Mastore 127 - Dumpster

Magic Realm Convenience Store – Ch. 127

It may be easy to enter as you please, but when leaving... (5)

"Seeing that made me think, 'If you can’t love yourself, how can you love someone else?'… It suddenly came to mind during the meeting, yes."

“Aha.”

"So I thought that if you can be honest with yourself, it might help with love too. What does Chan think?"

She looked at me with slightly widened eyes, as if subtly hoping I’d agree. I said exactly what I needed to say.

“Elena.”

"Yes, yes."

"I think your smartphone is vibrating."

A faint buzzing sound was coming from somewhere. Elena flinched, immediately took out her smartphone, checked the contact, and then held it with both hands.

“Yes, Team Leader. Yes. Yes. Ah....”

So it was her workplace superior. She looked as if she had just heard something troubling. After exchanging a few more words and ending the call, she spoke to me.

“The team leader just arrived at work... and so did the senior staff.”

"I thought the company was closed because of the gate?"

"Yes. It was, but there's some work that's been transferred to our team from other departments. They told me, as the youngest, not to worry about it and take the day off, but..."

If I were in her shoes, I would have just stayed in bed without a care, but judging by her flustered expression, it seemed she had already made up her mind to go to the office.

Her reasons could be various. Maybe she was mindfulof her seniors, or maybe she genuinely wanted to help them out. Considering her tone during the phone call, it's probably closer to the latter.

"You should go. Thirty minutes of talking is plenty."

“I'm so sorry, especially since I'm the one who asked you to meet first…”

“I was planning to wrap things up myself anyway. Since this is exactly that time, please stop apologizing already... this is more like a favor, but."

"Yes, please just tell me."

"Can I take this potion with me today to test it out?"

Actually, I was timing when to make this request. I asked cautiously, wondering if it's acceptable to take away a product under development at the company. Elena, however, answered comfortably.

"Yes! It's fine. I registered Chan’s name separately the day after our first meeting ended."

“Wow, your company really works fast.”

"If you’d like, we can even issue you a company access card. Would you like to visit sometime?"

I politely declined with a shake of the head. Walking into a love potion company filled with succubi in office attire—what a terrifying and dreadful notion!

"That’s a shame. I wanted to show you around the company..."

“Maaaybe later. Muuuch later. Is there anything I should be careful about when carrying this around?”

"Nothing special, just please comply with the contract terms."

"If it’s about confidentiality, of course I’ll follow it. That goes without saying."

“Thanks. By the way, is there any particular reason you wanted to take it?”

“Nothing special, just....”

I felt the need to be honest with myself. I couldn't put it off any longer.

"Since I’ll have to do it eventually, I thought it would be good to get a head start."

"You're really diligent, Chan."

"It's not difficult for me anyway."

After putting it in my button-up shirt's front pocket, I tidied up the table and stood up. Just as I was about to say goodbye, Elena cautiously spoke to me again.

“Um… Chan.”

“Yes?”

"I'm really sorry about today. I feel like I kept thoughtlessly trying to ask about sensitive things for you."

It seemed she had taken my earlier stern expression to heart. I responded immediately.

"It’s fine. I’m the strange one who’s being overly sensitive."

“Still, I don’t know if I can be of any help, but....”

Her tone was half uncertain, half earnest.

"If Chan ever have any worries, please feel free to talk to me. Just as Chanlistened to my story, I want to listen to Chan too...”

Her eyes were sincere, and I knew she genuinely meant it. But…

I’m not sure. I mulled it over in my head and replied.

"If the opportunity arises."

"...Yes..."

“Let’s talk again later. No rush.”

* * *

After leaving the café and parting ways with Elena, I checked the address again and headed toward the hotel. It took about 15 minutes to enter the building.

It took about 5 minutes longer than the navigation had estimated because there was a bizarre decoration sitting right in front of the hotel’s main entrance that I couldn't figure out how it existed.

I'm talking about a snowman. It stood 3 meters tall with a carrot nose, densely packed raisin teeth, and a fedora placed on its head.

On top of that, light snow was falling from a small cloud hovering above the snowman’s head. If something like this were placed at some idle rear military base, they'd probably love it….

