Another World Shop

When I woke up, I sat up slowly, rubbing my eyes. My body still hadn't adjusted to the new routine, but the day was already waiting. Today was my shift.

I got dressed, washed up, and headed to the store. As I walked, thoughts were already circling in my mind: what do I have now, and what am I still missing?

I had already secured connections with the major organizations. The Monster Hunters Association, their strange and practical products... but that wasn't enough. To grow the store further, I needed one more connection: Limuea — the leading cosmetics company in this world. They had their fingers on the pulse of fashion and aesthetics, and judging by the demand, their products sold like hotcakes on a winter morning.

"Maybe someday, I'll have a whole cosmetics section..." I thought, smiling at my own ambition.

I stepped into the sales floor and stopped behind the counter. Ha Rin had stayed in my room today — she wanted to spend time with Amatea and Tsunoa, play with them, maybe watch a movie or two. I had even turned on the TV for them. The channels here were surprisingly similar to the ones in my original world. She picked something to watch, and I, without asking details, simply agreed.

The day started quietly. After a while, the door jingled and a customer stepped in. Pale skin, dark glasses, a worn scarf — I'd seen him before. A vampire.

He looked just about my age.

Ha Rin once told me he usually came during the day. Now I understood why I hadn't seen him during my own shifts — we simply had different schedules.

He silently picked a blood pack labeled 20°C and came to the counter. I scanned it and was about to hand it over when something made me pause.

"Is everything alright?" I asked, not even sure why.

He stopped, turned slowly.

"Sorry... Could I ask something? Would you be able to give me a discount?"

I tilted my head. "And why is that?"

"It's a long story."

I wasn't annoyed or bored. On the contrary, something in his eyes made me want to listen.

He told me.

It turned out that he has a ten-year-old daughter. A vampire.She suffers from a rare condition known as "transforming blood deficiency." It affects children of higher-bloodline vampires as they approach the final phase of metamorphosis. The process requires an enormous amount of blood; otherwise, the body starts to deteriorate. His parents had supported him through it, but now, he was a father himself. He works three jobs. Twenty hours a day. He buys blood only for her. As for himself — he goes hungry.

I listened in silence. Something stirred in my chest. I wasn't a doctor. I wasn't a therapist. But I was... human.

"We have a special today," I said calmly. "Regular customers get a 90% discount."

He froze. Then his eyes began to tremble. He dropped to his knees right there in the store.

"You... You have no idea... what this means..." His voice was cracking.

"Please… stand up," I said gently, stepping around the counter and taking his hands.

He stood, looked me in the eye, and whispered:

"You're... a God?"

"What did you say?"

"N-nothing..." he murmured, flustered.

He bought all the blood packs we had and promised to repay me someday. As he was leaving, he told me his full name: Keltan Dauren.

I watched him go and felt... proud. I had done something good. And maybe gained a loyal customer in the process.

Not long after, the door opened again. I recognized her instantly. The same succubus from before — the one who'd cried over a breakup. But now she looked completely different.

Her hair was shiny and styled, her skin flawless like porcelain, and her outfit screamed confidence. She wasn't weeping anymore. She was radiant.

"Good afternoon," she said softly, a little shy. "I wanted to thank you... for the last time."

"No problem," I smiled. "How's the love life?"

She sighed.

"More selective now. Currently... no one."

"Looking to buy anything today?"

"Actually... I wanted to ask you something. What does love mean to you?"

I raised an eyebrow.

"Love?" I paused. "That's... not an easy question. But I guess I'd say this."

I spoke slowly. Calmly. I talked about the types of love — friendship, family, romantic. I described what romance meant to me: wanting to be near each other, sharing your thoughts openly, not hiding emotions. The warmth of a touch. A racing heartbeat. The way a scent becomes familiar and cherished. How even a simple moment can change your whole day.

"And above all," I added, "real love doesn't suffocate. It's peace. Harmony. Like a warm home on a cold night."

She didn't speak at first. Her eyes widened slightly, lips parting as if I had said something she needed to hear.

"Thank you..." she whispered. "I work for Limuea. We're developing a new perfume designed to enhance attraction between couples. I just... needed to understand what real love is to some people."

She handed me a business card. Smiled gently, like an old friend. And left.

Limuea. Now I had a direct contact. The world rewards action, not hesitation.

The next customer was a gnome. Short, with muscular arms, wearing dirty work clothes, and a long, thick beard. I already had a pretty good guess what he wanted. Sure enough, he brought a whole crate of alcohol.

"Celebration?" I asked with a grin.

"Something like that," he replied, paid, and left.

I didn't pay attention to what the different creatures were wearing. Everyone had their own circumstances. My job wasn't to judge.

The shift was winding down. I was tired, but content. When I returned to my room, I found Ha Rin sleeping soundly in my bed, curled up between Amatea and Tsunoa. All three of them looked peaceful. I quietly approached and gently touched her shoulder.

"Ha Rin-ah, time to wake up."

She stirred, blinking sleepily.

"Sorry... we stayed up late. I'll get up."

"No rush. I'll cover for you a bit longer."

When I stepped back out, Ji Ah was entering the store.

"Hey! I'm here to play with the fox girls!"

"They're still sleeping," I said. "But not for long."

She tilted her head.

"Wait... Ha Rin-ah was in your room all night?"

"Yeah. They were watching a movie."

"Can I... sometimes stay over too?" Ji Ah asked, a bit hesitant.

I smiled.

"Why not? You're part of our strange little family now."

She blinked, then nodded slowly. Her eyes softened, and a small smile curved her lips.

"Yeah," she said quietly.

We chatted a bit — about the shift, customers, schedules. Nothing urgent. Just pleasant routine. Soon after, Ha Rin stepped out of the room, fully awake and ready to take over.

While Ji Ah excitedly prepared to spend time with the fox girls and Ha Rin scribbled something into her notebook — probably logging the sales report — I finally slipped away to my room.

My eyes were already heavy, but sleep would have to wait just a few minutes longer.

I collapsed onto my bed, exhaled, and grabbed my phone. Unlocked the screen, opened the chat with Gai, and typed without hesitation:

"Gai, I need Seldria's contact. Urgent."

His reply was instant:

"Why?"

I responded directly:

"Potential expansion. Might be able to negotiate supply deals or contracts with Limuea, Elixoritis, and possibly the National Information and Control Agency. It's not easy. But it's real."

"Got it. Seldria is the head of the Association. If you message her, say it's from me."

I thanked him and sent her the same message I sent Gai.

The message was read almost immediately. A few seconds of silence. Then:

"Understood. If anything moves forward, let me know. I'll inform the Association once there's reason to proceed officially."

I nodded, though no one saw it.

One more step forward.

I set the phone down, let my body relax, and closed my eyes.

I never thought I'd be able to fall asleep during the day in this world.

But now... I can.