Chapter 21 : Ugly twelve years old (4)

My daily routine was always the same.

I woke early, ate a quick breakfast, and headed to the shop to start work.
I was supposed to fill empty shelves before Uncle arrived… but they were already stocked.
I was meant to clean unnoticed trash and dust… but it was already spotless.
The messy storage, too, was fully organized—a sight that left me briefly speechless.
“….”
It dawned on me that nothing was quite the same anymore.

Anyway.
“Welcome!”

Though my childish charm was gone, I greeted the shop’s customers with vigor to kick off the day.
“Ain, you’ve grown taller already!”
“Oh, come on, you’ve gotten even more beautiful, ma’am.”

A practiced smile with a touch of flattery—now second nature, free of embarrassment.
“Why not meet my daughter? She’s lovely and kind, I swear.”
“I’m flattered, truly, but I’m not worthy of her. She deserves someone better…”

Beyond the days of being doted on, I deftly deflected matchmaking attempts while ringing up groceries.
“Where else would I find a boy as sharp and polite as you? Just meet her once, please?”
“Haha, that’s 1080 dera, but you’re so stunning I’ll sneak an 80 dera discount past the boss! Thank you!”

I dodged persistent setups by slashing prices, handling customers one by one.

The busy hours rolled on.
Amid my usual routine, time flowed as always.
Swamped with serving customers and earning coin, my focus wavered, and my gaze kept drifting.

It was the same ordinary life, yet something felt off—a subtle strangeness had crept in.
It nagged at me, stirring faint unease.
Between fake smiles for customers, my eyes turned to one spot.

“…Ain.”
“….”

A soft whisper came from behind the counter.
“Ain.”

A woman, draped in the robe I’d given her long ago, peeked out, staring at me.
“…Need something?”
“No. Ain, keep going.”

Her blank gaze watched me work, her hand waving as if cheering me on.
“…Thanks.”
“Mm.”

At my thanks, she smiled faintly, peeking out again to watch.

So.
She’d stayed at the shop only to recover during her power’s awakening.
“Ain.”
“…What now?”
“Keep going.”

Yet even now, long past that, she remained here.

This began the day after she unleashed her ashen power.
After she awakened as a witch and fell asleep, Uncle and I discussed her future.
“Ain, you brat. She seems healed, but what now?”
“Hm… Keeping her here might be tough for you, so maybe take her back to where she lived?”

It sounded cold, I know, but it felt like the best option then.
I’d called her a good kid, but leaving a potential bomb in the shop’s corner wouldn’t sit well with Uncle.
Better to rebuild her plank house properly and send her back to the alley than live with suspicion.

Uncle responded, troubled.
“Hm… That makes sense, but sending her back to that alley…”
“But keeping her here’s no good either, right?”

We had no means to handle any incidents that might arise from her staying.
After pondering, Uncle nodded and opened the shop’s door.
“Then let’s visit that alley where she lived.”
“Oh, you’ll come?”
“Yeah, seeing it will help me decide.”

I agreed it was a good idea and led him to the alley.

Well…
What happened next?
“You… you trash! You called her a mutt and meant to send her back to this doghouse?”
“No, that’s not—”
“You rotten kid! If you’re human, you wouldn’t let her live here again. You should’ve begged to keep her at the shop!”
“Uncle, listen to me—”

No explanation worked on him.
“You trash! She’s staying at the shop, got it?”
“….”
“What’re you standing there for? Grab her precious things and follow, you sniveling trash!”

Damn it.
I ended up the world’s worst sniveling trash.
So unfair, I could die.

Anyway.
That’s why.
She still lived in the shop’s small room, peeking out to watch me work.
I became trash by accident, but it earned her permission to stay.
Her bright smile upon hearing she could remain—Uncle’s stunned face at that sight—still lingered vividly.

Things changed in those few days.
As I said, my morning tasks were already done.
She woke early, watched my work closely, and finished it all before I arrived.

So.
In short, my routine was shifting.
The same old days had changed, flowing in a slightly new direction, as if this was how it always was.

“Ain.”
“….”

A quiet, delicate voice called only my name.
“Ain.”
“….”

Ignoring it to focus on work, the voice persisted.
“Ain.”
“…What?”

I finally answered her meaningless call.
“Thanks.”

She’d say thanks, cheer me on, or admit she’s bored—nothing more.
“For what?”
“Everything?”
“…Sure.”

We repeated this loop, like a refrain, throughout our time at the shop.

My day passed its midpoint, heading toward its end.
By afternoon, as the sky turned to sunset, I rose from the counter to clean up.
The empty shop, after customers left, looked like a war-torn battlefield. I swept up scattered grocery scraps with a broom.

While sweeping—
“Ain, this.”
“Oh, thanks.”

She’d shed her robe, following me with quick steps.
She picked up trash or dust I missed, offering it like she wanted praise.
“Ain.”
“Yeah?”
“Thanks?”
“….”

She really did crave praise.
“No thanks?”
“…Thanks.”

Like a puppy seeking its master’s approval, no tail wagged, but her ashen aura shimmered in the air like one.
I still couldn’t grasp how to take this, but—
“Was I helpful?”
“You were.”

At my words, she grinned brightly, darting off to pick up more.
I thought:
She’d changed.
Her eyes’ hexagram, the ashen shimmer around her—everything had changed.
Yet she hadn’t.
Her emotions were sharper, but since that ashen outburst, they’d been restrained.
No trace of madness; she remained blank and kind.

So.
I’d treat her as before.
After brief hesitation, I settled on that.

Cleanup done, parting time arrived.
“Parting” might sound sad, but it was familiar to us.
“Ain.”
“Yeah.”

Our years-long greeting began with her call.
“Tomorrow.”
“….”

But one word had changed.
“See you tomorrow, Ain.”
“…Yeah.”

A month-long wait had become a single day.
Her once-blank expression shifted too.
Her curved eyes met mine.
Her faint smile showed.
“Bye, Ain.”
“….”

I faced her gentle, waving hand.

And I—
Seeing her, I thought she was ordinary.
Her smile in the sunset’s glow suited her perfectly.
My choice wasn’t wrong.
That’s what I thought.