Chapter 18 – Coincidence
When the extra class ended that afternoon, Makoto immediately rushed to the front gate. There was an emergency message from the manager of the store where she worked part-time. The person begged her to fill the cashier position until five o’clock. When Makoto changed her shoes, there was someone who patted her shoulders.
“We’re going to McDonald’s, come with us!”
They were Momoko and Asami, her classmates. They often invited Makoto to have lunch together or meet after school because Makoto was once their partner in biology class before.
“Sorry, I can’t. I have a part-time job.”
“Wow.”
“Too bad.”
“Goodbye, I’m in a hurry.” Makoto passed both of them and then ran.
“Huh, Makoto sucks.”
“Lately, it’s been hard to invite her out.”
The two dissatisfied girls grumbled.
Makoto took the bus from the front gate, then got off at the fifth stop. From there, she walked to Suns Mart and entered through the employee’s door.
She changed into a polo shirt with a logo and apron. After that, she opened the door that connected her to the supermarket. The supermarket had bright lights with the aim of displaying the delicacy of the food. The place was clean and there were lots of customers.
“Welcome.”
While saying that, Makoto looked around the supermarket. There was still a little less than ten minutes until the cashier shifts change. So, Makoto helped several people to pass the time. She helped a man who looked confused while looking at a notebook, Makoto asked him: “Can I help you search for what you are looking for?” Then Makoto also helped a customer who couldn’t reach the upper shelf.
That was also how she met Yukio. Makoto was the one who greeted the child.
Yukio was running around in the snack aisle. The boy stretched out his hand through the shelf while running, dropping the snacks to the floor. When he turned around because he had reached the end of the hall, he trampled on the fallen snacks.
Makoto, who was walking to the employee’s only place because it was the time of her cashier shift, assumed that this was her chance. Ever since she learned of Yukio’s whereabouts, she was always aware of that.
“Wow, if this is going on, we can’t sell the snacks.”
Yukio immediately stopped upon hearing Makoto’s words. Then the boy glared.
Makoto crouched to return the snacks to the shelves. Thanks to her crouching down, her height was lower, and her line of sight became the same as Yukio’s. Makoto showed the snack box that had been crushed but the boy looked away, frowning.
“Panther Rider Chocolate, huh? Do you want it?” Makoto asked. Yukio, who looked away before, immediately turned his head again.
“Can I?”
“We can’t sell this anymore because you had trampled on it. So I will give it to you. Where is your mom?”
“In the meat section.”
“Then, go back to your mother first. Then, go to the back door when she pays at the cashier.”
“Back door?”
“Yes. After you exit from the front door, turn right. I’ll wait there.”
“Okay!”
Yukio happily returned to his mother. Makoto quickly brought the snacks that could not be sold anymore through the cashier, then went to the back door through to the backyard. As she waited while drinking a canned coffee, Yukio arrived. Since today was Saturday and it was busy in the store, every person’s break time was divided. Thanks to this, there was no one else in the backroom nor the backyard.
“Give it quickly.” The boy who was impatiently waiting stamped his feet.
“Ah, but you have to promise me two things.”
“What is it?”
“You can’t play in the snack hall again. Then, you can’t tell your mother about this.”
“Why?”
“Both of us can be scolded. If that’s the case, I can’t give you another snack, right?”
“Okay.” Yukio nodded while his eyes were busy looking at the Rider Panther chocolate that Makoto held before his eyes.
“Then, hurry up and eat it now. If you take it home later your mother will find out.”
Yukio quickly took the box from Makoto’s hand, opened it, then immediately ate it. Since it was a children’s snack, it had a small size and the snack ran out immediately.
“Hurry back to your mother now. She will worry about you.”
Yukio, who was satisfied, immediately ran back without saying thank you. If she really had to kill him, Makoto thought she needed at least a month to do that. There are no security cameras outside the supermarket, or in the backyard. But, of course, there was a camera inside the store and the data was stored for one month. At that time, Makoto was determined to carry out her plan after the video in the snack hall was erased.
“Please wait for a moment,” Makoto announced to customers who were in line, then quickly changed positions with the current cashier.
“I’m sorry for the inconvenience. Was there any point cards? “
Makoto diligently did her job. It had been a year and a half since she worked at Suns Mart. This part-time job was the longest one she did after becoming a high school student. It was fun working at the supermarket. Even though the customers didn’t memorize their faces, Makoto memorized every customer’s face. The faces that she always saw every afternoon, the face that only appeared on weekends. Rice boxes that are often bought.
Makoto also obtained Yukio’s address from this part-time job. Yukio’s mother had requested the delivery of goods. Makoto used that as an excuse, “for the purposes of complaints about damaged goods, I will record your data.” Then she grabbed the form from the counter.
After knowing their address, Makoto watched Yukio several times around there. Every time she saw Yukio, something dark in her heart increasingly grew big.
There was no other way but to kill him.
That was what Makoto thought.
Then, last week Saturday, the day finally arrived after patiently waiting.
Actually that day was not in Makoto’s schedule for going in for work, but one of her coworkers asked to exchange schedules. Yukio came in that afternoon when Makoto’s shift was almost done.
She did not mean to call him. However, Yukio smiled at her as if he wanted something. Makoto slightly nodded to make sure his mother wasn’t aware of it, then finished her shift
Makoto changed clothes and headed for the back door. Yukio had appeared just as before. Makoto handed over the chocolate and said: “Hurry up and go back to your mother.” Makoto intended to kill him, but not today.
“I don’t want to!” Yukio sulked.
“Why?”
“I was scolded earlier.”
“Scolded by your mother?”
“Yes. I was also beaten.”
“Then do you want to play at my house?”
“Eh? Can I?”
“Of course. There is a toilet in the park in front of the store, right? Hide in the toilet. I will knock five times. Don’t open the door to anyone besides me.”
“Okay. Bring snacks for me.”
“Okay.”
Yukio immediately ran to the streets. Makoto returned to the locker room and then she carried her shoes and protective clothing bag.
Today, maybe it was the day she could do it. Makoto swallowed her own saliva.
It had been three months since she targeted Yukio. Deep down, she waited for all the coincidences to accumulate.
She just happened to go to work.
Incidentally Yukio came.
Incidentally Yukio was scolded by his mother and said that he did not want to go back.
It also so happened that she returned from kendo training and had changed from her uniform to her own plain clothes.
It so happened that all of Makoto’s family members were leaving.
Then, by chance, the protective clothing bag she ordered from the department store came and she took it before going to the supermarket.
Today was a time when all the coincidences accumulated.