Mastore 70 - Dumpster

Magic Realm Convenience Store – Ch. 70

Convenience Store Clerk and Pollen Warning

(5)

After sending Noona away, I had nothing to do, so I spent the whole night watching recorded news on the tablet Manager had lent me.

Among them was the weather forecast for this morning, which said the weather would be clear but dry and a bit windy. So, they advised people to watch out for pollen and wear masks if possible.

For a few hours, I didn’t think much of it. But as dawn approached, a sudden thought hit me. Aren't I in big trouble?

This concern, sadly, became reality.

“Boss, you have any mask?”

“We do, but could you tell me what kind you need?”

“All of them!”

“I’m afraid we can’t give you all of them….”

"Boss, do you have masks?"

“I’m helping the customer in front of you, so please just wait a moment—”

“Boss, please give me a mask.”

Seems like they're under some kind of mass hypnosis.

Aside from slight changes in tone, every customer was saying the exact same thing, making the exact same demand. They all wanted a mask. But what could I do? We were out of stock.

Noona brought about 80 masks last night.

When I was checking receipts and inventory, I thought this amount would last two days, but two days my ass. They all sold out in twenty minutes. Even though we only sold them individually.

So from 8:20 a.m., I just had to turn away most customers. The ones who quietly accepted it and left were the minority; most of them tried to find some kind of make do.

“Then... You got tissues?”

Those we do have. When I showed the location, they bought them and immediately pulled out a handful to cover their nose and mouth before leaving.

The next customer was a muscular orc, who sniffled once and asked me while looking at the medicine shelf.

“Got anything for hay fever medicine?”

We didn’t. While convenience stores do sell medications, anything that requires a prescription can’t be sold here. At best we only have patches, cold medicine, antacids, and antiseptic.

"For allergy medicine, you'll need to go to a pharmacy..."

“But the pharmacy isn’t open yet.”

That’s the issue. I’ve always assumed that most other species here start work by 9:00 a.m. Customers always swarm in around this time, but it’s dead silent after 9:00, which pretty much confirms it.

And as for masks? Hay fever meds? Pharmacies sell way more of these things, and better ones too. But their shutters were still down because it wasn’t yet 9 a.m..

For nighttime, you can just drink less for a few days- and not come out, but you can't just not go to work because you don't want to. Thinking like this, I could somewhat understand the feelings of this orc who came to the convenience store as a last resort.

I understand but... how can I sell what we don't have? Instead, I carefully suggested an alternative.

"If your eyes are stinging from the pollen, how about buying some artificial tears?"

“Is that eye drops?”

“We don’t sell eyedrops here. It’s something else.”

There are some customers who make this mistake. Customers who come looking for eye drops thinking artificial tears and eye drops are the same thing.

They’re completely different, and for that reason, we don’t keep them in the medicine shelf. I pointed him in the same direction as the tissues, and a little while later, he came up with a bulk 50-pack of artificial tears, paid, and walked out.

Right after, a goblin came in, went straight to the counter, and asked,

“Hey, part-timer. Can I stay inside here for a bit?”

"How long is 'a bit'?"

“Until the bus comes.”

The bus stop is exactly thirty steps away, and I can see buses stopping from where I stand at the counter. Seems they wanted to wait inside the convenience store and go out when they see the bus coming, since they don't want to breathe in pollen outside.

Should I say yes or no? After thinking briefly, I followed the manual.

“If you buy at least a pack of gum, sure.”

"Why should I buy gum. What, trying to collect some kind of spot fee?"

“Kind of.”

If I allowed this goblin’s request, I would have to accommodate every other visitor who came in with the same request, and soon this place would turn into a makeshift bus stop shelter. Or a refugee camp, whatever.

But it felt wrong to chase them out, so I suggested it meaning 'won't you be a customer instead of a refugee?' After thinking hard about my words for a moment, the goblin pointed at the gum display and answered.

“Hang on. I’ll figure out which one to buy.”

Then he literally just browsed for ten minutes, and as soon as he saw his bus approaching, he bolted outside. Wonder if I’ll ever manage to beat one of these goblin guys at their own game.

After that too, endless customers poured in, and I kept sending arriving customers back to the street.

