At Your Service ( for Rumpleteaser) 18+

[KawaiiNekomimiBoy]

 

Name: Hiro Taguchi

Age: 25

Hair Color: brown

Eye Color: brown

Likes: cooking, reading, animals, children and sweets

Dislikes: spicy and bad tasting food

Bio: Hiro just started working recently as a waiter at a local restaurant, The Eastern Grove. Dealing with daily gropes by men and getting flirted by woman. As much as he wants to quit to find a new job, he figured he would just deal with the flirts and gropes from his customers. He currently lives alone since he moved out of his parents house since the last year of high school.

 

------

 

It was the first day at his new job as a waiter. Hiro didn't know what to expect since he only did part time jobs as a hair dresser, at a pet store, a worker at a flower shop and a babysitter. He still did babysitting jobs on the side since a lot of women in the area had children and needed someone to help watch them and Hiro would always be glad to help them out.

 

Hiro was already dressed and had his breakfast so he was ready to head out to his job at the Eastern Grove, known for serving all kinds of unique and extremely delicious dishes. He ate there a couple of times while he was jobless so his big sister Mimiko treated him. On one of the nights he went to the restaurant with his sister, the boss just so happen to hear the conversation Mimiko and himself were having about needing a job. With a spot being open, the boss at the Eastern Grove figured she would ask Hiro if he wanted to work there and he was gladly to accept the offer.

 

Hiro locks the door to his house and then starts to walk along the pathway to the restaurant.

[Rumpleteaser]

 

Name: Kaori Takanashi

Age: 25

Hair Color: bleached blonde, naturally a darker blonde

Eye Color: grey

Likes: animals, night life, men, flirting, smoking, sexy accents, bondage, humiliation, molesting people in public places, trains, men that cry, men that beg, fine dining

Dislikes: children, restricted smoking areas, loud people, obnoxious people, taking the bus, blind dates, dyslexia

Sexuality: homoflexible, dominant, top

 

Bio: Kaori is from a Japanese mother and an English father. The couple have always lived in Japan together, along with their three sons - Shiro who became a doctor, Kaori who became a bartender and Kubo who is currently training to be an emergency response nurse. Kaori is very close with his family. At a young age Kaori was diagnosed with dyslexia. He'd always had trouble reading, didn't enjoy it and was slower than his classmates. He was excellent at spoken English and Japanese though and seemed to have no trouble with his eyesight to that wasn't the problem. Eventually he was tested for dyslexia and has worn teal coloured glasses ever since.

 

It was a very proud and sad occasion for him to be accepted into a butler, garcon and bar tending college in England. They know Kaori is gay but don't know the full story or his kinks. He has brought women home before though so they think his homosexuality is a phase he will grow out of. Sometimes they introduce him to lovely, well off ladies and he takes them out on dates but it never goes further than maybe three outings. He's rather bored of it but continues with it to humour his parents. He's not so old yet that they're insisting he settles down.

[Rumpleteaser]

Kaori had one hand on his hip and the other rubbing the back of his neck. He arched back and groaned, tilting his head back with his eyes closed. Normally he had the late shift from 5pm til midnight but the other bartender had a wedding to go to. Now he was stuck doing the 7am to 2pm shift as well with a three hour nap in the middle. It meant he hadn't been able to sleep in as he liked and would be working for 15 hours total. He always had to be there half an hour before starting time so he could set everything up and prepare for the shift. At least he'd be paid overtime for the morning shift. Nonetheless, he was tired and not looking forward to it. His neck was sore too from sleeping crookedly and the painkillers hadn't kicked in yet.

 

To top it off, there was a new waiter starting today who needed to be taught each of the sections of the restaurant. Kaori hoped the guy was at least attractive. He didn't know anything about the pan and it seemed the owner didn't either. The boss had just heard the guy needed work and had made an offer. Either the man was young and trainable or he had some experience in restaurants, that's what Kaori was hoping. Really, his boss should have known better. He should have at least interviewed the guy first or requested a resume. Not that it was any of Kaori's business but he would have to deal with the guy.

 

'Kaori Takanashi!' the boss called.

'Yes, boss?' he asked. Kaori stopped stretching and looked over lazily.

'Stop slacking and finish cleaning the bar. The new kid will be here any moment and I want you to show him around.'

'Me? Why me? Isn't he a waiter?'

'Yes, but the kitchen staff are busy preparing for the breakfast rush and the waitstaff have their hands full.'

Kaori let out a long moan that sounded more suited to the bedroom.

'You realise I'm going to be stuck around the espresso machine the moment we open our doors?' Kaori asked.

'Your second can take over as barista for the first two hours,' the boss answered.

'Did I do something to make you hate me?' he asked wryly.

'No, you just know more about the restaurant than him and nobody else is available. Be sensible.'

'You're the boss,' Kaori mumbled in a tired way. 6:30am starts were brutal.

 

Man, he could really go for a cigarette before the new guy started. In fact, that was the first thing he was going to do when the waiter showed up. He'd have to go over the rules anyway so he could smoke while they talked. Kaori checked his watch. Any second now the new kid would show up so he had to finish setting up the espresso machine. He wasn't going to leave that to his second. The idiot hadn't completed a single set up by himself since starting as a second barista.

[KawaiiNekomimiBoy]

Hiro looks at his GPS watch and bites his bottom lip, hoping he wasn't going to be too late to not make a good expression. He hoped at least everyone at the restaurant was nice and were easy to work with.

 

As he was getting closer to the restaurant, he made sure he was heading the right way and looks at the restaurant once arriving. He took a deep breath and closes his eyes as he opens the door and walks inside the restaurant. He smiles to know it didn't change much since he was last here.

 

"U-Um hello? Sorry if I am a bit late," Hiro rubs the back of his head.

[Rumpleteaser]

'Your shift starts starts at 7am, not 6:30am. You're fine,' Kaori said. He was making the first cappuccino of the day, which was always thrown out or given to one of the staff. It was to get the espresso machine warmed up and flushed through. He twisted the nozzle of the milk frother and it sprayed hot steam through the air, which rose up in a cloud of vapour. He then polished the nozzle off with a chux cloth. After that he stood back and rolled his neck from side to side a few times to try to loosen it. That was his morning's preparation done. He could give the bar over to Akihiro and give the new kid his full attention.

 

'Here, drink this. You're going to need it,' he said as he slipped the coffee across the bench.

