Something interesting was happening in the convenience store.
Wearing her clerk uniform and a face mask, Shiina Mahiru was slowly pushing a small cart toward the shelves.
Trailing right behind her were several people, eyes fixed intently—not on her exactly, but on the goods in her cart.
They weren't creeps; they were watching the items because they were special—limited-time products.
Bento boxes, vegetables, fresh meat, even fruit—things with short shelf lives. If they didn't sell in time, they'd just have to be thrown away. So when marked with half-price stickers, they became hot items everyone rushed to grab.
Mahiru's job today was to take these half-price items and arrange them in their designated area. If they still didn't sell by the evening or the next day, a lot of it would get tossed.
To avoid waste, store manager Saionji Youko would sometimes let employees take home still-edible leftovers.
All in all, working here wasn't bad—at least if you put in the effort, you'd never go hungry.
Of course, benefits like that also attracted slackers who took advantage of the system. Kurata was one such example.
And applying those half-price stickers? Not just anyone got to do it—it was usually reserved for trusted employees. Before, Youko had her daughter Sekai handle it, but since the girl was sick at home lately, Youko passed the job to the eye-catching Mahiru.
This was the "pretty girl effect" in action: anything associated with a beautiful girl naturally drew more attention.
Mahiru wasn't just beautiful—her long, shining golden hair and striking features made her stunning from every angle.
Having someone like that personally select and stock the half-price goods? Definitely eye-catching. People loved beautiful things—men and women alike, as long as they weren't petty.
And sure enough, after Mahiru took over the task, the limited-time items sold even better than usual. Pretty girls were popular everywhere.
Except maybe Yukinoshita Yukino—the famously aloof ojou-sama who'd been isolated as a child and grew even colder with age. Then again, she was still in the hospital right now. Hayashi Maki couldn't help but think—what were the odds the car that hit him was the same one that hit her?
Even while lost in thought, Hayashi Maki worked efficiently. Under the envious gaze of the delicate-looking Takagi, Hayashi Maki carried items from the cart to the stockroom with ease. By the time he was done, Takagi had barely lifted a finger.
"Man, having a hardworking coworker is great," Takagi thought. If it were Kurata, he'd just slack off and dump extra work on him.
"Good work, Hayashi Maki-san."
Youko emerged from the break room, smiling warmly as she handed him a tissue and even wiped his sweat herself.
The beautiful store manager's gesture made Takagi's face heat up with envy. Handsome guys really did have it easier.
Hayashi Maki smiled calmly. "Thanks, but I don't find it tiring. It's work, after all—I wouldn't want you thinking you're paying me for nothing."
He was no longer the shy boy who'd get flustered holding a girl's hand. After enough "practice" with his angel Mahiru, he could keep his cool even around a mature beauty like Youko.
She, on the other hand, felt her cheeks warm. Maybe she was a little smitten. A mature, single woman knew to seize opportunities—but she also wasn't blind.
Youko could tell Hayashi Maki and Mahiru were close, maybe even dating. So she'd wait and watch. She wasn't careless—she had a daughter to think about.
"Come to think of it," Hayashi Maki asked, "don't we have too few staff here? Planning to hire more?"
Youko shrugged. "I've been trying, but no one suitable yet. And some applicants have the nerve to call me 'auntie.' Do I look that old?"
"Of course not! Standing next to Mahiru and Asada, you look like a kind onee-san—definitely not old."
"Hehe, smooth talker. Well then, why not take a break in the lounge?"
Before he could answer, she naturally took his arm—her scent drifting over, the soft press of her chest making his composure wobble.
"This might not be a good idea… I'm an employee. I can't slack off," Hayashi Maki tried to protest.
Youko glanced at Takagi, who quickly jumped in. "Go ahead, Hayashi Maki-san, I'll handle the rest." No way was he getting in the way of this.
So Hayashi Maki followed her to her private lounge. His instincts told him she had her eye on him, and while he didn't mind comforting a lonely beauty, for his own long-term plans, he'd have to decline.
Inside, she had him lie down to rest before stepping out—Youko wasn't rushing things; she wanted to see what kind of man he was. A woman planning to "test" a man she liked… rarely realized she'd already started falling.
Left alone, Hayashi Maki closed his eyes and napped without guilt—the store manager herself had invited him, after all.
That afternoon, a soft voice called, "Maki-kun, wake up—it's time to go."
It was Mahiru.
"Already afternoon? Time flies," Hayashi Maki said, getting up. "Youko won't be mad I slacked off?"
Mahiru shook her head with a smile. "Of course not—she told me to come get you. Here, this is your pay for today."
She handed him a heavy envelope. Hayashi Maki felt a little conflicted.
Is she… keeping me like a sugar mama?
Sleeping all afternoon and still getting paid this much… what did she take him for?
Still… the money was good.
He didn't dwell on it—just accepted it with a grin.
~~~
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