Common Sense Hijack System-Chapter 103 - Mrs. Jane

The morning was approaching noon, and the sky was overcast, casting a dim orange light while the breeze carried a damp scent. Karl stepped out of his apartment building.

His black jacket clung to his frame. His gaze was empty, his mind busy replaying his conversation with Valencia earlier that morning.

As he passed through a narrow alley behind a row of old apartment buildings, the sound of rustling near a trash bin caught his attention. A woman stood there, holding a large garbage bag.

"Ah, damn... it tore again," she muttered under her breath.

Karl stopped at the edge of the alley, his eyes widening as he recognized the woman’s face. Julia. Her brown hair was tied up messily, with a few strands falling around her thin cheeks. She wore a loose t-shirt and worn-out shorts. Her face looked tired, yet there was still a faint warmth about her.

Karl quickly turned his face away, but it was already too late. Julia had noticed him and offered a polite smile.

"Oh, sorry. Am I blocking your way?" she said, shifting her body slightly to the side.

"No... it’s fine," Karl replied stiffly.

Julia raised an eyebrow, perhaps confused by Karl’s awkward reaction. After ensuring her trash bag was secure, she tossed it into the bin and dusted her hands off.

"This place is always such a mess. Sorry if the smell bothers you."

Karl tried to smile, but what came out was more of an odd grimace. "No, the smell... it’s fine."

Julia chuckled softly. "Fine, huh? You must have a strong nose."

An awkward silence settled between them. Karl felt like a foolish teenager trying desperately to act casual in front of his crush. Even though Julia didn’t even know him.

"I should head back to my apartment. Have a good day," Julia said, turning around and walking toward the apartment’s back door.

Karl remained frozen in place, watching her back until she disappeared behind the rusty door.

---

Karl sat on a bench in a small park near the convenience store where he worked. He stared blankly into the distance, a small smile etched on his lips.

"So... that was the first time I’ve seen Julia again, and she doesn’t even recognize me," he murmured softly.

Memories of his past with Julia swirled in his mind. Back then, when he hijacked common sense about how to accept compliments—with a hug.

He vividly remembered their first awkward encounter.

Julia had been throwing out the trash, her hair neatly tied back. She wore simple clothes, yet Karl couldn’t help but find her attractive.

Karl also remembered Julia’s husband. That man... Karl grimaced. Fat, sweaty, with a disgusting face that reminded him of an ugly bastard character from a hentai anime. freēwēbηovel.c૦m

Karl still felt the same anger bubbling up when he thought about Julia’s husband. How could a woman as kind and beautiful as Julia end up with a guy like that?

---

Karl returned to the convenience store, the small bell chiming as he pushed open the glass door. He walked over to the drinks aisle and grabbed a can of cold coffee.

As he turned back toward the counter, the bell rang again. Julia walked in, this time wearing an oversized sweater and ripped jeans at the knees. Her face looked even more tired than it had a few hours earlier.

"Oh... it’s you again," Julia said with a faint smile.

Karl stared at her for a few seconds before offering an awkward smile. "Hey again. The trash situation okay?"

Julia let out a soft laugh. "Yeah, all good. You seem like someone who shows up at the most random times."

"I just... work here," Karl replied, raising his coffee can slightly.

Julia nodded, her gaze shifting to the snack rack beside the counter. She grabbed a few packs of biscuits and a bottle of milk.

As she handed the money to the cashier, Karl noticed the dark circles under her eyes. She looked like someone who hadn’t slept well in a long time.

"Are you okay?" Karl blurted out without thinking.

Julia froze for a moment, then smiled faintly. "I’m fine. Just... a little tired."

Karl wanted to ask more, but the bell above the door rang loudly again. A large man with a bloated stomach and a greasy face stood in the doorway.

"Julia!" the man barked in a harsh voice. "What’s taking you so long? I told you to hurry up, didn’t I?"

