15 – 15. Cheerful Lunchtime (1)

Even if there is no cure for all diseases in the world, there is probably a way to cure most of them, and that would be financial therapy.

Even a middle-aged man who drinks and tells New Year’s jokes at a convenience store, if he gives out generous pocket money for the New Year, you can treat him as an elder and even bow to him.

I can bow to him twice as much if you want.

-Store Manager-

[Hey, Kim Hyunwoo, what have you been doing since just now?]

-Kim Hyunwoo-

[You said you wouldn’t interfere for 8 hours, right? Anyway, there are no customers now, so I’m just engaging in a simple hobby.]

-Store Manager-

[Just like when Kim Hyunwoo asked me about the gun you used to sell at U.C Convenience Store, this is purely out of personal curiosity, not with the intention to interfere.]

That store manager really doesn’t have anything better to do.

Normally, I would just brush it off, but I don’t know what this guy might do, and he even helped when the back magician came earlier, so maybe I should just show him briefly.

Instead of answering the manager’s question, I showed the identity of what I had been doing on the CCTV screen since earlier.

-Store Manager-

[A will that doubles as a survival diary…? Why do you write something like that?]

-Kim Hyunwoo-

[It’s just a personal hobby.]

-Store Manager-

[There are truly strange hobbies out there.]

There isn’t much to do at the convenience store when there are no customers, and although I was lucky this time, if those thugs come again next time, I won’t even have the luxury of writing a will.

Writing a will from the beginning has no meaning, but I write it simply because I really have nothing better to do.

Originally, I used to look at Tree Wiki, but watching the system screen for too long was straining my eyes…

So, as a side note, I started writing a survival diary as well.

This is something I used to do even before coming to this insane convenience store. It’s just a simple record of what a peculiar customer like that did and bought here if they come for a day.

[Title: Encounter with a Real-Time Convenience Store Martial Arts Master jpg.]

[Author: Anonymous (223.62)]

[Kind of a bald guy pouring soju into a paper cup jpg.]

[“This guy’s mixing soju and pine needle dew in a paper cup and calling it a ‘dead leaf drink.’ Can I even drink this?”]

***

[Total Comments: 23]

[HeavenlyDeathBeam: I am the best in Sapa, the best in the world, and the best in high-quality gold.]

ㄴ[Anonymous (175.223): But your hairline is third-rate.~]

ㄴ[PotbellyMurderer (121.188): I feel like smacking the flashy-headed shampoo deficient guy with a pot.]

[Anonymous (175.116): I vaguely know which area the author, Convenience Store Wanderer, works in, and that guy’s doing a roaming performance in that neighborhood. It’s a true story. He even came to our convenience store. By the way, if you don’t drink that, just spill it on the floor. hahahaha]

ㄴ[Anonymous (223.62): Oh, damn it.]

Doing the Convenience Store Wanderer gig, you end up meeting a truly diverse array of customers.

Especially near the convenience store I frequented, whether there was an entertainment establishment nearby or not, it had become mundane for unclothed customers to stroll in.

Whenever the cooldown cycled, they always showed up.

Honestly, this kind of thing is too good for just me to know, it should be recorded in books or on the internet to be passed down through generations.

In reality, a lot of such stories circulate on the internet.

Of course, Convenience Store Wanderers who’ve experienced unexpected situations like me, where a guy with a lightbulb on his head pulled out a gun, might be rare.

“Oh, I’m hungry.”

Come to think of it, I didn’t eat anything for lunch today.

Suddenly confronted by a crazy guy wielding a gun, but I wished the white wizard would come back, and since then, it was lunchtime and customers flooded in like a tidal wave, leaving me no time to grab a bite.

There’s no food waste from lunch yet, and I still have the tip money, so should I buy something to eat at least?

By the way, right after lunchtime ended, I purchased an emergency item from RocketPang.

[♤RocketPang♤]

[Emergency Items⌕]

<Product List>

[Tear-Jerking Emergency PC Sensation Spray] [₩12000]

[A pink spray that transcends all races and genders! Use in emergencies to spray the eyes and nose of the opponent!]

That was what I bought, this pink spray.

Because, as it turns out, the color representing manliness is pink.

At first, I thought about getting emergency daggers or three-section staffs, but money wasn’t exactly overflowing, and to be honest, I wasn’t sure if I could protect myself with a dagger or staff.

Just yesterday, those people seemed bigger and stronger than me, but could I really handle them with a cheap dagger or a three-section staff?

So, after thinking about various things, I decided to buy a self-defense pepper spray.

Even though it might be too extravagant to spend the money as soon as I got it, wouldn’t it be better to be prepared in advance for any unexpected situation?

I believe in spending money reasonably instead of always trying to save it.

After all, it would be a waste if I save diligently but end up not being able to use it and die.

“…Even little beasts find spicy things spicy.”

The pepper spray I can buy right away is reasonably priced and will certainly be effective against beasts like yesterday.

At least I will have time for the police to arrive at the convenience store.

Of course, the best thing would be if I don’t have to use it at all, but considering the past two days’ experience, well…

Growl!

