"We better get moving." The girl said matter-of-factly, and grabbed both Yuki and Kala by the wrist before they had time to protest, "We don't want to be around when they wake up, now do we?" She grinned and pulled the two stunned girls behind her swiftly.
The three of them moved through the now darkened streets quickly, and their savior couldn't seem to keep quiet.
"My name's Jemma by the way." She chattered pleasantly as she turned down a brightly lit street filled with milling people, "I'm guessing you girls are new to Republic City? Well you must be, that or just stupid to be caught in Triple Threat Triad territory. But you seem able to handle yourselves pretty well, so I don't think you're stupid. You must be new right?"
"Uh…Yes! We are new, we just arrived here today." Kala spluttered surprised by the sudden pause in conversation and answered quickly.
"Thank you for coming to our rescue like that!" Yuki chimed in and Kala nodded fervently in agreement.
"Yes, thank you!"
Jemma waved them off with a quick flash of her hand, and released their hands as she spun around, walking backwards now. Her sandy brown hair bobbed around her face and she smiled.
"You guys don't have to thank me! As if, I needed a reason to give those guys a piece of my mind! They've been asking for it for a long time…But you guys held your own pretty nicely there for awhile. I especially liked what you did with your air bending; it was air bending right? That was awesome!" Jemma stared at Yuki curiously, who flushed under the sudden attention.
"Yes, it was. I'm an Airbender, my name is Yuki. It's a pleasure to meet you Jemma." She said quietly, bowing respectfully her long ponytail brushing against the pavement.
"Yikes! There's no need to be so polite!" Jemma laughed and Yuki blushed even harder, "But whatever floats your boat, I guess. So you're Yuki the Airbender, and the marvelous Waterbender is…?" She continued looking at Kala now with large eyes.
"Kala; I'm from the Northern Water Tribe." Kala said with a smile.
"Wow! That's far away; cold up there, right?"
"Yes, very." Kala laughed and Jemma smiled.
"I like you two!" She grinned and they all laughed. "Where are you guys headed? You have a place to stay?"
Yuki looked at Kala quickly, who smiled lightly, embarrassed.
"Well for the moment…no we don't." She averted her eyes, not wanting to look at Jemma. Jemma simply laughed and shook her head, and then stopped suddenly. Yuki cocked her head looking at her curiously as inspiration struck her. A look Yuki had seen many times on her sister was plastered on Jemma's face, and she quickly began to rummage around her bag that was slung over her shoulder. There was a rustling of paper and Jemma began to talk quickly, obviously excited,
"I think we might be able to help each other out! The whole reason I was out and about in the first place was because my Mom wanted me to pass out these flyers. We run, well my family runs a restaurant not too far from here. Last week my Mom got really ill…Oh no she's fine, really! She is just going to be stuck in bed for a while. It's not too serious; it just isn't something the doctors can do anything about." She added quickly as the two girls stared at her horrified and continued telling her story fervently,
"Anyways, she used to kind of run the restaurant. But with her illness she has to stay upstairs, that and she has to take care of my younger brothers. Who are incredibly annoying if I do say so myself. Like this one time, Junsu was making this fort out of all the pillows in the house-"
"You were talking about the flyers…" Kala interrupted her gently, sensing her getting off track.
"Oh yeah!" Jemma laughed, switching back on topic swiftly, pushing the flyers at the girls as she continued. They were gold and green with delicate handwriting, and were obviously for the restaurant Jemma had previously mentioned. Across the top they read,
Help wanted at the Overturned Boulder.
"So my Dad basically runs the place with my eldest brother now. But they both are the best cooks we got, so they have to spend most of their time in the back kitchen. Since they are back there that makes me the only waitress and employee working the front, with all the customers. So my Mother kindly told me that I couldn't handle working it all alone." Jemma rolled her eyes at this but still smiled lightly, as the two girls tried to keep up with her long and very involved tale.
"So she made up these flyers, and told you to find some new employees?" Kala inquired, trying to see what Jemma was getting at.
"Yeah; and it looks like I've already done it, in record time nonetheless!" Jemma grinned from ear to ear, obviously feeling triumphant in her accomplishment. Kala stared at her blankly and Yuki stared her puzzled,
"You mean us?" She asked quietly, and Jemma nodded emphatically.
