He then looked towards the hall, where Haruka and Haruna were serving as runners. Haruka was responsible for taking orders, reporting them, and settling the bill, while Haruna handled welcoming guests, delivering dishes and drinks, and tidying up tables.
As Kazuya's gaze fell on Haruka, he saw her rushing over and saying, "Table three wants to add a portion of boiled peanuts and salted edamame, also bring a bottle of chilled small sake." Then, she shouted again, "Haruna, table six wants to add two more cups of draft beer!"
Haruka was bustling around, not raising her head to speak, and still noting everything down on the small notebook hanging from her waist. This way, she wouldn't make mistakes in settling the bills.
"OK, one portion of boiled peanuts, one portion of salted edamame. Here, chilled small sake, take it." Kazuya repeated the order, then turned around and took out the chilled sake from the refrigerator, handing it to her. These tasks of preparing side dishes and garnishing were his responsibility.
Haruka took it and carried it away courteously, placing it on the table for the customers. With a warm smile, she said, "Please enjoy!" Then, she calculated silently, feeling satisfied that she could make some good money from these customers. She happily turned around and rushed towards another table.
While Kazuya plated the appetizers, he watched Haruka running around. He noticed a faint blush on her small face, and her headband-covered hair was slightly damp with sweat. She had rolled up her sleeves, and the apron was tightly tied around her waist, accentuating the curves of her hips, forming a lovely heart shape. Unexpectedly, this little radish had no chest but quite a bottom, quite rare.
"Are you... looking at my sister's bottom?"
Kazuya was taken aback, turning to see the sharp gaze of Akiho. Instinctively, he replied, "No, I just didn't expect the business to be so good."
Akiho still seemed somewhat suspicious, but without finding any evidence, she responded, "It's just that from 7 to 9:30, the business is still good. After that, it doesn't go well. Most izakayas are already crowded during this time, but those who want to drink for a second or third round won't choose our place... Anyway, it doesn't matter. It's good like this now, so we don't have to stay open too late."
Kazuya glanced around the not-so-crowded restaurant during peak hours and nodded, "So that's how it is."
Perhaps this izakaya lacked distinctive features: the appetizers were mediocre, and the drinks were of standard quality. Kazuya thought it could only attract customers who found other izakayas too crowded.
However, that wasn't his concern. He was just a part-time worker, and it was up to the owner to figure out how to attract customers. Watching Haruna rush over, he quickly placed the boiled peanuts and salted edamame on the counter, saying, "For table three!"
Haruna cheerfully went to deliver the items.
Busy times passed quickly, and soon it was almost 10 pm. Just as Akiho had mentioned, more customers were leaving than entering, and the izakaya was left with a few tables occupied by drunken customers who didn't want to move.
Even Naotaka had started drinking. He somehow found a flat sake bottle and was sipping slowly, wiping the sweat from his forehead with a towel. His voice sounded a bit weak as he said, "Good job, Matsuoka."
"You've worked hard too!" Kazuya replied politely. At this point, Akiho was no longer by his side, probably feeling that he alone was enough to help in the kitchen. She seemed tired as well, and likely had gone to sleep early.
Chika and Ayaka were also sent back to their room by Haruka, taking Toutaro with them to sleep. These two moved so quickly, showing no intention of helping with the household chores.
Hearing the unusual tone of Naotaka's voice and observing his pale complexion, Kazuya asked with concern, "Are you not feeling well?"
"It's nothing, just my old illness. Want a sip? It's unfiltered sake." Naotaka shook his head, smiling as he handed over the sake bottle.
"No, thank you!" Kazuya quickly declined. Seeing that Naotaka didn't want to talk about health issues, he asked, "Mr. Sakura, until what time should I work?"
Naotaka, enjoying his drink, casually replied, "Anytime is fine. The last tram from the station in front is at 11:05. If your home is far, you can finish work at this time. Otherwise, you can wait until closing time to leave."
Kazuya thanked him, feeling that this might be the best boss he had encountered in his two lifetimes of part-time work. He looked around and thought the kitchen was a bit messy. Being somewhat obsessive, he rolled up his sleeves and started cleaning up.
Naotaka coughed lightly, took another sip of sake, leaned against the kitchen stove without moving, and just let his gaze linger on Kazuya for a moment, then looked at his eldest daughter again.
...
"Going to have dinner at 5:30 in the afternoon, then work until around 10:30 at night. Calculating five hours of work, I can earn 4,250 yen. If I work seven days a week, that's about 30,000 yen, which is 120,000 yen per month. It seems not bad... But the study time has suddenly been reduced a lot. How to make up for it..."
Kazuya calculated in his mind as he reached his doorstep, holding a small food container in his hand. This was a gift from Naotaka, celebrating his first day of work. Although it was just a few inexpensive snacks, it carried good intentions.
He thought this middle-aged man handled things very maturely. If the little radish or Haruna encountered something at school, he felt a bit awkward just standing idly by. Quietly and without a sound, he faced a formidable opponent on behalf of his daughter and even found a helper. It was a win-win situation. He seemed to get more, but he didn't invest much.
Naotaka Sakura was an interesting person. He didn't seem like a restaurant owner but more like someone from the underworld.
Kazuya, lost in his thoughts, took out his keys to open the door. As the lock clicked, a sound echoed from the far end of the corridor, accompanied by a thin strip of light appearing on the floor. A sweet voice followed, "Onisan, is it you?"
Kazuya turned around, "Yes, it's me, Yoko."
Yoko pushed the door open and walked out, "Onisan, why are you back so late?"
"I was working part-time." Kazuya replied and then realized, "Are you here to see Toratoro?"
"I miss him, but I also have something to discuss with Onisan." Yoko stood with her hands behind her back, a bit embarrassed.
"Something?" Kazuya pushed the door open, "Come in first."
Yoko happily nodded, quickly ran back into her home, and casually closed the door. Kazuya listened to the movements, figuring her mother probably hadn't finished work yet. This time might be the busy period for hostess.
He waited for Yoko to enter before gently closing the door without locking it tightly. He didn't want to give the child any pressure. Looking at Yoko, who was already hugging Toratoro, he smiled, "I'll go wash my face. Feel free to sit, turn on the TV if you want, it's okay."
Yoko giggled, "Thank you, Onisan. Can I feed Toratoro?"
"Of course, it's your dog. No need to ask me." Kazuya replied, noticing the can of dog food in Yoko's hand. He didn't know where she got it.
He then went to wash his face, leaving Yoko to happily open the can for Toratoro.