New Dawn Chapter: 028

Saya sighed, her fierce gaze softening just a bit as she looked away, crossing her arms defensively. It was a begrudging acceptance, and honestly, Tysone was more than okay with it. "Fine. But don't think I'll just roll over and hand her everything. I'm not some pushover, Tysone."

"Wouldn't dream of it, Saya. You're a sweet cupcake, aren't you?" He chuckled. A tired sound that had Saya not react as aggressively as she would've otherwise. Then he turned to Mai. "And Mai… I know you mean well. Just… try to understand Saya's point of view. This place—it's important to her, to us. Not just for the money but because it's something we built together."

Mai's gaze softened as she nodded, the usual glint of cool detachment replaced with something more genuine. "I get it. I didn't mean to overstep. I just thought… well, I thought maybe this could be something that could help a lot of people and wanted to be part of it. And I promise, Saya, I'm not here to steal anyone's thunder." She extended a hand to Saya. "Truce?"

Saya stared at the hand for a moment, clearly wrestling with her pride, before letting out a long, dramatic sigh. And it was definitely not because Tysone was giving her a long look. "Fine, truce." She took Mai's hand with a firm, brief shake, as if she were half-worried Mai would try to hug her or something equally appalling.

The tension dissipated, and for a moment, the three of them stood there in a rare, peaceful silence, each of them glancing around the messy Rage Room. Tysone slumped black down on his seat. "That's enough drama for one day. Here I'm praying that tomorrow will be soap opera-free. That being said, Mai. If you truly want to help, why don't you work here?"

"W-Work here?"

Mai had a puzzled look on her face.

"Yes, as a general clerk. Don't get me wrong, you won't be doing everything yourself. We'll be here most of the time. And you only have to come after school. Just a couple of hours, to help us out during rush hours."

Tysone gave Mai an intense gaze, causing a faint, almost unnoticeable blush on her fair skin. "Are you really trying to rope me into becoming a cashier?" She scoffed.

He nodded eagerly, as if it was no big deal. "Think of the experience! And we'll even pay you above minimum wage. What do you say?" Tysone's eyes were bright with hope, as if he really believed this was a good idea and not just a desperate measure to have someone else help him out in the shop. He'd rather be doing other things, and having a full staff roster would give him the freedom to work on them.

Mai hesitated. On one hand, it would probably be a massive headache, working with these two, not to mention the idea of actually doing any sort of customer service didn't sound appealing at all. But at the same time, there was a strange appeal in trying something so mundane—so real.

Maybe doing such a normal job was what she needed?

Finally, she sighed, running a hand through her long, silky locks before nodding back at Tysone's hopeful face. "Fine. I know what you're getting at here, anyway. Using my fame to boost your sales."

Tysone laughed. "Hey, we'll take whatever advantages we can get in this industry. And it helps that you're good company as well."

Saya grumbled under her breath. "Yeah, sure. Let's just hope the press don't hound us. Then it would be a total waste."

Tysone rolled his eyes playfully at Saya's typical grumbling before returning his attention to Mai with a genuine but tired smile. "I'm sure you'd do well in a more important position, but that's something we'll have to discuss at a later date. For now, you'd be of immense help working as a cashier. The moment we expand and open up more stores, we can move onto something more challenging and fitting for you. I hope you understand. It's not like I'm trying to be disrespectful, or to diminish your skills in any way."

Mai sighed, taking no offense at all. "I get it, Tysone. No worries." It wasn't as if she was going to take the wheel of command from them or anything, it was just that she wasn't used to being in such a position. If anything, she felt a bit out of her element.

Saya chimed in. "Yeah, it's a learning curve for you, miss superstar, so buckle up." Her voice was teasing but lacked any real bite, as if she too had accepted the situation and was moving on. She was still a teenager, but at least she was capable of acting mature.

With that, the three of them started to clean up, a strange sort of camaraderie setting in as they tidied up the mess left behind by their customers. Tysone and Saya bickered here and there, but their words held a playful edge. 