 

'Come with me out the back,' Kaori instructed. He lifted the panel in the bar up and walked through before placing it back down. He pulled out a cigarette from his apron pocket and slipped it between his lips without lighting it. Kaori then turned and walked through the side door, down several steps and through another door to an outside porch that had several plastic crates piled along one wall, a washing machine and a clothes line full of discloths and sponges. There was also a cards table and spare stools from the bar for the staff to sit at.

 

'So, what's your name and what's your background?' Kaori asked lazily, holding the cigarette loosely in his mouth. He removed his black gloves and tucked them up his rolled sleeves to put back on later. He took a lighter out of his apron pocket and sucked in while he lit it up. Soon he was sucking deep before he let out a long sigh. That felt better.

 

'Okay, rules. The first rule is no smoking at work or coming in smelling of cigarette smoke,' he said before taking another drag and letting it out in a long puff. 'I'm the exception because I've worked here so long.'

 

'Second rule is to always be in the building ten minutes before your shift. You won't get paid for the extra ten minutes but the boss still enforces it,' he explained. 'It's so you can be told the specials of the day and anything else you need to know before your shift.'

[KawaiiNekomimiBoy]

Hiro nods his head and took a breath, "ah.. well that is good. I wasn't told to be here a certain time," he rub the back of his head as he walks to the front desk where the other male was. He watches the man fiddle around with the espresso machine, watching carefully just in case he had to get involved with it.

 

Hiro looks down at the coffee and then nods his head as he picks up the cup and starts drinking it.

 

Nodding his head as he watches the fellow employee lift up the panel and starts walking to the other side of the counter, following the other man into the next room. He looks around so he knew where everything was.

 

"Oh.. my name is Hiro Taguchi..uh.. I have plenty of cooking type experience. I use to be a hair dresser, a florist, a babysitter and I worked with animals. I know half don't really apply here but I do cook my own meals." He watches the other man as he starts smoking.

 

Shaking his side to side, "I don't have any interest in smoking so no problems there." He couldn't believe that one rule was not to smoke but this fellow employee was smoking. Hiro nods his head slowly, "I.. suppose that makes sense."

 

Hiro rubs the back of his head and nods his head slowly, "alright I will make sure to come at the proper time." Making a mental note to himself that he had to make sure he was at the restaurant by 6:50 am before his 7am shift, maybe a bit earlier considering on the day.

[Rumpleteaser]

'Cooking experience, huh? Where did you cook?' he asked before taking a long puff of his cigarette. He gave a yawn and looked the guy over. 'Anyone can cook at home. That doesn't count as experience so you've basically got nothing. You've never been a waiter before, you've never worked in a kitchen. By the sounds of it you've never even worked under the type of pressure you're likely to see here.'

 

'So you're a qualified hairdresser, huh? Why not find a job doing that? It seems a waste of time to go through training there to start at the bottom here. Bah, it's none of my business. Just don't get in anyone's way,' he said. He exhaled a long cloud of smoke and stood up straighter to stretch himself. He could already tell this guy knew nothing about anything really. It sounded like he was more an odd jobs, entry level kind of guy rather than someone who had trained and pursued a career. He had to have at least received training and a certificate to be a hairdresser though and maybe even as a florist too. He didn't really care. It just sounded funny.

 

'Third rule - the customer is always right. If they say the fish is burnt, even if it does not look burnt, you take it back to the kitchen. If the customer says they ordered the trout but you know they bought the snapper, you apologise and get them the trout. Got it?' he asked. 'Your job is to interact with the customers. They can be trying at times but you must always smile and aim to please them. Never lose your temper or sound unpolite.'

 

'Fourth rule - there is always something to be done. You're on the boss's time so use it wisely. If you feel like you have nothing to do, you're wrong. There's always silverware to polish, napkins to fold and tables to wipe. I'll whip your butt if I see you standing around after the first day,' he explained. He walked over to one of the stools and sat down before taking another drag of his cigarette, then another drag as he thought about what else he needed to say.

 

'Fifth rule - well, this is more of a dress code than a rule. Your hair must be out of your eyes, you must be well groomed at all times, your clothes freshly laundered and pressed, bowtie straight, no jewellery except for one set of studs and makeup at a minimum. You must smell fresh and look fresher,' he said. He then stood up and slowly walked around Hiro to get a look at himn. He straightened the man's bowtie a little better, tucked his shirt in and brushed down the front of his vest. He didn't look too bad, all things considered. He passed inspection at least.

[KawaiiNekomimiBoy]

"Mostly at a culinary school." Hiro looks at the other man and shakes his head, "I did work as a waiter.. but I was so busy with school.. I didn't really have much time to keep the job so I can deal with pressure."

 

He shakes his head, "I don't really feel like dealing with hair all my life. I rather be involved with food." He nods his head, "yeah of course I won't be in the way." He lowers his head, it wasn't his fault he was busy with school to really focus on getting a job. He wanted to get the practice in working so when he was done with school, he would focus on getting a job as soon as possible.

 

Hiro listens to the other man and nods his head, "yeah of course, I would never be rude to a customer. I have never been rude to anyone I came across in my other jobs, even if they were having a bad day."

 

Hiro places his chin on the top of his hand and slowly nods his head, "yeah I like keeping busy so I am make sure to keep busy, I don't doubt it is pretty busy here. I been here as a customer and I witness how busy it can be, I can only imagined how busy it was in the kitchen.

 

"Well my hair is never in my eyes so that won't be a problem. I am a very clean and organize person. I am not use to wearing a bow tie.. only because every time I put it on it feels like I am going to choke myself but I will get better at that. I don't really.. wear any jewelry so that won't be a issue." He felt like narrowing his eyes when he heard make up being mentioned, he knew for a fact he never put make up on his face. The close he got to make up was when he gets kissed on the cheek by his mom or sister, when he was younger. Hiro watches the man and tilts his head, "so what should I do first?"

[Rumpleteaser]

'Oh, so you do have some experience. Next time tell people your relevant experience rather than babysitting or hairdressing,' Kaori said in an uninterested way. He yawned so wide that his eyes closed and he had to cover his mouth. 'You've certainly shifted careers a lot. Why is that?'

 

'You'll have to excuse me. I only got off work six hours ago,' he murmured before taking another puff of his cigarette. He really was sucking that thing for all it was worth. It was working though, he was feeling less agitated than he had when he'd been called in. Fucking double shifts! He couldn't complain about the other guy going to a wedding but without his second cigarette of the day he'd been crotchety about it.

