New Employees, and a Surprise

"I believe this is the last day if I am not mistaken? If so, we would like to congratulate both of you for completing this training that you had with us! We are hoping that with the things that you learned from the trainers, combined with your innate skills and experience in the trade, you will have a very productive tenure here in Sandy Fish."

"Thank you very much for everything that you provided for us, Miss Lerish! Although it's our first time experiencing this training thing, even showing doubt about it on the first day, as it goes on it made us realize that our skills aren't enough yet, and there are still so many things for us to learn. It was very difficult, honestly, but we enjoyed the one and a half weeks' worth of time that we spent here."

"Yes, yes! That's why we'll prove to you that you made the right decision in choosing us!"

Inside the Rainen household kitchen which also doubled as the employees' resting area (temporary), we held a surprise party for the inn's two new employees, right after the cleaning was done. This party, albeit a small one, served as a welcoming party for the two of them, and as a way for Lerish to confer their certificates as proof of their training, complete with her signature and seal. As always, you can always rely on her to make simple things feel a lot more grandiose.

Oh, lest I forget, the newcomers.

The first one, age 24, is our new master baker, our pizzaiolo—Vernon. Having this tough and sturdy mien in him, anyone would expect him to be some sort of an experienced warrior. In reality, he's a very gentle man who preferred literature and arts over swords and shields, even claiming that he has not touched either of those two in his entire life.

At the same time, when it comes to cooking he's like a sponge, absorbing everything that's taught to him, but also adding his flair to every dish he makes. He sometimes gets carried away while doing this, however, as he enjoys cooking very much, and will put great effort to make the food look very presentable.

The other person, Milla, 20 years of age, is the new person in charge of managing the dining hall. Compared to the soft type Vernon, Milla is loud and brash and will take matters into her fists if needed. Even so, she gets along well with other people and is serious about her work.

She also has a talent for turning herself into whatever the customer wants her to portray—may it be an elegant lady, a playful little sister, or a sadistic dominatrix. It's a mystery where she got that, considering that she had no work experience in that field before joining our ranks, but I can already see that she'll be very popular, especially with our male customers.

Though it might appear that the selection process was rushed, Lerish and the Rainens did a great job in selecting those two out of the bunch of people who submitted their applications in the past few days, having each candidate's interview and technical skills results taken into consideration. Also, the fact that they are childhood friends means that they'll have no trouble working together, as that's always been the MO here in Sandy Fish.

"Hm-hm! I also hope those words stay true, as we will start with the partial deployment of our new menu items right tomorrow! The success of this endeavor lies not only in both of you but in everyone doing their part! Is that understood?" Saku said.

""Yes!!!""

"Ugh, Big Bro...you're putting way too much pressure on them with the things you're saying!" Saki scolded her brother. "Hehe, I'm sorry, Brother Vernon and Big Sis Milla. For tonight, let's forget about work, and instead have fun and enjoy everything that we prepared just for the two of you!"

"Awww...thank you very much, Manager! You are the cutest and kindest manager I've ever had!" Milla said while lightly punching the girl's cheeks.

"C-Cute?! Ehe, hehehe..."

While all of these are going on—

"...Big brother, are you not joining them?"

"E-Eh?" I gasped, almost dropping the cup from my hand.

"...It's unusual for you to stay here at the back when it's just us who are in here. Are you not feeling well or something?"

"No, I'm not..."

"Oi Ren, isn't this your idea in the first place? You have to say something to them too as the chief...like words of motivation, for example," Saku said as he tried to forcibly pull me closer to the table.

"O-Okay, okay! Don't pull me in front of them, it's embarrassing!" I replied. "Good grief...anyway, I just want to say thanks, for submitting your application to us."

To be honest, I'm not confident that the posters that I made will be noticed by even a small fraction of people here in Plate Town. However, the number of applicants, including Vernon and Milla, who came into the inn in the next few days greatly exceeded my expectations.

"I have so many other things to thank you guys for, like treating us as your seniors despite being older than us, and for enduring the training that we gave you, but I don't want these foods on the table to grow cold if I keep on tal..."

"...Hm? Big brother...?"

"R-Ren? What are you planning to do with that broom in your hand?!"