"You want us to be your new waitresses?" Kala asked surprised.
"Of course, you guys would be great; and you haven't even heard the best part of it yet! We have this empty flat above our restaurant, and we've never found a good use for it! Well, that's where you guys could stay! Think about it! You wouldn't even have to pay rent or anything, because you would be working it off in the restaurant! You get to work with me and you don't have to worry about food or board! Am I genius, or what?" Jemma was practically beaming as she looked back and forth, between the two girls with a wild grin.
Yuki turned to Kala, with a shy smile spreading across her lips and Kala couldn't help but smile back. She couldn't deny that it was a very good offer, and she already enjoyed Jemma's company very much but now with Yuki's wide brown eyes on her, there was no possible way she could say no.
"We're in!" Kala grinned and Yuki clapped excitedly.
"Alright!" Jemma cried, pumping her fist in the air and Yuki bowed low in front of her.
"I hope we will do you proud, Boss!"
Jemma raised her eyebrows and then crossed her arms,
"If I'm your new boss, my first command is that you can't call me Boss, alright? Jemma is my name and that's what you'll call me!" She thrust her thumb to her chest and Kala laughed as Yuki nodded emphatically.
What have we gotten ourselves into? Kala thought with a light smile as Jemma turned to show them the way back to the restaurant, and their new home.
The Overturned Boulder was a surprisingly impressive when it rose into view before them. It loomed above them, nestled between two plain and very large buildings, making it look delightfully out of place. Its façade was ornately decorated and made of a dark colored oak. Two large windows framed the entrance and allowed for an unobstructed view of the dozen or so tables housed inside; many of which were empty due to the late hour.
The district of Republic City they were in was very poor and most of the buildings they had passed on their way here were dilapidated with white-washed signs and darkened windows. Jemma's home, on the other hand, was brightly lit and sparkled in the cool night air. Even from their distance, the girls could distinctly make out the smell of noodles and other oriental delicacies in the night air. Their mouths watered involuntarily, and Kala noticed for the first time how hungry she was.
"I'm sure there will be some leftovers for us." Jemma grinned, reading Kala's mind.
As they neared the restaurant, it looked even more inviting and a warm orange light washed the nearby sidewalk in a warming glow. The large oaken door opened with the tinkling noise of a small bell, and a young man lifted his head from the bar area.
He had been washing up some wine glasses before they had entered, and continued to wipe one absentmindedly with a rag as he nodded at Jemma.
"Welcome back, Sis; and who might these girls be?" His voice was soft and he spoke deliberately, with a certain leisurely pace that clashed with the image of Jemma's younger brother. The girls were expecting another high-strung and motor-mouthed individual, so they eyed this contradiction curiously.
"Meet our new waitresses!" Jemma smiled proudly, as he raised his eyebrows, "Kala and Yuki!" She motioned to each in turn, and they smiled at him. He bowed curtly to each from behind the counter and smiled at them kindly,
"A pleasure to meet you, my name is Shin Woo. I'm Jemma's younger brother, if you couldn't already tell."
"Well you sure do act a lot differently from each other." Kala admitted sheepishly.
"I'll take that as a compliment." He smiled, dark eyes gleaming from beneath his long coppery bangs.
"Hey!" Jemma yelled, clearly offended, glaring at her brother as he chuckled. Shin Woo wiped his hands gingerly on a dry towel and then moved around the counter, his long apron sweeping out in front of him.
"Please sit down, I was just about to make dinner and I'm sure Jemma will be more than happy to fetch the rest of us." He continued gesturing to a large table, as he placed silverware on it gingerly. Jemma began to protest but then thought better of it and waved for Yuki and Kala to sit down, before scampering away behind a curtained exit behind the bar.
Yuki and Kala sat down shyly as Shin Woo finished with the silverware.
"Anything I can make for you in particular?" He asked kindly as he wiped his hands on the hem of his apron. He was extremely tall with thin, but wide shoulders and could have easily been mistaken for being much older than Jemma, if they hadn't been informed otherwise.
"Ah, no, that's fine! I'll just have what everyone else is having!" Kala said putting up her hands; hoping their presence wouldn't be too much for the family.
