Vigilante Slimming Scanner – Chapter 8

REGISTERS

The door to the bike shop swings open and in walks Toro, just like the convenience store scanners said he would. They tracked his progress all over town today as he walked from one store to the next, running errands, and avoiding the bike shop until five minutes ago when he arrived outside and paced the sidewalk before entering.

“Can I help you, sir?” One of the more eager salesmen in the shop approaches Toro, and Toro shrinks back for a moment before nodding.

“Yeah. I’ve been thinking about getting a bike for commuting to and from work. I need to get into shape, and I thought this might be a good option for me.”

The salesman beams happily at Toro, sizing him up from head to toe. “A street-style mountain bike would be good for you. Sixteen gears. How hilly and how long will your commute be?”

Toro pulls his phone out of his pocket and shows the map to the salesman. “It’s about seven kilometers and not too hilly, right?”

The salesman nods and hums. “Yes, this looks pretty good. You could do that route in thirty to forty minutes depending on how fit you are.”

“Thirty to forty minutes? It takes me over an hour by train!”

The salesman laughs. “Bicycling to work not only reduces stress but gives you more time with your family. Does your company ban employees from commuting by bicycle?”

“No.” Toro shakes his head as he slips his phone back in his pocket. “I interviewed with other companies that did ban bicycle commuting, but the company I work for is very progressive. And I have a gym membership at a place nearby. I should be fine.”

“Great. Let’s look at some different models.”

The salesman leads Toro through the store, stopping at both the motor-assisted and folding bikes first before proceeding to the mountain bikes. “Toro may be heading into sticker shock,” I report to everyone in my network. “The salesman is trying to sell the highest-end models first.”

“Oh no,” the convenience store scanners moan through the network. “He’ll certainly cave and not buy anything today if this guy is too aggressive. Can you tell him to lighten up?”

“No,” I respond, switching to a different view. “I keep trying to talk to him, but he either ignores me or can’t hear me.”

Toro clutches at the back of his neck as the two of them lean over a red mountain bike and test it out. It’s the right size and height for Toro, and once he loses a little weight, it’ll be perfect for him.

“This is the bike for you.” The salesman nods and smiles, testing the pressure in the tires. “With a chain and helmet, you should be good to go.”

“How much is it going to cost me?” Toro frowns as he steps away from the bike. It’s clear he’s interested in the bike, but the price may be too steep for him.

The salesman pulls out his phone and enters in all of the data to obtain a price. “About 53,000Yen. Is that too far out of your budget?”

Toro glances around the store, his eyes skimming over all the bikes before coming back to this one. “Can you give me a few moments to call a friend for advice? I want to make sure I’m making the right decision.”

“Of course. Take your time.” The salesman bows and leaves Toro by himself.

“Oh no,” I moan to the network. “He’s going to bail.”

“Can we listen in on his conversation?” the others ask, as Toro dials.

“Let me dial up the microphone on the security camera.”

“Hey, it’s Toro. I’m at the bike shop, and I’m looking at bikes, and… I just don’t know. It seems kind of expensive.”

He sits for a moment, flexing his fingers over the handlebar and brakes of the red bike, nodding and listening to his phone.

“Right. You’re right. It’s an investment…” He pauses and scans the store. “Yeah, they can give me everything I need… Okay. No. You’re right. I do need this. I need to make a change. Thank you for talking me into this.”

Toro signals to the salesman and the entire network of scanners cheers, our circuits shorting out wildly, and people using the cash registers swear as the screens blink and splutter.

“He did it!”

“Thank goodness,” the convenience store scanners reply, laughing and then sighing. “I’m so glad I didn’t drive him into a complete depression.”

“I wonder if he’ll keep up the exercise?” Another scanner asks.

“We’ve gotten him this far. He’ll have to figure out the rest on his own.”