Mastore 55 - Dumpster

Magic Realm Convenience Store – Ch. 55

Convenience Store Clerk, Occasionally Lee Chan (3)

At that night, the old man designated driver said this. Werewolves go to the hospital and get anti-magic prescriptions because of their uncontrollable wild instinct.

And this little girl lives seeing the pitch-black hearts of kids her age because she can't control the horns on her head.

I don’t know much about magic, but it feels like the principles behind these two cases might not be so different. If it’s an organ that senses magic, then surely there’s something magical at work there….

“I want to try using that trick to do something about your horns. What do you think about that, little girl?”

“I...”

The kid glanced out the front door and then stared at me intently. A glimmer of hope flashed in her amber eyes, but she soon lowered her head.

“The doctor said to me. It won’t go away.”

“You talked to a doctor? About your horns?”

"It's not because of my horns..."

I organized the words the little one was fumbling out. Pure-blood dragon. A rare species, with a separate original form. Not a half-human half-beast with horns like now, but a dragon you would see in media like movies or cartoons.

Because of this, she has to use transformation magic to maintain a form for everyday life, but since she's kindergarten age and can't use transformation magic yet, the hospital casts a spell on her. Once every two weeks.

It was the first I have heard of this, but I kept listening carefully.

“When I go to the hospital… Mom often asks. If the horns are growing well."

“And?”

“And the doctor said… they’re growing just fine, and also, uh, some kind of teik… noloji?”

“Technology?”

“Yea. They said the technology isn't there yet, so they can't do anything."

So, the current technology can’t do anything about dragon horns. At least that’s what it sounded like, The fact that she remembers this conversation so well is impressive. Or maybe she has heard it so often that it’s ingrained in her mind.

“They said it’s a blessing, so not to worry. That’s what they told. To Mom.”

“A blessing, huh.”

“And to me, they said I should cherish it.”

Her mom seems to be more worried that this little girl might lose the ability to see those feelings. The doctor seems to consider it natural too.

Honestly, it's not that I don't understand this. It is indeed an amazing talent. If you can live knowing who has bad intentions, you won't have to worry about being scammed in life.

Moreover, you won't be backstabbed, and you won't have to doubt whether someone in front of you has bad intentions or not... You wouldn’t have to push people away out of suspicion or fear of their bad intentions.

But you know what? These are all just adult circumstances.

“What do you think about it?”

“Me?”

“You’re the one who’s struggling, aren’t you? Not those adults.”

What does a 7-year-old have to worry about getting scammed or betrayed?

At 7 years old, you don't have to care about adult circumstances. When you're 7, you should just… go through life without knowing about this stuff. Play with your peers, laugh, chatter, and if things go wrong, fight with each other. And through all that, you make friends who you get along with and build memories.

I couldn't live like that.

That kid comes from a beggar's family, that kid wears shoes with holes in them. Just like this little girl, I was hated for reasons a 7-year-old child couldn't possibly help, and I came home and cried...

It was painful. That was my experience, but you shouldn’t have to go through that.

"Since you're the one having a hard time, it's right to ask for your opinion."

"Is that so..."

"So what do you think? If I make it so you can’t see that stuff, could you talk to the other kids?”

The little girl looked unsure. As I waited for her answer, I glanced at the POS system clock. 9:50. We had plenty of time. This wouldn't take long anyway.

Only after the second hand went around once more did the little girl answer.

"I think I could."

“The hospital you go to, is it big?”

"Yeah. I- It's super huuuge. They said it's a university hospital."

"I see."

I scribbled down notes at the edge of the scrap paper, committing them to memory one by one.

First. This little girl just said she receives transformation magic from the hospital to maintain her current form. If I mess up and undo that magic too, this little girl might turn into a hatchling right before my eyes. So I must erase only the magic the horns possess.

Second. I shouldn't erase it completely. I’m not trying to get sued by her mom. I only need to make the horns’ magic stop working for a few hours, while she’s at kindergarten.

Third, this is a damn hard thing to pull off. Even the university hospital lacks the technology to do it. If I try with half-hearted resolve, I'll surely end up worse off.

After thinking about it, I stood up and gestured for the little girl to sit down.

“Sit here for a minute, little girl.”