[Do you have any questions?]

While I was staring blankly, the snowman turned its heavy body toward me and spoke in a voice that sounded like it was going through puberty. This was bizarre enough to drive me mad, but I did have a few questions.

“What are you doing here?”

[I'm preparing for valet parking. Though there aren't any guests yet.]

"Aren’t you hot?"

[I’m fine. The magician master takes good care of me. You're even using honorifics with me, you're a very kind person.]

"No. You used honorifics first, so I just."

[Still. Would you like to shake hands? It’ll cool you down and feel nice.]

I politely declined. From what it said about its magician master, it seemed like some sort of summoned creature. What if I touch it wrong and it melts? Wouldn't I have nightmares for months?

I couldn't understand why someone would station a snowman outside for valet parking on such a bright, sunny day—but I decided not to dwell on it. At least it wasn't exactly unpleasant to look at.

Maybe this was actually their intention. Saving costs on decoration by using magic. Pointing toward the hotel building, I asked,

"Hotels usually rent rooms until 4 p.m., right? It's not even 1 p.m. yet, can I still check-in?"

[I’m not sure. I was only born a few days ago, so I haven’t received proper employee training yet.]

“Ah. I asked something unnecessary. Take care.”

[Have a good day, Customer.]

After exchanging greetings, I walked past the snowman into the hotel lobby. Thankfully, the hotel’s interior wasn’t a winter wonderland.

Instead, it was magically luxurious. The atmosphere was dim yet elegant, with constellations faintly floating on the ceiling, and at the end of the lobby, there was a cocktail bar with a giant oak barrel on top...

"May I see your ID please?"

Isn't this the line I use when selling cigarettes?

I turned toward the direction of the voice, but I couldn’t see who had spoken. Just as I began wondering what was going on, a small cough came from near my feet.

Looking down, I saw a half-human half-fox kobold about 60 centimeters tall gazing up at me. At the convenience store, I’d only seen kobold with about 99% human traits, so this 50-50 ratio was a first for me.

"May I see your ID, sir?"

The bold voice somehow felt very fox-like. When I handed over my anti-magic license, he pulled a monocle from his back pocket and began closely inspecting my id.

A moment later, he put away the monocle and, from behind his back, produced a key card and something that looked like a large restaurant menu, which he extended to me while continuing.

“A business-class room for two nights and three days. I have confirmed that you have made a reservation under Mr. Lee Chan’s name. The guide I'm handing you is a list of available room services."

"Uh..."

"You can call the front desk by pressing 0 on the room phone to request services at any time. Would you like me to guide you to your room? Or do you have any questions?"

I don't like escort because it's burdensome. The room was number 1204, so I figured I could reach the 12th floor and find it on my own.

More than that, what's this about room service, and what does 'business room for two nights, three days' mean? It sounds like the most otherworldly language among all the things I've heard since coming to this world.

“I have a reservation for 2 nights and 3 days? Business class?”

“Yes. Do you have any other concerns?”

“...No, just a moment.”

I wanted to ask about the cost, but the hotel atmosphere made me fear that mentioning money might get me chased out with salt. I'll have to catch that professor later and ask about the price.

Instead, I only asked one thing.

"Do you have a floor mattress?"

“Yes? There’s a twin bed in the room?"

"I can't sleep unless I sleep on the floor."

“Aha, I see. I’ll have one brought to your room before you arrive."

Then it pointed me to the elevator and scurried off in the opposite direction. There seemed to be a separate employee elevator somewhere.

I took the elevator and glanced at the room service board, but some of these made me feel increasingly dizzy the more I looked at them.

For example, there was a service to change the curtain color to your desired shade. This would be to prevent people like minotaur race from going berserk with their eyes turned red when red curtains are used.

Another service involved adjusting the room humidity to 100%, probably meant for aquatic kobolds or snail-people to maintain moist skin. Couldn’t they offer something more human-friendly instead of these inhuman ones?

I did find one right after reaching my room door. A magical room service that adjusts the indoor environment to mimic 9 p.m., ensuring a smooth transition to sleep.

This one seems quite good. I opened the door with the key card, threw the board onto the bed, and tried sitting on the edge of the bed.

