8. Fresh Youth
8. Fresh Youth
"Noah! How could you just skip club activities without saying a word?! And why are you coming out of the place where the Store Owner-nim rests?"
"Ah... um. Just, you know, I was tired and wanted to take a short break."
"Haa... How could you just use the space where the Store Owner-nim rests like that... Besides, it's not like the Dormitory isn't a place to rest!"
"I was just resting for a bit...."
"......."
What is this?
It took me a while to understand this sudden situation.
A beautiful girl with black hair suddenly showed up, Noah came out from behind, and now they're chatting away amongst themselves.
Is she like a friend of Noah's?
A girlfriend?
They looked way too close to be just ordinary friends.
Seeing how she called Noah by his name so casually and was telling him all sorts of things, maybe... is she really just his friend?
They look closer than I thought for just friends....
"So, who are you?"
I don't know what's going on.
The fact that they're suddenly chatting inside the convenience store like this, and I don't even know why they're doing this....
For starters, the black-haired, purple-eyed beauty in front of me seemed to be looking for Noah, and Noah had been resting in the break room like it was nothing.
Did they have something to talk about regarding club activities?
Since I didn't even know what club Noah was in, I was just confused.
"Ah, I'm Iris from the 1st year of the Academy...! I'm Noah's friend, and Noah has work to do. But he keeps not showing up. Because of that...... hehe, I'm sorry."
"Ah, no need for that. It was just sudden."
"Noah, the Teacher-nim is looking for you. Let's go quickly."
"Ah....... The Master-nim again?"
"Yeah."
After that, they chatted amongst themselves, and Iris immediately left, taking Noah with her.
The convenience store, which had been noisy for a moment, started to become quiet again.
I....
"......What was that."
I was just dumbfounded by this sudden situation.
It felt like I had witnessed fresh, budding youth right in front of my eyes, something I never encounter.
It was just that kind of feeling.
A mere 17-year-old girl huffing and nagging a boy, and the kid listening to that nagging so bluntly.
What should I call it, it feels like a boy and girl in their prime, right before they start dating, doesn't it?
It was just that feeling, so I was dumbfounded.
It felt like they were flirting in my workplace, so I just let out an absurd laugh.
"Tsk."
This is why young kids are....
He'd been diligently coming to see me for months, so I thought he really didn't have a single girl he was close with.
In the end, he was a guy who was getting along just fine with a cute, young girl like that.
"Sigh."
That figures.
Logically speaking, why would a 17-year-old kid be so serious about a 28-year-old?
Because it's the age where they like any girl.
I had my own... well, time like that in my past life too.
I decided to just vaguely understand it and went back to organizing the inventory.
*
"Store Owner-nim... coffee......."
"You're saying we're out of stock?"
"Yes.........."
"Wait a moment, I'll restock it right away. In the meantime, buy an Energy Potion from the fridge over there."
"Energy Potion...?"
"It's a new product that just came out. Both are caffeinated drinks, but unlike coffee, they aren't bitter and actually have a sweet taste."
".........Oh."
The Exam Period was... quite a time to meet a diverse range of human types.
Of course, there are more bad types than good ones.
In fact, I see many students who look like monsters—dark circles hanging all the way down, eyes unfocused, and their whole bodies so drained of energy they can barely walk—which I usually only see from Academy graduate students.
Like the student right in front of me right now.
And the student behind them was the same.
"Calculation......."
"20 Copper."
"Yeees......."
Anyway, as soon as that student finished paying, I had to leave the counter and go straight to restock the coffee.
It doesn't usually sell that much.
Since they often buy coffee at the cafe in the cafeteria, it was usually fine.
But during the Exam Period, there are so many kids who drink convenience store coffee because they don't want to waste time waiting for that cafe coffee.
I had to restock this often.
...Actually, aside from that, even though I filled the space where I usually put event items with coffee and Energy Potions, they just kept flying off the shelves.
Every time this happens, I feel like exams really drive people crazy.
"Tsk tsk...."
No matter how important exams are, it's going to be tough if everyone drinks this much coffee.
It would be better to just sleep for a bit.
Well, they're young.
They'll probably endure it well enough.
"Hmm...... by the way, that Noah kid hasn't been visiting lately."
Thinking about the students, I couldn't help but briefly think about the one kid who visits every time.
Is it because he's busy since the exams started?
The frequency of him coming to the convenience store has decreased significantly recently.
I guess he's a student after all.
He usually kept coming into the convenience store and didn't even pretend to study, but it seems he's busy with various things after all.
After refilling the coffee stock, I returned to the counter and continued my work as usual.
Ah, to be precise, it wasn't exactly usual.
Since there are so many students looking for the convenience store during the Exam Period.
Usually, the convenience store closes around 7 or 8 o'clock... but during the Exam Period, there are kids studying like crazy in the library until late, or even in the 24-hour library.
I also adjusted to that and kept the convenience store open until past 10 PM....
