Chapter 15: Positive Cliché

A neat number, like experience points, floated above the bisected Gero Eye.

Rohan’s eyes widened as he saw it.

His mind, steeped in gaming, grasped its meaning in an instant.

Is it this kind of mechanism?

Controlling his expression, Rohan pretended not to be surprised and returned to his seat.

On opening his Status Window and the Shop, he could confirm that 1 Point had indeed been added, separate from his Achievements.

He didn’t receive any points when he dealt with Yard-Pound Brothers.

So Monsters give extra Points that can be used in the Shop?

While he would have discovered this eventually, the joy of finding this loophole now… a thrill ran down his spine.

Crazy.

The hazy path he envisioned in his mind became clearer.

This was a refreshing breakthrough for him as he was starting to feel increasingly stifled as he racked up Achievements.

He felt elated, as if a flower-scented breeze blew through his consciousness.

“Everyone did well.”

Finally, all the cadets, including Wikitree, made up their minds and grabbed the Gero Eye with trembling hands.

Juyeon offered light praise and had the cadets sit comfortably.

After asking them to listen carefully, she continued her explanation.

“There’s nothing worthwhile to salvage from a Gero Eye after hunting it. Meaning, it’s not profitable.”

“““…”””

“That’s why I’ve heard that they are often ignored even when spotted. But if such actions accumulate, it’s obvious how society will change.”

Juyeon first preached about the establishment of idealistic and righteous values before starting to explain the finer details of the theory.

All the cadets in Class 1 were captivated by her sincere voice.

“Moreover, an abnormally large number of Gero Eyes appearing in the Urban Area is a clear sign that a nest has been established somewhere. The places where Gero Eyes build nests and breed are usually on hills not too far from the Urban Area, or…”

Rohan strained his ears to absorb as much information as possible.

The details Juyeon provided during class were things he couldn’t learn in Abyss City.

Games with an academy setting typically focused more on interpersonal relationships and events to maintain interest and excitement.

In games, theoretical classes weren’t delved into deeply to minimize boredom. These were the times that were omitted.

Rohan was fascinated by this and focused as much as possible.

And just like that, the afternoon classes flew by.

After the classes for the day were over, Rohan ate a cheap meal at the Academy Cafeteria and was heading back to the Dormitory when he received a message through the job-seeking app.

He immediately checked the time.

He also checked the Flower Bookstore’s business hours online.

Plenty of time until closing.

Was today a dopamine explosion day? Rohan immediately turned his steps away from the Dormitory.

The shopping street in front of the Academy, which he visited again, was bustling with cadets.

Everyone either held their weapon or smartphone in one hand. The sight of them going in and out of cafes and shopping malls was truly interesting.

Nameless Hunters had to deal with their weapon first before entering any stores.

Reflecting on his bitter past life, he reached an area lined with houses.

Rohan found The Flower Bookstore nestled between alleys without even looking at a map.

This is my first time visiting a Bookstore since I arrived here.

According to the setting, that’s how Abyss City was.

Despite being a world where science was more advanced than in his past life, paper books were still overwhelmingly popular in this world.

This was also Rohan’s personal preference.

“…”

Approaching the store slowly, he was seized by an indescribable feeling as the familiar bookstore filled his view.

This feels strange.

The Flower Bookstore felt cozy.

New magazines and books recommended by the owner were displayed outside.

He remembered carrying a few literary works and magazines as likeability items. Even so, there were only a dozen or so, and the ones here were all new to him.

Before opening the door, Rohan was captivated by the piled-up books.

He picked up a manga placed among the recommended books and opened it.

All these mangas… are new to me?

All the books marked as popular were unfamiliar. The same went for the manga that claimed to have sold 300 million copies.

“…”

Everywhere he looked, he saw unfamiliar mangas.

At the same time, he once again realized the obvious fact that this was a different world.

The regret of not being able to see the mangas he knew to their completion, but also the satisfaction of knowing there wouldn’t be a shortage of things to read if he had the time.

Those two feelings came to him simultaneously.

My Hunter Academia. I really wanted to see that manga’s ending.

As a Hunter and a devoted reader, that was the one manga he really wanted to see through to the end.

While it couldn’t be helped in this situation, it was truly a shame.

Thud!

Drawing out all his willpower, Rohan closed the manga that threatened to steal his time and pulled the doorknob of The Flower Bookstore.

