Stain
I do not own Inuyasha.
AN – I don't remember if I said two years later or three… but whatever the case, it's three. Thank you guys for all the reviews. I'll have to keep the ANs short since they'll be at the top now. (I like to change formats around) Also, this marks the end of the oocness.
The Co-Manager
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Three Years Later
He sighed, feeling bored… life was pretty rough lately. His restaurant was getting horrid reviews thanks to the fancy 'Shikon' that moved in down the street. With their over-priced uncooked fish, they were luring everyone inside.
It sickened him. He hated the idea that Takeshi Naraku could abandon the warm ideas of a good family restaurant and open up a sleazy, sushi bar with that whole 'live action chefs' ordeal. Right in the middle of Tokyo, too. It was such a tourist place to visit. Even though it was authentic Japanese food, Inuyasha despised the idea of catering to tourists. Why not cater to the people that live down the street?
It's not like his opinion mattered anymore. The real reason he despised the Shikon was that up until four months ago, the restaurant he co-owned with Mushin was the best family-diner in the whole district.
People loved to eat there and have cooked food prepared for them. With the extra speedy service and warm hospitality the waitresses offered, no one could ever choose something over that place.
But he'd lost six waitresses. They quit to go work at the Shikon because it paid more. 'Keh, dumb whores…' Inuyasha thought disgusted with the actions.
He'd been left with only three waitresses and two chefs by now. That turned his little cozy restaurant into a place to go for a cheep quick lunch.
It was almost like a fast food place, just lacking the drive-up window.
He sighed, getting his last puff of his cigarette as he walked up to the double doors of his own little hell, the fallen workplace.
It really wasn't such a bad job. However, ever since they'd been losing business Mushin had become a horrible drunk and was rarely ever sober. Inuyasha was usually the man in charge. The only reason he'd even gotten the job was because Mushin was Kagome's uncle.
If it hadn't been for him, Inuyasha would still be unemployed. He'd decided against going to any schools.
Letting the tobacco stick fall to the ground, he smashed out what was still burning with the heel of his shoe and continued on into his work.
"Good morning, Inuyasha-sama." He was instantly greeted by the young hostess he'd hired a while back. They had three hosts that were under the age of eighteen. He knew all three of them personally through relationships with others.
This hostess was named Kaneshiro Rin. She was the adopted daughter of his brother's and had an all-too perky attitude for Inuyasha's likes. She knew she might get fired if they went out of business… but she didn't care. She was way too damn optimistic.
But at times, he felt maybe the real reason he couldn't stand Rin was because of how much she reminded him of Kagome. He hadn't talked to her… his fiancée in three years.
"Hey…" He mumbled in response to Rin, feeling down now that he had to think about Kagome again.
He sighed heavily as he walked into his office to find Mushin was already passed out on his desk drunk as ever.
"Wake up you damn drunk!" Inuyasha shouted, letting his belongings fall on Mushin's over-sized stomach.
"Ehh… what?" He asked, stirring awake. Inuyasha sat down in a chair, eyeing the drunkard before him.
"It's time to get back to work." He said sharply. He glanced down at his watch. Ten minutes 'til opening time. He groaned and tried to wipe the sleepiness from his eyes.
"Sorry we're late!" He heard from the front door, followed by 'Kohaku-kun'.
Inuyasha grumbled, standing up to greet Takagi Sango and her little brother. Sango was a waitress while Kohaku was a fellow host working alongside Rin.
Since it was a Saturday, they were going to need all the help they could get tonight. Though there restaurant was small, the Shikon could only fit so many people.
"Heh… don't worry about it, you can be as late as you want, guys… not like anyone's going to come." Inuyasha said pessimistically glancing out the window. He saw a little snowflake land on the ground in front of their doors.
'That's right… it's almost winter, huh?' He thought as Sango pulled off her coat and hung it up on the rack in front of her, revealing her waitress outfit.
She sighed and brushed herself off. "It's kind of cold out there." She gave Inuyasha slight smile. He shook it off.
