SWNOVELXO Chapter 22
Chapter 22.
There is a wall that blocks the wind.
There is a soft bed to lie down on.
There is food that can be eaten at any time.
All of those things have a warm warmth lingering.
Even in a space where the bright lights have all gone out, and the people who filled it have all disappeared, creating a flow of silence.
The woman thought so even while alone in it.
Once upon a time.
There was a word that Ain told her while spending each day in the alley.
“…, happiness.”
She remembers the man scratching his head, seemingly troubled by the word he learned while studying.
She recalls her past self tilting her head, unable to understand what happiness is or what should come to mind when hearing that word.
Thus, she reminisces.
‘Ain, what is happiness?’
‘…, um. It’s a state of feeling sufficient satisfaction and joy in life?’
She remembers his expression as he recited the dictionary definition, unsure of how to explain it.
‘How can I feel satisfied and happy in life?’
‘Uh, well….’
His face showed that it was a strange question, leaving him speechless.
‘It’s okay. Ain might not know everything. Tell me something else.’
‘….’
She remembers that moment when she tried to let it go because he seemed troubled.
The woman remembers all those scenes.
‘Then next, this….’
‘Um…, alright. Then let’s do this. I’ll make you happy later.’
Above all, she remembers those words clearly.
‘Huh…?’
‘I’ll help you become happy, so you’ll realize it yourself then. Got it?’
She reflects on the man’s voice that promised to make her happy.
She recalls how he looked at her with assured eyes and embraces the memory.
So now she looks back again.
Am I happy?
Does the woman feel happiness now?
The answer to that comes out without any need for hesitation.
“…, I’m happy.”
The woman thought she was happy.
“I think I’m happy, Ain.”
She fidgets with her hands, not knowing what to do with the emotion she felt for the first time.
“Ain.”
At night, in the empty shop where no one is around.
“Ain.”
The soft bed and blankets.
“Ain.”
The stew still warm.
“I’m happy.”
And Ain.
“Ain.”
The woman’s heart pounds.
Emotions rise and rise, flushing her cheeks slightly.
To hide that feeling she still doesn’t fully understand, she burrows into the blanket.
********
About a month has passed since the woman started living in the shop.
From what he observed during that time, she had definitely become more emotionally rich.
“Ain, thank you?”
“Thank you.”
Her communication became clearer, and her eyes sparkled with intelligence.
“Then should I help you more?”
“No, it’s okay to take it easy.”
Her previously sluggish and slurred speech had also become more distinct.
“But I want to help more.”
“…, then bring a bit more stock from the warehouse.”
“Okay, got it.”
The way she moved, which had been wobbly, had become relatively normal.
Yet, it was somewhat amusing that her running was still just as lively as ever.
As he watched her enter the warehouse, he found himself smiling without realizing it.
However, there was someone who disrupted that touching scene.
“You’re really getting too carried away. Just to warn you, no dating among employees in my shop, you brat.”
“…, I’m sorry, but I don’t have those feelings at all.”
A foolish uncle, who was trying to spin things into something entirely different, had been looking at her growth as if raising a daughter.
“There’s nothing to be gained with that expression, you idiot.”
“I guess you wouldn’t know the feeling of raising a daughter since you have three sons.”
Despite having prayed hard to have a daughter, he became the subject of ridicule in this market street for having three solid sons who all resemble him.
Moreover, even the employee who had worked with him for a long time was a dull boy.
It was safe to say that the uncle would never be blessed with a daughter.
So after saying that, when he looked up at the uncle, his face had turned red, as if it might burst.
“This unruly brat is directly poking at my weak spot!”
“Oh, wait….”
Just as he expected the usual head chop to bind the conversation, she intervened.
“…, don’t hit Ain.”
The woman stood in front of him, arms crossed while holding the food ingredients and glowered at the uncle.
“Hitting Ain is a bad thing.”
“….”
“….”
Seeing her say such things, which were undoubtedly true, left both the uncle and him momentarily speechless.
Finally, the uncle stared at her for a moment before awkwardly lowering the hand he had raised.
“No, that’s unfair.”
“Even joking, hitting hurts. So it’s not allowed.”
“Ugh…, fine. Alright, you two just finish what you were doing.”
The uncle let out a resigned laugh and returned to his spot, and fortunately, there was no grayness rising in this scene.
He had known that even a little stimulus could create a storm of gray emotion, but she maintained a calmness that was surprisingly tranquil.
As soon as the uncle turned away, she quickly whirled around and handed him the items she had brought.
“Ain, I brought this. Is it good?”
“Ah, thank you.”
