SWNOVELXO Chapter 43
Chapter 34
Time has passed swiftly, and today was my last day working at the grocery store.
Of course, not much changed just because it was the last day. The store was still busy, and I had to rush around without any time to feel the weight of the farewell.
“When did that little kid grow up like this… Traveling is great, but please come back and show your face once in a while, Ain.”
“Yes, Auntie. Don’t worry, I’m not the kind of guy who would never return to the Empire.”
The regular customers, knowing it was my last day, would pat me on the shoulder, saying it had been tough seeing me so busy.
Even with that, I was so busy that I couldn’t think about how today was the end.
However.
Long story short, whenever I tried to almost forget that today was the last, there was a scenery that kept appearing.
Every time I heard the farewell remarks from regular customers, my shoulders would twitch.
Standing at the counter, calculating the customers’ purchases, my thoughts were drawn toward me, as if I could see their backs fidgeting nervously.
“…, Thank you. Please visit the Ileina grocery store again next time.”
Moreover, even the mechanical words directed at customers slowed down, unlike usual.
Then, inevitably, they would sneak a glance at me, and upon locking eyes, they would flinch, surprised, and quickly turn away.
As I blankly watched that scene unfold, I truly felt that the moment of farewell was approaching.
Finally, the grocery store doors closed after all the customers had left.
Finishing business earlier than usual, the sound of jingling coins and Uncle’s gruff voice echoed inside the store.
My last payday.
Only when it was time to calculate the monthly sales did I hear Uncle’s grumbling.
“I don’t know how much I’ve been ripped off by that towering kid.”
“Hmph, I really don’t know how much business I’ve given to that hairy uncle. What a waste, what a waste. If I had opened my own store, it would all have been my money.”
“Hey, have you ever seen a rude kid like this?”
“What? I’m just stating the truth.”
And so, it turned into a trivial argument between Uncle and me that had become a monthly ritual.
Now it was something that would be missed if gone, which made this our last argument.
“Pthth, this is your last salary. Enjoy it and drop dead.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll eat well and fall into a good place.”
“…, you madman.”
We would bicker like this, but then share a grin as we looked at each other.
And so, resting in my hand was a pouch full of coins, thicker and heavier than usual.
“Hmm, it’s heavy.”
“I’ve put in a little extra since it’s the last.”
“Then let me see just how generous Uncle is with that extra.”
“…No, save that for later. How can you do that right in front of the person giving it, you brat?”
So, wanting to see just how generous the extra truly was, I licked my lips and opened my pocket wide.
“…?”
The moment I tilted my head, it wasn’t just that there were a lot of coins but that they were of a different currency altogether.
My usual salary was just over 10,000 Dera, but this was about ten times that amount.
As a result, I raised my head with a blank expression to look at Uncle, who scratched his head awkwardly and muttered.
“Ahem, well… You’ve worked hard for a long time, after all.”
“100,000 Dera…?”
“No, what kind of money ghost are you to guess the amount without even looking properly…?”
“…”
In other words.
In this world, there’s really no concept of severance pay, so expecting any more when leaving a job or wanting extra generosity is quite amusing.
It’s rather fortunate if you’re not treated like a fool for expecting more.
However, for some reason, Uncle kept shifting his gaze and continued.
“Don’t go buying flimsy tools or weapons just because you’re short on money and end up dying a stupid death! Ahem, it would be unjust if you died and blamed me for it!”
“…”
He was trying to justify giving me more money with a rather laughable excuse.
“Anyway, I won’t give you money again, so I thought I’d indulge you a bit since you often pestered me! There’s a staff here that earns more than you, so you’re no longer needed!”
“…”
He handed a thick pouch of money to the woman standing next to him, smiling as he did so.
“Thank you for your hard work, Ain.”
“…Thank you, Uncle.”
“Hey! Don’t get teary-eyed now that you’re all grown up, you weepy brat!”
And that’s why.
Even though I wanted to smile and express my gratitude one last time, I couldn’t shake off being called a “weepy brat.”
That was undoubtedly Uncle’s fault.
Then, Uncle teased me for a while longer before placing his hand on Asha’s head and continued.
“Asha, when you quit your job later, I’ll make sure to give you a generous severance too. Well, definitely more than that useless brat over there.”
Now that scene felt quite natural.
In the scenery where I was immersed, Asha’s lips slowly curled upward too.
Asha, also glancing at the hand on her head, nodded with a gentle smile.
In any case.
I always say he’s a good person.
Leaving the story of the grocery store behind, Asha and I stepped out into the market street, unable to resist Uncle’s urging us to hurry up.
In my hand was the money intended to buy Asha something delicious and send her back.
Though I thought about all the consideration and affection behind it.
“Caterpillar.”
“…, let’s eat something else.”
