11. The 28-Year-Old Woman
11. The 28-Year-Old Woman
"Where are you planning to go for the break?"
"I'm thinking of heading back to my hometown first. I haven't seen my parents at all for about half a year, and I need to pick up some new clothes and stuff...."
"I suppose that makes sense."
"What are you going to do during the break, Nunim?"
"I've got to run the store."
"Ah."
Noah's exams, for now, are supposedly all over.
To be precise, the exams for the Swordsmanship Department are over.
The exams for other departments—starting from Spear Arts and various others—hadn't completely finished yet.
Since the Academy's departments weren't just split into one or two, but divided quite diversely, there were quite a variety of students as well.
Naturally, it was only expected that they would be divided by various schedules.
So, I still had to keep the business running, right?
"If the convenience store closed just because it's break, what would the graduate students working here do?"
"...Work hard?"
"That's about all they can do, I guess. But if I stopped working entirely, that would be a problem in its own right. I should work during the break whenever possible."
"I see... I thought that when the students went on break, you would take a break too, Nunim."
"Ever since I opened, I've worked through most breaks. Though I did take a few days off during winter break a while back."
"That's amazing."
"I suppose it is."
Regardless of that, it was time for the yellow-eyed brat in front of me to go home.
He'd have to come back eventually, though.
For a little while, Noah wouldn't be able to visit like this, as he'd be taking some time off at his family home.
When I was attending the Academy, I think I spent more time going out to other places during breaks rather than going to my family home....
Well, playing at your family home is still playing, I guess.
At that age, as long as it wasn't studying, everything was fun.
It was actually true, too.
"Then, that... Iris you mentioned before?"
"It's Iris."
"Right, you're going back with her, aren't you?"
"That's right. Renting two carriages is... a bit expensive."
"Hmm."
She really has high 'official wife' energy.
The childhood friend position is bound to be like that, I suppose.
Even when I was in the thick of my Academy days, the guys who came all the way from their hometowns to the Academy together always ended up dating, getting married, and doing just fine.
I wonder if Noah's black-haired childhood friend is the same.
I'm not exactly sure what she's thinking... but based on how she takes care of him, I could roughly infer it.
"Alright, go and have a good time."
"I'm only planning to stay in my hometown for about two weeks before coming back, though."
"Two weeks? The break is a month long, you're only spending that much time?"
"...My Master keeps telling me to return to the Academy after two weeks to receive instruction."
"......."
...There really are no normal people among those who do swordsmanship.
Whether it was 11 years ago or now.
They were the same old bunch.
Since he said Noah's Master is someone working at the Academy, she's probably older than me, right?
Those old-fogey sword-nuts always, always showed that kind of stifling behavior.
I was sure of it.
She was the same stick-in-the-mud who kept pushing the kid hard even during exam season, wasn't she...?
"Anyway, I think I'll see you again in two weeks. Haha...."
"Well, it doesn't really matter. It's not like seeing you is a bad thing."
"Is that so?"
"That's right."
Anyway, I thought I'd be able to live comfortably for a while without running into this guy.
How did it end up being only two weeks?
Of course, since he was a guy who visited every single day, those two weeks could be considered quite a lot of time.
Well, it doesn't really matter, though.
"Rest well at home until you come back. You said you did well on your exams this time, right? Tell your parents about your exam results, and tell them you're getting along well with your childhood friend."
"I should. It's a bit of a hassle, but... I'll go, have meals together, and do some chores."
"You do chores too?"
"In my own way...?"
He's quite the domestic guy, huh?
Aside from knowing Noah normally.
Since we weren't exactly super close, I didn't know every little detail about how this kid lived.
In fact, I knew nothing.
I never really thought he'd know how to do things like that.
Especially if a 17-year-old boy says he does chores... at most, it's just hanging laundry, right?
He's definitely not at the age to be doing deep cleaning.
"Hmm... I see."
"Why?"
"Just curious."
I just nodded and answered like that.
It wasn't anything weird.
It was just a bit interesting.
Come to think of it, he cleaned the floor neatly when I let him sleep in the lounge last time.
That must be the influence of that.
"Oh, right. Nunim. How was the cake I gave you the day before yesterday?"
Noah asked that question just as he was wrapping up the conversation, before I could focus on work again.
The cake itself was just one slice.
A small-sized slice that a woman could easily eat alone.
So, I just took it home that day, and after dinner, I ate it to fill the awkward gap in my stomach.
