Day 1: Culture Shock
The sound of a ringing alarm forced Ryan from his dreamless sleep. It took a few moments for Ryan to completely wake up, but when he did, he let out a long groan before grabbing his phone and turning off the alarm. "I guess I have to start work today."
Last week, he had gotten an email stating that his first day as an employee for Kiara Fried Phoenix, the world's biggest fried chicken fast-food joint. This would be his first job ever, considering that he became a NEET after graduating high school.
A couple of weeks ago, his mother called him to tell him that his parents wouldn't support his unhealthy habits and he had to get a job. Although Ryan wanted to continue slacking off, he understood that his parents shouldn't have to support him doing absolutely nothing, so he started to look for jobs. Like any freshly-minted eighteen-year-old, he decided to go for all the bigger corporations like Fubuki Burger King, Menya Botan, Usada Kensetsu, NenePro, etc. He even applied for the local bakery: The OkaKoro Bakery. Most of them didn't even reply, much to Ryan's dismay, so he was thoroughly surprised when KFP accepted his application.
Ryan walked over to the drawer in his room, opening the top slider to see the outfit he prepared to go outside the night before. He took the grey sweatpants to the left side of the cabinet and put them on, sliding his phone in the pocket. Ryan then put on his plain black t-shirt followed by the plain black hoodie. He took out his phone and opened the map, having already saved the location of the KFP he was assigned to beforehand. Although he did the interview at a local KFP, he was notified that he would be working at a new KFP that was opening, since the local one was overstaffed and the new one didn't have many employees.
"I still can't believe they assigned me to the first shift," Ryan muttered to himself. He had the impression that he would get a mid-morning or an afternoon shift, not opening the place up at six in the morning. "Well, it's not like there's anything I can do about it. I better head out now."
He then grabbed his wallet that was also on the top of the drawer, putting it in his pocket where his phone once was, and walked out of his apartment complex, following the directions that were listed on his phone.
Meanwhile, KFP CEO Takanashi Kiara found herself rolling in her bed, poorly containing her excitement. Along with the grand opening of her new KFP, it would also be the place where the first generation of Hololive English would be having their reunion. A thought suddenly flashed through her head, causing her to stop. She rolled over so she was facing her nightstand and grabbed her phone. She had a phone call to make.
Reaper-in-training Mori Calliope slammed her desk with her fist, a small '-10' appearing where she slammed the desk as her phone disrupted her concentration. She let out a tired sigh as she picked up the phone, tempted to just let the call go to voicemail when it was revealed that the stupid bird was the one that was calling her.
She'll be sad if I don't, a small voice in the back of Calli's mind, made itself known as she stared at the ringing phone, multiple emotions showing themselves. For some reason, Calli always had it in her to scoff at the phoenix, and give her rude remarks, but the second Kiara starts showing signs of being sad, this unbearable guilt would well up inside her, and she would end up having to run damage control almost immediately. After pondering her options for a few seconds, she reluctantly accepted the call, putting the phone to her ear.
"What do you want, Kusotori?" Calli grumbled. She was in the middle of preparing for her next stream, and Kiara had completely taken her out of the zone.
"Did you already forget?" Kiara asked, a silky sweet tone in her voice. "We're having a reunion today! Are you going to be there?"
Shit, I totally forgot! Calli thought, starting to panic. "Er…"
"Are you?" Kiara repeated, her voice infinitely more threatening than it was just two seconds ago.
"O-of course!" Calli replied, totally not scared at all. "I'll be there!"
"Great!" Kiara's voice returned to its normal, cheery self. "I'll see you then!"
"Kusotori wa-!" Calli was cut off when the line went dead.
I guess I have to rearrange my plans, Calli pinched the bridge of her nose as her brow furrowed in irritation. Thank Matsuri that Death-sensei isn't around anymore. He'd have my head if he saw me like this.
Ryan stopped before an empty alleyway looking at his phone. This couldn't be right. The phone was telling him to walk down the alley. "I swear this phone is trying to get me murdered," he muttered to himself. He discontinued the route and selected it again just to make sure it was working properly. Unfortunately, it was. Ryan then looked up at the alleyway, noting that there were no side doors or bags of trash. For all intensive purposes, the alley was completely clean.
