2. Who he'll marry
2. Who he'll marry
"Yaaawn...."
Five in the morning. I rubbed my eyes and got up at a wake-up time that had become all too familiar.
It wasn't a 24-hour convenience store, but... I had to start preparing before the students arrived for school, after all.
I washed up roughly and headed straight to the convenience store.
The convenience store located in the basement of the Imperial Academy's main building.
When I arrived, the goods I had ordered were already piled up in boxes.
"Anything expired...."
Just because this was an isekai, just because this was a fantasy world, there was no reason not to do what was common sense.
The moment I clocked into the convenience store, I moved the ordered goods to the storage room, checked the expiration dates, threw away what needed to be thrown away, and restocked what needed to be restocked.
After that, I made sure everything was organized properly and neatly on the shelves.
Finally, after cleaning the inside of the convenience store before the kids started arriving for school, it was already past 7 o'clock.
"Owner-nim, ring this up."
"20 Copper."
Students started trickling in one by one to grab coffee or breakfast.
The Imperial Academy boasts quite expensive tuition, by default.
Well, it is the Imperial Academy, after all?
Tuition fees matching that reputation were a given... and aside from scholarships and systems, it meant it was difficult for everyone to just spend money freely.
That's why I'm earning these kids' pocket change at a convenience store like this.
But sometimes... it felt quite pitiful to see them solving their breakfast with convenience store food.
"Cup noodles are 13 Copper."
"Thank you...."
Seeing kids solving their morning with cup ramen... no, cup noodles, I couldn't help but feel a bit sorry for them.
Of course, they were easy marks who brought me money, so it was actually good for me.
"Skadi-nuna."
"...If you're not going to buy anything, could you not talk to me in front of the counter?"
"The customers are all gone now anyway, aren't they?"
"Haa...."
...That's why I didn't like this brat who didn't buy a single thing.
Does he have nothing to do in the morning, talking to me like this in front of the counter?
Is this what Academy students are like these days?
Back in my day, I didn't even have time to mess around like this... I feel like I'm thinking like such an old fart.
"...So, what is it? Are you going to ask me to order something like the other kids?"
"Hmm... I don't really have anything like that?"
"Then why are you standing there?"
"To see Nuna's face in the morning?"
"You're talking nonsense again."
...If you talk to a guy like this, anyone would think like an old fart.
Even though I've definitely reached my late 20s, I still think to myself that I'm not... not quite an old fart yet.
To begin with, if you count my past life, not just this one, I've long since passed 40.
So, it's definitely Noah who's the weird one.
For sure.
"When are you going to school? You still have an hour until class starts. Are you going to waste your time here?"
"To call it a waste, the time I spend here is much better, you know?"
"Stop talking nonsense."
"It's true."
...Yeah, of course.
It had already been three months since Noah occupied my convenience store halfway.
Since the Academy entrance was in March when the cherry blossoms bloomed... four months had passed, and he was a guy who came to the convenience store every single day while June was approaching.
I knew it would be like this again.
He always comes to find the convenience store owner, but he doesn't want anything financially.
A brat who only does nothing but flirt with me every time.
"But since you mentioned ordering, what's Nuna's type?"
"The alcohol in the fridge over there for 30 Copper will do."
"Is it okay to sell alcohol at the Academy?"
"There are professors and people working here anyway. It doesn't matter."
"Aha. But the question I asked wasn't about food, it was about your type in men?"
"For starters, it's not you."
"Ugh."
...Because he was a brat who always said things like this.
At first, he definitely didn't seem to go this far, but at some point, he became a guy who would come by whenever he was bored and say things like this to me.
It's almost impressive.
Every time he flirts like this, I reject him and push him away... but for some reason, it's getting worse, which is truly baffling.
To be honest, it was just fascinating that he would come by with a goofy smile every time to hit on an ajumma who is much older than him, 11 years his senior.
"Tsk."
What is a 17-year-old brat doing to a 28-year-old?
It's not like he's teasing me.
"Hey, Noah. Don't you have friends?"
"Nuna is my friend."
"...Stop talking nonsense, I'm asking if you don't have friends you hang out with at the Academy."
