Frankenstein's Monster Moseys In

“Haru, there have been reports of a suspicious character of substantial build skulking about the neighborhood.”

Soooo... My manager?!

“...Oh, not you, too. When I made the announcement this afternoon, everyone else had the same reaction.”

Wait, it’s...NOT my manager?!

“Quickly followed by that one. I don’t understand. Did I miss something?”

He rests his chin in his hand, in cute contemplation. ...It’s too late. If he hasn’t figured it out by now, he’s never going to get it.  

Still, it’s kind of sad that it’s all too easy for our thoughts to jump straight to the manager whenever anyone mentions anyone “freakishly large.”  

“It’s nothing you need to worry about, Manager. Everyone working here knows that you’re a really good guy.”

“Hm? I appreciate the kind words, but... What brought that on?”

He scratches his cheek, clearly pleased (but also still confused), and it’s just too cute to bear.

Come on! Who could EVER believe that this sweet, sensitive man is anything BUT an upstanding citizen!

Okay, sure, I had my doubts for a moment there, but that’s beside the point! It’s not my fault there isn’t anyone else in the area who even comes close to measuring up to him!

“If you see anyone who matches that description, we’re to report it straight away. Alright?”

“Um, you mean the cops actually stopped by today?”

“Right. Since Keigo is on friendly terms with the local law enforcement team, they’ve been patrolling the area more frequently. He says that we’ll be fine regardless, since we haven’t had anyone suspicious come to the store. ...Still, I am a little nervous about all the police cars that have been parked in the lot. I think it’s upsetting our customers.”

Yeeeah, no. They definitely came by to keep an eye on our manager!! Keigo did a nice job of covering that up, but that’s not going to lessen anyone’s doubts about the poor guy! Aren’t they just picking on him based on his looks? 

“So, um, has this guy done anything wrong, or...?”

“Things like frightening children and being mean to dogs.”

Yeah, that’s a pretty solid rap sheet.

We’d better find the real culprit and clear the manager’s name, ASAP.

“If you see anyone who fits that description, alert the authorities with all of your might.”

“Uh, sure. ...Like, with a megaphone, or...?”

So starts my sixty-seventh lonely late-night behind the till.

Ding-a-ling-a-ling...  

“Welcome, irasshaima... Oooh.”

This guy who’s even TALLER than my manager walks in. No, seriously. This dude must be like, eight feet, minimum. If I had to guess, I’d say he’s even more ripped, too.

I can’t see him all that well, though. He’s wearing a light green hoodie, with the top pulled down over most of his face. You can tell that he’s used to not fitting through doorways and stuff, since he’s shuffling around with his head hunched down.

A pair of beat-up slacks and grungy sandals complete this guy’s look. Having his face covered like that reeeeally makes him look sketchy, though. Maybe HE’S the one the cops are looking for?

I try to sneak a peek at his face from my lower vantage point — but as soon as he sees me staring, he pulls the strings of his hood even tighter and rushes off to the back of the store.

Well, that’s not suspicious at ALL.

I watch as this dubious dude grabs a few different kinds of packaged bread, a selection of candies and a bottle of water before making his way to the register.

He sets his basket on the counter without a word, and I start to ring him up.

There’s a lone pork cutlet sandwich mixed in with his assortment of snacks — which reminds me of the demon lord.

“That’ll be nine hundred twenty yen.”

The peculiar customer pulls out a slightly wrinkled thousand-yen bill. He takes his change and his purchases in complete silence, then shuffles back out.  

...So, should I call the cops on this guy, or what? ...Then again, it’s not like he’s any more suspicious than our usual clientele.

Ding-a-ling-a-ling...  

“Um... Thank you for your patronage!”

Thinking about it, I honestly don’t know enough about this guy to go raising the alarm. ...So, that’s that. Time to get back to work. I figure I might as well go and start straightening up the displays. And that’s when I notice...

“Huh.”

For some reason, everything’s in neat, tidy rows. The bread section, the sweets section...you name it.

And that’s not all. All the packages are facing the right way, pulled up to the edge for easy access.

Usually, at this hour, I’m stuck rearranging the jumbles of plastic wrap that have been strewn about the shelves.

Since there’s not much left for me to improve on, I decide to go check on the garbage bins.

Ding-a-ling-a-ling...  

“Huh?!”

The green-hooded stranger is crouched down in front of the store.

He’s STILL here?! 

The stranger just about jumps out of his skin when he realizes I’m there, leaping up and getting ready to make a run for it.

“Hey, hold up!”

I reach out and grab the edge of the guy’s hoodie before he can bolt.

“Uh, was that you, back there? You know, with the...”

“...”

...The garbage area is also pristine.

There are always empty bottles lying around, or trash that’s missed its mark, but the pavement is bare.

Actually, I think he might have even replaced the bags.

“I knew it! You’re the one who did all that tidying up, right?”

Huh. Even the flowers around the entrance have been watered. ...Don’t tell me. Is THAT what the bottle of water was for...?

But, this guy just shakes his head, clearly eager to be off on his way.

“Come on, who does a bunch of good deeds and then dashes off? Seriously — I’m not upset about it or anything. Maybe a little surprised at how quickly you managed all that, sure, but I’m grateful for the help.”

“...”

The hooded figure slowly turns to look at me, the bright lights of the convenience store illuminating the shadowy contours of his face.

It looks like it’s been stitched together. His massive forehead juts out beyond his brow, his droopy chin sags down to his neck, and his tongue keeps poking out between what might be his only two teeth. I’ve never seen anyone like him before. And probably never will again.

Feeling self-conscious, the stranger buries his face in his hoodie again.

“My...naim...Fran-...ken-...shtine. ...I...uglii...”

He’s got a rough, grumbling voice that makes him sound like some sort of wild animal. But, there’s a hint of vulnerability to it.

“What? No, I wouldn’t call you that.”

“...W-wy nott...?”

“If you saw half the weirdos we get here, you’d get it. As long as people are friendly, I could care less about how they look.”

If this job has taught me anything, it’s that you can’t judge a book by its cover. My manager’s been the best example of that. When I first saw him, I was so terrified that I had to rehearse every conversation six times before I could even work up the courage to speak to him — but now I know that he’s really just a gentle giant who loves flowers.

It’s thanks to lessons like those that I’ve learnt not to assume things about people based on their looks.

“...Thnk...yu...”

“Nah, it’s nothing.”

“...I...lik...kiz...’n...dugs. They...lik...braid...’n...sncks. Play...t’gether.”

So, that explains all the bread and treats he bought! In that case...

I’m willing to bet that the people who saw him feeding dogs thought he was teasing them.

And the shrieks they heard from the kids was just them having fun.

“...Btt...now...kiz...say...gr’wn ups...don’ wnt...go...cloze.”

The hurt and betrayal in his voice is heartbreaking. He’s only being a good playmate to the local kids! It’s just his face that’s turning all the adults off. That’s not fair! He can’t help how he looks.

“What? You shouldn’t have to listen to those jerks! Everyone’s having fun, right? There’s nothing wrong with that! You just keep doing you, man!”

“...Thnk...yu. Kiz smaile wh’n giv sncks. Mak happii.”

Gripping the bag in his hands, Frankenstein nods in deep appreciation. Without another word, he turns around and shuffles back out into the night, melting into the shadows.

Honestly, a guy that nice deserves whatever happiness he can get.

“Come back soon!!”

I shout out towards the darkness, as loudly as I can.

I really hope he heard that.