The American Dream, Part 4
The next morning, Addie is humming merrily while cleaning the knives at the centre of the kitchen with a wet cloth. Oh, how happy she and Teddie are ever since they finally fire Eugeo Mattson from their restaurant yesterday. Eugeo has always been throwing a temper tantrum at them ever since he first started working here in her restaurant, just like every other waiter who came before him, which makes her and Teddie wonder the current state of the younger generation in this country these days. What did he ever do as an employee here? Telling them that her food is awful every single day, even though she has always cooked them through and through? Asking her 'Are you sure?' as if she was born yesterday? What an ungrateful prick. All he just needed to do was to perform his job as a waiter and he would not be a homeless hobo right now.
It doesn't matter anyways. He is now gone while she and Teddie can go on with their lives as normal. Sure, they don't have a waiter right now, and she currently has to worry about Kirito and Yui next who are trying to disrupt their services with their nagging. But thankfully, her husband always knows what he is doing in the dining area. And even if she ends up firing Kirito and Yui as well, as long as there are still millions of people out there in Chicago, employees can always be replaced.
Just as she places the last knife down on the metal table, Kirito, Yui and Asuna enter the kitchen through the backdoor.
"Good morning, you all." Addie greeted, looking up at them with a wide smile. "Put on your uniforms and get to work. We got hungry diners coming in soon."
"No." Kirito said flatly just as Addie turns around. The restaurant owner slowly turns back to them in shock.
"What?" Addie said incredulously as she finally notices the stern frowns on their faces. After seeing Asuna closing the backdoor behind them, Kirito glares back at Addie and folds his arms.
"Addie, there are some things we would like to discuss with you and Teddie." Kirito said. "Can you wake your husband up and get him to come out here?"
Addie narrows her eyes angrily at them. "What is the meaning of this?"
"Just do as you are told, Addie." Asuna said flatly.
"I'm asking a question here!" Addie snapped at her.
"And we just want to have a normal discussion between the boss and the employee. So please, Addie. Wake your husband up." Asuna said as she remained calm. Addie glares at her for a moment, furious that her assistant chef for the last four months is suddenly showing disrespect towards her early in the morning. Nevertheless, she walks over to the door of her office and repeatedly slams her hand on it.
"Teddie, wake up! Get over here right now!" Addie shouted furiously. She kept slamming on the door until it opened. As Teddie comes out of the office with a loud yawn, Addie returns to her original position, narrows her eyes, and pursed her lips at her employees with her arms folded.
"What is it, dear?" Teddie asked wearily.
"It seems our employees are plotting a revolt on us." Addie replied, still glaring at Kirito, Yui and Asuna.
"What?" Teddie said in bewilderment.
"We are not revolting, Addie." Kirito said. "We just-"
"Yes, you are!" Addie yelled accusingly as she jabs her finger at Kirito.
"Can I finish what I have to say?" Kirito asked. Addie rolls her eyes in annoyance. "We just want to clarify with you that we want to help you succeed in running this restaurant. However, you don't seem to understand why our customers are constantly complaining about your food."
"I don't understand at all." Addie shakes her head. "Every customer told me that our food is delicious."
"Such as the diner who complained that the tomato sauce on his spaghetti taste weird yesterday?" Kirito asked.
"I mean real customers who gave us good reviews!" Addie snapped at him with her eyes wide.
"And how many of them are there?" Yui asked sternly.
"MILLIONS!" Addie roared at her, now extremely livid.
"No there aren't." Kirito said flatly to her. "You convinced yourself in your little fantasy world that everything you cook here is absolutely perfect, and that is why you fail to understand why everyone who visited this place is being negative towards you and your restaurant."
"He's right." Asuna said, causing Addie to look daggers at her. As her assistant chef took a step forward, she continued, "You are always reusing sauces from the previous day, and you are constantly cooking your food under the wrong temperature. Both are things you should never do if you want your customers to eat something fresh."
"Really?!" Addie cried at her. "If you knew I was cooking the wrong way, why didn't you ever complain about it until now?!"
"Because I was afraid of speaking up to you before, but not anymore." Asuna said. "And that is another reason why your restaurant is failing. It's because of your attitude towards your customers and employees. It is making everyone around you feel uncomfortable."