I nearly sank backward into the mattress. What on earth was this bed made of?

I looked around, but everything—the TV, sofa, the table and chairs on the hotel veranda—all looked uniformly luxurious. Even the floor mattress seemed more expensive than an average bed.

"...I'm experiencing all sorts of things in this life."

I tried expressing some astonishment, but it didn’t come out quite right.

I’ve worked myself to the bone for nearly 10 years, including my military service, and I’ve never even considered staying in a place like this. My sleeping arrangements had always been cheap rentals with a 300,000 won deposit or motels costing around 40,000 or 50,000 thousand won…

“.......”

The more I think about it, the more depressed I seem to be getting. I opened the board again to check the room service I had seen earlier, then picked up the phone under the TV and pressed the button.

[How may I assist you?]

"Um, I'd like to request room service number 36."

[Understood, we'll be right up.]

The doorbell rang almost as soon as I put the phone down. I opened the door to find the fox kobold I had seen earlier standing there, holding a large bulb-like object in his arms.

“It won’t take long. Please wait just a moment.”

I waited as asked. He walked in with his fluffy-furred feet and stood in the middle of the room, then tapped on the light bulb he was cradling.

Then the bulb started emitting a soft moon-like glow.

He lifted the moonlight-soaked bulb with one hand and let go, but instead of falling, it floated up to the ceiling like a helium balloon.

As the bulb rose closer and closer, the ceiling gradually transformed into a night sky. The bulb continued rising beyond where the ceiling should've been, only stopping once it appeared exactly the size of the moon in the sky.

The fox, who had been looking up at that moon, turned to me and casually spoke.

"This is one of the services our hotel is proud of. How do you like it?"

"It's sick."

"Pardon?"

"Um... I meant it's good."

"Right? You can adjust the number of stars or the shape of the moon using the remote under the TV. If you have any difficulty operating it, please contact us again. Well then!"

With that, the fox exited. As I gazed at the night sky, I couldn’t help but think how this wasn’t much different from sleeping outdoors. Not just the ceiling, but the surrounding scenery had subtly changed too, making it feel like having a campfire in a forest on a summer night.

I don't know. As long as there are no mosquitoes, it's fine. I sat back down on the bed and stared blankly at the bulb that had turned into a moon...

I took out the potion from my front pocket and rolled it around a few times in my hand, retracing one by one the events that had happened since yesterday.

Elena said.

[If Chan have any concerns, please feel free to tell me. Just as Chan listened to my story, I want to listen to Chan too...]

And Yoonha Noona said.

[When it comes to unavoidable trouble, would you rather face it knowing or not knowing what's coming?]

[Figured you'd say something like that. We’re not strangers. I’m going.]

Elder Wolf also said,

[Before I first came here, I never would’ve imagined having a conversation like this with you, Boss.]

The professor asked me this.

[I’m asking with that in mind. Do you have any thoughts? Number 44?]

I couldn't answer this question.

Because I was scared. This damned gate.

Things like this might be daily occurrences for other species here, but they weren't for me.

The lightning yesterday, the steel turtle dove. If my body hadn't been like this, if Noona or the Elder hadn't been there, I would have died long ago.

Was it strange for me to be scared? Was it odd that I couldn’t get over the image of lightning or a steel turtle dove smashing through a shop window?

I should have answered that I can't do it. I’m an outsider. I’ve lived my entire life without experiencing anything like this. I don’t know anything, and I only got my ID a few weeks ago.

Yet I couldn’t bring myself to answer. I said I would think about it. I have until tomorrow to think. I have to give an answer by tomorrow. I’m definitely scared of this. I am. I definitely am...

“....”

I need an answer. What am I really scared of?

I needed an answer that was as honest as possible. That's why I brought the potion. I hope this potion will give me some kind of answer, side effects or whatever.

With that thought, I opened the potion and swallowed a few drops. There was no immediate change. One minute. Two minutes.

A moment later, a voice came from beside me.

“Mister.”

I turned my head and saw a boy standing there, holding a butterfly net.

“What are you doing here?”

“You. No, who are you?”

"My name is Lee Chan. I’m 9 years old."




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