"Okay."

The little girl sat on the backless chair. Looking down, I could clearly see the top of her head. And the two horns.

I'm supposed to touch this horn now, but Manager said that horns are a very sensitive area for dragons. I should probably ask for permission first….

“To do this, I’ll need to touch your horns. Is that okay with you?”

“It’s okay.”

This time the answer came quickly.

“Because it’s Mister.”

"Why are you putting pressure on me like that."

Well, I got consent. After exhaling quietly so the little girl couldn't hear, I recalled what I had been thinking about all dawn.

Can someone like me even become anything? No idea.

I wonder what a guy like me could become. I don't even know.

Will I be able to find an answer if I think more? Probably not. I don’t know enough to figure it out.

So, I won’t think about it any longer.

In the first place, dreams and all that—they’re stories from a far-off land, billions of light-years away from me. I had to think more simply. What I want to do now, what should I take as my starting point.

This is it—this moment right here. Helping this 7-year-old take off her sunglasses, so to speak. This one thing is enough.

If this constitution is so useless it can't even accomplish this, I would rather shove it in a corner and pretend it doesn't exist. So if you don't want to be treated like an antique, listen to me and cooperate, my body.

I reached out and brushed the little girl’s horn lightly with my thumb. It felt rough, like sandpaper.

Top of Form

Bottom of Form

The moment my thumb touched, the little girl flinched, but didn't turn her head. I figured she would let me know if anything felt different, so I kept quiet, and after a moment, she looked up at me with a puzzled expression. I answered her.

“It’s done, little girl.”

“Really?”

“Yeah.”

The little girl got up from the chair and slowly walked towards the front door. I followed and opened the door for her. She looked around outside, then stopped her gaze on a certain individual.

It was a kobold in a suit, swaying as he walked—clearly had a lot of drink. He stumbled to the nearest bus stop, plopped down on the bench, and leaned back.

Watching this scene, the little girl quietly muttered in awe.

“Wow.”

Then she turns her gaze elsewhere and looks at each and every pedestrian walking down the street.

A goblin crossing the crosswalk, a bus, a harpy perched on the roof railing of a building. It was a familiar sight to me, but the little girl seemed amazed as if seeing it for the first time. As if she had just learned how to open her eyes.

“How is it?”

“I’ve never seen this before.”

“Seen what?”

"Everything."

I glanced at the little girl. No scales had sprouted around her horns, and wings didn't seem to have popped out of her shoulders. Somehow, it seems to have worked well.

When there were barely any people left on the street, the little girl snapped back to reality, looked at me, and asked.

“How did you do that?”

“I don’t really know. I just….”

"Just?"

“I just wanted to.”

I guess I was thinking too hard about it.

When the old man said he wanted to hold his child, it wasn't because of dreams or future or such. It was just because he wanted to soothe his newborn crying child. That’s all there was to it.

The little girl kept looking at me, her expression suddenly filled with concern as she asked another question.

"Mister. Can I ask one more thing?"

“What is it?”

"If I talk to them, but the kids don't like it... if they don't play with me, what should I do?"

It's a reasonable concern. After all, what changed was this little girl, not those kids' perception. But still.

“Hey, to be honest, I didn’t think I could pull this off.”

“Huh?”

“You said even the university hospital didn’t have the technology to do it. I was thinking, ‘If they couldn’t do it, how could I?’ But somehow, I managed to, didn’t I?”

"...Yea."

“If I hadn’t tried it, I would have continued to think that it was something I couldn’t do.”

This little girl has much better odds than I do. She’s a good kid, and I always had fun being around her. Once the other kids actually got to know her, they would regret not playing with her sooner.

"Since I did it, you can do it too. You have my guarantee."

“Really?”

“And if you can’t, just bring them all over here. I’ll bribe them if I have to.”

“Brieb?”

"I mean I'll buy them snacks."

"But, I don't have money."

"I have, so don't worry."

I'm broke too, but I have enough money to fill the stomachs of 7-year-old kids. The little girl seemed unsure, glancing down at the ground before quietly saying while staring at the street.

"Thank you. Mister."

Her voice trembled. I added one last thing.

“Pay me back when you grow up. I’ll be waiting.”

