Starting a Night Shift Part-time Job at a Convenience Store

Chapter 16.1: Return

Are you feeling better now?

Yes. I apologize for all the hassle and trouble I have caused you.

It was my first day of work in Takenakas absence. My fever had subsided, so I went to work as per my rescheduled shift.

After that, Takenaka told me that you and Aoyama had made various arrangements for me and came to work in my place Excuse me, I will take better care of myself from now on.

Haha, dont fret about it. You must have accumulated a lot of fatigue.

I am glad you got back to work so soon, he added. I lowered my head as the manager patted me on the shoulder and offered encouragement.

Hmm, you do seem a little out of shape, though let me know if you dont think you can handle things I can manage on my own.

No, thats a bit against my conscience.

I dont want you to collapse again, so dont strain yourself.

Yes.

Takenaka was worried about you, wasnt he?

Yes, he even did the cooking for me I am sincerely apologetic to him.

Haha, its fine. He loves tending to people like that, and apparently, he was working as a social welfare worker before joining this place.

I see.

What the manager mentioned reminded me of the time Takenaka nursed me back to health. I see No wonder he was familiar with it.

Then why is he working part-time here now?

No clue, I havent heard anything about that either. Many things happened to him but now he found something new he wants to do, and hes accumulating money here while studying.

Heh

But he has been here for a long time now, and I think its time for him to leaveSomething seems to be holding him back, though. Crossing his arms, the manager laughed with a troubled countenance. Takenaka. Hes been nicknamed Guardian God, but even hes a little cautious about that name.

Cautious?

Yeah I think a part of him thinks deep down that he has to protect this place and that he shouldnt leave so easily.

Did Takenaka say that?

No, but I feel that from what Ive seen

Otherwise, even if he was constitutionally fit, he wouldnt have stuck around in a place like this for so long. 

Yeah, that was certain

Have you heard anything from him?

No. When we parted, I asked him a little about but he was kind of vague about it.

I see.

Takenaka said he was helping me and others for his own sake but I didnt think so.

I thought there must have been another reason. With no doubt, he gave a response in which he omitted several essential words.

For his own sake. I didnt perceive Takenaka as such a self-centered individual.

Manager if you know something Can you please enlighten me about Takenaka?

Why is he helping me and others like that? What happened to him?

Hmm~ The manager growled with his mouth sealed shut. Well, no, you see

Dont look around restlessly! That was even more of a nuisance, bar code!

I was told by Takenaka not to share this information.

No, please just let that slide.

But, you know

He was murmuring something about personal information while resting his palm on his greasy forehead, but it didnt take long for the manager to relent because of my adamant unwillingness to give in.

Oh Takenaka will be upset if he learns about this. Okay? Even if he asks, you must maintain complete confidentiality.

Despite feeling some resistance, I listened to the manager as he began to talk.

About two years ago, I guess Right, when Hirai hadnt joined here yet and Takenaka was a newcomer here.

The manager reminisced, saying he remembered those times well. Shortly after quitting his job, Takenaka visited this convenience store. While his facial expression was noticeably fainter when he initially got here and his atmosphere was far darker than it was today, his verbal communication style, inability to smile, and reluctance to socialize more than was necessary all stayed the same as they were two years ago.

The manager reasoned that he must have had a negative experience at his former job. Though he said that Takenaka didnt discuss it, upon further reflection, he surmised that Takenakas power may have had a part in it.

Suzuki If I remember correctly After Takenaka joined here, another person came in after him.

Suzuki was a 24-year-old unmarried woman at the time. Bright and sociable, the polar opposite of Takenaka, who had joined earlier, she immediately struck up a rapport with the staff at the convenience store and, perhaps because they were the same age, she often got cozy with Takenaka as well. Takenaka, who was initially distant, gradually began to smile and speak on his own as he was carried along by Suzukis pace.

Both of them got along well and I think Takenaka probably liked Suzuki because even though he had a poker face, he always seemed kind of happy in front of her.

But after a particular day, things started to get strained between the two, who had grown to be such close friends that even the boss and other employees had to admit it.

All of a sudden, Suzuki started avoiding Takenaka.

When the manager pressed for an explanation, Suzuki cited Takenakas recent strange behavior.

