Convenience Store Manager: Ran entered at the Start

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Teitan High School.

Mori Ran sat by the window of Class 2-B, completely numb.

She had no idea how she even got to school.

The more she thought about it, the more her mind froze...

Last night, because of a single bottle of mineral water worth 100 yen, Akira had dragged her

into the convenience store's storage room and given her a serious "lesson" for an entire hour.

But what really sent chills down her spine was how casually Akira had revealed that he knew

her mom was a top-tier lawyer.

This guy seemed to know way too much about her!

And the most, most, most important thing…

Akira's face was burned into her mind. No matter what she did, she couldn't shake it off.

"Hey… Ran."

Sonoko Suzuki's sudden voice snapped Ran out of her deep thoughts.

"Haha—"

"Did I scare you?"

"What's up with that roller coaster murder case you were talking about last night?"

"I even saw it in this morning's Tokyo Daily!"

"Hurry up and tell me all about it!"

Sonoko was the kind of woman who lived for gossip.

Whether it was celebrity scandals or murder cases, anything that piqued her curiosity was like fuel

for her excitement.

"The roller coaster… I already forgot about it."

Ran replied absentmindedly.

"You forgot?"

Sonoko, who was brimming with excitement, suddenly looked stunned.

This was something that had just happened last night.

How could Ran, someone who was directly involved, completely forget about it overnight?

Sonoko reached out and placed her hand on Ran's forehead.

"Whoa… what's wrong with you?"

She had assumed Ran must have a fever or something, causing her to forget about last night's

events.

But… that wasn't it!

The moment she touched Ran's forehead, she felt the heat—not feverish, but the kind of heat that

comes from sweating after intense exercise.

"I-I'm fine."

Ran wasn't running a fever.

It was just that…

The moment she thought about what had happened last night in the convenience store storage

room, her entire body started heating up again involuntarily.

Akira's speed was so fast that it had completely shattered her nerves!

"Sonoko."

"Last night was terrifying."

"I don't want to talk about it!"

Ran slumped onto her desk, throwing out a random excuse to avoid the conversation.

The roller coaster murder case?

Sorry!

Her mind wasn't capable of focusing on that right now.

"That's fine."

"How about we go to CLOVER convenience store after school today?"

"It's a brand-new store that just opened in Beika Town's Fifth District."

Sonoko easily accepted Ran's excuse.

For one simple reason—

Because Ran had never lied to her before?"

"I'm not going."

The moment Ran heard the words CLOVER convenience store, she tensed up.

"Huh???"

"But it just opened today! I heard from some students in the next class that their oden is really

good."

Ran shook her head furiously.

She was determined to shut down this idea.

Just opened today?

She had already been there last night, okay?

She didn't need anyone to introduce her to CLOVER convenience store—she knew exactly how

many storage boxes were in the back better than anyone!

"If you don't want to go today, then forget it."

Sonoko was a little disappointed but had no choice but to let it go.

It's not like she could drag Ran there against her will.

However…

That didn't mean she was giving up.

If she couldn't go today, she could always go tomorrow, right?

"Oh, by the way, I have some news for you."

"I heard that Shiori and Yui from Class 2-A successfully got jobs as night shift workers at CLOVER

convenience store."

As soon as she said that—

Ran's heart trembled.

She immediately thought back to Akira's terrifying speed last night.

Shiori Fuyutsuki and Yui Nakazumi—those two cute girls—

Were they about to experience that same feeling?

"…Sigh."

Ran let out a long sigh.

But what could she do?

It's not like she could tell anyone about her own experience and use it as a warning.

"You're such a boring woman."

Sonoko had thought that bringing up Shiori and Yui working at the convenience store might spark

Ran's interest.

But—

"Mhm."

Ran just buried her face in her desk and mumbled a soft reply.

If it had been before, she would have felt a little uncomfortable whenever Sonoko called her a

woman.

But now…

She had really become one, hadn't she?

...