 

'Good for you. I wouldn't want to be a hairdresser either,' he said. He'd find it rather boring after a while. Some people called it art, he called it hair. He supposed the same could be said about mixing drinks. He enjoyed making various concoctions and always got excited when a customer asked for something different. Coffee making was less exciting. It was just pumping out the same espressos, cappuccinos, lattes and flat whites with only a few exceptions. The emphasis was on speed rather than creativity.

 

'Good. The boss is a stickler for attitudes. Don't be too friendly though; it's creepy. The last guy was way too bubbly and cheery. It got obnoxious working with him,' he said. He then muttered, 'fucking bastard tried to cuddle me. I put that down fast.'

 

'You'll need to keep busy and work fast here. Waiters are especially run off their feet, no matter where they work. You won't even have time to breathe during the lunch and dinner rushes,' he said. Kaori groaned and rolled his head on his shoulders, then pushed his teal glasses back up the bridge of his nose. His cigarette was almost done and his excuse to sit down with it. 'There's a list of house rules on the back of the door to the kitchen, along with a list of tasks that need doing at each time of the day and a list of things to do if you find yourself standing around. Make sure you read them.'

 

'Your hair is a little long in the front. It would be better for you to pin it to the side,' he commented. He lifted his foot up and stubbed the cigarette out on it now that it was finally spent. He tossed the thing in a bin by the door without even bothering to stand up. He then let out a groan and took a little thing of mouth spray out to get rid of the smell. 'It's good that you're organised but fast is better than organised here. Organisation is more important in the kitchens but you're no dish pig.'

 

With that, Kaori stood up and walked over to the door back up to the kitchens. He didn't bother waving Hiro over. He just assumed Hiro would follow him everywhere like a little lamb. He walked into the kitchens and stood at one end, looking at everyone fast at work to prepare for the breakfast rush. There were already orders coming in and Turkish bread sandwiches being made to present in the front of the store. The whole kitchen smelled of baked beans, chirozo and fried bacon from the Eastern Grove Big Breakfast.

 

'Oi! Listen up everyone! We've got a new waiter today, Hiro Taguchi! He's been to culinary school and worked as a waiter so he should fit in smoothly!' he shouted out about the clamour and clinking of work. Some of the staff looked up but mostly they were too busy with their work to do more than listen.

[KawaiiNekomimiBoy]

Hiro looks at the other male and pouts a little, "well you wanted to know about my working experence and I gave you that information." He tilts his head and rubs the back of his head, "well.. school kept me busy and then when I was still living with my parents, my mom got pregnant and I had to look after her while my dad was at work."

 

He tilts his head, wondering why this man was still at work when he was off for six hours. Hiro watches the other smoke, not really enjoying the smell of it but couldn't just tell him to stop so he had to deal with it.

 

Nodding his head a bit, "yeah, it was pretty boring .. but I got good tips at least so.. it helped me get by in getting groceries and stuff like that." He wondered how working at his favorite restaurant was going to be like. He always came here, but working here was a different story.

 

Hiro blinks a bit and tilts his head, slowly nods his head, "well.. I will be the right about of friendly but not too friendly to a point it gets creepy." He didn't know how to response to know that the guy infront of him got attempted cuddled seeing he obviously didn't like that kind of thing.

 

Hiro nods his head slowly, "I will be sure to stay on my toes whenever I am needed and even if I am not, I will be sure to get busy, especially around rush hours." He knew how those were like when he did work as a waiter. He had to make a mental note to read the house rules that the other mentioned.

 

Playing with a hair strand and tilts his head a bit, slowly nodding his head, "oh.. um alright I will do that, I don't really have any pins though. I guess I can see if my sister has any or just buy some later after my shift. I will make sure I am always ready for anything."

 

Hiro watches the other man and follows him towards the kitchens. He watches as all of the other employees were working away at the orders for the breakfast rush.

 

Looking at the other man that introduce him to the other workers, he raises his hand but didn't really bother to say anything since the workers were pretty busy.

[Rumpleteaser]

'Okay, so the head chef is Tanaka. He takes the evening shift from 5pm until midnight. He gets here around 2pm though so he can do the ordering, prep and stuff like that. He spends the first hour in the office. If anything is running out in the back of house, you tell him. If anything is running out in the front of house, you tell me. The next chefs in charge are Dante in the morning and Amanda in the evening. Dante is the one over there with the tall hat,' Kaori explained, pointing out the man plating up waffles with fresh berries and flowers. 'After that we have two cooks per shift and one kitchen hand. You can get to know them as you meet them.'

 

'Each of the chefs and cooks have their stations and the kitchen hand does the cleaning and basic food prep. Everything runs like clockwork out here so it's best not to change anything or disturb them,' he said. He grabbed Hiro suddenly and pulled him aside as one of the cooks ran past. 'Try not to get in the way. They move like the wind, always changing direction.'

 

'Your job starts when the plate hits the divider between the kitchen and the front of house,' he said. He walked through the kitchen, dodging the kitchen staff as he did. 'When someone rings the bell, you need to be here within five seconds, ten at most. We don't want the food getting cold or people waiting. Food has a guaranteed ten minute wait at most here and we'd like to keep that reputation. You read the ticket on the tray and carry it to the table number. You should always repeat the names of the dishes.'

 

'Later on you can ask for a menu. You're to memorise all the dishes within a week and know what's in them within a fortnight. It's important you know what's vegetarian, gluten free, lactose free, egg free, nut free and all those sorts of things if people ask. You're also to know the specials of the day, what's popular and what the chef recommends. It's a lot to remember so you'll have to study at home. In the meantime you can always ask the cooks or other waiters. Don't ask the chefs because they're too busy,' he said. There was a lot to get through and he had to make sure he didn't miss anything.

 

'Now for the front of house. Follow me,' he said. 'You've been here before, haven't you?'

 

He walked out to the front of the house. There were two main counters in the restaurant, one for food and one for drinks. The food counter had an arrange of cakes, desserts, snacks, Turkish sandwiches, macarons and all the other things one would expect to be at the counter. It also had two cash registers and a few tablets for the waiters to use. The drinks counter had appliances for making milkshakes, espressos and alcoholic beverages too.

 

'This is Becky,' he announced, waving at an older woman in the restaurant's uniform.

