CHAPTER 732: CHAPTER 443: NEW EMPLOYEE, A SIMPLE GIFT

"Welcome."

Hearing the chime of the door, Uesugi Sakura put down her phone and looked towards the entrance of the coffee shop, noticing it was Todaka Keichiro.

He was carrying a messenger bag and looked travel-worn, spotting Uesugi Sakura as soon as he entered the shop.

Todaka Keichiro quickly glanced at the clock hanging on the wall behind Uesugi Sakura.

One in the afternoon.

He let out a sigh of relief, patting his chest and said, "Luckily, I’m not late."

Uesugi Sakura knew this guy was starting work at the coffee shop today, essentially as a waiter and also to help wash dishes in the back kitchen.

"Is the manager not here?" Todaka Keichiro walked over to the counter, pulled up a stool, and sat down, placing his hands on the oak countertop, his actions more like a customer than an employee.

"No, she went out to handle some renovation purchases today." Uesugi Sakura replied.

"Oh, I see."

Uesugi Sakura glanced at him and asked, "Why the rush?"

"First day at work, you know? It’s called abiding by the boss’s rules."

"Hmm, too bad the manager’s not here to see your performance."

"Ugh... Am I starting to work next?"

"You’re officially working today, right?"

"Yes, signed the contract yesterday."

Uesugi Sakura pointed to a spot inside the shop: "Go to the staff room to change into your uniform. Remember, it’s the door on the right; the left one is for the girls."

"Ah," Todaka Keichiro glanced in the direction she pointed and nodded, "Got it."

He turned and walked towards the staff room, glancing around the store along the way. The decor and atmosphere of the shop were fresh and clean, with plants separating each table; the pots seemed to be taken care of daily, and there were visible water droplets overhead, giving a pleasant scent.

There were also a few customers in the shop, mostly sitting by the windows, enjoying the sunshine streaming in.

They ate desserts, sipped coffee, leisurely scrolling through their phones, savoring life.

Reaching the staff room, Todaka Keichiro found a locker already labeled with his name, and keys hung next to the wall by the door.

He took the keys, opened the metal locker, and changed into a simple work vest.

Todaka Keichiro inspected himself in the mirror and then left the staff room.

By this time, the coffee shop had already begun its official operations.

To be honest, the first thing a newcomer felt upon entering the shop was bewilderment.

Without any instructions, he didn’t know what to do, even though customers kept coming in, the maids would handle them, leaving him with nothing to do.

Why did he feel so redundant?

Todaka Keichiro walked back towards the bar.

"Uesugi, is there anything I can help with in the shop right now?"

Uesugi Sakura put down the coffee dripper, looked up at him, "Not at the moment."

"Nothing?"

"It’s not busy yet."

Towa Rina, who was helping Hanamaru Hanabi bake bread in the kitchen, came out to get something. She noticed the unfamiliar face in work attire standing before Uesugi Sakura, "You’re the new employee, right?"

Todaka Keichiro turned at the sound of her voice, realizing it was quite a cute girl. She wore a maid outfit with cat ears and smiled at him.

He remembered that she had once served him.

However, that time he was undercover, so they didn’t interact much.

"Yes." Todaka Keichiro, as a newcomer, answered somewhat stiffly.

As she continued with her work, Uesugi Sakura introduced him, "This is Towa Rina, the head maid of the shop. In the manager’s absence, she handles the daily trifles here."

"Senior?" Todaka Keichiro cautiously probed.

"Just call me by name," Towa Rina smiled warmly, extending her hand in greeting.

After shaking hands, seeing her friendly smile,

Todaka Keichiro felt at ease, thinking that with such a kind head maid, everyone in the shop should be pretty easy to get along with. Not long ago, he worked at a convenience store, where the seniors weren’t very friendly, often making him do physical tasks like unloading boxes and beverages.

He guessed it was due to his status as a University of Tokyo student.

The convenience store seniors, who only finished compulsory education and ventured to Tokyo, seemed to resent him due to his prestigious university affiliation, often targeting him.

That convenience store truly had a stiff hierarchy atmosphere.

However, Todaka Keichiro had grown accustomed to it over the years; it’s the way of things, juniors deferring to seniors, doing tasks for them—it was expected.

"Miss Towa, is there anything you need my help with?"

"Oh? Quite diligent for a newbie," Towa Rina smiled, "In that case, you can start by helping out in the back kitchen with the dishwashing."

Uesugi Sakura playfully saluted her friend: "Goodbye~"

Todaka Keichiro initially thought that the coffee shop wouldn’t be busy, but unexpectedly from two in the afternoon, customer traffic surged. Originally, he wouldn’t need to do tasks like serving or clearing tables, but with the maids short-handed, he had no choice but to pitch in.

Near seven in the evening, the customer flow diminished, finally marking their break time.

Uesugi Sakura hadn’t started packing up the coffee equipment yet, planning to wait until the last customer left to begin.

Todaka Keichiro lay over the counter, arms folded, face buried within, a picture of exhaustion.

"Why, why is this coffee shop’s business so good?"