267 – The Academy Convenience Store -3-

Tetra Schuen.

The girl who loved Mikhail.

A disobedient daughter with two parents, she was the ward of the tower master. Despite her extraordinary family tree and strong backing, she was a woman of misfortune, destined for the bitter future of being rejected by Mikhail after confessing her love.

“Ohoho…”

I had a personal fondness for Schuen.

Not romantically, but as a reader, I was drawn to Schuen, a clumsy villainess different from the ladylike characters.

Her careless demeanor and artificial ‘ohoho’ laughter. Her words were a bit fierce, but as a noble lady who caused no harm to others, she was comfortable to watch.

-“Hey Schuen, why do you disappear every lunchtime? Wanna have lunch with me?”

-“Ohohot…! I appreciate the offer, Senior Yuria, but I’d rather not sit with commoners, so I go to a restaurant instead!”

-“Really…?”

She was different from the villainesses who fell into deep mires because of their love for someone.

It was just that her flaw was being too engrossed in her first love, but she was one of my favorite extras in the novel.

And she was also a character of significance.

I greeted the newcomer with a smile as they entered through the door, their purple hair styled in drills.

“Welcome to the blissful SU Convenience Store.”

“Ohoho…! Spare me your greetings, commoner.”

“Are you alright from the fall?”

“Thanks to your catch…! Wait just a moment! Who are you to speak so familiarly to me! I am nobility! And you, a mere commoner!”

“I’m glad you’re not hurt.”

“…Ugh!”

With a pleased smile, I watched Shuen’s face flush and began introducing the convenience store.

It seemed she had come here because of Mikhail, after all.

“May I give you a brief introduction? It’s quite slow today, and I’d love to do some business.”

“No need. I’ve glanced at the flyer and got the gist of it.”

“Oh… You’ve read the flyer?”

“Indeed…! A vulgar shop selling all sorts of miscellaneous items.”

“You’ve got it exactly right.”

I nodded and smiled at Shuen’s provocation. She was picking a fight, but not a single word was wrong. In fact, I was pleased by her well-informed visit.

She was practically an angel compared to the Misamo member who had thrown eggs just minutes before. I cautiously approached Shuen to continue the store’s introduction.

“At SU Convenience Store, we sell everything except for what we don’t, from nail clippers and combs to snacks and black tea.”

“Such a mess.”

“It is, but we also sell memorabilia for certain customers, so it’s not all bad.”

“Memorabilia?”

“Yes, like handkerchiefs used by Mikhail or drink bottles discarded by Ruin…”

“How vulgar!”

Shuen’s face turned red as she looked at me.

“Is it because you’re a commoner?! How can you speak so gracelessly!”

“Haha… Then I shall dispose of them. They were just things I happened upon.”

“Ugh…!”

“I apologize for any discomfort.”

Shuen murmured, her lips quivering, “Th…this isn’t right…” as she paced back and forth near the food corner Mikhail had visited.

“Hmmm…”

“…”

“Hmmm…!”

“Customer.”

“Hmmmmmm!!”

“Customer?”

“Huh!”

I lightly touched Shuen’s shoulder, calling her to attention.

Startled, Shuen stepped back and yelled at me.

“What are you doing?!”

“Do you need help finding something? Like the mandrake candy Mikhail ate, perhaps.”

“…”

Shuen glared at me and then asked in a timid voice, how I knew.

“How did you know? Don’t tell me… you can read minds or you’ve been stalking…”

“You’re being overly imaginative.”

“…”

Without letting her guard down, Shuen reached out for the candy in my hand like a cat drenched in the rain.

“Shall I give it to you?”

“Yes.”

“How many do you need?”

Shuen asked with a serious expression.

“A whole box.”

“What?”

“Give me all of it. You don’t have a shortage in stock, do you?”

Shuen boldly offered to take off the malignant stock.

At the customer’s words, willing to buy in bulk what I thought was the least likely to sell at the academy, I chuckled and shook my head.

“No, it’s just that you asked for so much, it surprised me.”

“Just give it if I ask for it. Commoner.”

“Understood, customer.”

I embraced a box of mandrake candies from the storeroom, placed it on the counter, and looked at Shuen.

“Is one box correct?”

“Uh… a smaller box…”

“Me?”

“…Ohoho! Of course! If not one box, then what is it? Surely you didn’t think a box the size of a palm was one box, did you? What do you take me for…!”

I clenched my fist, hiding a smile at the sight of Shuen’s prideful yet gullible demeanor. Hooked one fish.

“But, dear customer.”

