Sū ěr loved hourly-wage jobs. The pay was fast and surprisingly high, thanks to minimum wage laws and Japan's high labor costs. If you really wanted to make money, there were ways.
Besides, the hard parts had already been handled by magic. He had even secured a driver's license with his photo on it—the standard form of ID in this country.
For a corporate drone, the most despairing thing is the monotony of daily work. Even worse is convincing yourself to accept that the rest of your life will be an infinite repetition of this five-day cycle... or seven.
They were like gears in a machine; their own will didn't matter, as long as they stayed in place and performed their function. Sū ěr understood this pain; their work was for the survival of themselves and their families, not for self-actualization.
He understood it all too well because he had been such a gear before his first transmigration. However, what he faced now was different.
Starting a "game" in a foreign society—even if he knew the cycle was the same in every nation—he wasn't bored yet.
"Working with my own effort to earn money, then using that money to support myself and my family... this is the life I had already started in my first world," Sū ěr said, sitting at the table in his rented apartment. "We have infinite life. Why not stop for a moment in this long existence to experience a different view? Isn't that interesting?"
"You were rejected for the job."
Think cold voice cut through Sū ěr philosophical monologue.
"...Besides, taking you to a movie with money I earned through my own sweat is more meaningful, isn't it?" Sū ěr continued as if he hadn't been interrupted. "The most precious gifts aren't the ones you buy, but the ones you make yourself. Even if a homemade cake doesn't taste as good as a store-bought one, the sweetness is far greater."
"This is the fourth time you've been rejected."
Think remained expressionless.
"...Life always has its hardships. But as long as we don't give up, we can overcome any obstacle..." Sū ěr voice strained.
"—Are you going to use magic now?" Think asked, her head tilted curiously. His "chicken soup" [inspirational quotes] didn't move her at all. "It's fine. Dealing with difficulties by any means necessary is understandable. We just have to overcome them~"
Elf-style Chicken Soup.
"...I'm not going to use magic, okay?" Sū ěr finally looked up from the resume he'd been filling out, squinting at her. "If I can't even find a job without magic after handling the residency and the bank, then what's the difference between me and a total loser?!"
"You were rejected."
Think was heartless.
Sū ěr: "..."
Finding hourly work was easy. Plenty of people in Japan needed help with sudden tasks; you work a few hours, take the cash, and leave. But Sū ěr wanted a permanent job.
He didn't want to be a temp anymore.
However, that simple wish was proving difficult. In Japan, employees rarely changed jobs, and companies rarely laid people off unless absolutely necessary. It was a social contract.
In this environment, Sū ěr wish for a steady job was a tall order. He could easily find steady work at a construction site, but starting his "Earth Online" game by hauling bricks felt a bit too grueling.
Most importantly, he had no academic credentials. Most "suit and tie" jobs were out of reach, reserved for fresh university graduates.
"...Don't worry! This is just a temporary setback! I'll find a steady job without using magic!" Spurred on by Think teasing, Sū ěr brandished his pen like a sword. But her reply was as airy as ever.
"Okay, okay~. I'll be watching~." Showing no tension at all, Think gave an exaggerated yawn and retreated back into his body.
"Good luuuuck~~~"
Hearing her voice fade, Sū ěr... was livid!
A man cannot be looked down upon!
His eyes sharpened as he began scribbling on his resume.
For experience... I'll just write 'many years of industry experience.' After all, just graduating counts as one year of experience, and being out for six months counts as three. It's only logical!
"Sigh..."
"Sigh..."
Two different people, yet the sighs rang out simultaneously. The volume, tone, and duration were so uncannily similar that the two men couldn't help but look up and lock eyes. Then—
"Sigh..."
"Sigh..."
Sighs upon sighs.
Passersby cast bewildered looks, but after seeing the two men responsible, they looked away with sympathetic understanding.
Adults. We get it.
"Sū ěr."
"Sadao Maou."
Ignoring the sympathetic gazes of the crowd, Sū ěr and the stranger introduced themselves with surprising synchronicity.
They weren't total strangers; both had seen each other's faces many times, though they hadn't known each other's names until now.
The reason they recognized each other was simple: at this job placement office, they shared the same status—failed applicants.
Yes, Sū ěr had failed seven times. But compared to the man beside him, he felt like a roaring success.
Sadao Maou had failed at least thirty times. He had become a legend at the office—the man who made the staff's faces turn pale the moment he walked in.
Uh, incidentally, Sū ěr was getting pretty close to that legendary status himself.