Boss, I don't really need a raise.
I'm happy and grateful just getting to work here!
What? Nobody's that selfless!
Just take it.
I'll tutor you so you pass the salary increase test for sure.
I've even made problem sets for all the people in different departments taking it.
Let's get right to it.
Drill that one and that one into your head.
Mhm.
This one's easy to misunderstand.
Make sure your flow's clear and easy to grasp.
Mhm.
This one never comes up despite being marked important, so ignore it.
Mhm...
Wow, someone's quick on the uptake.
Mhm...
If there's anything you don't get, feel free to ask...
Wake up, Yamada!
24-Hour
Supermarket S
Cig 7 The End of Summer Behind the Supermarket with You
Summer Fair
Welcome.
I haven't seen Yamada-san around lately.
Here's your point card back.
Thank you.
Maybe it's just me showing up at the wrong times,
but I haven't seen her at the register for two weeks now.
Trouble
Accident
Illness
Injury
Anxiety
Quit
I'm worried.
Sir?
Oh, I-I'm sorry!
But I'm just one customer. It's not my place to worry.
This is the kind of thing you call overstepping boundaries.
Her smile always lifts my spirits. As long as Yamada-san's doing well...
What's this about "as long as Yamada-san's doing well"?
Tayama-san?!
Wassup?
Uh, I can explain.
The thing is...
Well, whatever.
Tell me out back.
Let's smoke.
You'll have one, won't you?
Uh-huh.
So you haven't seen Yamada-san around, and you really, really, really miss her?
She didn't have to oversimplify it that way.
Don't worry. She's not sick or anything.
She's just studying.
Studying?
The boss told her to take the upcoming corporate test and get a raise.
So relax.
Aren't you glad she didn't quit? Does that make you happy?
I-I don't know about happy! I'm just relieved!
Heck, I'm sorry, Tayama-san.
For what?
You know, for getting information about Yamada-san out of you.
Same old Sa-slow-ki.
Huh? Did you say something?
Nothing.
Anyway, things will go back to normal pretty soon,
pass or fail.
Yamada-san's so impressive, though.
She's studying while working a job.
I hope everything works out for her.
Hey, Sasaki-san.
Y-Yes?
Write on this.
Huh? Write what?
Something encouraging.
Is this for a store event or something?
Less asking, more writing. Get to it.
Will this do?
Thanks, Sasaki-san.
Okay, I'll make sure Yamada-san gets this.
Hold it!
Time out! Don't do this, please!
What's the big deal?
It's a very big deal!
Yamada-san's not going to like it! I'm just a customer!
What if getting a message from an old dude makes her lose all motivation?!
Also, if I'd known it was for someone else, I would've put more effort into it!
If anything, it'll give her motivation.
I guarantee it.
Good Friends
If you say so. You're her colleague.
Here.
This is for you.
Look at it when your shitty boss gets on your nerves.
A-All right. Thank you.
Genki Trading
Sasaki-kun!
Yes, sir! I'm so sorry!
Why'd he get on your case this time?
He got into an argument with a client I brought in.
How is that your fault?!
Oh, Tayama-san gave me something for times like these,
when my boss...
License to beat
'em up
Tayama
Huh? What's the matter, Sasaki?
Nothing. That's so like her.
Wha?
24-Hour
Supermarket S
Hey.
Corporate got in touch.
You passed the test.
Piece of cake, boss.
Well done!
Keep Your Lockers Clean
Piece of cake, my foot. Your head wasn't in the game at all.
You weren't up for it at first, so what made you lock in?
Why the sudden change of heart?
I was just living up to expectations.
Besides...
my dense fan gave me a good-luck-charm, too.
Good luck. I'm rooting for you.
Sasaki
Genki Trading
Another day, another beatdown.
I'm done! Lunch time!
Open! Whoa, this looks great!
Time to dig in!
We sure got put through the wringer.
And that's putting it lightly.
