"Hm?"
Behind the counter of the convenience store stood a bright, lively girl in a neat uniform that perfectly outlined her youthful figure. Her soft brown hair was tied into a simple ponytail, giving her a clean and energetic look.
Hearing the voice filled with mild surprise, Nanami Aoyama looked up curiously—and froze the instant her eyes met Rin's.
"It's you!" she exclaimed.
Rin blinked, then frowned slightly. "Your cold got better that fast?"
"Ah?!"
Caught off guard by what sounded almost like a scolding, Nanami's face flushed red, the color spreading all the way to her ears. "I—I'm sorry! I caused you trouble yesterday."
Her cheeks burned even hotter as she bowed deeply. Whether it was embarrassment or something else, she couldn't tell. After she'd fainted last night, she'd learned from the shop owner what had happened afterward—and that it was the last customer who had taken her to the clinic. The last person she remembered seeing before losing consciousness… was Rin.
When she lifted her head, Nanami kept her eyes down, her lips pressed together tightly. Her beautiful face was tinged with pink, and she didn't seem to know what to do with her hands except fidget with the hem of her uniform.
Ahhh! What do I do now?!
Her thoughts were in chaos. Out of all the convenience stores around, why did he have to walk into this one?! No, wait—she knew he lived nearby! Why did she have to pick this area to work in?!
Right now, Nanami felt like she could die of embarrassment.
Faced with her "rescuer's" mild reproach, the normally independent girl could only stammer helplessly, unable to form a proper sentence.
Rin looked at the girl in front of him, her head bowed like a child being scolded by her teacher, and couldn't help but chuckle softly. Despite her awkwardness, he genuinely respected her. Even though the ramen shop owner hadn't said much, he could tell from the details that this girl was someone who stood on her own feet. She didn't seem to be working for luxury or indulgence—otherwise she wouldn't have been working through a fever, nor returned to her job so soon after collapsing.
But respect was one thing…
Seeing her pale face and dry lips, Rin sighed. "If you're sick, you should be home resting. Isn't that common sense?"
Nanami's face turned even redder, and she nodded quickly. "I'm sorry. I'll be careful."
Rin opened his mouth as if to say more, but decided against it. Aside from the faintest touch of makeup, she wore no accessories at all—her lifestyle was clearly modest. If she was working through an illness, there was probably a reason she couldn't afford to rest.
Remembering the pitying look the ramen shop owner had given her, Rin swallowed his words. After a moment of quiet, he simply said, "If you get the chance, take a real break. A wise man once said, your body is the foundation of everything. Whatever you're fighting for, it's useless if you're not healthy."
With that, he turned and walked into the aisles.
Nanami stayed frozen for a few seconds before finally straightening up. The redness faded from her face, replaced once again by paleness. She stared blankly at Rin's retreating back, lost in thought.
Rin walked through the store, picking up some instant noodles and snacks for emergencies, then headed to the magazine section. After scanning the shelves, he grabbed two of the latest comic magazines—one for Taihei Doma, and one for himself.
As a devoted otaku and admin of an ACG website, it was only natural for him to keep up with new manga releases.
Then, something caught his eye. A colorful poster tucked in the corner of the rack drew his attention.
"Now on Sale: Love Metronome, the latest work by rising light novel author Shiko Kasumi!"
That alone was unusual—but what surprised Rin even more was that this store sold light novels at all. Convenience stores rarely did. Maybe because this one was privately owned, it stocked a few niche items.
"Well, that's interesting," Rin murmured.
The words referred both to the unexpected book section and the specific title on the poster.
He picked up a copy and flipped through a few pages. As he skimmed the text, his expression shifted—recognition flickered in his eyes.
"So it really is this one."
A wry smile tugged at his lips as he slipped the book under his arm.
He'd seen Love Metronome before. It had first been published on Fantasy Haven, the website he managed. With its emotional prose and lyrical tone, it had dominated the site's light novel recommendations for weeks.
It was, without question, an excellent debut.
But excellence is always relative. Compared to other newcomers, its writing was remarkably refined; compared to veterans, it had a rare spark of creativity, free from commercial clichés. Still, Shiko Kasumi was a rookie, and the story had plenty of flaws—awkward pacing, uneven character work, and a lack of structural control.
So while the novel burned bright, it burned briefly.
When publishers began reaching out for licensing, the site had to step in, diagnose the problems, and coordinate with the author to fix them. After a great deal of back and forth, Love Metronome finally made it to print.
Rin himself had put in quite a bit of effort to make that happen.
After finishing his shopping, he returned to the counter.
"Thank you again—really, thank you so much!" Nanami bowed deeply once more, her gratitude leaving Rin at a loss for words.
"If you really want to thank me," he said with a sigh, "then get some proper rest."
Her cheeks flushed pink again. She ducked her head and quickly scanned his items, the soft beep of the register filling the air.
"That'll be 3,250 yen," she said quietly.
Rin paid, packed up his things, and started for the door.
"Wait!" Nanami called out suddenly. "You forgot something!"
Rin waved a hand without turning around. "Keep it. Take your medicine, okay?"
"Huh?"
She looked down in surprise—and found a box of fever medicine sitting on the counter.
For a moment, she just stared at it, speechless. Her lips parted as if to call after him, but no sound came out. Instead, she stood there silently, watching his figure disappear into the fading light.
Out on the street, Rin let out a quiet sigh and looked up at the evening sky.
The sunset burned across the horizon like molten gold, clouds glowing with fire against the clear, glass-blue expanse above.
That girl, he thought, was stubborn—and probably poor, too.
He wasn't sure she'd actually buy medicine on her own. He admired her resolve, but it made things complicated.
"Good deed for the day, done," he muttered. "Buddha, you'd better be watching out for me. Ever since I got here, everything's felt way too dangerous…"
His voice trailed off down the quiet street.
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