Horror webnovel: I started working the night shift at a convenience store (Ch.2 pt2)

I started working the night shift at a convenience store (Ch.2 pt2)

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Chapter 2: Aoyama, Hirai, and Takenaka. (pt.2)

From what I gathered listening to my sister, spirits came and went to the store. That much was fine. But some particularly strong or wicked spirits could also possess or haunt clients and workers alike, eroding their psyche in the process.

Spending much time in a place oozing with such a negative aura would be a risky endeavor for psychics, let alone for your average joe. It could turn out horribly for them... or so the story went.

"Turn out horribly? What's that mean?"

"Like I'd know."

She finished eating her caramel pudding, and turned around to face her computer again.

"I don't have the slightest clue of what she meant. And no one really knows why but the surrounding woods seem to be the scene of tons of accidents every year.

Just the other day, a motorcycle flew above the guardrail only to fall down a cliff. And that's not even considering how TV shows about supernatural phenomenons have taken a liking to a tunnel nearby."

"None of this has got anything to do with the convenience store though, right?"

"I'm just letting you know that the whole area is bad news."

"Accidents happen, and paranormal TV shows are just straight up fake."

"There you go again... you don't really believe in these things, do you?"

"Nah, I don't, and why would I? What'd I get from it? These stories are just a way to prey on people's fear."

And then, we both camped on our positions only getting angrier and angrier as time went on, as we always did.

"She's not making this up! She can see ghosts!"

"Are you sure about that? I  wouldn't know. Maybe she can, maybe she can't. There's no way for me to be sure."

"You're such a knucklehead... Misuzu told me that even if you can't see these things at first, but you'll be able to if you spend enough time in an environment like that!"

"I won't see them," I yawned, "anyway I've gotta work tonight, so I'll sleep some more. Don't wake me up this time."

She put her headset back on and delved right back in her videos.

I thought I would just go back and sleep for just a bit longer, but by now my stomach was rumbling.

Well, noodles it is.

I grabbed noodles from a cupboard, and poured water in a pot, bringing it to a boil.

"..."

I got lost in my thoughts as I mindlessly watched the steam rise up from the pot, and remembered what I had seen on the security monitor the other night.

Something eerie, I couldn't quite put my finger on what it actually was, but I remembered catching a glimpse of a gray silhouette on the screen.

What was that?

I could still vividly remember it, walking back and forth inside the store in front of the automatic doors.

The whole scene threw me off guard so much that I had even spat out my canned coffee in shock.

I remembered thinking to myself that there was a boy playing in front of the doors.

There's no way that shadowy figure could have been that little boy Aoyama had told me about, right?

It didn't look like anything I'd ever seen.

Besides, I could still remember clear as day the sensation of something brushing against my right leg... an awkwardly warm breeze. I could still feel goosebumps ripping through my leg.

I hadn't told Aoyama a single word about what had happened. Although he could talk about these things to some extent, it was still enough to creep him out.

After all, on my first night on the job he had gotten all nervous and worried on his end as we discussed these things.

Even though he had been working there for so long he was still really scared of it all, so I asked him why he wouldn't try and find work elsewhere, if he was that scared about it.

"It is scary... but it'd be much harder for me to save money while working elsewhere. Biting the bullet and working here is my best option..." he replied.

He— wait... she...? Seemed to be really serious about getting some "work done" on her lower body as soon as she could.

The water started boiling over, snapping me back to reality. I turned off the stove in a hurry.

Could that shadow have been...?  No, nevermind.

Surely it was nothing but drowsiness getting to me and making me see things.

It's always dead calm with no client to speak of at that time of night. We're alone with nothing but free time and, as a result, often get extra sleepy.

That wasn't a ghost.

As a matter of facts, I can't even see these things, and I can't even entertain the idea of being able to do so.

Ghosts aren't real. I'll rest my case.

I poured the noodles in the colander while trying to come to terms with myself.

Come to think of it, tonight's my first night working with that Takenaka guy I've heard so much about.

