The single word she whispered in my ear was enough more than enough to paint a clear picture of what that dream might have looked like.
“Of course not. Aren’t you the one who thought of that?”
“I never said it was that. But I’m sure it would be the first thing a guy would think of when imagining that situation.”
“Not all guys are going to think that.” It was a bit shameful because I did think it was that though.
“Not all guys, huh? Are you trying to pull the ‘I’m different and not like the other guys’ card?”
“Haaaah. No, I’m not. You’re correct, that was the first thing I thought.”
“Oh. Maybe you are different from the other guys after all. The very act of saying you’re not like the other guys is what makes you like them since that’s what they all say these days.”
“I’m just your average guy. There’s nothing special about me at all.”
“If you ask me, that sounds like something someone who’s got something to hide would say. Anyone who really has something unique about them will be self-conscious about it and put on the act of normalcy. These days, completely normal nobodies want to make themselves look like they’re amazing so they can stand out from the crowd. They want to be special when there’s not the slightest special thing about them. It’s gotten to the point that it’s just pathetic and sad.”
“What you really want to say is that there aren’t enough humble people in the world, right?”
“Exactly. People should sit down, shut up, and know their place. They aren’t special. They aren’t unique. Among seven and a half billion people, do they really think there isn’t another person like them? They’re just delusional morons if they seriously believe that.”
“It’s just a form of escapism.”
“Escaping from being normal? Why? What’s so wrong with being normal? I don’t get it.”
“Because you seem so normal and people make fun of you for it?”
“Yeah, yeah. I’m a bland normal girl with boring standard straight black hair. A basic bitch. You have a problem with that?”
“Haha. Not at all. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with you at all. A normal girl, living a normal life, working a normal job, doing normal everyday things. What’s so bad about that?”
“Right? The girls in my English courses are the ones who are wrong.”
It was the first time she mentioned anything about anyone else at university.
“Oh? Are you clashing with other girls over this sort of thing?”
“Pretty much. They’re obnoxious. Saying stuff like how I’ll never get a boyfriend with how little I stand out among flashy girls like them. It’s not like I’m desperate for a boyfriend or anything, I’m just not interested. It’s infuriating listening to them incessantly blabber about it every day around me all the time. Just once I’d like to shut them up.”
“They sound like a bunch of bitches.”
“They are. Why are they even in university doing a degree in literature? Are they dumb? Are they taking literature lightly? They’re all stupid, I’m sure they’re going to drop out.”
“Don’t you think they just didn’t want to work after high school so they went to university and picked whatever seemed the easiest to them? They’re probably planning to hook up with a guy with good prospects for a high-paying job in the future so they can live easy lives of luxury in the future.”
“If they did, they’re really looking down on literature. How unpleasant. Well, hopefully I don’t have any courses with them this Fall. Listening to them throughout my first year in university has driven me mad. I’m going to lose it and snap if I see them.”
“Uh… don’t you think you shouldn’t say that?”
“Huh? Why?”
“Well… there’s that notorious thing in writing called foreshadowing, right?”
“Ah, you’re right. But, this is real life. There’s no way that would ever hap-”
“Huh! Like omg, isn’t that Yuna!”
Yuna’s expression became stiff as a board as her eyes robotically snapped to the speaker entering the store in a group of four girls and two guys.
Below the counter, her hand balled up into a fist. The immense displeasure on her face quickly dissipated as she entered her work mode and donned her usual mask.
“Hahaha. Yeah, totes, that’s definitely her.”
It was truly the worst when someone that knew you outside of work stumbled into your workplace by chance. I gave Yuna my sincere condolences. Do your best to not snap. They’re still valuable customers after all.
The group picked up some snacks on their way to the counter.
“Heya Yuna. Never thought we’d bump into you here of all places. You work here?”
“Haha… yes, I do work here.”
“Wow, that’s like so lame. You’re spendin your free time workin some shitty convenience store gig. You should enjoy the break more.”
“I don’t have the leisure to do so.”
“Oh, right. You’re poor and don’t have a good man to support you. Sucks ta be you. Hahaha!”
The group of girls were obnoxious, loud, and rude. The two guys with them had a girl on each arm. Judging by the expensive brand name clothes the two had on, they were definitely suckers with money to blow.
They’d definitely been buttered up to get them to blow as much money as possible on the four girls with them. Once they were out of money, they’d be tossed to the side and ridiculed behind their back.
“Not every girl wants to become a disgusting parasite,” Yuna’s lips twitched as a vein bulged out on her forehead when she responded.
“Haaaah. This is why you’re going to end up forever alone, Yuna,” one of the girls sighed and looked at Yuna pitifully.
“Now, now. There’s no need to act like this.” One of the guys stepped in to try and mediate.
“If you say so~” she hugged his arm tight and pressed it between her cleavage before she continued, “but don’t you think you’re being too unfair?”
