There is nothing like manga’s ability to bring people together in the oddest of ways, and I’m not talking about the classic conversations where a friend, classmate, or some other individual suddenly asks if you watch anime, or at the very least have seen Dragon Ball Z, One Piece, Bleach, or Naruto, before going on an entire spiel about how badass and amazing it is, whether that be the fight scenes, storytelling, or some other thing, and I understand that my references may have just aged me. Perhaps the age of anime and manga we live in now consists of Black Clover, My Hero Academia, Attack on Titan (as I still hear news), and many more. But, even with my declining participation, having fallen out of my heyday quite some time ago, that hasn’t prevented me from picking up an occasional read.

After attempting to participate in a three-day weekend that I didn’t have (given that Veterans Day for many, if not most people, comes with a day off), I took the chunk of time I had between classes (given that I’m a college student) to get some lunch and head to Barnes & Noble before coming back, fully aware that there’s a recycled bookstore far closer to my campus and dorm. In fact, the bus ride there isn’t long, and I did go there last week with a slight expectation that they’d have all eight volumes of Parasyte at a discounted, pre-owned, recycled bookstore price, but they didn’t have a single one.

It’s kind of funny how such moments lead you to tell yourself, I’m willing to buy it out of order. I just don’t want to pay full price knowing that I’m probably not going to start reading it until I get my hands on volume one.

At least that’s how I am for the most part. I don’t know what I would’ve done had they had Parasyte. But, after a week of waiting, which didn’t feel long with the amount of cramming and midterms I had (in fact, I wanted time to pass by a tad slower, likely allowing me more sleep), I went to Barnes & Noble, and sure enough, they had it.

Toning down the sense of surprise, I had actually Googled the location before going, so I knew they had it in stock, but what I didn’t expect was the number of people that were there, which warmed me, as I couldn’t imagine if Barnes & Noble closed. Plus, I’m a member. If this is what people do with their three-day weekend, I approve.

I made my way to the manga section in search of Parasyte (and not the Parasite that comes up every time I search “Parasyte” but slightly misspell it) to be delighted by the countless people crowding the shelves, especially the section I was most curious about under “P.”

For those who don’t know, they’re alphabetized by title, not author.

As for why this section was so popular, I could only assume that it was because with O comes One Punch Man and One Piece, and on the shelf perpendicular, there was Rent-A-Girlfriend, Spy x Family, Toilet-Bound Hanako-kun, and various other things I’m definitely missing.

Anyway, the thing I wanted was on the lowest part of the shelf beneath the all-too-grand One Piece that is still making waves, which was guarded by a bunch of legs. And, obviously, with a kind ask, they made way for me to sort through and delight in the few copies they had. I understand that I did, in fact, partially grow up watching Parasyte with my uncle, but to my recollection, I wasn’t as into it back then. In fact, I probably wasn’t into it at all. I mean, it’s kind of creepy. But I guess with time, people change, and now, years into the future, I’ve chosen to engage with such things so much that I’ve exercised patience just to be glad that one volume is still only $10.99 and not $15.

Well, the full-color edition (which I had no idea about before this event) was $20.

Not cheap. Nor is $10.99, but given a newly released volume of something that’s currently trending at $13 and arguably half the size, I’m fine with $10.99.

Treating myself to this three-day weekend (okay, fine, I only have a two-day weekend), I grabbed the first two volumes, which made up 25% of the series, before waiting in line to pay at the cashier, only to let my eyes wander towards the shelves of new releases.

That’s the thing I love about Barnes & Noble's lines. They’re both fast and slow, and my eyes always wander when I’m in them. I almost considered picking up two more books just by passing by the shelves of new releases. Except, they were basically $30 a piece. $80 subtotal on a Friday, I thought. No way.

I’m still a broke college student, but the uncomfortable visuals of Parasyte and the one-week wait made it worth the price. I’m going to be a shameless college student and say I worked hard. I know no one’s going to believe me, but I did. With a cashier open, I made my way over, kind of setting my two books (mangas) before the cashier, only for his eyes to light up, which is proof he works in a bookstore. “Is it your first time reading Parasyte?” he asked.

“Yeah…” I gave an unconvincing response as I sort of scratched my head. “I mean, sure, but not really. I think I’ve seen a bit of it before in the past.”

That information seemed unimportant.

“Well, the anime is good too. But yeah, the series is really good. Like really good.”

Great! I think those are the moments where I get really awkward, as I was already in the process of buying them, but with similar situations happening with One Piece, Akira, Devilman, and Hunter x Hunter, this definitely wasn’t the first time. Actually, the same thing happened with Rent-A-Girlfriend, back when I still cared to read it. I think the cashier told me I was the third or fourth person to buy it that day.

I’m ashamed.

But, to further the conversation, I said, “I’m a member.”

It was his turn to go, “Great,” except instead of asking for a phone number, I had already whipped out my glistening gold foiled “Barnes & Noble Premium Membership” card.

I will say the text on it is in all caps.

It seems excessive, but anything for my discount!

With a lighter wallet and a heavier bag, I made my way towards the exit, only for a sense of comfort to fill my heart. Even in a world of digital media, the tangible experience of a good old-fashioned manga haul was still an experience worth savoring. And awkward cashier encounters may very well be the true unsung heroes of the story.