"I was just standing up for myself against the haters and attackers!" Addie shouted as she places her hands on her chest.
"Haters and attackers like Eugeo?" Kirito said.
"If you have someone pointing a gun at you, would you allow that person to tell you to get down on your knees and beg for your life?!" Addie cried hysterically while jabbing her finger at Kirito again.
"You're comparing someone who ask you a question to someone threatening your life?" Yui asked incredulously.
"That's right! Eugeo was a sick and ungrateful prick who verbally insulted me with a disgusting attitude while I stood up to him as a woman with class!" Addie protested, finishing her sentence with a violent stomp of her foot.
"Addie-" Kirito tried to object.
"Shut up! All of you right now!" Teddie shouted furiously at him, Yui and Asuna while jabbing his own finger at them as well.
"That's right! You guys are only nagging and insulting us because you don't understand at all how it feels like to keep your business alive in a world full of disgusting human beings!" Addie continued with her eyes wide and shaking.
Before Kirito could reply, Addie quickly jabs her finger at him again and shouted, "AND DON'T SAY THERE AREN'T ANY DISGUSTING HUMAN BEINGS OUT THERE! If you and your sister only knew what social media is, you would know the true nature of your customers!"
"They were just being honest with what they think about your business!" Yui cried. "And if you can't understand and respect their opinions, then you are doomed to be a failure for the rest of your life!"
"JUST LIKE WHAT YOU AND YOUR BROTHER ARE GOING TO BE AS SOON AS I FIRE YOU?!" Addie screamed at her, causing Asuna to gasp in horror. "You three are forgetting who the boss here is!"
"That's right!" Teddie nods his head.
"This is my restaurant! Addie's Baking Company for crying out loud!" Addie exclaimed while pointing her thumbs at herself. "And if you continue nagging and insulting me like this, I'll fire you all right now and make sure none of you will ever find another job in this city again! DO YOU HEAR ME?!"
Kirito, Yui and Asuna could only stare wordlessly at Addie as they fail to make a comeback to her thunderous outburst. Believing she had succeeded in putting them back in their place, Addie points at the kitchen storeroom.
"Now go put on your uniforms and GET BACK TO WORK THIS INSTANCE!" Addie screamed with a monstrous scowl.
Asuna turned to Kirito and Yui, who both look back at her with worried frowns. Her suspicions came true after all. Addie is threatening to fire them if they continue to stand up against her. She is going to share the same fate as her mother if they keep this up, and she is still afraid of that. But as Asuna stares at the pleading looks on Kirito and Yui's faces, she immediately remembers their explanation to her and the resolve she committed to them the night before. After everything they have said to her, is she really going to back down again by another one of Addie's tantrums? And after what Addie and Teddie did to Eugeo and every other former co-worker of hers, is she really going to make the same mistake again?
Asuna soon narrows her eyes and clenches her fists. No, not this time. She is not going to lose this fight.
"No." Asuna said flatly to Addie, glaring back at her. The restaurant owner drops her jaw, appalled by her response.
"Excuse me?!" Addie inquired with an angry growl.
"You think by shouting, screaming, and venting your anger on us is going to make you feel better, or make us change your opinions of you? No." Asuna said. Kirito and Yui nod their heads in agreement. "You are only destroying yourself further if you do that."
"No, I'm not!" Addie roared at her, swiping her arm through the air. "I'm fighting for my life!"
"Your life?" Asuna scoffed. "Your life is already damaged the moment you decided to ignore criticism and act hostile towards everyone around you, including me and my friends!"
"I was just-" Addie tried to protest.
"And you know why you decided to do that?!" Asuna quickly interrupted while raising her voice. "Because you are a coward."
"What?" Addie widens her eyes in shock.
"You're too afraid to face the negativity from the public, and the current state of your restaurant." Asuna continued.
"SHUT UP, ASUNA!" Teddie barked at her.
"That's right-" Addie smiled a bit as her husband came to her aid. But unfortunately, Asuna fought back with fury.
