Here he was, standing in front of me red-faced and looking disoriented. No wonder she gave him to me.
"Um.." I started hesitantly.
"I'M SO SORRY!" he exclaimed.
Yep. This kid is definitely going to be troublesome.
"You should lower your voice. You'll disturb the customers," I said before going back to minding my own business.
"Ah...right," he said shyly.
Why the heck is he more feminine than I have ever been in my entire life?
Suddenly, he spoke.
"Uh...by any chance...are you Ms. Alice?" he asked.
MISS Alice...I can see why Ms. Ange hates being called miss now.
"No," I sharply replied.
"Your name tag says Alice though..."
...
"Well, fuc-"
"ALICE!!!"
Ms. Ange interrupted me. Again.
"Alice dear, I see you've met the new kid," she said gleefully.
Yeah, I've met him and I don't like him.
"Usagi, have you introduced yourself to the kind miss yet?" she asked.
"Ah right! My name is Usagi Yuki! Half Korean and half Japanese, but I was raised in Japan. I'm 17 years old, blood type A...um my height and weight...ah I'm not sure," he introduced himself, ever so precisely.
A hybrid huh, women must be lining up for genes like his. Well, I guess I should introduce myself as well.
"My name's Alice. Age 17. My blood type's B. My height and weight are both just numbers so I don't really care about it," I said rather halfheartedly.
"I look forward to working with you," he said, slightly smiling.
"You see, Usagi here is a transfer student from Japan. He'll be starting college soon as well, so I thought you two might get along," she told me.
Well, she thought wrong.
"Now, I should get back to work. Alice will tell you everything you need to know, so just go to her if you have any questions alright?"
The boy nodded.
"Be nice to him. That's an order from your boss," she whispered to me.
I sigh. She's seriously taking advantage of her position now, huh. What a pain.
I turn back to the boy.
"The staff room is at the back, you'll find your apron and nametag there. And make sure to come back here looking presentable," I said nonchalantly.
"Right!" he said as he rushed away.
He seems motivated. So motivated it pisses me off for some reason. He's probably the type that's always giving it his best even in the smallest things. I wonder how a person can be so energetic. Hmm...well, either way, I should scold him a bit for being late. He's literally not living up to his name.
"Ms. Alice! I'm ready for work," he said.
"First off," I started. "Never call me 'miss' unless you're trying to commit suicide. Second, never come to work late. I don't like people who don't show respect for others' time."
"Ah...right...I'm sorry, I'll come earlier next time," he said, looking ashamed.
Was I too harsh on him? Damn it, I'm really bad at making people feel better. What am I supposed to do?
"Why are you late anyway?" I asked, trying to lighten up the mood.
"Well...the traffic was really bad...and I may have overslept..." he muttered.
"And why is that?"
"Huh?"
"Why did you oversleep?"
"Ah...I was studying."
Studying huh. Right after graduation? He's definitely a determined kid. I wonder...
"What college and major are you going for?" I asked.
"Oh, I'm going to major in fine arts. As for the university, I'm not quite sure yet, but I have a few in mind. But I want to make the most of my time by expanding my knowledge, especially in painting," he replied.
He seems happy about going to university. He knows what direction to take too. I'm a bit jealous...
"What about you Miss Ali- I mean, Alice?" he asked.
I'm a bit dumbfounded by this sudden inquiry. No one really asks me that.
"Me? I don't know probably a major where I can get lots of money once I graduate," I answered honestly.
"Is that what you really want though? I think it's better to go for a major that you'd love rather than the one that makes you rich...but that's just my opinion," the young man reasoned.
I pause for a moment. He isn't entirely wrong. There actually IS a major I'm interested in...but there's no guarantee doing something you love will make you successful, so I decided to forget about it.
"What I want doesn't matter," I said, ending the conversation.
I look at him with the dull expression I wear every day, only to be surprised by his reaction. He looked sad, but that wasn't quite it. What was he feeling? Why is he looking at me in such a strange manner? Then it hit me. This kid isn't exactly sad. He isn't disappointed either.
He pities me. That's the last thing I want someone to do to me. It makes me look weak. It makes me feel like I'm doing something wrong. It's been a while since someone's looked at me like that.
I hate it. It leaves a sick feeling in my stomach that I can't quite explain.