'Hey there, Cutie. So you're the new kid, huh? What's your name?' she said with a smile.

 

'She's in charge of the front of house in the mornings and Ayame is in charge in the evenings. Becky and Ayame run the cashiers, along with Kubo and Akihiro. You'll answer to them directly, though you still have to follow the orders of the kitchen staff and the drinks staff,' he explained. He sure was doing a lot of talking. 'You'll be working with at least one other waiter in the day or two at night. On busy nights - Thursday through Sunday - Reizo will greet people at the door and organise seating.'

 

'When people sit down, you greet them politely and hand them a menu. You come back when they look ready to order and use one of our company tablets to record the order. Becky will show you how to do that later. Once you've submitted the other, it gets printed out at the kitchen if it's food and the drinks counter if it's liquid. You then bring the completed order to the tables. You will also occasionally carry food from the front counter too,' Kaori explained. He took a long breath before continuing. 'If they press the alert button at their tables at any time you go straight to them. When they're finished their meal, you pile the dishes on a tray and carry the whole thing back to the kitchen. You clean the table ready for the next person. Rinse and repeat. It's pretty obvious.'

[KawaiiNekomimiBoy]

Hiro looks at the male as he watches as he was introducing the employees. He nods his head a bit, "back of house Tanaka, front of the house you...," he blinks and realize he didn't really know this man's name. He figured he would wait until he was done introducing the workers. "Right, but best to wait until before and after work to meet everyone."

 

Slowly nodding his head, getting remained on how he use to work at a restaurant, basically just like this other than maybe more workers. "Yeah I won't disturb them when they are working." He blinks a bit as he was pulled suddenly and watches the cook run past him, bows slowly, "I'm so sorry," he nods his head, "yeah... got it," he rubs his cheek, couldn't believe he got a bit of a whip lash from feeling the cook dash past him.

 

"So my job is mostly to serve the customers," he tilts his head as he follows close behind the man. He nods his head, "yeah.. don't want the food to get the cold or the customer's waiting," he knew pretty much all this information when he worked at another restaurant but it was good to have a bit of a reminder.

 

"Yeah I will ask for a menu when things start to slow down and take it home to study," all that this reminding him of was school, it was a good thing he had an amazing memory. "Got it, don't ask the chefs but other waiters and cooks are okay to ask."

 

"Yeah I have been here.. but for eating here, which is a lot different."

 

Hiro follows the man to the front of the restaurant and looks at the counters. He looked at all of the counter food items and drinks, knowing these counters well whenever he came to the restaurant with his sister.

 

Hiro waves at Becky with a smile since she was the only one he was able to really be introduce to, "hello there ma'am, my name is Hiro, Hiro Taguchi."

 

He looks at the other male and nods his head slowly, rubbing the back of his head, "okay I understand," he knew he would have to be running back and forth within the restaurant from front to back, he just hope he could keep everything memorized since there was so much to keep in mind but he wasn't worried.

 

Hiro nods his head, agreeing about how to treat the customers. He looks at Becky and nods his head since the tablets were new to him, he only notice how the employees use it when he was the customer. He knew he would get all the information he needed from Becky how to use the tablets so he figured he wouldn't ask much about it. Nodding his head, "got it, I will make sure the tables are clean by the time the next customers comes each time.

 

He remembered how at his first job at the restaurant, the boss would usually give him a one on one lesson, everything to know how to run things around the restaurant. It just felt better to have a vision than a lecture, but everyone has their methods.

 

"Is there anything else I need to keep in mind?"

[Rumpleteaser]

'That's it,' Kaori replied. 'You serve customers, make sure the store is immaculate and follow orders. That's all there is to it.'

 

'You've done this before so you should pick it up quickly. The hardest part for you is learning how to use the tablets,' he explained. They weren't that difficult to use but there was a lot to learn on them. Luckily for Kaori, the bar just had one computer register that linked up with the IT system rather than having to use the tablets. He'd been shown the basics of them but because he was never expected to use them, he never bothered to take it any further. 'Even I don't know how to use those.'

 

'It is different, but you'll be more familiar with the way things work. You'll have seen the counters, bar and tablets before so it's not completely new to you. You'll also know the standards expected of you,' he explained. The way he spoke next almost sounded like he expected the man to fail, though it was more that he was tired and overworked than deliberately being an arsehole. 'You're saying all the right things at least. Now we'll just see if you can put it into practice.'

 

'Hero, as in Superhero? That's cute,' Becky said.

So, what's your background? How old are you? Are you local?' she asked all at once. Becky was the type to talk.

'Keep it short, if you don't mind. Nikki is alone on the drinks counter,' Kaori said with a yawn.

'Oh yes, but I want to get to know my new waiter.'

'Not on my time, Becky,' he sighed.

'The name's Becky Schmitt. I'm from America originally. You don't need to know how old I am. I could almost be your mother,' she announced as she held out a hand to shake over the counter, apparently ignoring Kaori.

Kaori just looked around the restaurant then over at the bar to see how his second was doing.

 

"Is there anything else I need to keep in mind?"

'We haven't finished our tour yet.'

 

'Last off is the bar. Everything here runs on the same IT system but the bar is a bit different. People can pay and order at the bar or have it added to their table order. The most you'll be doing though is delivering drinks from the bar to the table. Again, there will be a ticket with the tray of drinks. Let me get one for you...' he explained as he walked over. He pulled one of the old tickets off a spike. He handed it over to Hiro to look at. He pointed to each part as he continued. 'This is the time and date, obviously. Below that in large is the table number. Next you have the list of drinks, their ID code and how many of each. Make sure you read out the name of each drink from the ticket before you place it on the table. The food tickets work the same way. Always remember to smile and say something polite like "enjoy your drinks" or "have a nice meal", then bow as you leave them. If their table is piled high with drinks or plates, ask if you can take them away. Nobody likes having their dirty plates clogging up the table.'

 

'Also, remember to scrunch up the ticket or put it on a spike after you've delivered it so we don't get orders mixed up. The last person we had trial here kept their tickets in their apron pocket and always got their orders mixed up,' Kaori said. The guy had always been mixed up which went to what table and had brought things to the wrong table. That guy had been incompetent so hopefully Hiro wouldn't be too, given that the boss had basically taken him in from off the street.