"NO, YOU SHUT UP!" Asuna glares and jabs her finger at Teddie. The man fell silent, shocked by her outburst towards him. "You're just as big of a coward as your wife is, because you are too scared to tell the truth about her cooking directly to her face!"
"Because I know my wife!" Teddie shouted. "I know she cannot take the criticism and that's why-"
"You stay silent?! So, you are equally responsible for the downfall of your wife and this restaurant! Ever thought of that?!" Asuna asked angrily.
"I…I…" Teddie stuttered, staring back at Asuna dumbfounded as her words had struck him with full force.
"Say something, Teddie!" Addie yelled furiously at her husband while pointing her finger at Asuna.
"I…I just…" Teddie struggled to respond.
"If you have nothing to add, stay out of this." Asuna said icily to him. After several failed attempts in trying to regain control of his vocal cords, Teddie simply hangs his head in defeat, much to Addie's shock. As Asuna turns back to her with a cold glare, Addie yelps in fear before distorting her face into an ugly scowl.
"You better stop this nonsense and stand back right now!" Addie yelled at Asuna while pointing her now trembling finger at her again. "Or I will-"
"Fire me? Go ahead!" Asuna shouted before she began walking slowly towards her. "You already fired Eugeo for being a nuisance to you and Teddie, so why don't you also fire me, Kirito and Yui right now? And when you do, I would like to see how you two are going to continue operating this restaurant by yourselves!"
"It doesn't matter! I can always find a replacement for all of you!" Addie cried. "There are millions of people living in this city after all!"
"That's true. But when you really think about it, you have been running this restaurant for four years now, and you've probably already alienated over 90 percent of the entire population of Illinois with your terrible food and attitude at this point. And during my time here, I've even seen people only working here for a week before you fired them. So, I believe your chances of ever finding another person like me who can stay employed here for more than a quarter of a year is getting slimmer and slimmer every day. And with the power of social media, I doubt no one in the entire state, let alone the country, would ever dare to take our places when we are gone." Asuna said.
"I…I will just…" Addie struggled to reply as Asuna's explanation have made her impossible to think of an effective comeback.
"Face it, Addie." Asuna said as the two women now find themselves standing only a meter away from each other. "You're nothing without us."
As if Asuna's last words had struck her nerve, Addie grits her teeth angrily, grabs Asuna by her collar and pull her closer to her face.
"Addie!" Teddie cried, horrified by his wife's sudden act of violence towards her employee.
"SHUT UP, TEDDIE!" Addie snapped at him before glaring back at Asuna. "Don't you dare talk to me that way! I'm the boss here! You're just an employee! YOU SHOULD BE SHOWING ME RESPECT!"
"Why should I?" Asuna replied calmly before lifting her head back up with her eyes narrowed. "Respect's got to be earned."
Addie's eyes nearly bulged out from their sockets in unbridled rage. How dare this low-life employee continue defying her! Who does she think she is?! She and her husband have been attacked by everyone around here for the last four years, and this will be the last time she lets anyone get under their skin! She knows she is destined by God to become a great chef and she is not going to let anyone, especially her own employees, tell her otherwise! It's time for her to fight back! Without hesitation, Addie instantly grabs one of the knives from the metal table on her left and holds it up in the air. Both Asuna and Teddie gasp in horror.
"NOOOOOOOOOO!" Teddie cried as he could only extends out his arm and stand there helplessly, completely unable to move out from his spot due to his continued hesitancy to directly confront his wife.
As Addie readies to bring the knife down onto her, Asuna closes her eyes, grits her teeth, and turns her head away to the left, preparing for the worst to happen.
However, it never came…again, because as soon as he sees his friend in danger, Kirito uses his electricity to swiftly dash over to Addie and cling onto her left wrist to stop her from bringing her weapon down. A few seconds later, Asuna opens her eyes and turns to her right to see Kirito standing beside her while giving a bold stare to Addie. She turns her head back to the front and sees Addie looking back at Kirito with a bizarre mix of fear towards him, and the shock of what she has done to Asuna. Addie could only stutter in terror as she finally releases her grip of the knife and Asuna, letting them down.
"Tch." Kirito scoffed. "Like she said, respect. You don't deserve it."