"You know, if I didn't make it to my first day of work because I was scared of the alley, I don't think I'll ever live it down," he muttered to himself. Taking a deep breath, he started to walk down the alley.
After walking for a couple of minutes, Ryan was suddenly hit with a wave of nausea, causing him to stumble slightly. When he looked up, he was at the end of the alley. He could have sworn that the end of the alley was closer when he looked up. I must be seeing things, he thought to himself. They really shouldn't have woken me up this early.
Acquiescing to his fate, he walked towards the threshold, shielding his face from the light as he crossed it. When he looked over, he was before a… normal looking KFP. Ryan honestly expected more after being forced to walk down a serial killer's dream, but this is what he was dealt. A standard, run of the mill fast-food restaurant with orange, white, and blue as its primary colors and "Kiara Fried Phoenix" listed in giant, orange letters. Ryan looked around to examine what was the surrounding area. It was basically a box without a lit, gray walls on either side and concrete making the floor. There wasn't even a parking lot. What kind of restaurant doesn't have a parking lot? How are they expecting to have any business?
Ryan looked at his phone to check the time as he walked up to the door. 6:03 am. Great, I'm late, Ryan thought to himself. He tugged on the door. Locked. Ryan sighed. What kind of store manager was late on their first day? Probably some uptight old ma-,
"KIKERIKIII~!" A loud voice exclaimed behind Ryan, causing him to jump. He turned around, preparing to say some choice words to the person who startled him, but all thoughts screeched to a halt when he saw who was the source of the voice.
"Shachou?!" Ryan exclaimed. Although he didn't pay attention to the news or anything of that matter, anyone could recognize Takanashi Kiara, the CEO of KFP. Her trademark characteristics were her fiery orange hair, her amethyst eyes, the beret and the tiny chef's hat that rested on her head, and her custom-made KFP uniform, the orange and white complimenting her hair.
"That's me! Feel free to call me Tenchou while you're here," Kiara replied, a bright smile on her face. "You're Ryan Shade, right?"
"Tenchou… wait, you're going to be the store manager?!" Ryan exclaimed. He was ready to suffer under an uptight old man. The actual CEO of the company he was working at was the last person he was expecting to be his boss.
"Yep, now answer my question!" Kiara replied with enthusiasm that Ryan can only dream of having.
"Yes, my name is Ryan Shade," Ryan replied, still trying to process the situation before him. "May I ask why the CEO is coming down to the middle of nowhere to run a small shop?"
"This one will be… special," Kiara answered, her smile widening as she saw Ryan's face contort with confusion. "You'll see."
"Whatever you say, Tenchou," Ryan scratched the back of his neck nervously. "Can you get the door for me? It's kind of locked."
"Oh! I'm sorry about that!" Kiara bounded over to the door, fiddling with her keychain before unlocking the door, swinging it open. "Your uniform is in the break room to your left. Get to it! We're expecting customers soon!"
"Yes Tenchou," Ryan sighed. Something told him that working here will change his life as he knew it.
Ryan sifted through his thoughts as he buttoned up the striped vest that was his uniform. A lot of things weren't quite adding up. The alleyway, the sudden nausea, the remote location, and the CEO working as a manager. Just what am I getting myself into? He asked himself as he cracked his back. Bracing himself for the workday, he opened the door.
As he did, he saw a black mist crawling on the floor of the restaurant. Ryan stood still, his mind processing what was happening as the mist started to move to the middle of the room, rising up until there was a two meter tall cloud of mist that floated in the middle of the room. Ryan visibly flinched when a leg stepped out of the mist. Ryan stood still as a tall woman with long, flowing pink hair and crimson eyes stepped out of the mist as it dissipated behind her. She wore a cloak and a shawl along with a black dress. The part that made Ryan turn deathly white was the scythe that was about as long as the woman and with a blade that seemed as if it could cut through human flesh like butter.