"It's actually more fascinating that you're only asking this now."
"I'm asking because it's been months. Usually, at your age, shouldn't you be hanging out with kids your own age? How long are you going to hang out with someone like me?"
No matter how I think about it, when I was 17, I didn't hang out with seniors, let alone anyone 10 years older.
Even if I think about my past life, not this one, I'm sure that was the case.
This brat has been coming to see me for months already.
At this point, I just wanted to ask seriously.
I feel like I'm getting swept up by this brat, but I couldn't help it because I was quite curious, so I couldn't just not ask.
"Hmm... because hanging out with Nuna is much more fun? There's nothing weird about that, right?"
"...Haa."
I'm the stupid one for worrying and being curious.
I decided not to pay any more attention to the stupid brat's words and decided to organize some goods from earlier.
Since quite a few students had come in to grab breakfast and left just a moment ago.
I had to organize the goods and do some cleaning.
Because it was clear that if I kept talking to Noah, only my head would hurt.
"Nuna, you wore earrings today?"
"I just woke up early."
"Aha."
Unlike me, Noah was looking at me with the same look as always....
I can feel him looking at me with eyes full of affection, no different from when we first met.
...It's so consistent that it's almost pitiful.
I don't know why a 17-year-old brat would follow around a 28-year-old like me and try to spend time in this room.
Usually, if a woman doesn't give an answer for months, don't you just give up and leave?
Or not?
At least when I was a man, I think that was roughly the case.
"Hey, where are you looking?"
"Oh."
"A 17-year-old brat, staring at the thighs of an ajumma who is 11 years older. Do the other kids at the Academy know about this?"
"Haha......."
...Should I just think of him as a kid with bad taste?
You know, like a married woman fetish?
Like a MILF, or a missy, or something like that.
The thought that maybe his taste itself is just like that.......
"Haa.... Don't do anything weird, just take a magazine and go into the lounge and read that until class starts."
"Yes."
...And yet, when I say that, he obediently takes a new magazine and goes inside.
He really was a dull, stupid guy.
There are two similar meanings, but... well, it's the truth.
Even when I attended the Academy, about 9 years ago, I hadn't seen such a weird guy very often.
Seeing him do that to someone who is 11 years older... practically close to an ajumma, in an Academy filled with pretty, cute, young, and childish kids, it was just pitiful.
His signature gold eyes are pretty, and though I call him a brat, he was a guy who was normally over 180cm tall.
Aside from that, by his own words, he's a guy with quite good grades at the Academy.
"...Tsk tsk."
I don't know what kind of woman he'll marry when he grows up, but it's truly pitiful.
At first, I thought it was just the immature thoughts of a young boy, but.
It became harder to understand as time went on.
Is it true that geniuses are all crazy somewhere?
"Hey, Noah. Drink this."
"What is it?"
"Coffee and a hotdog. You have to go to Academy class soon, right? Eat it later, or eat it here. Do whatever you want."
After finishing the cleaning and confirming there were no kids in the convenience store, I went into the lounge and tossed him a coffee.
Seeing that he came here early in the morning, he probably hadn't eaten breakfast either....
It was waste anyway, so it would be thrown away if left as is.
The coffee wasn't waste, but... well, can't I give some service to a guy who keeps coming by?
"If you don't want to eat it, throw it away."
"No, I'll eat it well. I just didn't expect it, so I forgot."
"Then that's fine."
It wasn't like I had any special intentions.
I just gave it to him because he looked like he hadn't eaten anything.
You have to eat well to study well... I wonder if he'll actually study properly?
Since he's a guy who comes by whenever he's bored, that question crossed my mind as I gave it to him.
Because Noah was a guy who came by every break time, and sometimes even during Academy classes...?
...I felt anew that the Academy is different from when I was there.
It didn't feel like I was old, but rather that the Academy was going wrong.
And Noah was just baffling.
"Noah, what are you looking at?"
"I was looking at Kadi-nuna, wasn't I?"
"...You damn brat, who the hell gave you permission to shorten my name like that?"
...I was truly baffled.