Convenience Store Worker From Another World Chapter 63

Episode 63. Pyeondol-i looking at the practical skills (8)

I feel bad for the supervisor, but I let it slide halfway through. Solving the cube was fun. But since I solved the cube I was asked to solve, I guess I can go work the night shift now?

I wanted to, but there seemed to be a problem. The expression on the supervisor’s face as he turned over the cube I handed him was extremely serious. He stared at the cube for dozens of seconds without saying a word, so I asked him first.

“Is there any problem?”

“… No, there is no problem.”

He reached out. When I handed him the tablet PC, he took it, signed it, and put it under the desk. After that, he spoke in a nonchalant tone.

“You passed.”

“Really?”

“Do you have anything else to say?”

“Oh… Wow, that’s exciting?”

I do have some questions. For example, why did they give the test like this? What was the intention behind having students take the test using practice materials? I messed around with my tablet PC. Can you check it out?

But honestly, it’s not my job anymore. I’m not a daily lecturer, so why should I question an exam I’ve already passed? As I kept my mouth shut, the supervisor continued to say what he wanted to say.

“The certificate and other documents related to passing will be delivered within 2 days, but the certificate will expire at midnight the next day. Therefore, you must follow these precautions from 3 hours and 10 minutes later.”

“Precautions?”

“First, in cases where damage is inflicted on another race in relation to qualifications and a sentence is confirmed. Second, in cases where qualifications are lent to another race.”

I wasn’t really worried even after hearing this. What could possibly happen while working as a night shift worker?

But the following contents really bothered me.

“And finally, if you fail to meet the nationally determined workload standards each quarter, your qualifications will be revoked and you will be suspended for one year. The final notice will be sent out separately later, so just keep that in mind for now.”

What is the workload standard set by the government? Am I going to be working for the government?

“For further information on the benefits of holding the qualification, please refer to the entries in the qualification booklet. That’s all I have to say… .”

“Does this have any benefits?”

I asked if I could get a discount on bus or subway fares, and the supervisor folded his arms and answered me in a dry tone.

“… For example, working with me.”

“yes?”

Why is that a benefit? I asked, but the supervisor didn’t answer. Instead, he picked up the cube I had set up and fiddled with it, talking nonsense.

“This teaching aid was made last year by ordering it from my undergraduate students. When I ordered it, my intention was to create a ‘puzzle with a structure that absolutely cannot be solved within 40 minutes.’”

“uh….”

“That undergraduate graduated last year. By my standards, he was a passing grade. The intention behind giving you this textbook was to see how quickly you can realize your limits and give up….”

He threw the cube he was rolling in his palm onto the desk and continued talking. The tone he spoke in was different from his dry tone up until now, and was filled with curiosity.

“The current situation is going completely differently from what I intended. Honestly, I’m impressed.”

Is this vampire really a psychopath?

“I’m sorry to seem like I’m going off on a tangent, but why are you giving me a test like that?”

“Because I believe there is nothing more foolish than holding on to something that will never happen.”

I agree with this too. Because I couldn’t make this judgment, I foolishly held on, thinking that my company wouldn’t fail, and ended up unemployed.

But things are a bit different now, because it’s a national qualification practical exam. I don’t think there are many people who would pass the written exam and come this far and say, “I can’t do this,” and give up…

“If we can acknowledge our limitations in this situation, we won’t be caught up in inefficient practices and do things that don’t work out.”

I think he really is a psychopath.

“Of course, this doesn’t apply to you. So, what do you think?”

“What kind of thing?”

“I’m asking if you’re willing to work with me. I can handle the selection of assistant professors with my authority and connections.”

Before I could say anything, the supervisor began to speak again.

“It takes at least five years to be promoted to associate professor, but if you can maintain the ability you have shown now, you may be able to advance early. If you continue to build up your performance after that, you will be able to be promoted to full professor without much difficulty… It will take about eight years.”

No, what is this…?

“If there is any treatment you wish for, you can discuss it with me now, and after that… the world will decide.”

“Excuse me, thank you for your kind words….”

“There’s no need to be thankful. I’m just talking about the possibility.”

“No, that’s not it.”

I appreciate your words. I mean it. But there is one reason why it is not realistic.

“I’m a high school graduate. How can I become a professor?”

“… No. With that kind of ability, why are you a high school graduate?”

Since you’re not a college graduate, you’re a high school graduate. Do you really need to ask that?

He’s not just any high school graduate, he’s also a high school graduate who is completely ignorant of the world and is startled just by seeing the skeleton in the columbarium. The supervisor just stared at me with a dumbfounded expression, so I told him what I wanted to do.

“I’m sorry to interrupt, but can I go now? I have something urgent to do… .”

“…What are you talking about?”

“I have to go to work.”

* * *

The supervisor looked even more bewildered. It was understandable that he would be bewildered when he heard that he had to go work part-time right after being offered a professorship.

