14. A Handsome Boy
14. A Handsome Boy
"Anyway, it's been quite a while since you opened this place."
"I suppose so."
"It's definitely convenient being able to cool the place without using any magic tools at all. I think the biggest advantage is the overwhelming efficiency, especially for things that need to be frozen."
"That's the whole reason I can sell such a wide variety of food products in the first place."
"A Snow Woman's ice ability is honestly more efficient than I thought. Back when we were in the Academy, I just thought it was average, but it's great to use outside of combat too."
I was passing the time comfortably, chatting with the friend who was annoyingly hogging the convenience store counter.
Since it was summer vacation, not that many students were coming in.
All I had to do was help the occasional customer with their checkout.
Since there were fewer customers, the amount of inventory moving out wasn't that high, so I had much less to do compared to the semester.
"But honestly, that Snow Woman ability... it would be super useful anywhere. It's not just for refrigerators or freezers; you could use it in so many different ways."
"I can use it for fighting, too."
"Well, yeah, but aside from that, even just keeping the inside of this convenience store cool right now is because of your Snow Woman traits."
"Thanks to that, I got good grades back in the Academy and had it easy."
"...Honestly, in my opinion, there are way more ways to make money with that ability."
It was absurd to hear my friend say such things in front of someone who was working hard as a convenience store owner.
But it was the truth.
In reality, a Snow Woman's ability wasn't just for a freezer.
If I set my mind to it, I could use it in much more diverse and lucrative places than that.
Considering how completely different the methods I used back in the Academy were compared to how I use them now, I could understand why she was saying this.
"I told you. My life motto is to live comfortably and for a long time. There's no reason to live a short, intense, and flashy life."
"Even so... honestly, I think there are plenty of ways to make more money than a convenience store while still living comfortably."
"Forget it."
"Tsk tsk... what a waste..."
"I feel sorry for my friend who won't be able to date at all until she's over thirty."
"......Wanna fight?"
"Do you think you'd win?"
"Okay, sorry."
Anyway, I'm bored.
Vacation is always boring.
I do have one friend, but even taking that into account... it's not exactly an exciting season.
Of course, it wasn't like my daily life was incredibly exciting during the semester either.
It was just opening the convenience store, working, closing it, and repeating that every single day, and that's still the same.
...I wonder why it feels even more boring.
It's a vague feeling.
With that feeling, I just sighed and chatted with Vivian about this and that.
"...But seriously, how long are you going to stay holed up at the Academy?"
"I decided to take my vacation properly this time, so it's fine."
"Sigh...."
Is this what a business owner looks like?
It was absurd.
She doesn't seem to do much work, but considering she makes money... well, I guess she must work hard after resting like this.
While thinking roughly along those lines, I rested my chin on my hand and thought about when this boredom would end.
*
"Hey, Skadi. Make me some shaved ice."
"...You crazy bitch."
"Aaaaaah! You said you'd supply me with the new products at a cheap price, right? Just give me the shaved ice, okay? I already brought the fruit and syrup to put on top in my pocket, so it's fine!"
"...Yeah, alright. Just one plate of ice, right?"
"Yes, yes. That's it."
"......Sigh."
Another week passed.
A week had passed, but.
This freeloader still had nothing to do, so at my convenience store....
...Come to think of it, calling her a freeloader is wrong since she's a business owner.
Anyway, she is one of the connections that helps me make money.
It wouldn't be good to treat her too badly.
"It's just absurd that you're planning to stay here until the end of vacation."
"It's only about two more weeks. Half the vacation is already over, so isn't it fine for me to keep you company here at the convenience store for two weeks?"
"It's just annoying."
But annoying is still annoying.
Even though it does help relieve my boredom in its own way.
Aside from that, it was annoying.
When there are no customers, I should be sitting still, doing nothing, and spending time reading a book occasionally.
But this friend of mine keeps sitting in my workplace and bothering me with talk.
It's a vaguely annoying feeling, isn't it?
"Ha... if that matchmaking date had gone a bit better, by now I'd be going to the swimming pool with a boyfriend, and on top of that...."
"......."
"If that had worked out, it would've been great.... No, come to think of it, that guy wasn't a good match anyway. What kind of person uses the word 'fucking' on a matchmaking date?"