With every word of gratitude that escaped his lips, she smiled brightly.
“And just now, I was just joking with the uncle.”
“I know. But it hurts if you get hit.”
She stared at him intently.
“Ain shouldn’t get hurt.”
“…, yeah. Thank you.”
So he replied and took the ingredients she extended, filling the shelf.
Lately, he has been thinking something strange.
He would sit with the uncle, and sometimes they would wedge the woman, who wanted to get between them, into their conversation.
“Why is the sales….”
“Why is it increasing again…?”
“Ain, is it not good if sales go up?”
As they all tilted their heads, they looked at the sales that had peaked with the cuteness of childhood and then dipped, now gradually increasing again.
“Hmm…. Jjiljil, was there something that could cause it to rise?”
“Um, I thought the number of customers had increased quite a bit. And I told you I’m not Jjiljil.”
“Is it good if sales go up?”
Recently, he had been feeling that there were strangely many customers.
However, it wasn’t because the mothers who had left had returned.
Moreover, since the new customers only bought very cheap ingredients, he hadn’t thought much about it.
But, collecting a little bit here and there added up, making a significant contribution to the sales.
“However, I still don’t know if this is thanks to you, so I’m not going to raise your salary, Jjiljil.”
“No, what do you mean by that? It’s obviously my contribution, not because of the uncle.”
“Is it because of Ain?”
It seems that if he thought about it, the increase in sales might be attributed to him.
Why, you ask?
It’s because.
Given the age group and gender of the new customers visiting the grocery store, it couldn’t be helped.
However, his thoughts continued until a slightly sulky voice interrupted him.
“Ain, why don’t you respond to what I’m saying?”
“Oh, I’m sorry….”
Had she been unhappy about being ignored, she had pushed her head forward, gently bumping her forehead against his shoulder.
Regardless.
Speaking of new customers, they were girls his age.
Time passed busily, and while he was mechanically doing his work, he had unconsciously overlooked the fact that quite a few girl customers his age had increased.
Though the items they purchased were not as grand as the mothers, they were usually just candies or snacks, which didn’t occupy much thought.
“Um, please ring this up…!”
“Oh, sure! I’ll ring it up for you.”
When he looked at the girl in front of him, trembling and offering a handful of candies, even someone who lacks self-awareness might catch on.
“Total is 15 Denny.”
“Ah, yes! Please have one of these too!”
She managed to hand him a candy before dashing out of the store, which was quite something.
“…, next customer.”
Therefore.
Little by little, it adds up.
He was capitalizing on the pocket money of girls his age and turning it into his salary.
He couldn’t help but think that way.
Heh heh.
His salary.
Thus, he found himself feeling quite good and greeted the customers with a bright sales smile.
Later, looking back, he might think it wasn’t the right thing to do.
“…, Ain.”
“Hmm? Is there something you need?”
Thinking he should have been less cheerful and a bit more blunt, as he was blinded by the money he was about to earn.
“….”
“Why?”
“…, it’s nothing.”
From behind, she was just peeking out.
He should have seen her, fumbling with her hands, looking as if she didn’t know what to do.
If he had seen that, there wouldn’t have been so many awkward confrontations later.
********
The woman is at a loss, her pupils shaking wildly.
“Ain….”
His smile is quite nice to look at, and she stretches her neck to capture it in her eyes.
“….”
However, the fact that that smile is directed at another girl makes her want to block it somehow.
Though she thinks that such actions would not help him in any way, she remains hesitant, fidgeting her feet.
Gathering her courage, she calls out his name.
“… Ain.”
“Hmm? Is there something you need?”
Seeing him turn around at once brings a smile to her lips as she tries to say what she wishes.
“….”
Don’t smile at other girls.
Just smile at me.
She wants to say those things, stammering and fumbling over her words.
It’s an emotion she has felt for the first time.
Her heart keeps pounding, her face turning red, and she feels a mix of queasiness and sharp pains.
It’s something she can’t control, making her feel a whirlwind of longing and excitement.
Yet, she cannot even grasp what this feeling is.
Furthermore, she is terrified of what revealing this feeling might do to their relationship.
“Why?”
“…, it’s nothing.”
She shakes her head.
Still fidgeting, her feet move anxiously while her hands fidget.
Every time he smiles, it feels like a sharp poke to her heart that she bites her lips to suppress.
Thud—
The sound of something pounding echoes in her ears.
Thud—
Once, twice, it doesn’t stop ringing.
Thud—
She thinks it’s a bit scary, so she squats down and covers her ears.
Thud—
That sound keeps resonating.