New Coworkers
"8000 yen per shift might not be much since you only have two shifts per week but, all the tips you get are yours. I won't deduct any of it..." Shisei drifted off towards the end in deep thought. "Unless you damage stuff. Shifts start from 8 pm to 3 am."
"Seven hours? I can deal with that." Mikumo shrugged.
"So we have a deal?" Shisei asked, his eyes the most serious Mikumo had seen since they met. Which wasn't that long considering they've only known each other for 6 hours or so.
"Pretty much." Mikumo nodded, finishing his tea, skimming through the employment contract on the table before signing.
"Boss! About the schedule-" Suddenly, two similar looking boys barged into Shisei's office without even a knock. Curiously enough, instead of feeling irritated from the lack of respect or manner, Shisei seemed to rather welcome the sudden interruption.
"Akira! Akane! Nice timing!" Shisei grinned at the two confused new arrivals. "I actually have a gathering to get to right now so why don't you get to know your new coworker and show him around the bar while I'm gone?"
"Oh, yeah, sure-?" Leaving three similarly confused people, Shisei dashed outside in a rush.
"I almost forgot!" Skidding to a halt, Shisei turned to face Mikumo. "Come back to my office after your tour so I can give you your pay for this week in advance, Kumo-chan! See ya!"
"Huh?"
Mikumo was surprised, gazing at this strange man's retreating back in complexity. He didn't believe in unconditional goodwill. There must be a catch somewhere.
"So um... Hi?" After an awkward silence, one of the strangers spoke with a kind smile. "My name is Akane."
Akane gently pulled the other boy closer to Mikumo. "This is my brother, Akira."
While Akane had a soft and welcoming aura about him that reminded Mikumo of soft blankets and hot chocolate on rainy days, Akira was more withdrawn, similar to stormy weathers with all power down.
Nodding to both boys in greeting, Mikumo simply introduced himself. "Akatani Mikumo. I'll be in your care in the future."
(I have no idea how to say 'Kyou kara yoroshiku onegaishimasu' in English.)
"Ah, yes! Us too!" Akane smiled warmly while Akira just gave a hesitant nod, mostly keeping to himself.
"So, I take it you're the replacement for Ondo-san?" Akane asked as they lead Mikumo out of the office.
"Ondo-san?" Mikumo tilted his head in genuine confusion. Shisei never really got to explaining the circumstances around his new job in detail. He just dashed off and left as soon as they sealed the deal.
"Typical of boss to not explain anything." From behind him, Mikumo could hear Akira mutter quietly to himself.
"Oh, Ondo-san was the previous worker who had the Friday and Saturday shift. She sort of ended up without a head last week after being involved in a gang fight." Akane said casually as they entered a surprisingly cozy looking bar. "It happens more often than expected here so you'll get used to it pretty soon."
"I see." Mikumo nodded, his eyes wandering to the softly glowing fairy lights hanging loosely from the ceiling and spidering towards the walls. Soft red rug carpeted the floor, muffling the sound of their footsteps as they headed towards the oak bar counter where a bespectacled bartender was wiping the various glasses clean whilst shooting curious glances towards Mikumo from time to time.
Towards the center of the bar were neatly arranged round tables while the more secluded tables were lined on the east and west sides with an elevated stage towards the south.
Mikumo felt grateful that the bar hadn't opened yet, allowing him to see it in its entirety clearly without the obstruction of other people.
"So what exactly happened last week? Kaguna wouldn't tell me anything. C'mon, spill the tea." Leaning on the counter, the bartender had his face resting on his hands with his elbows supporting his upper body's weight on the tabletop.
Akane smiled, shaking his head as if he had expected just as much.
"I'll give you a brief rundown of what happened." With a playful smile on his lips, Akane began his story. "So two gangs walk into a bar-"
"Alright, stop." The bartender immediately interrupted, his hands moving to cover Akane's mouth. "That sounds like the beginning of a bad drunk joke. Do better."
Akira snorted while Akane had his tongue out, showing a sour expression towards the bartender. "Then why don't you ask someone else to tell you the story, you ingrate?"
"Trust me, I wouldn't be asking you if anyone else was willing to tell me." The bartender snorted, then turned towards Mikumo. "That aside, who's the kid?"
"Ondo-san's replacement." Akane shrugged. "You know the drill."
"Ooh, gotcha!" The bartender made okay signs with his hands and smiled towards Mikumo. "Pleasure to meet you, newbie! The name's Hotaru. I man the bar with Haruse, who you'll meet later, from Monday to Thursday. Though we probably won't meet much considering your shift's at Friday and Saturday."
"I'm Akatani Mikumo. Please feel free to call me Mikumo." The boy bowed politely to the man who seemed to be about his father's age, or maybe a few years younger.
"Alright then, Mikumo." Hotaru, the bartender, nodded kindly. "Since today is Wednesday, the boss probably let you come here to get you familiarized with how the bar works and learn from your fellow showmasters. You can stay with me here by the counter whenever you feel bored, though."
Mikumo felt unnerved. So far, all the people that he met since he woke up had been really nice and welcoming to him which was really a far cry from the treatment he got from his father during the most of his life. It was so unsettling and all he could do was passively wait for the punchline. Just waiting for them to sneer at him and disgust and say that everything was just an act.
For now, he was just passively going along with everything. Pretending to be clueless but refusing to let himself fall into this dangerous comfort.
"I understand. Thank you." Mikumo said politely.
"No problem, kid." Hotaru grinned at him, adjusting his glasses on his nosebridge.
It might be a little too late to ask but, why are these people not asking about his age and legality in this bar?