"Japchae, it is then." Shin Woo said with a smile.
Yuki shifted uncomfortably and bowed her head looking at him apologetically,
"I'm sorry, but I am vegetarian and I'm not familiar with that dish. Will I be able to eat it?"
"Oh yes, it's a vegetable-based dish with noodles. I usually thrown in small pieces of beef but I can leave those out of yours."
"I wouldn't want to be any trouble!" Yuki added wide-eyed and he waved her away with one hand smiling.
"It's no trouble; you two are going to be having to put up with my family while you work. Making you dinner is the least I can do to repay you for that."
Almost on cue, there was the sound of loud footsteps above them. Shin Woo sighed and gave them a knowing look; he then excused himself and went through the curtained door as well, presumably to go start fixing their meal. The thumps above them continued and the girls heard muffled voices and small, shrill shrieks.
"Now that…sounds more like Jemma's younger siblings." Kala said and Yuki laughed.
They took the momentary lack of conversation to look around them at the restaurant. It was surprisingly cozy and had a certain homeliness that made them feel extremely comfortable. They were seated at one of the largest tables and it was situated closest to the bar area; the closer tables were smaller and more intimate. There was a large painting hanging on one of the adjacent walls that made the whole room seem larger. It depicted a market in the Earth Kingdom at high noon, based on the sun painted high in the sky, and was filled to the brim with people. They had delicate faces and were expertly depicted on the canvas. Yuki had to restrain her urge to reach out and touch one of their faces, just to make sure they were not actually real.
The loud crashes upstairs began to crescendo and they could make out multiple people making their way across the floor above them. They crashed into each other and they distinctly heard small children as the footsteps reached the stairs. The noises got closer and closer as they descended and suddenly the curtain was ripped away from the open doorway and three short figures burst into the dining bounded past the bar as a voice reprimanded them from behind, but quickly stopped short as they caught sight of Kala and Yuki.
The eldest looking one of them looked a lot like Jemma, with sandy brown hair and sharp eyes. He looked like he had just had a growth spurt, with his youthful features looking out of place on his now angular and skinny frame. His pants seemed far too short and the sleeves of his tunic barely made it past his elbow. There were large streaks of dirt all over his face, and he wiped them absent mindedly with the back of his hand as he finally spoke,
"Hey, my name's Junsu. You're the new waitresses, right?"
"Yes we are, I'm Kala and this is Yuki." Kala said gesturing at the both of them with a smile at the young boys.
The presumably next eldest brother was the next to speak,
"Jemma hired you, that means you got to play with us right? Are you Earth Benders? We're Earth Benders, and we're really good. It's going to be hard to play with us if you can't Earth Bend!" He had obviously gotten his conversation skills from his sister as he continued to interrogate them, one question after the next.
"Oh no, we're not Earth Benders." Yuki said gently looking at the boy sweetly. "But maybe we can still play with you?"
The boy crossed his arms thoughtfully, and looked at Yuki seriously,
"Maybe, if you can keep up." She smiled and he flushed slightly, "I'm Chang Min, by the way; and this is Jae Jeoung." He added, pointing at the smallest boy who was clutching him gently. Jae Jeoung was partially hidden behind his brothers, but he peered around them at the mention of his name and eyed Kala curiously. She smiled at him as he stared and he reached a small hand up, and waved at her slowly speaking very softly,
"Hello beautiful woman." Yuki tried to contain her laugh as Kala flushed; the highly articulate and sweet sentence seemed sorely out of place coming from the small boy who couldn't have been older than five.
"Hey! Stop bothering them!" Jemma's angry voice rang out from the doorway and the small boys scattered. Yuki giggled as Jemma stormed in and the boys tried to make themselves scarce by leaping behind chairs and tables. Jemma looked at Kala and Yuki apologetically and sighed,
"Sorry about them, the little pests don't know when to go away. Hope they weren't too annoying."
"No they were cute!" Yuki smiled and Jemma rolled her eyes.
"Oh please, you'll give them big heads and I don't want them getting any more obnoxious." To add emphasis to what she had said, she kicked a nearby stool sending a squealing Chang Min darting to find new cover. "I can see all of you!" She cried exasperated as the boys tried to suppress their giggles.