Looks like it didn't take a big toll on you, though.
What? Really?
Well, once I started digging into Keiko-chan's cooking,
it stopped bothering me, too.
License to beat 'em up
Tayama
Hey, what's that you've got?
I don't know, a good-luck charm?
Hey, Sasaki-kun!
Sir!
Ack!
Don't "ack" at me!
Unglue yourself from that desk and go pound the pavement!
Yes, sir! I'm sorry!
I'm off!
I'll get to it after my meal.
License to beat 'em up
Tayama
Okay, it's not torn.
I can just do this...
and slip it into this case.
That should do the trick.
'Sup?
Yamada-san passed the test and got a raise.
Isn't that great?
Hey, I'm just an outsider.
You shouldn't be telling me that stuff.
Please, I know you're happy to hear it.
That good-luck charm you gave her must've done the trick.
You really gave her that?
I said I would.
And I asked him to write it for me.
Nah, she put in the work. She deserves all the credit.
I don't think that scrap of paper could've helped in any way.
Shoot, I dropped my case...
Lightning hands!
License to beat 'em up
Tayama
Oh?
Ooh?
Scraps of paper don't help, you say? Then why carry this around?
Is it helping, Sasaki-san?
It is. Very much so.
As a talisman.
Hang on. What exactly is a talisman?
Too long; not reading.
So basically a charm, right?
Old dudes and their old-dude speak.
License to beat 'em up
Tayama
It was all crumpled up, but he was still holding on to it dearly.
If he'd just asked, I would've written a new one anytime.
24-Hour
Supermarket S
Throw away in 3 days
Sightings?
Of what, Chief Maezawa?
Ghosty-ghost.
What, in a warehouse or something?
Nope! Our backlot!
You can hear bare footsteps when smoking out there.
Obata-kun from Produce hasn't been smoking lately because of that.
That's so cute!
He needs to learn a lesson or two from Yamada-chan about not giving a damn.
Right.
I'm more afraid of sticker panic than ghosts.
What is sticker panic?
It's when a product mistakenly gets rung up at higher than the sticker price.
*That's what it's called at Supermarket S.
What is sticker panic?
It's when a product mistakenly gets rung up at higher than sticker price, Yamada.
That's our Yamada-chan.
You're fearless.
I wonder if he'll come by today.
It's so hot, even at night.
Oh, Tayama-san's not here?
Yamada-san wasn't at the register, either. I showed up at the worst time.
T-Tayama-san?
Good evening.
'Sup?
Since you always entertain me with your reactions,
let me give you a little tidbit.
Oh? What is it?
Apparently, this place is haunted.
doom
gloom
What, by like... ghosts?
Yep.
no worry
Well, that's unpleasant.
Hey, a wild Yamada-san in half-sleeve casuals appeared!
What, no way! Should I put my cigarette out?!
Sasaki-san, I hear this place is haunted.
Huh? Y-Yeah, that sounds unpleasant.
By the way...
I don't see Yamada-san.
That makes no sense, Sasaki-san.
Why aren't you making more of a fuss about it?
About what?
Ghosts showing up here.
Honestly, I don't really care.
What? How? Why?
Why, you ask?
Overtime
Workplace
Clients
I guess I have my hands full with real, live people already?
Young Subordinates
Boss
Clients
Nagging
Boss
Workplace
Ah...
Boring. I thought he'd freak out about it.
Then I would've...
Scary! Too scary!
Tayama-san, could it be...
You're scared of the supernatural?
I'm not scared.
What gave you that idea?
Well, uh, I don't know if I'm just imagining it, but...
'Sup?
Never mind. Sorry for asking a weird question.
I was just going with the flow.
We old dudes tend to talk before we think just to keep the conversation going.
The flow of the conversation, eh?
Exactly! So I really wasn't thinking of anything!
Come on. Sit down, Tayama—
Huh? What was that?
I'll go take a look.
You stay here.
