[Novel] A Bouquet for the Robber, Episode 1 [Creative Award 2023 Entry]

*This work is fiction. It has no relation to any real persons, organizations, or incidents.

Episode 1

"This is a robbery. Hand over the money." The boy said this as he placed a large duffel bag on the counter.

He was about a little younger than me. Likely a minor.

It wasn't like I was having a kitchen knife or a handgun pointed at me.

Furthermore, he wasn't wearing a balaclava, the trademark of a robber that you often see in dramas.

It was just a boy, about middle school age, thrusting a duffel bag forward with a stern look on his face.

"Uh..." I panicked. I hadn't been told about any manual for when a robber comes.

"Do you mean the money in the register?" I asked back instinctively.

"No. The safe or something like that," the man said.

"This is a bank, right?"

This is troublesome.

What should I do in a situation like this?

I was so flustered that I ended up saying something not very appropriate.

It's a habit of mine.

"I am very sorry. This is the post office located on the premises. Remittances and other banking services are over there," I said, pointing to the bank counter right next door.

Six months since I started working.

The post office I was assigned to was in the same large building as the group company's bank.

Large signs saying "Bank" here and "Post Office" there hung from the ceiling, but even so, there was no end to customers who would accidentally make a mistake or get confused about which service was which and end up lining up at the wrong counter.

Therefore, I had said those words over and over again.

Sometimes customers would get angry, which was a real pain.

My relationships with the branch manager and other superiors are good.

In that sense, it's a lucky assignment.

Even so, I was a little tired of saying this line.

My mother even laughed at me, saying I had muttered it in my sleep when I went home for a long break.

That's why, without thinking too deeply, I reflexively blurted out those words.

"Huh?" The boy froze.

He looked back and forth between the bank counter and me.

"Oh, I see. It's my first time here, and I was nervous, so I made a mistake," the boy said, looking a little embarrassed.

"I'm sorry. Thank you very much for your kindness." The boy bowed politely, turned on his heel, and headed toward the bank counter this time.

I watched the scene, dumbfounded.

He's a polite kid, which is rare these days.

But he did say he was a robber.

Come to think of it, is it okay to just guide him to the bank like that?

I might be charged with conspiracy or something.

No, no.

Or rather, that's a problem for another time.

I shouldn't just let someone who is about to commit a robbery go on their way, should I?

A sudden, belated sense of urgency washed over me.

I hurried over to Assistant Manager Inaba's desk.

The assistant manager was on the phone.

"Excuse me, Chief," I said.

The chief gestured for me to wait.

"It's an emergency," I insisted.

Perhaps sensing from my intensity that something outrageous had happened, Chief Inaba apologized to the person on the other end of the line and raised an eyebrow, asking what I needed.

"It's a robbery," I said.

"What?" Chief Inaba asked back.

"I said it's a robbery," I replied, pointing toward the bank.

"Wait, right now?" Chief Inaba stood up.

"He came to rob us by mistake, and when I told him this wasn't a bank, he apologized and headed for the bank's teller window," I explained.

"Huh? Is there really such a dim-witted robber?" the chief said.

"Well, he did come here," I said.

"What kind of person is he?"

"Um, he's a boy about middle-school age carrying a Boston bag," I said.

"Hmm? That's it? Any weapons or anything?"

"He doesn't have any."

"Are you sure it's really a robbery? Isn't it just a kid's prank?"

"But he said he was a robber," I said, trying desperately to convey the situation.

The chief made a troubled face.

"Just in case, I'll go talk to Branch Manager Tashiro at the bank. Hirayama, could you keep an eye on the boy? I'll ask Morimoto to handle the customers." It seemed he finally believed my report of a robbery and was taking action.

I felt relieved for the time being.

It is helpful when someone in a higher position than me takes action.

If it was a prank, I should apologize properly.

I left the counter as I was told.

On the way, I passed by Takagi-san, who works at the bank. She is in her first year just like me, but since she is a university graduate, she is four years older than me. Among the staff in this building, she is the closest to me in age, so we were on good terms even though we work for different companies.

"It's kind of noisy, isn't it? Hirayama-kun, did something happen?" Takagi-san asked.

"It's a robbery," I said.

"Huh?" Takagi-san asked back, looking confused.

"Just in case, Takagi-san, please go to the back." After saying that, I didn't even wait for her reply and hurried toward the bank teller window to keep an eye on the robber.

To be continued in Episode 2

Episode 2

Episode 3

Episode 4

Episode 5

Episode 6

Episode 7

Epilogue

Thank you for reading.
This is a work I wrote as a hobby in the past, but I decided to post it since this was a great opportunity.
If you found it even a little bit interesting, please be sure to hit the like button!