"I can't do it. I'm scared, Andrea," Mizuki admits, her voice trembling with fear. "It's gonna be okay," Andrea reassures her friend while placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Being scared is a natural part of life when trying new things." "I- I don't want to disappoint you." Mizuki sniffles, tears welling up in her eyes. Andrea takes Mizuki's face in her hands and uses her thumb to wipe away her tears. "You are the strongest person I know. And you could never disappoint me. The fact that you're trying is what matters most." Mizuki takes a deep breath and nods, a small smile appearing on her face. "Okay... Let's do this," she says with newfound confidence. "Good girl," Andrea says, giving her best friend a supportive hug. "I knew you could do it."
The cozy and welcoming atmosphere of the Kosuchūmu Café is palpable as Mizuki and Andrea step inside. The hostess, Asami, greets them with a warm smile and cheery voice, "Hello, and welcome to Kosuchūmu Café! How can I-? Oh! Hi, Andrea! Hi, Mizuki!" "Hi, Asami! How have you been?" "You know how it is, Andrea. The weekends are always so busy." "Tell me about it," Andrea replies, giggling with Asami and leaving Mizuki feeling awkward and excluded. Andrea then asks, "Have you seen Hiroka?" "I saw her in the office before I took my break. Do you need something?" "Yeah, Mizuki is here for a job interview," she explains, gesturing towards her best friend with pride, which causes Mizuki to become flustered. "Oh! That's wonderful! I would love to work with you, Mizuki." "Yeah... Me too."
"It was nice talking to you, Asami. I'll see you later." Andrea waves at the younger girl before pulling Mizuki along. "See? That wasn't so bad, was it? You'll get used to it in no time." Mizuki remains silent, seemingly deep in thought and too distracted to respond, lost in her own world of contemplation.
"Mizuki?" "What?" Mizuki finally responds in a somewhat agitated tone. Andrea knows when her friend is like this, it's best to give her some space. "Whenever you feel anxious, just give my hand a little squeeze, okay?" Andrea offers a kind smile as she guides Mizuki towards the back of the cafe. Eventually, they reach a room with a sign on the door that reads "Chi Hiroka, Store Owner." "This is where we'll be going. Are you ready?" Andrea inquires, showing empathy towards Mizuki's emotions. "Yeah." Mizuki takes a deep breath as Andrea knocks on the door three times. A very sweet "Come in" is heard from the other side. They enter the office, and sitting behind a desk is a beautiful woman in her mid-20s. She has blonde hair that goes to her shoulder blades, sparkling green eyes, and smooth porcelain skin. The woman stands up to reveal her slim and tall figure. She's wearing a white button-up dress shirt with a black pencil skirt and black heels.
"Hello, Andrea." "Hello, Ms Hiroka." "And you must be Mizuki. Correct?" "Yes, ma'am," Mizuki mumbles shyly, her pale skin flushing a soft pink. "Oh, no need to be so formal, Dear. Just call me Hiroka." "Of course, Hiroka. Thank you." She smiles softly and sits down in her office chair. "Please, have a seat, girls." Andrea and Mizuki oblige and sit across from her. "So, Andrea told me you don't have any job experience, which is fine. It just means you'll receive a few extra days of training. Does that sound okay to you, Mizuki?" "Yes, that's fine." "Wonderful." Hiroka grabs a small stack of papers on her desk and pushes them towards Mizuki. "I just need you to fill these out. They will mostly ask for your birthday, social security number, any health insurance, and bank account info. There's also some information about the job, Health Code, safety, and harassment prevention." "Harassment prevention?" Mizuki mumbles shakily, feeling her chest tighten and her breath quicken. Andrea squeezes her hand, but she continues to hyperventilate. "Yes, we have had some problems, but we do everything possible to prevent scenarios before they can even happen." Hiroka reassures before continuing, "Everyone is always in pairs—No one is ever alone. So you'll be paired with Andrea for your first few weeks of training, then it'll be someone else." She smiles softly as she stands up and straightens out her skirt. "O-okay..?" "Wonderful. I'll let you fill these out while I check on everyone. I'll be back in a bit." She exits the office, leaving Mizuki with her jumbled thoughts and emotions.
"Mizuki, take your time. There's no rush," Andrea says, her voice soothing and gentle. "If you need any help or have any questions about the forms, just let me know. I'm here for you." Mizuki nods, trying to steady her breathing as she picks up a pen and starts filling out the papers. Her hands tremble slightly, but Andrea's presence beside her brings a sense of calm. She begins with the basic personal information, carefully writing her name, address, and contact details. As she reaches the section on health insurance and bank account information, Mizuki hesitates for a moment. She glances up at Andrea, her eyes filled with uncertainty. "Um, Andrea, I don't have either of these things." "That's okay. Just leave it blank for now—Then we can review it with Hiroka when she comes back."
As they work through the forms, Mizuki gradually relaxes, feeling more confident with Andrea's support and guidance. Andrea's gentle reassurance and friendly demeanor help create a safe space for Mizuki to ask questions and share her concerns. Once they finish filling out the forms, they sit back and take a deep breath. Andrea smiles proudly at Mizuki. "Well done, Mizuki! You did great. I know this can be overwhelming, but you handled it like a pro." Mizuki returns the smile, her nerves easing. "Thank you, Andrea. I couldn't have done it without you." Andrea pats her hand gently. "Remember, Mizuki, I'm here to support you every step of the way—You're not alone in this journey. We're all a team here, and we look out for one another."
Just as they finish their conversation, Hiroka returns to the office, her face lighting up when she sees the completed forms. "Ah, excellent job, Mizuki! You've finished everything, it seems." "Actually, Ms Hiroka, Mizuki doesn't have insurance or a bank account." "Oh, that's okay. Just open one by next week so you can fill out that form, okay? And you don't have to have insurance—It's just something we ask in case of injury." "Okay. Thank you, Ms Hiroka." "Of course, dear. I'll have your uniform ready by Monday." "Thank you so much. We appreciate this, Hiroka." "You're welcome, girls. I'll see you soon." "Bye!" Andrea waves before turning to Mizuki with an excited smile. "I can't wait! Working with you is gonna be so much fun." "Yeah... It's gonna be great."
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