In the afternoon, I decided to hold customer service training for the store.
It was pointless for the employees to not know the basic store system, so I decided to teach them thoroughly.
“When a customer enters, they take a tray and tongs from the entrance, choose the bread they want, place it on the tray, and pay at the register at the end. You all did this yesterday, so it’s okay, right?”
“It’s okay.”
“It’s okay.”
“Maybe… it’s okay.”
“It’s okay. Master.”
One person responded with a lack of confidence, but I decided to teach Marie later, as she is mainly in charge of the back and rarely interacts with customers.
“Next, for items other than bread on the shelves, you can bring them directly to the register, but if the number of items purchased is large, please place them in the shopping basket next to you and bring them to the register. Collect the baskets, place them behind the register, and return them to their original spot when they accumulate. For packaging, please use the same plastic bags or paper bags as for bread. We anticipate that customers may bring other items with their bread, so please package them separately.”
“Now, regarding product display…”
Kent continued to explain various points one after another, and when everyone understood, he moved on to the next stage of the explanation.
“Alright, now we will move on to the explanation for the dining space.”
The five of them moved to the dining space.
“Here, customers can eat the bread they purchased, and we will take orders and provide food and drinks. For payment, we will hand over an order sheet with their food and drinks, and the customer will bring it to the register to pay. If many people leave without paying, we will have to change to a prepayment system, but for now, we will observe the situation.”
Kent explained the flow of events in the dining space. The dining space was originally part of a spacious public dining hall, so there are not many seats. There are only five tables for four people lined up. Kent thought that it would be difficult for people to sneak out without paying because there were eyes on them. As another countermeasure, security cameras have been installed in the store. Kent hoped that they would not be needed, as they were for precautionary purposes.
“Well, the explanation is finished, so let’s take a break.”
As if on cue with Kent’s words, a customer arrived.
“Older brother, we’re here!”
“We came to eat something called ice cream!”
Rachel and Josette entered the store together.
“Older brother, ice cream, ice cream!”
“I’ve been looking forward to this since yesterday and could barely sleep last night.”
The two of them seemed very excited.
“I can’t help it. We were just about to take a break, so I’ll prepare some for everyone.”
With that, Kent went into the kitchen.
“I’ll help too.”
Caro followed Kent into the kitchen.
“Alright, Caro, could you get seven plates from that shelf for the number of people?”
“Yes, these here. Seven plates for the number of people.”
Caro took the small plates and arranged them on the counter. Kent took out a box of ice cream from the freezer and used an ice cream scoop, like a ladle used for scooping ice, to put it on each plate. Then he added metal spoons, and it was ready. This time, I decided to make strawberry ice cream, which was a little pink.
“The color is different from the ice cream from the other day.”
Caro said as she looked at the finished ice cream.
“Last time it was vanilla, but this time I tried strawberry.”
“It tastes different again. I’m looking forward to it.”
Kent and Caro carried the ice cream on trays back to the dining space.
“Wow, strawberry ice cream!”
Rachel exclaimed with shining eyes, looking happy.
“Is this what they call ice cream?”
Josette looked at the ice cream on the small plate with curiosity. Marie and Catherine also looked on, anticipating what it would taste like.
“Um, do you happen to have any for me too?”
Emily asked timidly.
“Of course, I have one for Emily too. We’ll have a tasting once we sit down.”
They separated into two tables, each with strawberry ice cream in front of them. Everyone scooped some ice cream with their spoons and put it in their mouths.
“This is it, this taste. I can’t believe I can taste it here. Thank you, older brother.”
Rachel looked very happy to have encountered a nostalgic taste.
“This is wonderful. The perfect balance of sweetness and tartness dissolves in my mouth. I just learned that such a food existed!”
Josette also seemed very impressed.
“It’s delicious. Is this what we will serve to customers? I’m really looking forward to their reactions.”
Emily also seemed happy, thinking about the future. Caro, Marie, and Catherine, who had already tried vanilla ice cream, were also satisfied with the new flavor.
“I’ve decided! I’m going to work here. Is that okay? Older brother!”
Rachel suddenly declared.
“Personally, I’d be grateful if Rachel could come on board as a ready recruit, but you’re working at another bakery, aren’t you?”
Marie asked Rachel.
“My part-time job is renewed weekly. I decide where to work each week.”
Rachel said. Indeed, in the game, once you choose a part-time job, you automatically work there for a week, and other options become unavailable. You can choose your workplace each time, so Kent figured that’s what she meant.
“I hope the other bakery won’t be inconvenienced… Alright then. You’re hired. Please start on Monday.”
“Thank you, Marie.”
Rachel would start working here next week.
“By the way, I was curious, Kent, you’re an only child, right?”
Marie asked Kent.
“That’s how it’s supposed to be, isn’t it?”
Kent replied.
“Rachel called you ‘Older Brother’ just now. What does that mean? Caro and Josette don’t seem to mind.”
Marie asked Kent. Kent explained his relationship with Rachel to Marie.
“I see… Siblings from a past life? I don’t quite understand it myself, but it certainly seems like a close sibling relationship rather than romantic feelings, so I think I get it.”
