138. Rudina

At the age of 12, I left the orphanage.

There is a limit to the number of children that can be accommodated. If I leave, one young child will be admitted instead.

Maybe I was admitted to the orphanage at the age of four. So, I can only be thankful, I have no fragment of resentment. 12 years old is old enough to live alone. At least, compared to a 4-year-old who fished in a trashcan on the back street…

Of course, when leaving the orphanage, the headmistress always tries to find employment in various professions. And I decided, on the job of working at a certain store.

Only being fed and given a thin blanket, treated like a slave with a meagre pay.

… was not bad. At least compared to garbage fis.h.i.+ng life.

At the age of fifteen, you are no longer obliged to be under adults protection and can live freely. The choice of employment would be greatly expanded, and it is no longer necessary to stay in a store that looks down on orphans.

Maybe I think this store will be usable for a long time, but I'm not that stupid. That's why I study a lot about business in between work.

I am grateful to the headmistress who taught me reading and writing for the future. I have to give back the favor someday.

Three years of patience until I turn 15 years old. I could just use the time to study and prepare.

… or that's what I thought, but one year later, the store was crushed.

… Aha. Ahaha. Ahahahahahahaha!…… Haaa.

At the age of 13, there is no decent employment.

It would be nice if I could be hired as an apprentice servant even if the pay was just meals, so that I can survive. even so, most of them are occupied by the children that has connections. It's not something that the likes of an orphan can get their hands into.

Such children could only do crimes such as pickpockets, sc.r.a.ping, or engage in prost.i.tution.

Only 2 years more.

I hope I can survive for two more years before I can get a normal job.

If possible, I don't want to dye my hands in criminal acts or prost.i.tution…

If I could do that easily, I didn't have to endure three years at such a store. It would have been better to do that from the beginning.

In this country, human lives are trivial… especially the lives of orphans.

And, of course, the pay for human labors are beyond cheap.

The small coins in my pockets is already gone in just a few days of food expenses, it is already three days after the owner fled from that store at night, I've been wandering around looking for work since then just to be driven away from one after another.

The orphanage provided an [asylum-aged worker permit], but the store owner took it so that the children can't move to another place, and he didn't return it.

Did he just forget to return it, did he intend to falsify it and use it for vagrants, or did he intend to sell it to a forged doc.u.ment broker…?

Either way, I couldn't get the permit back.

And I won't ask for reissue either, I don't want to trouble the orphanage.

Even if I go with the formal procedure to get some kind of permit at the government office, I need to pay the bribe. Especially for those who are trying to duplicate the permit under the pretense such as [Reissue because Lost].

In order for this country to make a good face towards developed countries, laws such as [Any person under the age of 15 must have a proper permit and be under the protection of an adult to be eligible to work] have been enacted, but that just means, you have to work for your protector in return of the protection and the permit, you only get paid with clothes, food, and shelter.

Without a permit, both you and your employer are subject to custody, and if you do not want to be arrested you will have to pay large bribes, which makes it difficult to find employment.

Even if you could get hired, it's mostly [that kind of job]

In developed countries, those under the age of 15 shall not be allowed to work unless the circ.u.mstances are clear, such a law might work in order to protect the children.

But in places like this country, it only binds children more and makes them as objects of exploitation. Perhaps the great people of this country have made this law while being aware of that. In order to make face in front of developed countries, the riches in this country, those who exploits child labors, and the officials that receives bribes, this kind of law is in everyone's favor.

… they should just eat c.r.a.p!

Then, when the last coins in my pocket had become four loaf of breads, a poster came into my sight.

[Shop a.s.sistant recruitment at Gallery café "Gold Coin"]

Just a common recruitment ad.

However, there was only one difference from other recruitment ads.

…… The words that was always written as a condition did not appear in this ad.

Right, there was always the condition [Minimum age of 15].

I bet, they just forgot to write it.

Even so, I could only bet on this single ray of hope.

"Ano~, Rudincha….-san, how old are you?" (Mitsuha)

"Yes, I'm 13!" (Rudinchan)

"Wh-why do you apply for this store?" (Mitsuha)

"Yes, there was no age restriction in the recruitment poster!" (Rudinchan)

The interviewer was a younger girl than me.

Perhaps her parents are rich, and she wanted to play make-believe with the store for fun.

But it doesn't matter to me. Right now, I should earn money in order for me to survive. For that reason, I would even make contract with the devil!

…but the girl is just staying silent after listened to my words. After all, that was just an error on the poster…

"… Ano~, as expected, is it not allowed?" (Rudinchan)

If I continue talking to the girl who is still staying silent…

"You marked for the store manager and the waitress position. What about your cooking ability?" (Mitsuha)

Ah, she's back.

"Average… but I'm good at calculations" (Rudinchan)

"Well then, this team will organize the operation of the Gallery Café [Gold Coin]” (Mitsuha)

… Is this a dream?

When I received the recruitment notice, I thought something was wrong.

After all, hiring someone under 15 is too risky.

If I lied It would only bring problems later. So, I told her honestly in the interview. I was born in an orphanage, the store I worked at was crushed and I couldn't get my work permit, and I didn't want to bother the orphanage with a reissue. The only places where you will be hired are those that doing illegal work or brothels.

All other applicants are over 15 years old and have no problems. So why did she kicked them and hire me instead?

Was the gallery cafe a high-profile name for brothels?

"The working condition is just like what I wrote in the guidelines" (Mitsuha)

"Do you have anything to say? Or is there anything needs to be changed?" (Mitsuha)

And the owner said, [Use it for the store preparation], as she left a lot of money. Without even writes a receipt…

Is she stupid?

(Note: tell me about it)

… Apparently, she seems to be serious.

There's a lot of money placed on the table.

And a 17-year-old woman who stared at me, Silua, who just became my subordinate.

The two of us were solidified for a good three minutes. Then, I finally opened my mouth.

"… that's a lot of trust she put on us…" (Rudinchan)

"she put a lot of trust on us alright…" (Silua)

Like that, Silua returns my words.

Then I told Silua, my first colleague and my first subordinate, clearly.

"I'll never forgive that idiot, friendly, and naïve owner in case she betrays us…" (Rudinchan)

Then, Silua with a dark smile on her face.

"…me too…" (Silua)

Is that so…. I was not the only one who was saved from the brink of hopeless state…

And it is a harmless timid girl at that…

"Well, let's do our best together. Attract more customers, make more money… and bounce back the enemies without disappointing the owner. Are you okay with this?" (Rudinchan)

"Bring it on!" (Silua)

And like that, our battle just began.

Three days later, the owner came.

"This is for you" (Mitsuha)

I was given the [Asylum-aged worker permit].

Then, during a small talk, I learnt that the owner also lost her whole family and that she lives by herself without a single relative.

After the owner returned, I called Silua.

"About the talk from last time, I want to make some changes" (Rudinchan)

"… what kind of change?" (Silua)

"From [bounce back the enemies without disappointing the owner] to [crush the enemies and please the owner]" (Rudinchan)

"… Bring it on!" (Silua)