Cigarettes and Smoke - Tododeku A.U

Chapter 2

~Shoto~  

After a week of searching for an apartment and spending a whole month of rent on a hotel room, I finally found a studio apartment. It was extremely small with a kitchenette and a murphy bed that doubled as a desk when folded up. When the bed is down the only space to walk is a path to the bathroom, which is also very small. I could stand in the center and almost touch each wall. It wasn't much, but it was home. 

While I had been looking for an apartment I had been looking for a job, but I hadn't gotten a call back on any of them. I wasn't positive I would get a call from any of them, but I still worked hard to fix my jet lag before I began to work. 

Since I still didn't have a job, I had to ration my money and choose to eat two meals a day or one meal and be able to use public transportation. I usually choose the first option and walk everywhere, especially since I'm still getting familiar with the city.

Today I decided to venture farther than I have been in hopes of finding a job. I left early in the morning, protesting my empty stomach, and began my walk. When things began to look less familiar I slowed my pace and paid close attention to my surroundings. 

As I passed a small cafe my hunger finally got to me and I decided to get breakfast. I stood back and studied the menu, looking at what I could get for the least amount of money. The woman behind the counter smiled at me as she set trays into the display cases. After a few minutes, I approached the counter.

"What can I get for you?" she asked, straightening out the counter displays. 

"Can I get a plain bagel with cream cheese and an iced tea?" I asked, pulling out my wallet.

"Of course." she said, tapping the screen in front of her. "That'll be seven dollars." I reluctantly handed over my money, stuffing my wallet back in my pocket. The woman handed me a little plastic sign that had the number five on it. She must have seen my confusion because she said, "Put this on your table and I'll bring it to you."

"O-oh. Thank you." I said, taking the plastic number and taking a seat in the corner. While I waited I pulled out my laptop, checking my email. I had emailed my resume to multiple companies, but none had replied yet. A sigh escaped my lips as I closed my screen. 

The woman from behind the counter approached holding a small tray. "Having a tough day?" she asked as she set my food in front of me. I laughed bitterly and took a sip of my tea.

"A rough week, actually. I've been trying to find a job, but nowhere is taking me." I said. "You see, I just recently moved here from Japan." Why am I telling her this?

"I'm originally from Japan too!" she said, tucking the tray under her arm and plucking the plastic sign from my table, "And today is your lucky day!" I raised an eyebrow in question and she said, "We just opened not too long ago and we need employees. I run the front of the store but my son runs the whole thing. Do you mind working in a cafe?"

Maybe I should have ventured outside of my neighborhood a little sooner, I thought as I said, "At this point, I'll take anything." The woman clapped happily, her smile even wider. 

"Excellent! One moment, I'll grab an application," she said, disappearing through a back door. A few minutes later she hurried out with a paper. "It's quite simple, and we can probably have you working in a day or two. You'll get one to two free meals, depending on how long your shift is, and free drinks your entire shift. We're still working out some other employee benefits, but I'm sure there will be more. Here, I'll grab you a pen." she ran behind the counter then to me, setting the pen in front of me. "Just ask me if you have any questions. My name is Inko, by the way." 

I slowly ate my food as I filled out the application, reading over everything carefully. As I sat there a few more people came in, but none of them stayed long. Once I was done with everything, I brought my application to the counter. "Thank you for the offer," I said as I handed Inko the application, "I hope you'll accept it."

"Of course!" Inko said happily. "It'll just take a day or two to get everything all situated. You'll get a call from either me or my son Izuku tomorrow evening or sometime the day after that. After that you'll start training, which will take a week or two, then you'll start as an official employee!" 

Before I stepped outside I zipped my jacket all the way up and wrapped my scarf tighter around me. It wasn't that cold, but the wind made it feel much colder. I debated on either going home or exploring and ended up exploring the city. Later that evening, on my way home, I picked up some cheap takeout and a large bottle of water from a convenience store. 

Even though my apartment was small and void of any personal touches, it still felt more like home than my actual home back in Japan. I ate while watching a tv show on my computer, then showered and changed into pajamas. It took me a few tries to get the bed to stay down, but once I did I placed my pillows down and curled up under the blankets.  

My mind wandered to my siblings and what they might be doing. They haven't called me or even texted me to see how I was doing, not even my sister. It was obvious that my father had forbidden them from contacting me, but I'm sure she'll find a way to contact me. At least I hope. 

She will, don't worry, I told myself over and over again until I drifted into an uneasy sleep.