Addie collapses on her knees and lets her arms hang limply at her sides after Kirito releases her wrist. She looks down at the knife on the floor and began shaking uncontrollably over the horrifying realization of her actions.
"I…I just wanted to be loved…" Addie murmured as hot tears now pool in her eyes. She soon clutches the sides of her head and throws herself back as she lets out an ear-piercing shriek. After doing so, she slams her hands on the floor and hangs her head down in utter shame while sobbing uncontrollably in inconsolable grief.
"Oh…A-Addie…" Teddie stammered as he finally manages to walk over to Addie and kneels to her level. He wraps his arms around his wife in a pitiful attempt to comfort her, and the dysfunctional couple cried and wailed together in misery.
Kirito, Asuna and Yui silently watch them until they heard a knock on the restaurant doors. They walk over to the kitchen window and notice a man dressed in a dark grey suit standing behind the glass doors with a black suitcase in his hand and a stern frown on his face.
An hour later, after placing her hands behind her back and cuffing her wrists, two police officers escort Addie out of her restaurant while clinging both her arms. The now disgraced restaurant owner stayed silent and kept her head down as the two honourable members of the law pull her over to their police car parked outside the building. Kirito, Asuna and Yui briefly follow them from behind until they stop just outside the restaurant entrance and idly watch the rest of the scene.
It turns out the suited man is an inspector from the United States Labour Department of Illinois who was sent to Addie's Baking Company after an anonymous caller claimed that Teddie had physically assaulted a customer during lunch service two days ago, and another anonymous caller claiming that Addie pressured one of her employees to fire another one of her own. It was common and unsurprising for workers from the Labour Department to come down to the restaurant every once in a while to investigate their inappropriate behaviour, and usually Addie and Teddie would just be given a fine and reprimand for it. But this time, the former would finally cross the line and pay the ultimate price for her actions. While looking through the restaurant's security footage of the last two days, the inspector caught a clear glimpse of Addie attempting to stab Asuna with a knife. For that, the matter is immediately handed over to the police, and Addie Brassington will be charged for attempted murder. It is still unknown how long she will serve her life sentence, but one thing for sure is that her culinary license will be renounced for good.
As one of the officers opens the door of the police car for Addie, five people stood outside a music shop at the other side of the strip mall and converse with each other as they witness the arrest.
"I know she has always been crazy, but I never thought one day, she would finally snap." A muscular bald dark-skinned man said to a man with short spiked black hair standing beside him.
"Whatever." The black-haired man responded uncaringly with his arms folded. "I'm just glad we'll never have to deal with her psychotic behaviour anymore."
"Me too. Her bad publicity has been chasing away potential customers from our stores for years. Hopefully with her out of this place, business here can finally improve." A young adult woman whose red hair is tied to a spiky ponytail said in agreement with her hands stuffed in the pockets of her green jacket.
"I concur." Another young woman with glasses and black shoulder-length hair nods her head.
"Well, as they say, 'What goes around, comes around.'" A muscular man with short blonde hair remarked while placing his hands on both sides of his hip.
As the police officer closes the car door after setting Addie down on the passenger seat, Asuna turned to Kirito.
"Kirito." Asuna said. As Kirito turned to her, she proceeds to bow her head to him. "Thank you for saving my life…again."
"You're welcome." Kirito smiled and bowed back to her. "And we're proud of you for having the strength and courage to stand up to Addie and Teddie." Yui smiled as well as she nods her head to Asuna.
"Wait," Asuna widens her eyes before leaning over to Kirito's ear and whispered worriedly, "If the inspector watched through the camera recordings, does this mean he saw you using your magic in the kitchen?"
"Nope, not at all." Kirito replied reassuringly. "I told Yui to use her magic to edit the camera recordings yesterday and right before the inspector came into Addie's office to make it look like I was sprinting normally towards you to save your life on both occasions."
Asuna sighs in relief. "That's good to know."
Suddenly, Teddie runs out of the restaurant, past Kirito, Asuna and Yui, and over to the police car. When he reaches the vehicle, he slams his hand onto the window to get his wife's attention. Addie turns to him as he falls on his knees and breaks down in tears again. She bites down on her lower lip before she places her hand onto the other side of the window and bawled unhappily. As she, Kirito and Yui watch the couple cry in despair again, Asuna lets out a heavy sigh.