She plopped herself down in her chair with a huff, crossing her feet on the table as she glared at a nearby table. Junsu stuck his tongue out at her and then scrambled further away as she chucked a rock at him. As he reached the other side, preparing to retaliate, a strong voice cut out across the dining room,
"No bending inside; you should know better! Jemma, get your feet off the table!" Jemma's feet were on the ground in an instant and the three scattered boys had leapt to their respective places in a flash. Yuki and Kala both looked to the doorway where the voice had come from and were greeted with a tired smile.
"Sorry about that, girls; sometimes you have to play the mean card when you're a mom." Jemma's mother sighed tiredly, leaning on the doorway. She wore a simple white gown that hung on her slender frame loosely and was extremely pale, with large circles beneath her eyes. Her wiry hair was slung over her shoulder in a large braid, and it swung lazily as she tried to stand up straight.
"Mom, you should be in bed." Jemma said watching her worriedly. She waved away the thought with her hand, but Yuki was quickly on her feet rushing over to her side.
"Please, let me help you!" She offered, gingerly reaching out her hands to the woman as she swayed on her feet. Jemma's Mother eyed her carefully and then allowed herself to lean lightly against Yuki, who helped her to the table.
"I see why my daughter thought you two would make a good addition to this place." She smiled as Kala pulled out her chair for her, and she sat down carefully holding her stomach lightly. "We need more help like you." She added looking at her children with a stern glance.
"I was just about to ask to help you!" Junsu said, clearly lying and as her gaze turned on him he lowered his eye and averted his gaze.
"Where's Dad?" Jemma asked, trying to change the subject before her mother's anger was turned on her.
"He's in the kitchen helping Shin Woo with dinner; they should be almost done." She said gently, unfolding her napkin and placing it gingerly on her lap. Yuki and Kala sat back down and did the same, and Kala shifted in her chair uncomfortably as Jae Jeoung eyed her intently from across the table. His large brown eyes were wide and he waved at her flirtatiously as she tried to contain a laugh behind her hand.
Suddenly there was a very strong aroma of noodles and other spices as the curtained door was pulled aside for the final time. A tall figure ducked through the archway, head barely missing the doorframe, with his arms full of ornate china. Even with the large quantity of dishes he held, the man seemed untroubled and moved towards the table with an expert dexterity. He was clearly Jemma's Father, a slender man with the same green eyes as her, and wispy sandy hair. It was cropped up short but had the same light bounce to it that Shin Woo's had. The edges of his almond eyes crinkled with thin wrinkles as he smiled at the rest of his family.
"Here is yours, Yuki." Shin Woo appeared behind her, placing a large bowl of steaming noodles in front of her, his resemblance to his Dad strikingly apparent.
"Oh thank you!" Yuki smiled, blushing as Shin Woo smiled back at her. They passed out the rest of the food with nimble fingers and took their respective seats as the young boys dived into their meals hungrily. Chang Min slurped up an incredibly long noodle with a large, unappealing sucking noise and Yuki gingerly picked up her chopsticks. She averted her eyes as Junsu practically inhaled his bowl of rice and made herself busy with her noodles.
"Chew your food, Junsu." Jemma's mother said icily, sighing tiredly as she picked up her utensils gingerly. Junsu pouted and sat up straighter in his chair, attempting to slow down in his violent eating display.
"So where are you girls from?" Jemma's Father asked gently, with a soft baritone voice, as he ladled soup carefully into his wife's bowl for her.
"Oh, I am from the Northern Water Tribe." Kala said, blowing on her noodles lightly before putting them in her mouth.
"Wow that is quite a ways away. That must have been some journey." Shin Woo said obviously impressed with her.
"Did you two travel all that way together?" Jemma's Mother asked looking at Yuki now with curious eyes.
"Oh no, we just recently met." Yuki said lightly, smiling at Kala, "I was a part of a traveling circus; we were going across the Earth Kingdom when Kala came along."
"You were a part of a circus?" Chang Min was practically falling out of his chair as he stared at her with his mouth agape, "What was your act? Did you do something dangerous? Did you ever almost die? What was it like?"
