1121.

VA Room.

"Ossu~ What's popping?" greeted Gin upon making his way to his desk first thing in the morning while Rin waved gently behind him.

"Morning," Nagi responded. "It sure is rare to see you two in this room these days."

"Yeah. It's hard to balance studying in two departments while being a mentor at WT at the same time. Did you pass the quiz yesterday, Rin?"

"Yep."

"We're equally as lazy, but good for you."

"Oh, right, Ringo. Did you really pass your weekly report with a picture where you did a stupid pose?"

"That's mean, Shiro! It was part of training, and did you really think that I'll just pull a dumb pose like that at the tip of a hat?!"

"I almost said yes."

"You did anyway, whitey."

"Eck. What's up with that nickname? Payback for calling you stupid? Lol."

"What, that's the meaning of your name anyway! Well at least I know that 'Shiro' is a much cuter name but not as much as mine!"

"Well at least I'm not someone who got pranked with a cactus bun on my hair, Shima!"

"At least I'm not a princess who ran away after a prince of a neighboring country accidentally confessed to you after a great dinner!"

"Wait, what was that just now?"

"I don't even know what I'm saying anymore."

On the other hand, the boyfriends' side.

"Rare to see those two argue and exchange banters, huh. Shiro sure has liven up after all that happened, Nagi."

All they hear from the girl's side is 'kya' that endlessly repeats. Onomatopoeia, perhaps.

"Kinda refreshing to see those two like that. They're like two cats fighting on top of your roof."

"What did you say just now?"

"…

O-Oh…"

The two otaku stared on the two girls with Nagi's analogy in mind. But as one would expect, their imagination of cats are way off. You know, ears.

In any case, they halted their stupidity before it got any worse.

"How's WT, by the way?" asked Gin.

"Pretty good on our side. It's sort of busy in the studio. It's sad that I can't participate on the edit of a commissioned film involving a wedding."

"Hey, you just made one a few months ago for Sis, you know."

"Artists are greedy for improvement, sous chef."

"My side's still pretty light on work, now that you mention."

"'Light?' I didn't know your insanity skyrocketed even after your head's full recovery."

"My vocabulary might have lost its brakes."

"Please don't make that kind of dark puns.

What are they doing there anyway? Ringo with those trays really surprised me."

"They just finished their preliminaries for waitering yesterday so no more trays with heavy weights on them today. They will start rotation tomorrow."

"They already have 20 hours? We on alternating days will be left behind by leaps and bounds, huh. Ahh, wait. They won't be able to finish their WT before the year ends, huh."

"Yeah, WT is only until December 19 so they'll finish by the 15th of January."

"Wow. I hope that we'll be done before the finals."

"Oh, yeah. How are G and Yui in the studio?"

"Hmmm. Surprisingly ethical."

"Surprising indeed. I'm just glad that Yui moved on over a useless guy, but G has it hard, huh?"

"That's the case—you don't even know if it's actually hard for them to hold back when at work."

"Well, don't ask me. Even I wouldn't be able to get a read from them."

"The workflow is really great, though. It's a little different from our style of work in the club and it's a lot more organized so tasks don't pile up.

I guess it's way better than sucking out the life from your trainees."

"We won't be doing that to them especially when your trainees have stomachs to fill after the work."

If you know what he means.

"Oi, are you talking about Ringo making dinner for you?"

"Nah, that's not it. Besides, she only makes lunch at my place."

"Quit bragging."

"But hey, when a man knows how to cook, it's a plus point for the father, you know."

"I'll quote you on that."

"I don't know about you, but my side has an extremely noisy old man that may just compliment me. Maybe you have someone that will smash the plate in your face."

"Not gonna lie, I can imagine my face with porcelain shards."

"Now you just went dark."

"But honestly, my WT right now is actually plenty fun. I sometimes get ahead because I know how the work flows so I also get to observe how the others are doing."

"Acting like a batch leader, I see."

"Well, I am.

Nice to see that Yuuga's a lot more optimistic, though. But I'm a bit worried with how he looks towards the future."

"H-Huh…"

"He's saying stuff like being a mangaka will interfere with the time he will spend with his own family."

"I guess I also have that assertiveness…"

"Well, I can give him a word that he's getting ahead of himself. But I just can't say the same thing to you with the way your current life is."