While I was speaking, I noticed in the corner of my vision something on the wall moved suddenly, like a huge, black insect. Unconsciously, I grabbed the first thing I could ever have my hands on and whacked it against the wall, which greatly startled and confused everyone.

"Tch, I wasn't able to catch that thing..."

"Brother Ren, was that...a crawler?" Saki asked, cowering behind her brother.

"I'm not sure what it is, but it didn't look like a crawler to me. It's more of a huge cricket than anything else, I think?"

Even so, it's very strange to see a cricket of that size. Am I just imagining things?

"Wait, wait, wait," Saku interjected, "did you just say it's a cricket?"

"Nn."

"And it escaped right before you manage to kill it?"

"Y-Yeah. What of it—"

"Ren, you idiooooooooot!!!"

"Eh? EEHHH???"

Shaking my body vigorously, Saku yelled, "Didn't you know that crickets are considered good luck here?! Just as when we had an unexpected good luck charm inside the inn, you suddenly tried to kill it! What you did will bring us bad lu—"

"Ugh, there you go again, Big Bro!" Saki grabbed the broom from my hand and hit it against Saku's head. "Geez, only old people believe in such superstitions nowadays! I can't believe you'll get angry at Brother Ren over such a trivial thing..."

"Um...Mister Vernon, Miss Milla—please do not fret. What you are witnessing right now, is but a normal scenario in this household. You will get used to it someday, I hope."

""Uh-huh..."" the two employees nodded slowly.

With our small celebration already fallen into chaos, I returned to Aoi's side, who's already begun feasting on her own.

"You sure are not bothered by everything that's happening around whenever there's food in front of you, Aoi."

Munching on some meat, Aoi replied, "...Why wouldn't I? I'd rather enjoy myself than think about some silly things like superstitions and bad luck."

Letting out a sigh, I replied:

"Good for you, Aoi. Even I isn't that much of a believer either, but..."

Given enough time, as long as the chances of an event happening are more than 0, it will eventually happen. I believed that's just an exaggeration, but it all changed after me and my classmates were sent into this world. I realized that they exist too—events that are seemingly impossible in theory—but will manifest themselves one day to prove that the numbers, no matter how tiny and insignificant they appear to us, do not lie. It is a bitter pill to swallow, especially if you're on the receiving end of things.

Long story short, all of us can be very, very unlucky sometimes, and we just have to deal with it.

Even though it's considered fallacious, I can't help but think that this bad luck of mine will reveal its rotten head on that important day, after all the good things that happened to me in the past few days.

Yep, it will definitely reveal itself tomorrow...

-----

The next day, Sandy Fish finally began the soft release of its new items on the menu. I said soft because we intend to only make a limited amount of pizzas per day, using that to gauge the responses of the customers for the next couple of weeks.

However...

"Three cheese pizzas for table 6, comin' right up!"

"Table 5, two all-meat down, large!"

"Two large cheeses and garlic sticks for 2 and 3, over!"

"Large-sized mushrooms and veggies for tables 1 and 4, ready to serve!"

Just as when I thought that we will be having a very rocky start, the townspeople—already waiting in a line way before the inn even opened—came in droves as they were very excited and curious about the new dish. Our initial targets were broken before noontime, and even our last-minute addition, garlic sticks, became an instant hit that I had to also pitch in and assist Saku and Vernon in the kitchen.

"Hey Saku, could you pinch me right now?"

"What, you still can't believe what you're seeing?"

"Uh...yeah. To me, seeing and hearing their positive feedback even from here inside the kitchen is a very...surreal experience."

I guess it's my fault for underestimating these people's hunger for new things. Because of our geography, as well as the huge distance between this town and the big cities like the capital Harlin, it takes very long for the latest trends to come and spread here. Being able to create something new from this part of the country must be completely unheard of here, and despite all of our preparations being somewhat lacking, it still resulted in a hype that came to everyone like waves.

Maybe, I should've prepared for this better in the first place.

"...Here, big brother."

"Ouch! What the heck—Aoi?!!"

Entering through the back door, Aoi sneaked past everyone and pinched my arm.

"Why did you pinch me all of a sudden?!"

"...Eh? Didn't you ask to be pinched just a while ago?" she said with a snicker.

