Convenience Store Worker From Another World Chapter 76

Episode 76. Spiritual Consultation Convenience Store (5)

At 7 a.m., the whale returned. As soon as it arrived, it let out a loud cry.

-Boooooo.

“I, I’m sorry… What are you talking about?”

The puppy fell asleep around 2am and is still sleeping soundly.

I could have woken him up by force, but it was a bit difficult to wake up someone who had been sleeping on the street for the past few days. That’s why there is no interpreter, and we can’t talk.

Let me tell you, the guy was bobbing his head up and down. He understood and continued talking.

“I don’t think I can talk for long.”

As I spoke, I looked around. After the sun rose, the different races began to appear one by one, and without exception, everyone stopped in front of the convenience store.

The problem is that these gentlemen stopped not at the whale, but at me.

I understand why. In this world, it’s common for blue whales to be quarantined, but it’s not common for people to talk to them. It’s a crazy world, really.

Even if I let it slide for a little while, saying I was just curious, if I continued like this, it was obvious that I would be suspected.

“So, put your back on it. Quickly.”

Still, you have to keep your promise.

As if he understood, the whale immediately pushed its back. When I put my hand on it, pollen poured down like it did at night. The amount was much more than at night.

Then, I took a deep breath and inhaled the pollen, and on the other side of the road, I saw a goblin that had been walking well, rolling around due to the wind pressure.

“What the hell!”

I can hear the screaming from here. I quickly told the whale.

“It would be better to break up before things get worse. If anyone asks who did it, don’t mention me… .”

-Boooooo.

“Oh, okay. Sorry.”

After that, the whale turned around to leave, but halfway through, it looked back at me and let out one last cry.

-Oh.

What are you talking about?

After confirming that the whale had left, I shook myself off and returned to the checkout counter.

When I got back, I thought about what to say, because I thought there might be at least one guest who would ask me what I did with the whale.

Fortunately, there were no such guests, and instead they asked something else.

“Why is there a puppy sleeping on the counter?”

Well, you can’t let him sleep on a cold floor. His mouth is going to turn…

Should I joke around and let it go or should I file a complaint? I looked at the customer’s face, but he didn’t seem particularly offended or disgusted.

This customer was a border collie named Cobalt, and he kept perking up his ears as he stared at the dog. I guess he wasn’t asking to make a complaint.

“Is the boss raising it?”

“No. It’s a stray dog, and I take care of it a little bit every time I come. It’s gentle and listens well.”

“Oh my. The boss is so kind… Oh, did I give you a card?”

“You haven’t given it to me yet.”

Most people reacted like this, or didn’t even notice and just went about their business, so no problems occurred until just after 9 o’clock.

After 9 o’clock, as usual, I emptied the trash cans and checked the cigarettes… .

“Chan-ah, I’m here!”

Ten minutes before shift change, the store manager came. He seemed to be in a good mood today, and his face looked much more cheerful than usual. I greeted him and asked him a question.

“I guess something good happened, manager.”

“It’s in progress. Chani, did you see the news this morning?”

“I didn’t see it. I was working.”

“Then I’ll show you again, take a look. I’ll buy you a cigarette later.”

I’m still working, and you’re blatantly slacking off. Is that okay?

But if the boss is going to scold you, you have to scold him. I looked at the pad screen that the store manager had handed me, and there was a phrase with this nuance written in the headline below. Early end to quarantine.

The news was, ‘Quarantine was over much sooner than expected, so there is absolutely no problem with outdoor activities from now on.’

In other words, the business of selling trinkets ends today.

“I don’t have to cry anymore when I look at my sales receipt.”

“That’s a relief… .”

The store manager was still smiling brightly, but I couldn’t help but laugh. There was something really concerning at the end of the news.

