The next morning, I casually lied to Junpei, stretching my arms as if exhausted from my imaginary apartment hunt.
"Uncle, I couldn’t find a good pce, so I guess I’ll still be living under your roof!" I announced dramatically, pcing a hand on my forehead like a damsel in distress. "Please continue to take care of me, dear uncle!"
Junpei’s eyes twitched. "Arrrghhh! It’s been two months! Two whole months!" he shouted, clutching his head. He pointed a trembling finger at me. "Do you have any idea how much I’ve suffered?! I already promised my girlfriend I'd get my own space two months ago!"
I grinned, enjoying his misery just a little.
"I hope she doesn’t break up with me over this… huhuhu…" He suddenly colpsed onto the table, pretending to sob.
I ughed, shaking my head before finally putting him out of his misery. "Rex, Junpei. I found an apartment."
His head snapped up. "Seriously?!"
I nodded. "I’ll move in two weeks."
"WOHOOOO~ FINALLY!!" Junpei jumped up, spinning in pce like he’d just won the lottery.
I chuckled before giving him a sincere smile. "Junpei, I really, really appreciate everything you’ve done for me. From the bottom of my heart, you’re my lifesaver. I’ll never forget your kindness." I extended my arms toward him. "Come here, let me give you a hug—"
"Stay back, demon!" Junpei recoiled, holding up his hands like I was cursed. "Just say ‘thank you’ like a normal person! Don’t touch me, you’re making me shiver!"
---
That afternoon, work felt unusually long. My legs ached from yesterday’s apartment hunt, and I barely had the energy to stand. It was finally break time, and I had just finished my lunch when Aki plopped down beside me.
"You just had a day off yesterday. Why do you look like a zombie?" she asked, eyeing me suspiciously.
"I was busy," I replied ftly, rubbing my temples.
Aki smirked. "Ohhh, I get it now. You went on a date yesterday, didn’t you?"
Her voice was way too loud. Before she could continue, I panicked and spped my hand over her mouth.
"Shhhh! Lower your voice!" I hissed, gncing around.
"Mmmph!" Aki mumbled, her eyes blinking in confusion.
Too te.
"There are customers here. Please lower your voices," a calm yet firm voice interrupted.
I turned to see Keiko standing there with her arms crossed.
"And Ryuko." Her eyes narrowed slightly, and I felt a chill run down my spine.
"Y-Yes?!"
"I know you're excited about your date, but please keep it outside of work."
Wait. What?!
I shot a look at Aki, silently screaming "This is your fault!!" She quickly elbowed me in the stomach before bowing her head.
"We’re sorry, Keiko."
I opened my mouth to protest, but another sharp elbow jab from Aki shut me up.
Keiko nodded before walking away, leaving me fuming inside.
Aki. I swear. You’re dead to me.
---
Later in the evening, a man in his 50s walked into the restaurant, looking far too fancy for a casual meal. Another man, presumably his assistant, followed closely behind him.
I approached him politely. "Good evening, sir. May I take your order?"
He gnced at me from head to toe, his sharp gaze scrutinizing every detail.
"A new girl?" he muttered, more to himself than to me.
"I’ve been working here for two months, sir," I replied, maintaining my polite tone.
He seemed unimpressed. "Where’s Keiko? I want her to serve me."
I frowned slightly. Who does this guy think he is?
"I’m sorry, but Keiko is on her break at the moment. I’d be happy to—"
"Who do you think you are, new kid?" he interrupted, his voice carrying an air of arrogance.
Before I could respond, Aki suddenly appeared, fshing an unusually bright smile.
"Ahhh, good evening, Boss!" she greeted, her tone overly cheerful. "You want Keiko, right? Please wait a moment."
Wait. Boss?
The man smirked. "Ah, Aki. Good to see you. Please teach this new kid how to talk to me properly next time."
Excuse me?!
Aki quickly grabbed my arm, dragging me toward the staff room.
"What the hell was that?!" I whispered.
She sighed. "That’s the owner of Manna’s Kitchen. Our actual boss."
Oh. That expined a lot.
---
Inside the staff room, Keiko was in the middle of eating when Aki called out to her.
"Keiko! The boss is here. He wants you to serve him."
Immediately, Keiko froze.
She set down her chopsticks, her hands trembling slightly. I could see the tension in her posture, her usual calm demeanor cracking.
"Are you okay?" I asked gently.
She took a deep breath, exhaling slowly before nodding. "I’m fine."
No, she wasn’t.
For the first time, I saw genuine fear in Keiko’s eyes.
What exactly was her history with this man?
And why did she look like she was preparing for battle?