"Let the poor girl answer, Chang Min; one question at a time, please!" Jemma's Mother cried at him exasperated, but obviously interested in what Yuki's answer would be.
"I bet it was something to do with your Air Bending, am I right?" Jemma grinned as the rest of her family gasped.
"You're an Air Bender?" Shin Woo gawked, making her blush with a small nod.
"Yes, I am."
"I don't believe you!" Chang Min shot, eyeing her suspiciously.
"Yeah, let's see some proof!" Junsu added.
Yuki thought for a moment and then waved her hand gingerly over the table, in response a great gust of air shot across the table. It ruffled Chang Min's hair and he squealed in delight.
Jemma's father whistled in amazement and said,
"Now that is impressive. I feel we have much to learn from you both. Please tell us more about yourselves."
Kala and Yuki smiled; more than willingly to share with the bubbly family that had so graciously allowed them into their home.
"And here's your flat." Jemma said, gesturing to a door at the top of the long flight of stairs.
Dinner had gone much longer than they had expected, but had been filled with pleasant conversation the entire time. After they had finished Yuki, Kala, and Jemma had done the dishes as the younger children were corralled into bed. Once they had finished Jemma had been kind enough to stay up and give Yuki and Kala the grand tour.
Behind the curtained door of the dining room, was the small but spacious kitchen. It was jam-packed with pots and pans of all shapes and sizes and smelled of fresh ingredients and cooking oil. As they continued through the kitchen the hallway narrowed and reached the end of the building. On their right was a set of stairs and on their left was a small room. The door was slightly ajar and a small desk could be seen, with papers neatly folded atop it.
"That's Shin Woo's room." Jemma had said nonchalantly, closing the door with a smile, "It's almost as boring as him in there."
They continued up the stairs where a large landing rose before them. Many doors branched off and Jemma named off each room as they passed.
"This is where most of us sleep. That's my parents' room, Junsu, Chang Min and Jae Jeoung share that room, and here's mine! You guys are welcome in here anytime you like!" Jemma smiled as she cracked open the last door before the next set of stairs. It was a small room, but was cluttered with various trinkets and accessories. It was crowded but comfortable and Jemma beamed proudly.
"Now come on, I'll show you yours!" She hurried them up the next set of stairs; at the top she gestured at their door and then pushed it open lightly. It gave way easily and another couple of steps lead them to their flat.
The floor plan was ridiculously spacious and the room seemed far larger than it actually was because of an expansive window that took up almost the entire back wall. The night sky could be seen clearly through the large panes, and moonlight bathed the room in an eerie glow. The floor was a polished wood and it creaked lightly under their feet as they surveyed the high ceiling and sparse furniture.
"This place is usually for my relatives, so most of the stuff belongs to my grandparents." Jemma said, dusting an old sofa with her hand. "There are two beds for you guys, over there." She gestured at a portioned off section of the open area. There was a simple screen that rose up and partially obscured the two beds behind rice paper covered in a delicate floral pattern. The beds had deep purple linens and were covered in small decorative pillows.
"It's not much, I know…" Jemma said quietly but stopped as Yuki turned to her with tears in her eyes.
"It's beautiful!" She cried, throwing her arms around Jemma in a warm hug, "Thank you so much!"
"Oh, y-you're welcome, I guess." Jemma flushed and then hugged Yuki back gently.
"It really is perfect. We can't thank you and your family enough." Kala added smiling at Jemma as Yuki pulled away.
"Yeah, well you can thank us by working hard." Jemma smiled, moving back towards the door, "Work starts at sunrise, so I better see you downstairs and ready to go when that happens. Alright?"
"Of course!" Yuki and Kala cried in unison, and Jemma laughed.
"Night!" She called as she moved down the stairs.
"Good night, Jemma!" Kala called back, before flopping down on the couch. Yuki twirled around on her feet, hands clasped behind her back as she looked around the flat with wide eyes. She ran her fingers gingerly across the low counter beneath the window and opened the door to the bathroom curiously. As she surveyed the toilet and shower she smiled and turned back to Kala, who had moved to her bed and had begun to unpack her bag. Miki scampered around on the silken sheets and had quickly settled at the foot of the bed.
