The Crown Prince Who Raises Alt Characters

#Chapter 295 Cat Pago (8) - Part-time Job Have you ever contemplated the essential elements necessary for human survival? In elementary school science class, three things are usually mentioned. Oxygen, water, and nutrients. Without oxygen, the brain dies in 5 minutes, without water, metabolism stops in 3 days, and without food, life fades away in 3 weeks. It's an extremely biological and extremely primitive rule. But for humans as 'social animals' riding on the sophisticated system called modern society, these three things are merely the basics of basics. The truly important 'fourth element' exists separately. And currently, Hanamori Popuri was in a state of serious deficiency of this fourth element. As a result, even in a park full of trees, her chest felt stuffy as if she couldn't breathe, even in a house with clean tap water she felt thirsty, and even with a full stomach, it didn't feel full. In short, to put it very simply. "I have no money...." Popuri had no money indeed. "I have no money. I don't have money, Pago. Are you listening? Because a certain cat demanded tools he wouldn't even use, my wallet situation is now at its worst, you know? Are you listening?" "You'll make my ears grow scabs, you thing. And I said that was payment for help. Why are you being like this all of a sudden now?" "That's because the refrigerator stockpile has finally run out. At this rate, even including school lunch, I'll have to rely on that thing in the park... the thing where drinking water comes out, what was it called?" "You mean a water fountain?" "Right. I'll have to fill my stomach with water from that thing. This isn't some past era with black and white TVs, do you think that makes sense in modern times?" "What's wrong with that? Everyone talks about retro style and deliberately seeks out old things anyway. You're adapting very well to trends." Popuri's eyes sharpened to scissor-like levels, but regardless, Pago just licked his front paws with his tongue. "I guess I shouldn't expect human conscience from a beast after all." "I can hear everything. And if you're really desperate, why don't you ask that bouncing puppy-like friend called Hinosaka for help? If it's your request, she'd probably pack you a lunch box every day. You can eat school meals at school and solve dinner with that, right?" "Could you please not try to kill me socially so casually?" Hinosaka is super popular. To use more subcultural terms, it wouldn't be too much to call her the school's idol. And the history of the industry proves what kind of fate befalls a gloomy protagonist who receives a lunch box from the school's idol. Pago said as if dumbfounded. "You're not even a guy, so what does it matter?" "Hinosaka is popular with girls too." In fact, a small number of them felt love, not just like. If you ask what's different, it's the eyes that are different. The moment she ignores the tacit agreement that exists between them, Popuri, being socially weak, would reach a terrible end. "Then why don't you try asking your family for help? The fact that you're still a student living alone in a studio apartment without working separately means your family must be helping you, right?" "That won't work." The answer was surprisingly quick, and her voice was cold. But that was only for a moment. Popuri herself seemed to realize that her voice had been strange just now, and she added with a strangely flustered manner. "M-my family is quite strict. Since our hometown is originally rural, I somehow got permission to live alone because it's inconvenient to attend a city school, but if I ask for more money besides the regular living expenses they give me, they'll definitely ask for reasons. I can't tell them about you, can I?" "Hmm, I see." Popuri glanced at Pago's expression. Confirming that the white cat wasn't saying anything special, she felt relieved inwardly and changed the subject. "So... I'm thinking of getting a part-time job. I've been considering whether to try it for a while anyway." "Don't you need parental consent for that?" "Huh? Why?" "Well, never mind. I guess that's common sense around here." Pago spun his tail around and then asked. "So, what kind of part-time job are you thinking of doing?" "A convenience store nearby is looking for new part-time workers. Especially with convenience stores, you can get unsold lunch boxes and stuff like that, right? Then it'll be easier to get by even if there's a gap until payday. I have enough money to last a month for now, so all the more reason." "They probably won't want to give out expired lunch boxes since there could be problems later... Well, that part depends on the manager's type, so it might be possible. So when are you going?" Popuri answered immediately. "Right now." *** "Well, there's no problem with your resume. Then you'll start working right from today. Ah, since we're in an employment relationship now, I'll speak casually." The manager, who appeared to be in his 50s with a gentle impression, put down Popuri's resume with a kind smile. The interview was excessively smooth. The only downside was Pago chattering away beside her about health certificates and how salary envelopes instead of bank transfers weren't quite right. One hour after the interview ended. After following the manager around and receiving crash course training, the manager said to Popuri. "You get the gist, right? It's not particularly difficult, so you should be able to handle it alone." "Uh." Popuri was slightly flustered by the manager's appearance of being ready to leave immediately. The manager also scratched his cheek. "Ah, I know what you want to say. Normally it's right to watch together on the first day. That's right, but, you see, I haven't slept for two days now... If I don't sleep even a little, I feel like I'll collapse. I have to come back to take over when