Donut Friendship – Chapter 29: The fruits of labor
It was Friday morning and Nezuko was sitting in a bus, on her way to Muzan Inc. She spent the week teaching Muzan's employees how to make good donuts and today was the day, where Muzan wanted to see her results.
And she wasn't looking forward to it…
The whole week was a compilation of fails, misunderstandings and total failure. None of the three people she was tasked to mentor were successful. Not even a single time.
Kaigaku almost burned down the kitchen a few times, to which Kokushibo beat the crap out of him every single time. Mukago never managed to make good donuts, because of her terrible time-management and Rui didn't follow instructions, so most of the time he just did what he wanted. And that resulted in his weird food creations.
"Ugh… this is bad… really bad!" Nezuko mumbled to herself
She took a deep breath and looked out the window.
"Mister Muzan is going to be very angry…" she thought to herself
As she was looking out of the window, she spotted someone waiting at the bus stop. It was Kokushibo, who was waiting on the bus. The bus slowed down and the doors opened. Kokushibo cassualy walked in and spotted Nezuko.
"Oh… it's you…" he said in a calm voice
"Mister Kokushibo! You're taking the bus too?" Nezuko asked surprised
He nodded and sat down next to her.
"Yes… I usually drive to work… but today we show Master Muzan our results, so I decided to take the bus." he replied
Nezuko looked at him confused.
"Hmm? W-What… do our results have to do with that?" Nezuko asked
"Well, if our results don't satisfy Master Muzan, then I will be sent home in an ambulance… and my car will be left in front of the company." he explained
"…" Nezuko just stared at him and slowly nodded
"Yeah… I am screwed…" she said in a calm voice as she accepted her fate
…
…
…
After a few more minutes, the bus stopped and the two got out. Kokushibo took a deep breath and glanced at Nezuko.
"Whatever happens today… know that you did your best…" he said
Nezuko looked at him concerned. She gulped and nodded.
"And don't lose hope yet…" he added, to which Nezuko glanced at him
"Those idiots may be useless… but I still have an ace up my sleeve…" he added and started walking
"Ace…? W-Wait! What do you mean?" Nezuko asked and followed him
"Don't worry about it. Just give it your best today…" he replied and continued walking
Nezuko nodded again and followed him.
…
…
…
The two walked together a few minutes and arrived at the comapny. They walked in, and went straight to the company kitchen.
"Looks like we're the first ones here…" said Kokushibo, as they entered the kitchen
"Yeah… I hope everyone makes it in time!" Nezuko replied and got her apron
"Don't worry. They will come. I made sure of that…" Kokushibo replied in a determinate voice, to which Nezuko just smiled nervously
After a few minutes, Kaigaku arrived.
"H-Hello…" said Kaigaku nervously, as he knew what day it was today
"Hello!" Nezuko replied happily, to which Kaigaku became a bit less nervous as he saw her smile
"I hope you're ready for today." Kokushibo said in a plain voice
Kaigaku took a deep breath and nodded.
"Y-Y-Yeah! I am ready! We worked hard, and today, we will show Mister Muzan the fruits of our labor! He will taste the best donuts ever! We will stand triumphant! We will not get punished or fired, but instead, we will be rewarded! We are unstoppable, and you have faith in us, right Mister Kokushibo?!" said Kaigaku in a determinate voice, to which both Nezuko and Kokushibo stared at him
"…"
"…"
"…mister Kokushibo came here by bus, because he thinks that he gets sent home via ambulance…" Nezuko explained, to which Kokushibo slowly nodded
"…" Kaigaku just stared at her and all of his determination slowly left him
He took a few stops towards a corner and sat down.
"…we're so dead…" Kaigaku said in a sad voice as he was on the verge of crying…
…
After a few minutes, Rui and Mukago also arrived and the final day officially started. Everyone put on their aprons and Nezuko gave a little speech.
"T-Thank you all for coming today…" she said with a nervous smile
Kaigaku and Mukago looked at her concerned, but her smile lifted their mood a little bit. Rui just stared at her, same as always.
