“That’s why, you know, you can’t just keep crying. As a woman, you have to be strong sometimes—”
“Excuse me, Wife.”
“Oh, Sajou-san. I was just explaining the proper work mindset to Mina-san.”
“Haha, well, she seems to have stopped crying for now. Thank you for looking after her.”
“It’s no trouble at all! Our Mina-san is so dear! She’s much cuter when she’s smiling!”
“I’ve got it from here. You can leave the rest to me.”
“Oh...? But I wanted to talk a little more—”
“Look, Wife, weren’t you working on the books? I figured that was pretty important too.”
“...Well, if you say so.”
Wife still seemed worried about Ichinose-san. I didn’t know exactly how much she and the Old man doted on her, but the option of leaving Ichinose-san alone didn’t seem to exist in her mind. Even so, the fact that she listened to me was either a sign of expectation or trust. Either way, it felt heavy to me, given the pressure I was already putting on myself.
Ichinose-san had stopped crying, but she remained silent, staring at the floor. Her eyes were cast downward. I couldn't tell if she had processed a single word Wife said. Regardless, I needed her to listen to me now.
“Will you listen to me? You don’t have to speak, just a nod is fine.”
“...”
I sat directly in front of her. For someone as shy as Ichinose-san, having another person right in her face must have been agonizing. I felt no guilt despite knowing that. I no longer had much of a desire to be liked by her.
“That customer from earlier was a weirdo, wasn’t he? People like that come to the shop about once every three days. Though they aren't usually quite that insane.”
“...”
Still looking down, Ichinose-san’s eyes darted left and right before she gave a small nod. At the very least, she was willing to listen.
“Since it was your first day and you aren't used to this, of course you couldn't handle the customer service. That can’t be helped, and it can’t be helped that you cried because you were scared.”
The face in front of me rose slightly, tentatively. When our eyes met, she looked startled and flustered, quickly shifting her gaze toward a blank patch of wall. It didn't look like she was going to burst into tears again just from this.
Yeah, sorry about that, okay?
“With customers like that—the ones who talk fast and act all logical—it’s actually effective to use a slightly dim-witted, flippant tone like I did. Part of it might be because I’m a guy, but if you make them think you're someone who doesn't understand their big words, they usually shut up.”
“Ah...”
“In your case, Ichinose-san... let's see. If you looked them straight in the eye without letting them look away and put on a bit of a 'gal' attitude, they might have flinched. Might be a tall order for some people, though.”
This was wisdom gathered from my time at the convenience store. By letting people think I was just some shallow kid, customers would look down on me as a loser and interact with me accordingly. It might seem counter-intuitive, but it stopped the arrogant types from trying to start something. From the customer's perspective, it was too much of a pain to get involved with me. Of course, if they came at me with that same flippant energy, I just had to push through it.
On the contrary, a person who was upright and serious would have their flaws magnified by any tiny mistake, leading to a harsh scolding.
“Customer service is difficult. Even if it’s not a troublesome customer, trying to be your true self is pretty much impossible. If you don't put on a persona to some extent, people lose their tempers and get angry immediately.”
This job was easy, even factoring that in. The low hourly wage was part of it, but the work was simple enough that the burden of customer service was light. That was why I didn't find this job to be a chore. Though I definitely wouldn't be pursuing a career in customer service in the future.
“—So, back to the point. Ichinose-san, do you think you can do that someday?”
“Eh...”
“Like I said, you have to be able to put on a front to match the customer. Even if you're not good at speaking clearly, you have to show them that you're a capable worker.”
In this industry, that was the bare minimum skill required, even for a part-timer. In fact, most part-time jobs in the world involved customer service. If you wanted to work, you had to acquire that ability first. Even if you were inexperienced, you could learn through habit, but it was a non-starter if you were this timid in your daily life.
“—Can you do it?”
“...A-Ah...”