“U-Unfair? How?”
“She’s basically calling us disgusting parasites. Don’t you think she should apologize?”
“Hey, bitch. No sorry, I mean, ugly skank. Can you shut the fuck up, pay for your shit already, and leave if you’re going to act like a cheap prostitute without any shame?” Since Yuna was doing her best to not snap, I said what I figured she really wanted to say. I thought I’d done a pretty good job translating her unspoken words.
Yuna didn’t immediately berate me and instead gave it a second for my words to sink in, somehow it felt like she was extremely satisfied.
“What do you think you’re saying to our valued customer!” I was suddenly slapped on the back of the head by Yuna. She made it look like she hit me hard, but it was actually quite lacking in power and obviously not serious.
“Apologize to her for your foul mouth. Please forgive him, he’s still pretty new here and learning. He’s got a short temper.”
“Huh? Uh. It’s okay... a guy who says what’s on his mind isn’t so bad. I think.”
What?
The other three girls looked at their friend strangely. The two guys seemed just as confused.
“By the way, those weren’t my words. I was just trying to provide a translation for what Yuna really wanted to say.”
“Hahaha! You were? Like seriously?”
“Yeah.”
“Hey, don’t try throwing me under the bus when I was trying to cover for you.”
“But what makes you think your translation is correct? I mean, you’re a new worker according to her.”
“A new worker? Well, maybe.”
“Maybe? What do you mean?”
I moved behind Yuna and wrapped my arms around her.
“What if I said that I’m her boyfriend?”
“W-W-W” Yuna stuttered but the words she wanted to say were stuck in her mouth.
“What~ our bland little single for life Yuna who keeps her distance from guys has a boyfriend? Like no way that’s true.”
“Would she let me embrace her like this if it weren’t true?”
“If it is true, I can only feel Yuna is too pitiful. To end up with a loser with such a gloomy face working at a convenience store. She’s going to have a hard life even after university unlike us.”
“He’s not a loser.” Yuna regained her composure and unexpectedly defended me.
“Girl, what are you talking about? If the potential for his future income isn’t six digits, he’s an unsuccessful loser without a future that will go nowhere in life. He’s nothing like these two who’ll be engineers in the future.”
“He’s enrolled as an electrical engineering student at our university.”
My body stiffened up and I broke out into sweat when Yuna suddenly went with the lie I’d told her in the past. What does she think she’s doing by saying that?
The single word she whispered in my ear was enough more than enough to paint a clear picture of what that dream might have looked like.
“Of course not. Aren’t you the one who thought of that?”
“I never said it was that. But I’m sure it would be the first thing a guy would think of when imagining that situation.”
“Not all guys are going to think that.” It was a bit shameful because I did think it was that though.
“Not all guys, huh? Are you trying to pull the ‘I’m different and not like the other guys’ card?”
“Haaaah. No, I’m not. You’re correct, that was the first thing I thought.”
“Oh. Maybe you are different from the other guys after all. The very act of saying you’re not like the other guys is what makes you like them since that’s what they all say these days.”
“I’m just your average guy. There’s nothing special about me at all.”
“If you ask me, that sounds like something someone who’s got something to hide would say. Anyone who really has something unique about them will be self-conscious about it and put on the act of normalcy. These days, completely normal nobodies want to make themselves look like they’re amazing so they can stand out from the crowd. They want to be special when there’s not the slightest special thing about them. It’s gotten to the point that it’s just pathetic and sad.”
“What you really want to say is that there aren’t enough humble people in the world, right?”
“Exactly. People should sit down, shut up, and know their place. They aren’t special. They aren’t unique. Among seven and a half billion people, do they really think there isn’t another person like them? They’re just delusional morons if they seriously believe that.”
“It’s just a form of escapism.”
“Escaping from being normal? Why? What’s so wrong with being normal? I don’t get it.”
“Because you seem so normal and people make fun of you for it?”
“Yeah, yeah. I’m a bland normal girl with boring standard straight black hair. A basic bitch. You have a problem with that?”
“Haha. Not at all. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with you at all. A normal girl, living a normal life, working a normal job, doing normal everyday things. What’s so bad about that?”
“Right? The girls in my English courses are the ones who are wrong.”
It was the first time she mentioned anything about anyone else at university.
“Oh? Are you clashing with other girls over this sort of thing?”
“Pretty much. They’re obnoxious. Saying stuff like how I’ll never get a boyfriend with how little I stand out among flashy girls like them. It’s not like I’m desperate for a boyfriend or anything, I’m just not interested. It’s infuriating listening to them incessantly blabber about it every day around me all the time. Just once I’d like to shut them up.”
“They sound like a bunch of bitches.”
“They are. Why are they even in university doing a degree in literature? Are they dumb? Are they taking literature lightly? They’re all stupid, I’m sure they’re going to drop out.”
