10/25/21 AN: I've been substitute teaching which gives me a surprising amount of time to write. This chapter is venting the frustrations I have as customer. Luckily nothing I have encountered has been as severe as what's in here. Although, there was this one time at a Salvation Army I was sorely tempted to take the cashier's place because he was going so damn slow. Luckily, they opened another lane.

This is the longest chapter by about 500 hundred words. Its, like, three times longer than the average chapter. :)

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho, it is the property of Yoshihiro Togashi. I do not own any stories on Not Always Right.

. . .

Customer service changes a person. The worker must put up with the worst of humanity, grin, bare it, and suffer. Yusuke certainly… well, he hadn't change, not really. But his Idiot Tolerance Threshold did increase! Like, a little bit.

So, he was able to function in food service and not punch every fourth customer! It was good for Yusuke, and helped teach him patience and understanding.

Kind of.

Yusuke was currently a customer. He was trying to be patient, he really was. But it had been a long day, he was hungry, and all he wanted to do was go to Keiko's and start dinner.

But this… person… behind the counter was going so slow, and didn't know what they were doing, and didn't seem to care. At all. He was getting on Yusuke's last nerve.

Three people were still in front of him and Kuwabara. In the past ten minutes only one person had gotten through the line.

Both boys were quiet and still. Yusuke's frustration was mounting. Kuwabara was growing steadily more amused at Yusuke's frustration.

"That's it," Yusuke said loudly.

People looked at him, but he ignored them. He moved out of line, went around the people and behind the counter. The cashier just kind of blinked as Yusuke came right up next to him. There was a squeal as Yusuke gently (for him) set the guy aside. The worker stood there awkwardly, staring at Yusuke's back. Yusuke ignored him.

"Okay," Yusuke said to the current customer with his best Customer Service Smile™. It was still a dangerous smile and scared the customer "I'm going to be helping you now. Please have patience while I figure this crap out."

Yusuke looked at the screen, the handheld scanner, and the items on the counter. He took one item, scanned it, and checked the monitor. Nothing happened. After a few seconds of studying the screen, he clicked an icon and scanned the item again. It showed up. He quickly scanned the rest of the items.

"Alright, you're total is on the screen. Pay up," Yusuke said.

The customer, still intimidated, handed over his money. Yusuke gave him back his change. The customer left, grateful to be out so quickly, and a little scared for his life.

"Next!"

And so it went. Yusuke through the next three people and then Kuwabara came up to the counter. Yusuke scowled at the grin on Kuwabara's face.

"Shut. Up."

Kuwabara's grin grew.

"I am going to beat your ass later," Yusuke threated.

Kuwabara only laughed.

"Give me your money," Yusuke demanded.

"Why do I have to pay? This is your stuff!"

"Because I said so, now hand it over!"

Kuwabara paid and left the line. He stood waiting off to the side, making sure he could watch Yusuke be Yusuke. The rest of the customers in line where so intimidated that they didn't dare cause a scene.

Less than fifteen minutes later there was no line and Yusuke walked over to Kuwabara.

"We are never coming here again," Yusuke said.

. . .

Yusuke was minding his own business. Honest. But the guy in front of him in line was pissing him off. All Yusuke wanted was a chocolate bar and an energy drink before work. But no. This guy had to be an absolute creep.

"When do you get off work?" The sleezy guy asked.

"Oh, um. I'm not sure, I have to stay late today," the poor girl said nervously. "Um, your total is on the screen. Would you like cash or card?"

"I can help you make a little extra cash," the guy said.

The girl jerked back, her eyes going wide.

That was enough for Yusuke.

"Hey!" He grabbed the guy's shoulder and spun him around.

"Who do you-" the guy started but stopped when he saw Yusuke.

"That wasn't very nice," Yusuke said, getting in the guy's face. "Manners are important. People who don't use them piss me off."

"Uh, um, no, wait," the guy stuttered.

Yusuke poked the guy in the chest, hard. The guy wheezed. "Do you want to piss me off?"

"No!"

Yusuke nodded and moved back enough for the guy to turn around, but still in the guy's personal bubble. "Apologize to the nice girl."

"I am so sorry!"

"Ah, thank you?" The girl said.

"Now pay."

The guy tossed a large bill onto the counter.

