The renovation of the store was nearing completion, so Emily was left in charge while Kent headed to the neighboring bakery.
The evening rush was over, leaving the shelves mostly empty. Once the remaining merchandise was sold, the day’s business would conclude.
“Marie, the renovation next door is finished,” Kent announced.
“Already? That was quick!” Marie exclaimed.
Since no more bread was being baked for the day, Marie was in the retail area. Catherine and Caro had already started cleaning up.
“All that’s left is the renovation of this building and connecting it to the workshop,” Kent explained.
“Older brother, is the shop ready?” Catherine asked, curious.
“Yes, it is. I think it’ll be fine now,” Kent replied.
“I want to see! I want to see!” Catherine was eager to see the renovated shop.
As the last customer left, they began preparing to close.
“Sorry to keep you waiting. The accounting is done, so let’s go see the shop next door,” Kent said.
It was pitch black outside. Marie, holding a lamp, performed a final inspection and locked the shop. The four of them went around to the back of the building, where Kent unlocked the back door.
“Welcome home, Master,” Emily greeted them.
“I’m home. I brought everyone from this shop with me,” Kent replied.
“I see. It’s nice to meet you all. My name is Emily. Please take care of me,” Emily said, bowing.
Marie and Caro, puffing out their cheeks, said, “Kent, did you bring in a new woman because we weren’t enough to satisfy you?” and “You really do prefer women with bigger chests, don’t you, Kent?” They both looked rather cute.
“Huh? Emily, have you always been this big?” Catherine reacted differently from the others.
“Oh, Catherine, you’ve grown too.”
“You’ve grown even more, Emily! When we last met, you were about this size,” Catherine said, indicating a size of about 20 cm with her hands.
“Catherine, you know Emily?” Kent asked.
“When I was little, I snuck in here once and played with Emily. But as I got bigger, I couldn’t see her anymore and couldn’t talk to her. Then, I eventually forgot about her. We promised to keep it a secret, so I never told anyone.”
“Even if I try to hide my presence, sometimes small children can still perceive me. Catherine, you are one of them,” Emily added, clarifying Catherine’s statement.
“So, Emily, you’re not human?” Marie asked.
“That’s right. I am of the shop fairy species.”
“I’ve heard rumors. Shops with fairies are said to prosper greatly. Any business owner would envy such a presence, but I never thought shop fairies actually existed,” Marie said.
“To be precise, prosperity isn’t solely due to our existence. The key is how we are utilized and linked to the business,” Emily corrected. Caro couldn’t interject as the conversation had entered entirely unknown territory for her.
“It’s not fitting to stand here and chat, so let’s go inside,” Kent suggested.
The interior was brightly lit by electric lights. Although the store was quiet, the drive sounds of the refrigerator and other equipment could be heard.
“I’ve seen some things like this at Kent’s house, but there are many new things here too,” Catherine observed.
“This calculator on the counter is huge!” Caro exclaimed.
“The interior might even be more luxurious than the restaurants aristocrats use,” Marie commented.
They looked around the shop, each offering their own impressions.
“What do you think?” Kent asked Marie.
“I can only say it’s incredible. It feels like it could operate as a high-class establishment as is,” Marie replied.
The store was divided into a space for selling bread and a separate area for dining. The register was centrally located to handle transactions for both. Bread was displayed on shelves, and customers would select items on a tray before paying. In addition to bread, shelves were prepared for selling items like bread knives and jams that could be spread or used as sandwich fillings. Refrigerated shelves were also included, allowing for the sale of perishable goods. While they had previously used a calculator, to streamline calculations with the increased product selection, a commercial register was installed.
The dining area could be used to consume purchased items, but they also decided to offer food and drinks. Payment would be made at the register upon presenting an order slip. Cooking would take place in the kitchen at the back, which was planned to connect to the adjacent bread workshop.
“I’ve prepared a dining space, but I think we should focus on sales until we get accustomed to it,” Kent explained.
“That might be for the best. I never imagined my family’s old shop would be reborn like this,” Marie said, looking around the shop with admiration.
The next day, Kent and Caro worked their morning shift as usual before heading to school. After school, they went to their part-time job.
“Welcome back, Kent and Caro. The craftsman is here, so I’ll leave Kent to it,” Marie said.
Marie introduced Kent to the craftsman, who turned out to be a regular customer. Kent requested the construction of a connecting passageway between the buildings, and the craftsman readily agreed. As tomorrow was the only available day for the work, any later date would be significantly delayed. Since the connection point on the bakery side would be in the customer flow area of the retail store, business would have to halt for construction. After consulting with Marie, they decided to conduct business at the new adjacent store for the following day.
