{WARNING: MAY CONTAIN FOOD PUNS}
...Man.
The sun's starting to set, and all I've got to my name is pocket change and a bag of soggy chicken nuggets.
"Hey," I turned to the boy next to me, with hair spikier than Kn*ckles the Echidna. "'Jello'! It's v...
Alice's chocolate curry idea was a hit! A crowd gathered around our stall to listen to Alice explain the dish, showing off the fancy 3-D printers that made the chocolate. The extravagant topping was more than enough to grab people's attention, and the concept of an evolving dish was popular to many.
"Order up!" I handed two plates to an eager mother and child. They dug in, shouting with delight, then moved so the next customers could order.
"This dish is proving popular to a broad range of customers..." Hayama said as he spooned some curry into a bowl. Kurokiba slid forward and took the dish to serve.
Alice giggled when she heard him. "This menu item has let us make a complete comeback. Our ranking improved tremendously."
Kurokiba placed a chocolate garnish atop the dish. "This should let us turn an overall profit."
I hurried to prep another plate as our line grew, trading places with Kurokiba. It may have taken four days to get any following, but this was insane! I couldn't help but skip a little after seeing everyone enjoying our food.
"Yes. But above all, I'm glad we made our customers happy." Alice replied.
Huh. I stopped, taking my spot beside Hayama as I processed her words. She's actually considering our customers now...
I smiled to myself, grateful for the girl's growth despite the many hardships that accompanied it. The festival was much more fun when people liked our cooking.
I wasn't the only one pleased, I realized when Hayama turned away and sighed. "Color me impressed," he whispered to himself.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
He's smiling. I realized and couldn't help but mirror his expression. He looked much more handsome when he wasn't glowering at others. I'd seen him smile a handful of times before, but never one like this.
...It's nice to see him enjoying himself.
"Can we get two more orders over here?" Alice called.
I shook my head and snapped out of my staring. Right, the food. "Coming right up!"
*~*~*~*
Phew, I'm exhausted.
I slumped into the folding chair, my legs screaming at me. It was one thing standing all day when no customers were around, but today we were swamped with orders for hours on end! I just needed a little break.
"Are you tired?" Hayama asked as he came to stand beside me.
"A little. I'll be good in like, five minutes." I slumped further into the seat and exhaled.
"Why not take a break?"
I tilted my head to look up at him. "What? I am taking a break."
