"Oh, we must hurry! It's almost opening time," Keiko said, her voice ced with urgency as she moved swiftly to prepare for the day. Time had flown by so quickly that I hadn't even gotten the chance to ask her about the boss. Lost in thought, I barely registered her words until she gave me a puzzled look. "Ryuko?" she called, snapping me back to reality.

  "Oh… right!" I responded quickly, shaking off my distraction. Then, before I lost my nerve, I turned to her. "By the way, Keiko…"

  She gnced at me while setting down some menus. "Mmhmm?"

  I hesitated for a second, then took a deep breath. "I wanted to ask you something… Do you have time after work?"

  Keiko paused for only a moment before offering me a warm smile, one that instantly put me at ease. "Sure," she said without hesitation.

  Relieved, I returned her smile. "Thanks. See you ter."

  With that, I stepped into the restaurant, ready to start the day—though a part of me couldn't stop thinking about the conversation that awaited us after work.

  The air inside Manna’s Kitchen was thick with anticipation. Aki, Ruka, and Miko had been watching me all day, their eyes practically drilling holes in my back, desperate for details about my conversation with Keiko. But I had nothing to give them yet.

  I hadn’t even asked the most important question.

  They were frustrated. I was frustrated. Keiko, on the other hand, was her usual calm and kind self, making everything seem normal. But inside, my heart was racing. I needed to talk to her after work.

  Then, just when I thought the day was winding down smoothly, the restaurant door smmed open.

  A stunning woman—tall, elegant, and commanding—strode inside like she owned the pce.

  Following behind her was none other than the boss—the old man who had caused all this trouble in the first pce.

  I froze mid-step.

  Aki dropped a pte.

  Ruka let out a whispered "Oh crap."

  Miko clung to my sleeve like we were about to be sentenced to death.

  Keiko, ever composed, stepped forward. “Miss Manna…”

  Wait. Miss Manna?

  As in Manna’s Kitchen?

  I had been working here for two months and never even considered that the restaurant was named after someone. I felt like an idiot.

  The woman pced her hands on her hips and gred at the old man. “Come on, Father. Apologize.”

  Father?

  I nearly choked on air.

  The boss—the terrifying, grumpy old man—was this gorgeous, powerful woman’s father?

  My brain was struggling to keep up.

  The old man grumbled something under his breath, looking like a scolded child. His pride was practically melting off him like butter on a hot pan.

  “Properly,” the woman pressed, her voice sharp as a knife.

  He let out a heavy sigh. “I’m sorry, Keiko.”

  Silence.

  Aki, Ruka, and Miko were staring like they had just witnessed the impossible.

  Keiko hesitated for a moment, then gave a soft smile. “It’s okay, sir.”

  Miss Manna turned to Keiko and sighed. “I sincerely apologize for my father’s behavior. He went too far. I just returned from overseas and found out about his… ridiculous actions.” She shot another gre at her father, who flinched slightly.

  Keiko, always the peacemaker, smiled. “It’s really alright, Miss Manna.”

  Miss Manna exhaled, then turned her gaze toward me. Her eyes were piercing.

  “Oh. A new girl?” she asked.

  I straightened my back so fast I almost gave myself whipsh. “Y-yes! I’ve been working here for two months! My name is Ryuko!”

  She studied me for a moment before breaking into a stunning smile. “I see. Sorry I haven’t been around. I’m Manna Miyazaki, the owner of this pce.”

  I bowed deeply, trying not to sound like an idiot. “It’s an honor to meet you, Miss Manna!”

  She chuckled. “You’re cute. I like you.”

  I nearly colpsed.

  The old boss looked unimpressed but wisely kept quiet as his daughter handled things.

  After a bit more conversation and what seemed like an intimidation report from Keiko, Miss Manna finally nodded in approval. “I’ll be keeping a very close eye from now on. No more funny business.”

  The old man sighed in defeat.

  And just like that, they left.

  The entire restaurant let out a collective breath of relief.

  “Well,” I said, chuckling nervously. “At least I’m not fired.”

  Aki clutched her chest. “I think I just lost three years of my life.”

  Ruka shook her head. “No, that was five.”

  Miko wiped imaginary sweat off her forehead. “I almost cried.”

  We all shared a ugh before returning to finish closing the restaurant.

  ---

  After we finished closing, I was still gathering my things when I heard Keiko’s voice gently call my name. "Ryuko." I turned to see her standing by the door, her expression calm yet expectant. "I'll wait for you outside," she said with a small smile.

  I nodded quickly, feeling a little flustered. "O-okay, thanks."

  Keiko was waiting for me outside.

  I took a deep breath, grabbed my things, and stepped out into the cool night air.

  “Sorry to keep you waiting,” I said.

  She smiled. “It’s okay. Where are we going?”

  I smirked. “It’s a secret.”

  Before she could question me further, I took her hand and pulled her along.

  She didn’t resist.