[Novel: Venus Syndrome] (306) Leave-at-the-door Delivery and Absence Notices
The Toei Asakusa Line train was sparsely populated as night fell.
Riko Takekuma, sitting on a seat bound for Nishi-magome, removed her prosthetic shoulder and gently rubbed the base of both arms.
She could only sigh.
“...Honestly, the people in charge really don't understand what it's like on the front lines.”
The exhibition in Urayasu.
As the exclusive Torso-san, she had been made to change dresses over and over since morning, had pins stuck into her, and stood still without breaking her posture.
That alone was exhausting enough, but in the afternoon, a man who seemed to be a superior from headquarters appeared for an inspection.
“Could you please have a slightly more glamorous expression?”
“Please stand in a way that gives the customers a sense of ‘inspiration.’”
—What is he talking about?
Her lower back was numb from standing, her feet felt heavy, and the weight of the fabric was digging into her shoulders.
Yet, he had no idea how hard it was to maintain the prescribed posture without breaking it.
Every minute and second was a struggle, and yet he spoke so lightly of “glamorous expressions” and “inspiration.”
“...Try standing on the front lines for a day, why don't you.”
Muttering under her breath, Riko looked at her own face reflected in the train window.
It was etched with fatigue and irritation.
When I get home, I'll quench my thirst with cold rooibos tea. The 24-pack I ordered on Amazon should have arrived—that's what she thought as she headed home.
However, in the mailbox was a “Shirokuma Delivery Absence Notice.”
The item name was “Beverage.”
“...Why wasn't it left at the door!”
The irritation she had been suppressing erupted all at once, and her reason shattered, causing her to slip into her native Kumamoto dialect.
She called the number on the absence notice.
“Yes, this is Inomata from Shirokuma Delivery.”
“This is Takekuma in Nishi-magome. Why did you leave an absence notice when I set it for leave-at-the-door delivery! I told you it was fine, didn't I!”
A slightly nasal voice came from the other end of the line.
“Well... it says it's a case of beverages, and these cardboard boxes are large and conspicuous. If I leave them at the entrance, it's immediately obvious that it's ‘merchandise.’ So, the risk of theft is high.”
“I have a security camera installed! The door is locked tight! Who would steal it!”
“No, no, even with a security camera, the company says it's ‘not a condition we can trust.’ Especially with daily necessities like food, they have high resale value from a thief's perspective. Beverages and rice can be used as-is or sold. That's why it's treated as an ‘exception’ in our internal manual...”
Riko breathed heavily, still pressing the issue.
“Even so, I told you it was fine!”
Inomata's voice became a notch faster.
“But if it gets stolen, it's my responsibility. I could face a written reprimand or a pay cut. I get yelled at if I leave it, and I get yelled at if I don't. Honestly, we're always caught in the middle. And every time I explain this to a customer, they just say ‘but I said it was fine’... honestly, it's exhausting.”
Riko bit her lip.
Rather than a logical rebuttal, she was caught in a whirlpool of complaints returned with the same intensity as her own irritation, and her momentum slowed.
After a moment of silence, Inomata's voice calmed down slightly.
...So, you're home, right? I'm still making rounds in Nishi-magome, so if you'd like, I can bring it over now.”
Riko sighed deeply and gripped the absence notice again with the fingers of her prosthetic hand.
“...Sorry for the trouble.”
Ten minutes later, the heavy sound of a cardboard box echoed at the entrance.
Through the door viewer, she saw Inomata adjusting his hat as he walked away.
Riko hugged the cardboard box, and as she packed the cold rooibos tea into the refrigerator, she swallowed both the irritation still lingering in her chest and the lingering echo of the other person's complaining voice.
#AINovel #Novel #VenusChild #VenusSyndrome
#RikoTakekuma