Top of Form

Bottom of Form

* * *

I came inside and handed a box to the little girl. Even if she’s leaving, she should at least take her gift.

At the same time, I realized that I needed to keep an eye on what happens afterward. I may have thought I could block the little girl’s horn for a few hours, but there was no guarantee it would actually work.

Plus, I realized I had timed this all wrong. She doesn’t even have school today—it’s Sunday. What was I even thinking?

Thinking we would need a way to contact each other in the future, I asked the little girl, and she nodded and pulled out a cute little cell phone from her pouch to show me. A cell phone, not a smartphone.

“No, do you have a cell phone?”

"Hehe."

When I was her age, the closest thing I had to a communication device was a string and a couple of paper cups. The world sure has gotten convenient.

I took the little girl's phone and entered my number, saving the name as 'Mister'. Then I called my number to make sure it worked, and just as I was about to save her name, the little gitl suddenly asked.

“But, Mister, what’s your name?”

“Lee Chan. But why are you asking my name?"

“My name’s Hana.”

Why is she suddenly telling me her name?

Is what I wanted to ask, but I decided to think she didn't like being called 'little one'. I deleted the two characters for 'little girl' and entered 'Hana', then checked the time. 5 minutes left until Manager's arrival.

“Little girl, no. Hana. What time do you usually go to bed?”

“Nine o’clock.”

“And wake up?”

“Seven.”

That means I won’t be able to contact her in the morning.

“I’m usually asleep between ten in the morning and ten at night, so don't call me during those time..."

"Okay."

"If anything happens, send a text... You should head home soon. I need to get off work later. Oh, and."

"And?"

“Just because you can’t see people's hearts anymore doesn’t mean you should follow strangers. Just take the bus straight home. This is a promise between us. Got it?"

“Okay. Promise.”

This should be enough.

I walked her to the front door, and she bowed her head politely, saying, “Good night, Mister Chan.” I went to the bus stop and made sure got on. Only then did I feel at ease.

As I was about to head back inside, I saw a familiar face walking toward me. It was Manager. As soon as she noticed me, she quickened her pace and greeted me.

“Hey, Chan-ah.”

"Yes..."

“You look even more tired than usual today.”

“Because I actually am.”

Maybe because the tension was gone, I felt like I could fall asleep even in the middle of the road if someone laid out a mat. Still, I had to finish work, so I started taking off my uniform and reporting for shift handover.

“No problems with the cigarettes, the register is balanced… no thieves came by….”

"I'm not worried about that... But, did it go well?"

“How did what go?”

“The watermelon gummies.”

Watermelo—oh, crap. I had completely forgotten about that.

The enchanted gummy was nearly gone, and the other jellies were still shoved in a box under the counter with the energy drinks. I took out the container of watermelon gummy and set it on the counter, and the manager gave me a pitying look.

“You’ve worked hard.”

“Yeah, but…”

I could’ve mentioned the two ice and flame woman almost destroying the store or how I helped a little girl with her issues, but at the end of the day, those were just excuses. It's not that I didn't have anything to say, but these were all just excuses. If I couldn’t get it done even after half a day, then I just couldn’t.

“Sorry. You went out of your way to help me.”

“No, Chan-ah. Even seasoned specialists with years of experience have a hard time with this stuff.”

“Is that so….”

“Yup. I just thought maybe Chan would get a feel for it. Was it really difficult?”

To prove how incredibly difficult this was, I took out a watermelon gummy and thought whatever came to mind. I'm really sorry to say this to Manager, but I'm strangely feeling drowsy. I feel like I might pass out at this rate.

So whether it was the silent, impact absorption, or whatever magic, I didn’t care anymore. I want to go home and sleep. After finishing my thoughts, I put down the gummy and mumbled whatever came to mind.

“I tried a few different things while working on it, but I’m sorry, if I don’t sleep soon, I think I’m gonna die….”

“Chan-ah.”

"Yes."

“I think it went well?”

The gummy, which had been falling slowly, made a sharp clinking sound as soon as it hit the counter. The silent magic had been erased. Then it bounced high up and rolled onto the lobby floor. The impack absorption magic was also erased.

“No, why is this working now?"

"Who knows?"









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