“Why do you keep talking to me, commoner.”

“Ah, my apologies. When I see a noble of such stature, I can’t help but want to say more.”

“Ohoho!!! Then I shall allow it.”

“Thank you.”

Watching Shuen cover her lips and laugh, I touched upon her sore spot. I didn’t want to let go of a fish once bitten.

“It’s about these candies.”

“Yes?”

“Are you perhaps buying so many to share with your friends?”

“…”

Searching for her purse in her bag, Shuen flinched at my question and glared at me.

“…Me?”

“Mandrake candies are best consumed at ten per day. Any more, and they leave a bitter taste in your mouth… I was wondering if you were planning to eat them all yourself.”

“…”

“Ahaha… That’s not it, right?”

Shuen’s face turned red as she shook her head and yelled at me.

“Of course not! I’m not a pig!”

“Pfft…!”

“Why are you laughing! Act like a clerk and hurry up with the checkout!”

“Ah… Pff. Understood.”

Opening the register, I threw a playful taunt at Shuen.

“Then you’ll be back again. If you give them to friends, you’ll have to buy more.”

“That… That’s…!”

“Next time you come, I’ll throw in an extra small box for you.”

“Ugh…! As if to prove you’re not a commoner, giving away extras…! Fine, I get it. I have tons of friends, after all. I’ll come back tomorrow then.”

“Pff… Understood.”

Trying to hold back my laughter, I wiped the tears from the corner of my eyes and spoke to Shuen.

“Then, I’ll see you soon.”

“Sure. Commoner.”

With a bow, Shuen moved, lifting the box of candies.

“Ugh…”

The candy box wouldn’t budge.

Startled, Shuen looked at the box with trembling eyes, her expression full of the question, ‘Why won’t it move?’

“Shall I help you?”

“…No, thanks!”

Shuen huffed and picked up the box.

“Sigh…”

As she collapsed in a heap, I chuckled and hung a [Be Right Back] sign on the convenience store door before picking up the box.

“Oh…”

Shuen blushed, looking at her rolled-up sleeves.

“Should I carry it to the dorm for you?”

“Yes… No, I mean, sure. Commoner.”

“Understood.”

And that evening.

“Ptooey! Why does Senior Mikhail even eat these tasteless candies…!”

Shuen, tossing candies out the window like Hansel and Gretel, sighed and wore a lonely expression.

“Ah… What should I do now.”

Curiosity had led her to buy the candies Senior Mikhail loved, but she’d fallen for the sales pitch and bought too many.

“The fan club members must have already bought them.”

Shuen, who lived off an allowance from her family, sighed as she looked at her empty wallet.

“I made a promise with that man…”

Shuen thought.

That man, Ricardo.

He must be a devil.

*

-Ding.

The next day, Shuen returned to the convenience store.

-Ohoho! Peasant, you’ve come to buy candy again today!

And the next day.

-Ohoho… Peasant. Candy again today.

The day after that, Shuen was stopping by the convenience store to buy candy. To figure out a man named Ricardo, and to annoy him as a way of getting revenge on senior Mikhail.

-Ohoho! How vulgar you are again today, peasant.

Hanna sighed as she looked at Shuen.

“Why does that woman keep coming?”

“Hmm… Right?”

“She came yesterday! And today again! She’s not a ghost who died eating candy!”

I gave a sly smile as I looked at Hanna.

“Maybe she wants to be friends with me.”

“Steward.”

With a cold expression, Hanna glared at Shuen, who was loitering around the display stand, and said,

“Having a big chest isn’t always the answer.”

“Puhaha! It’s not like that.”

“But still…!”

Hanna pouted her lips and clenched her fist. Even as she was getting angry about that brother’s sister, I couldn’t help but smile at her tidying up the stock.

“I’m actually worried about the opposite.”

“What?”

“Never mind.”

Today, Shuen was again loitering around the spot where Mikhail had picked out goods. She smiled like a girl looking at the snacks Mikhail had picked up, and sighed in relief seeing the last remaining stock. She looked like a girl who had fallen in love.

I smiled bitterly to myself.

‘It must be hard to hold on.’

Having watched a woman fail at love, I knew the sorrow of unrequited love better than anyone.

Feeling empty inside.

The pain of shedding endless tears.

Having watched how painful unrequited love can be, I couldn’t help but feel more drawn to it.

Because I knew the end of her love.

-I’ve liked you for a long time…!

-Did you call me here just to say that?

-It’s not a light-hearted matter. Really…

-Just because of love… Shuen, you’re just like that girl.

I couldn’t help but worry.