"Scram," Yusuke growled.

"But, my change-"

"You don't get any change, you piss ant. You're giving her a generous tip for having to put up with your stupid." Yusuke grabbed the guy by the back of his neck and shoved him towards the door.

The guy scampered off.

Yusuke turned to the girl. "I just got these."

She stared at him, before shaking herself out of her daze. "Thank you! Thank you for helping me. He, ah, he comes in here a lot and creeps on all the girls."

Yusuke frowned. "Your manager hasn't banned him?"

"He, ah, he doesn't care. The guy hasn't touched us, so he won't ban him, because he comes in and buys things…"

Yusuke scowled. "What an ass. Look, do yourself a favor. Learn some self-defense. Be able to knock someone silly with your slap. Get an oar." Yusuke paused, thinking for a moment. "Those are kinda big. Get a bat."

The girl looked at him in shock, eyes wide, mouth open.

Yusuke rolled his eyes. He put exact change on the counter and started to walk off. "Don't be a victim!"

. . .

Keiko and Yusuke were shopping for party supplies. Kuwabara had passed his second year of high school in the top five percent of his class. Keiko insisted they all throw a little party at Genkai's. Yusuke complained about being a pack mule. A slap from Keiko straightened him out real quick.

Yusuke might have been cranky about the shopping, but he was happy for his best friend. Not that he'd ever tell Kuwabara that. That's not something guys would say to each other.

"Okay, we're almost done," Keiko said after consulting her list. "All we need are the balloons."

Yusuke rolled his eyes, but followed his girlfriend.

As they neared the balloon counter they heard raised voices.

"- should never be rude to a customer like that!"

"I wasn't, he-"

"No excuses! I'm going to write you up for this!"

As they approached the balloon counter, they saw a manager berating a young looking cashier.

"Sir, I tried to-"

"You didn't try hard enough!"

"She wanted her balloons to float without helium! Breath filled balloons won't float! Physics don't work like that!" the poor cashier tried to defend himself.

"An unhappy customer is a- ack!"

The manager made a choking noise and Yusuke grabbed the front of the guy's shirt and dragged him over the counter. The manager was in an awkward position, half on the counter and face full of angry Yusuke.

"Listen here you little shit stain," Yusuke growled. "That is no way to talk to your employees. Most customers are just stupid and you can't blame your employees for that!"

"But, but, I, he-" the manager sputtered.

"You're worried about angry customers? I guarantee I'm worse angry customer you'll ever have." Yusuke shook the guy. "So be nice and you won't have to deal with me. Got that?"

The manager wordlessly nodded his head. Yusuke shoved him back and he fell on the floor. The guy quickly went away.

Keiko walked up to the counter and calmly placed her balloon order. The visibly rattled cashier input her order and took her payment.

"It'll be ready in, ah, ten minutes or so," the cashier stammered, glancing over at Yusuke.

Yusuke was picking up the bags he'd dropped. The cashier looked at him like was a bomb about to go off.

"Oh, don't worry about him," Keiko smiled. "He's fine. He just doesn't like bullies." Keiko rolled her eyes as she said the last word.

Yusuke glowered at Keiko. She ignored him.

"Right. Um, okay. I'll, ah, just go fill this…" the cashier left, trying not to look like he was running away.

As soon as he was out of earshot Keiko smiled at Yusuke. "You're such a softie."

"I am not!" Yusuke protested hotly. "Take it back."

"Make me."

Yusuke grunted, crossed his arms as best he could with all the bags he was holding, and turned his back on her.

The cashier came back with the blown-up balloons. He handed them to Keiko. "Here is your order, miss."

He turned to Yusuke and hesitantly took a step forward. "Thank you. For, um, earlier. My manager is kind of a jerk."

Yusuke looked right at the cashier, still frowning. He flinched, but didn't move back.

"He's a worm. Quit and find a new job." With that Yusuke walked off with Keiko following.

"Aw, look at you, being an inspiration to the downtrodden."

"Shut up!"

"I am so telling Kazuma."

"Don't you dare!"

"I dare," Keiko smiled and stuck her tongue out at him.

"I'm serious!"

"So am I!"

When Keiko told Kuwabara the story later he laughed so hard he fell on the floor. Kurama stopped Yusuke from beating up Kuwabara at his own celebration party.