[ The normalization of the situation was announced much earlier than previously expected. What was the specific reason for the early end to quarantine? Did you introduce a different form of quarantine plan? ]

[ That’s not it, but the existing method is a bit more efficient – ]

[ How do you say it is efficient? ]

[ That’s… uh… ]

[ Is there any clear evidence that quarantine has been ‘ended’? ]

Reporters are really harsh when they speak their minds. Of course, they too must be wondering why the quarantine ended early. These guys must have inhaled a lot of pollen too.

On the other hand, the spokesperson who made the announcement had a look of anxiety in his eyes, and it seemed like he was holding back from saying, “We don’t know either.” From my perspective, knowing the situation, that’s how it was.

And as I watched that… honestly, I felt a little scared.

“Chan-i, your complexion doesn’t look very good. Is there something that worries you?”

“Do you see it that way?”

“huh.”

I looked in the mirror to see if it really looked that way. I couldn’t tell anything except that my double eyelids were substandard.

I guess the store manager sees this differently. I don’t have the confidence to hide it any longer, so I just said it out loud. There was a brief incident last night, and this news is the result.

The store manager, who had heard everything, asked back.

“What are you worried about?”

“You’re scolding me for skipping out on the counter at night and being late.”

“Well, well… there was a story behind it.”

I’m glad the issue of dereliction of duty won’t come up. I finished asking.

“The other thing… I’m worried that someone will find out that I helped.”

Let’s talk, the store manager looked puzzled.

“You wouldn’t know, right? When you use counter-magic, it’s common for there to be traces of it being used… but Chan-i didn’t have anything like that.”

“That’s the first time I’ve heard of it.”

“Conversely, the absence of a trace can be a trace, but that’s that.”

There aren’t many gentlemen who can handle things as neatly as I do, so I might get caught. It doesn’t feel real, but it seems like something I should memorize in its entirety.

“It must have been caught on CCTV, but that was for security purposes… Chan-i didn’t commit a crime. Rather, he might not notice if I praised him.”

“I don’t think there’s anything good to find out.”

The guests I received in the morning, as well as the pedestrians outside, were said to be walking around with hardly any masks on. I could tell that they were feeling a sense of liberation, even if they were not happy.

But then you realize that that feeling of liberation isn’t because the city hall did a good job, but because of the curiosity of a stray dog and a punk with no credibility?

“I feel like trust is going to hit rock bottom. In that case, it would be better to not say anything.”

“Ignorance is bliss.”

“That’s what it is.”

“… I understand, but… .”

The store manager added one more thing with a look of disbelief.

“Still, I think it would be better to tell the city hall staff.”

“What exactly? I’m having a hard time because I have nothing to say. If those gentlemen had spent their budget well, this wouldn’t have happened in the first place—”

“Other than that. If I were a city official, I would have given Chan-i a plaque of appreciation just to be thankful.”

What can I do with the plaque I received? Maybe they’d give me a pot holder instead.

When I said no, the store manager tilted his head again and said this.

“Somehow… I think I’m starting to get a feel for Chan’s personality.”

“What is my personality like?”

“At least I know that you are a deep thinker.”

“I hate hearing people say I’m a brat.”

“I understand that you are very shy.”

“yes….”

I didn’t bother to refute him. It was almost 10 o’clock while we were talking. The handover was over quickly, and there was only one thing left.

He said, pointing at the puppy.

“Should I wake him up?”

“I think it would be better to just let him sleep. He must be very tired.”

The average puppy sleeps about 13 hours a day. He must be tired now that he’s only slept half of the time.

That was the idea, but the store manager said there was another reason.

“I told you that this kid interpreted Whale’s words yesterday. He did a great job at it.”

“yes.”

“But interpretation magic is a very difficult magic to do well.”

There are many variables, including native Korean words, intonation, dialect, nuance, etc., and if you cast the spell without understanding these, the result will be worse than using a bad translation machine.

And this puppy saw a whale for the first time yesterday since he was born. He didn’t have time to figure it out and do his homework, but he still managed to do it.

“I’m tired. If a wizard of any skill were to use the same skill at the same level… I’d probably be sick for a few days. My brain would be overloaded.”