However, the supervisor did not stop me or speak to me further. At that moment, a dwarf covered in soot walked into the examination room. His face was hard to recognize because of the soot, but the ohamma he was carrying on his back was the ohamma I had seen earlier.

The dwarf said.

“hey.”

“Yes. Go ahead.”

“The wind chime has broken.”

That dwarf also seemed to have many complaints about the test content. The supervisor, who was quietly looking at the dwarf, muttered in a voice that only I could hear.

“You can go. For now.”

My mother was a little uneasy, but she told me to go, so I went out. I didn’t run into any other test takers or anything as I walked out to the academy entrance… .

Even on the way back on the subway, nothing special happened. The route map was really complicated, but I don’t forget the route I’ve already taken. This is also a habit I developed while working at the company.

When I arrived at the front entrance of the convenience store and checked the time, it was 9:50. I went in right away and greeted the store manager.

“I’m here, manager.”

“Oh, Chan is here? How is he? Did you do well on the test?”

“I heard you passed?”

“Are the results out already?”

The supervisor said he had told me. The store manager didn’t seem all that surprised that I had passed.

“See, I told you I would pass.”

“I am of the opinion that I will have to wait and see the results.”

“Still, I guess I can feel a little better now. Right?”

“I hope so.”

It’s not that I want to do something else with this certificate, but I’m working here and I heard that if I don’t have this certificate, I’ll be in big trouble, so I have this certificate. I’m not sure if it’ll prevent things from getting worse if I have this certificate, though…

At least the store manager doesn’t seem to be worried anymore, so I’ll buy it and not worry either. I came out of the inner warehouse after changing into my uniform, but the store manager was still inside the counter.

“Aren’t you going to get off work? You must be tired.”

“I’m not tired. I have something to say to Chani.”

“Go ahead.”

“The supervisor told you personally that you passed. Did he say anything else?”

“I did. He asked me if I had any plans to become a professor.”

I said it honestly because it was the story I wanted to tell. In fact, most of the things I experience in this world, I have no one to talk to except the store manager. The store manager looked excited.

“Yeah, yeah. So?”

“I asked him if a high school graduate could be a professor, but he didn’t say anything. So I figured he couldn’t, right?”

“… Rather than that, I think I was just speechless because I was so surprised…”

“I just said I couldn’t do it. As you probably already know.”

The supervisor kept talking to me as if I was going to do something great, as if he was going to take care of this and that, but I don’t trust either verbal promises or promises of favor. Aren’t these the typical repertoires of a conman’s con?

Even if it’s not a scam, I don’t think about it. I know very well that it’s something I can’t do. Even if you ask me, “How can I do that?” after seeing what I’m doing, I have nothing to say except, “Is that so?” I don’t even know why my body is like this, so what are you going to teach me?

“Chan-ah. I’m just saying this just in case, but did you know that teaching isn’t your main job as a professor?”

“Oh, really?”

“Yeah. My main job is research in my field or administrative work for my academy, and teaching is like a side job where the academy asks me to ‘teach some kids, we’ll support your research.’”

“I didn’t know that. But I don’t think I’d be good at research or administration. I guess it would be fine if they asked me to tear down the lab flooring and put in a new one.”

“Well, you have to know how to write a paper in an ancient language.”

I am a monolingual person. It wasn’t like that in the first place, you know.

“Well, professor, aside from that, is there anything else that comes to mind?”

“What is it?”

“Chan-i, you’re not going to work part-time here your whole life.”

That’s true, but I didn’t expect to hear this directly from the store manager. The manager who spoke up seemed to have lost some of his smile.

“I like Chani, but… I won’t stop him if he leaves.”

I’m leaving this place. I lived thinking that if I left this place, I would just go back to my world with the money to open a store. Isn’t this another world?

It’s a world where people-like things fly in the sky or run on their own roads on four legs. It was hard to even get used to these things, and based on what I experienced today, it seems like I still have a long way to go. When I saw the coffins lined up in the ossuary, I thought my heart stopped beating.

But if I get used to it and can see things like that without feeling anything… then I don’t know.

As the store manager said, I can’t live my whole life being a swindler, and my body seems to be worth some money in this world. Like a basketball player with a swing fan of about 2.2m.

But not now. I think I still need to adjust, and I needed someone to tell me about this world. Now that person is here, and I have no reason to leave.

“I will let you know a month in advance when I leave, Manager.”

“huh.”

The store manager nodded and looked strangely pleased. Well, I guess I would feel good if I had a part-timer. It’s hard to find part-timers anyway.

“And for the time being, I won’t have any thoughts, so don’t worry and go in. Aren’t you really tired?”

“I’m not tired, but Chan-i told me to go in, so I’ll go in.”

“Oh, then why don’t you go?”

“No. I’d rather just loaf around in my pajamas at home.”

The store manager finally took off his uniform and grabbed his handbag. As he was about to leave the counter, he suddenly asked me as if something had occurred to him.

“Oh right, Chan-ah. Do you have some time after work tomorrow?”

“It works, but why?”

“It’s nothing special, I just wanted to go underground together.”