Convenience Store Part-Timer Elena
Elena. With her beautiful brown hair swaying just enough to brush her shoulder blades, Elena was the part-timer I'd hired right after the convenience store and I had crossed over into this world together. She was a stunning beauty who made anyone gasp in admiration at first sight. Especially those lake-blue eyes of hers that sparkled like jewels—they were utterly captivating. Her face always lit up with a bright smile, her voice laced with that adorable charm, and it had customers hooked from the moment they walked in.
Men would circle back to the store multiple times a day just for one more chance to chat her up. Coffee at 3, snacks at 4, fatigue recovery drinks at 5. And every time, one of those idiots would try striking up a conversation. At first, it boosted sales, so I didn't bother stopping them.
But then came the confessions. "Um, if you're free after your shift..." At least once a day, some fool would pop the question. Elena looked so troubled turning them down that I finally put up a warning sign.
Confess to the part-timer and you're dead.
Customers are kings, right? Too harsh? Tough shit. My employees matter more.
"Scram." I couldn't say it outright, so I'd just beat the crap out of them instead. But hey, did they think they were the store's only customer? Anyway, Elena was an irreplaceable treasure for our shop.
She's changed a lot. I thought back to when we first met. I'd run into her in a filthy back alley of the slums, where the stench of rot hung thick in the air even if you just walked through. Abandoned in that alley, she was dying in a gutter by the roadside. I was in a rush when she grabbed my pant leg.
"Please... save me." That desperate plea. She was skin and bones, her eyes dull, flickering with the last embers of life. A little girl with a ragged bob cut under her ear, begging me for her life. Even in the chaos of my isekai transition, that voice pierced through to me.
She was sixteen then. Not even of age for any coming-of-age rite, barely a middle schooler back in her original world. Unable to ignore her, I scooped her up and bolted to the convenience store. It must've been horrific. Even now, three years later, I couldn't bring myself to ask about it—she'd been that wretched.
And then I hired her.
"I'll collect on saving your life. Work it off." That was how Elena became our store's first employee. Her short bob had grown out long by now, and her face was always beaming with smiles—a bright kid who never stopped laughing. Seeing the grubby, dirt-caked girl she'd been transform like this filled me with pride. It was satisfying, like a full belly without eating.
Now she was a gorgeous woman living life to the fullest, and as store manager, I was more than pleased. I'd even given her a room upstairs on the second-floor dorms. A job and a place to crash. Hell, even I had to admit I was basically an angel. You won't find a manager like me anywhere else.
"Manager?"
"Yeah?"
"Customer's waiting."
"Oh." Beep! I'd gotten lost in thought. I quickly rang up the next customer's items.
Should I hire more part-timers? Lately, the crowds had been thicker than usual. Right now, we had just two: Elena, who worked afternoons with me, and Sylvia handling weekday mornings. The rest? That was on me. As manager, I busted my ass, but it was starting to wear me down. Sure, the pockets were filling up nice, but I had no time to myself anymore.
"Thanks, come again." The peak rush had finally died down as evening hit. From just before dinner until 8 p.m. was the worst—off-duty imperial citizens swarming in droves, grabbing something on their way home.
"Busy part's over." Now came the annoying customers. Drunks, for example. Drunks. Or, y'know, drunks.
Six months as a college student part-timer back home, three years as an isekai store manager here. A total of three and a half years on the job, and I figured I'd get used to the drunks by now. Nope. Never happened. The world had too many creative ones.
Like that mage who insisted on showing off his wind magic—only to hurl vomit from his mouth while waving his hands. Vomit tornadoes everywhere. Goddamn it. Maybe stop selling beer? Cut back on the soju orders? But then I'd think about the booze revenue.
I'm putting up with it for the store. Gotta make money to pay the girls' wages and keep myself fed.
"Manager, all cleaned up here." Elena waved her mop triumphantly after scrubbing the floors spotless.
"Good work. Head home."
"Nah, I'm good. I'll stick around a bit. Lots of customers till 9 anyway."
"Won't pay you extra."
I'm stingier than you think. Overtime? Hell no. Hourly wages add up.
For our store to thrive even more, we needed ironclad work-life balance. Screw that up, someone calls out, and I'm stuck solo? No way in hell.
"Don't need the pay. Just wanna stay."
Always the same with Elena.
"You feeling okay? Not sick or anything?"
A part-timer preferring work over clocking out? Hell, volunteering unpaid hours? At her age? Not right. Sure, she was only seven years younger than me, but seven years is like seventy percent of a lifetime. Or was this her way of protesting for a raise? Kid getting too clever already?