“Ah, I really need to eat something.”

Maybe it was because of the shock from the gun, or maybe it’s because I had been explaining the products for an hour and then went through two hours of rush hour, but my stomach was already grumbling.

Come to think of it, it’s only natural to be hungry, right?

Let’s just fill it with a cup of instant ramen.

Since I wanted to eat something spicy after a long time, I brought the cup noodles that the piglet was going to buy yesterday.

“Are you preparing for lunch?”

And then my body stiffened.

“Uh…”

I sat down for a moment and took out the cup noodle from the shelf and stood up, realizing that someone had entered the convenience store without any movement or sound.

Right behind me, at that.

If it were dawn right now, I might have fainted.

Even in the past, there were occasional customers who stayed in the store without making any noise, even the ringing bell on the convenience store entrance didn’t sound. They entered the store somehow.

What’s even more frightening is that sometimes those customers clearly existed in my field of vision at first, but disappeared in an instant.

I still don’t know what they were.

“Oh, I’m sorry if I startled you.”

Fortunately, the customer who came into the convenience store now was Alencia, also known as the saint of Uju-1221.

She came today as well.

“Oh, I wasn’t really surprised. It’s just that you came in so silently without any indication that I didn’t realize you were here.”

By the way, when and how did you come in?

Certainly, until I took the cup noodle from the shelf, there was no one else in the convenience store except me, but suddenly Alencia was standing behind me.

“This is what you might call a professional disease… Without realizing it, I secretly infiltrate as I usually do and develop the habit of putting people to sleep. I happened to be working last night as well.”

Alessia said with a shy smile.

So, what does she do that requires her to infiltrate and put people to sleep? Maybe she puts them to sleep forever or something like that?

Whatever it is, it doesn’t seem like something a saint would do.

A profession that suits such activities would be something like an assassin…

“Sometimes children in the orphanage wake up at night because they want to go to the bathroom. At those times, I quietly go in and bring them to the bathroom, then put them back to sleep.”

Ah, I see. That’s what it is.

I thought Alessia, being a saint, was receiving assassination requests or something like that at night.

I’ve been reading too much about this on TreeWiki, and it doesn’t feel good.

Maybe because I read too much about the Inquisitor’s association with assassins in the search results last night, I momentarily thought that Alessia, who is kind and virtuous, does such frightening things.

“I see, I had a strange misconception again.”

“What misconception did you have?”

“I thought you were an assassin or an inquisitor, Alessia.”

“Hey, isn’t that a bit of an exaggeration even for a misconception?”

“You’re right. hahahaha.”

Looking back, it was a foolish misconception to think that someone who is considerate even of children waking up would do such things.

“Anyway, is there something you’re looking for? I was thinking of eating, but it’s not urgent. If you have something, I’ll help you find it.”

Since I’ve received various help from her, I should do my best to be as kind to her as possible.

The 1-day leave she gave me is a very valuable thing for me.

“If you’re looking for something, I’m looking for the same coffee you gave me as a gift yesterday. If you haven’t had lunch yet, would you like to have it together? I know a restaurant that cooks well.”

From Noble mtl dot com

“Really? Well, that’s nice, but-“

For a moment, my face brightened at the idea of having lunch first, just like Alessia, but soon I realized my situation and couldn’t help but feel down.

It was still working hours, and not only that, I couldn’t leave this convenience store.

The entrance was blocked, and there was a warning that I would be targeted if I went out.

“…I’m sorry. I truly appreciate your offer, but I can’t leave here due to my circumstances.”

I had no choice but to refuse.

To have a meal with a woman like Alessia.

Although I have criticized Universe-1221 in many ways, I was curious about what the food in this universe would be like in reality. It’s a shame in many ways.

“Oh… it looks like it’s still working hours? Then I’ll also eat here. It seems that this U.C convenience store sells food as well.”

However, Alessia said she would have lunch at the convenience store with me.

The saint eating lunch at a convenience store doesn’t quite match the image in my head.

“Really? Just a convenience store?”

“What’s wrong with that? When you’re really hungry, even a tasteless, hard bread is something to be grateful for. Besides, it seems that some nuns have visited here before, and they said the food is really delicious.”

Nuns have also come to the convenience store.

It seems they belong to a church like Allensia.

Indeed, convenience stores have a variety of delicious food, and nowadays their lunch boxes have better value for money than most restaurants.

“By the way, Mr. Hyunwoo, what were you planning to have for lunch? I’ll try the same thing.”

Hmm? But I can’t really recommend that.

“This is spicy. Are you sure you’ll be okay with it? Maybe you should try something else…”

I asked her with genuine concern.

It may be less spicy than the super spicy chicken I fed that piglet yesterday, but normal spicy chicken is still considered really spicy for most people…

“It’s okay. At the church, we usually eat light food, so sometimes I crave something more stimulating. Besides, the coffee you gave me yesterday was really delicious. I think this will also be tasty.”

No, it does have a good taste, but it feels like putting a knife in your mouth beyond the level of stimulation.

…Is it really going to be okay?

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