"You know, despite my disdain towards Addie and Teddie for what they did to the diners and my fellow co-workers during my last four months here, I still can't really bring myself to despise them entirely. Addie was someone who wanted to follow her dreams after all just like every other human being. But sadly, her hostility towards others is what ultimately led to this." Asuna said with her hands behind her back.
"I agree." Yui said solemnly. "If only she had focus on doing what she loves and finding a way to improve herself, none of this would have happened."
"And that shows you have something special that Addie didn't have, Asuna. A kind heart." Kirito said to her. Asuna giggled in response.
"I do wonder now that Addie is going to lose her license as a chef, who will take over this place?" Yui asked.
"Probably no one." Asuna replied glumly as she lowers her head. "And we would become jobless in the process."
"Hey. At least we still did the right thing, didn't we?" Kirito said encouragingly to her. Asuna looks back at him with a weak smile and nods her head in agreement.
"Excuse me." The inspector spoke up as he approaches the three of them from behind. When Asuna, Kirito and Yui turn around to face him, the man inquired, "Which one of you is the assistant chef, Asuna Yuuki?"
"That would be me." Asuna said. Much to their bewilderment, the inspector holds up a set of keys to her. "What is this?"
"Now that the owner of this restaurant, Addie Brassington, has committed a crime and will undoubtedly lose her culinary license over this incident, and her husband, Teddie Brassington, is also ineligible to take over her position for sharing the responsibility of her actions as a co-owner, all their business interests will now be passed to the assistant chef. You." The inspector explained. Kirito, Yui and Asuna stare incredulously at him for a moment before the latter lowers her head and holds out her hand. The inspector gently places the keys on her palm before walking away.
"I…I don't believe it." Asuna uttered while gazing at the keys. "I get to stay employed after all."
"That's right!" Kirito whooped, feeling happy for her.
"Yay!" Yui cheered as she and Kirito briefly spread out their arms and pull Asuna into a tight embrace. Asuna laughed cheerfully as she hugs her roommates back.
But after breaking away from their hug, Asuna turns to her right, and her smile disappears when she sees the other five tenants of the strip mall standing in the distance, with most of them looking back at her with a mix of fear, worry and contempt. They turn and walk back to their respective stores a few seconds later.
"Hey. Are you alright?" Kirito asked Asuna concernedly.
"Yeah…" Asuna said, looking back at him. "It's just…ever since I graduated from university, I've always been searching for a job that requires working for others. I never thought I would end up being the boss of my own business instead. Do you think I'm capable of doing this?"
"Well, you did say that you only took this job until you could find a better one. But do you ever really like to cook in the first place?" Kirito asked.
Asuna stayed silent for a moment before replying uneasily, "Y-Yes, I do enjoy cooking my own food. But I never once thought of it being my actual profession."
"Just like I never once thought I would ever become the captain of an entire army." Kirito chuckled. "But when I really think about it, if I hadn't become one, Fiore would have never won the war against Cornelia and Mard Geer. I guess what I'm trying to say is, sometimes, life puts you in a position you never expect to be in. But who knows? There may be a reason why you are the owner of a restaurant right now." As Asuna stared wordlessly at him, Yui walks over to her and places her hand on her back.
"Papa and I will leave you alone for a while to think." Yui said.
While Kirito and Yui head back inside the restaurant, Asuna stood there and contemplate what he had said to her. Maybe Kirito is right. Maybe there is a reason why she is now the owner of a restaurant. And maybe, there is a reason why she took up cooking in the first. Asuna closes her eyes and lowers her head, trying to remember when the first time was, she decided to be a cook.
Seven Years Ago…
Both Asuna and her mother Kyouko sat quietly at opposite sides of the dining table as they begin eating their dinner. It was another exhausting day of job searching for Kyouko Yuuki. But unfortunately, she had failed yet another interview and returned home later that evening completely empty-handed. To make the situation more complicated for the Yuukis, they recently let go of their maid after Kyouko cannot keep up with her weekly wages anymore while their finances continue to decline. Because of this, Kyouko decided to cook breakfast and dinner for herself and Asuna from now on, but so far with mixed results.