“I don’t think this guy used magic.”

“That’s true, but this kid sleeping right now feels exactly like the wizards who used interpretation magic.”

Even though the principles and processes are different, the way they look tired is the same. As if he heard me talking, the puppy snorted at the perfect timing.

“Boss… I can’t eat this anymore… .”

“Ugh… .”

After listening to the store manager’s story, I can’t help but think that he was born with a bad upbringing. If he hadn’t been born a Pomeranian, he would have been able to apply to the embassy…

“Manager. When he wakes up, can you feed him a hamburger or two and send him on his way? I’ll pay.”

“I’ll live. This kid has had a hard time too, so I want to repay him in some way…”

“And?”

“I think that would make it a little easier to talk to this kid.”

“It would be awkward if we just talked, so I’ll at least set the table,” the store manager said, taking out my wallet and smartphone from under the counter and handing them to me.

“You’ve worked hard too, Chani. So, do you need anything?”

“I’m leaving work.”

“Oh, boy… .”

“There really is nothing more to it than that.”

“more?”

“yes.”

Now that the quarantine is over, I won’t be seeing the store manager dead for a while. That’s fine with me.

* * *

I woke up at 9:30 and went to work. Work-life balance? What is that?

When I got to work, the store manager handed me a coat. I took it and flipped it over. It was clean, without a single hair on it. It even had a faint scent of fabric softener.

I asked just in case.

“Did the store manager wash this?”

“Yeah. With a little magic.”

We experience all sorts of things in life. Employers even wash their employees’ clothes.

“Thank you, manager.”

“What are you thankful for? We had a lot of customers today.”

It is said that as the quarantine measures were lifted, people of different races began to come out onto the streets again, and that this had a very positive effect on convenience store sales.

“I would have liked to give you a bonus, but… would you accept it if I gave it to you?”

“no.”

“I thought so, so I just washed the clothes.”

This is burdensome in its own way, but… .

I now know that the store manager is the type of person who would be happy if he were like this. So I didn’t say anything else, and instead looked at the counter where the puppy was lying and asked.

“Did you have a good conversation with him?”

“I did this and that. I also talked to Chan a bit.”

Why did you tell my story?

I wanted to, but the only thing they had in common was that they both knew me. I brought it up to ease the awkwardness during our first meeting, but we ended up talking about myself for over 30 minutes.

“That kid, he thought a lot about Chan. He also said he wanted to repay the favor.”

Of course, that would be true. I was the first person he ever spoke to after he started talking, and I’m sure I’m the only person he’s known up until now.

“But when he said he didn’t know how to do it… I told him that staying healthy would be the reward.”

“What is he?”

“When he asked me again if that would be enough to repay me, I said that was the top priority for now.”

I think the same thing. If he bites again next time he comes, I think I’ll report him to the city hall. Well, I mean, the park dogs keep biting our dog.

“Then he said he would try and left.”

“I hope that effort goes well.”

“me too.”

That guy only thinks about me because I’m the only one he’s ever known. Even I, who says this, actually only know a few people in this world. It wouldn’t be greedy to hope that they do well.

Even while this was happening, customers continued to come in steadily. There were about 10 minutes left until the shift change, and I was able to help the store manager with his work as best I could and receive information on the handover.

“Nothing special… I was told to mentally prepare myself because a guest is coming.”

“You told me to do that? Who told you to?”

“Yoon-ha said that. In a really urgent voice.”

What the hell is this? What kind of trouble did I cause today?

And when guests come, they come, so why prepare yourself mentally? As I was thinking about this, I saw a huge, black shadow passing by outside the shop window.

At first I thought I was hallucinating, but it stopped in front of the convenience store’s main entrance.

I stopped and glanced up before entering the store, and as soon as I confirmed the identity, I felt my heart pounding.

There were two reasons. One was that this guest was a… bear… .

“Are you Lee Chan?”

“……yes?”

“He asked if you were Lee Chan.”

Another reason is that my name came out of this bear’s mouth.