 

'You already know where the customer's toilets are, since you've been here before. It's part of your job to make sure they're always clean. You'll be the one unclogging them if they become blocked,' he explained. 'Staff toilets are downstairs where I talked to you first, along with the laundry, the store room, the cold room and the staff kitchenette. You're allowed in any of those places whenever you need.'

 

'And that's it. Do you have any questions so far?' he asked, then gave a long sigh. Hopefully he'd be able to go back to his bar now.

[KawaiiNekomimiBoy]

Hiro nods his head slowly. There wasn't much different here than working at the other restaurant he worked at, besides the tablets, they were completely new to him. He saw the waiters or waitresses use them whenever he came here with his sister, but using one personally was a different story.

 

"Yeah no problems," he smiles and rubs his hand through his hair before nodding his head, "Yeah I only seen them in use.. so I never really used one, so that will be a pretty new experience." He looks over at the tablet, glimpsing at it from a distance and looks at the other male, "well.. at least there are some employees that know how to work them."

 

Hiro looks at the male, "I shouldn't have much trouble with learning around the restaurant." It was a good thing Hiro was so experience with the way and rules at a restaurant or he would be so confused and be asking questions, non stop. He was already really good in the waiter department, none of his customers ever complained. Was always on time to work, was the right amount of friendly towards workers and customers, never complained. He just hoped it was the same work style here as it was at the other restaurant he worked at, but he didn't get his hopes up.

 

Hiro looks at Becky and laughs a little with a sigh, "ah.. that isn't the first time people have mentioned that." He rubs his chin, "well, I been through plenty of jobs, thanks to school and my mom getting pregnant.. but that wasn't her fault. Uh.. I suppose it really depends what you want to here. But it should probably wait under after working hours. I am 25 and yeah, I live just about a few blocks away from this restaurant, so I basically have no need to drive to work. Hiro laughs a little, "well.. it's not like this is going to be my only day working here," he shakes Becky's hand, "it is nice to meet you, your probably the only one that fully introduce themselves to me. I guess I just have to wait until everyone isn't so busy."

 

He perks his head as he looks at the other male, "yeah I got to finish my tour, I will talk to you later."

 

Hiro looks at the bar and nods his head, remembering he came here when he became an adult, his half brother treated him to a drink and got completely wasted. Looking over the ticket and looks at it closely, nodding his head, "alright understood. Yeah, that makes sense, no one likes cluster, especially when it is in the center of the table." He remembered when he was working that one of the other employees forgot to get the plates and stuff off one of the tables, causing a huge mountain of dirty dishes. The customers were really mad since they couldn't see each other while they were talking so he had to go over there, with a bucket, to clean up the cluster.

 

Hiro nods his head, "alright, wouldn't want to do that.. that would most likely get a customer mad to get something they didn't order."

 

Hiro never liked really cleaning or unclogging toilets, especially at a restaurant, but it had to get done. That is what he had to do when he was first starting out at the other restaurant, slowly working his way up to a waiter, it only really took him a day. He graduated pretty quickly since he wanted to be a waiter. "Alright, do I need to tell anyone that I will be in the laundry. store room, cold room and the staff kitchenette," he tilts his head.

 

Taking a deep breath and slowly shakes his head, "two questions though, they are really quick. My first question is, what do I do first? Do I just look around to see what needs to be done? Or should I just learn to use the tablet and then check around? My second question is, what is your name? I know everyone else's names but yours."

[Rumpleteaser]

'Just ask the other waiters, Becky or Ayame if you have trouble with them. Be quick about it too. You don't want the customers waiting because of your incompetence. Which reminds me, make sure you get the training badge from Becky until your permanent one arrives,' Kaori said, though he wasn't wearing his yet. At the reminder he dug into his apron pocket and pinned it to his breast.

 

'Yeah, there isn't much to being a waiter,' Kaori said, though he probably shouldn't have. The boss and other waiters wouldn't be happy to be called "low end". Everybody likes to take pride in their work and their establishment. 'It's a pretty low end job but you're working in a high end restaurant so more will be expected of you. I think you understand by now that there's no slacking off.'

 

'Going through plenty of jobs at our age isn't a good thing. It shows you can't hold onto them and can't stick with anything. Just how many jobs have you had already?' Kaori asked. 'This is only my second job. My first was as a barista while in college.'

 

'Oh, all right,' Becky said, waving her hand. 'No talking on the job, I got it. You can at least humour an old woman.'

'25, huh? You'd be about the same age as this fellow here,' she said.

'I am 25 too,' Kaori replied, still looking over at the bar to make sure it didn't get too busy.

'Really? What about the kitchen staff? Didn't they greet you? They're so aloof!'

'They're so busy,' Kaori corrected. He then stepped aside as a customer came up to the register.

 

'You understand everything then. There won't be any excuses if you make a mistake,' he said carelessly after Hiro had finished talking. On second thought, maybe he was being too harsh on Hiro. He blamed it on the early morning shift. Three shifts in a row was too much. 'Don't get me wrong, it's good to have someone who knows what's expected.'

 

'You should tell Becky or Ayame if you leave the floor for any reason, including when it comes your turn to go on break. Breaks run for 30 minutes and are assigned in order of rank. You're the newest person in the front so you'll go on break last,' he answered.

 

'The first thing you're to do is go to Becky and learn how the tablets work. That's the most important thing you need to know. The next most important thing is the menu, so study that next. You can clean tables whenever you see them needing clearing but I don't want you serving customers until you're more familiar with the tablets and the menu,' he answered.

 

'My name? Oh, the name's Kaori Takanashi. Pleased to meet you,' he said, and held out his hand to shake it. He was wearing short, black gloves that went well with his black vest and bow tie.

[KawaiiNekomimiBoy]

Hiro looks at Becky and another woman he believe was probably Ayame and nods his head, "of course, I will make sure I don't keep the customer waiting." He tilts his head when he heard abut a badge and slowly yet confusingly nods his head, "alright I will do that before learning how the tablets work so customers don't think I will serve them, right away anyway," he looks down at the other's pin just to see what it looked like.

 

Hiro listens to the other male and nods his head, "yes of course. I will stay on my toes to make sure everything gets done when it gets done."

 

Pouting a little and crosses his arms, rubbing his hand through his hair, "it isn't my fault I was so busy with school and taking care of my mom. For the record though, I did work longer at the restaurant than my other jobs."