Asuna takes the first bite of her mother's fried tofu. But she winced and struggles to chew on it for a few seconds before managing to swallow it down her throat.
"I can tell from your face that my food tastes awful, doesn't it?" Kyouko asked her daughter.
"I…um…" Asuna struggled to reply for a moment before hanging her head. "Yeah. Sorry, mother. It's not good."
"It's okay. It's to be expected since I haven't done this in years." Kyouko said dejectedly as Asuna looks back at her. She paused for a moment to let out a heavy sigh. "Times like this reminds me that we took our lives for granted so much until we fail to prepare for the worst. I never should have tried to help others when I cannot help myself and my daughter."
As Asuna gazes at her mother's glum eyes, she puts down her fork and places her hand on top of Kyouko's.
"Mom…don't say that." Asuna said softly. "As a parent, you really have helped me a lot. Honestly, I missed the old days too. Back when you are a strong and confident parent who greatly cares about her job and daughter. And although you are usually exhausted after work, you are still able to spend some time with me, to remind me that everything you do is for the sake of our future and livelihood. You have done so much for me, and that is why I love and respect you."
"Asuna…" Kyouko murmured. Suddenly, Asuna's frown of sorrow flipped into one of determination.
"So, now that we no longer have a maid, it's the time for me to repay you. Starting tomorrow, I will take half of your workload." Asuna said firmly, much to Kyouko's surprise. "I'll not only continue to study hard in school, but also cook breakfast and dinner for the both of us, and clean the house. I'll prove to you that you don't need to worry about me so much even after you have found a new job. And I'll keep working hard till the day the both of us can be truly happy again."
Kyouko gave a wan smile to her daughter and bows her head to her.
"Arigatou, Asuna. I appreciate it." Kyouko replied softly. After Asuna removed her hand from hers, Kyouko takes a bite of her own food. She looks back at her daughter and retch in disgust, causing both her and Asuna to burst out laughing.
Asuna lifts her head back up and smile with tears in her eyes. How she had almost forgotten that memory after years of thinking nothing else but to become a diligent and hardworking member of society. Her desire to help her mother get through their trying times is what made her want to require the skills to cook in the first place. Of course, it wasn't easy for her at first. But thankfully, her mother was there to help her learn the basics. Over time, she was able to do it with her own hands. And being able to help alleviate her mother's emotional stress with her food every day and night gave her a sense of accomplishment and gratification. Who knows how many other people out there in America are probably going through the same pain she and her mother had experienced? And although she admits it sounds a tad cliché, she could at least try using her culinary skills to bring joy and warmth again to their hearts.
Asuna wipes away her tears as her smile widened. She has made her decision.
After gaining ownership of the restaurant yesterday, Asuna closes it for the rest of the day and hired some construction workers to change the logo and name above its entrance and on its glass windows. It only took them a day to make the necessary alterations.
When they arrive back at their workplace the following morning, Kirito and Yui put on their usual black uniforms and head over to the front of the restaurant, where they see the construction workers already standing outside and waiting to unveil its new name and logo design to its employees. Kirito and Yui both waited for another minute until they heard Asuna's voice.
"I'm here!"
They turn to the left and see Asuna emerging from the back of the restaurant, now dressed in her new uniform. Although the design remains the same as Kirito and Yui's uniforms, it is now completely white to indicate she is the owner and head chef. They both stare at her in awe as Asuna walks over to them.
"How do I look?" Asuna inquired as she places her hands on both sides of her hip and proudly shows off her new uniform to her employees.
"Beautiful!" Yui said enthusiastically as a huge smile plaster across her face. "You look great in white, Asuna!"
"I know, right?" Asuna asked, smiling back at her. "It actually does make me look rather attractive for a chef, don't you think?"
"Y-Yeah, I believe so. Mostly." Kirito smiles sheepishly as he turns his head away from her and rubs the back of his neck for a moment. Asuna pouts at him while Yui laughed in response. Kirito looks back at his new boss and changes the subject. "A-Anyways, Yui and I have a surprise for you too!"
"What is it?" Asuna asked.
