Source
https://kakuyomu.jp/works/822139838626691253/episodes/822139838627965678
The presence of the Grim Reaper means someone nearby will die soon.
Based on the Grim Reaper’s position, either Aoi-chan or the cashier at the next register could be the one who dies.
I don’t know the cause of death, but if I leave the store now, I’ll be abandoning one of them.
“Hey, Aiba. Wanna hang out in that space over there for a bit?”
“Hm?”
“Tell me a bit about Aoi-chan.”
“Oh? What’s up? You noticed Aoi-chan’s charm too? Alright, let’s have a good long chat about all the great things about Aoi-chan…!”
Aiba, who seemed to have misunderstood something, and I entered the eat-in space.
“First off, what’s great about Aoi-chan is that she’s so modest about her looks… Even when she got scouted by a talent agency, she apparently turned them down, saying something like ‘It’d be presumptuous for someone like me to be a celebrity.’ So humble and cute, right…?”
While giving half-hearted nods to Aiba, who was gleefully launching into a monologue about Aoi-chan, I pondered the reason the Grim Reaper was here… namely, who the dead person was and what the cause of death might be.
Given the Grim Reaper’s position, it had to be either Aoi-chan or the clerk working the register at the next counter.
Aoi-chan, smiling at the students lining up at the register, and the guy in his thirties at the next register.
Just by looking at them, there was absolutely no way to tell which one the Grim Reaper was attached to.
Suppose Aoi-chan was possessed by the Grim Reaper.
What would her cause of death be?
Suicide, like Nanase’s?
An accident, like mine?
Homicide, like Hoshikawa’s, is also possible. Or getting caught up in a terrorist attack, like Shiraishi’s.
It’s not like that possibility doesn’t exist.
Anyway, could we narrow down the cause of death?
“Hey, Aiba. Is Aoi-chan’s family situation really that tough?”
“Huh…?”
“Doesn’t Aoi-chan work part-time to help with the household finances?”
“Oh, yeah. I heard she has younger siblings too, so it must be tough for her.”
“…Any rumors about her being stressed out from working nonstop or something?”
“Stressed out…? What’s up with you? You have a girlfriend, yet you’re trying to get close to Aoi-chan?”
“No way. Just answer me.”
“Hmm… I haven’t heard any rumors like that. She seems pretty cheerful in class too.”
“Is there anything… like she’s troubled by something? Like, carrying debt or something?”
“…Debt? Never heard that. I haven’t heard any rumors about her being that strapped for cash.
Besides, if she was that deep in debt, she wouldn’t have turned down that talent agency scout, right?”
“…Guess you’re right.”
I don’t know how much of what Aiba said to believe, but when I was doing the accounting earlier and saw Aoi-chan up close, she didn’t seem particularly troubled.
That makes suicide unlikely.
Accidents or terrorism also seem highly improbable here.
If there’s a possibility, could it be murder?
Like what happened with Hoshikawa, I feel like something could happen where a guy with twisted feelings for Aoi-chan pulls out a knife or something.
Aoi-chan’s innocent smile must have led many people
to misunderstand her intentions.
It’s not impossible that among them was a deranged individual like the man who stalked Hoshikawa.
“Still, you gotta be careful, man. You’re technically dating Nanase, right? I get that Aoi-chan is cute, but being too flighty isn’t exactly admirable as a friend.”
“Nah, it’s not like I like Aoi-chan or anything…”
Ping-pong ping-pong…
The sound of the convenience store’s automatic doors opening.
In a convenience store where most customers are students, a rare middle-aged man entered the store.
The man, with eyes gleaming like he was possessed by something, headed straight for the register.
“Hey, Aiba. Did you see that customer just now?”
“Huh…? Customer?”
“The guy who just came in. Didn’t he seem kinda sketchy?”
“Not sure. I wasn’t really paying attention.”
“I’m gonna go check it out.”
“W-wait… Ren…?”
I left the eat-in area and hurried to check the register the man had headed for.
“Hey, hand over the money!! Hand over the money!!!”
“Kyaaaaaah!”
The scream came from Aoi-chan.
The man who had just entered the store suddenly grabbed a knife and was demanding money from Aoi-chan over the counter.
“Hurry up!! Hand over the money!! You wanna die?!!”
“I… um… well…”
Aoi-chan stared at the knife pointed at her, frozen in shock.
“Oh, oh no…!”
“It’s a robbery…!!”
Behind the man, the students began to panic.
“Don’t you dare come near me!!! I’ll kill anyone who gets close!!!”
The man turned his head back and threatened the student customers.
The male students slowly backed away from the register, careful not to provoke him.
“Hey, Ren. What’s going on? I heard some screams?”
“Shh… Aiba. Be quiet. Call the police.”
“Huh…!? The police…!?”
“Look at him…! He’s got a knife!!”
“…!?”
Aiba’s eyes widened as she saw the man brandishing the knife over the counter at the register.
“Th-that’s bad, right!?”
“It’s bad. Call the police.”
“O-okay.”
Aiba nodded and immediately pulled out her smartphone.
I grabbed a nearby umbrella for sale, hiding behind the merchandise shelves to approach without the man noticing.
“Hey! Can’t you hear me telling you to hand over the money!!!”
“Ah… ah… ah…”
The knife-wielding man intimidated the frightened Aoi-chan.
“You woman!!! If you keep dawdling, I’ll do it!!”
“Hii!”
The man, seemingly losing patience, leaps onto the counter, trying to get to the other side.
“Stop it!!!”
I grab the man’s leg as he tries to climb onto the counter and forcefully drag him back down.
“You bastard!! What the hell are you doing!!!”
The man rolls on the floor, thrashing.
As he tried to get up, he braced himself with his knife-wielding hand on the floor. I slammed my umbrella down hard on that hand.
“Ow! Ow!!!!
The man screamed and let go of the knife for a moment.
I straddled him and tried to subdue him.
But the man was strong, and it seemed like I couldn’t hold him back on my own.
“You little shits!!!!”
“H-help me!”
While holding the man down with all my strength, I called out to the male students standing frozen in place for help.
My voice snapped the male students back to their senses, and they came to assist.
“We’ll hold him down together!!”
“Hey!! You guys, come on over too!!!”
“Everyone, pin him down!!”
“Damn it!!!!”
Even that man couldn’t withstand the combined strength of over ten male students and was pinned to the floor.
We kept the robber restrained until the police arrived, safely handing him over without anyone getting hurt.
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