"T-Tenchou…" Ryan slipped a hand into his pocket, pulling out his cell phone. He tried to keep a straight face, but it was obvious that he was scared. The last thing he needed was to get chopped into ribbons on his first day of work. "What should we do?"
Kiara seemed to ignore Ryan as her face lit up. She jumped over the counter, diving straight into the dangerous woman. "Calli!"
"Guh!" The woman who Ryan assumed was Calli grunted. As soon as Kiara collided with her, she used her free hand to attempt to shove the CEO off. "Get the f-word off, Kusotori!"
"T-Tenchou…" Ryan looked at the couple with increasing anxiety as he saw Calli reaching for her scythe. "Uh… is that professional?"
"Ah, sorry about that!" Kiara detached herself from Calli just before the tall woman grabbed her scythe. She skipped back around the counter as if nothing happened. "I just got so excited, seeing the love of my life, after all."
"I-I have no idea what you're talking about," Calli's face flushed.
"A-anyways, my name is Ryan Shade," Ryan introduced himself. "Since Tenchou is comfortable with you I won't call the cops for carrying a gigantic weapon around."
"That's… appreciated," the woman said awkwardly. For some reason, Ryan found it endearing. Cute, even. "Name's Mori Calliope. Keep the dumb bird safe for me, okay?"
Ryan instantly perked up at the name. Mori Calliope was a rapper and musician quickly rising in popularity. Ryan was an avid fan for about nine months, but he thought all her cover art was an art of an anime girl. He was thoroughly shocked when he realized that the cover art for her albums were actually pictures of her.
"My name's Ryan Shade. I'm a huge fan," Ryan said, trying his best to stay civil. He was no celebrity, but he figured it must be annoying for random people to go crazy when they learn her real identity. "I'll do my best to heed your request."
"Would you like the usual?" Kiara asked as Calli sat down.
"Tenchou, we just opened," Ryan pointed out, slightly confused. "How do you already know-,"
"Yeah, sure," Calli waved her hand dismissively.
Kiara nodded and opened a cupboard under the counter, revealing an array of different alcoholic beverages. She picked a bottle of champagne before closing the cupboard, opening another one to grab a wine glass. She placed the glass in front of the customer and unscrewed the cork, pouring the red wine into the glass.
"So, do you know when the others are coming?" Kiara asked, smiling as Calli took a sip. Ryan almost missed the subtle change in Calli's expression. Her mouth twitched, if only barely and her eyes seemed to soften a minuscule amount.
"Right about…" Calli paused, closing her eyes. Ryan flinched when the sudden sound of the doors being kicked open assaulted his ears, "now."
"What's up, chumbuckets!" The person who Ryan could only assume was the one who kicked the door open was standing proudly at the entrance, her hands on her hips and a smug smile on her face. The girl was short, maybe five feet tall at most. She had short, white hair and she wore a blue hoodie that went all the way to her thighs. Ryan tried his best not to stare at the shark tail that was excitedly swishing back and forth, but it proved to be a feat too hard for the young man.
"Gura!" Kiara exclaimed happily. "I'm so glad you made it!"
"Morning, Kiara!" The small girl shouted over, waddling over to the stool on Calli's right before hopping up and taking a seat. "Watson and Ina should be here any minute. Who's the new person?"
"Ah, it's nice to meet you," Ryan dipped his head politely. "My name is Ryan Shade."
"Same-desu!" Gura exclaimed. "The name's Gawr Gura! Pleased to meet 'cha!"
"Gura!" A voice called from outside the establishment. Ryan directed his attention to the source of the voice to see a woman with short, blond hair walking in. She wore a white dress shirt and a brown skirt. Over her dress shirt, she wore a brown trench coat that was easily 2 sizes too big. She topped the outfit off with a red tie and a brown detective's cap. "Oh, there's a new guy! Would you mind giving me your mom's number?"
"Ame~," Gura whined as she spun around to face the newcomer. "We talked about ground pounding people's moms."
"I know, I know," The woman named Ame waved her hand dismissively. "You can't fault me for trying, though."
