The sun hung low in the sky, casting an amber glow over the street. The familiar sizzling sound of oil filled Noah's ears as he carefully turned a batch of cheese sticks in the fryer. The rich, golden scent drifted through the air, luring in passersby.
It was late afternoon, and like clockwork, the small food stall was surrounded by customers, some regulars, some new faces drawn in by the mouthwatering aroma.
Noah wiped the sweat off his forehead with the back of his hand, sneaking a glance at Rina. She was busy taking orders, her movements steady and efficient. It had only been a few days since she started working with him, but she had picked up the routine quickly. She greeted customers with a natural warmth, her voice carrying over the light hum of street noise.
For the first time in a long while, Noah felt like he could breathe.
Before hiring Rina, running the stall had been exhausting. Every order, every transaction, every small detail had been on his shoulders alone. There were days when he barely had time to eat, let alone step away for a break. But now, with her handling the front-end work, he had time to think, to plan.
His thoughts were interrupted by a familiar voice.
"Bro, I'll order three more cheese sticks and one corndog!" a young man called out, waving a 100-peso bill in the air.
Noah snapped back to reality, shaking off his thoughts. He put on a polite smile and nodded. "Coming right up."
Rina moved swiftly, reaching for the pre-packaged food containers while Noah prepared the next batch. Their teamwork had already settled into a rhythm, she handled the transactions while he managed the cooking. It wasn't perfect yet, but it was progress.
As the wave of customers gradually slowed, Noah finally had a chance to rest. He leaned against the counter, stretching his arms, his muscles sore from standing all day.
Rina noticed and smirked. "Tired already, boss?"
Noah chuckled. "Just pacing myself."
She wiped her hands on her apron and leaned on the counter beside him. "I gotta admit, I didn't expect this job to be so fast-paced. It's different from my last job."
Noah raised an eyebrow. "Where'd you work before?"
"Some office job. I was a cashier for a small accounting firm." She sighed. "It was okay, I guess, but… it was boring. Sitting at a desk all day, staring at numbers, it didn't feel like I was doing anything real, you know?"
Noah nodded. He understood that feeling all too well.
Rina continued, "But here, I don't know… it's tiring, yeah, but at least I feel like I'm actually part of something. Customers remember me, they talk to me it's not just mindless work."
A small smile played on Noah's lips. He hadn't expected Rina to appreciate the job this much. He had hired her purely out of necessity, but maybe, just maybe, this arrangement could work out better than he had anticipated.
"That's good," he said. "But don't get too comfortable just yet. We're just getting started."
Rina raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"
Noah crossed his arms, gazing at the small crowd that had thinned out as the evening crept in. "More customers mean more work. And I don't want you to burn out. If we want to keep growing, we need to think ahead."
"Expanding?" she guessed.
He smirked. "Not yet. But I've been thinking about adding a new menu item. Something that'll make us stand out."
Rina's eyes lit up with curiosity. "Like what?"
Noah tapped his fingers against the counter, deep in thought. Noah glanced at his system. His Cooking Mastery was only at level 3, he had been experimenting at home, trying to come up with something unique. Something that would make customers remember his stall, something that would leave customers talking. If he could create something unique, it could push his business to the next level, not just as another place to grab snacks, but as the place.
"I have a few ideas," he said. "But I need to test them first. I want to get it just right."
Rina grinned. "Looking forward to it, boss."
The two of them shared a quiet moment, watching the streetlights flicker on one by one. The night was setting in, and the last few customers were finishing their meals.
Noah took a deep breath, feeling a mix of exhaustion and satisfaction. He wasn't just running a stall anymore. He was building something real.
And he wasn't going to stop now.
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End of Chapter 16
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