We often believe what we want to believe.
Sometimes... even lie to ourselves to help us feel better.
All so that we could move forward
Desperate so we could carry on.
...
... ...
With that said,
Would you say that the reality you're in is the reality you believe in?
Which is which for you?
Is Reality as it is to you?
A simple list of facts. True and undeniable.
Or would you admit that your entire idea of Reality is skewed?
Composed of things and scenarios you're making out to be...
Or rather the things you accept to be...
And what if the lines blurred and all the choices you made now all carry a mix of acceptance and denial?
Would you continue making a fool of yourself, or would you admit that it was all a delusion from the start?
That your whole life is a shattered mess and that your hands have been bleeding for so long,
and soon, you won't be able to hang on.
And soon...
soon...
You'll fall.
...
... ...
This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.
Hmm...
Or maybe you're already broken in the first place?...
Maybe...
You have been long dead inside.
...
... ...
Which is which for you?
Which lie are you living today?
…
… …
--- break ---
[Player] Karina Einstream, Human, Female, 21 years old.
'I should really stop hanging around these two.'
I silently rolled my eyes as I continued to watch Edizon and William.
...
... ...
It's now my 3rd and final month posing as a manager in this cafe. Contrary to what I thought. My stay here has been rather delightful.
Instead of boring me with management and processes that my family would soon override, the immersion consisted of more advanced theories and implementation.
* Things to consider to make the shop beautiful yet free from price judgment.
* Factors that help customers spend more and feel more grateful at the same time.
* Blurring price ranges to accommodate all levels of customers.
* Preparing staff members psychologically, training them to smile. Including when and how much. Slowly teaching them to naturally process social cues and gestures more effectively.
* Critical Information and active signals to look for when dealing with every type of customer. (With accounts to their current mental status vs. the customers'.)
* A simplified way to use misdirection and speech patterns to diffuse situations.
* Establishing a pseudo-personal but safe connection to customers.
* A structured way to ingrain a personal need for customers to revisit the business.
* etc...
...
... ...
From the simplest tradition to the most complex micro reactions, the studies we glanced upon became more absurd and absurd as the three months elapsed.
Just the sheer quantity of these studies is an obstacle in itself. The human mind can only store so little Information, after all.
If we're basing it on skill, taking into account the complexity, it will take the staff members months and even a year or two in order to execute them in a natural state.
He would have to find the most elite of individuals just to have a chance at successfully embedding some of these habits.
There's also the question of why those people would want to work in a Cafe.
However fascinating these studies are, they are, in the end, overkill and overall impractical. Yet what I saw these last three months had proved to me otherwise.
Seeing our new staff members learn and easily adapt all of these skills and habits up to an... instinctual level made me realize how advanced and terrifying Edizon has progressed in this field.
As far as I know, only the military has been ever successful in mentally engineering their members on such a deep scale,
and most of the current military practices worked around eliminating unnecessary habits and steeling down the essence of order, and following their chain of command.
Any more than that could lead to deterioration of their natural instincts and possibly destroy a certain level of autonomy of their personnel which has proved time and time again to be unrealistic.
Yet, at an age same as mine, he was able to theorize and even implement all of that.
And no...
It wasn't some sort of passed-on study. I've already asked my family to investigate multiple times.
Edizon Madrigal, no educational achievements, no athletic achievements. A Business Administration graduate and the owner and creator of this cafe.
Other than he looks to be fit enough to hold his ground. There isn't really anything noteworthy by my standard.
Other than he's William's closest friend. And possibly his unknown sparring partner.
'That William from two years ago.'
...
... ...
To be continued.