Mai observed them with a soft, almost wistful gaze, occasionally chiming in with her own sarcastic quip, finding her own footing in their unusual dynamic. 

And, she had to admit, she was actually looking forward to their new venture. Maybe she'd finally find a place to belong, or maybe not. It was definitely going to be different, at the very least.

…

After finishing the clean-up and tidying up a little, Tysone smiled broadly when he flipped off the light switch, turning his Rage Room into pitch darkness.

He and his co-workers exited the place, which earned them a sigh of relief, and a shrug of his shoulders. "See? It wasn't so hard now, was it?"

Saya rolled her eyes. "Speak for yourself, you big lug." He arched one eyebrow at her words. Leave it to Saya to be so delicate. 

The trio stood in the dim light of the street lamps. The evening air was cool and crisp, the kind that signaled the start of a chilly night. 

Tysone stretched, his muscles sore from a long day of manual labor, a satisfying ache that spoke of hard work. A different kind of hard work. It was pleasant—being this tired knowing that he was securing a stable and wealthy future for himself and for anyone that stood by his side. 

In fact, the thought filled him with energy. So much so that he doubted he'd sleep that much that night. 

Saya yawned, her petite form looking even smaller in the shadowy light. 

Mai stood a bit apart, a faint smile on her lips as she gazed at the building behind them, a sense of accomplishment in her eyes. She had helped out today, even if only in a small way. And she felt proud of herself for once.

"Mai-san, since you've been 'hired'." Saya started air-quoting. "And we're a legitimate business, at least according to this doofus right here." She briefly glanced at an innocent-looking Tysone. "We'll need to draft a contract fitting for your station, not to mention provide you with a proper uniform. As much as I hate all of this boring stuff, it's important." Saya's eyes glowed with an inner fire, and her posture straightened, becoming more imposing than her petite frame would suggest.

Tysone nodded his agreement. "We've got a lot of work ahead of us, and we can't risk any legal or managerial issues. Especially with someone of Mai's status. One wrong move, and we're all up to our eyeballs in legal fees." He sighed. "I'll see what I can do about the uniform. I'll have to make it look cool but also professional. I can't wait to see you wear it." His lips quirked into a mischievous smirk, causing Mai's face to heat up and her eyes to narrow.

The word 'pervert' was on the tip of her tongue, but she held back.

"I trust you won't make it too scandalous?" She said instead, arching an eyebrow skeptically. "We are a legitimate business after all, as Saya pointed out."

Tysone laughed, a rich sound that echoed down the quiet street, drawing even Saya's eyes to him. "Don't worry, I won't have you wear anything that'll embarrass you too much. We're operating a Rage Room, not a cabaret. And I wouldn't dare disrespect you in that way, bunny girl."

"Good." Mai responded with a sigh, her expression softening. "That better be the case, or I might have to sue you, you perverted old geezer." There was a hint of playfulness in her voice, though her words were sharp. "And stop calling me bunny girl!"

"Ouch. Harsh." Tysone chuckled, unfazed by her threat. He turned to Saya, who had been observing the exchange with a mix of annoyance and curiosity, and gave a playful wink, which only deepened her scowl. "Don't think too much about that, Saya. Miss Bunny Girl here is being moody. Let's leave her be."

Unfortunately, Saya did think too much about it. 

Mai was unexpectedly close to that big doofus, and as much as Saya tried acting logical and reasonable, she found herself unable to hold back the surge of animosity she developed for the older girl. 

"Damn you, Tysone. You stupid, block-headed yankee! Grrr!" Saya huffed and stormed ahead. "I'm going back home."

"Oh, there she goes, being moody as well." Tysone shook his head, while Mai couldn't help but give her friend a long, deep look. 

Author Note: More chapters on P@treon.com/LordCampione. [ *Special offer going on right now 50% 0ff till December 28* ]