I sit down on a chair, take a break, and look at the bread lined up on the shelf. In addition to the round bread and nut bread left over from the morning, there is a new type of bread called berry bread. It is said to be sold in the same shape as round bread for 160 ruts a piece. It has a sweet and sour smell that makes me feel hungry.
It looks like another bread will be ready soon, but I’m not sure yet. As I waited in a daze, a sweet smell wafted from the back of the store. I wonder if it’s sweet bread this time.
As I was waiting, surrounded by the sweet smell of happiness, Retom-san approached me from the back of the store, holding a griddle.
“I kept you waiting, the last bread is called honey bread.”
Retom-san places an iron plate on the center stand. When I looked over the iron plate, I saw a honey bun made up of two smaller round pieces of bread stuck together. The two round buns are coated with a generous amount of light yellow honey.
“It smells so sweet. It makes my stomach growl.”
“I think it’s quite popular. Please sell it for 180 Ruta each.”
“Understood”
It’s the most expensive bread, and after all sweetness is expensive.
“Then I’ll take an early lunch break. After about two hours, Riru will take a break.”
“Yes, please come.”
Mr. Retom said as he opened the door at the back of the store and went up the stairs. I’m sure the second floor is the living space.
I was left alone in the store, and the responsibility I had been given weighed down on my heart. But you can’t give up at a place like this. I have to do my best so that Retom-san can rest in peace.
I immediately arranged the honey bread carefully and waited for the customer. After sitting on the chair for a while and waiting, I hear footsteps approaching from behind the open door. I quickly stood up and prepared to greet the guests.
Then, a woman appears from the other side of the door, holding a basket in one hand.
“fault?”
He looked at me and looked at me with a strange look on his face.
“Welcome. My name is Riru, and I’ll be working from today. Thank you.”
“Ah, I see. Nice to meet you.”
“Which bread would you like?”
After a few greetings, they take orders with a board and tongs in hand.
“Give me one nut, one berry, and one honey.”
“Understood. Please wait a moment.”
When I hear the order, I take the bread from the shelf and arrange it on the board. When you have finished taking everything, put it on the counter and have them check it.
“The total is 480 Ruta.”
“Okay, here it is.”
I received five small silver coins from the woman. Put it in the box, take out two copper coins, and hand them to the woman.
“This is 20 Ruta in return. Thank you very much.”
“…I wondered if it would be okay since it was small, but my fears were unfounded. I’m sorry, I stared at you.”
“No, it’s fine. Can I borrow your basket?”
“Yes, yes”
Yeah, that’s what happens when kids are at the counter. I can’t help it, but it’s frustrating. So I have to work hard so that I don’t feel that kind of anxiety.
When he receives the basket from the woman, he uses tongs to move the bread one by one. Yeah, I think it moved beautifully. Then, he holds the basket with both hands and offers it to the woman.
“Please, take it.”
“Hehe, thank you for your kindness.”
“thank you very much”
As the woman took the basket and left the store, I bowed deeply and spoke to her. Phew, there was a different sense of tension than in the morning. From noon, it might be better to switch to a more thorough and thorough response rather than a quick one.
While I was thinking about this, another customer came. The customer also looked strange when he saw me, so he greeted me in the same way and immediately took my order.
“Do you have any bread left today?”
“Yes, there are four left.”
“Then I’ll give you four round breads and six nut breads.”
A customer who buys in bulk. She could smell food from the woman, so she might be someone who worked at some diner. Carefully line up the bread on the board and place the board on the counter to check.
“It’s 1240 Ruta in total.”
“Oh, you’re quick at calculations. That’s helpful. Even though you’re small, you’re great. Yes, I’ll just give you the money.”
When I received the money, there was 1 silver coin, 2 small silver coins, and 4 copper coins, which was really helpful.
“Yes, I’ll leave it for you. May I borrow your basket?”
“Eh, yes.”
When she receives a large basket, she fills it with bread. There are so many that it’s difficult to place them.
“Sorry I made you wait”
“Nice to meet you again.”
“Thank you very much. Thank you very much.”
Interact politely and bow gracefully. This person must be a regular customer, so he tried to be careful when dealing with him. Well, I guess everyone who comes is a customer, so he’ll have to be careful.
“Hello”
Customers keep coming without any time to rest. Interact with each person carefully to avoid rudeness. It wasn’t as busy as the morning, but the afternoon was difficult in a different way.
It must have been difficult to deal with the customers at times, as the number of customers overlapped. Greet customers firmly and ask them to wait, and the person who responds first serves customers without being too slow or too early.
At first, all the customers look at you with anxiety, but if you speak up and respond to them, their anxiety will disappear in the end. These small steps will solidify my position.
The beginning is the most important thing, so I served customers without letting my guard down. She sells bread without even having time to feel the passing of time. Then, when the customers had left, I heard the sound of a door opening from the back of the store. It’s Retom.
Mr. Retom places something on a small table in the corner of the back room, then approaches me.
“I’ve kept you waiting. I brought lunch to the table over there, so please take a good rest.”
“thank you”
“It’s been an hour. There’s a clock over there, so when the long hand goes around once, the holiday is over. During that time, I’ll be at the reception desk.”
“Understood”
I can finally take a break. As I felt relieved, fatigue suddenly overwhelmed my body. I replaced Mr. Retom as the receptionist and sat down on a chair facing a table in the corner of the room.
There was bread, white soup, and three sausages on the bowl on the table. It looks very delicious.
First, when I drank the white soup for the first time, it had a complex and delicious taste that seemed to be a combination of umami and richness. I wonder if this white stuff is milk, but it tasted really delicious.
Next, eat the sausage. It was boiled to the brim and white steam was coming out of it. I let it cool down a bit by blowing on it, then bit it with my teeth. It made a crunchy sound and the meat juices started spilling out, it was delicious! I feel like my cheeks are going to fall.
Finally bread. When you try to tear it apart with your hands, it feels a little hard. It is a nut bread that is torn in two and then broken into smaller pieces and the nuts come out from inside. Cut it into bite-sized pieces and pop it into your mouth. When I bit into it, the sweetness of the flour and the aroma of the nuts combined to give it a perfect flavor.
“Hmph, delicious.”
I can’t help but smile. Yes, food that is handmade and makes you feel the warmth of people is very delicious. You can feel a lot of happiness with just a short break. The morning fatigue seemed to go away every time I ate.
(6/8)
-Lirsa
arscanTL 