"It was delicious."
It was quite delicious.
I wasn't the type to enjoy cake very, very much, but it was quite tasty.
So I just answered him like that.
"Heh, that's a relief. I'm glad you liked it, Nunim."
"...Well, it's not really something to be that happy about."
Since I got it for free, I just ate it deliciously.
Even so, Noah reacted more happily to my words than I expected.
That was just about it.
It wasn't anything particularly special.
*
"Heum...."
And so, the break had truly arrived.
The Academy was quiet, with students having returned home and only graduate students or a few others remaining.
It was quite quiet, too.
No, it's only natural for it to be this quiet.
"I'm sleepy."
That kind of time was much more boring than I thought.
Naturally, since there were so few people visiting.
Aside from the drop in sales... it was unavoidable that I was bored because there was nothing to do.
"I've finished reading this book, and I've already read the second volume too... Should I go to a bookstore for once?"
Plus, this world is a fantasy world without mobile phones.
Someday, I might be able to create something like that with magic, but it didn't exist yet.
In this spare time, when I had nothing to do, there was no work to be done.
"Hmm...."
Even if I sat still at the counter and watched outside, there wasn't a single person to be seen.
But to go outside and take a walk...
"It's hot."
It's summer break.
I'm a Snow Woman.
Naturally, I didn't want to go out because of the heat, so I was just spending time sitting comfortably inside the convenience store.
It's not like there's air conditioning.
Even so, basically....
"Seuuu...."
As a Snow Woman, I could act as my own air conditioner by breathing cold air onto my skin.
If I did it periodically, it wasn't particularly hot.
Just the absence of sunlight made it relatively less hot.
I also frequently adjusted the temperature in my home and the convenience store so it wouldn't get too high, anyway.
"Busy during the semester, so it's annoying, and bored during the break, so I hate it."
Am I just a troublesome person?
Am I somewhat mentally unstable?
Of course, even this wouldn't be a problem if I just hired a part-timer and lived comfortably... but resting idly during the break is boring.
"Should I go back to my hometown for a change after a long time?"
Naturally, I started having such idle thoughts.
I don't really have any intention of actually going, though.
Still, since I'm so bored.......
"Hey, what are you doing?"
"......What the."
"You've got your head buried like that like an idiot all by yourself. What are you doing?"
"Vivian?"
A familiar voice heard while I was resting with my head buried on the counter.
As soon as I lifted my head at that voice, an annoying face appeared.
Why did that bitch come here?
"Skadi, I asked what you're doing?"
"I'm just sitting still because I'm bored, you have eyes, can't you tell?"
"Because you're acting like an idiot?"
"......Crazy bitch."
A woman with red eyes and black hair tied in a bun.
A bitch wearing white pants and a white shirt that were as annoying to maintain as her personality, and on top of that, a red jacket just like her lipstick.
...At the same time, the bitch who doubles as my classmate and friend had arrived.
"Why did you come here?"
"What's the problem with coming to see a business partner?"
"Even though you haven't visited once this year?"
"Sorry, but even if it's not your convenience store, I have more than one or two things to worry about."
"So, did something happen?"
...Like she said, she was also a business partner.
The woman who leads the business that sources and distributes the various products sold at the convenience store.
Vivian Evermore.
She's quite an expensive woman, considering she hadn't visited even once this year.
Why on earth did that bitch suddenly come to the convenience store?
"I came to see a friend?"
"...You mean you came to hang out?"
"Yeah."
"......."
...Crazy bitch.
I've known her for a long time.
She was a crazy bitch, as expected.
"When do you get off work? Can't you just close the store early today?"
"I'm on vacation next week. I have to work properly until this week."
The closing time is written right in front of the door, too.
Just looking at her saying things like this... she really wasn't normal.
The fact that she came suddenly without any contact, and the fact that she came and started talking like this....
"That's why you can't date, Vivian."
"...Shut up?"
"How can a 28-year-old woman have never dated even once?"
"You haven't either, so why are you saying that?"
"I have no intention to, but you want to, yet you can't."
"......."
This is why she can't date.
What's the point of having a lot of money?
When her personality is like this.
When the way she acts is like this.
How could she date?
"Tsk tsk... Last time you met some nobleman, you said it was going well. But in the end, you broke up again, right? What was it? Did you say a curse word by mistake while talking and get branded as unlikable?"
"......I only said 'fucking' a little bit."
"Oh, yeah."
Sigh, crazy bitch....