She said that he had started saying uncanny things out of the blue, which bothered her and left her unsure of what to do At first, I didnt notice it either, but it turned out that Takenaka could see that she was in danger. I wish I had believed him right then and there

The manager, at the request of the terrified Suzuki, reassigned them to different days and rescheduled their shifts without realizing that Takenaka, who had recently joined them had the ability to see things that others could not.

Even after the shift change, Takenaka persistently asked Suzuki to leave this place in the near future. Since he was asking so earnestly, the manager suspected something and probed further to get the truth. It was only then that he learned that Takenaka was a man who could see specters. Believing what Takenaka said, the manager told Suzuki what Takenaka wanted to convey to her.

However

It was too late.

On her way to the convenience store the next night as the manager was going to inform her, she made a steering error and collided with the guardrail with her entire motorcycle. She didnt fall from the bike, but her vehicle skidded off the road and collided with the pavement

Did she die

The manager silently shook his head to the side.

Fortunately, she survived but she might not have if she had been discovered sooner The injuries she sustained in the accident were fairly horrific

Bandages were wrapped around her face, her neck and legs were immobilized, and when the two men paid her a visit, no trace of the bright, brilliant woman was anywhere to be found. Half of her face peeking through the bandages was emaciated, her lips were peeled back, and above all, her eyes were devoid of life.

No matter what was said to her, she never talked about the accident. Only once before leaving did she say to Takenaka

[Are you satisfied with this?]

Her mouth was moving frantically as if she was trying to vent her abhorrence.

[Since meeting you strange things have been happening one after the other After the way you spoke to me I cant believe you had nothing to do with this. You know, I am sure everyone is holding you accountable for what happened to me]

Thats awful

Even if I stated that, I couldnt speak for anybody else because, up until recently, I didnt believe in specters or individuals who could see them and even I had said harsher things to Hyuga.

I might not have understood how she felt when she uttered those words

Since then, I have assured him repeatedly that he is not to blame for what occurred. Takenaka nonetheless persists in his belief that the incident was his fault.

Didnt Takenaka just intend to save that Suzuki person?

Thats right Takenaka would not have been that affected if it werent for her final remarks.

A tragedy that was supposed to have been known but nevertheless couldnt have been averted. If only he had been able to convey the message to her better

Perhaps it was out of this desire that Takenaka continued to call out to people who were incompatible with this convenience store, including me, in order to ensure that people like Suzuki would never show up again. Regardless of how frightened or suspicious others might be, he would always call out to people Even if they didnt believe him, he would still do so

In the course of all this, it became like it was part of Takenakas job to stay here and protect the newcomers He cant leave now either and I think hes afraid of what would take place if he were to leave.

So when he said he was doing it for his own sake

Even if he claimed otherwise, he was not doing this for his own sake but merely offering himself as a sacrifice. I didnt have any idea about this, nor did it occur to me that such a thing had unfolded. Takenakas feelings too

Despite feeling terrible, having many people accuse him of being a liar, and having other things he wanted to do he didnt run away and leave this place. It was inconceivable that would make him feel comfortable, yet he continued to remain here Just how patient could that be

And I, who was saved every time by Takenaka, who had a cool face and shouldered the whole load by himself, was so lame, wasnt I?

Just one time I ran into an obstacle and I lost sight of my surroundings, vented my anger on others for no reason, and even drove a person to suicide. Takenaka was alone, enduring, and saving many people from danger in the shadows.

Without anyone ever thanking him.

If its gratitude, thats being expressed.

When I looked up, the manager smiled with a shiny face.

Hakamada, didnt you express your thanks to him?

OhTranslator: MadHatter

Thats whats saving him. It may have been rough for him until now but Im sure hes happy now because you believe in him. All this time, he lost himself in doubt about whether what he was doing was meaningful. But now that you believe in him, I think for the first time Takenaka is able to think that what he has done all this time was not in vain.

Does Takenaka thinks so

He does.NotSharedOnAggregatorSite

Even after all the trouble I have caused him?

Its not a trouble. Takenaka wants to protect you because of the meaning youve given to his actions.

Despite uncertainty about the truth of Takenakas feelings as described by the manager, I would like to thank him again when I meet him again in three days. Once more, I would like to express my heartfelt thanks.

And this time, I would like to say that I would listen to whatever his worries were, just as he listened to me the other day.

Saying that, though, he might find out that I have asked the manager about him.

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