SWNOVELXO Chapter 8
**Chapter 8**
It has already been a month since I became a grocery store employee.
Every morning, I wake up, head to the store, clean the interior until the Uncle arrives, and fill the empty shelves.
I memorize the prices and quantities of each grocery and the stock piled in the warehouse.
During the rush hours, I sit at the counter and greet numerous mothers.
I even make tea for the busy Uncle from time to time.
It has already been a month since I worked hard like this.
Ah.
Ah…
The long hours of humiliation and affection from the mothers… it was quite tiresome.
Now it’s time to receive my salary as a proper employee.
“Uncle.”
“… Hmm. This shouldn’t be the amount.”
It was exactly double last month’s sales.
That must be because of my wholehearted acting and charm, the smiles of the child who succumbed to capitalism, and the head that was playfully offered for petting.
One could say that is the price for it.
I brought up the matter with Uncle while recalling that dreadful past.
“However, this amount is correct. Do you remember the bet? Um, I believe you said you would give me a percentage of the sales.”
“You rascal! I never said that! How much do you think I’m going to let you have?”
Ah, not fooled, are you?
Anyway, I smiled and extended both hands toward Uncle.
“Thank you for the salary.”
“Hmph! A promise is a promise! I have no choice! Since I lost the bet, I’ll be generous!”
Uncle nodded as if there were no other option and handed me a wallet.
“Wow, thank you.”
“You annoying little brat… usually, you don’t smile, but you’re so cruelly grinning at the ladies…”
I tried hard to ignore Uncle’s mumblings and began counting how much was in the wallet with excitement.
1000 Dera… and then 2000 Dera.
Good, the original salary is properly included.
So the bonus is 3000 Dera… and it goes beyond 4000 Dera…
“…?”
What’s this?
Why doesn’t it end?
The amount that seemed it would never stop only revealed its conclusion after counting 1000 Dera more.
“5000 Dera seems like you’ve given me a bit too much, Uncle…?”
To be honest, I didn’t expect to receive more than double the salary I initially mentioned.
“You little one, you’ve worked better than I thought, so I put in a little extra this time. I knew you were smart, but I didn’t expect you to outperform most adults. So it’s still a profit for me!”
“…”
Surprised by the hefty amount of money, I looked up at Uncle, who was laughing heartily about how he was exploiting the clever kid for cheap labor.
“Of course, I can’t give this much every time, you rascal! This is just because it’s your first salary!”
“…, thank you.”
What a strange uncle.
He’s just a weird person.
Thus, I thought while looking at Uncle, who was ruffling my hair.
Anyway.
After the salary calculation was over, I put exactly 500 Dera from the 5000 Dera I received back on the counter.
“Hmm? What is it? You don’t need to return any if you received a lot.”
“I’m not returning it; I want you to give me 500 Dera worth of groceries every month. Preferably things that can be eaten without cooking and have a long shelf life.”
“Haha! This commendable kid, trying to help Rain!”
“No, I’m going to give it to the poor puppy in the alley.”
“?”
“Why?”
“Haha! This ungrateful brat! Clearly, you’re not thinking about your mother at all!”
“…”
Uncle looked at me with a tired expression, but I just played dumb.
Ah, well.
Mom is doing fine even without my help.
“Also, please sell them to me at a discount since I’m an employee.”
“Oh my, now you’re really trying to take advantage of me.”
“With your size, Uncle, I think you could afford to give a little!”
You’re bigger than even my father, who was like a bear, so your portion should be bigger too.
Even a little taken by a kid should be fine.
I thought that and stuck my tongue out, maintaining a stoic expression.
Seeing me like that, Uncle seemed incredulous and couldn’t help but retort.
“Ha, I really don’t get why you’re acting so childishly around the ladies. Hmm…! Alright! If you really want it that badly, show me some charm! I’ll give you a good deal!”
“…”
Ugh, please don’t bring that up again.
After all, I have to continue acting like a child this month, next month, next year, and until I become an adult.
With that thought, I glared at Uncle, and he smiled back, saying:
“Don’t want to? Then you’ll have to pay the full price.”
And my body began to sway automatically with that statement.
Money.
I have to save it.
It’s unavoidable.
Alright.
As it got closer to evening.
In one hand, I held the jerky-like groceries received from Uncle, and in the other, I held ointment and bandages I bartered for at the nearby pharmacy.
“…”
Life is tough.
Living is indeed hard in this world.
To put it simply.
Regardless of how tough it gets, I grasped the items in my hands and walked away from home.
My steps were quite different from the hesitant ones a month ago; there was no hesitation now.
Using the excuse of not being able to go due to lack of money, I had a month to think and became a bit calmer.
I will help the gray girl.
I won’t let her eat spoiled food or let her suffer from festering wounds.
I want to fix the awkward speech that has become clumsy from never learning from anyone, and if possible, I want to give her the opportunity to work and earn money herself.
This is compassion.
It’s the human heart and feelings I have within me.
And a calculated motive.
A rational judgment to ensure she does not become a calamity that harms my parents.
I will slowly adapt to society, sneak into the lives of people.
Only after helping her understand the value of a normal life,
will my role come to an end before becoming an adult.
The period of being the witch’s guardian, a role I have willingly taken on, will last until I turn sixteen and assume a new role as an adult.
So.
“It’s been a while.”
I said that as I entered the alley and looked down at the girl.
“Ah…”
Even with her still cracked voice, she responds to me more quickly than before, and I nod absentmindedly.
Although we hadn’t met in a month, we aren’t in a position to inquire about each other’s well-being.
Even if it were to become a matter between us, it wouldn’t be anything to inquire about.
I lived normally, like always, and she must have had her own struggles.
The new scar on her forehead whispers to me that it hurts, and the blood from the wound on her arm that hasn’t dried drips down again as I approach, flowing down like tears.
“…”
I don’t really know how to say or do anything to comfort such things.
After all, this is my first time encountering someone in such a state.
However, I only approach her with the medical supplies I’m holding in one hand.
I move closer, almost indifferently, and first apply the disinfectant cotton to the areas of her wounds that haven’t been cleaned.
“…”
“…”
I’m sure it hurts, yet she continues to look at me with a blank expression.
Not caring about her gaze, I wiped her wounds, applied the ointment, and placed bandages on top.
I slowly repeated the same process for every wound.
Then, I quietly spoke to her, still gazing at me.
“When I’m not around, you have to do this. Do you understand?”
“…”
There’s no answer, but her head sways slightly up and down.
I looked at that expression for a moment before I handed her the jerky-like items I had put down.
“…, eat when you’re hungry. Don’t go rummaging through the trash.”
I brought things that should last about a month and have no worries about going bad.
I intend to visit her once a month and hand them to her.
And so, with today’s meeting coming to an end, I stood up.
As always, I turned back and was walking away from the gray girl.
Then her voice came again.
“…, next, um.”
Her still clumsy and cracked voice reached my ears.
“Again…, I….”
She mimicked the words I had said.
This was her version of an uncertain promise from a month ago.
It felt as though she was softly whispering to me, not allowing me to ignore her and wishing for me to look back.
When I chose not to turn around, the future that followed became hazy and blurred.
I ultimately halted my body and turned my head, meeting her gaze once more.
“…, okay.”
I replied and took a moment to gaze at her.
And as I looked intently at the gray girl, a thought crossed my mind.
I will distance myself from the center of this story.
After all, I’m just an extra without any role, so I will accomplish that.
Then what about you?
How would you like to proceed, now that you’ve been assigned the role of the witch who will destroy the empire?
With that, I posed the question to the girl in my mind.
Just as I rolled the dice.
You should roll the dice too.
You should choose too.