Wait, Sasaki-san.
S-Sorry, Tayama-san. Did I hu...
Don't be scared, Tayama-san.
Look.
It's a dog.
What's a dog doing here?
Beats me.
It's a pet dog, too.
There you are, Daigorou-san.
M-Manager!
Oh, you were here?
Something fun must've gone down here.
A customer's dog?
An old lady who's a regular won a trip from one of our raffles,
but she couldn't go because she didn't have any family to dogsit him.
So I offered to do it. I've been bringing him to work now and then.
You got off your leash again, Daigorou-san?
If you're going to run around, do it outside the store, okay?
Okay, we're heading out.
You two wrap it up and go home, too.
Yama—I mean, Tayama. Tell me what happened later.
Seriously, Boss just does what she wants.
I think I'll get going, too.
Yeah?
Yeah.
Bye.
Sorry for bumping into you earlier.
Thanks for having me again, Tayama-san.
Sorry for bumping into me? What?
He knew.
He even said, "Don't be scared."
You dummy!
Hey, so you were the ghost?
Bad Gotou-senpai! Keeping such a cutie all to herself!
I wonder what his name is.
It's Sasaki.
That doggy's called Sasaki.
Hey, Yamada! Don't go running your mouth!
Sasaki-kun's human. The dog's Daigorou-san.
Oh, is that so?
You're Goro-chan, then.
I mean...
He got on my nerves.
Damn it! I totally missed out on something funny back there!
Huh?
What is that, Gotou-senpai?
What's in that box?
Hmm? Oh, I figured it was time to redecorate the store.
Water Balloons
I went around taking down all the summery stuff.
Hey, I see a washbasin! Let's set up a foot tub again this year!
Feel free. But you'll have to put it away yourself later.
Yahoo!
The chief turned off the A/C, saying summer was over and it was getting cold.
And then he got on our case for using cooling patches to cope.
Salespeople shouldn't be putting that crap on their faces!
So that's how this year's summer ends.
Oh, Tayama-san isn't here today?
A washbasin?
Why in the smoking area?
Hey.
Oh, Tayama-san. Good work.
Come on. Why'd you have to show up in the few moments I stepped away?
Wait, was it bad timing?
It was.
Sorry about that. I guess I'll just leave, then.
What're you doing?
Sit down already.
What?
Okay.
I was waiting by the entrance, too.
Huh? S-Sorry, what was that?
Nothing.
Did I do something to upset her?
Oh, so that's what the basin's for.
Makes for the perfect smoke break.
We do this all the time.
Our boss is game for anything as long as we do our jobs right.
Meanwhile, mine banned the A/C and cooling pads.
But it's still hot. Is he stupid?
I mean...
You can say that again.
Take your shoes and socks off, Sasaki-san.
N-Nah, I don't know about using it together.
I'll hose down your feet.
Uh, I'm sorry it's not what you were hoping for?
Stop it, Tayama-san! Do not apologize to me!
C'mon, take 'em off.
Okay, fine. I'll do it.
Whoo!
That hits the spot!
Way to sound like an old dude.
Th-This cool feeling!
My feet have walked all day atop pavement baked in the hellish sun!
It's the perfect—
Gotcha!
That startled you, didn't it?
I'd been waiting for you, hoping to get you with this.
Hey, what're you smiling about?
Huh? Oh, sorry.
It's just, this felt kind of nice.
You're no fun to bully.
Huh? You were bullying me?
Don't ask me.
I'll tell you if you can come over here and evade my shots.
Come on. Get over here.
Ready or not, here I go.
You're taking every shot, Sasaki-san.
I've got old man's reflexes.
So this is how this year's summer ends.
Translation: Sriram Gurunathan
Editing & Typesetting: Geoff Mazzolini Subtitle Timing: Krzysztof Kunc
Quality Check: Zachary Carlysle Translation Check: Sho Stifler
Cig 8 Searching Behind the Supermarket with You