"Enough. Go rest."
"Don't wanna."
"It's quitting time. Even if I'm a squeeze-every-drop tyrant of a boss, we respect sharp clock-outs."
"Hiiing."
Elena pouted her lips.
"Won't work no matter how cute you act." I pinched her lips hard.
"Ow ow! That hurts, Manager!"
"Meant to."
Part-timers climbing too high up the ladder? Can't have that. Gotta remind 'em who's boss now and then.
"Pffft."
"Anyway, get going. I'll handle nights."
Six months post-college, three years here. Night shifts? I could do 'em blindfolded. Big thanks to the skill I'd gained crossing over.
The store manager is invincible inside the convenience store.
Invincible. Not just brute strength—stamina too. All-nighters? No sweat. Full days on my feet? Fresh as ever. Nights without sleep even made me feel stronger. Boredom workouts paying off, maybe? Who knows. If I knew the why, I probably wouldn't be here.
Hell, the whole isekai thing was a mystery. No clue how or why. No way back either. But did I wanna go? Nah. Back to broke college dropout life? This gig as convenience store manager in another world beat it a hundredfold.
The world's one and only modern convenience store, no less. AC in summer, heaters in winter, fridges keeping everything fresh, fluorescent lights that never quit. Pure bliss. One-of-a-kind advantage? Priceless. No way I'm leaving.
Standing at the counter, Se-rin's face sometimes flickered in my mind. That bastard probably railed her good, huh? Time's a healer—they say. Memories weren't as sharp anymore, but the shock lingered. Now it was just, Oh yeah, that happened. Time really does fade it all. Got this fatal curse where nothing stands up unless it's a virgin, but whatever. Still manageable.
For now.
"Manager?"
"Yeah?"
Elena waved a hand in front of my face. Ah, spaced out again. Happens when I dwell on pre-isekai crap. Damn you, Lee Se-rin. Damn that whore. Fuck, I loved her once.
"Sorry, just reminiscing."
"About what?"
"Before setting up this store."
"Ah."
"Anyway, good work today. Go crash upstairs."
With a heavy sigh, Elena shrugged off her DG-logo vest. Underneath, her voluptuous figure came into view. Damn, she'd grown up nice. Whoever snags her will die by my hand three times before getting permission.
"What're you doing? Go home."
Elena just stood there in the store.
"Manager, I'm off the clock now, right? Vest's off."
"Uh? So head to the dorms. Or stroll the imperial streets."
"That's what I'm doing."
"What?"
"I'm a customer here."
This brat—told her not to work, and now she's trolling the boss? Gave her time off, and she's rubbing it in while I grind? Slam her with overtime? Nah. She clocked in at noon, out at 8—earned her rest. No need to push.
Yeah, yeah. Uncle mode: forgive the kid's prank.
"Hmmm..."
Elena wandered the aisles for a solid thirty minutes, eyeing and touching products without buying or messing anything up. If anything...
"Hey, stop rearranging while pretending to shop!"
"Oh, habit..."
She was aligning logos all facing the same way.
"I said no work!"
"Hehehe."
Weird sight. Fantasy novel beauty browsing Korean convenience store goods. Three years in, still surreal. Holding a retort pouch, pondering what to microwave—kinda cute.
Couldn't resist teasing. "Eating too much lately?"
"Huh? Nooo. Y-you told me to eat well since I can't eat much."
"Don't overdo the store food. Bad for you." Weird coming from the manager, sure.
Then—ding-a-ling!
"Welcome to DG Convenience!"
A woman in flashy clothes swept in.
"Ah, there it is."
Cleavage-baring gown, sparkling blonde hair to match, made-up face with glittery eyeshadow gleaming. Who else?
"You, huh."
Luna, worker from the Moonlit Lake Brothel. Brothel girl, that is. They called it the Lake among themselves.
"Your turn for duty today, Luna?"
"No reservations."
Luna sauntered to the condom section with lazy eyes, stacking a pile on the counter. Routine as ever. The Lake sent a daily rep for these 99.9% effective modern miracles. Beats herbs and magic, cleaner by far.
"Early today?" Usually midnight.
"Yeah, Madam wanted me to pass this on."
"What?"
"VVIP's coming to the store now."
"What? Why tell me now?"
"Dunno. Just heard. Message delivered."
VVIP? Only one Luna from the Lake would warn me about. The empire's star, future sun outshining all. Crown Prince Astur.
Shit.
Why's the Crown Prince showing up at this hour? Sun's already dipping.