30
Having a part-time job had always been one of Jasper’s goals.
It was not too late to start saving money for college next year.
He was genuinely happy that his brother had finally become supportive of the idea.
For years, whenever Jasper brought up wanting to work, Sky would either refuse outright, ignore him, or get annoyed by the suggestion.
Because of that, Jasper had never gotten the chance to apply for a job before.
As he constantly reminded himself, he could not depend on his brother forever. He knew he could take care of himself and handle his own responsibilities. That was why he was grateful that Sky had finally given his approval.
“Hey, where are you?” Jasper texted his brother while waiting outside the school.
Since it was his first day at work, he had planned to ask for a ride.
He had only thirty minutes left before his shift started, yet there was still no reply.
Jasper frowned at his phone, wondering where his brother had gone.
Earlier, he had seen Sky in Teacher Leizel’s class, but he had not stayed until the end of the session.
Jasper had not seen Jude around lately either.
Was something going on between the two of them again?
he thought. Jasper knew his brother’s personality better than anyone.
Lately, he had been constantly reminding Sky to change his ways or at least try to behave for a while, especially since he was a graduating student.
But as usual, Sky never listened. He had always been stubborn, particularly when it came to the way he treated Jude.
Jasper had long understood the reasons behind it.
There were still many times when Sky was simply being unreasonable.
In fact, Jasper was glad that Sky and Jude had been paired together for their research project.
He knew it would turn out well for his brother.
Research was one of the major requirements for graduation, and knowing they were partners gave him some peace of mind.
After all, Jude was the only person who could tame Sky Granger.
Yet, neither of them had attended the class.
Jasper was pulled out of his thoughts when a familiar car slowly turned the corner and drove past him. The windows were rolled down, allowing him a clear view of the person behind the wheel of the Chevrolet XP. Jasper narrowed his eyes and looked closely at the driver.
He wore a pair of black polarized retro sunglasses despite the sun already dipping toward the horizon.
Dressed in his medical uniform, he looked effortlessly cool in the white fabric.
White was not the only color their department used.
They also had blue and dark green scrubs.
Most of the time, they were seen wearing green, but Jasper preferred him in white.
Jasper forced himself to look away as the car sped off into the distance. He lowered his gaze to the ground, shoving his hands into his pockets while reminding himself, once again, not to let his emotions overpower him.
These feelings would fade eventually.
Once he graduated from senior high school and transferred to a different university for college, everything would be over.
In fact, that was one of the main reasons he wanted to leave for another institution—to put distance between them.
If he could not see him anymore, maybe his feelings would stop growing into something deeper, as if they were not already deep.
Maybe, with enough time and space, they would finally disappear.
Just one more semester and a little more endurance, and all of this would finally be over.
The thought brought a weary smile to Jasper’s lips.
On the other side, the idea of not seeing him anymore already left a painful ache in his chest. But Jasper knew it was for the best.
Glancing at his phone once again, he saw that his brother still had not replied to his message.
With no other choice, he decided to take the bus downtown.
The trip took nearly half an hour, and it worried him slightly.
Commuting between his house and the town would take up a considerable amount of his time every day, with the return trip likely adding another fifteen minutes.
Jasper arrived at exactly six in the evening, which happened to be the same time his shift started.
Realizing this, he hurried toward the pharmacy located at the center of town.
He could not afford to be late. Today was the first day of his training.
Unfortunately, by the time he reached the establishment, he was already five minutes behind schedule.
“I’m sorry, Miss Norma. I got caught in traffic,” Jasper explained apologetically.
“It’s okay, Jasper. We’re all late on our first day,” she joked with a lighthearted laugh, offering him a warm smile.
Miss Norma was in her late forties. She had a kayumanggi complexion, black hair streaked with a few strands of gray from age.
She had a quite plump figure. Jasper had already taken a liking to her during his visit the previous week.
His first impression of her was that she was approachable and well-mannered.
More importantly, she was the pharmacist’s assistant in charge of the drugstore.
There were also two pharmacy aides working there—Ms. Marian and Ms. Elizabeth, both of whom had been with the establishment for over three years.
Another aide, Miss Nadeth, was currently on maternity leave.
For the time being, Jasper would be filling in for her position.
“By the way, you can leave your bag in the staff room for now and come back afterward so you can finally meet our pharmacist,” Miss Norma instructed.
Jasper nodded respectfully and followed her directions.
He had not met the owner of the drugstore during his visit the previous week. For some reason he could not quite explain, the thought of meeting her made him a little nervous.
The staff room was surprisingly spacious.
Two double-deck beds occupied opposite corners of the room, while a small rectangular table sat in the middle, surrounded by white sofas large enough for an adult to lie down on comfortably.
There was also a refrigerator, a water dispenser, and a five-door locker cabinet, with the middle compartment assigned to Jasper.
Along one wall stood several shelves piled with medical books and references.
The room had a warm and cozy atmosphere that immediately put him at ease.
It was far more comfortable than he had expected from a pharmacy.
Jasper found himself genuinely impressed by the place.
Miss Norma led Jasper to the patient counseling area, where the interior was decorated mostly in white, giving the room a clean and professional atmosphere.
As they entered quietly, Jasper noticed an elderly couple preparing to leave.
Judging by their gestures and the way they interacted, it was obvious they had been together for a long time.
Across from them stood a woman in a white coat, holding an ambulatory blood pressure monitor.