Whether she didn't know how to answer or just couldn't, Ichinose-san’s gaze wavered, her mouth opening and closing soundlessly. Was she looking at me with those pleading eyes because she was waiting for me to say something kind?
Hahaha... Man, this is getting irritating.
It was one thing if she couldn't do it yet; in that case, she should just do what she could. That might not be "wrong," but the world wasn't so soft that everything could be excused like that. Whether you hated it or were forced into it, as long as you were physically able and had a brain in your head, you had to do what everyone else around you did with a straight face.
“—If you can’t do it, then you're just not suited for this. Just settle for whatever allowance your parents give you.”
“...!”
I said it in an incredibly gentle voice. Did that sting? It must have. That’s right, I wanted to see her get angry. I wanted to see a face that glared at me with raw emotion. Try raising your voice for once.
“There’s no real need for a high schooler to work a part-time job anyway, so why don't you just quit? You'd be better off.”
“......”
Ichinose-san’s eyes were wavering. I could tell she was shaken. As I got carried away, a darker urge to bully her further began to take root. I remembered the Old man’s pleading face back at the register.
Calm down. That’s not it. That’s not what I want to do. Don’t get full of yourself. I might be an idiot, but I'm her senior. She might be incompetent, but she's my junior.
“......”
“......”
A sudden sense of emptiness washed over me. Unable to stand it, I ended up looking down myself. My immature, "wrong emotion" finally settled. The irritation I had acknowledged was still there, but I managed to pull myself together and look back at Ichinose-san.
“...Ugh...”
“...!”
...Hoh.
She looked dissatisfied. In the silence, she had apparently finished digesting the words I’d thrown at her. How did it feel to be lectured one-sidedly without being able to talk back? It couldn't have felt good. In that case, the only thing to do was to snap back and clear the air, right? But sorry, I don't have the confidence to take it calmly if you do.
“...T-That was a false accusation... I think I should have corrected him that this isn't a specialized secondhand bookstore, but just a regular one.”
“You must absolutely never try to take the moral high ground with a customer.”
“Hii...!?”
Even though I knew better, my head cooled instantly after I snapped. My voice had been cold even to my own ears. The intimidating attitude was a mistake. My job was to let Ichinose-san “choose,” not to strip away her options. I knew that, but—
“...That’s not something for an amateur to worry about. For now, let’s set aside whether you can or can’t do it.”
I spoke while looking away. The person sitting in front of her was a man with a rough tongue. Even if our eyes met, Ichinose-san’s mind would just go blank. I had to make her think about whether she was going to quit this job or not.
“You don't even have to think about 'overcoming' your personality right now. I just want to know if you have the intent to keep doing customer service or not. A nod or a shake of the head is fine... just answer me.”
“Ah...”
Nine times out of ten, she wouldn't give the answer I wanted. Honestly, I couldn't help but feel that quitting now would be better for her, the Old man, and Wife. It would be perfect if the Old man just doted on her when she came in as a customer. She became a regular because she felt comfortable here, right? Her parents could surely afford her books. Why not just take the easy way out?
“......—I won't.”
“...Eh?”
“—I don't want to! ...I don't want to quit!”
“......Huh?”
She directed a resentful, teary-eyed glare at me. It was the first time I’d seen such strong emotion from her.
Wait, why? I thought her spirit had broken ages ago. After being told all that, and being unable to talk back properly, why was she saying she didn't want to quit? Since she wasn't screaming or hysterical, it didn't seem like a total breakdown. What was going on...?
“I-I’ll make it so I can do it...! Please don't make me quit!”
Trembling and fighting back tears, Ichinose-san’s small body backed away. Then, she straightened her posture and, in a surprisingly loud voice, pressed her forehead against the tatami mats.
A dogeza. I’ll say it again: a full-on dogeza.
“—Wait, what!?”
Eh!? Wait, uh—Whaaaat!!? What is this girl doing!? Since when does someone just do this!?
I’m sorry, but I’m just a part-timer!!?
I am the Ace with no authority.