“Don’t you think they just didn’t want to work after high school so they went to university and picked whatever seemed the easiest to them? They’re probably planning to hook up with a guy with good prospects for a high-paying job in the future so they can live easy lives of luxury in the future.”
“If they did, they’re really looking down on literature. How unpleasant. Well, hopefully I don’t have any courses with them this Fall. Listening to them throughout my first year in university has driven me mad. I’m going to lose it and snap if I see them.”
“Uh… don’t you think you shouldn’t say that?”
“Huh? Why?”
“Well… there’s that notorious thing in writing called foreshadowing, right?”
“Ah, you’re right. But, this is real life. There’s no way that would ever hap-”
“Huh! Like omg, isn’t that Yuna!”
Yuna’s expression became stiff as a board as her eyes robotically snapped to the speaker entering the store in a group of four girls and two guys.
Below the counter, her hand balled up into a fist. The immense displeasure on her face quickly dissipated as she entered her work mode and donned her usual mask.
“Hahaha. Yeah, totes, that’s definitely her.”
It was truly the worst when someone that knew you outside of work stumbled into your workplace by chance. I gave Yuna my sincere condolences. Do your best to not snap. They’re still valuable customers after all.
The group picked up some snacks on their way to the counter.
“Heya Yuna. Never thought we’d bump into you here of all places. You work here?”
“Haha… yes, I do work here.”
“Wow, that’s like so lame. You’re spendin your free time workin some shitty convenience store gig. You should enjoy the break more.”
“I don’t have the leisure to do so.”
“Oh, right. You’re poor and don’t have a good man to support you. Sucks ta be you. Hahaha!”
The group of girls were obnoxious, loud, and rude. The two guys with them had a girl on each arm. Judging by the expensive brand name clothes the two had on, they were definitely suckers with money to blow.
They’d definitely been buttered up to get them to blow as much money as possible on the four girls with them. Once they were out of money, they’d be tossed to the side and ridiculed behind their back.
“Not every girl wants to become a disgusting parasite,” Yuna’s lips twitched as a vein bulged out on her forehead when she responded.
“Haaaah. This is why you’re going to end up forever alone, Yuna,” one of the girls sighed and looked at Yuna pitifully.
“Now, now. There’s no need to act like this.” One of the guys stepped in to try and mediate.
“If you say so~” she hugged his arm tight and pressed it between her cleavage before she continued, “but don’t you think you’re being too unfair?”
“U-Unfair? How?”
“She’s basically calling us disgusting parasites. Don’t you think she should apologize?”
“Hey, bitch. No sorry, I mean, ugly skank. Can you shut the fuck up, pay for your shit already, and leave if you’re going to act like a cheap prostitute without any shame?” Since Yuna was doing her best to not snap, I said what I figured she really wanted to say. I thought I’d done a pretty good job translating her unspoken words.
Yuna didn’t immediately berate me and instead gave it a second for my words to sink in, somehow it felt like she was extremely satisfied.
“What do you think you’re saying to our valued customer!” I was suddenly slapped on the back of the head by Yuna. She made it look like she hit me hard, but it was actually quite lacking in power and obviously not serious.
“Apologize to her for your foul mouth. Please forgive him, he’s still pretty new here and learning. He’s got a short temper.”
“Huh? Uh. It’s okay... a guy who says what’s on his mind isn’t so bad. I think.”
What?
The other three girls looked at their friend strangely. The two guys seemed just as confused.
“By the way, those weren’t my words. I was just trying to provide a translation for what Yuna really wanted to say.”
“Hahaha! You were? Like seriously?”
“Yeah.”
“Hey, don’t try throwing me under the bus when I was trying to cover for you.”
“But what makes you think your translation is correct? I mean, you’re a new worker according to her.”
“A new worker? Well, maybe.”
“Maybe? What do you mean?”
I moved behind Yuna and wrapped my arms around her.
“What if I said that I’m her boyfriend?”
“W-W-W” Yuna stuttered but the words she wanted to say were stuck in her mouth.
“What~ our bland little single for life Yuna who keeps her distance from guys has a boyfriend? Like no way that’s true.”
“Would she let me embrace her like this if it weren’t true?”
“If it is true, I can only feel Yuna is too pitiful. To end up with a loser with such a gloomy face working at a convenience store. She’s going to have a hard life even after university unlike us.”
“He’s not a loser.” Yuna regained her composure and unexpectedly defended me.
“Girl, what are you talking about? If the potential for his future income isn’t six digits, he’s an unsuccessful loser without a future that will go nowhere in life. He’s nothing like these two who’ll be engineers in the future.”
“He’s enrolled as an electrical engineering student at our university.”
My body stiffened up and I broke out into sweat when Yuna suddenly went with the lie I’d told her in the past. What does she think she’s doing by saying that?
