Mastore 117 - Dumpster

Magic Realm Convenience Store – Ch. 117

The Gate’s effect on convenience store clerk (4)

The method of organizing logistics is simple. You compare the list of items on the invoice with the actual items that arrived, checking if the ordered items came in the correct quantities.

If they've come in correctly, you just circle them with a pen, and if they don't match, you tattle to the owner about the discrepancy.

While this part may vary slightly between stores, it's generally the same, but there is one difference that inevitably occurs.

[Chan can organize it like you said. But will Chan’s back be okay?]

The spinal health of the store clerks fluctuates depending on the size of the store. When I checked during verification, there were 8 boxes of soju alone. And six boxes containing six 1.5-liter drinks each.

Moving all this stuff would easily take hours. Even Manager sounded apologetic.

[I could’ve used magic to handle this quickly during the day...]

“I’ll do it. Leaving these in the lobby won’t leave a good impression on customers.”

Her apologizing actually made me feel sorrier. After all, I've been avoiding work I should naturally be doing, thanks to Manager. After a brief silence, she blurted out,

[Then let's just talk in the morning, Chan-ah. It'll take you a few hours to finish all that. You'll be tired afterward.]

“No, what happened to not resting properly because you were waiting for my call?”

[Don't care. I'm going to sleep. Make sure to stretch your back when you're done. Good work.]

With that, she hung up. I appreciate her concern, but I’m still in my 20s. What’s with the back stretches…?

* * *

It took a solid two hours to organize all the cargo. During that time, no customers came, and my back was in shambles.

“Dammit…”

The fairy of the spine, I need the fairy of the spine. Couldn’t one just come by the store as a customer once? Maybe fix vertebrae three through six?

This was beyond my control. A box of soju weighs about 10kg. A box of six 1.5-liter colas also weighs 10kg.

After moving sixteen cases of 10kg beverages, I had to bend over repeatedly while restocking the display shelves. At one point, I suddenly felt a sharp crack from my back?

After that, I worked with a scream every time I slightly twisted my body. Alcohol, beverages, snacks, ramen.

By the time I was down to household essentials, I didn’t even have the strength to hold my phone to my ear. I just slumped over the counter and stared blankly out the window.

It remained quiet even until 7:30 in the morning. It's also the first time I've seen sales hit just 30,000 won.

After another 30 minutes or so, other species started showing up, but their appearances were different from yesterday.

Yesterday, all the commuting other species were glued to their phones. Today, their outfits were much more casual. Are they not going to work at all?

While I was thinking, there was a succubus talking on the phone in the store, so I slightly tilted my ear to listen.

—Mhm, Honey~ Can't we go play somewhere today?

—Huh? Work? Our company is closed today, Honey. You know, because of that gate that opened in the Academy District.

―I wish gates would open like this every day. Then I could spend every~ day with you.

―Oh, you’re going to work today? That’s too bad… Wait, no. I’ll just come to your office~

Her voice is literally dripping with honey. From the sound of it, it seemed this damned gate had caused some companies to declare a temporary day off....

After the succubus bought wet wipes and left, customers gradually began to increase, and proportionally, more things started to become visible.

For example, all the other species in suits looked like they were about to die.

Even while eating sandwiches, their glances at the casually dressed other species contained gazes of unbearable envy. On the other hand, among the casually dressed other species, there were some who had brought their kids along.

"Dad. That salamander mister is wearing a suit, but why are you wearing a vest?"

"Well. Today is dad's day off. Not his."

"Why?"

The moment that exchange occurred, the salamander’s face turned so gloomy that words couldn't do it justice. After finishing his sandwich and leaving, even his beard and tail drooped limply.

It was a more or less ordinary scene. Anyway, the chosen ones headed to their promised destinations, while the unchosen headed to the commuter subway...

Manager came 5 minutes before 10. I was about to greet her, but her lips were noticeably pouted as she entered. I asked about that first.

"Manager-nim. What grievance do you have that makes you stick out your lips like that?"

“Hi, Chan-ah.”

“Yes. Good morning.”

“It’s only slightly a good morning for me.”

It seems like something’s up, but I need to know what it is to respond. Still pouting, she shuffled over and handed me something that looked like a patch.

Upon checking, it wasn't a ticket but a pain relief patch.

“I thought your back might be hurting by now, so I bought this outside. My store only stocks the weak stuff.”

"...It's actually been hurting for a while. I strained it."

“Be careful. You're not eternally eighteen, you know.”

No, really, isn't she a bit different from her usual?

Normally, she would have been smiling broadly saying, 'Want me to pat your back? My hands are spicy so be careful,' and eagerly patting my back. Why the gloom today?

"Um, are you acting this way because I organized the cargo?"

“Huh? That’s actually part of why it’s a slightly good morning?”

"Well..."

"If Chan hadn't organized the cargo, it would have been very bad morning."

It was worth sacrificing my back. I looked into Manager’s eyes, and she didn’t avoid my gaze.

A moment later, her sulky expression shifted into genuine gloom.

“I’m sorry. It wasn’t Chan’s fault.”

"I understand. On mornings when I stub my little toe against a bookshelf, I also get cranky and can't tell friend from foe."

“That’s totally understandable. Um....”

The store manager starts to twist his hair in frustration. This is a habit I have never seen before.