"You crazy bitch."
She must have developed a mental illness while running her business.
I thought she wasn't normal since our Academy days.
Even when she whines about wanting to date, she's always full of complaints about useless things, so I felt that way.
Seems she's still not normal.
"Sigh, sigh."
"Anyway, hehe...... let the orange crushing show begin!"
"......Sigh."
A woman who says she wants to date is trying to just crush an orange with her bare fist....
I'd rather just... sigh.
I always feel this, but it just feels like there's no such thing as the behavior of a woman who wants to date.
While I was sighing at the eccentric behavior of Vivian, my friend of 10 years, the convenience store door started to open, and I stood up from my seat.
"Welcome...."
...Well, I've been doing this job for several years now, and I'm annoyed, and anyway, it's probably just the same guys who always come.
With a very half-hearted attitude.
I just greeted them like that.
"Noonim, it's been a while. Are you having a good vacation?"
"...What, you're here already?"
"I told you I'd come right after two weeks, didn't I?"
"That's true, but it's vacation. I thought you'd stay a few more days. Who would think you'd return exactly 14 days after the start of vacation?"
"Haha, I guess that's true?"
...I greeted them like that, but the voice that returned the greeting was that of a lively boy.
And a quite, significantly familiar one at that.
At the same time, one I hadn't heard at all for a while...?
"I'm surprised you came back much earlier than I thought. I wasn't really thinking about it."
"You're busy working, Noonim. You probably don't have that much time to think about someone like me."
"Well, that's true."
The kid who has been following me around strangely for a few months and visiting my convenience store whenever he's bored has returned.
And he's 11 years younger, too.
...Surely he didn't come straight here as soon as he got back.
Nah, that can't be it.
Even so, that's not right.
What kind of kid returns to school early during vacation just to meet a 28-year-old lady?
"......Who is that handsome boy?!"
"......Ah."
"Eh?"
...I forgot for a moment because of someone who returned earlier than expected.
There was an annoying bitch right next to me.
The kind of annoying bitch who has been interested in dating for years.
"Haa......."
"What, what!? You told me you had zero interest in men, but you were seeing a kid like that who's so handsome, kind of cute, tall, and has super broad shoulders?!"
"......Haa. Fuck."
I barely managed to hold back from finishing the curse.
Really, I barely held it in.
Because swearing in front of a kid 11 years younger than me feels like failing as an adult, no matter how I think about it.
"...Just an acquaintance."
"That's a lie. If I look into it, aren't you guys secretly doing everything behind the scenes? You're super close, aren't you? There's no way you'd talk that nicely to a man?"
"Is that so?"
"Yeah! Do you know how much of an iron wall this bitch is? Starting from our Academy days, for over 10 years now, huh?!"
"Haa...."
My head suddenly starts to hurt.
I knew why... without even having to think about it.
.
.
.
"......Skadi, Skadi. I am seriously feeling a huge sense of betrayal right now."
"Oh, is that so."
"A handsome boy like that is chasing after you. The situation itself where you don't even push him away is just weird."
"What do you want me to do when he keeps coming in even after I push him away enough? Should I lock the store door?"
"The Skadi I knew actually did that back in the Academy days, you know?"
"...I was young back then."
I clearly explained my relationship with Noah enough times.
...I don't know what time period she's talking about.
That was a really long time ago.
Besides, he was a guy who was really doing bullshit back then, and since Academy classes had started and he wasn't coming in, I just locked the door to tell him to fuck off.
It's a different feeling from the current situation.
Noah isn't at least doing dogshit or bullshit, and he's just a kid anyway.
Why would I be that serious against a kid?
"You said your name is Noah, right?"
"Ah, yes. I'm a first-year at the Academy, attending the Swordsmanship Department."
"......Do all the kids in the Swordsmanship Department look like that these days?"
"How would I know?"
"No, aren't you close?"
"Close or not. Aside from that, how would I know what the guys in the Swordsmanship Department look like?"
"......Aha!"
"...Sigh, this is my Academy classmate and business helper, Vivian."
"Hello."
"Kyaa... he's so young...!"
"......."
Crazy bitch.
Seriously, I was fucking embarrassed.......
To the point where I thought it would have been a better choice to just kick her out and talk to Noah alone instead.......