EVENT STORY TRANSLATION: MANTAN Everyday - CHAPTER 9

[mimosacafe]

“MANTAN Everyday" - CHAPTER 9"



Tsuzuru: ….And that’s the gist of how to use this machine.
Tasuku: Seems like everyone is getting accustomed to the clockwork of the gas station, so there's no worries in that regard but…. Maybe we should run down the machinery basics for Tsumugi a few more times.
Tsumugi: Really? I don’t think I’ve been doing it that differently from everyone else…
Tasuku: Just go over it again.
Tsumugi: Alright. Okay, so the first step of the procedure is——
Omi: Tsuzuru, could you teach me what’s the proper way to guide vehicles? The one you mentioned earlier.
Tsuzuru: Sure. You’ll have to do it this way while raising your voice and——

—　—　—　—　—　—　—　—　—　—　—　—　—　—　—　—


Tasuku: Alright, that should more or less conclude the gas station training course. Let’s get to cleaning up.
Misumi: Okeeeey!
Juza: I learned a bunch of things today.
Chikage: Who would’ve thought we’d act out as part-timers of this very gasoline station for the event’s performance?
Tsuzuru: It’s precisely because of that that I chose these members for the script’s casting. After all, we all came here together not too recently.
Omi: Today was fun for sure. It really felt like I was being taught by a work senior about the ropes of the job.
Misumi: I also had lots of fun~! Doing part-time with everyone is super fun~!
Tsumugi: We’ll be relying on you for the real thing too, part-time leader.
Tsuzuru: Yeah!

—　—　—　—　—　—　—　—　—　—　—　—　—

Izumi: (To think this all started from a column request, to a short story commission, to now a full-on acting performance for an event…)
(It’s not to say I’m not glad about it, but it sure has been a turbulent succession of events…)


Omi: Looks like we’ve got a lot more guests than I anticipated.
Misumi: So many students among them too~


Tsumugi: Since the company hosting this event is a job newsletter magazine, people must’ve come here to find opportunities for part-time work.
Chikage: Plus their marketing is all over the place.


Tasuku: The script this time is a bit more immersive for our side. We’ll have to move around outside and inside the building for it.
When it was announced that this performance was going to use a real gas station, the concept was apparently interesting enough for people to spread word about it.
Izumi: It sure spread like crazy. I was also thinking how this must feel like a blast to the past for Tsuzuru-kun and everyone too— having to express your experiences in this way.
Hidaka: Everyone—! I hope you’re all ready. Please do your best for the show!


Tsuzuru: You got it. Let’s go!
Juza: Yeah.

✦——✦——✦——✦——✦——✦——✦——✦——✦——✦——✦——✦——✦

ROLES:
Hirose = Tsuzuru; Tera = Juza; Yama = Tasuku;
Ooishi = Omi; Asagi = Tsumugi; Tetta = Misumi; Yoruno = Chikage

Izumi: (The stage takes place at a gasoline station named “SUNNY STATION”....)
Hirose: “Thank you very much!”
(CAR DRIVING AWAY)
Hirose: “......(heavy sigh)”
“I chose this part-time ‘cause it pays well and it’s close to home, but….”
“With the other employees leaving one by one, next thing I knew I’m now the assigned leader of this part-time job…!!”
“Doesn’t anyone else think this is crazy!? I’m the youngest employee in this place right now!!”
“Not to mention all of my co-workers are oddballs of their own! I really want to reduce my shift time since I’m still searching for full-time, but I guess I can’t do that at this point… (sigh).....
Tera: “ ‘Scuse me, Leader. Can you teach me how to do this thing?”
Hirose: “Ah, sure. So you carry this over there, and then for this here—”
Tera: “Gotcha. Thanks.”
Tetta: “Leader Hiroseeeee! Give me a hand over here~!”
Hirose: “Comiiiing!”
Ooishi: “Leader! Sorry but think you can maybe help me out with this?”