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"Good evening everyone."

"Good evening!"

I entered the store a bit before 10PM, just before the start of our shift.

Working different shifts, I didn't get to interact with the evening shift's team all that much, but I'd greet them every time and we'd often exchange a few words during that short lapse of time.

I took my uniform hanging in the backroom, and looked around the store around as I changed clothes.

At this hour, the store was still lively with clients coming in and out.

"So, how's it going? Getting the hang of it?"

I heard someone talk to me. 

Nagesa was standing in front of me, already getting ready to leave. 

He was a handsome university student with a mole under his left eye, and he rocked a long mullet haircut.

You'd think he was part of a band or something.

"Good question... I've only started a few days ago so I'm not quite sure."

"I see. I've heard that you've got a lot of free time when working night shift... don't you feel tired from that?"

"You said it. That's what happens when nothing happens. I've been changing my sleep schedule and started sleeping during the day lately, though, so I don't get as sleepy as I used to."

"That sounds about right. Oh, right, I asked Aoyama last time I met him, but uh... it happened again, right?"

"Hmm? What did?"

"You know, the doors opening and stuff. These doors."

"Ah..."

I threw a glance at the doors.

They'd open every time a client would enter or leave the store, along with the chime ringing. Just as they were supposed to. Of course they'd stay shut the rest of the time.

"Didn't that creep you out?"

"Not really. I just thought it was weird."

"Ahah! You sure got nerves of steel, unlike the people that came here before. That got them off their rockers and they ended up quitting their job just after their third night working here."

"Whoa... seriously?"

"The manager had the door checked a few times to see if everything was all right, but there doesn't seem to be any issue with the door itself. It's really weird."

"I'm sure it was nothing more than some trash getting stuck in the rails or something."

Nagase laughed.

"Ahahah! That's the spirit! I guess that's the kind of mindset you need to last when working nightshift. "

"I guess so... If I blamed that much on a ghost, then writing off anything else as being caused by ghosts would be fair game."

I followed suit and started laughing along.

We talked some more after that, he got ready to leave, and I took my place behind the counter.

That aside, Takenaka sure was late...

Our shift was just about to start and he had yet to show up.

"Oh, I almost forgot..."

Nagase stopped in his tracks in front of the doors, as if he had just remembered something.

"You're not going to work with Takenaka tonight but with Hirai instead. Looks like there was a last minute change."

Looks like I'll get to know Hirai instead, then.

"I'm sure she'll be here in no time. That's it for me for today. 

See you next time, Hakamada. Good luck for tonight!"

He said, before getting on his motorbike and making his way back home. I watched him leave, and then got back to the three clients still in the store.

An old man who bought deep fried chicken skewers, dried squid, and three cans of beer.

A young lad hiding an erotic magazine under a pack of potato chips and a water bottle. 

And then... a loaf of bread, milk and some... feminine hygiene products.

An office lady had brought these to the counter, and was shooting daggers at me.

Oh... I get it. I don't think girls really like men to know about this kind of thing.

It's not rocket science, really. Even I understand that much.

I kept a composed look, grabbed an opaque bag from underneath the counter and put these articles in it. Then I put this bag in a bigger one, along with everything else.

"Thank you for coming!"

I said the same thing to all three of them before they left the store. And just like that, the store went totally silent.

I took a look at the clock, it was already past 10 PM.

Our shift starts at 10 PM.

So, Hirai's going to be a bit late...?

It's not like I'd mind it. I'm not exactly going be overwhelmed with work anytime soon.

At least, that's what I thought a few dozen minutes ago.

I stood alone, behind the counter, trying to remain idle, but it was way too calm for me to settle down.

Being all alone really bores you to death.

Did anything happen to her? We haven't met yet so I didn't have any way to call her or whatnot.

Anyways... I shifted my gaze away from the clock and turned it to the glass wall behind the magazine shelves.

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See you next time, take care!

Source: https://kakuyomu.jp/works/1177354054880681711

Original author: 天野　アタル  (Ataru Amano)