"Isn't this incredible?" Yuki beamed, skipping over to the two of them as Kala smiled
."It really is." Kala said. "We are so lucky!"
"Mhmm, the luckiest girls in the world!" Yuki giggled.
"Well the luckiest girls in the world have work tomorrow; so let's try and get some sleep." Kala said pulling her pajamas out of her bag tiredly. The two quickly got ready for bed and crawled beneath the sheets.
Yuki pulled the covers up to her nose and stared up at the ceiling with wide eyes. She scrunched the silky fabric with her fingers and then turned to look at Kala's sleeping figure in the bed beside her. Kala's sides rose and fell as she breathed slowly and Yuki smiled. She whispered softly,
"Good night, Kala." And let her eyes close as she drifted off to sleep.
The early morning air was filled with a heavy fog as it swept through the streets of the city. Large drops of condensation hung lazily in the air and gave the morning a certain lazy feel. Even in the early hours of the day, the city was already alive with the noises of people. Trams glided lazily on their tracks and merchants unloaded their new wares for the day loudly. Boxes were unloaded from the beds of trucks and fish were placed in great barrels of ice, straight from the sea.
The usual serenity of silence Yuki enjoyed in the morning was hard to find, and she squeezed her eyes shut tightly as she sat, frowning slightly. Her legs were folded crisscrossed and she was seated in the middle of the floor facing the window. The edge of her ponytail tickled her back lightly, and her hands were folded neatly in her lap.
She inhaled deeply trying to find her center, breathing in through her nose and then out through her mouth. Yuki imagined her body collapsing in on itself, becoming a vacuum that was concentrated on one point. That small mass of energy would contain everything, all her impurities and earthly desires. She chanted a sutra silently within her mind as she allowed herself to be washed in meditation. The world fell silent around her and she was one with everything, and everything was a part of her.
"What are you doing on the floor?" A high-pitched voice, screeched through her thoughts and she was poked violently in the cheek. Her nostrils flared and she attempted to stay grounded, keeping her eyes closed tightly as her peace of mind was assaulted.
"I'm meditating." She answered evenly, as Chang Min continued to poke her cheek with his finger.
"What's a me-di-ta-tion?" Jae Jeoung asked curiously from her other side, as he took up the poking as well.
"Does it hurt?"
"Why are you doing it?"
"Is your hair heavy?"
"How long does it take to do your ponytail?"
"Do you have a boyfriend?"
"Have you had your first kiss?"
Their questions continued like an avalanche and she felt her concentration ebbing away from her like the receding tide. She gritted her teeth as the boys continued to prod at her until she couldn't take it any longer. She thrust her arms out around her and the two boys were sent flying backwards in a great gale. In an instant she realized what she had done and pulled back her arms, causing the boys to switch directions mid-air and come careening back at her.
They landed in a tangled heap before her and she crouched over them, touching them lightly as she cried,
"Are you okay? I am so sorry guys!"
Her worry was short-lived however because within an instant the boys were on their feet, practically jumping up and down.
"Again, again!" They cried in unison with bright eyes and wide smiles.
"What?"
"That was AWESOME; do it again! Send us flying!" Chang Min was bubbling as he clasped his hands together pleadingly.
"You want me to do that again?" Yuki repeated dumbly, as the little boys nodded emphatically. "I guess I can…" She held up her hands gingerly and shot out a gust of wind, sending the boys into a giggling squealed as she pulled them back to her and grinned at her. Yuki couldn't help a small chuckle as she repeated the process again and again to the amusement of the small boys.
"What…are you doing?" Kala's voice made Yuki jump and the little boys hit the wooden floor hard.
"Kala!" She whirled around to look at the disheveled girl standing next to her bed. She had clearly been awakened by the noise and was rubbing her eyes tiredly as she stared at them confused. Yuki glanced at the boys, who stared back at her with wide eyes.
"It's was their idea!"
"It was her idea!"
Yuki pointed at them indignantly as they did the same to her, and Kala stifled a giggle.
"It's okay, I needed to get up anyway. We have to start working soon anyways."