it's time for you to get off work, Hanamori." "What about other shift workers? Even if one person quit, there should be others left." A 24-hour convenience store needs at least 4 people for normal operation to maintain rotation including holidays. Even if this place was tight and operated with a 3-person system and one person quit, there should be at least one more person besides the manager, right? "Well, you see, when one person quit, the remaining people were holding on until we could find someone, but then the remaining kids also suddenly quit one after another..." "...That sounds like it means the manager and I have to run a 24-hour convenience store with just the two of us?" "Yeah." "......" "......" "I'll be leaving now." "Hanamori! Didn't I give you good pay!! If you quit too, I'll really die!! Please let me get some sleep!!" "Even if today is a holiday, I have to go to school starting tomorrow!! How can I endure 12 hours!?" "No!! Hanamori just needs to give me exactly eight hours!! I'll do all the rest!! Plus I called my nephew urgently, so we'll return to normal shifts soon!! So please just until then!!" Hmm, Popuri fell into thought for a moment. The true meaning of the excessively lenient interview had been revealed, but thinking about it, the conditions themselves weren't bad. She could get lunch boxes, the salary was relatively high, and most importantly, under those conditions, Popuri's actual working hours wouldn't particularly increase. Well, since the staff shortage was originally severe, it would be hard to get days off until they found people, but even that was clearly written in the contract as being compensated with money, so it might be worth trying for a short period. "Phew, fine. But if there's anything else you're hiding, tell me now in advance. If I find out later, I'll really quit immediately then." At Popuri's words, the manager rolled his eyes around and around. But soon, unable to withstand Popuri's glare, he cautiously opened his mouth. "W-well, you see. There's a reason why our part-time workers suddenly quit one after another." "What is it?" "...Some strange female customer comes." Popuri's eyes narrowed. The manager began his story in a tone close to lamentation. "When that woman first comes in, she's perfectly normal. She looks just like an office worker who stopped by on her way home from work. But then she stands in front of the register and asks very calmly. Do you happen to have raw fish?" "Raw fish? At a convenience store?" "Right. If you're talking about fish, there are things like mackerel that you heat up in the microwave, but that's not exactly raw fish, you know. Naturally, the part-timer said we don't have any. Go look for that at a mart or market." When told that, the woman frowned deeply, then muttered something incomprehensible and left the convenience store. Up to this point, it's just in the realm of a somewhat strange difficult customer. "But about 10 minutes later? The same woman came to the convenience store again. But unlike before when she looked neat, this time she apparently reeked terribly all over her body. So while the part-timer was frowning deeply, this time she asked for incense for ancestral rites. Regular incense absolutely wouldn't do, it had to be specifically for ancestral rites." Popuri squinted her eyes. "You couldn't sell it." "Of course! What crazy manager would stock ancestral ritual incense in a convenience store and put it on the shelves?" When the part-timer said we don't have that either, the woman apparently left angrily while tearing at her own hair. And sure enough, 10 minutes later, the woman returned again. "The stench got even worse, to the point where just being close would make you dry heave, and about half her face was grotesquely twisted and rotting. While the part-timer was frozen, the woman this time asked for a knife. And it had to be sharp enough to stab someone to death." "The part-timer said we don't have any?" "Right. But this time she didn't get angry, instead she left giggling." "And then?" "That's the end." "What?" The manager let out a deep sigh. "That's it, it's over. The part-timer got scared that woman might come again, so he abandoned the counter and ran away, and not long after quit the job entirely. That was the first one." The first one. Popuri pondered that word for a moment. And she recalled the manager's exhaustion-laden eyes and the serious staff shortage of this convenience store. "Don't tell me all the other part-timers went through the same pattern?" "Right. Since the first part-timer had already left after complaining in detail, the next kids didn't even get to the third visit - they just ran away at earlier stages." The owner used various means to try to catch that unpleasant woman, but they were apparently of little use. "The CCTV malfunctions and only shows static whenever that woman appears, and when I'm waiting with another part-timer to catch her, she doesn't show up. She only targets when the part-timers are alone." "What about when you're alone, manager?" "She doesn't show up. Whether that's lucky or unlucky. No, it's just unlucky. Damn it, I wish she would show up so I could grab her by the head and ask why the hell she's doing this to me, customer or whatever! Argh!!" Having apparently built up quite a bit of resentment, the manager sighed heavily and ground his teeth. "Hanamori, I won't tell you to stay at your post no matter what. If that woman shows up, no, even if you just sense something similar, you can run right away! Just please handle normal customers!! Let me get some sleep!!" Popuri thought for a moment. She was considering whether making this statement would be appropriate as a human being. However, the conclusion came quickly. "Salary. Double." "...... ...... ...... Deal." It was a very long hesitation. And so, Popuri's first convenience store part-time job began.