13 The Caffeine Dominator

Hello! Your Manager, Enomoto Chiaki, speaking here! While we were in the midst of somewhat argument, a woman suddenly entered the restaurant.

"I wanna apply as a barista. Fill me in." said the woman.

I expected that a male would apply for that position but.... this is greater than expected!

"Hey, 'thicc' woman!" I said.

"Is it really ethical to voice that out?" uttered Tomori.

"Can you tell what's the preferred coffee of this macho woman?" I asked.

"I'll kill you later!" said Itsuki while squeezing my mouth tightly.

I said the macho woman as a trick to make her think that Itsuki likes the strong blend of coffee but in fact, she likes.... uh, what was her favorite coffee again?

"Hmmm...," uttered the woman.

The woman suddenly walks toward Itsuki and observes her closely.

"Calling this lady a macho is a bluff," said the woman.

"Wha-?!"

"Her eyes have this strong vibe that should match her personality," said the woman. "I bet she's the tomboyish type yet has a hidden girly side."

S-She's right.... Except for that hidden girly side, I think...

"This girl loves flavored latte coffee and cappuccinos," said the woman.

"H-H-Hmp! T-That is...," I said.

"That's correct," said Itsuki.

"What?!" I said.

T-This woman.... is good!

"As for the dark-haired lady, she loves the strong types of coffee drink and iced coffees," said the woman.

"T-That's right!" said Tomori.

S-She nailed it again! Damn, what is she made of?! Is this some kind of paranormal shit?!

"The cherry boy loves espresso and affogato," said the woman. "The beautiful lass loves vanilla iced coffee. She's not that much of a coffee drinker."

Those two also looked amazed by her reading.

"As for you," said the woman.

"Gulp," I reacted.

"You....," said the woman.

A-Am I gonna be...

"You only drink milk," revealed the woman. "You never actually drank a real coffee."

I-I am exposed!

"L-Lies! I just drank last night!" I said. "R-Right, Itsuki?"

"Well, you did serve a coffee to yourself but you added way too much milk so it should have tasted like milk," said Itsuki.

Damn you, I'll give you a nice headbutt later!

"Coffee is..... too bitter for me," I said.

"What are you, a kid?" asked the woman.

Did she just mock me in front of everyone?!

"Playtime's over, can I talk to the manager so we can arrange the salary offer?" asked the woman.

S-She's way too confident that she'll be hired!

"I am the Manager," I said.

"F-For real?" asked the woman.

"For real," I replied.

"Sorry, I thought you were the janitor," said the woman.

Apologize to all the janitors around the world!!!

The moment she heard the fact that I am the manager, she grins at me.

"This is perfect, then," said the woman.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Your 10 million debt....," said the woman.

W-Why does she know about the debt?!

"D-Debt?" asked Kanata.

"Ahahaha!" I laughed. "Oh my, you're saying random things! C'mon, let's continue the interview in the employee quarters."

"Being hideous, huh...?" whispered the woman. "Fine, let's do proceed with your offer."

"Everyone! Please proceed with the operations," I said. "I'll be back in a while."

The two of us go one-on-one inside the employee quarters.

"Listen, how did you know about the debt?" I asked.

"It's because...," said the woman who then grips my neck with her right arm from my back. "The boss sent me to observe you."

T-This woman is with the loan sharks! She even got a dagger on her left arm ready to kill me.

"O-Observe....?" I said. "I-I told him that I'll pay periodically..."

"Well, the boss is quite impatient in dealing with this stuff," said the woman. "Your father ran away for years, anyway. Anyone would be mad if that's the situation, right?"

S-She's got a point. Damn it, dad!

"So, are you doing well on how you accumulate money to pay for it?" asked the woman.

"W-We're just open for like a week! Don't ask for the impossible!" I said.

"Is that so?" said the woman. "Well, you look quite the hardworking person so I'll give you a plus. I'm sure you're aware of the first deadline of your payment, am I correct?"

She's so powerful! I can't break free from her arm!

"Yeah, three months from now!" I said. "Just let me loose right now! You're choking me to death!"

"Oh, sorry," said the woman. "Though I could be gentler earlier if I revealed it in front of everyone. Why did you stop me?"

"If they knew about this, then they might resign and I'll lose everything I have right now," I said. "I am trying to preserve the bond we have right now that's why I have to deal with this problem myself."

"Are you going to pay them well considering that you still have a debt in mind?" asked the woman.

"Of course! No salary delays, either," I said.

"Hmm, I see," said the woman.

"Please don't tell anyone of them!" I said. "At all cost."

"Hmm," said the woman. "Then, you have to obey one command from me every week."

Eh? I was expecting it to be cruel but this is seemingly light.

"Only one?" I asked.

"Yes, since I am a considerate person," said the woman.

Considerate, my ass! You almost killed me a while ago!

"But if you fail to do even one, then I'll tell them without any hesitations," added the woman.

Tsk! It's for the safety of everyone!

"F-Fine, then!" I said. "Deal!"

"Good, good," said the woman. "By the way, I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Katsuragi Kurumi and I am seriously applying for the Barista position."

"You could have just been a customer here every day if you're just my observer," I said.

We could have earned more.

"I love making coffee anyways, so I thought that I could also do what I want at the same time as my job," said Kurumi.

"I never thought loan sharks would have this kind of hobby," I said.

"Don't call me like that, I just said my name," replied Kurumi. "Oh, you have to pay me as well, 'kay?"

She even demanded a salary despite being paid by her boss!

"Fine, fine!" I said. "Just don't go drugging our customers."

"I respect the art of coffee making," said Kurumi. "I won't do something that would tarnish my coffee."

Wow, she speaks highly of coffee. She must really love this kind of field.

"Let's go back to the operations," I said. "I'll let you start tomorrow so you can rest easy for now."

"Then, time for the first command!" said Kurumi. "You have 24 hours to complete this~"

S-Seriously?!

"We just started the deal!" I said.

"My first order for you is to....," added Kurumi.

She's not stopping!

"Kiss your ex-girlfriend!" said Kurumi. "

The moment she said it, Itsuki unknowingly opens the door and hears the command.

"E-Eh?" asked Itsuki. "K-Kiss...?"

Ah~ So much for my secret....

Damn it!!!

-----TO BE CONTINUED----