Her Last Name || Akashi Seijuro✔

Chapter 1: My present

I stood in front of "Sherry's Coffee", one of the most popular and ever crowded coffee shops in the town. As I heard from my best friend, Haruka, recently they've been short of staff. She also told me that many college students work part time jobs here and the paycheck was pretty good.

I needed money. I needed a job. No matter what kind, I was ready to do anything. 

I took out a pocket mirror from my worn out dark purse and looked at my reflection. My light blue eyes looked lifeless as the dark circles under them made me look a bit like an owl- a clear indication of my lack of sleep due to the unpaid bills of months. My pale skin and dry lips looked nowhere near appealing either. I took out a lip balm and used it lightly. I slapped my cheeks slightly to muster up my confidence and bring some life in them. My short dark blue hair was the only thing that looked borderline decent but still I ran my fingers through them as a habit. Then I put the mirror inside my old fashioned purse and got inside shaking off the hesitation and doubts.

'Are they going to interview me or something? Or broke college students like me who want a part time job don't actually need to give an interview? I mean an interview for a part time job shouldn't be anything serious… right?' 

I had no idea about these types of things because I never actually had a job or part time job before.

Because I never needed to. 

As I entered the café, the sweet, addictive aroma of coffee went through my nostrils instantly making me crazy for just a cup of freshly brewed coffee with some bagels on the side. The shop gave off a homely feeling and was buzzing with customers. No wonder it was the most popular coffee shop in the town. I marched towards the counter where an orange haired girl was standing. She looked friendly. 

"Hello, miss. How can I help you?" She asked me with a smile when I approached her. 

"Uhm... I wanted to meet the owner or the manager of this shop." I said awkwardly, fidgeting my fingers. 

"Do you have any complaints about our products or our services?" 

"No, no! I just wanted to talk to her about... hiring new staff."

"Oh! Then please come with me."

I followed the friendly orange haired girl to the back of the counter and she took me inside a room which looked like the room of the manager (or owner). I saw a grey haired, middle aged woman talking to another staff member. The woman looked strict. 

"Madam, this lady wanted to meet you." The girl with me said politely gesturing at me.  

The gray haired woman looked at me. Her dark brown eyes pierced through my blue ones. "About what?"

Thinking that the question was directed at me, I answered quickly, "About the part time job, ma'am. I heard the shop is currently short of staff and interested in hiring students who want to do part time jobs."

"Are you a student?" The woman asked me looking at me up and down.

"Yes, ma'am. I'm a student of the Kyoto National College. First year." I gulped.

"I see. A college student, huh? Please have a seat. Tsunada, you can go now." 

The orange haired girl bowed politely and left the room immediately . 

"How old are you?" She asked me in an uptight tone. 

I gulped again. ‘Is this really necessary? Are interviews these days starting with your age?’

"I'm 24, ma'am." I said quietly. 

The woman frowned as her brown eyes turned confused and a little skeptical. "Don’t mind me but aren't you too old to be in the first year?"