"Oh!" Chang Min and Jae Jeoung looked at each other suddenly, remembering something important. "That's why we came up here!" Chang Min darted to the stairs and grabbed a small bundle from the top step. It was wrapped in simple brown fabric and he presented it to Yuki gingerly. "These are your uniforms."
Yuki raised her eyebrows as she unwrapped the twine around the parcel with nimble fingers, and gasped as she saw the bright emerald fabric. It was silken to the touch and Kala moved closer to get a better look. The dress moved like liquid as Yuki raised it up and the two girls were astonished. It was a simple pattern, a dress with a high collar and tight waistline but it was shockingly beautiful. It had small accents of gold on the hem and sleeves and shimmered in the dim light.
"It's gorgeous…" Kala breathed, picking up the second one gingerly and pulling it close to her.
"You should make sure they fit, and then you are supposed to meet Jemma in the kitchen." Chang Min said simply, pulling his younger brother towards the stairs as he talked.
"Bye Beautiful Woman!" Jae Jeoung called as he was herded out the door, and Kala snorted in response.
"Come on!" Yuki cried excitedly, jumping up from her spot on the floor, "Let's get going!"
The two got dressed in a flash and hurried down the stairs, two at a time, until they arrived in the kitchen with wide smiles. They had never been more excited to get to work.
Jemma raised her eyebrows as the two bounded into the kitchen and laughed at their bright faces,
"Well I guess you two are ready to go!"
"Yes, we are!" Kala said excitedly out of breath.
"Alright, well we'll get started then. Looks like those uniforms fit perfectly." Jemma said looking them over in their new outfits.
"They are just beautiful, Jemma!" Yuki breathed as she twirled around, the hem of her dress spinning around her thighs.
"I am glad you like them." A voice said from behind them, and they parted so Shin Woo could pass by them with arms full of fresh vegetables. "They are family heirlooms." He added as he placed the vegetables into their respective baskets in the pantry.
"Really?" Kala asked incredulously, suddenly feeling very out of place in the dress.
"Yeah, which is just a fancy way of saying they are old and were just gathering dust in our linen closet. Don't sweat it, alright? Come on follow me and I'll show you your tables!" Jemma hurried them through the curtained doors so Shin Woo and his Father could begin prepping the kitchen for the day's' work.
Jemma gestured to the different tables placed around the dining room and gave each of the girls their respective tables. These would be the tables they would be in charge of for the entire day. She showed them how to properly set the table with fresh silverware and clean napkins as well as how to properly clean the tables once a meal had been finished. Jemma repeated the menu as she taught so that the girls would be familiar with the dishes when asked about them.
"There is so much to remember." Yuki said quietly, suddenly feeling overwhelmed as she tried to remember which side of the plate the fork went.
"It seems like a lot at first, I know; but you'll get the hang of it real quick! I promise, you guys are doing great!" Jemma thumped Yuki on the back roughly and smiled. Yuki smiled back at her lightly, trying to feel as confident in her abilities as Jemma was.
Jemma was a surprisingly good teacher and the girls enjoyed themselves as they readied the restaurant. Sweeping the wooden floor was surprisingly fun as the girls chattered away about this and that. Jemma's Father ducked his head in every now and then to check up on them, but only smiled as he saw the giggling young ladies. He would shake his head and return to the kitchen while Jemma beamed, proud of her selection in waitresses. Yuki and Kala were eager and just like Jemma had said, they were quick to learn. By the time the first customer entered the shop they felt like they could take on the world.
"Welcome, to the Overturned Boulder! How can we help you today?" They all cried in unison with bright smiles on their faces and hope in their hearts.
Sorry for the long, boring chapter, we had to get this out of the way to get to the awesome parts. So the story will pick up in the next chapter, we promise!
And now one of our author's has returned from her vacation! Introducing, our official artist... Vowels!
Hi! Official drawer here! -Putting pens and scissors in me- And read the fluff children, it's good for your health!
Momo: This Chapter Killed Me; But Jirou And The Gang Shall Save Me! :3
M&M: I had to keep Momo from getting distracted and writing random fluff about our characters...
Fayzee: The mayhem that my fictional family gets in is not so different than my actual one
Stay tuned for the next chapter, it definitely shall be more exciting! And please review! We would love to here your opinions on the story :)
