The panic didn't last long. It couldn't—because the truth came limping out of the storage room, coughing awkwardly and dragging a box behind it.
Vario froze in the doorway, eyes wide, hands shaking slightly as he stared at everyone scrambling around the store in aprons, jackets, snack bags, and emergency hoodies.
"Uh…"
Every head turned.
Bella narrowed her eyes. "Vario."
Nyx slowly lowered her camera. "Vario?"
Gallo crossed his arms. "Wizard."
Mario stopped mid-slurp.
Vario swallowed. "So. Funny story."
Silence. Heavy. Dangerous silence.
"I might've… reorganized the stockroom last night," Vario continued. "You know. Inventory optimization. Mana-assisted efficiency. Very normal."
Bella's eye twitched. "And the uniforms?"
Vario scratched his head. "Right. About that. I thought they were expired cleaning rags."
The store went completely still.
"…You thought our uniforms," Bella said slowly, "were rags."
"They were folded weird," Vario defended weakly. "And they smelled like energy drinks and trauma."
Nyx burst out laughing so hard she nearly dropped her phone. "WAIT—YOU MISPLACED THEM? This wasn't even my prank?!"
"I PUT THEM SOMEWHERE SAFE," Vario insisted, raising his hands. "Very safe. Extremely safe."
Gallo leaned closer. "Where."
Vario pointed to a towering stack of boxes in the corner of the storage room. "Behind the seasonal Halloween props. Under the expired cereal. Inside the box labeled 'DO NOT OPEN – CURSED.'"
Mario nodded thoughtfully. "Ah. That box."
Bella screamed into her hands. "WHY WOULD YOU PUT CLOTHES IN A CURSED BOX?!"
"It keeps moths away," Vario said. "Also possibly souls."
Customers nearby clapped, assuming it was still part of the cosplay act. One of them whispered, "The lore in this store is insane."
Nyx wiped tears from her eyes. "I can't believe it. I was ready to take credit, and it was just Vario being Vario."
Vario sighed. "I'm sorry. I really am. I just wanted the store to be… organized."
Bella stared at him for a long moment. Then she exhaled. "Get the uniforms. Now."
Vario nodded, immediately unleashing a small burst of magic. Boxes lifted, props floated, glitter exploded unnecessarily, and within seconds, a pile of neatly folded uniforms hovered in the air.
They dropped into Bella's arms.
"…They're clean," she admitted.
"Told you," Vario said, relieved.
Nyx raised her camera again. "Doesn't matter. I still got peak footage. 'The Day the Wizard Lost the Clothes.' Instant classic."
Gallo picked up his uniform and nodded once. "Next time, wizard. Ask."
Mario finished his noodles. "At least it wasn't the snacks."
As everyone finally changed back into proper work clothes, Vario slumped against a shelf, exhausted.
"I swear," he muttered, "this store turns every small mistake into a legend."
Nyx smiled. "Welcome to retail heroism."