The new shop assistant

Laura went to greet the old woman while Marco immediately leaves to return in the back of the shop. Ryuko was left confused if she will follow Marco or just stay here.

"Terashima-san welcome back to my shop."

"Oh Laura-chan. I'm happy to see that your shop is still here."

"Of course it will. You are always welcome here."

As the two went further inside, they notice Ryuko standing between the shelves like she's trying to get smaller and unnoticeable.

"This is my new shop assistant. I just hired her today. Her name is Yamada Ryuko." Laura introduced Ryuko.

Ryuko immediately smile and bow to the old lady.

"Nice to meet you Terashima-san. My name is Yamada Ryuko. I look forward with assisting you here in the shop."

The old lady smiles.

"Such a nice girl. She's probably the same age with my youngest grandchild Tomoko."

"Why don't you look around Terashima-san. Ryuko will be your assistant today."

Laura left the old lady and went to the counter with a small tablet on it. As the old lady walks and checks the displayed items, Laura signals Ryuko to follow the old lady. Ryuko quickly complied and followed behind Terushima.

"Is Tomoko-chan also a college student?" Ryuko initiated a conversation.

"Oh. If only. That child stop going to school. She started to hang out with the bad kind of friends."

The old woman went to the trinkets section and browse on the small trinkets with different designs and sizes.

"I hope those are the friends that won't bring her to harm." Ryuko said.

"I also hope for that dear. Last time, she asked for money because she said she was caught stealing. I paid for the person who claims as her victim. I later found out that person is just a colleague of Tomoko and they lied to get money from me."

"That was horrible. She shouldn't have done that to you."

"I already forgave her. Nothing harm happen to her at least. But I'm getting worried to her as days pass."

Terashima notices a trinket of a ladybug and picked it up.

"I wish she returns back to the same Tomoko I love before."

Suddenly, Ryuko saw the ladybug started crawling. She steps back in surprise and bumped on a knight armour behind her. The armour started to move but Ryuko quickly catches it before it falls. She looks at Laura still in the counter, but the owner appears busy checking something in the tablet. Ryuko sighs and returns back the armour on its place.

"It will be her birthday soon and I want to check an item here for her present." Terashima continued.

"Oh, that would be lovely." Ryuko said while checking the ladybug trinket on the old lady's hand. It's not moving anymore.

"I wish I could give her more than this. But knowing her, she wouldn't like anything except money. She likes catching bugs when she was still a kid."

"Me too. I look for beetles and dragonflies when I was still a kid. I then get scolded by my mom because I released a lot of bugs in our home."

Terashima chuckled upon hearing her story, but Ryuko still sees the sadness in Terashima's eyes. She's pretty sure that Tomoko will demand money instead of a cheap trinket.

"If only there's something that could make the old lady happy." Ryuko thought

Just then, Ryuko saw the ladybug moves again. She checked the old lady, but Terashima is busy again checking the other trinkets. The ladybug flies to Terashima shoulder and remain unmoving. Ryuko doesn't feel any hostility or bad vibe with the ladybug. Rather, she feels that the ladybug emitting a positive energy from it.

"Hmm. I can't find anything else." Terashima said.

Suddenly the ladybug flies back to Terashima's hand.

"Do you think this will do?" Terashima asked Ryuko about the ladybug trinket.

Ryuko smiled and hold Terashima's hand with the ladybug trinket.

"The ladybug have a symbolic meaning of good luck and blessing. If Tomoko is a bug lover before, she will know it and she will love this present."

"Oh, I hope so Yamada-chan." Terashima smiles.

The old lady went to the counter to pay for the trinket. After a short talk with Laura, the old lady went to the door and Ryuko went with her.

"I'll be back someday to check something again." Terashima said to Ryuko.

"We will wait for you again Terashima-san. Please take care."

As the old woman finally exited, Ryuko sighs and went to Laura. The owner smiles and pat Ryuko on her shoulder.

"Good job on your first customer." Laura greeted.

"Thank you. I nearly brought down the armour though when I bumped on it. I'm sorry."

"I see. I will remind Marco to make it unmovable later."

Later, Laura teaches Ryuko about manning the counter and updating their inventories. She then shows her around the shop. Finally, they filled up the contract for Ryuko's employment for the antique shop. It was already 9 PM when they finally ended.

"The shop rarely have customers but each one of them are important specially choosing the right item for them." Laura reminded Ryuko.

Ryuko is listening to Laura but she's thinking of Terashima. Noticing it, Laura can help but smile.

"Worried about old lady Terashima?"

Ryuko smile weakly.

"I just hope the trinket I approved brings her happiness."

Laura chuckles and pat Ryuko's shoulder.

"You just said that ladybugs have a symbolic meaning of good luck and blessing right? Trust on your own decision."

