Kanoda-shi, a general convenience store.

In the eyes of Tokyoite, even the bustling Osaka is considered rural, and the Tohoku region, which encompasses the entire island country of Kakuda City to be precise, is not only a rural area, but also a periphery of human civilization, and is probably a little stronger than Gunma Prefecture, which has no Internet in Africa.

"It's a pity that I'm wearing so little today, isn't it cold?" The wife of the store manager saw that Takahashi was wearing only a shirt and not even a school uniform jacket, and she was still wearing a long winter coat herself.

Miyagi Prefecture is located in the north, and the temperature at night in early April remains below 10 degrees Celsius, so girls in the island country can wear only skirts in winter, but they don't even wear a jacket on their upper body, which is too fierce.

"It's not cold, it's not cold." Rubbing his cold arm, Takahashi said in a nasal voice, "I forgot to wash my coat in the basin last night, but I can put it on tomorrow." ”

How can this weather not be cold, but the school uniform jacket is locked in the cabinet, and she can only wear it so thinly,

It's much better when you get to the convenience store, as long as the store is open, the air conditioning stays running, and the warm breeze blows the chill off Takahashi's body.

Since the beginning of high school, Takahashi, who was able to start working part-time, has been working at this convenience store, and the salary given is good in a small town, and the monthly salary can be set aside to support the family in addition to his own lunch expenses. And the manager's wife is really a very kind mother-in-law, who is kind to everyone, and it is said that the daughter who works in Tokyo has long wanted to bring her mother-in-law to Tokyo, but the mother-in-law is reluctant to go because she is reluctant to go to her hometown.

Takahashi is pitiful, and he must leave this cobwebbed countryside.

Change into overalls and get the oden at the front desk ready to see if there are any items on the shelves that need to be replenished...... After three years, Takahashi has long been familiar with the work process.

"Poor, come here."

"Hey."

The store manager stood in front of the small warehouse, and with a sore back, he moved out a small box: "Hey, I can't move it, let's send this box of things to the right hotel,"

"Delivered to the hotel? Is it mineral water? ”

Convenience stores also serve as wholesalers, and it is often necessary to deliver mineral water and drinks to small restaurants around the area, and when there are many people who drive over, and when there are few people, Takahashi rides or walks alone.

"It's supplies delivered to the hotel, guess what."

"Guesthouse...... Supplies ......"

took the box handed over by the store manager's mother-in-law, and saw the unique smile of the elderly when telling yellow jokes on the mother-in-law's face, Takahashi immediately reacted, and she ran towards the hotel with a red face holding the box.

The weight of the box is a bit heavy, but she can move it in one breath even if she grits her teeth, but looking at the [okamoto] trademark printed on it makes her feel uncomfortable, she has only heard her classmates talk about it, see ...... Of course, she had seen it several times during school cleaning, and she wanted to escape from it every time she walked away in ignorance.

"Hello, I've got it for you." Holding the box, Takahashi called out softly, "Is there anyone in the store?" ”

A bald man walked down the stairs, looking a little obscene: "Oh! Put it at the counter. ”

His gaze at him made Takahashi feel uncomfortable.

Of course, the most frightening thing is the ukiyo-e tattoo on the man's shoulder.

Blue-faced fangs and holding a long knife.

"Okay!" Seeing the tattoo on the other party's arm, Takahashi was so frightened that he stood up straight and fled from the hotel as if he had taken refuge.

She ran to the telephone pole outside the hotel with a smoke, and she breathed a sigh of relief: "I'm scared to death, there are still such terrible tattooed men on the street." ”

Although on the one hand, there is a tattoo culture, but on the other hand, tattooed people will never be accepted in the mainstream society of the island country, once the tattoo regardless of the size of the style, it will definitely not be able to find a formal job, let alone go to the government to serve, even the world's most tattooed football circle has been affected, and the football players in the island country rarely have tattoos. Even when you soak in hot springs and sunbathe on the beach, you need to buy special stickers to cover the tattoos on your body, and when you interview passers-by on TV stations, you will also put a mosaic on the tattoos of passers-by.

When I returned to the store, I stood at the front desk and counted the goods for the customers, and after 8 o'clock in the evening, there were basically no more customers in the store, and there were less than 10 groups until the end of the day.

"Then I'll go, store manager."

"Wait a minute."

The manager's wife ran out of the room, holding a rectangular box in her arms.

"Reward me for your recent work?" Without saying anything, the store manager's wife stuffed the box into Takahashi's hand.

"Ah, thank you." Takahashi smiled sweetly and didn't back down a few more times.

The store manager usually likes to give himself some small things, such as cabbage, breakfast the next day, in the years that his mother left, the store manager is like his new mother, and the kindness of every small gift Takahashi deeply remembers in his heart.

"Be careful on the way home."

"Uh-huh!"

Standing under the street lamp on his way home, Takahashi slowly opened the box handed by the store manager under the light.

When I dismantled the cardboard outside, I was exposed to ...... Shoe?

The black plastic packaging wrapped around the shoes has the store logo on it, and it is one of the few shoe stores in the town.

“……”

Looking down at the school shoes still on her feet, Takahashi snorted pitifully, her shadow shaking slightly as she stood under the street lamp.

Walking home with his new shoes, Takahashi opened the door gently, it was already past nine o'clock, which was very late in Kakuda City, but Dad hadn't come home yet.

I'm going to drive late tonight, and Dad's job is to drive long distances, working two shifts 24 hours a day. If you don't have a long-distance job, you can take on some short-distance work, transport seafood from the sea to the town, because you can't afford to buy a small truck, so you choose to rent a truck, in order to earn more money during the rental period, Dad wants to become a part of the car every time, just fill the gasoline and work non-stop.

It's all for her future university, Takahashi is confident that she will be admitted to a school in Tokyo, but the tuition fee for each academic year is an exaggerated figure of millions, Takahashi's poor little shoulders are heavy burdens, she dare not live up to her father's expectations, no matter what happens in school, she will grit her teeth and support it.

Placing the shoebox away, Takahashi pitifully retrieved the white feather from his bag

The feather shone in the dim light.

Although many unfortunate things have happened today, just like the store manager, there are still a lot of good people in the world, aren't they?

"You are my talisman." Takahashi held the paper feather and stuck it to his heart.

"Good night."