The fact that now I was stuck in a situation mixed with the unnecessary favor of being told to eat something delicious was highly displeasing.
Eventually leading to the woman playfully suggesting we go eat caterpillar again.
“So, I’ve been doing exercises I don’t want to do, so you should eat caterpillars that you hate too, Ain.”
I couldn’t help but sigh at the fact that I would end up eating caterpillar until the very last moment.
“Asha, how about we eat something else delicious today…?”
But wait a minute.
I just mentioned hating caterpillars.
“Asha, did you… did you know I hate caterpillars…?”
“Yes, if you didn’t know that, you’d be a fool. Now, let’s go.”
Oh no, what a sly witch.
“You… you… this cunning one… No, please, spare me. I don’t want to eat caterpillars. Let’s eat something else… anything else.”
“Ain, you should just give in and enjoy it. If you run out of food while traveling, you’ll have to catch and eat caterpillars, so wouldn’t it be better to get used to it before we leave?”
“…, even if I run out of food, I won’t eat caterpillars.”
My travel diary wouldn’t include tales of me running out of food and eating caterpillars.
But, with a beaming grin, Asha held onto my hand firmly and wouldn’t let go.
“Ain, if I’m asking like this, are you really not going to eat? I said I’d do whatever you wanted until we leave.”
“…”
Unable to respond to that, my first step toward the market that day was inevitably toward the place where caterpillars are grilled.
As soon as two caterpillars entered my mouth.
“Delicious, isn’t it?”
“…, not delicious.”
I answered truthfully at this point.
“Then have two more.”
“…”
Either way, whether it was delicious or not, caterpillars kept entering my mouth.
I’m stuffed.
However, I felt a nasty fullness, and my lips unwillingly poked out.
And seeing my state seemed amusing, as the woman looked over at me with a slightly teasing smile.
“Ain, are you sulking?”
“…, no.”
“You seem sulky because you ate a lot of caterpillars.”
“…”
After walking for a while, we found ourselves not in the market street but in a quiet park.
So, stopping in my tracks, I watched the woman approach me, tilting her head as she observed my expression.
“Hmph, so Ain also sulks when teased.”
“I’m not sulking!”
“But you said before that if your lips stick out, it means you’re sulking.”
“…”
She doesn’t forget the things I’ve said, and she’s no longer as dazed or ignorant as before.
While saying that, she stared at my face for a long time, then smiled cheerfully, raised a hand, and gently pressed my lips.
“I won’t feed you anymore today.”
“From how I hear it, that sounds like you’ll feed me tomorrow.”
“Yes, I just want to tease you a bit until we leave. Since we’re going to leave anyway, just bear with it.”
Now she’s openly declaring that she’ll tease me until we leave without hiding her intentions.
And.
Her words made me feel a little bittersweet and laugh at the same time.
“Puhh… is this some kind of revenge?”
“Yes, it’s my little way of getting back at you.”
In other words, it was a sort of whining to release all the pent-up feelings.
If you think of it as a gray area, it really is a small thing, and it was undoubtedly my fault for making it pile up like this.
So shouldn’t I be grateful for her efforts to express her feelings through this much?
Considering that, I responded.
“Then I’ll have to endure it.”
“Brace yourself. Every day, a handful of caterpillars.”
“If you’d just reduce it by one.”
“Hmph, that remark is so annoying that I’ll add one more to that handful.”
“…”
However, the seriousness with which she took her revenge was a little frightening.
Anyway, our steps slowed down as we reached the park.
The sun was setting, and the purple twilight welcomed us.
Standing on the green grass, lost in thought as I gazed at the sky, she slowly closed the distance between us.
“Ain.”
Calling me as I looked up at the sky, she gently loosened the hand we were holding.
As I lowered my head to see where her voice was coming from.
“It’s my gift.”
With a beaming smile, she held up two identical bracelets.
A beautiful woman, lit up by the sunset like a halo.
“They say if you don’t forcibly cut it, but let it break naturally, your wish will be granted.”
Saying that, she placed one bracelet on my open hand and gently covered it with her own.
“One is mine, and one is yours.”
However, there was no ash swirling around.
Unlike two years ago in the alley, the scene of ash swirling around didn’t manifest.
“So, keep wearing it until it naturally breaks without taking it off. I’ll do the same.”
Her words held no tremor, and her gaze was solely directed at me.
With a yearning look, and the corners of her mouth whimsically turned up.
All sorts of emotions mingled within, revealing something that couldn’t be precisely defined.
And in that way, she simply expressed her feelings as she looked up at me.
“…, it’s a promise.”
Then she pulled me into a tight embrace and said those words.
So I responded.
“Yeah, it’s a promise.”
Gripping the bracelet she had placed on my hand tightly, I echoed her sentiments.
The purple sky grew darker.
We quietly gazed at the heavens.
Time flowed.
Finally, the moment arrived.