"Yeah, I think I'll pass," Ryan shuddered. He didn't know what 'ground pounding' consisted of, but something told him he didn't want to know. "Anyways, my name is Ryan Shade."
Ame opened her mouth and hiccuped before talking. "My name's Amelia Watson," Ame introduced herself. "It's a pleasure to meet you."
"The pleasure's all mine," Ryan nodded politely as Amelia sat down next to Gura. "I guess I should try to help out, considering I work here and all. Would you two like to order anything?"
"Actually, I'll hold off on the order for now, but can you do me a favor?" Amelia asked. Ryan was not an expert on people, but even he could tell that she was straining her voice to sound polite.
"Sure, what's up?" Ryan asked. After all, what's the worst that can happen?
"Oh, it's nothing big," Amelia smiled brightly as she shoved her hand inside her jacket, taking out a syringe with glowing blue liquid. "Just inject this into your arm."
"Ame, please put your knockoff Asacoco away. We're not drugging my new employee," Kiara gave Amelia a stern glare.
"Trust me, this baby packs a much bigger punch than Asacoco," Amelia's smile shifted into a smug smirk as she slipped the syringe back into her jacket. "I'll just have some tea."
"I'll just have some salmon," Gura said, adding her own order. "Preferably raw."
"We're a fried chicken place," Ryan pointed out. "Do we even have raw fish?"
"Of course! What kind of fried chicken place doesn't have raw fish?" Kiara tilted her head, genuinely confused.
"You know what? I'm not going to ask." Ryan sighed. As he did, the doors opened again.
"Wah!" A girl exclaimed. She had long, purple hair and wore a purple dress. Ryan would say that she looked almost normal if it weren't for the giant tentacles on her back.
"Ina!" Kiara exclaimed, her smile only widening. "I was just about to get everyone's orders. What would you like?"
"I don't think we need to tako-bout it," Ina smiled. Gura exploded into laughter while Calli just let out a tired sigh, pouring herself another glass of wine.
"Got it," Kiara smiled before disappearing into the back room.
"So, you're pretty accepting for a human," Ryan turned his attention to Amelia as she spoke, a shiver going down her spine as her smile had faded. He looked at the others. Calli was ignoring everyone, sipping on her wine while fiddling with her tablet. Both Gura and Ina were looking at Ryan with an unreadable expression.
"I'm sorry, but I don't understand what you mean," Ryan replied. He usually didn't like associating with the outside world. He would only go out for groceries, opting to order everything else online and not interact with the world outside him.
"Well, humans aren't usually too kind to… people like us," Ina elaborated, her expression contemplative. Amelia looked to Gura, who shook her head.
"Sorry, I just don't like thinking about it, much less talking about it," Gura told her friend. Amelia nodded sympathetically before looking back at Ryan.
"The war against magical beings has been going on for a couple of years. I'm surprised you don't know about it," Amelia continued. "Anti-magical propaganda is all over the place, from news to social media. We've pretty much just accepted the fact that we have to blend in to be ourselves. Pretty much every human I've met has been anti-magic. Even killing magical creatures is perfectly legal."
"Really," Ryan rubbed his chin. He looked at the three pairs of worried and suspicious eyes and sighed. "That's pretty fucked up."
"Glad to see someone with common sense," Ryan heard Calli scoff.
"I'm back!" Kiara cheered, walking out of the back kitchen. She placed a kettle and a teacup in front of Amelia, a plate of sashimi in front of Gura, and what seemed to be octopus shaped takoyaki in front of Ina. "Enjoy!"
"Thank you!" Gura exclaimed, grabbing the chopsticks that Kiara provided and somehow grabbed half of the sliced fish on the plate, eating all of it in one bite.
"I'm surprised you didn't ask for pizza," Kiara mused, smiling as she watched Gura eat.
"Gura only eats pizza in the bathtub," Amelia laughed, which sounded like a gremlin you'd see in an animated show.
"Ame~," Gura whined, puffing out her cheeks in a pout, "we've talked about this!"
"So, how are you enjoying the job?" Ina asked. "I know it's your first day, but I can understand if everyone here is a bit… eccentric."
