sunday, so there are roughly 28 hours left until the execution. If not today, there’s no chance.

“You don’t have much time, Inma. Either quickly negotiate with your master or lie down. You don’t want to become a eunuch, do you?”

“…no.”

The Pomeranian answered firmly. Its body had stopped shaking.

“I have finally made up my mind.”