By the time Oliver reached Jericho, he headed straight for the nearest convenience store.
The bell above the door chimed as he stepped inside.
He waited patiently while the manager finished ringing up a customer before walking over to the counter.
“Excuse me, are you hiring any part-time workers?”
The middle-aged manager looked him over briefly.
“Looking for a job?”
“Yes. I’m having some financial difficulties, so I was hoping you had an opening.”
The manager held out his hand.
“Let me see your résumé.”
Oliver reached into his bag and handed over the papers without thinking.
The manager skimmed the first page, then raised an eyebrow.
“You go to Nevermore?”
Oliver blinked.
“I didn’t mention that.”
“You didn’t have to.” The manager turned the paper around.
Across the top, in bold letters:
Nevermore Academy — Letter of Acceptance
Oliver stared at it for a second before letting out a quiet sigh.
“…Wrong paper.”
“So I figured.”
He quickly exchanged it for his actual résumé.
The manager gave it a proper read before looking back at Oliver.
“You really need the job?”
“I do. I don’t mind stocking shelves, unloading deliveries, cleaning… whatever needs to be done.”
The manager sighed and set the résumé on the counter.
“I believe you. But I can’t hire you.”
Oliver frowned.
“Because of Nevermore?”
“It’s nothing against you personally. But this town has never been fond of that school. If people found out I hired a Nevermore student, some of my regular customers would stop coming here. You’d end up costing me more than you’d earn.”
Oliver remained silent for a moment before slipping the résumé back into his bag.
“I understand.”
The manager offered him an apologetic smile.
“I hope you find someone willing to give you a chance.”
“So do I.” Oliver thanked him anyway before leaving, the bell chiming once more as the door closed behind him.
***
He spent the rest of the afternoon going from one business to another.
A grocery store.
A hardware shop.
A small restaurant.
Every interview started the same way.
The managers would ask about his availability, glance through his résumé, and seem genuinely interested.
Then the inevitable question came.
“So… you study at Nevermore?”
The moment he answered yes, their expressions changed.
Some apologized politely.
Others simply handed back his résumé and pointed toward the door.
By the time the sun had begun to dip lower in the sky, Oliver was sitting on the curb with his résumé crumpled tightly in one hand.
“…These Jericho people are racist as hell.” He clicked his tongue.
“When I get stronger, I’ll remember every single one of you.”
As if sensing the perfect opportunity to make things worse, the familiar blue screen appeared before him.
Soft, depressing background music began playing.
Oliver stared at it with a deadpan expression.
“…Really?”
The system remained silent, letting the music speak for itself.
A few seconds later, Oliver’s eyes widened.
“…Wait.” He slowly looked at the floating screen.
“I still have one common Plot Modification.”
The realization hit him like a truck.
He smacked his forehead.
“God damn it… why didn’t I think of this three hours ago?”
The system remained completely silent.
Oliver stood up, dusted off his clothes, and looked across the street.
A coffee shop stood on the opposite side with a small Help Wanted sign hanging in the window.
A grin slowly spread across his face.
“This time…”
He crossed the street and pushed open the door.
The interview began much like all the others.
Experience, schedule, why he wanted the job.
Everything went smoothly.
Then came the familiar question.
“You study at Nevermore Academy, don’t you?”
A blue notification appeared in front of Oliver.
[The manager is about to refuse your application, stating that he doesn’t hire Nevermore students.]
Oliver didn’t even blink.
“Yeah… screw that.”
[Plot Modification Activated.]
The manager looked at Oliver for a moment before a smile spread across his face.
“You know what? I think we’ll take you.”
Oliver kept a straight face, though inwardly he sighed in relief.
“…Really?”
“Yeah. We’re actually short on staff, and someone with your availability is exactly what we need.”
For a brief second, the manager frowned.
…Wasn’t I about to reject him?
The thought crossed his mind so suddenly that he almost questioned himself.
He glanced at Oliver again — polite, well-spoken, presentable.
Customers generally responded well to approachable employees, and a trial month didn’t seem like much of a risk.
Maybe I was overthinking it.
“We’ll start you on a one-month trial. If everything goes well, we’ll talk about keeping you on permanently.”
Oliver accepted without hesitation.
“Thank you. I won’t disappoint you.”
“I hope not,” the manager said with a chuckle.
“Now let’s get the paperwork sorted out.”
After finishing the paperwork, the manager gave Oliver an apron and a welcoming smile.
“You’ll mostly be working the afternoon shift after school. One of the other employees will show you how things work.” He looked toward the kitchen.
“Tyler! Come here for a second. I want you to meet our new employee.”
Tyler?
Oliver’s expression froze.
A familiar young man walked out from the back, wiping his hands on a towel.
…No way.
This is the Weathervane?
And that’s Tyler.
Fuck.
The Hyde.
Tyler stopped in front of him and smiled, completely unaware of what was going through Oliver’s mind.
“Nice to meet you. I’m Tyler.” He held out his hand.
Oliver hesitated for the briefest moment before shaking it.
“Oliver.”
Tyler gave his hand a firm shake before letting go.
“Welcome to the team.”
Before Oliver could say anything else, the familiar blue screen appeared.
[The main character has made physical contact with a dangerous creature.]
[What role will he play in the story of the Hyde?]
Oliver stared at the notification with a blank expression.
…Fuck you.
I’m not doing anything.