"I know that… well… our cooking didn't work out… most of the time, BUT…" Nezuko continued
"…I am sure that as long as we give it our all… we can make it today!" she added
Kaigaku and Mukago nodded, still concerned. Rui in the meantime walked up to Kokushibo, who was sitting on the side.
"Hey… you." said Rui and pointed at Kokushibo
"What is it?" Kokushibo asked and glanced at him
"I am sure that you know that this is pretty hopeless…" Rui said in a plain voice
"R-Rui! Don't say that!" Nezuko yelled at him surprised and Kokushibo just looked at him
"I hope you got a backup plan, or else we get fired today…" Rui added and waited for a response
Kokushibo just stared at him and nodded with his head.
"Go make donuts. Just like you did in the last couple of days. Don't think about anything else." he replied
Rui stared at him and nodded after a few seconds. He walked back to the group and spoke up.
"So… shall we start?" he asked, to which everyone nodded
"We can do this! Come on guys!" Nezuko said with determination in her voice
…
…
…
After a couple of hours, the time has come. Kokushibo walked up to Nezuko and spoke up.
"The time has come… prepare the table. I will bring him here…" he said, to which Nezuko nodded
Everyone started preparing the table and cleaning up the kitchen. After a couple of minutes, the table was prepared and the kitchen was clean. Now, they waited. Everyone but Rui was nervous, every second felt like an hour, and everyone was thinking about what would happen next.
The time has come… footsteps could be heard. Nezuko gulped, Kaigaku was shaking and Mugako was covering her face with her hands. Rui was playing with a string in the meantime, but stopped once he spotted Kokushibo in the door. Kokushibo walked in and was followed by Muzan…
…
…
…and Doma.
"Hey! How is it going, my lower rank friends?" Doma asked with a big smile
Everyone just stared at him surprised.
"I heard that you had a big day today! And I asked Muza- I MEAN, Mister Muzan!" he corrected himself and smiled at Muzan who was standing next to him
"…Mister Muzan if I could come too! And he said yes!" he added
"Sadly…" Kokushibo mumbled and shook his head
Muzan glanced at Doma and then at Kokushibo. After that, he walked up to Nezuko and her group.
"I expect a lot from you… but I am sure that you will not fail me today, right?" he asked in a dark voice
Nezuko took a deep breath and nodded.
"Mister Muzan! Today…" she said and looked at everyone
She could see the uncertainty on Kaigaku's and Mukago's face, but she smiled and faced Muzan again.
"…you will eat the best donuts of your life!" she added, which cough everyone's attention
"HUH?!" Mukago gasped
"Hm?" Rui mumbled and glanced at Nezuko
"…we are so dead…" mumbled Kaigaku and smiled, as he accepted his doom
Hearing that, Muzan smiled and nodded.
"Oh? That sounds really good… I am looking forward to it." he replied and faced Kokushibo and Doma
"You will join me too… right?" he asked
"Sure! I am kinda hungry!" Doma replied
"I am sorry, but I can't." Kokushibo replied, to which Muzan raised an eyebrow
"And why is that?" he asked
"At this moment, I cannot say… but you will find out later, I promise." Kokushibo replied
Muzan looked at him for a few seconds, but then nodded and turned around again
"Let's begin…" he said with a devilish smile
…
…
…
Muzan sat down and was ready to judge his employees creations. Doma joined him with a smile.
"So, everyone was working very hard and-" Nezuko was explaining but was cut off by Muzan
"Did you also make any donuts?" he asked
"Oh… y-yeah…" Nezuko replied nervously
"Good. Let's start with you." Muzan demanded, to which Nezuko gulped
"Alright…" she replied and went to get her donuts
This was bad. Nezuko's donuts were good and that was the problem. If she was the one going first, then Muzan had something he could compare the rest to.
Nezuko came back with a tray with donuts on it. Every donut was the same shape and color. She put the tray on the table and smiled nervously.
"I am sure you will like them…" she said
Both Muzan and Doma grabed a donut and took a bite.
"Mmmm… excellent…" Muzan said happily
"Great as always! Hahaha…" Doma added with a smile
"Thank you." Nezuko replied and smiled at her group
"Now, I want to try your little group's donuts." said Muzan and glanced at the three
"GULP* S-Sure…" Nezuko laughed awkwardly and faced her group
Mukago was looking concerned, Kaigaku was sweating uncontrollably, and Rui was just staring at her.
