Convenience Store Woman

by Sayaka Murata

And I probably infect others with the way I speak too. Infecting each other like this is how we maintain ourselves as human is what I think.

Once we donned our uniforms, we were all equals regardless of gender, age, or nationality—all simply store workers.

“We pledge to provide our customers with the best service and to aim to make our store the beloved store of choice in the area.”

This society hasn’t changed one bit. People who don’t fit into the village are expelled: men who don’t hunt, women who don’t give birth to children. For all we talk about modern society and individualism, anyone who doesn’t try to fit in can expect to be meddled with, coerced, and ultimately banished from the village.”