Without further thinking, Gin caught on to Nagi's line of thought.

"The bias will only fall on me, you know. It will take a lot more time on the other side of things."

"Well at least I'm not yet thinking of those things."

"Good for you. I have already wasted my youth so I'm unable to bring that back now. I can only move forward in my case."

"That's good enough, really. Although I do wonder how will I be when I get to your age."

"It depends on how we act on what we envision."

"Sometimes you can really pull original quotes like that."

"I'm half-geezer, Nagi."

▪ ▪ ▪

"I would like to congratulate you four for getting through those muscle plains," said Yuzuri. "And I would also like to feel bad that things will just get more exhausting moving on."

"You don't ran out of retorts, Chef Yuzu…" Rin sighed.

"With that said, your first rotational work will begin now until the next Thursday.

Jean is already in the kitchen while you were on your trays, but whoever gets in the kitchen may not be able to hold a knife yet. Nonetheless, being in the kitchen is like getting the short end of the stick.

But then, Chef Hiroomi has decided with the rotation. So Ringo-chan will be in the kitchen considering her experience."

"Understood!"

"Nikudo-kun and Suzuna-san will be on waiter work, and Azuki-san will be helping out Yuna-san on the desks.

Any objections?"

"There's none!" all in one voice.

"Then things will just get hectic. Everybody, move! Don't waste a second!"

~ ~ ~

In just a few seconds, the workforce of Giotto's increased with the addition of four trainees. The three sections of the rotational tasks given to them were no easy feat, they realized.

Yamaha and Katae immediately took out a notepad so as to assist the waiters, but as much as they anticipated Yuzuri's advice, things were easier said than done. They were told that it takes a lot of concentration just to be a waiter especially in a very dense day of work. It was as though they were playing a very tight game of chess where pieces are eliminated extremely slowly while protecting the king. In a sense, they had to observe the dining hall and the flow of customers as if it was the board itself. A mistake can be easily made with the lack of presence of mind, and therefore the king can most likely be checked.

The management office on the other hand may not consume a lot of physical and wide movements, but it takes a lot of mental power and appreciation to the numbers for the work to be done. Rena in this section has taken a mental beating after roughly thirty minutes of work on paper and on screen. There may be less workload, but it was exhausting in its own way. She had dreamed of establishing her own family-ran restaurant and she was overwhelmed with how much money comes in and out of the restaurant this size in just one day. But amid those troubles in her mind, she was able to apply the studying she did in the BM class while seldom skipping written classes in her department.

"What a bad mother I am…"

While inside the kitchen, there are always three factors to be considered: (1) enjoyment, (2) stress, and (3) enjoyment and stress at the same time. Rin on her first day in the kitchen has not yet been allowed to either hold a knife or stand in front of the stove. Thus, she had washed dishes more than she can count for half an hour. But if to apply one of the three factors on her current self, it is still enjoyment. Her motivation of tirelessly washing pots and dishes made herself a quote that she revised, and ought not to forget in her entire life.

"Unknown to cooking, nor known to knife… Unlimited Plate Works."

She promised herself to pass it on to her child.

Still, she felt a very nostalgic feeling inside the kitchen. She still vividly remembers the cruel but fun work that she had experienced in Kyoto. The current space has the same feeling of busyness and unease that she had grown familiar after hearing the echoing voices of exclamation, and seeing the rush of movements and the way which no one is left out.

On that humble thought, she felt satisfied with being in front of the full sink, while thinking that she can also perhaps be cooking with them someday.

▪ ▪ ▪

"Are your hands free right now, Ms. Shiro?" and then came a tap on her shoulder while sat on her desk.

"Ms. Ali. How can I help you?"

"Well, I'm wondering if you actually know how to make backgrounds for panning."

"I-I still haven't tried something like that large scale."

"Do you want to learn how to make them, then?"

"If that fine's with you, then I'll gladly take up your offer. It might serve as a reference when I'm shooting."

"Good, good. What paint do you usually use?"

"I've always avoided oil since it's expensive… so I mainly use watercolor, poster and acrylic respectively."

Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author's consent. Report any sightings.

"I've heard from Nagi that you two are from an art club. I actually scrolled through your club's Instanyan page and saw that there are a few digital backgrounds. Is one of those your work?"

