As Zane's fingers twitched slightly, the flowing light in his hand transformed into adorable cartoon figures that danced in his palm.
"Wow! This one looks just like you, Ruby! blond hair, and even that expression..."
The chibi figures twirled about on his hand, drawing the three girls closer. They crowded around his palm, faces glowing with bright delight.
Zane only watched quietly. The thought of what he was about to do next made him almost feel bad... almost.
Beside him, Ellen cast a sidelong glance at his hand. There, a tiny creature bounced about like a shark tail at a disco. The corners of her mouth twitched.
This guy...
Still, she had to admit—the little thing was kind of cute.
Then, with a sharp clap, Zane slammed his hands together. The four tiny figures shattered visibly into colorful motes of light, scattering in all directions.
"Hey, hey, hey? Wait, what—"
Before the three girls could even feel sad, their attention was stolen by the streaks of light. But just as they strained to follow, the lights vanished without a trace.
"Huh? Did they disappear?"
Lynn frowned in confusion, glancing around. Just then, Ruby stepped back two paces, her face paling as she pointed at Lynn.
"Lynn, your shoulder—"
Monna's face turned pale too, and she instinctively backed away.
"What's wrong with you two?"
Puzzled, Lynn turned toward them. But the moment her eyes lowered, her expression froze.
"Wait—what's on your backs?!"
Her words made Monna and Ruby stiffen instantly, their pupils widening in shock.
"O-Our backs...?"
Ruby swallowed hard, her throat bobbing as she glanced toward her shoulder. Monna did the same, and Lynn was already realizing what had happened...
The next second, three shrieks rang out in unison.
...
"Huh? We're really working part-time?"
Zane stepped into the new store's warehouse, his tone curious. Ellen, standing at his side, shot him a glare.
"You brought this on yourself."
Across from them, Monna, Ruby, and Lynn bobbed their heads like chicks pecking at rice, practically ready to raise both hands and feet in agreement.
"We were short on staff and ran into you, so we thought you could help. But since things turned out like this, you're the team leader now."
"Once we hit the customer traffic target, we're done."
"This part-time gig comes with pay and a 10% off coupon for the new store. If you don't want it, you can give it to us..."
After Ellen's explanation, she began picking through the mascot costumes, her gaze sweeping over the neat rows.
Rustling sounds came from behind, but Ellen paid them no mind, assuming the others were just browsing.
"Pick something cute, something that stands out. Like this one—"
Her words were cut off by a sudden roar at her ear.
"Rawr!"
Her brows shot up as she turned.
"I'm Ellen! A ferocious shark! I'm going to eat you!"
Her face darkened instantly. Zane stood before her in a shark costume, his head poking out from the gaping mouth of the shark.
"You... bastard..."
"Rawr!"
"Rawr!"
"Rawr!"
"We are Ellen! We are sharks!"
"We're going to eat you!"
More voices rang out. Ruby, Monna, and Lynn had also put on shark costumes identical to Zane's. Four chubby sharks stood in a row, trying their best to look "ferocious."
Ellen's expression turned pitch black.
Moments ago, Zane had scared the three of them—yet now they were all standing together again.
Seriously...
Her tail drooped, her fists clenched tight.
And then—
Thud!
Thud!
Thud!
Thud!
...
"Ellen, you're really not wearing it?"
"It's a shark costume!"
Zane, wrapped in his own suit, kept nudging her, but she ignored him completely.
"Ellen~ won't you at least think about it~"
"Yeah, yeah! All five of us in shark suits—how perfect would that be..."
"Ruby's right. And Ellen, you're already... hehe, doesn't the shark suit fit you perfectly?"
The three took turns persuading her, but she remained unbothered, pulling on a cat costume instead.
When she finally finished putting the suit on, Ellen spoke.
"Want me to wear the shark suit? Not a chance."
...
"You're not being a team player. Look what everyone else is wearing—it'll throw everything off. This is the grand opening, we need a unified image. And the shark theme matches the store perfectly. Why don't you—"
The store manager eyed her while making the suggestion.
At that moment, Zane nudged her again through his suit.
Without hesitation, Ellen smacked him with her tail—right through the costume.
But minutes later, she too was wearing a shark suit.
...
Outside the entertainment complex, Ellen and the others were preparing to attract and welcome customers. Dragged along by the other four, Ellen stood on the street, looking utterly miserable.
Soon, Ruby and the others began performing alongside Zane's "magic," while Ellen stood silently by herself.
Because it was evening, the streets were crowded, most passersby strolling idly. Curious onlookers began to gather quickly, watching the odd little show.
After ten minutes, the group moved seamlessly into formation behind Ellen. From the front, their bulky costumes lined up so neatly it looked like one giant mascot.
Then, one by one, four massive shark heads popped out from behind Ellen, blooming like petals into a giant "octopus."
"We are..."
"The Deadly Five-Headed Shark!"
Silence.
Under the crowd's stares, Ellen—standing at the front and feeling unbearably awkward—finally raised her hand.
"...Rawr."
At the same time, whispers drifted from inside the suits behind her.
"Zane, is this really okay? This feels so embarrassing..."
"Embarrassing? Ellen standing in front looks cute though, right? But Monna does have a point."
"So what? She's the one embarrassed, not us. Besides, the lights aren't even that bright, and the costumes cover us up..."
"Ahem... fair point."
Inside her suit, Ellen clenched her fists silently once again.
...
Late into the night, their shift finally ended. Ellen emerged from her "ordeal" and, at last, got the reward she'd been after.