"I wouldn't know…" He mumbled, heading back into his office. Because of his half demon blood, he rarely ever got too hot or cold. He could always maintain a pretty decent body temperature without taking off or putting on any clothing.
Sango nodded sadly and turned to her little brother, who was getting himself ready by Rin. "Do you know what's wrong with him today?" Sango asked the girl. Rin shighed sadly and shook her head.
"I think it's just one of those days." She said shrugging. "Inuyasha-sama is often very depressed most of the time. I've noticed, he never smiles anymore…" Sango cocked her head to the side. She'd been working at this restaurant much longer than Inuyasha, but she'd noticed it too.
He never did smile. No one had ever seen one. He always seemed so unhappy and bitter.
"Well, I guess we'll have to work extra hard today then, Kohaku." Sang osaid ruffling up her seventeen year old brother's hair.
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"What the hell do you think you're doing?!"
They had all stopped. It was late at night and there was a little bit of a crowd. Everyone turned their heads toward the kitchen where they heard the shouts coming from.
"Just getting you pumped up to go out there…" Another voice said. Inuyasha sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose with two clawed fingers.
'Why does the best chef in town have to be some one like him?' He asked himself referring to the twenty-four year old pervert behind the stove groping all over the twenty-three year old waitress ready to kick his balls in.
The whole restaurant seemed to shake as the sound of a frying pan colliding smacking something filled the air.
'Damnit…' Inuyasha cursed in his mind, rushing to the kitchen to find a man passed out on the ground and a very ticked off Sango standing in front of him.
"Tell him to keep his hands in the food and NO WHERE ELSE!" Sango shouted, grabbing the orders and leaving the kitchen with a scoff.
"Miroku…" Inuyasha said pathetically as the man on the ground came to. "Can you just… for one night… try and not piss her off?" He asked, cringing. Miroku smiled nervously, picking his head off the ground, trying to stand up.
"I'm sorry… I just can't resist sometimes, Inuyasha." He said pretending to grope something in front of him. Inuyasha sighed with disgust and turned to walk away.
'So… this is the life, huh?' He asked himself, walking into his office and glancing down at a picture of two little kids, hugging each other. One was him, obviously and the other was Kagome. She was missing her two front teeth and smiling big and obnoxiously, while he just looked like he wanted her to get the hell away from him... 'Gods, how I wish you were here…'
"Inuyasha!" He tore his gaze from the picture, looking behind him at the redheaded waitress looking panicked.
"We need your help. One of the customers demanded to speak with you." She said. He gave the girl before him a curious look.
"Is she upset, Ayame?" He asked, the girl shook her head.
"No… she just wants to speak with you." She said shrugging. Inuyasha nodded and walked out of the sanctity of his office.
He saw a girl sitting there, pale as the moonlight with black hair cascading down her shoulders and dark brown eyes.
"It's been a while, Inuyasha." She said calmly as he approached her.
"Kikyou?" He asked. She nodded and put on her best smile.
"I heard that you're in dire need of assistance. I think I might be able to help." Inuyasha sighed and looked the other direction. He hated making eye contact with Kikyou. She wasn't far from beautiful, but on the inside she could make him tick like a madman.
He'd only met her once and that was sometime after Kagome left. She did a pretty good job of pissing him off with her ridiculous 'know-it-all' attitude. And he was well aware she wasn't too fond of him either.
She sighed, cocking her head to the side. "Naraku fired me. So, I've decided maybe I can work with you."
A little piece of him liked that idea. He'd get to boss her around. She inwardly smirked, but managed to keep a calm face.
"And what makes you think I'll hire you?" He asked. Kikyou smirked and looked over at the waitress with red hair falling down shattering plates and glasses on her way down.
"You need it." She said, handing him a paper before standing up from her table and walking out the doors. Inuyasha looked over the paper, it was a job application.
He did need the help he had to admit.
Review please… even if it's about something I did wrong… I love reviews.
Love always,
Patche