"Let's show them what you made…" said Nezuko and nodded
Everyone put their tray with donuts on the table and the room went silent.
"…" Muzan didn't say anything, he just stared at each creation
"Oh… this is something else…" Doma said with a smile and chuckled
In front of them were now 3 trays, each full of donuts. The first one was made by Kaigaku… and every donut was black.
Muzan glanced at him and spoke up.
"Are they… edible?" he asked
"I don't know…" Kaigaku said with scared voice, to which Muzan glanced at them again
"Want to try them?" Muzan asked Doma
"Nah! I am not suicidal!" Doma replied with a smile
Next up, were Mukago's donuts. Unlike Kaigaku's donuts, they looked edible, but clearly not fried enough.
"I hope… you will like them, Mister Muzan!" she said in a soft voice
Muzan glanced at her and took one. He took one bite… and shook his head slowly.
"IGH…" Mukago squeaked and covered her face with her hands
Last up, was Rui. This time, he managed to make normal looking donuts, which gave everyone a glimmer of hope.
"And that's it. We're finished." Rui mumbled to himself, but Nezuko managed to hear him
"Hm? Why? They don't look too bad!" she whispered
Rui moved his head closer and whispered to Nezuko.
"I forgot to add the sugar…" he whispered
"…" Nezuko just blinked a few times and nodded, as she knew that this was the end
Muzan took one bite and immediately put the donut down.
"Not good? Hm?" Doma asked, almost mockingly
After seeing and trying out his employees creations, he stood up and faced the group.
"You…" he said in a dark voice, to which everyone tensed up
"I AM SORRY! Everyone tried their best! Please, don't punish them!" Nezuko tried to plead, but Muzan's expression didn't change a bit
"I put my trust in you… EXPECTING YOU TO TEACH THEM… AND YOU…" he said in a dark voice
"IGHHH!" Nezuko squeaked, closed her eyes and covered her head with her hands
This was supposed to be the end. Nezuko knew that she failed totally and wasn't sure what to expect…
…
…
…
"WAIT!" a voice could be heard from the side
Nezuko opened one eye and looked at the person speaking, same as everyone else. It was Kokushibo, who was quiet the whole time.
"Master Muzan! There is one more set of donuts left that you haven't tried out yet!" he said
"What? Whose?" Muzan asked
"Mine." Kokushibo replied and pulled out a tray with donuts on it
Seeing that, Nezuko, Kaigaku and Mukago gasped surprised.
"What?! You also made donuts? But how?" Nezuko asked
Kokushibo faced Nezuko and explained.
"Your mother told me how to make them… and she also told me about the secret ingredient." Kokushibo explained
"Secret… ingredient… HUH!? YOU MEAN…?!" Nezuko gasped and blushed
"Yes… love." Kokushibo explained and nodded
"I made them with love…" he added, to which Muzan and Doma stared at him
…
…
An awkward silence began and everyone stared at Kokushibo.
"What." Muzan said confused and blinked
"L-Love…? Hahaha… HAHAHA… AHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHH!" Doma started laughing uncontrollably as he heard that
"HAHAHAHHAHAHAH! DON'T TELL ME YOU BELIEVE IN THAT CRAP! HAHAHA! EVERYTHING TASTES BETTER WITH LOVE! What total nonsense!" Doma continued laughing, to which Kokushibo didn't pay no mind
Kokushibo walked up to the table and put his tray down.
"This is what the people from the bakery taught me. Please, enjoy." he said in a calm voice
Muzan glanced at the donuts and nodded.
"You know what will happen if I am not satisfied, right?" Muzan asked
"Yes. Of course." Kokushibo replied and nodded
Muzan smiled and picked up one donut. He was certain that Kokushibo was just wasting his time, trying to delay the undeniable.
