006 - Yukimura's Summer Plans

                                    

                                          
Ayame Yukimura's Summer Part-Time Job
...
"Welcome! Table for two? Please make your way over here!" The female smiled brightly, leading the customers over to the assigned table. She wiped her hands on the waist apron as she grabbed the menus and placed them in front of the guests. "Take your time and let me know when you are ready!" With the waitress away, the customers grinned.
"Is that a new employee here? She has the looks and her positive vibe," the first of the two customers whispered. "She's kind of young... Do you think she's single?" The second customer smirked as they thought of possibilities.
"Don't bother with whatever you are thinking, kid." They heard another table speak aloud. "If you mess with her, you're messing with the chef." The two glanced over to the table behind them, questioning the audacity. "She's his favorite child. If you even touch a single hair on her, you'll lose your appetite and your life." The person speaking popped a sushi piece into their mouth as they savored the flavors. "Sushi's amazing as always, chef!"
"Best in the neighborhood! Keeping up with the feedback and maybe I'll throw in a few free pieces, why don't you!?" Tsuyoshi glanced up as he shouted back at the compliment. He grinned brightly before returning to filet the fish before him as the customers continued to speak. Whether the sushi chef heard the commentary, he knew his other customers would back him up. "Nonono, don't be! My pals and I will always be your customers!" They replied as laughter echoed throughout the small restaurant.
The female returned from the kitchen area with clean plates and utensils. She placed the plates down on the side of the sushi counter. "Uncle Tsuyoshi, clean plates are over here when you're ready. I'll go back and service the other customers." 
Just as she turned away toward the doorway, she felt a hand on her shoulder which caused her to turn back. It was the sushi chef with a stern face. "Ayame, if you have any issues whatsoever, tell me. Shout if you need to, and I will protect you. Shin would kill me if something were to happen to you." She only nodded as a small smile donned upon her face. 
"Thank you, Uncle. If something occurs and I need help, I'll inform you." She reassured the chef with a small hug before returning to service the rest of the customers. A table of four customers waved her down as the female raven stopped at their table. "How can I help you?"
"Let me try this one," the female adult pointed at the menu item to which Ayame's brow rose with confusion. "The Red-Western Style Fried Noodles. It seems interesting," she smiled at the teen waitress. "Our two children will have the Small Round Meat Patty. I'll get the chef's sushi special," the father ordered as the teen nodded, writing down the menu items.
"Thank you, I'll be back with your orders." She bowed slightly before slipping into the sushi bar area and tugging the chef's sleeve. "Hmm? What is it, Ayame?" A confused frown was donned on the female's face as she held the menu receipt up to him. "Uncle... What are these two items on the menu? Did you just add those this week?"
The male adult grinned at the female. "That I did; impressive isn't it? I found some recipes that might attract customers. It looks like it did the trick!" He laughed as the female kept a confused expression. "Take a look in the kitchen; I left a recipe book on the counter somewhere. There are some Post-it notes to follow if you can. I will come in shortly to help out."
The female raven nodded with confusion clouding her mind as she entered the kitchen to search for the book he was referring to. It was on top of the center table in the room, completely open for anyone to see. She frowned, shaking her head as she approached the book. What she saw on the open page was oddly familiar to recipes she had in Italy—it was Salisbury steak; a recipe from the western countries. Ayame saw the sticky notes on the corner and read the slightly crude handwriting — "name would be small round meat patty!" The female tabbed through to another sticky note — "This looks like red sauce with noodles... Red-western style fried noodles!" It was Spaghetti Napolitan—a recipe possibly from Yokohama prefecture but the name originated from a city in Southern Italy.