Julia’s face paled. She quickly grabbed her groceries and walked toward the door. The man shot Karl a brief, disdainful glance before turning and leaving with Julia.

Karl gripped his coffee can tightly, his breath coming out in sharp bursts. He closed his eyes, trying to suppress the surge of emotions boiling in his chest.

"Damn... That bastard looks even more repulsive now," Karl muttered under his breath.

Outside, the world was on the brink of collapse. But amid the crumbling morals and looming destruction, Karl realized one thing: Some crimes didn’t happen because the world was ending, but because the world had been broken from the start.

And if he had to fight someone, maybe he would start with a man like that.

As Karl resumed his work, he remembered that tomorrow was the day when the two Homo Obscura women would start working there. Karl could still recall their pale, ghostly faces.

"How will our meeting go? Should I tell them about the winter apocalypse too? They’re not bad people... maybe I should try to get to know them better later."

Karl’s mind then drifted to John, the Homo Obscura man who had nearly made him... perform an indecent act. Karl shuddered slightly at the memory.

"What’s going to happen to that guy this time? His life might be peaceful now since I didn’t hijack the common sense about traffic."

Karl was busy wiping down the counter when the bell above the store door rang again. He looked up, and his smile faltered slightly when he saw the familiar silhouette—Mrs. Jane.

Her hair was tied up in a tight bun, her stern face scanning the store like a hawk searching for prey. In her hand, she clutched her trusty clipboard—her signature weapon for documenting every single one of Karl’s mistakes.

"Karl!" she barked sharply, her heels clicking against the tiled floor as she approached the counter. "Why is this floor still sticky? Did you even mop it? And don’t you dare lie to me!"

Karl took a deep breath, but strangely enough, a small, genuine smile crept across his lips. It was warm, almost nostalgic. It had been so long since someone had scolded him like this, and for some reason, it felt... comforting.

"I did, Mrs. Jane. Twice, actually," Karl said calmly, wiping his hands on a rag.

Mrs. Jane froze mid-step, her eyebrows furrowing. Her sharp eyes locked onto Karl’s face, noticing something odd—he was smiling.

"You’re... smiling?" she said cautiously. "Are you planning something stupid? Or worse, are you hiding something from me?"

Karl let out a soft chuckle, something rare when dealing with Mrs. Jane.

"No, nothing like that, Mrs. Jane. It’s just... it’s been a while since someone scolded me like this. I almost forgot how it feels."

Mrs. Jane tilted her head slightly, her suspicious expression deepening. She tapped her clipboard against her palm a few times, as if trying to solve some strange puzzle in front of her.

"You’re acting weird today, Karl. Normally, you’d pretend to be busy or mumble something under your breath when I show up."

Karl shrugged casually. "Maybe I’m feeling nostalgic, Mrs. Jane. Back when I first started working here... well, you always kept me in line. Despite all the nagging, I think... I kind of missed this."

Karl’s words made Mrs. Jane pause for a moment. The stern look on her face softened slightly—just for a brief second.

"Hmph!" she huffed, adjusting her glasses. "Don’t think you can fool me with that smile and sweet talk. If I find even a speck of dust on the snack shelves, you’ll be mopping this store three times over!"

"Understood, Mrs. Jane!" Karl replied with a mock salute, his small smile still intact.

Mrs. Jane turned swiftly on her heels and marched toward the snack aisle, her heels clicking rhythmically on the floor. But just before she disappeared behind the tall shelves, she glanced back briefly, giving Karl a strange look.

Karl remained behind the counter, that faint smile still lingering on his lips.

"Back then, I had to make her do things that... well, shouldn’t have been done. Now? All I need to do is smile. Maybe this is a tiny slice of peace in the middle of the chaos that’s coming."

Karl adjusted a row of coffee cans on the front display, his gaze drifting outside the store window. The sky was still heavy with clouds, as if rain could pour at any moment. But for the first time in a long while, Karl felt just a little lighter.