Hirose: “Okay okay okay!! AHH GEEZ….!!!!”
Asagi: “Good workin’ y’all~ I’m still learnin’ the ropes of this customer reception thing, so please do your best in covering for your co-worker here~”
“Say, aren’t ya still a third year in college, Leader Hirose? That means you still got some job searching to do, right? You good?”
Hirose: “Like you have the right to ask me that…! It’s all your guys’ fault I’m being abused like this!!”
Asagi: “Ahaha, sorry ‘bout that. Speaking of… Yama, you’re a fourth-year college student yourself, aren’t you? How’s that goin’ for ya?
Yama: “I’ve got my future employment settled, so that’s already out of the way for me.”
Hirose: “I’m jealous…..”
Ooishi: “Phew… Man, I’m parched. Let’s rock-paper-scissors on who’s buying juice~”
Tetta: “Let’s go let’s go!! The loser treats everyone right?”
Asagi: “Really? Count me in then~”
Tera: “I’m in.”
Yama: “Me too.”
Ooishi: “You’ll join too, right Leader? ‘Course you will, come on.”
Hirose: “EH!?”
Tetta: “OK! Pick none, win none— Rock-paper-scissors SHOOT!”
Hirose: “R-Rock——WAIT A SECOND!?”
Yama: “Leader’s the only one who lost?”
Asagi: “Much apprech’ ~!”
Hirose: “......”
Yoruno: “Clockin’ in. Good workin’ all— Hm? What’s the matter, Leader?”
Tera: “We did a rock-paper-scissors to see who’s treating everyone to juice. Leader’s the one singled-out loser.”
Yoruno: “....You sure are a lucky one, aren’t you.”
Hirose: “NGGGHHH…!!! Some luck it is…..!!!!”
Izumi: (These boisterous days would continue on. Until one day….)
Yama: “Back it up, back it uuuuuuup….. STOP! All good!”
Hirose: “One oil change, yes?”
Tera: “Thank you for coming!!”
(CAR DRIVING AWAY)
Tetta: “Yo, guys guys! I think I just heard some real big news!”
Ooishi: “Oh, what’s up?”
Tetta: “So the manager was on the phone, right? I overheard him talking about Leader Hirose and how he’s a good fit for this other station—”
Tera: “Eh. In other words, they’re transferring Leader to a different station…..?”
Hirose: “HUUUUUH!? M-ME???”
Yama: “But he’s not even a full-timer here. Is that even possible?”
Yoruno: “Well, I wouldn’t say it’s not impossible.”
Asagi: “Then he might as well go full-time, right? Jokin’ of course.”
Ooishi: “Ooh, that doesn’t sound too bad either though.”
Hirose: “Please stop it with the jokes, geez……”
“But… If I’m really being transferred… What then…”

—　—　—　—　—　—　—　—　—　—　—　—　—


Izumi: (Hirose couldn’t stop being anxious about it ever since. A few days pass, and he’s called in by the store manager to be informed of something….)
Hirose: “Closing business….!? You mean this whole place?”
Store Manager: “It’s a real shame, but that’s what it’s come to. That said, I know you’ve been doing your best as the team leader for the part-timers too.”
“If you would consider it, we could transfer you to a newer store if you become a full-time employee.”
Hirose: “Eh….EHHHH!?”
Store Manager: “I know it’s not the most appropriate timing, but we’ve already been thinking about it for a while now, since your work ethic has been so favorably good.”
“You’re free to pass on the news of the shutdown to the other part-timers. I do hope you’ll consider the employment offer.”
Hirose: “Ah….. Yes sir…..”
“......I should consider myself lucky for finally securing full-time employment chance but…… I wonder, why is it that didn’t I respond to the offer right away?”
Izumi: (Hirose lets the strained days go by, all while not giving a response to the offer—all while not saying a word to his coworkers about the circumstances.)
(Eventually, the announcement about the shutdown finally reaches to his coworkers——)
Tera: “So we’re actually closing down for real…”
Hirose: “......”
Tetta: “Well…. Suppose there’s no helping it.”
Asagi: “Riiight~ There must be all sorts of reasons for it.”
Yama: “It’s not like we’re short on customers, but the equipment in this place is kinda old.”
Ooishi: “It do be like that~”
Hirose: “Huh? Eh? Huh? …….Everyone’s taking the news super casually— Or rather, they sound too nonchalant about it……”
“Even though I was a lot more shocked about it… Guess everyone else didn’t feel the same way, huh……”

