Unlikable Eight-Year-Old
A month had already flown by since I'd started working at the grocery store. Every day, I'd get up early in the morning, head to the shop, and clean the interior before Uncle arrived. I'd restock the empty shelves, memorize the prices and quantities of each item, and check the warehouse inventory. During the busy hours when customers flooded in, I'd sit at the counter greeting countless mothers. I'd even brew a cup of tea for Uncle, who worked harder than I'd expected. And just like that, a whole month had passed since I'd thrown myself into the work.
Ah... Aaaah... That endless stretch of humiliation and torment from the mothers' "affection"... It had been utterly exhausting.
Now it was time to collect my proper wages as a full-fledged employee.
"Uncle."
"...Hmph. This can't be right."
The sales were exactly double last month's. That was probably thanks to my all-out performance of cuteness and charm... the childlike smile I'd mustered in submission to capitalism, the way I'd tilted my head begging to be petted with that kyarruk giggle. It was worth every penny.
Reflecting on that grim past, I spoke up.
"But it is right. Remember our bet? You said you'd give me a percentage of the sales."
"You little punk! I never said that much! How much do you think you're gonna squeeze out of me?!"
Damn, he wasn't falling for it. Anyway, I flashed a grin and held out both hands toward him.
"Gimme lots, my wages."
"Hmph...! A promise is a promise, no helping it! Fine, I lost the bet, so I'll give you a generous amount!"
Uncle nodded reluctantly and tossed me a money pouch with a thunk.
"Whoa, thank you."
"You cheeky rascal... You hardly ever smile, but damn if you don't turn on the charm for those ladies..."
I ignored his muttering and eagerly started counting the coins in the pouch. One thousand dera... and two thousand. Good, the base pay was all there. So the bonus was three thousand dera... four thousand...
"...?"
What the hell. Why isn't it stopping? The count didn't end until I'd tallied another thousand dera beyond that.
"Five thousand dera? That's a bit much, Uncle..."
Honestly, I hadn't expected more than double the original pay we'd discussed.
"You did better than I thought, kid, so I stuffed it extra full this time. I knew you were smart, but I didn't figure you'd outwork most adults. So yeah, I'm still coming out ahead!"
"... "
Stunned by the unexpectedly large sum, I looked up at him, and Uncle laughed heartily, claiming he was profiting off a cheap child laborer who outperformed grown-ups.
"Can't do this every time, punk! This is just extra for your first paycheck!"
"...Thank you."
What a weird uncle. Such a strange guy. That was my thought as I watched him ruffle my hair wildly.
Anyway. With payday settled, I took exactly five hundred dera from my five thousand and plunked it back on the counter.
"Hm? What's this? No need to return any if you got too much."
"Not returning it. Just give me five hundred dera worth of groceries every month instead. Preferably stuff that doesn't need cooking and keeps for a long time."
"Haha! You dutiful kid, saving up to help out Rain!"
"Nah, for the poor stray dog in the alley."
"?"
"What?"
"Haha! You undutiful rascal! Never thinking of your own mom!"
"... "
Uncle gave me a weary look, but I just played dumb. Ah, well. Mom's fine without it anyway.
"Oh, and at employee discount, please. Lots of it cheap."
"Heh, now you're really trying to gut me."
"With your size, Uncle, you could spare a liver or two."
He was even bigger than Dad, who'd once called him bear-like, so his liver had to be huge too. Plenty left even if a kid nibbled some. I stuck out my tongue despite my blank expression.
Uncle stared in disbelief, then finally poked at my sore spot.
"Hah, how is it you act like such a kid around those ladies? Hm... Fine! If you wanna act cute for me too, I'll give you the discount!"
"... "
Grahhh! Shit, drop it. I'd have to keep up the kid act through this month, next month, next year, all the way till I outgrew it anyway.
Glared at him with that in mind, and Uncle smirked.
"Don't wanna? Then pay full price."
And just like that, my body started dancing on autopilot. Money. Gotta save it. No choice. Yeah.
And so, as afternoon edged toward evening, one hand clutched the dried meats and preserved foods from Uncle, the other the ointments, bandages, and disinfectant swabs I'd wheedled cheaply from the pharmacy next door with some charm.
"... "
Life's tough. The world's a harsh place just to eat and survive.
In conclusion. Harsh world or not, I gripped the bundles tight and headed not home, but elsewhere. A far cry from the hesitant steps of a month ago—no trace of reluctance now.
The excuse of no money had bought me a month's grace period, and in that time, I'd sorted my thoughts more calmly.
I'd help the gray-haired girl. I wouldn't leave her to rotten food or festering wounds in agony. I'd teach her proper speech, since no one ever had, and if possible, help her learn to work and earn her own way.
This was pity. My human heart and emotions at play. And cold calculation. A rational choice to keep her from becoming a disaster that harms my parents.
She'd slowly adapt to society, slip in among people. Only after she grasped the value of an ordinary life would my role end—before I turned sixteen and became an adult with new duties.
The self-imposed role of watching the witch lasted until then.
So.
"Long time no see."
I stepped into the alley, looking down at the girl.
"Ah..."
Her voice was still raspy, but she reacted faster than before. I nodded indifferently.
We weren't close enough after a month apart to exchange pleasantries. Nor did we have stories to share. I'd lived normally as always; she'd scraped by in hardship.
The fresh scar on her forehead whispered of pain, and the unhealed gash on her arm oozed blood like tears as I approached.
"... "
I didn't know how to comfort that. Meeting someone in such a state was a first for me anyway. I just approached with the medical supplies in hand.
Indifferently, I dabbed disinfectant cotton on her filthy, unwashed wounds first.
"... "
"... "
It had to hurt, but she stared blankly at me. Ignoring her gaze, I cleaned the wounds, applied ointment, and bandaged them. Slowly repeating the process on each injury.
Then, to her who still watched only me, I spoke quietly.
"Do it like this when I'm not around. Got it?"
"... "
No answer, but her head nodded faintly up and down. I watched a moment, then handed her the dried foods I'd set down too.
"...Eat when you're hungry. Not from trash cans."
Enough for roughly a month in one go, all long-lasting stuff—no spoilage worries. I'd come once a month to deliver more.
With today's visit done, I stood to leave. As always, turning my back and walking away from the gray-haired girl.
And then her voice came.
"...Next, time."
Still halting, throatily cracked.
"Come... again..."
Repeating my words from a month ago. The vague promise she now voiced herself. Like she was whispering for me to look back, making it impossible to ignore.
Choosing not to turn would blur the future into fog.
I stopped, turned, and faced her again.
"...Yeah."
I answered like that, gazing at her a while longer.
And as I stared intently at the gray-haired girl, a thought arose.
I'll escape the novel's center. I'm just an extra with no role anyway—I'll make it happen.
Then you. Assigned the role of the witch who'll destroy the empire—what do you want to do?
I asked her silently, like that.
Like I'd rolled the dice. You roll yours too. Choose for yourself.