"Ah… no. I'm not really that adept with digital art so I stick with analog. I actually brought a water brush pen with me in case if I need it."

"Ohhh. So you understand how flexible it is to use."

"I've started to like painting more than using Copiks because of a friend. She is still a better painter, though."

"Ahahaha. Don't say that. You're pursuing a photography career but it's always better when you have more knowledge stocked up in you. I guess that's one perk of studying art either on your own or by education—you can find something right when one thing goes wrong."

"I-I'll engrave that to every wrinkle of my brain."

"Pfft… So you can joke like that! Do you talk like that when you're also with Nagi?"

"Not really…"

"So Ms. Ali knows now…"

"Anyways! Let's get started. I'll let you paint with oil once you're done with your part with acrylic. Do you like painterly style?"

"Yes…! Very!"

"Then do your best for UsaPyon Animation!"

"Yes, I will-

This is a background for UsaPyon's anime?!

Now that I think about it… I saw the studio in the end credits of their anime…"

"Quite the observant one, I see! Well, we can't waste any of your remaining three hours. Here's the layout and you just need to paint them according to the codes written on the tapes. How much do you think you can do?"

"I think… I can paint most of this until five, Miss. I usually do flats first."

"Ain't that nice. Glad to have you, Shiro!"

"I-I'll do my best…!"

▪ ▪ ▪

Next week.

‹Ginji›

"Ginji~!" I just took my bag, and I have already seen Yui poking her head from outside the entrance while waving her arm at me. I'm at least a hundred meters away from her and that's already what I see.

…

Hahh.

"I thought you went home already."

"Yuuga and the other guys ate out, so I figured I'll wait for you out here."

"Surely Nagi just framed me."

"I guess that's fine. Hmm…"

I unconsciously looked up on the sky and saw that the cold days of November have shortened the day and extended the night.

"Hey, Yui."

"Hmm?"

"This is the least that I can do, so can you let me walk you home every time we're at WT like today?"

"Uh…? Why though?"

"My word, I swear you're a little dense sometimes, Yui. It's just 5pm and look at how dark the sky is already."

"But that means that you'll be farther from your place."

"Then let it be farther. I know I'm wooing you and all, but your safety is an entirely different matter."

"…

I might seriously reciprocate if you're always like this… I'm joking about that, anyway. You're always telling me that my feelings might become halfhearted if I don't get to know you very well."

"Yeah, I think I've said that a hundred times or two. Don't take this seriously, but do we have the same feelings now?"

"Don't get ahead of yourself. It's still not the case for me… yet. But at least I've finally moved on from Gin."

"Now that's the honesty that I wanted to hear. Well, enough of this heart throbbing stuff.

How's work on your side?"

"I didn't think I would enjoy vector a lot. It was like something lit a fire on me, or a switch was pulled."

"Really, you're a quick learner! I've spent at least two months on trying to understand the Pathfinder, you know? I always messed it up on my first try."

"I'm still a noob with the pen tool, though. Oh, right. You stopped lettering, correct?"

"I guess I got bored on it because brush pens are expensive. I still do it on letters without the need of it, though. Anyway, I just can't get the creative burst on it."

"Also, is your eyesight getting bad?"

"Oh? I didn't know Gin's vision is like that."

"No, that's not it, dummy. I just noticed it when I dropped off a cup of hot choco on your desk last week. I saw you squinting in front of the screen."

"I tried to distance a lot on LCDs but my astigmatism got a lot more apparent on my right eye. Though I already know that it won't give me heterochromia."

"Why that?"

"It just kinda came out. Don't mind it."

"Hmm… I wonder how you'll look like with glasses."

"Do you think thin frames that are circular will suit me?"

"Maybe if you tried hard."

"Ouch."

"Just give up on the circular ones but still go with a thin frame. If you plan on getting a prescription, I'll look for a frame with you."

"Well, I still don't have money for that. Maybe some other time."

Rumble~~~

"Ah, that's mine," I admitted along with my stomach. "Let's grab something to eat on the way."

"Okay."

"Hmm. Want to celebrate once we're done with WT in Giotto's?"

"I don't think that will fly."

"Of course I know that your parents will kill me if it's just the two of us. Try to invite Anzu."

"Then I guess that's fine.

By the way… I wonder how is work in Giotto's right now. I can really see Ringo enjoying herself right now."

