Starting a Night Shift Part-time Job at a Convenience Store - Chapter 4.2: Late-night Anime, Thin Book, and II

Hirai’s face looked incredibly joyous. Oh no, I have been completely left behind. Despite her carefree tone of voice, I could only bitterly smile at Hirai, who had evidently been triggered in some way. After a short while, Hirai snapped to reality and shyly placed her hand on the back of her head.

“Sorry, I got carried away. Oh dear, I’m not your friend today.”

Perhaps the enthusiasm had subsided, she apologized to me, and fell silent. What a shock. Indeed, Aoyama was right. But my younger sister used a bunch of words that I couldn’t comprehend these days as well, and perhaps this was the norm for today’s kids?

As always, no customers arrived. It was boring that there was nothing to do but to engage in idle conversation. Getting paid to engage in idle conversation was another rare job.

“Do you have any other part-time jobs besides this one?”

Hirai asked me this time.

“I used to take on three jobs, including temporary ones, but this is the only job I have now. I’m considering finding a part-time job in the daytime when I get used to working late at night.”

“There are only four of us, so there is not much stability.”

“Yeah, that’s true.”

“But Hakamada, you’re amazing! You hold your own for a newcomer! Everyone says so!”

“Eh, for real?”

A week has passed since I started this part-time job. According to the manager, the period during which new employees tended to quit the most was approximately one week. Since I was approaching the end of that period, it seemed that the other part-timers and workers were gossiping about me.

As of yet, I hadn’t experienced anything so horrific that would make me burst into tears, though certainly, some strange occurrences had arisen.

Just as I predicted, I wouldn’t resign in a week or so.

“No, I am not particularly amazing.”

“No, no, you’re amazing enough. As expected of the newcomer the manager was talking about!”

Oi, oi, manager… please don’t go around stirring things up without my knowledge.

“By the way, what about you, Hirai?”

“Yes?”

“Are you working on any other jobs?”

“Oh, I don’t really, oh, but I do have a side job.”

“Side job? A steady job, huh? But there are a lot of low salaries even if you work hard.”

“Oh, that’s not it. I earned quite a bit of money doing it.”

“Is that so?”

“Yeah, twice a year, in the summer and winter, and mangas and novels are sold there.”

…A bazaar?

“It’s kind of like a bazaar, except it’s limited to mangas, novels, that sort of thing. Oh, I make them myself.”

“By yourself? You make manga! Eh… Wow, novels too!? Eh! You mean like a publication?!”

“I’m not that well-known, but yeah.”

“So you are a writer… I-Impressive.”

“I’m not so much a writer but merely a ‘thin book’ artisan.”

“‘Thin book’…?”

A question mark popped up in my head when she said it with a grin.

I felt like I’d heard the word somewhere, or maybe not.

What was a thin book…?

“That ‘thin book’? You sell them twice a year.”

“Yes, it sells reasonably well these days with an influx of readers.”

“I see. Wow, it’s impressive that you can draw manga. What kind of things do you draw and sell?”

At that time, I was still unaware of it. That Hirai was not simply a loli with big tits who liked anime.

“You want me to tell you? Then I’ll let you read it next time! Haha.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah! Hakamada, be my reader too!”

The Hirai at that point appeared to be quite pleased for some reason.

Time flowed leisurely as usual.

Hirai was not boisterous like a high school girl, rather mature, yet never silent, and we spent all the time chatting except for the occasional customer.

To this point, it was the same as always.

When it was about three o’clock and I decided to pack up the garbage and dispose of it in the dumpster in the back of the building, Hirai called me back with a smile and said, “I’ll do it,” and promptly took the garbage outside.

I didn’t find that particularly strange, however…

“Excuse me.”

“It’s fine, it’s fine, don’t worry about it. Besides…”

I said apologetically to the returning Hirai, who laughed and assured me not to be concerned.

“It seems it is loitering outside the store right now. If anything, I would rather you don’t leave the store, Hakamada.”