 

"Well I am sure we will talk plenty," he smiles a bit. Slowly nodding his head and looks at the other male, seeing he was looking at the bar. He rubs the back of his head, "I didn't want to bother them while they were busy with rush hour, it was so busy in the kitchen, when a cook dash past me, I got whip lashed."

 

"Yeah I will take careful actions so I don't make any mistakes." He tilts his head slowly and nods his head, "yeah I know what to do once I get the hang of things here, which won't take too long."

 

Figuring he should mention that, since he was a new employee. "Alright sounds fine to me, I don't really mind taking my break last anyway so no problems."

 

Listening to the male, "yeah probably best to learn how to use those first. So I should start studying it now and then study the rest while at home? Yeah.. that makes sense, I don't want to serve the customer the wrong dish that they don't want."

 

"It's nice to meet you too," Hiro shakes Kaori's hand.

[Rumpleteaser]

Becky was in charge of the waiters in the morning shift and Ayame was in charge in the evenings. The younger woman with Becky was one of the waitresses who would be working with Hiro. They would meet later in the day when Becky was helping Hiro get used to the restaurant. Right now they were busy serving customers.

 

'You're a bit of a yes man, aren't you?' Kaori asked before yawning softly. He covered his mouth and his eyes closed a moment. It really was bad form to be yawning at work. It looked bad. 'Another rule, don't go yawning and slouching at work. You must always look fresh. Don't go touching your hair or face either. And no rubbing the back of your head. Go wash your hands. You should always thoroughly wash your hands before your shift starts.'

 

After shaking hands, Kaori took Hiro around the back of the bar so he could give a more detailed description of the what drinks they made.

 

'Hiro, this is Kenshin. He works alongside Akihiko in the mornings. Akihiko is at a wedding today so I'm filling in for him. Kenshin, this is our new waiter, Hiro,' he said, introducing the pair. 'At nights I work with Michiko. It's a lot of names to remember but you'll get used to it. Kenshin, where's your name badge?'

'Aaaah, pleased to meet you Hiro,' Kenshin said. 'Ah yes! Name badge.'

'It belongs on your chest, not your arm,' Kaori lectured.

'Did you not sleep or something last night?' he asked.

'Something,' Kaori said with a groan. 'Make me an espresso with one when you're free... and keep them coming.'

'Of course. Do you want it now or after I finish the customers?'

'After,' he said, then turned to Hiro. 'Kenshin is the newest after you. He's good at coffees but doesn't do alcoholic drinks yet.'

'I am studying,' he replied.

'Luckily we don't get many alcohol orders in the mornings,' Kaori replied. 'Now, where were we?'

 

'You're to familiarise yourself with the bar, the kitchen and the counter, even if you don't work on those stations. Kenshin is busy so I'll do the drinks section,' he said. 'Do you know the difference between an affogato and a vienna?'

[KawaiiNekomimiBoy]

Hiro tilts his head and rubs the back of his head, "is the a bad thing?" He rubs his hand through his hair. He listens to Kaori yawning and listens to the no yawning or slouching rule and laughs a little, "so basically.. don't do what you just demonstrated?" He blinks and then moves his hand from his hair, "right.. don't want to get hair in the customer's food."

 

Hiro follows Kaori in the back around the bar and looks at all of the different drinks.

 

Looking at Kenshin and looks at Kaori, nodding his head. "It is nice to meet you to." Hiro looks at Kenshin, "has he ever worked on an alcoholic drink? Or did he just plan out say he doesn't know how to when he was applying? I can mostly work on any kind of drink, as long as its not a very strong alcohol." He knew he didn't have to worry about that since he still needed to do other tasks before graduating to other more challenging tasks.

 

Hiro looks at Kaori and nods head, "yeah it is still good to get a reminder." He perks his head up, "u-uh.. oh, my sister loved getting the affogato. I believe it some kind of dessert liquor that was made with coffee. And.. vienna.. I am not sure of, sounds like a type of food involving meat..," I got to do a lot more studying."

[Rumpleteaser]

'It can be. It means you're just smiling and nodding rather than fully grasping the situation. I can't tell if you really know what you're talking about or whether you're just putting on a good show,' Kaori replied. He was getting sick of the "Yes, Sir. Three bags full, Sir" attitude Hiro was putting on. It seemed fake and far too convenient.

 

'Yeah, don't do what I do. I've been here long enough to push the boundaries,' he said. 'Go wash your hands again before you start your shift. It's against regulations to touch hair and face, it's unhygienic too.'

 

'I'd shake your hand but I have to keep going,' Kenshin said, still manning the coffee machine. He was pouring four coffees at once, though the machine was built to make up to eight at once. 'The early mornings are the busiest time for coffees. Aaaah... I'll talk to you later.'

 

'It's a week long course to be a barista; it's a three year degree to be a bartender,' Kaori explained. He raised an eyebrow at Hiro and gave him a look that said he obviously did not believe a work Hiro said. 'Oh, now I know you're bullshitting me.'

 

'So you're a barista and bartender too? Where did you get that experience? Where did you train? Did you graduate your courses? How did you fit it in with all the other jobs you've apparently had? Don't forget you're also a trained hairdresser. That's another three year college course,' he said in an incredulous tone. 'You also had to take care of your mother and the newborn baby too! Not to mention culinary school. You can't possibly have more than a few months experience at each job.'

 

'I've got no time for drifters,' he said with a sigh. It seemed the guy was faking it after all.

 

'I'll tell the boss you need to do a barista course. Even if you never use it, you obviously don't know one coffee from another,' he said. In fact, he'd be telling the boss he had little hope for this one. 'For your information, an affogato is a double shot of espresso poured over a scoop of icecream and a vienna is a double shot of espresso with whipped cream and chocolate on top. Learning the types of coffees is more homework for you.'

 

'Right. Aside from espressos, we also make teas, milkshakes, thickshakes, iced drinks like iced coffee, frappes, mocktails, cocktails, wines, sake, beers, ciders and liquours,' he said, then reached over the bar to grab the drinks menus. There was one for alcoholic drinks and mocktails and another for non-alcoholic drinks. 'Our drinks selection is just as important as the kitchen and counter food. Take these and read through them. In fact, keep those two menus and memorise them as homework, along with the menus from the kitchens.'

 

'Stay here, I need the restrooms. Or come if you want, so you know where it is,' he said with a stretch. He needed to splash his face with cold water to wake up. Showing the new kid around was really starting to get to him.