"Oh, yeah. I also wonder about that.

Ah, do you know that I know how to cook some of their menu?"

"You can do that?!"

"Well, eating in the restaurant sounds a lot more cost efficient instead of me buying the ingredients."

"I guess you're right."

"But sometime I'll pay you back on the red velvet cupcakes you gave me.

I know, I'm going to say hi to your dad later."

"Eh? What are you up to?"

"Not entirely a secret, but it's a secret."

"Ehhhh."

…

"You know, I used to wear reading glasses with oval frames when I was a kid."

"Now I wanna see…!"

▪ ▪ ▪

112719.

‹Gin›

I guess I underestimated the dedication of my trainees a little. The work indeed was very exhausting on all sections of the restaurant, but I didn't expect that they will deliver satisfactory results; and not a plate has shattered. It has been a year since I got over my life-long breakdown but I guess I still have a hard time on trusting people.

But with that said, Hiro gave me the liberty to shuffle the rotation starting today. Thus, I stood in front of them in the break room to discuss the topic.

"Alright, bossman ordered me to change the rotations so I'll follow. But things will change a bit as the waiters that took their day off will return so there's really no need to put anyone there. The problem is that the cooks will be the ones going to take a break from work. Also, you know that it's actually my day off today so I'll just be working until 3."

"I have to prepare for the family dinner."

"So with that, I'll be putting Jean on the management by himself. The remaining four will be stationed in the kitchen now. You may have known, but Rin's work was mostly on keeping the clean dishes in the cycle but we ask her to assist on doing mise en place, et cetera. I'll give her the freedom on the kitchen now just like how Jean was. So Yamaha, Rena, and Kae will have the dishwashing and maintenance tasks along with assistance if needed. Head chef and I have full hands so Chef Yuzu will direct you.

In any case, I look forward to working with you four."

"Yes, chef."

'Delivering satisfactory results' perhaps so far. Apart from Rin and Jean, I don't know how the other three define the exhausting work that was described to them, so this will be a turning point. This might be where Yuzuri-san and I will have a hard time on grading them. After all, being a student and a chef is not on the same page. They might see me as an entirely different person, and their perception of me when I'm acting as a student might also change.

▪ ▪ ▪

Next day.

"Good afternoon, Chef Gin…!"

"Nice timing! Go register your time and quickly put your aprons. I won't allow you to waste any time inside the kitchen since we're really busy. Got it?"

"Yes, chef!"

I saw the enthusiasm in their eyes, but I am still worried with what will eventually come next. Out of those four, only Rin has a feel of what a real restaurant is like, especially with an amazing surge of customers coming in and out. Granted, my other classmates gained an experience while the Open Event was still ongoing, but as much as I was impressed with how they ran the class resto, it was still hard to compare to the truest environment.

They have already been told of how grueling the work is, and it is up to them as to how they will act on it. The only thing I can do from this point is to wish them well.

Slam

"Order from Table 18!" a waiter howled in the kitchen.

"Good, you're all here! Yamaha and Rena on the washing; don't mind the vigor and don't rush the plates! We can't have anything shattering here!

Kae, help out Chef Yuzu on her preparations. You're fast on the knife, but still be careful! Rin, you handle the order for 18!"

"You sure are a lot busier, huh, Gin," Hiro unnecessarily chipped in.

"Been a while since I directed a lot of cooks at once since the regulars already know what they're doing.

Here's the olive oil," I tossed behind my back.

"Don't spill, don't spill!"

"I guess I'm also not that used to it anymore since we haven't hired anyone in the past few months.

Ah, I'll finish chopping the garlic. Go take out the pizza from the oven."

"Wilco."

"Finished plating Table 18's order!"

"Nice work! Do the next order, Ringo."

"Yamaha! Don't dry the dishes by hand, we have a dryer to make it fast! I also need plates!"

"Ah, s-sorry! We'll double the time!"

"Suzuna-san, the pasta's not al dente! Repeat it again!"

"I'm sorry…! I'll pay more attention!"

"Rin, while you're on the knife, julienne some ginger!"

"Will do!"

"Ms. Azuki, do you know how to make risotto?"

"I-I do…!"

"Good. Help out Mikaela on the rice then go back to the sink once you're done!"

"Yamaha, go deliver the dish for Table 1!"