Kent and Caro split up to hastily prepare for the new store’s opening. Emily also lent her assistance, and they managed to get everything ready for business. However, besides Kent and Emily, none of them knew how to operate the new equipment. Kent had planned to provide training over the upcoming weekend, but with the expedited opening, they would primarily rely on Emily, who was familiar with the machinery.
“I’m sorry to put so much burden on you, Emily, but I appreciate your help,” Kent said.
“Yes, Master, leave it to me,” Emily replied.
The following morning, the four of them woke up a little earlier than usual and began preparations for the opening. Marie arranged the bread, while Kent explained the sales process to Caro and Catherine. Emily was cleaning the store.
“Today, Emily will be handling the register, so watch her closely and try to get a feel for how it works. Also, many customers will be unfamiliar with the new system, so please guide them properly,” Kent instructed.
“Yes!” they replied in unison.
Meanwhile, baking for the day’s sales was underway. Emily, unable to leave the store, couldn’t transport the bread. Caro and Catherine went outside to carry the baked goods in. Kent helped Marie with the bread-baking process to prepare for the opening.
A long line had already formed in front of the bakery. However, the appearance of the shop was different from usual, making the customers look perplexed.
“We apologize for the wait. Starting today, we will be selling from the adjacent store. Please wait here,” Kent announced. The customers looked at the neighboring vacant space, which had transformed into a stylish, high-class establishment, with a mixture of curiosity and unease.
“I wonder if the bread prices have gone up?” one customer asked Kent, who was out guiding people.
“Don’t worry. The store is new, but the prices remain the same. However, please note that the sales method has changed,” Kent reassured them. The customers seemed relieved to hear this. As the opening time arrived, customers streamed into the new store. The layout of the new establishment was designed with customer flow in mind. Upon entering, customers would take a tray and tongs, select their desired bread, and proceed in a one-way path to the register. Those who forgot an item could retrace their steps near the register if needed. Consequently, the merchandise was displayed on only one side of the aisle. While this might cause a slight inconvenience for small purchases, it improved overall customer flow. Shelves for other items, such as bread knives, were placed in areas outside the main bread pathway. The unused dining area was currently cordoned off with ropes, preventing entry.
Kent was impressed by Emily’s efficiency at the register. Her fingers moved rapidly across the keys, utilizing a home row position like a skilled typist. Catherine, who used to use a calculator for every transaction, pressed keys with just her index finger. She watched Emily’s input with rapt attention. Lost in observation, Catherine’s movements slowed, but Caro, while watching intently, continued her packaging work without pause.
Thanks to Emily, the peak sales time concluded earlier than usual. Around that time, the craftsman arrived with several apprentices and began their work.
“We’re off to school now,” Kent said.
“Have a good day.”
“I’m off.”
Kent and Caro headed to school. It was Friday, so after today, they would have a two-day break.
The morning classes ended, and it was lunchtime. Kent, Caro, Josette, and Rachel ate their lunch behind the school building as usual and then settled in for a chat over drinks.
“Your place is closed on weekends, right? What will you do?” Rachel asked Kent.
“We’ll be training everyone at the new store. There’s a lot to teach,” Kent replied.
“A new store? I haven’t heard anything about that!” Rachel said, as if she hadn’t been informed.
“Actually, Marie’s shop is undergoing renovations. I think it’s supposed to be finished around today.”
“My, Kent, you work quickly. Is it already complete?” Josette asked after hearing Kent’s words.
“No, only about half is done, but we plan to finish the rest today.”
“You can complete the work in just a day or two? I thought it would take much longer,” Josette said, impressed.
“We actually started a trial operation at the new store today. The equipment is amazing. There seems to be a lot to learn,” Caro added.
“Can it really be considered amazing after only a few days of renovation?” Josette questioned.
“The amenities are more luxurious than those in establishments for aristocrats, and the store is incredibly clean. Today, our regular customers even worried if the prices had gone up because it looked like a high-class store,” Caro replied to Josette’s question.
“If you say so, I might become interested too. Older brother, can we go after school today?” Rachel asked Kent.
“I’m interested as well. May I come?” Josette inquired.
“Of course, you can. But only half of it is usable, so the official opening is planned for Monday,” Kent replied.
After school, the four of them, joined by Rachel and Josette, headed to the part-time job.