[KawaiiNekomimiBoy]

Hiro pouts a little and crosses his arms, "well.. people learn stuff in different ways." He grumbles a little and wasn't really sure how to really change his personsality for Kaori. He couldn't help if he was a bubble head with different kinds of experiences. He thought it was good that he was understanding everything like a professional, other than the tablets.

 

"Yeah I guess you would know best," he wondered if Kaori was working here when he was a regular customer. He looks at his hands, "right erm," he puts his hands into his pocket, "I will keep them in my pockets until the tour comes across the bathroom, then wash them there."

 

Hiro looks at Kenshin, "of course, we can handshake later if you want when things are less crazy." He nods his head and waves at Kenshin as he looks back at Kaori.

 

He listens to Kaori and then blinks a bit, tilting his head to the side. He was getting completely mind blown from all the questions but he took a deep breath, "I learned to be a bartender the last couple of weeks before I quit, enough to learn what kind of drinks I can handle. I don't have a lot of experience being a bartender since it was only a couple of weeks. I worked while I was in school, I had to get money somehow to help around the house. Well.. my mom is a hairdresser so she let me help her. I watched her and I helped her with some customers but obviously not as much as how many he can do. What can I say.. I am a fast learner I know that is a little .. vague but it's true."

 

Hiro looks at Kaori and lowers his head a bit, keeping silent for a couple of minutes.

 

Slowly perking up his head and slowly nods his head, closing his eyes a bit, "well.. uh.. now I know. Right understood," he knew he already had plenty of homework already.

 

"Aw come on now, don't get the poor thing stressed. He already has so much to memorize and your pretty much over powering him," one of the waitresses walks over after serving a meal.

 

Hiro looks at the menu and looks at all the different kinds of drinks, nodding his head, "yeah it is fine, I just need to get the kitchen menu too before work hours end."

 

Hiro looks at his hands, "well.. I do need to wash my hands and know where the bathrooms are," he decided to follow Kaori to the bathroom.

[Rumpleteaser]

'It's not your learning I'm questioning,' Kaori replied. He had to hold back from rolling his eyes. The guy was just repeating what he'd been told. It was getting annoying. Not to mention he was starting to suspect the guy was out of his league. Hiro was covering for the fact he didn't know what he was talking about. Still, the boss had employed him. It was up to Kaori, Becky and the waiters to bring him up to scratch. Rather than focusing on the bullshit experience Hiro had, he would treat Hiro as if this was his first job in the industry. Yeah, that was a better way to look at it. Hiro was a newbie.

 

'You don't have to keep them in your pockets. Just don't go handling food or drinks until you wash them,' he replied. Hiro would know about hand washing if he'd had as much experience as he'd said.

 

Kenshin gave a smile and a wave between texturing a jug of milk and pouring two cappuccinos. He then went back to his work and pretty much didn't pay attention to Hiro and Kaori.

 

'You don't learn bartending on the job. You have to go to college to be qualified for that. Do you even have your responsible service of alcohol certificate?' Kaori explained sarcastically. Boy, was Hiro getting on his nerves. The guy was just stupid, and a flake to boot. 'You can't tell me you're a bartender if you only lasted a few weeks on the bar with no college degree.'

 

Now Kaori really had to groan. This guy was an idiot.

 

'Wait just a second. You're telling me your hairdressing experience is helping your mum at work?! You can't go around telling people you're a hairdresser if you don't have a college certificate in it,' he said. He had to keep his voice down in the restaurant and not exclaim like he wanted to. 'Okay, what are your qualifications? Only tell me what certificates you've actually received. Also, what jobs have you had and how long have you held them?'

 

'I'm the one doing the introduction, not you,' Kaori replied, putting on a calm voice. He wasn't going to get mad at her for defending Hiro. 'If he's stressed already he probably can't handle being a waiter. The customers will give him more of a lashing than I am.'

 

'Wait until things get quiet at about 10am before you go into the kitchens. Talk to one of the cooks or the kitchen hand about the menu. Get someone to explain each of the dishes if you can,' he said. He should probably do the same with the drinks menu too but he could only handle so much of Hiro at a time. He would let Becky handle him for a while and send for Hiro later in the shift when the coffee rush finished.

 

Kaori waved Hiro along and walked through the side door and down the steps to the undercover area he'd first taken Hiro to. He might as well point out what each of the doors were while he was here.

 

'That's the cold room, that's the dry store, that one is the staff room and over there is the laundry,' he explained. 'To the left is the men's and to the right is the women's.'

 

With that, Kaori walked into the men's room, pulled out a wad of paper towel then took off his gloves. He splashed his face a few times then stared into the mirror and groaned softly. He then washed his hands and face again before drying himself off with the paper towel. He was careful not to get any of his uniform or hair. He had to look presentable.

[KawaiiNekomimiBoy]

"Well..., all I know is, I will do my best here." Hiro glances to the side and lowers his head a bit, hoping once Kaori saw him in action, he would have a different opinion.

 

Taking his hands out of his pocket, "well yeah.. I already know that..," he pouts a bit, unsure why Kaori thought he wouldn't know basic hygiene.

 

Hiro smiles and was glad he at least met two friendly people, really hoping that is how their personality was or if they were only nice to him because it was his first day.

 

Hiro places his hand on his head a bit, "if you understand what I learned in college.. maybe you would have a better understanding, you would stop criticizing me for what I can do in the work field."

 

"It was still experience and I worked there about a yea before my mom took a maternity leave. Uh.. I was a hair dresser at the 20 and it lasted a year. I worked as a pet clerk for a year too due to needing to help my mom with the baby. Flower shop I worked half a month because .. I didn't like getting constantly getting stalked when delivering flowers. I was a waiter for another restaurant for 3 years and quit because I got a offer here from the boss. And I do babysitting on the side from age 18 to my current age. I will bring in certificates tomorrow so you can see for yourself."

 

"I know but the poor thing can only handle so much. You don't have to overwhelm him with all this information in one day."

 

Hiro nods his head slowly, "alright I will do that after learning about the tablet," he was getting very quiet, looking at the waitress and was pretty glad someone was at least standing up for him.

 

Hiro follows Kaori to the side door and looks at the cold room, dry room, staff room and the laundry room, keeping it in mind where everything was.