Then, at exactly 9 a.m., as if on cue, the customers stopped like a ghost, and it became quiet. Maybe it was because I had been busy for no reason, but I felt more exhausted than usual.

I was about to clean up the tables, assuming the work was over for today, when suddenly a shadow fell over the front door. Looking up, a yellow-painted medium car was just parking at the curb right in front.

It looks like a kindergarten bus. No, now even group customers are coming...?

Fortunately, it wasn't group customers. Only one salamander driver from the driver's seat got out. Compared to the other salamander customers, he had fewer wrinkles around his eyes. He looked about my age.

While the salamander was choosing items in the store, I sneaked a peek inside the car. I sneaked a peek inside the car. I could vaguely see inside through the tinted windows, and it didn't seem like there were any little kids riding.

"Boss, I'd like to pay."

He picked it out quickly. Just brought one PET bottle of barley tea. As I was about to ring them up and send him off, a question popped into my mind. After carefully choosing my words, I asked.

“On a run to pick up the kids, Customer?”

I figured that was a safe enough question. The salamander looked a bit surprised that a convenience store clerk would start a conversation, but his expression changed to one of understanding.

“Uh... Ah. No. I’m not driving the kids right now. That's an empty car."

“Oh, really?”

"Yes. We're temporarily closed since yesterday. Because of the pollen."

Because of this pollen, parents are not letting their children go outside, and kindergartens are aware of this and have closed their doors.

“I think we’ll stay closed until the quarantine is over. But... “

The way he cut his words short seemed to imply, ‘Why are you asking that all of a sudden?’ There wasn’t any grand reason that needed hiding, so I just answered honestly.

“There’s a kindergarten child among our regular customers. I haven’t seen her in a few days. I was wondering if you might know something.”

"A kid is a regular customer?"

"Yes. Comes every few days. A dragon species kid."

When I mentioned the species, the salamander immediately shook his head.

"Our kindergarten wouldn't have any dragon species kids..."

"The kid go to a kindergarten in that academy district area?"

"Different kindergarten then. My workplace is in the kindergarten inside World Tree Complex 1. It's a bit further than there."

“Then I guess it’s not the same one. It must’ve sounded pretty random, but thank you for answering.”

“No worries.”

After exchanging a slight nod, the salamander got into his car and drove off. I couldn’t be sure, but I had a hunch about why the little dragon girl hadn’t shown up these past few days.

They said even the kindergarten further away is closed, right? So that kid's kindergarten must obviously be closed too.

Looks like I won’t be seeing him until the quarantine is over. She’s probably doing just fine at home, and it’ll be odd for someone like me, her uncle’s age, to go out of my way to contact her….

Besides, her mom might see it too. I learned one thing during my time working part-time at a kid’s café: parents don’t often give their kids a phone when they’re together. My guess is that it’s to avoid accidental in-app purchases during games.

I looked at the time, it was 9:10.

Enough sidetracking—time to get my work done. First, clean up the tables that are a mess with sandwich and triangle kimbap wrappers...

After mopping the floor and finishing cigarette inventory check, there was still some time left. I had covered everything inside the store, so picking up cigarette butts in the street out front should wrap things up right around closing time.

So I grabbed the broom and stepped outside, but the sensation underfoot felt a bit strange, like I was walking on thin snow.

When I lifted my foot, there was a clear footprint left on the sidewalk I stepped on. The bottom of my shoes had turned pink.

It was pollen. This damn pollen isn't satisfied with just making us wear masks, now it was covering the whole street.

“Damn it, I thought it was someone else’s problem…”

Seems like I need to clean this up before the cigarette butts.

It’s a thin snow now, but if it keeps piling up, it’ll turn into a full-on thick snow. If customers step on that and come in, the store floor will be covered in pollen too.

With that in mind, I swept a few times, but it didn’t budge—maybe this wasn’t ordinary pollen. Wondering how other stores handle it, I looked around the street, and saw a woman with brown hair hurriedly walking from far away.

It's only 9:50, but Manager came early. I gave an immediate slight bow to Manager who came close, and asked right away.

“You’re here a bit early today, Manager.”

“The bus schedule was kind of off, so I think I should come a bit early.”

“Ah, I see.”

“But, why’s Chan outside? Out here breathing in all this pollen.”

