Smoking Behind the Supermarket with You (スーパーの裏でヤニ吸うふたり)

Sasaki-san

Wholesome Memorial Hospital

It's that dreaded time of year again.

Health checkups start to get scary around this age.

Oho?

The heck, man? You had nothing lower than a B in last year's checkup.

Did you get any warnings, Suzuki?

Uric acid and neutral fat levels.

Tends to happen with salespeople.

However! I'm a different man this year!

Because ever since last year's checkups,

I've been eating healthy lunches made by my dear Keiko-chan!

Ta-da!

That's a lot of food.

Hang in there

You got it. I'll do my best!

Man, talk about love. This is pure love.

Sure is!

To live up to her love,

I'm going to stop drinking and smoking until the health checkup.

Time to eat.

Drinking I get, but smoking, too?

Aye. I want to live a long life together with Keiko-chan.

I gotta chew my food well.

Are you a regular smoker?

Yes

No

That'll be 1,160 yen.

Right.

Here's your change and receipt.

Also, here.

There's a new brand of non-alcoholic beer out with a promotional discount.

Use it, if you'd like.

Oh, thank you.

I have a health checkup coming up soon,

so I've been thinking about switching to non-alcoholic drinks for a bit.

This will help.

Oh?

Cig 6 Lingering Scent Behind the Supermarket With You

Good evening, Tayama-san.

Hey, look who's here to smoke even though he has a health checkup soon.

Huh?

H-How do you know about that?

Yamada-san told you?

Yeah, yeah, I heard from Yamada-san.

Sa-slow-ki.

Yeah, it's real soon.

I've reduced my daily count, okay?

Pardon me.

Reduced by what, one or two at most?

Well... yes.

Do supermarket employees get health checkups, too?

Yeah. Ours will probably also come up pretty soon.

Will you cut down before that too, then?

Cut down...

fl

ab...

I'll only drink one spoonful of the broth.

Of course.

Wow!

Health is wealth, after all.

If we don't take care of our health, we won't be able to work.

Way to go. You're so cool, Tayama-san.

On the other hand, look at me and my pathetic self.

I'm trying stopgap measures instead of just quitting beer for a while.

And yet you've got a lotta food today.

Oh, the doctors tell me every year to gain some weight.

But I have a hard time keeping it on.

Wish I could put on weight more easily.

Yoink.

Wh-What was that for?

You really are all skin and bones.

T-Tayama-san?

Our deli section has the good stuff. Eat lots of it and gain weight.

O-Okay, thanks.

Well...

I haven't been able to quit the single most harmful thing,

so everything might as well be stopgap.

Well, duh.

But what if the doctors tell you to quit smoking?

Would you quit?

Huh?

Well, uh...

If I have to quit,

that might be a problem.

After all,

the chief—

Your boss...

will still be hurling abuses at you.

Yeah, and I don't think I'd be able to take it.

Yeah, I might have a hard time quitting, too.

I'd be done for if that happened.

It's all good.

There. Now you have an invincible body.

Thanks.

I feel like I've been overthinking all this cutting-down nonsense.

I've come back to my senses now,

and it's all thanks to Tayama-san...

But what if the doctors tell you to quit smoking?

I'd have to... of course.

Wholesome Memorial Hospital

Chill Pharmacy

Sasaki-san

Private

Results Enclosed

Wholesome Memorial Hospital

Yahoo!

My uric acid and neutral fats are within normal levels! I got an A!

Wait, why have I gained weight since last year, though?

Whatever! I need to tell Keiko-chan!

Snappity snap.

Very Healthy

Tell me how yours came out later!

I'm going for a smoke!

What's up?

How'd your checkup go?

What's wrong? Did your shitty boss do something again?

No. It's my body that's shitty.

Wha?

Tayama-san, uh...

Smoking really is bad for you, huh?

Sasaki-kun's checkup told him to get scanned and treated?

For his lungs?

I'm sorry for his loss.

So he's going to quit smoking.

Of course he would.

What, Yamada?

He won't have a reason to show up back there anymore.

Yamada.

If Sasaki-kun found out that someone had a surprising side to them,

is he the kind of guy who wouldn't be able to accept it?

He's not like that.

Then all you need to say is,

"It's actually me you always see at register two."

Then you won't need a pretext to see each other.

Well...

His ideal image of Yamada-san the goddess will crumble to dust,

but only because he'll start seeing you for who you are.

Hey, Yamada? Are you listenin' to me?

Excuse me.

Yes, how may I help you?

I was hoping to get this wrapped.

Of course. Right away.

I know that.

So why...

Why am I freaking out?

24-Hour

Supermarket S

I finally get a day off.

Guess I'll go to the hospital tomorrow.

I'll need to stop by and say goodbye sometime, too.

T... Tayama-san?!

Do you have plans now?

Huh? No, nothing.

Come with me, then.

Oh.

Go ahead and smoke, Tayama-san.

I'd like to chew on this and smoke vicariously through you one last time.

Oh, yeah?

Are you really gonna be able to quit like that?

I'm not very confident.

Do you think I can?

Don't ask me.

Tayama-san.

Thanks for inviting me back here back then.

We probably won't have the chance to talk like this anymore,

but if you happen to see me in the store...

Don't say any more.

Sasaki-san, I need to tell you something.

Oh, sorry.

Take it.

O-Okay.

Hello? Sasaki here.

Yes.

Right, my checkup results?

I was thinking of going for scans tomorrow.

Huh?

What?

Okay, I understand.

Goodbye.

It was a misdiagnosis.

Apparently, my organs are very healthy for my age.

I'm sorry!

I'm happy for you!