—　—　—　—　—　—　—　—　—　—　—　—　—

Izumi: (After being faced with such a letdown, Hirose starts to have a lot of complicated feelings. However……)
Tetta: “Welcoooome! Good afternoon!"
Asagi: “Do you have a point card to use?”
Yoruno: “Car wash service, yes? This way please—”
Ooishi: “Thank you for comiiiiing!!”
(CAR DRIVING AWAY)
Hirose: “They were all just told the store’s shutting down, how did that prompt everyone to work even harder than before…?”
Tetta: “Well, since we have little time left… We just figured, y’know!”
Yama: “That’s right. We’re gonna work like it’s our last.”
Hirose: “It would’ve been better if you all worked like this since the start…!!! Godammit guys…!!”
“... Though, I suppose the shutdown is just around the corner.”


“Starting tomorrow, I’ll be having less and less shift time in this job. I guess today’s really the last day… For all of us to work together, at least.”
Ooishi: “(Whistle)... Okay, cleaning’s all done.
Tetta: “Hey hey! Let’s do rock-paper-scissors again! For juice packs!”
Hirose: “Ah…… If it’s juice, let me treat everyone.”
Tera: “Huh, you sure?”
Hirose: “It’s gonna be our last one, so…”
Asagi: “YAHOO! You’re so cool, Leader! Cheers for Leader~!”
Yoruno: “Thanks, Leader. Well, good work today, everyone.”
Tetta: “Nice wooork!” (glug glug glug)... PHEW! That’s tasty!!”
Yama: “Really can’t believe this place is shutting down. Feels like time went by in a flash.”
Ooishi: “It’s real easy to let time pass by here.”
Tetta: “That’s ‘cuz underneath all that hard-working demeanor, the truth is you know too damn well how to flee from your duties, Ooishi!”
Ooishi: “Wahaha, you found me out!”
Hirose: “...Say. Why did you guys choose to work in this gas station in the first place?”
Yama: “We’re sharing our reasons here? I mentioned before that I’ve already decided on my future full-time, so I’ve been trying part-time jobs here and there for the sake of life experience.”
Tetta: “An acquaintance referred me here. I’m working to save up for the tuition fees of my second or even third choice of uni~”
Asagi: “Aiming for only second or third choices? That’s kinda funny.”
Tetta: “I still got lots of stuff I wanna do once I become a uni student, y’know!”
Asagi: “Guess I’m in the same boat. I’m like, saving up money for a dream y’see~ I’m even workin’ double time to really hoard some dough.”
“What ‘bout you, Tera? You were the last recruit in this group, right?”
Tera: “I… Truth is, my parents would come to this place often when I was a kid. So I guess this gas station had become… somewhat of a place of yearning for me.”
“I’m already a fourth year in college, and it’s only a matter of time before I graduate and become a full-fledged member of society. I figured I’d do my youth a favor and work in this place I’ve always admired.”
Hirose: “It’s that deep!?”
Yama: “Pfft, it’s an adorable reason, I’ll give it that. Not a bad one, though.”
Ooishi: “I’ve been looking for a part-time job myself, so Asagi suggested this place to me. Reason for work? Just simply to pay living expenses, I guess.”
“I’m currently studying to get a professional cert’, and the shift conditions are convenient for me, so everything else kinda fell into place.”
“And you, Yoruno-san? You’d mostly take the night shifts, right? You’ve got the brains and the papers to work elsewhere, so why did you take part-time here?”
Tetta: “I’ve been wondering about that too! You’re the most mysterious figure here!”
Yoruno: “... Let’s just say I owe this store a bit of a debt.”
Asagi: “FOR REAL!? Talk about dramatic!!”
Yoruno: “My bike broke down in the middle of the road once a long time ago. This station gave me the help I needed.”
“I didn’t have any cash on me back then, nor did I have friends to call for help. Yet the people here were still that kind to me. I promised myself to repay them someday, and I did so by working here.”
Tetta: “That was a way better story than I was expecting, what’s with that!! You’re too cool, man!”
Hirose: “...Everyone’s reasons are so different from each other.”
Tera: “You think so? Thinking about it, you’re the only one who stayed behind when a lot of old co-workers already went up and left. Is there a reason why, Leader?”
Hirose: “That’s….”
“...I guess if I really think about it, it’s ‘cause I’m fond of this place.”
“Yeah… Even though I still had job hunting to take care of, I still took in shifts. And that wasn’t just to run away from the very act of job hunting——”
“Letting people entrust me to new work, having everyone rely on me… Even making jokes and getting dragged into rock-paper-scissor matches to see who’s going to give free juice packs.”
“There’s a lot of troublesome parts in this job, but working in this station with such a lively bunch… I loved every bit of it.”
Tetta: “Leader…….”
Hirose: “Also, I have to come clean, but the store manager actually offered me a full-time spot— though I’d have to work in another store instead.”
Asagi: “REALLY!? NO CAP!?”
Hirose: “But as I thought, if it’s not this station or with these members, then it’s meaningless to me. So I was already thinking of rejecting the full-time promotion offer.”
Ooishi: “Now hold up! Just think about it for sec. The manager saw how good your work ethic is, which is exactly why he offered you the position, isn’t it?”
“Doesn’t that mean all your efforts as the hardworking leader are being acknowledged?”
Yama: “He’s right. Besides, whenever I watch how you work, Hirose, you always look like you’re having the time of your life.”
Yoruno: “I can say the same. I always had a feeling that you love this job for sure.”
Asagi: “Riiiight! The way he really knows how to give service with a smile— I’ve always thought it’s so cool of him to keep workin’ like that!”
Tetta: “Gas station work is such labor-heavy work, but it’s like all the blood, sweat n’ tears are all worth it in the end!”
Tera: “Leader. I get that this store and these companions have their worth for you, but isn’t a big reason also because you love doing the work itself?”
Hirose: “....!!”
“You guys..….”

