Antique Shop?BEAR? - Chapter 28
Chapter 28 – Magic Lamp
On his way back to work, as he passed by the river near his house, he abruptly had a flashback to last night. It was past 1 a.m. when he left the restaurant, and Sakuya was drunk and staggered home.
That was when he caught sight of a store with the lights on. Sakuya didn’t think anything of it. He was simply intrigued by the illuminated store and proceeded down the stone pavement. The shop had a sign stating, “An antique shop BEAR”, but Sakuya didn’t read the sign and stepped into the shop.
“Welcome.”
“Sister, do you serve alcohol here?”
Sakuya mistook the kimono-clad owner at the cash register to be a woman.
“Pardon me, but this is not a dining facility.”
“Then what is this store?”
“It’s an antique shop.”
Sakuya mouthed, “Ha?” before finally realizing that what was in the store was miscellaneous goods. He was about to leave the store, unsteady, when he spotted a lamp on one of the shelves.
“What is this? A magic lamp?” Sakuya yanked forcefully on the glass shelf to open it.
“Excuse me, sir…!”
The owner of the store hastily stepped next to Sakuya.
“Oh, so you’re a man. Apologies.”
“No worries… Are you able to walk?”
“I’m fine.”
“Let me show you the way out.”
“Is that magic lamp going to release a demon of the lamp?”
The shopkeeper glanced down at Sakuya. “Ah, the lamp over here? The previous owner made a wish that came true.”
The owner was speaking with a stern countenance and Sakuya laughed it off in a good mood.
“I’ll take it then. How much?”
“2,000 yen.”
?????
Sakuya chuckled as he recalled that part. It was the first time he had ever bought something unneeded while intoxicated. It was a good thing his wife was decorating the lamp for him, but for it to be a magic lamp was beyond absurd.
When he returned to work, there were few people on the floor, and the situation was strange compared to usual.
“What happened?”
Sakuya asked Fukuroda, his colleague at the next desk. Fukuroda sneaked a glance around and told him in a whisper.
“Well, the manager collapsed in the smoking area and had to be rushed to the emergency room.”
“Eh!”
“Apparently, someone from another floor who went to the smoking area in the afternoon found him… He was lying in a pool of blood.”
“A pool of blood? Why?”
“Who knows…”
“I see.”
Sakuya made a mental gut punch. I can go home this way!
“Where’s Chief Shinotsuka?”
“Eh? He said he was heading back to the office first and I dropped him off at the station?”
“Huh? I don’t think he’s back at the office? I haven’t received any notice that he is back.”
Sakuya exclaimed even more in his heart, “Yessssss!”. Looking at the magnet board, he noted that Chief Shinotsuka still had his magnet attached to the outer area.
I can go home clean and clear without even a glance at him! Perfect!
Is it possible that my wish was granted by the magic lamp?
Oh, and don’t come back tomorrow.
Sakuya packed his bag and rose to his feet.
“You’re leaving? What’s about the report on the outing?”
“I’ll have it ready tomorrow. It’s not every day you get a chance to leave so early!”
Fukuroda gave a bitter smile.
I don’t care what this guy thinks of me. Whatever I choose to leave, I’m free to do so!
“I’ll finish my report and then head home. Thanks for your hard work.”
“Bye.”
Sakuya moved the magnet to return home and left the company.
Upon returning home, he passed by the antique shop, but it was not open. The shutters were closed, not even the interior was visible.
As soon as he got home, Azusa shouted in surprise.
“You’re home so early! Isn’t this the first time since joining the company?”
“Maybe so. Well, I guess my wish came true! The Demon God of Lamp has appeared.”
“Eh…? Oh, you mean the wish you made yesterday to go home early?”
“Yeah, yeah.”
Azusa too had only returned home from work and was still unprepared for dinner, thus he picked up sushi from a delivery service and spent a leisurely evening drinking beer.
This is the best!
Shortly after nine o’clock, his office phone rang. Although he was annoyed to have his elegant time interrupted, he picked up the phone upon confirming that it was Fukuroda.
“The manager, he’s dead.”
He nearly shouted, “Yoo-hoo!”.
“I just received the news from the company.”
“I see. What a regret.”
“Also, it seems that the section chief hasn’t gone home either, so the company was contacted. The police might contact you or go to your place.”
“I don’t know anything about it.”
“It can’t be helped since the last person he met was you.”
When he hung up the phone, he slammed the company phone down on the bed.
That’s right. What a pain in the ass.
Anyway, did the manager die? The chief is gone too? Isn’t this the best?
The magic lamp on the side table caught his attention.
I owe it to this guy. I requested this guy. I asked him to kill the manager and the section chief so I wouldn’t have to work overtime. A life where I could live comfortably and not be on my nerves.
That is why I secretly stalked him in the morning after he went to the smoking area.
The only person who smokes at that time of day is him.
The smoking area was located in a corner of the underground parking lot. Furthermore, it was in a blind spot, not viewable from the parking lot.
The entrance door and the front glass were both obscured. On the ceiling was a ventilation duct, and he observed that the smoke from the chief’s cigarette was being sucked upward.
When he entered the smoking area, the manager looked at him in astonishment.
“Ito, do you smoke?”
How could he possibly smoke? Shutting the door behind him, he smacked him on the head with a large glass container that had been placed in the smoking area. He collapsed helplessly on the spot, so he kept on bashing until his face was crushed.
Afterward, he left the smoking area as if nothing had transpired.
In the afternoon, he was on the road with Chief Shinotsuka. The guy was irritating to begin with, but when he said he would be leaving for the office after he finished his inspection of the site, he got on his nerves to the hilt.
Leave it to me for handling the complaints and present a pleasant face to the clients.
Looking like a big shot.?
A face that knows how things are handled in the field.?
That face that preaches at me.
At the office, making the face that flirts with the superior.
Putting on a cool face for female employees.
And as for me…
A condescending face face face face face face face face face face face face face face face face face face face face face face face face face face face face face face face face face face face face face face face face face
face face face face face face face face face face face face face face face face face
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face face face face face face face
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face face face…………
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I’m sick of this!
Finally, he stabbed the ballpoint pen he was holding into the chief’s throat. Now he won’t be able to scream anymore.
The chief gurgled and flailed, but they were inside a car. Even if he called for help, none would show up.
How shall one ever forget that look of shock and devastation on his face?
Afterward, he finished dealing with the remaining two complaints and headed back to work. The chief was still gurgling in the trunk.
The magic lamp granted his wish. True to his wish, the manager and chief were both gone and he could go home without working overtime.
This is fantastic!
That reminds me, one last wish left to make. What shall I choose?
????????
Kuma was relieved when the drunk left the shop.
“Drunk people are such trouble to deal with.”
He checked the locks on the shelves to be certain they were not damaged.
“The magic lamp only became available today, yet it sold out so swiftly.”
Kuma re-locked the shelf and returned to the cash register.
“Wishes don’t come true unless you initiate them, though.”
Then, he took out his camera and reviewed the pictures he had captured, smiling.
“The previous owner of that lamp was a psycho, hence the demon god manifested.”