"Hwaaaam...."
So, before I knew it, the hour hand had passed 9....
I'm still sitting at the convenience store counter.
At times like this, it might be better to just hire a part-timer, but it's only like this during the Exam Period.
It's been like this ever since I opened.
I'm enduring it in my own way.
"St, Store Owner-nim...."
"Ah, yes."
Still, seeing kids who haven't slept properly keep coming by, it's probably better to keep it open late.
If I suddenly closed the convenience store at the usual time, I feel like some kids would really collapse.
Of course, there will be kids who collapse while forcing themselves to endure with coffee in that state.
"Th, thanks...."
...Well, it's vacation soon anyway.
They'll rest well on their own.
Thinking that, I sent off another student and sat in my chair, quietly reading a book.
I wasn't really into reading.
But it's boring to just sit still until late at night.
Since it's not a world with devices like smartphones, I had no choice but to do this.
"Noonim......."
"......What is it."
...While I was reading and checking out students who came by in between, that Noah kid showed up.
He didn't look like the usually bright kid, but rather looked quite exhausted.
Is he quite busy because of the exams...?
Actually, the Swordsmanship Department is simple but uses the body a lot, so it's natural, but... I've never seen him look like this before.
It was surprising.
Especially because I've never seen him like this before.
"Do you have anything to eat for dinner?"
"Something to eat? Of course, it's inside over there. Why?"
"Thank you...."
...That Noah kid asked me that, then immediately went over to the instant food corner.
Soon after, a cup noodle, a sausage, and a triangle kimbap.
Plus an Energy Potion.
...He bought quite a lot of stuff.
Considering what Noah ate last time, it's understandable enough.
"Shall I ring this up?"
"Yes...."
"Must be pretty busy because of the exams?"
"Rather than the exams... the Master-nim is making me do this and that. Because of that, I'm... very tired."
"Master-nim?"
In the process of ringing up items one by one, I chatted with Noah for a bit.
Luckily, there weren't that many students.
So small talk like this wasn't a problem.
"Ah... yes, I have a Master-nim. She's an Academy teacher, but aside from that, she's someone who gives me personal guidance."
"Aha...?"
"But during the Exam Period, she's been working me way too hard...."
"So that's why you're in that state right now?"
"I suppose so...."
I hadn't really talked about things like this with Noah before.
I wasn't interested in the first place, so I had no reason to ask.
It was just that I was quite curious because it was my first time seeing Noah looking so exhausted like this.
Swordsmanship Department....
Well, there aren't really any normal people there anyway.
Especially if they are teaching there... most of them are usually completely obsessed with swordsmanship or physical beauty.
Actually, it was natural for crazy people to appear in any department, though.
"Tsk tsk, so you came here like this because you couldn't even eat dinner?"
"Yes."
"Hmm......."
He's a tall, sturdy guy usually.
I've never really had to worry about him...
...Well, I did worry when he kept skipping class to come play at the convenience store.
But he seemed like a guy I didn't need to worry about at all regarding his health.
Somehow, I was a bit worried to see him looking so exhausted today.
If a guy who easily clears 180cm, who I saw had a pretty good build when he was exercising last time, is struggling this much... the Master-nim must be quite the old fogey.
Not just in the Swordsmanship Department, but in any department, there are instructors who are crazy and can't properly compare their level with the students, so they grind the kids into the ground.
Perhaps Noah's Master-nim is that kind of old fogey too.
"Do you have to go back after eating?"
"Ah, that's not it. Today's training is over for now. I'll eat, then study a bit at the library, and when the Dormitory opens... I'm thinking of going in and sleeping for a bit. About 2 hours?"
"Hmm... is that so?"
I see.
The library is open all the time, but the Dormitory has limited opening hours due to security reasons.
It can't be helped.
It can't be... helped, but.
Still, I couldn't help but think it was a very exhausting schedule.
Starting from the morning, taking exams, being exhausted as hell because of the old fogey, pulling an all-nighter at the library, and only having about 2 hours of free time.
I don't think I lived like that back in my prime.
"You must be very tired."
"Haha... well, yeah."
By the way, the Academy was still the same.
The library is open 24 hours during the exam period, but the Dormitory has a curfew.
There isn't even a proper place to lie down and rest inside the library.
The thought that they might actually be hoping for students to collapse naturally grew in my mind.
Only being able to go in and sleep for a little over an hour after the Dormitory doors open again... no matter how I think about it, it must be incredibly bad for kids at this age.
"Hmm...."
Of course, sleeping for 1 or 2 hours.
It's bad for anyone's health, but they are kids in the middle of growing.
Honestly, I couldn't help but worry.
We were on terms where we saw each other's faces often, after all.
As various worries grew....
"...Hey, do you want to sleep in the break room for a bit?"
"...Yes?"
"I'm closing the convenience store soon anyway, so when I close, just use the bed in the break room. You can just use it."
I reached this conclusion.