With those words in her mind, Ryuko went home that night happily. From that day, Ryuko starts working in the antique shop every Thursday to Sunday from 4 PM to 9 PM. Her job is to help the customers and process the payment. If there is something needed to do in the shop like cleaning or moving things, Ryuko just need to tell it to Marco. Laura immediately leaves once Ryuko arrives and returns went it's time to close.

One week has pass since Ryuko started working.

"Goddamn it! I'm dying with boredom!" Ryuko shouted.

Ever since Terashima purchased the ladybug trinket, there's no customer after that. Ryuko have to spend the whole shift just staring at the door for a customer. She eventually started to use her time for studying and working on her assignments. But when those were also completed, she has nothing to do in the shop. The signal in that area is weak so browsing in her cell phone is also a bust. Even though she was scared at first, Ryuko tried to have a conversation with Marco, but the guy is just standing like a statue if there's no command to give to him.

"Just buy a book. You'll be surprised how it will kill your time." Laura suggested.

Ryuko sigh. She's not a book reader but she doesn't have any option. She prefers reading manga, but they will be finished in one sitting.

"I'll ask Kaguya to recommend some books on my first paycheck."

The door chime suddenly ring and the door opens. Ryuko immediately stands up from her seat to greet the person. It was a girl that looks to be around the same age of Ryuko. She has an attire of a modern Gyaru. Bleached yellow hair, mini skirt, cropped hoodies, and off-the-shoulder tops. All matching in co-ord sets.

"Are you Yamada Ryuko?" the girl asked.

Ryuko got surprised that the woman is looking for her.

"Ah Yes. I am Yamada Ryuko."

"My name is Terashima Tomoko. I believe my grandma visited here a week ago."

"Yes indeed. She purchased a trinket here."

"Can I talk to you for a moment?" Tomoko asked.

"Sure. Come in."

Ryuko lead Tomoko to the living room behind the shop's showcases.

"Marco, gives us some tea."

The masked man immediately obeyed Ryuko. Once both women were seated, Tomoko pulled out the ladybug trinket from her pocket.

"She gave it to me as a birthday gift. Honestly, I just accepted it so I can act like a good girl and then ask her for birthday money."

Ryuko didn't like what she heard but she stopped herself to let Tomoko finish talking.

"However, after taking this trinket, I forgot about it. We enjoyed my birthday like how we always do in the past. It was very fun. I said I liked her present. Then she said that a girl who likes bug like me is the one who recommended it."

Tears suddenly flow from Tomoko's eyes.

"She passed away that night. I'm very sad. I did horrible thing to my grandma. I can't forgive myself. I already cut ties to my friends that collaborate with me to fool my grandma. But I still feel, feel so bad."

Ryuko went to Tomoko and hugged her. She let the girl cry out her sadness. Then, she noticed Marco coming with the tea. Ryuko signals him to stay away which made the man got confused but obeyed, nonetheless.

Tomoko's eye is red from crying and Ryuko offered her a handkerchief.

"I'm sorry. I just want to let you know about grandma's passing, but I somehow feel that I want to let it out to you. My parents are still mad at me from what I did to grandma so I can't really talk to them."

"It's okay. You don't need to bottle it up in your heart. That's how grieving is. If you want to, we can be friends and we can talk from time to time."

Tomoko finally smiles and the two shakes hand. Ryuko look at the Marco and asked where the tea is. The masked guy got confused again and went to make another set. Tomoko spends talking to Ryuko about her grandma and their life together. Tomoko also checked the trinket part of the shop.

"This one looks cute." Tomoko said while showing a violet butterfly trinket.

Ryuko feels something bad about the butterfly trinket. It has a menacing aura to her eyes.

"Hmm.. How about this one?"

Ryuko picked up a bumblebee trinket and let Tomoko hold it.

"You're right. The yellow and black of the bumblebee did matches with red and black of ladybug."

When Tomoko went to put down the violet butterfly, Ryuko noticed that the ladybug and bumblebee trinkets move for a short time to rubs each other.

"They really are a partner"

After Tomoko paid for the trinkets, Ryuko went with her up to outside of the shop.

"Thank you, Yamada. Let's hang out someday." Tomoko happily said.

"Of course. Let's go to the mountain someday to catch some bugs." Ryuko suggested.

"Hahaha. I'll think about it. I might not make it without a wi-fi for a single day."

"Ugh. I'm experiencing that daily here."

The two waves goodbye before Ryuko returns back to the shop. She saw Marco with another set of tea.

"Marco. She's gone already."

Marco looked at the tea he made and Ryuko sighs then smiles at the guy.

"Alright. How about we drink that and call it a day?"

Marco nodded fast which send Ryuko laughing.

"Are you a parakeet?"