"Ta-dah!" Kirito and Yui cheered as they gesture her to the barbershop on their right. Asuna turns to her left, and to her astonishment, she sees a familiar blonde-haired man dressed in the same black uniform as her employees walking out of the shop.
"Eugeo!" Asuna cried happily.
"Hello everyone! It's great to be back here!" Eugeo said cheerfully, waving his hand while walking towards them.
"Papa and I paid a visit to Eugeo yesterday, and we managed to convince him to come back and work with us." Yui explained to Asuna as the boss's smile disappears.
"I see." Asuna said softly before looking back at Eugeo, who now stands a few feet away from her. She frowns apologetically at him before speaking up, "Eugeo…I'm so-"
"It's okay, Asuna." Eugeo smiled warmly, causing her to look back at him in bewilderment. "Kirito and Yui told me everything. That you were scared back then. I understand how you felt during that moment. And I forgive you."
Asuna's lips curve up into a weak smile as tears form in her eyes. She and Eugeo proceed to give each other a warm hug while Kirito and Yui smile as they watch them. After breaking away from each other, Asuna wipes away her tears and they all turn back to the front of their new restaurant.
"Alright. We are ready to see the changes." Asuna said to the construction workers as she, Eugeo, Kirito and Yui line themselves up in a horizontal row.
The workers nod their heads to her before removing the sheets. Those who are standing at the glass windows simply tear off the black sheets to unveil the new name and logo design that they have decorated on them, while those outside the entrance pull the ropes to bring down an even larger black sheet from the top of the building. Asuna, Kirito, Yui and Eugeo all smile and widen their eyes in delight as they take a good look at the alterations the workers have made. Although the large letters 'A.B.C.' which formerly stands for Addie's Baking Company remain intact, the font has been changed from a Shakespearean-style to a more slick and modern looking design, and the name below the logo now reads Asuna's Baking Company to strongly remind the public the new meaning of its initials. Although Kirito and Yui suggested Asuna to change its name entirely, she chose to keep the last two words the way they are, as despite her disdain towards the previous owners, she still wishes to respect Addie's dream of running a restaurant and help restore the public's faith in the strip mall where it is located.
"Amazing!" Kirito said aloud.
"It's fantastic!" Asuna cried ecstatically.
"Incredible." Eugeo uttered.
"Alright!" Yui cheered as she pumps her fists into the air.
"Congratulations, you all." One of the construction workers said as they all smiled at them.
"Good luck with your new business." Another worker added.
"Arigatou!" Asuna, Kirito and Yui said in unison as they bow down to the construction workers.
"Yeah, what they said. Thank you." Eugeo added as he awkwardly bows down to the workers as well.
As the construction workers fold up the sheets and begin their departure, the four employees of the revitalized restaurant stand back up and turn to each other.
"We're very happy for you, Asuna." Kirito said to his boss.
"Thanks. And I wouldn't have achieved this without you and Yui." Asuna smiled at him. She turns back to the front of her new restaurant and proudly gazes at its logo for a moment. 'I'll make you proud, mother.'
After nodding her head, Asuna whirls about and raises her arm and finger high into the air as she proclaimed, "Now then, Asuna's Baking Company is open for business!"
Kirito, Yui and Eugeo also turn around and shouted with unbridled joy as they pump up their fists, "YEEEEEEAAAAAAHHHHHH!"
When their excitement dies down a few seconds later, Eugeo lowers his arms and inquired, "There's one thing I must know though. How did Kirito and Yui not only know where my apartment is, but also know the exact unit I live in?"
Asuna, Kirito and Yui drop their jaws as they too lower their arms.
"Uhhhhhhhhhhhh…"
Song Suggestion:
Love Supreme! by fhána (After you have finished reading the chapter)
Sovereign: I would like to thank Allfather-Ford, AquaBluey, LayLay lives, NoNameBecauseWhy, SeleneMoonFall, KJC71790, PinkHimeLacus and Savage Aries for reviewing, favoriting and following. Thanks everyone!
And that is the end of the first story arc of Let's Bake! I hope you all enjoy reading this story so far and look forward to more chapters coming in the future! Until then, read and review!