However, upon hearing Ellen's words, Lynn spoke softly, slightly displeased yet somewhat embarrassed.
"It's very ordinary, just &... %...."
The latter half of her sentence was too quiet and unclear for Wise to hear clearly.
Seeing this, Ellen added with a slightly helpless expression.
"She said she's looking for a videotape that depicts the inexplicable interactions between adult men and women driven by biological instincts."
"Did it really have to be explained like that?"
Lynn emphasized her words, feeling a little ashamed. Then, when Wise asked, she simply explained that she was looking for a romance film.
Wise recommended the movie "Coffee Mate," and Lynn seemed quite satisfied with his choice.
"This one seems to have a good rating... Ellen, your boyfriend is very professional. It feels like he doesn't even need you here. How exactly were you hired?"
In Lynn's impression, Ellen had already been working before she found a boyfriend.
'Wait... Could it be that Wise hired Ellen precisely because of this? So that's it! No wonder Ellen is so tolerant of him. She must have been forced into it!'
That was the conclusion Lynn reached after analyzing the situation.
"What are you thinking? It's easy to slack off here, so I asked Wise to let me continue working."
Hearing Ellen's explanation, Lynn coughed lightly, feeling a little embarrassed by the thoughts she had just entertained.
"In any case, that's my recommendation. You can look around a little more, and when you're ready to check out, just go to the cashier."
After saying that, Ellen walked over to Monna, who mentioned that she had been under a lot of stress recently.
Seeing this, Ellen immediately pulled out a piece of candy and handed it to her.
It seemed like she was trying to comfort Monna. Then, Ellen asked what was causing her stress.
"Actually, it's because of the finals... I feel a lot of pressure just thinking about going to school. I wonder if watching something cheerful would help... Or maybe a film that's exciting and can relieve stress would work too."
"Hmm, this one is perfect for you."
Ellen said this while pulling a videotape from the side. This time, she had specifically chosen one, but Monna couldn't help being stunned when she saw the title.
"'Escape from the Tutoring Center: The Last Survivor'... Will this really make someone happy?"
Monna looked at Ellen with a doubtful expression.
The title didn't sound like something that would relieve stress at all. However, Ellen, as if it were completely obvious, replied.
"From the title alone, you can tell there should be many ways to postpone final exams. Although it's exaggerated, you can learn from it. Perhaps it can solve the source of your suffering."
'Hmm... "Solve the source of suffering." If you really followed the methods shown in the film, then technically, it could solve the problem...' Wise thought to himself.
However, Monna looked at Ellen with a worried expression, causing the latter to tilt her head in confusion.
"What's wrong? Why are you looking at me like that?"
"Ellen, are you sure it's okay for you to work here? If you randomly recommend videotapes like this, won't Wise get angry?"
Although Monna knew Wise had a good personality after spending time with him, someone who ran a video store probably wouldn't be happy if employees randomly recommended strange videotapes, right?
"This is also one of his preferences, so it's fine."
"Eh...? Eh! Wise's preference?"
"Right, Wise?"
Ellen looked at Wise beside her.
He appeared slightly helpless. He didn't particularly like horror films, but...
"This is considered one of our store's specialties..."
"O-okay, I understand. Then, Wise, do you have any normal recommendations?"
"This one, '7710 and Its Cat.'"
"I've watched this one several times! But watching it again is fine. After all, every rewatch is very healing."
Monna smiled as she accepted the videotape.
At that moment, Ellen yawned, feeling increasingly tired.
"If you've made your choice, I'll take it over there to wrap everything up. If you have any questions later, ask Wise. I need to rest for a bit."
After finishing everything, Ellen leaned against a nearby wall and stared blankly into the distance.
Meanwhile, Ruby and the other two, who had finished selecting their videotapes, approached Wise.
"Are you looking for Ellen? I'll go call her for you."
"No, shh..."
Ruby placed her index finger against her lips, signaling Wise to stay quiet.
He looked confused, but Lynn quickly explained.
"We want to take a photo with her."
"It's Ellen in a maid outfit! This is such a great opportunity. We absolutely have to get a picture! We'll pull Ellen over there. Just press the shutter at the right moment, please."
Ruby handed her phone to Wise and specifically emphasized that he should take the photo vertically because she wanted to use it as her wallpaper.
Ellen's friends pulled her to a corner of the video store, and while she wasn't paying attention, Wise pressed the button.
However, before they could even check the result, Ellen snatched the phone away.
"Ruby, delete it quickly."
She said this while handing the phone back to Ruby.
"No way! If it's on my phone, then it's mine! It was so hard to get this picture. If I delete it, everything will have been for nothing!"
Seeing Ruby refuse, Ellen could only feel helpless.
"...You clearly said you came here to look for homework reference materials."
"Cough, cough... Hmm..."
"Um..."
"Oh, this... Um... Right! When do you get off work? Let's eat at that restaurant we talked about last time! We've been saying it for ages, but you always have something going on!"
Ruby quickly changed the subject, avoiding the photo incident while looking at Wise.
The meaning behind her gaze was obvious.
Since you're the Manager, giving your girlfriend a day off shouldn't be a problem, right?
"This... I'm afraid I won't be finished with work that quickly."
"Then we'll just wait for you!"
Seeing this, Ellen looked at Wise with a pleading gaze, and he immediately understood.
"Although I'm very sorry, Ellen has already promised to accompany me today. I've already made preparations, so I'm afraid you'll have to wait until next time."
"Eh? What do you mean by 'already prepared'... Ah, we understand. In that case, we won't bother you anymore."
Ruby was about to say something else, but after feeling the two girls beside her tugging at her, she seemed to understand and quickly left the video store with them.
"This reason... Ugh, never mind."
"You still have to return to Victoria Housekeeping later, right?"
"Mm."
During their casual conversation afterward, they also talked about how Ellen had met Ruby and the others.
She met Monna while rushing to complete a commission. At the time, she needed to use the restroom, but the door was locked, so Ellen simply kicked it open, only to unexpectedly find someone inside.
Later, Monna, who had been stuck, insisted on thanking her, and the two gradually became close.
As for Lynn, Ellen had a period where she received many commissions and wanted to catch up on sleep during class.
Because of that, she sat in the back row, where Lynn happened to be sitting beside her.
Since Lynn seemed good at studying, Ellen asked to borrow her notes.
Ruby, on the other hand, was a more unique case.
Ellen shared the bento that Rina had made with her, and well...
One couldn't help but marvel at this girl's incredible vitality.
She was truly quite a character.
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Zenless Zone Zero: The Almighty Incubus of Sixth Street
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