The morning breeze carried the scent of warm bread and fried food as Noah arrived at his stall. The streets were still quiet, the city just beginning to wake. The dim glow of the streetlights cast long shadows, and the occasional honk of a passing jeepney echoed through the air.
Noah set down his bags of fresh ingredients, rolling his shoulders. The familiar exhaustion clung to him, but he had long since learned to push through it.
Another long day ahead.
He took a deep breath before starting his routine, unpacking supplies, wiping down the counter, and prepping ingredients. His hands moved out of habit, slicing cheese, skewering corndogs, and mixing batter, each motion smooth from repetition.
Business had been growing steadily, and with it came an increasing workload. He couldn't do it alone anymore.
He had learned that the hard way.
---
One Month Ago…
When Noah first started the stall, he had managed everything by himself. He would wake up before dawn, rush to the market for ingredients, then spend the next hour prepping.
At first, business was manageable. There were only a few customers at a time, and he could handle cooking, serving, and taking orders all on his own.
But as word spread, more people came.
Lines grew longer, orders piled up, and there were times he barely had a second to breathe. Some nights, he would close the stall feeling like his legs were made of lead.
The exhaustion became overwhelming, but he couldn't afford to stop.
That was when Tito Ben stepped in.
---
Ben had been a longtime friend of Noah's father. He was an old-timer in the food business, having run a small eatery years ago. But after health issues forced him to retire, he spent most of his time at home, missing the rush of cooking.
When he saw Noah struggling, he didn't hesitate.
"You're too young to be breaking your back like this," he had grumbled, shaking his head.
Noah had tried to refuse at first.
"I can handle it, Tito. You should rest."
But Ben wouldn't take no for an answer.
"Bah! I'm not some weak old man," he had huffed, rolling up his sleeves. "Just let me help a little. I miss cooking anyway."
And so, for the first time since he had started, Noah wasn't alone.
Tito Ben handled the grill, taking charge of frying and cooking. With the older man helping, Noah was able to breathe, to focus on preparing orders, talking to customers, and keeping things running smoothly.
For a while, things were easier.
Until they weren't.
---
Despite Tito Ben's help, the stall kept getting busier.
Customers would crowd around the small space, calling out orders, waving bills in their hands.
It became harder to keep up.
Then, one evening, Sophia showed up at the stall.
Noah had been in the middle of counting change when she marched up to him, arms crossed.
"I'm helping," she said simply.
Noah blinked, caught off guard. "Sophia, you don't have to..."
"I said I'm helping."
Her tone left no room for argument.
And just like that, she became part of the team.
She wasn't much of a cook, but she was fast with numbers. Within days, she had taken over the cash register, keeping track of sales, handling orders, and dealing with impatient customers.
With Tito Ben cooking, Noah preparing, and Sophia managing the orders, things started to flow smoothly.
They had finally found a rhythm.
---
But nothing stayed the same forever.
A few weeks ago, Tito Ben had to leave.
His doctor had warned him about his blood pressure, and his family insisted he take it easy.
"I'm not as young as I used to be," he admitted with a tired smile. "It's time I step back."
Noah felt the loss immediately.
Without him, the stall became overwhelming again.
Noah could handle the cooking, but that meant he couldn't take orders as quickly. Sophia helped as much as she could, but she still had school, he couldn't ask her to stay late every night.
Something had to change.
And that was when Noah realized, he needed to hire someone.
---
Running a business was one thing. Running a business while being a high school student was another.
Every morning, Noah woke before dawn. He would rush to the market, haul back ingredients, and set up the stall before school.
Then, just before classes started, he would leave the stall in Sophia's hands if she had time. Otherwise, he had to trust it to a neighbor until he could return.
Lunch breaks weren't for eating. They were for checking sales, messaging Sophia for updates, and planning orders for the evening rush.
And the moment school ended?
He ran straight back to work.
Some days, exhaustion weighed on him so heavily that he would fall asleep in class. Teachers noticed.
"You've been dozing off a lot, Noah," one of them had commented.
But how could he explain?
Most of his classmates spent their evenings studying, relaxing, or going out with friends.
Noah spent his running a business.
He wasn't just working for himself, he was working for Sophia, for his family, for their future.
There was no time to complain.
No time to rest.
---
Present Day...
"Morning, boss," a voice called out.
Rina arrived right on time, as she always did.
Noah looked up to see Rina, tying on her apron. She was a quick learner, sharp-tongued but hardworking.
"You look dead tired," she teased, smirking. "Didn't get enough sleep?"
Noah smirked back. "That's just my normal face."
Sophia, already counting change at the register, rolled her eyes. "More like your 'I-work-too-much' face."
Rina laughed. "He's already sixteen going on forty."
"Hey, I'm not that old," Noah grumbled.
Still, as he looked around at Sophia handling the register, Rina working the grill, and the growing crowd of customers, he felt something shift.
For the first time in a while, the stall didn't feel too heavy on his shoulders.
They had a long way to go.
But for now, he wasn't alone.
And that was enough.
---
End of Chapter 18
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