MUNCH*
"HHHHMMM?!" Muzan gasped surprised and looked at the donut in his hand
"What is it?! Is it poison?! HUH! Kokushibo, did you just poison Muzan?! Holy crap, Muzan is going to die! Does that mean that Kokushibo gets arrested and I take over the company?!" Doma asked with a smile
"N-N-NO… you idiot…!" said Muzan and took another bite
"Awwwww…" Doma replied with a sad voice
"T-T-This…" Muzan was still speechless
"This is the best food I ever ate…" he added and ate the whole donut
Hearing that, Nezuko's, Mukago's and Kaigaku's faces lit up. Kokushibo just smiled, because he knew that they would succeed thanks to his baking, while Rui just stared at Muzan, same as always.
"H-H-He… is happy… he is really happy!" Kaigaku mumbled surprised
"We did it! We won't get fired!" Mukago laughed
"Yeah! Great job everyone!" Nezuko added
Hearing that, Muzan spoke up.
"What are you talking about? Your cooking is garbage. I just need Kokushibo, everyone else is useless to me." Muzan said in a dark voice
…
Hearing that, everyone's smiles disappeared in an instant.
…
"Just kidding. Kokushibo will teach you from now on." Muzan added, to which everyone stared at him
"What is it? That was a joke… I can make jokes too… w-whatever." he added and turned around, ready to leave
"Enjoy your little victory… Kokushibo, from now on, you will cook for me… and teach these three lower ranks how you do it…" Muzan demanded
"Understood." Kokushibo replied
Muzan then glanced at Nezuko and spoke up.
"Well, at least you taught one of my employees how to cook…"
"Y-Yes… I did… hahaha…" Nezuko laughed awkwardly, as it was her mother who taught him, not her
"About your payment… speak to Kokushibo. And that's… everything." Muzan added as he made sure he didn't forget about anything
"Thank you, mister Muzan! It was really fun working for you!" Nezuko added
"Yes. Anyway…" he replied and glanced at Doma, who was still sitting.
"We're going…" he said, to which Doma nodded and stood up
"Well, it was fun! Sadly, nobody got fired, and I didn't get promoted…" he said with a smile
"We're GOING." Muzan said again, this time in a darker voice
"Y-Yeah! See you guys later!" Doma waved at everyone and left together with Muzan
…
Now, the two left and Kokushibo and Nezuko were alone with the lower ranks.
"We really did it… all thanks to your mother…" said Kokushibo as he glanced at Nezuko
"Yeah! You must have trained hard with her!" Nezuko replied
"No… she just showed me once. I just followed her instructions… and my heart…" Kokushibo replied
"…ok…" Nezuko mumbled confused
"Oh! Before I forget!" said Kokushibo and took out a small bag
"Could you please give this to your mother?" he asked and handed Nezuko the bag
"Sure, what is it?" Nezuko asked
"Those are today's donuts… I was making them for her and for Master Muzan, but… primarily for her…" he said and looked away
"Ok…" Nezuko replied and looked at him suspicious
"A-Anyway, we were successful today. I think that deserves a little celebration…" said Kokushibo
"Go and have fun with those three… Everyone is pardoned for today and you can do whatever you want…" Kokushibo explained and pointed at the three behind Nezuko
"R-Really?!" Mukago asked happily
"We are free to do whatever we want, and we are getting paid for that?! Really?!" Kaigaku asked happily
"Finally." said Rui, to which everyone glanced at him
"Y-You… don't do anything… ever…" Kaigaku mumbled and blinked a few times
Seeing that, Nezuko smiled and joined the three. They started chatting and arguing what to do for the rest of the day, which was also Nezuko's last day at Muzan.
Seeing them having fun deciding what to do, Kokushibo took a deep breath and sat down.
"Well… looks like this is a happy ending…" he thought to himself
…
"Oh wait… I wasn't sent home via ambulance… how am I going to get home…?" he thought to himself, as a new problem emerged…
AUTHOR'S NOTE: As always, thank you so much for reading this far! This story has hit over 10 000 views, which is way more than I have ever expected! But all things must come to an end, and the next chapter is the 30th chapter… and the final one! Next time, Nezuko returns to Tanjiro and in the final chapter, Tanjiro and Nezuko speak about all the friends they made in the last couple of weeks!