 

Following Kaori into the men's bathroom. He watches Kaori and figured while he was here he would empty his bladder. He walks to the urinal and unbuckles his pants, peeing while he Kaori washes his hand, figuring he would do this first before washing his hands.

[Rumpleteaser]

'Yeah, you do that,' Kaori replied. He didn't care at this point. Either the guy would be good at his job or he wouldn't last the fortnight. The most annoying thing was being stuck with him for the rest of the day. He didn't even seem to understand the rule about touching himself. 'What did I just tell you about touching your hands and face? If you're going to touch your head, don't do it in front of customers.'

 

'No, I don't understand what you did in college because you haven't told me. What are your qualifications? Don't make me ask you a second time because I'm the one who has to report all this back to the boss at the end of the day,' he said in a deliberately measured tone. If this was going to continue, they should probably get off the floor and go somewhere more private to basically argue over Hiro's lack of experience. 'Good, bring your certificates in along with your resume. The boss should have done this himself instead of passing it off on me.'

 

'I thought you said you didn't have a job. Now you're telling me you quit at one restaurant to work at another. What was wrong with the other restaurant?' he asked. He felt like he'd just caught the kid out lying.

 

'Actually, I do. It's my job to teach him what he needs to know. He doesn't know much so there's a lot to learn. The sooner the better,' Kaori replied. He was going no faster than he would with anyone else. There was a lot to get through in one day but he wasn't going too fast over it. If Hiro couldn't keep up, that was his problem. There were plenty of people who were more experienced, would not lie about their experience and would fit the role better.

 

Kaori glanced across at Hiro while he was taking a piss but didn't look down. He didn't care at this point. The guy was moderately attractive but his personality was annoying at best. Kaori didn't like him and was happy to palm him off to Becky for the next few hours.

 

'Go to Becky when you're done here. Remember everything I've told you and you might last the week,' he said with a sigh. Kaori walked out and sat at one of the bar stools out the back to light up a cigarette. He'd have to puff quickly so he could get back to the bar. He was sure the boss wouldn't begrudge him one smoke after having to put up with Hiro for the past half hour or so. Besides, the boss owed him for even taking the morning shift.

[KawaiiNekomimiBoy]

Hiro blinks a bit and nods his head, "alright, while I am working, I won't touch anything that isn't related to work in front of the customers."

 

"My qualifications? Oh right, uh... I learned to work flexible hours when needed, I always get along with people I work with, I have good communication skills and always willing to learn more information when needed." He tilts his head and then nods his head, "should.. I go get them now? Or wait for tomorrow? Because I don't live that far away from here."

 

Hiro shakes his head with a sigh, "okay so I was working at another restaurant right? One day out of the blue, the boss of the restaurant decided to get.. a bit too over friendly as a reward for being a good worker at his restaurant for three long years. I was called to his office, where he then tries to have his way with me by constantly groping me. I didn't really want to deal with that.. so I quit. My sister than treats me to dinner, I wanted to go to the Eastern Grove and that is when I was offered a job here. It's all true, the boss ask me personally to work here."

 

Hiro looks at the waitress and shakes his head with a smile, "it's okay, I am fine. This restaurant is a lot different than the one I worked at previously but I really don't mind."

 

The waitress looks at Hiro and nods her head, "well.. just don't let Kaori's words get to you, he has a pretty long shift, he probably just needs a good drink to ease up on the newbie," she goes and cleans a couple of tables.

 

Hiro looks at Kaori as he was looking at him as he wipes himself before flushing the urinal. He walks over to the sink and washes his hands really good for about a couple of minutes before drying them off.

 

Hiro glances at Kaori as he follows Kaori out of the bathroom, "alright," he then walks over to Becky but noticing the waitress walk over to him.

 

"Hi there sweetie, how did it go," she puts down the cleaning supplies and smiles, wiping her hands on a tissue.

 

Hiro sighs and glances at Kaori, "I don't think Kaori likes me very much..I think he thinks I am lying about my working experience."

 

She laughs a little as she leads Hiro over to Becky, "it's your first day working here, he will grow on you, don't worry."

 

Hiro nods his head and then smiles, looking at Becky, "I need to learn how to use the tablet Becky and I need my trainee badge so the customers don't consider me as a waiter."

 

The waitress walks over to Kaori and sits down next to him, ".. I like him, he is a little cutie," she smiles and glances at Kaori, "you know.. the boss picked him for a reason, right? He seemed pretty excited to have Hiro work here. Maybe he knows Hiro's parents or maybe he is like a top paying customer."

[Rumpleteaser]

'That's not your qualifications,' Kaori said with a long groan. The man was an idiot, an utter and unredeemable moron. 'Those are skills. Qualifications are the certificates, degrees and licenses you hold, like a driver's license, Food Handling Certificate or Diploma of Nursing. What are you qualified to do?'

 

'So you didn't quit because you already had a job lined up elsewhere. Next time get your story straight before telling it,' he sighed. The guy had told a different story each time. Kaori didn't know which story to believe, if any of them were even true. The guy was just covering his tracks after being caught out lying. Whatever. The guy would be out of his hair soon enough. Hopefully Hiro would be on the morning shift from now on so Kaori wouldn't have to see him again until he got fired. Kaori was fairly certain the guy wouldn't last a fortnight.

 

'What restaurant did you work at?' Kaori asked, though he didn't particularly care. He needed a drink.

 

After finishing his cigarette, Kaori washed his mouth and hands again then swilled with mouthwash to get the smell off his breath. He then went back up to the bar and got to work on the espresso machine. Kenshin needed a bit of a break himself after manning the bar by himself. Honestly, after dealing with Hiro handling the bar by himself was a relief. Kaori was in his element again and didn't have to deal with stupidity. Even angry customers would be less annoying than stupid staff.

 

'Well, that reason wasn't intelligence. I wonder why...' Kaori said, looking over at Hiro between pouring two lattes, a hot chocolate and a flat white. He added a mineral water with ice and lemon to the tray too. When they were done, he rang the bell for one of the waiters to take the tray of drinks away. 'He must have ties with the boss. Idiot. Who employs someone without taking their resume or having an interview? He didn't even tell the guy when his shift started.'

 

Kaori then looked around for that espresso with one Kenshin had made for him and downed it in one shot. It was cold but he needed the caffeine and sugar hit. He made himself a second one between his next order of two cappuccinos with sweetener and downed that too. He contemplated a third but decided it was pushing his luck. He didn't want to get the jitters so early in his shift.