“That’s actually why I came out.”

It’s piling up so much that I figured if we don’t clean it up midway, there could be problems. When I said this, she alternately looked at the big broom in my hand and the sidewalk and muttered.

“Yeah, looks like it’ll need to be cleaned at least once.”

“That’s what I thought too, but no matter how much I tried with the broom, it wouldn’t budge. Do we have a bucket in our store by any chance?"

"We do have a bucket, but washing it down with water probably won't work... Hmm..."

Manager thought for a moment, glancing at my face, or more specifically, at my mask, and then asked.

"How could Chan breathing the pollen in? No physical problems?"

“Me? I... I think I’m okay.”

Even breathing without a mask just feels slightly stuffy, no big problems. I thought Manager asked purely out of concern, but there was another reason.

“They said on the news that this pollen came from trees that overgrew from absorbing polluted mana.”

"They did say something like tha... ah."

I understood midway. Since this pollen came from trees that absorbed mana incorrectly, the pollen itself might be carrying polluted mana too. That’s the point, isn’t it?

They say strike while the iron is hot, so I immediately bent down and touched it.

The pollen that wouldn't budge even when swept with the rough big broom rose into the sky making a cloud of dust as soon as my fingers touched it. When I do things like this, I really feel how useful my constitution is.

"Seems to work well, Manager."

“Un. But... I was going to ask Chan's permission first."

“Yes?”

I understood this midway too. Seems Manager didn't expect me to strike while the iron was hot. I should’ve listened a bit more before acting.

“Don’t worry about it. I was planning to take a shower when I got home anyway.”

“But still... that’s gotta be rough on your skin.”

"Isn't it better than touching lime powder or cement with bare hands?"

"That's true, but then... instead, wash three times before sleeping. Definitely."

“yes.”

Back then when I did similar things, they often didn't even give gloves saying I was young so it's fine. I’m grateful she even thought about it.

Still, bending down and sweeping with a bent waist might make my disc problem recur, so after thinking briefly I took off my shoes. Socks too.

It was a choice made with efficiency in mind. My feet are definitely bigger than my hands, after all.

It might look funny, but there weren't any pedestrians on the street except for Manager and me anyway. As I was slowly sweeping the pollen on the sidewalk with my bare feet, Manager told me her thoughts.

"Working hard, Chan."

“Ah, it’s nothing. I'm just doing it because I’m theable to, but what about you, Manager? How will you manage it?”

“Don’t worry about me. I might not be able to handle the outside, but I can use a cleaning spell inside the store.”

"Then... isn't what I'm doing now pointless?"

"Super useful. It means less cleaning for me to do, by as much as Chan cleans."

Thank goodness it’s not a wasted effort. It was just past past 10 while I was cleaning up, and the sidewalk pattern in front of the front door was clean enough to be visible.

I’m about ready to head home. After completing the handover shift, I reported the important stuff Manager needed to know.

"Today 8 out of 10 customers during the morning were looking for masks, Manager. But we only had enough for 2 out of those 10."

“Oh my. And that was with placing the maximum possible order..."

"I understand running short on supply. My neighborhood had a mask crisis once last year too."

"How was it at Chan's place?"

“Well... People hoarded, some folks got scammed, and mask-related stocks all hit their limits. It went on like that for about three months?”

I still remember combing every pharmacy and convenience store in town just to find a mask… No, on second thought, I wouldn’t exactly call that a fond memory even with empty word.

This pollen situation is only temporary, so it won’t get that bad, but on the other hand, it means I’ll be stuck with shifts like this morning for the next few days. To be exact, until the city hall finishes quarantine work.

So, right before stepping out of the convenience store, I muttered a little complaint to Manager.

"Wish they would do something about this damn pollen quickly."

“Yeah, seriously.”

This damn pollen seems to be catching many people.

Noona's probably still doing overtime now, the chihuahua's probably cursing in his messed up company, the little girl can't go outside, Manager's struggling to get masks, and I'm struggling because I can't sell masks.

It’s frustrating. I can’t quite put it into words, but that’s how it feels.



|Note

Consider supporting me by subscribing on Patreon for 5$. 

Advance chapters of Magic Realm Convenience Store Worker : 10 Chapters

Also, consider visiting my patreon to check out my other projects