—　—　—　—　—　—　—　—　—　—　—　—　—

Izumi: (And thus came the store’s final business day. Naturally, all of the part-timers huddled together for that day too.)
Hirose: “Thanks to everyone’s convincing, I’ve been reconsidering my thoughts and feelings about this job again.”
“I’ll now be doing full-time for SUNNY STATION.”
Tetta: “Congratulations, Leader…!!”
Ooishi: “Congrats!”
Hirose: “Thank you everyone, really. I may start working in another station from now on, but I’m certain all of us will cross paths again.”
Asagi: “Obvs! I’m gonna look forward to it~”
Yama: “When that day comes, I’ll be sure to treat you to juice packs to celebrate your employment.”
Hirose: “Eeeh… Just juice? It’s my employment we’re talking about, y’know?”
Yama: “Ahaha, I’m kidding, I’m kidding.”
Yoruno: “I’ll be seeing you again in your new store, Leader.”
Tera: “Me too. Good luck out there, I’m rootin’ for ya.”
Hirose: “Thanks so much!”
“It’s merely a part-time job— despite it only being a part-time job… After all the time I’ve spent here, it’s not just a place where I can earn money or just another chance for employment.”
“I know now… It’s all that and more.”



—————————————————————————————————————————————
↩CHAPTER 8 | ▼ MASTERLIST ▼ | ↪CHAPTER 10