“Don’t forget to come back for your scheduled blood pressure, glucose monitoring, and medication refills, Ma’am and Sir, okay?” she reminded them in a warm, friendly tone with a gentle smile resting on her red lips.
The couple thanked her repeatedly before making their way toward the exit. Jasper watched as the elderly man carefully supported his wife while she walked. Seeing them approach the door, he hurried forward and opened it for them.
“Oh dear, thank you,” the grandmother said kindly while tapping his shoulder lightly.
Jasper gave a small bow in response and watched them leave before gently closing the door behind them. The affection they had for each other was evident in every gesture they shared.
“Inday, this is the newly hired part-timer I mentioned the other day,” Miss Norma informed the lady in a white coat.
Jasper quickly turned to face them, offering a respectful bow along with a polite smile.
“Oh, I see. So, you’re Jasper Granger,” the woman said, smiling warmly. “I’m Zita, the owner and pharmacist of this drugstore.”
She extended her hand, and Jasper gladly accepted the handshake.
“And I believe you’ve already met Norma. She’s my cousin,” Zita continued. “The most trusted person and the backbone of this establishment, so you’d better treat her well.”
The playful warning in her voice made Jasper blink. Miss Norma merely shook her head, flashing a wide smile.
“Don’t worry, she’s just joking. No need to feel intimidated,” she reassured him.
“Anyway, I’ll leave you two for now so I can help out front,” Miss Norma added as she headed toward the door. “That way, you can have a proper conversation.”
Jasper tossed a smile at Miss Norma and nodded before turning his attention back to Miss Zita. To his surprise, he caught her looking at him with a gentle smile.
“Have a seat,” she offered.
Though slightly hesitant, Jasper took the chair across from her. Their conversation began with a few questions about Jasper’s background, but once Miss Zita started talking, she barely seemed to stop. The exchange quickly became far livelier than he had anticipated.
Honestly, it was a little overwhelming.
Jasper had initially thought Miss Zita was intimidating, but he soon discovered that she was incredibly bubbly and open.
She wore a pair of thick eyeglasses. Numerous strands of white had begun to appear in her hair with age.
She had a slightly chubby figure and a set of perfectly aligned white teeth.
Faint pitted marks were visible on her cheeks, which Jasper assumed were scars left behind by acne from her younger years.
Despite these features, there was something undeniably pleasant and attractive about her appearance. Overall, Jasper thought she was pretty.
Jasper had expected their discussion to revolve around work, especially since Miss Norma had already briefed him on his responsibilities the previous week.
Instead, Miss Zita chatted with him as though they had known each other for years.
The warmth and ease with which she spoke to him caught him completely off guard.
Somehow, her warm personality made it difficult for him to feel uncomfortable.
Miss Zita went on to tell Jasper how she ended up pursuing pharmacy and the many struggles she faced before reaching where she was today.
“My favorite subject in college was actually only Botany,” she said with a laugh, covering her mouth with one hand.
She also admitted that pharmacy had never been her first choice. Originally, she had wanted to study nursing, but her parents encouraged her to take pharmacy instead. At first, she was reluctant, but as the years passed, she gradually fell in love with the profession.
“In the end, everything turned out to be worth it,” she said with a smile.
Listening to Miss Zita alleviated the nervousness Jasper had been carrying since earlier.
Any intimidation he had initially felt disappeared completely as he realized how genuine and kind-hearted she was.
Before he knew it, he found himself talking and listening to her comfortably.
Jasper could not help but think that perhaps this was her way of making her employees feel welcomed, comfortable, and appreciated.
If so, it was no surprise that she had become so successful.
Miss Zita eventually began sharing stories about her family.
“You know what?” she said, leaning back in her chair. “Living under the same roof with two men can be a little suffocating sometimes.”
She laughed dramatically before continuing.
“Working here at the pharmacy, surrounded by women and patients, is honestly such a relief. It’s my little escape.
” Her hands moved animatedly as she spoke, as though she were delivering a speech to an audience.
“My husband is a neurosurgeon, and he’s always busy.
Then there’s my son, who is just as occupied with his own life.
Our house is pretty quiet most of the time.
We barely get the chance to spend time together. ”
Though she spoke with humor, Jasper caught a hint of loneliness beneath her playful tone.
“But do you know what makes me the proudest and keeps me going every day? Is it that they are both incredibly loving. They never hesitate to show how much they love me,” her voice softened as if she were sharing a precious secret.
With affection shining in her eyes, she leaned back in her swivel chair, clasped her hands together, and gazed upward dreamily.
A moment later, realization hit her.
“Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry,” she exclaimed, covering her mouth with her hand. “I think I’ve been talking way too much.”
Jasper could not help but chuckle at her reaction.
“It’s okay, Miss Zita. We uphold confidentiality here,” he assured her and smiled.
“Good thing, then.” Miss Zita smiled back at him and fixed her eyeglasses on the bridge of her nose. “By the way, if you want, you can be my daughter.”
Jasper’s eyes widened instantly.
Miss Zita burst into laughter.
“I’m kidding!”
She shook her head, still amused by his expression.
“Anyway, you can start your official training now. If you need anything, just call Norma or me, okay?” She flashed him another warm smile, but Jasper was still recovering from her unexpected remark.
With a shocked expression and slightly uneven breathing, he excused himself from the room, his mind still trying to process what had just happened.