"I only said that as a figure of speech! I didn't expect you to take it seriously!!!"

Anyway, let's just forget about it. Her stomach must be grumbling again, that's why she's here.

"What's the current situation outside?"

"...So many people...I hate seeing so many people."

"Sorry. I know you won't like being in front of a crowd, but it felt like we forced you to do it regardless."

The girls, wearing sleeved white dresses with matching red and green ribbons on their hair and sashes hanging on their shoulders, were given the task of welcoming customers at the entrance, as well as handing out leaflets and memorabilia for the first couple of people in the line.

Usually, Aoi would instantly express her disapproval, citing her dislike of dealing with people, but for some reason, she even volunteered to do it as long as Saki would join her.

"...No, it's alright," she shook her head. "Today's big brother's big day, you know? I can't just stand and do nothing, while everyone is doing their part to ensure your idea's success. It's just...not fair."

"Aoi..."

"...Nn. That's why don't worry about me, big brother! With Saki watching over me, I'll make sure to bring in more customers to this place!"

Seriously, this little girl...she's spouting things outside of her nature again. Is she only doing that just because of me or she's already starting to turn into a good girl? Honestly, I cannot tell anymore.

Oh well, looks like I have to reward her for her efforts so far.

"Well, since you are already here Aoi, We will create an extra large one just for you. I'll also let you choose whatever you want to put on top, as long as you don't go overboard with it."

"That's right. You can leave everything to us, Little Miss," Vernon agreed.

Extremely pleased, Aoi said:

"...R-Really?! If that's the case, I've been wanting to try—"

"KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH?!!!!"

"—?!"

We heard a scream coming from either Lerish or Milla. Hurriedly, I went out of the kitchen to check on them, and the first thing I saw was—

—An unconscious person, lying in the middle of the dining area. The other customers, surprised by the sudden turn of events, quickly formed a ring around the person, watching him both in awe and shock.

"Ren!" worriedly, Lerish rushed towards me. "I have already called for help, but that person..."

"Chief, I'm so sorry! Just as I was about to give that person a glass of water, he suddenly fainted and...and..."

"It's alright Milla, it's not your fault," I said to her. "You should rest for a moment. In the meantime, I will check to see if he's still alive."

Moving closer to the person, I began noticing a few strange things going on with him. First and foremost, he's wearing very thick clothes that covered his entire body—two or three layers thick at most—even though it's still not that cold yet.

Second, the way he collapsed. Normally in situations like this, the victim would either slump against the table or on their seat or collapse on their side. This man, however, collapsed backward, with the chair falling along with him. It's as if he intentionally wanted the floor to hit the back of his head.

And lastly, his eyes. Never in my entire life, have I ever seen an unconscious person keep their eyes open for too long. Lying on the floor, his gaze is fixed on the ceiling, though without any glimmer or focus like an awesome person would have.

Just to be sure, I asked everyone to keep their distance to maintain ventilation around the victim. I am no trained professional, but if you're surrounded by people who are more scared and inexperienced than you, would you dare rely on them to do the deed?

"Tsk, I can't feel his pulse," I said after I rolled up his sleeves. I even tried to check for his pulse through the back of his elbow and his neck, but even on those sites, I can't detect anything. I don't think I'll be able to check through his groin either, with all these people surrounding me.

If it comes to this, I'll have to go straight for the heart.

With my hands, I ripped through his clothes layer by layer. While doing so, I began to realize how much I underestimated how many layers of clothes he was wearing: more than double my initial guess.

"There's no reason for him to cover himself this much as I've already confirmed that he doesn't have any illness, but still, why? He's just making things difficult for me..."

When I finally got to the last layer, I was finally able to hear a faint beat coming from the victim's chest. However, it's not the usual 'dug-dug' sound of a person's heart. Instead, the faint sound I'm hearing is—

"All of you—MAKE WAY!!!!!"

"""W-W-What?!!"""

With no time to spare, I quickly carried the victim on my shoulder and went straight for the exit, shouting at the confused onlookers to not block the door.

This is bad, this is bad...this is really bad! Even with all of our preparations, none of us were able to predict such an event to occur!

"Stay back, or else all of you will die!!!"