"B-But the washing, Chef Gin?"

"Just go already! Make sure to come back fast!"

~ ~ ~

2 hours in.

I can already feel that their fatigue is coming fast.

Through the recent months in my work here, Hiro had come up with a gesture when the work in the kitchen is loaded. For instance, I placed my hand on Rin's shoulder who was just wiping her sweat while stirring a pot. Without saying anything, she nodded.

In this restaurant, that nod was equivalent to saying that she does not need to take a break yet, and the meaning also goes to everyone inside this establishment. Being in this certain kitchen requires a lot of stamina.

Seeing that Kae was getting tired while I haven't given a gesture, I made her switch positions with Rena. The wave of customers has slowed down a little, allowing us a bit more room to breathe.

"Hey, Kae… Don't you think Ringo is getting really tired?"

"Yeah… For a moment, I saw her catching her breath. I have to say, it really gets hot in this kitchen."

"You have to hydrate yourself regularly, moreover. I feel like being a regular cook is taking a toll on Ringo."

"It's not as busy as earlier anymore but I don't think we'll have a break any time soon. But Ringo's state is a little concerning."

"She's also like this when at school. She's so kind but I really don't want to see her overworking herself.

Maybe we can make an excuse to get her to take a rest?"

"Yeah… She's been doing much more than us and I don't want any bias that she's the only one doing things the most."

"Knowing Ringo, she's actually a little stubborn. She wouldn't like it if she has to stop midway with what she is doing. Persuasion won't work on her well."

"Hahh… I don't like to say this but we might have to go things the roundabout way. Any ideas, Kae?"

"Heeeyyy," Hiro called. "Can I ask Ms. Suzuna to take out the scum of the broth and take the pot out of the stove? You help on carrying the pot, Mr. Nikudo. That's a little heavy and hot."

(!)

"Let's use this opportunity," Yamaha whispered. "We can pretend like the pot was swaying a bit and let out a few drops of the broth. Ringo will just beside us, see?"

"I really feel sorry for doing this to Ringo… I really don't want to do this… But she just won't stop if we don't make an excuse…"

Thus, Katae took a strainer and removed the scum floating above the broth, and placed them on a bowl.

"Head chef, where should we place the pot?"

"Ah, just place it down near me. I'll have Gin to carry it. You don't need to put a cover on it. We'll just use it right away."

They then took out an oven glove for one of their hands while the other supports with a potholder.

"One-two…"

The pot was then successfully lifted from the stove but they did not expect that it swayed from its heft. Hearts beat fast on the potential hazard, but the pot thankfully stabilized on their hands.

Looking at each other, they gave themselves a nod. Confident that they now have control over it, they both tilted the pot slightly from the handle while carefully attempting to let some of the broth out.

"That's it… Careful… We only need a few-"

SLAM

"Table 11 has ordered…!!"

"…!"

"AHHHH…!! Ouch… h-hot…!"

All it took was an enthusiastic shout and the usual habit of waiters to ruin the control the two trainees carefully held. A flinch was enough to make a few drops become a moment of splash right on Rin's right hand.

"What happened, Ringo…?"

"Ah… I just got caught on the broth that spilled. I should have been more careful."

"We're sorry, Ringo…!"

"It was just an accident so it's fine. There's nothing we can do about it," Rin kindly replied while looking with a gentle smile. She then ran to the sink and doused her reddish hand. "Rena, can you get me some ice and cold water in the fridge?"

"Alright."

While Rin is bathing her hand on cold water near the sink, the work continued on. After a few minutes of watching her, I once again placed my hand on her shoulder.

This time, she only looked at me and removed my hand from her shoulder. She raised her right arm with open palms with a playful smile.

"High five."

I then raised my hand and she strenuously collided her palm to mine while it left me in shock.

"Hehe."

"Pfft… You're really a strong girl. Ahahahaha…!"

~ ~ ~

5pm.

"Oh, it's already time," Rin mumbled.

"Thanks for the hard work."

"Mhm.

Rena~~ Let's all pack up now."

"Ah, it's already five."

"Chef Gin, we'll be stepping out."

"Sure. Be careful on your way home, Rin."

…

With the four going out of the kitchen, I pulled my phone to my ears.

"Hey, no using phones when in the kitchen," Hiro reminded.