After twirling her hair about three or four times, she suddenly extends her right hand to me.

“Chan-ah, hold my hand for a moment.”

I wasn't particularly keen on it, but following a superior’s orders was part of an employee’s fate. As soon as I reached out and shook her hand, her expression brightened noticeably.

“Ah, I knew it. It was something magic-related.”

“What was?”

"My bad mood. Whenever something bad related to magic is about to happen nearby, I always feel this way."

According to Manager's theory, the minuscule amount of mana emitted as these bad events occur floats in the air, and her skin instinctively detects it.

In simpler terms, it’s like having a good intuition, but isn't this the kind of thing one shouldn't really say about oneself...

“It was Chan’s constitution that blocked it. Wow, I feel so much better already…”

"Well, I'm glad you're feeling better, Manager-nim."

"I want to hold Chan's hand during the entire shift."

“That’s a bit much. I still have to clock in on time tomorrow.”

"Hmm..."

“Let’s do the handover first.”

I handed over my duties while still holding her hand. First, today's overnight sales were painfully low.

"I expected as much. I saw the news on my way here, and they were advising people to refrain from going out if possible."

"Ah. I heard that too. Customers were talking about it earlier."

“Anything else?”

“Not really. We had so few customers that there were no lost items, and I double-checked the inventory just in case, but everything was fine. Next…”

There’s the matter of Mongmong and Yoonha Noona came and went. Mongmong's confusion, Noona bringing the water-burning fire, and how she flew off with Mongmong midway.

After hearing all this, Manager waved her hand in genuine admiration.

“You solved it like that? Chan, you’ve really become an expert.”

“Well, I did get my license, so I guess I’m an expert. Anyway, Mongmong left saying he wanted to receive guidance from the horse Noona rides. That's it."

"Horse? The one Yoonha rides?"

Now she looks surprised. Doesn't Manager know about Noona riding a horse?

“I do know, but that thing always tries to bite my head off whenever it sees me. Every single time.”

"Why does it do that?"

“I don’t know either. That’s why I never mentioned it before. I was worried Mongmong might end up furless.”

For a moment, I imagined Mongmong completely bald after being gnawed on by a flying horse. From Mongmong's perspective, it would probably become a lifelong trauma.

"But seeing as it doesn't act that way with Mongmong, I guess animals have their own way of understanding each other."

“I guess so. And as for Noona taking the dog…”

"A gate opening in the park. That’s a bit worrying.”

“Is that so?”

“Yeah. There would always be many other species in a park, right?"

The Forest Park is just a place where forest friends frolic, and the top of the Academy District clock tower is a place you wouldn't go to unless you were fixing the gears. On the other hand, if a gate opens in the middle of a park...

“...Just hypothetically speaking, what happens if someone gets sucked into one of those gates?”

“They wouldn’t get hurt right away. Unless they run into violent magical beasts, that is.”

"By violent magical beasts, like horses with burning manes?”

“Ah, you mean Hell Horses. They’re actually pretty docile. They only get really angry if you bother them while they’re drinking water.”

Conversely, if one does encounter violent magical beasts, one must be prepared for anything from minor injuries to death at worst. Listening to this, I couldn’t help but feel it wasn't much different from being dropped into a jungle buttnaked.

"That's why one of the hunters' top priority tasks is finding other species who have been sucked into gates. When they pull all-nighters, it's mostly for this reason."

“That sounds tough.”

“It is. I should call Yoonha and tell her to take a proper rest today.”

"You should."

The conversation concluded with this, and Manager turned her head to look at the sky outside the display window. She seemed to have a few thoughts on her mind.

I only had two things on my mind. First, if I wanted to make it on time tomorrow, I needed to head home now.

“It's past ten, so I’ll get going now, Manager-nim.”

“Un.”

The other was that because of this unknown situation, there wasn’t a single pedestrian on the street. I’m starting to worry the store might go bankrupt.

* * *

After getting off work, I did as usual: washed up, slept, woke up, quickly washed again.

I wanted to check on some incidents and accidents. Not from the other world, but from this world I’m walking in now.

On a street devoid of people, I turned on my smartphone and browsed through it while walking, fiddling the screen. In just 3 or 4 days, so many things had happened here and there.

[Major Fire at Fish Market, Thankfully No Casualties]

[Fire at Outlet Mall, 0 Dead, 8 Injured]

[Mine Collapse, 0 Dead, 2 Injured]

Reading through these, I thought about how me looking at these news wasn't much different from other species reading news about gates. These two activities shouldn't be all that different.

Because in that world, these things would be everyday occurrences. Although there's a difference between a fire breaking out somewhere and a spatial rift opening somewhere...

So there's no need to be particularly conscious about it. Gates are similar things.

Whether gates keep opening or not, people in the other world will go about their lives, and I’ll just do my job and that's it. Eventually, everything would pass, and I'd go right back to dealing with annoying customers as always.

Thinking this, I entered the store and paused briefly at the entrance. Manager was at the counter, talking to a familiar face.

"Oh-ho. So Boss went that far..."

"Yes. So Chan was the second— Oh, Chan-ah. Hi."

"Hello, Manager-nim."

After greeting her, I immediately turned and greeted the elderly man as well.

"Elder Wolf, have you been well?"

“I've always been quite well. How have you been, Boss?”





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