After finishing the ice cream, they continued with the customer service training. Rachel, who would start working next week, joined them, and for some reason, Josette also joined, and preparations for the full opening began in earnest.
“Everyone, you’ve worked hard today. Tomorrow, we will have a session on how to cook the food and drinks we will serve at the store. Of course, after making them, we will try them and learn how to explain them to customers.”
After finishing today’s training, Kent announced tomorrow’s schedule.
“Then I will visit again tomorrow. Everyone, farewell.”
Josette said, then boarded the carriage waiting in front of the store and returned to her mansion.
“Well then, let’s go home too. See you again tomorrow, Emily.”
Caro said goodbye to Emily.
“Thank you for your hard work. I’ll see you again tomorrow.”
Emily saw Kent and the others off with a hint of sadness.
“Older brother, can I stay over tonight?”
Rachel asked Kent.
“I don’t mind, but what about permission to stay out from the dorm?”
Rachel lives in a school dormitory. She needs prior permission to stay out overnight.
“Actually, I planned to stay over today, so I have permission to stay out.”
Her sister was well-prepared.
Returning to Kent’s house, the five of them had dinner. It was a Japanese meal consisting of rice, miso soup, and side dishes.
“Rice after so long is the best!”
Rachel, having eaten rice after a long time, was unusually energetic. After dinner, it was bath time.
“It’s been a while since a bath too.”
Rachel said.
“Don’t you have a bath at the dorm?”
Kent asked Rachel, wondering.
“No. Commoners don’t bathe. We just wipe our bodies with a damp cloth using water from a bucket. And it’s not every day, only once every few days, so I start to smell. We’ll be wearing summer clothes from next week, so I’m worried about the smell.”
Rachel replied. Kent’s house originally had a bath, so he assumed that commoners also bathed.
“Um, Marie, what did you do about bathing before?”
Kent asked Marie.
“My home doesn’t have a bath either. Like Rachel said, we just wipe our bodies. Sometimes Catherine and I go to a public bath, so it’s similar. Kent’s parents built a bath as a hobby, so we used to borrow it, but since Kent became alone, that stopped. I’m very grateful to be able to use such a splendid bath now.”
Marie replied.
“That bath was built as a hobby? It was originally in the house, so I thought all houses had one.”
Kent learned about his parents’ particular fondness for baths.
“By the way, what was your home like, Caro?”
Curious about how aristocrats bathed, Kent asked Caro.
“My home? It had one, of course. It was even bigger than this one, and the maids washed my body for me.”
As expected, she had a comfortable life, living in a different world.
“But in terms of facilities, this one is better. It has body soap, shampoo, and conditioner that make you feel clean, and a shower too.”
Caro seemed satisfied with the current bathing environment.
“Alright, I’ll prepare the bath.”
With that, Caro went to the bathroom.
“Akane, what about your change of clothes?”
Kent asked Rachel.
“I brought some just in case?”
“Oh, that’s good. Well then, where should we sleep?”
The available sleeping spots were a single bed in Kent’s room and one in Caro’s room, and a sofa bed in the living room. Today, Kent and Marie decided to sleep in Kent’s room, and Caro and Catherine in Caro’s room. By elimination, Rachel would have to sleep on the sofa bed in the living room.
“The sleeping place will be this sofa bed, is that okay?”
“I don’t mind. I’m the one who imposed myself, after all.”
Rachel said. After a while, the bath seemed ready. Marie and Catherine decided to go in first.
“Older brother, can I ask you something?”
Rachel opened her mouth after confirming that Marie and Catherine had entered the bath.
“What?”
“What’s your relationship with Marie? You seem to be living together normally here?”
It was careless. Kent regretted not having thought to spend time separately today, as they had returned home together as usual.
“Uh…”
Kent was at a loss for words.
“Marie and Catherine are like family. We live together to save money because we borrowed a large sum from Josette-sama for store renovations.”
“Hmm, I still have some doubts, but I’ll leave it at that.”
With Caro’s help, they managed to overcome the predicament. However, he would have to tell the truth about this the next morning.
“Akane, you understand how to use the bath without explanation, right?”
“Yeah, I guess. I’ll go in then.”
Rachel entered the bath, taking turns with Marie and Catherine. She must have enjoyed being in the bath for a long time, perhaps because it had been a while.
“The bath after a long time felt great. There was body soap and stuff, and I feel so clean.”
Rachel emerged from the bath, looking satisfied.
“Alright, Kent, shall we go?”
“Yes, let’s.”
As the two were about to go to the bath, Rachel stopped them.
“Are you two going in together? I know you’re dating, but I didn’t realize you were at that stage. Older brother, you’re quite something.”
Rachel said, lightly elbowing him. With her sister’s encouragement, Kent and Caro headed to the bathroom.
“Then, I’ll flow your back.”
With that, Caro, as usual, applied body soap to her body and rubbed it against Kent’s back. Kent also hugged Caro and began washing various parts of her body. After they finished washing each other, they soaked in the bathtub and then left the bathroom. Afterward, they relaxed in the living room for a while before retiring to their respective sleeping places for the night.