Ding! Ding!

A clear bell chimed, welcoming the customer.

As he stepped inside, a calming scent permeated his mind. The faint smell of books resembled the rich aroma of coffee.

Is anyone here?

The counter was empty.

Still, he felt a presence, whether customer or owner, between the bookshelves.

“Hello?”

“Oh my, oh my.”

A response came from inside as soon as Rohan called out.

A kindly-looking old man, as if he had been organizing the shelves, dusted off his hands and appeared slowly.

Rohan immediately bowed.

“Hello. I’m Rohan. I contacted you today after seeing the job posting.”

“Heh heh, welcome.”

Being asked to come and sit, Rohan headed to the table next to the cash register.

The owner glanced at Rohan as he boiled water in a kettle.

“Would a young man like you prefer something other than tea?”

“No, sir. I like tea.”

Relieved, the owner slowly poured the tea into a cup.

Then, he handed Rohan the ceramic cup with steam rising from it.

“Here you go. Be careful, it’s hot.”

“Thank you. You can speak to me comfortably.”

At Rohan’s request that he didn’t need to use formal language, the owner smiled and nodded.

“Don’t Orion Academy cadets usually have plenty of good job opportunities?”

“I like books, and I wanted to try working in a Bookstore, so I applied.”

Was this an interview or a casual conversation?

Rohan sat up straight and engaged in the conversation as if it were an interview.

“The incoming books can be quite heavy, are you fine with that?”

“I’m confident in physical work. In fact, I’d say I have a knack for using my strength efficiently.”

“Then I’ll give you plenty of time, so work comfortably for a few days before you make up your mind.”

Occasionally, formal language mixed in.

Rohan bowed his head, expressing his gratitude.

“Once you get adjusted, I was thinking of having you take over from the afternoon until closing time, would that be alright?”

“Of course. As long as I learn the ropes, it should be perfectly manageable.”

When Rohan said he’d be willing to learn even starting from today if it was alright, the owner nodded in agreement.

He then began to explain why he was looking for a part-time worker.

“My grandson is a babbling infant… And if I keep working like usual, I’ll only see his sleeping face.”

“Ah.”

“Ha ha ha! I couldn’t bear it any longer. I was worried he’d forget what his grandpa looks like if this keeps up.”

It was a heartwarming story, like something straight out of a game.

“Though I couldn’t just hand over the entire Bookstore operation, so I was wondering what to do, but my son suggested posting a job ad, even for odd hours. I never expected to find someone so quickly.”

“Part-time jobs that can be done for a short period after Academy hours aren’t really common, so I consider myself lucky as well.”

“Haha! You speak more maturely than my son.”

After filling out a simplified contract through the app and exchanging numbers with the owner, Rohan received a staff apron.

Yes!

He had achieved the part-time job-related Achievement.

Now, he just had to steadily accumulate the other Achievements.

And so, Rohan’s first part-time job began.

“The cash register is simple. If you look here…”

He learned how to use the barcode scanner, how to process refunds, how to add points, and the location of cleaning tools and the storage room.

“I’ll carry this.”

As Rohan neatly stacked the boxes filled with books and lifted them effortlessly, the owner gave him a satisfied thumbs-up, impressed.

Good start.

Rohan was already satisfied with this job.

Even though he hadn’t done anything special, he felt good being surrounded by books.

On his way to place the boxes at the entrance…

“Huh?”

A notification window popped up in the air out of the blue.

Rohan stopped, holding the boxes.

Positive Cliché…

He remembered receiving that as a reward after dealing with the Yard-Pound Brothers.

However, he couldn’t grasp its exact meaning.

Is it okay to move?

While he stood there momentarily lost in thought…

Thud.

He felt someone bump into the boxes.

“Ah!”

Clatter! A smartphone fell to the floor. A game was running on the screen.

“I’m sorry! Are you alr…?”

As Rohan put the boxes down and tried to continue his apology, his eyes met with a girl with violet twin tails.

“…I’msorryI’msorryI’msorry!”

The girl looked down at the floor and shrunk back excessively, beyond just being timid.

Rohan clenched his teeth so hard they almost creaked to prevent himself from gasping in shock.

Even so, his racing heart wouldn’t calm down easily.

I wasn’t expecting to meet her until my 2nd year…

When he thought about forming a party, she was the first girl that came to mind.