"Hello, is this Mrs. Nikudo?"

"Ignoring me, huh."

"I'm a chef here in Giotto's where your son is having his work training. I would like to inform you that he might be home a little late as there are things that I have to discuss about his training. Yes, thank you very much.

…

Hello, Mr. Suzuna? This is Gin Sakato from Giotto's. I would like to inform you that your daughter will be dismissed by a few minutes later than her schedule. Thank you for understanding."

"Did something happen, Gin?"

"Kind of. Do you mind if I step aside for a few?"

"You're always vague, so go now."

~ ~ ~

"Kae, Yamaha. Can I talk to you for a bit?" I called while seeing them packing things in the break room.

"Uhh… Sure…"

"Jean and the rest can go on ahead. Have a nice rest."

"Then see you next week, chef."

…

While they are still standing with their bags on their shoulders, I took a carton of chocolate drink from the fridge and sat on the couch.

"Your feet will hurt if you don't sit, you know. Your shoulders will also tense up with the weight of your bags."

Thus, they placed down their bags and sat on a chair.

"…

'I guess the broth that you tried to carefully spill on Rin wouldn't be as bad if not because of the shouting of the waiter, huh?'"

"…!"

Aside from the shock, I also saw the regret from their mistake on their eyes. Perhaps they are thinking: "How did Gin know?"

"We're very sorry…"

"That's bad of me to jump to conclusion# without any confirmation, but…

Blue Ink students are not as stupid and unreasonable to just do that out of whim. What's up? Are you envious that she got to cook by the stove top for the whole day while you and Rena didn't get to? But whatever the reason is, that was one childish approach."

Kae spoke, "I admit that I was feeling a little jealous… But it was not because of that, I swear… Yamaha and I were just concerned that Ringo was looking really tired earlier. We just wanted to her to rest for a bit while knowing that we can't really persuade her with words.

We didn't intend to do it to such an extent."

"So you're admitting that it was intentional?"

"Y-Yes…" Yamaha affirmed.

"The principal has cultivated the students to become a better person inside his school. I can reprimand you two as the sous chef of this restaurant, but I don't think there is a need to.

And regarding Rin, who told you that she was getting tired? Granted, she was sometimes out of breath, but it's not something that can bring her down to her knees. She had worked with me and Jean in the Kyoto branch, so they know that this work is not so close to the extreme work that we had gone through there. If anything, she is actually having fun, you know?

But work is work. We can't let our emotions jump out like that over us. You have to hold back those feelings while you are in the site of work; and you really could have just asked her even after knowing how stubborn that girl is. Please remember that.

However, I can't just let that slide so easily. What I refuse to accept is how you came to a point of trying to injure your colleague. What happened will surely reflect a poor evaluation, and I will be suspending you two in the kitchen until such time I decide to put you back in. But once I place you in again, think of it as redeeming yourselves."

"Y-Yes…"

"And one last thing…

What would you feel if that happened to your lover or someone special?"

I therefore left the room.

…

Work is work. I can't let my emotions jump like that over me. It was so hard to hold back when I saw her in pain. Perhaps she knows to herself that her hand still hurts when she made a high five earlier. It was frustrating that I wasn't able to do anything again while she has done so much for me for so long.

But then again, that just tells that she is a really strong person.

▪ ▪ ▪

Friday.

"Rin here, coming in~"

"Oh, hi there."

"I'll help on making dinner."

"Thankies.

Oh, you removed the bandage on your hand?"

"Just now.

Also, I heard the story from Yamaha and Kae. I was really surprised when they told me the truth. Did you talk to them, Potato?"

"I gave them a piece of my mind.

But I didn't think that they would actually apologize to you directly. Well, I guess things are fine now."

"Hahhh… Since WT, I haven't been coming here a lot, huh. Good thing it's your day off today."

"Well, you guys don't have WT every Friday."

"Yeah… But it gets tiring in the long run especially when we're doing it everyday."

"The only positive is that you're going to finish faster than the others."

"Well, I better don't think much about WT since we'll have quite a long break from that."

"That's new to me. I'm pretty sure that you have work on the 2nd."

"Potato, your obliviousness is amazing."

"H-Huh?"

"…

Our school trip begins on the 2nd, you dum-dum."

.

.

.

"Wh-Whaaaaaat…?"