"Eh, I think I'll live," Ryan chuckled to himself. "Plus, this is the most excitement I've gotten since I moved here."
"If that's the case, then we should really get you a girlfriend," Kiara snickered. Ryan shrugged off as a joke, but something told Ryan that Kiara was not joking.
"Actually, you'll me… wait a second," Calli put down her laptop, tapping away at her tablet. "Huh, that's weird."
"What's up?" Kiara leaned over the counter to look at Calli's screen. As she looked at it, her face grew serious. "That is weird."
"What's going on?" Ryan asked.
"Calli's the grim reaper," Kiara explained. If she noticed the blood rushing from Ryan's face, she didn't indicate that she did. "Basically she can look someone up and see when they die and how. When she looked up your name, it showed nothing."
"Excuse me," but you lost me at 'Calli is the grim reaper, Ryan held his hands up.
"Whatever! It's probably nothing anyway," Kiara slapped Ryan on the back, causing the young man to wince. Calli's tablet then started to ring and vibrate. Calli groaned and stood up.
"Apparently, the students at scythe swinging school beheaded the substitute teacher… again…" Calli said, irritated. Ryan physically took a step back as a black haze started to ooze from her scythe. "I guess I have no choice."
"It was nice seeing you again, Calli," Kiara smiled sweetly at the reaper.
"We did an off-collab yesterday," Calli gave Kiara a deadpan look.
"It's always nice to see you," Kiara closed her eyes as her smile widened, her cheeks tinting red.
"S-shut up, you stupid bird!" Calli instantly flushed, black mist consuming her figure. "I'm leaving!"
"Bye Calli~!" Kiara waved as the mist faded away, Calli nowhere to be seen.
"Hey Ame, wanna go to the arcade?" Gura asked. "I'm bored."
"Eh, why not?"Amelia shrugged, standing up, holding her arms out towards the shark girl. "Come here."
"Ame, just because I'm small doesn't mean you're allowed to carry me," Gura said in a flat tone.
"Too bad! You don't get an option!" Amelia picked Gura up by her sides, lifting her up. "See you around, Ryan Shade."
"It was nice meeting you!" Gura exclaimed happily as Amelia headed out. "Hey! I know how to walk!"
"Well, I guess that concludes this reunion," Ina stood up. "Going to go to the park. It's nice to draw under the Shade."
"That doesn't even count as a pun," Ryan deadpanned.
"Don't care. See you around," Ina stood up and walked off, her tentacles receding until they were completely gone.
"Ah, that was quite the eventful first day," Ryan heaved a relieved sigh as the doors closed behind Ina.
"Day? What are you talking about?" Kiara asked, looking at her Kiara Fried Phone. "It's 7 am."
"What-," Ryan looked at his phone. "Well…"
"Time for training!" Kiara cheered, pumping her fist in the air.
"Yes, Tenchou," Ryan grumbled. He had a feeling that he was going to be saying that a lot in the future.
~Kiara Fried Phoenix~
Meanwhile, a middle-aged Japanese man in a suit was sitting in his office when his phone rang. "Hello?" He asked, picking the phone up and putting it to his ear.
"Hey, it's me," the other side of the phone said. The man seemed to straighten at the voice.
"Ah, to what do I owe the pleasure, Shade?" The man asked, a smile forming on his lips.
"I was just wondering how the kid was doing," the man, Shade, explained. "He recently started working for one of yours if I remember correctly."
"Ah, Ryan Shade. He's doing fine," The man replied, nodding approvingly despite no one being in the room other than him. "I asked a couple of the customers about him. They had nothing but positive things for him."
"I see," Shade replied. "I'll be calling in to check in on him periodically. He is a topic of interest, after all."
"Of course," the man replied. "We both know that he is quite… special."
"Thank you," Shade said. "I'll talk to you soon, YAGOO."
As the line went dead, YAGOO smiled, placing the phone face down on the desk before letting his fingers intertwine with each other as he let his elbows rest on the table. "Ryan Shade…" he mused to himself. "I wonder how things will go for you. No matter what happens, though, I know that things will be interesting."