Every Meal - Extra 2: Starring in a Short Film (Part 1)

Translator: Deyonna

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"I'm sorry, we're already closed."

In the city, late at night, many shops have already closed. Among them, at a corner of a commercial district, is a small community vegetable market. At this time, there is only one clerk left in the shop. The shelves that were filled with vegetables, fruits, and fresh meat during the day are now almost empty.

"That... there's nothing left?"

The shop clerk's polite refusal did not stop the person outside the store. A pitiful little face poked through the doorway, with pale and dry lips pursed as they softly asked, "Excuse me, do you still have any discounted vegetables?"

The tall and strong shop clerk, wearing a leather apron, was originally impatient and wanted to say that there was nothing left. However, when he turned around and saw the customer's appearance, his eyes darkened involuntarily, and he put down the rag in his hand.

"Maybe there are some left."

He wiped his wet hands on his pants and said, "It's windy outside. You come in first and I'll see if there's anything left."

"Ah, thank you so much!"

It was still early spring, and pedestrians on the street were all wrapped in coats, but the two people in the store were dressed quite thinly.

The young customer who walked in was only wearing a peach-pink shirt. It looked like he had just finished work. His shoulders were hunched due to the cold, making him look even smaller. His face looked fair and cute.

The only clerk in the shop was also dressed thinly.

The shop clerk was a tall and strong butcher, who looked like he had just finished washing the meat chopping board. There was still water dripping from his brown leather apron. He was wearing loose work pants on his lower body, but surprisingly, he wasn't wearing anything on his upper body except for the large leather apron.

The young customer's gaze only swept over the exposed honey-colored skin for a moment before quickly looking away. His cheeks turned pink, almost the same color as his shirt.

The butcher greedily stared at the two pink cheeks for a while until the customer looked up with a deer-like panic in his eyes. Then, he walked towards the back room and started searching for any remaining vegetables and meat in the store.

"There aren't many left. They're all here."

After a few minutes, the butcher lifted the plastic curtain and came out with a bag in his hand.

The bag contained two wilted Chinese cabbages. Upon closer inspection, it was clear that the outer layers were withered, and it was unclear how long they had been stored.

"Ah, thank you. How much is it?"

The customer didn't mind the condition of the vegetables and was happy to receive them.

"No need to pay. I'm giving it to you."

It seemed that the vegetables were going to be thrown away anyway, so the butcher generously played the role of a good person.

However, as he watched the customer quickly retract their hand, he regretfully rubbed his fingertips, still feeling that lingering smooth texture.

Tsk.

Why did he take it so quickly?

"W-won't it be bad if I don't pay for it?"

The customer was a little surprised and flattered.

Although he didn't have much money in his pocket and could only afford discounted vegetables, he couldn't bring himself to accept something for free from someone else. He felt guilty about it.

"How about this? I'll buy some meat from you instead?"

He felt grateful, so the customer wanted to support the clerk's business and took out a few small bills. "You… Can you weigh some meat for me? Any kind is fine."

The butcher looked down at him deeply and then turned around and walked back into the slaughter room.

The butcher took a while to come back, and the young customer waited outside for a long time without seeing him come out.

He could only hear the sound of knife chopping on the chopping board from behind the semi-transparent plastic curtain.

"That……"

Feeling a little uneasy and guilty, the young man leaned forward and walked towards the source of the sound.

Obviously, he wanted to repay the man's kindness, but he still bothered the man to work overtime to cut the meat for him at such a late hour. It was really... the young customer stamped his feet and felt extremely regretful. He felt like he was such a fool!

"If it's too much trouble, don't worry about it. I-I'll just give you the money."

The young man walked into the back room where the shop clerk was and spoke cautiously.

In the back room, there was a tall, silent dark figure chopping meat piece by piece. A dim yellow light bulb hung from the cement ceiling, creating an eerie and terrifying atmosphere.

Just as the young man walked in, the butcher chopped his knife right at the junction of flesh and bone on the chopping board. A few drops of blood splattered from the meat and landed on the butcher's chest.

A drop of blood splattered further away, then the young man felt a chill on his cheek.

"In the slaughter room, outsiders... are not allowed to enter."

The tall, muscular dark figure turned around, revealing a fierce face stained with blood.

"Ah! I-I'm sorry!"

The young customer quickly retreated and went back to the bright and safe shop front.

He leaned against the cold fresh produce shelf, feeling weak in the legs, and held his pounding heart with his hand.

"It's okay. I just finished cutting the meat."

The man soon came out as well, carrying another bag in his hand with red and white meat visible inside.

"Here you go."

He handed the bag to the customer.

"W-what is this?"

The young customer asked hesitantly.

"A little rabbit."

The butcher spoke casually and wiped his blood-stained hand on the white fur of the rabbit in the bag. "All the other meat in the store has been sold out, so I just slaughtered another one."

"Rabbit?!"

The young man's eyes widened in shock. "Rabbits are so cute. How could you...how could you slaughter it?"

His voice trailed off towards the end of his sentence.

Perhaps it was because the man's gaze was too deep and dark, as if it could suck people in and envelop their entire body.

"T-thank you, I have troubled you."

The young customer just wanted to leave immediately, so he hastily took the bag and handed over the small money he was holding in his other hand.

"Yes……"

But unexpectedly, to his surprise, neither of the man's hands moved. He heard a faint voice from above.

"This rabbit is too cute..."

The man's voice was hoarse, like the roar of the fiercest beast on the prairie. "This amount of money is not enough to buy it."

"Ah, but I only have…"

The young customer was about to cry without tears, shivering.

"But I only have this much money on me!"

In the quiet shop, the only thing that could be heard was the butcher's light chuckle.

The young man felt his wrist being firmly grasped by a large hand, and his whole body was pressed against the cool container.

"If you don't have money, then let's find another way for you to pay it."

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