Author: KK / Hachikawa Kyuu

Artist: Yuki Kana / Hachikawa Kyuu

Raw Link: https://ncode.syosetu.com/n2466fq/

Mako Honda a Sales Clerk at a Home Centre Store

***

" Ughh... I'm so tired~!!"

Right now, I am walking on the street at night with my dinner full of convenience store-bought meals in my hand.

My name is Honda Mako, first name Mako, surnamed Honda. My occupation is a sales clerk's at a Home Centre store. Today, after running around the sales floor all day long, I am now on my way home tired and exhausted.

" Another part-time worker just quit again, and when we're already short on staff... If this continues and we fail to get more manpower and don't fill the vacant spots, the rest of us will just get the short end of the stick!"

In this day and age, there is a labor shortage everywhere. However, that doesn't mean that there will be fewer jobs.

What should normally take several people to do is done by one person. Obviously, it is very burdensome!

　Today, I set up the sales floor for new products, rotated the cash registers, watered the plants, responded to customer complaints, and held meetings with the manufacturer's sales staff and the head office SV. Of course, I also served nearly 100 customers in the process.

I'm so worn out.

" I can't do it anymore...at this rate, I'm going to die."

Nevertheless, tomorrow is my long-awaited first day off in a long time.

I can finally take a proper rest after working 13 hours... No. Scratch that, since I'm doing overtime it's actually 14 hours a day in 6 consecutively days.

Let me explain. I basically have no weekends off. This is because the days when the rest of the world is off are the busiest days for the hospitality industry!

When I get home, I'm going to watch P●Cure, Kame•Rider, and ●●Ranger¹. I already have the recorded episodes.

The greatest pleasure for me is watching the recorded Nichiasa². Among them, I mainly look forward to watching 'Kame•Rider'. It is no exaggeration to say that I live to watch this anime's episode every week. I replay the preview of the next episode of last week's broadcast in my brain and fantasize about the main story based on it, smiling goofily.

At this moment, a middle-aged man appeared from the shadow of a utility pole just up ahead of me. He wore shady glasses on his visible balding head, and his body was covered by a long trench coat. I instinctively knew that he was a pervert in that instant.

" Hehehe. Why don't you show me something, Missy? "

"......" I watch the middle-aged man intently.

"Hehe...?"

"..." (MC)

"..." (pervert)

"..." (MC)

"... errr" (pervert)

I said in a low voice with no expression showing on my face. "... I'll kill you."

I don't even want to waste another millimeter of my energy on this kind of person. The middle-aged man turned paled at my reaction and fled as fast as he could in the opposite direction like there was no tomorrow. Probably thinking I am more of a loose screw than he is.

Good grief, it is really a cowardly act to target a weak woman walking alone on the street at night, what a pervert. Don't you just hate that!?

I wish they would learn from Kame•Rider Ichigo³ a great exemplar like Hongo Takeshi³.

" No. In the first place, Takeshi would never molest someone..."

With that ending peacefully, I finally arrived at the apartment where I lived. I unlocked the door, opened it, and entered the room. Then I took a deep breath, no better place than home.

" Fuuu~" (deep breath)

Then as soon as I took off my shoes and stepped up to the instep floor I suddenly collapsed straight flat. It seems my exhaustion had taken its toll on this body more than I could have imagined.

" Oh, no... I still need to remove my makeup... and change my ... clothes..."

However, the touch of the entrance mat is too comfortable. Putting up some fight I squiggled but it was just too soft. If I were to be seen by others, it would look like there's a dead body.

" Hnnn... just a little bit... then. Let's take... a nap."

Gradually, against my will, my body won't listen to me now. My brain is hazy and I can't think straight.

Oh, I'm losing consciousness... I'm falling asleep.

※　※　※　※　※

" Hmmnnn"

What is this pleasant sensation I'm feeling? Is this fuzzy sensation... my futon? I see, I was sleeping.

Wait... huh? When did I get to the futon?

Why am I feeling this? This kind of scent kind of makes me feel nostalgic. Hmm? Then isn't this not my futon?

" This tickling sensation... it's grass, isn't it? "

When I lifted my eyelids the first sight I saw was how tall the grass that reached the tip of my nose. So, it's really grass and this slightly cold breeze... the swaying of the grass was the one tickling me.

A question filled my brain that instant.

Outdoor? Why I am in a grassland?

I quickly sat up straight at that moment. Turning my head both sideways then up and down... all I can see is a very wide open field.

" What's up with that?"

" Ah! She noticed us!"

" Let's run!"  concentrating my sight on those voices more, then there I saw two children. Their back on me trotting away.

" Just now... those two are dressed up weirdly. "

Those ears...don't they look like dog-like ears on top of their heads?

Also, the clothes they are wearing... It was a fantasy-stained design that looked as if it appeared in a game or manga cosplay.

" Just... where am I ?"

From what I remember, I should have been knocked out at the front door with overwhelming exhaustion. I even felt I was dying as I fell off consciousness. Then, if that were supposed to be where I am...

" What is this place?" Well, I'm speaking out loud and questions just came out one after another and of course, there's no one to answer me...

... That is what I thought.

" Eh?"

Suddenly, there were some letters up ahead of my head. It was rectangular and looked like a hologram, there were even some letters inscribed.

It doesn't seem like I'm seeing this wrong.

" Is this what they call a status window?"

I don't know much about game stuff, but I do know some of the terms used here. It's very common in RPGs, right? This looks the same thing as those.

× × × • • • • • × × ×

Name: Honda-Mako

Skill: none

Attributes: None

HP: 1 0 0 / 1 0 0

MP: 1 0 0 / 1 0 0

× × × • • • • • × × ×

"Oun! I'm dreaming, aren't I?"

I can only assume so. I suddenly woke up in an unknown place, with a string of unintelligible words and numbers in my head. If this wasn't a dream, I don't know what is.

" Ahh~ sheesh! Let's just get up early. My beloved Nichiasa and his friends are waiting for me. hmm?"

So, in the window that came to my mind. I tilted my head when I saw the last letter notated. That was the only part that struck me as odd in a world that seemed like a dream to me. I couldn't help but notice a word that seemed so unreal.

× × × • • • • • × × ×

[Title]

∆ DIY Master

∆ Green Master

∆ Pet Master

× × × • • • • • × × ×

***

Author:

A home improvement store clerk girl lives a carefree life in a different world.

Please give us your best regards.

Jyzciel~

¹Censored Anime: Precure, Kamen Raider, and Power Ranger

²Nichiasa: A 'superhero time' anime lineup for children. Aired on Sunday 7am-10 am

³Takeshi Hongo: He is Kamen Rider Ichigo persona. One of the protagonists in Kamen Rider.

6/13/22