Late afternoon sunlight stretched across the red-tiled rooftops of the neighborhood.
The main road leading to the market was packed with people. Vendors shouted, customers bargained, carts rattled over the stone ground. The smell of grilled meat, fresh bread, and strange spices filled the air, blending into a lively, chaotic scene.
Among the crowd, two familiar figures walked slowly.
All two wore simple, slightly worn clothes. Their wounds from the test a month ago had mostly healed, though faint scars still remained.
Mike walked in front, holding his stomach, his face twisted in discomfort.
"I'm starving…" he groaned. "We've been walking forever and I haven't eaten anything."
Duke walked beside him, hands in his pockets. He looked calmer, but his eyes were dull from hunger.
"Just deal with it," Duke said. "All we had this morning was one piece of dry bread."
Mike sighed.
"And it didn't even taste good, and where is that idiot gone?"
Duke shaking his head in return
"Don't know, he said that he going to get some stuff"
"Stuff?" Mike asked, "does he even have money?"
Duke looking at mike calmly "isn't that obvious? Hell no"
At that moment, hurried footsteps came from behind.
"Hey!"
Kai pushed through the crowd and ran up to them.
In his hands was a small woven basket, filled with colorful fruits…red apples, yellow oranges, and some strange ones they had never seen before.
Kai caught his breath, then held the basket out.
"Here. Eat," he said. "I got these."
Mike immediately grabbed an apple—then suddenly stopped.
"Wait."
He turned to Kai with a suspicious look.
"Where did you get money to buy all this?"
Duke frowned.
"Yeah. I clearly remember we used up all our money this month."
Kai shrugged, giving a small smirk.
"Well… during the past month, while recovering, I got a job somewhere."
Mike blinked.
"A job?"
Duke tilted his head.
"Doing what?"
Kai answered casually.
"At a shop that sells and repairs armor."
The two immediately looked at each other.
Mike opened his mouth.
"Wait… so that's why you've been coming home late every night?"
Kai nodded. "Yeah."
Duke asked quickly
"So how's the pay?"
Kai thought for a second… then answered calmly:
"Oh, i don't get paid."
…
…
…
…
Then both Duke and Mike shouted at the same time.
"WHAT!?"
A few people nearby turned to look at them like they were idiots.
Kai scratched his head.
"Well… I mostly clean armor, polish old gear, organize the storage… stuff like that. And I was just an intern, so no salary."
Mike stared at him like he had just heard something insane.
"Then… where did this basket come from?"
Kai lifted it slightly.
"The shop owner gave it to me."
Duke frowned.
"Gave it to you?"
Kai nodded.
"He said it's to celebrate the end of my internship."
Mike and Duke exchanged another look.
Mike let out a breath.
"Oh… so it's a gift."
Duke nodded slowly.
"For a second I thought you worked for free."
Mike took a big bite of the apple.
"So you'll get paid from now on or what?"
Kai looked at them… then answered calmly:
"No."
Mike kept chewing.
"What do you mean 'no'?"
Kai replied:
"I got fired."
…
…
…
…
…
…
"WHAT THE HELL!?" Mike shouted, almost spit out his apple.
Duke slapped his forehead hard.
Kai still looked completely calm.
"Yeah… I got fired."
Duke stared at him.
"Then this basket…"
Kai shrugged.
"A goodbye gift."
Mike's eyes widened.
"WHY DID YOU GET FIRED!?"
Kai scratched his head again.
"Well…some time I accidentally broke things while working…..a lot"
Duke let out a heavy sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose.
"I can't believe you…"
He looked at Kai for a moment, then continued.
"So you really worked for free for a whole month?"
Kai thought about it.
"Looks like it."
Mike covered his face.
"Oh my fucking god…"
He sighed, then took another bite of his apple.
"I thought we finally had some income…"
Kai shrugged.
"At least we got this basket."
Mike looked at it and nodded.
"Yeah… if we eat carefully, it should last until tomorrow."
Duke looked around the busy market.
Vendors were still shouting.
Food stalls smoked with fresh dishes.
The smell made his stomach growl again, He sighed.
"I seriously think we should find some jobs."
He spoke slowly.
"Man, At this rate… we're going to be starve soon."
Kai nodded.
"Yeah."
He thought for a moment.
"I'll go ask the armor shop owner tomorrow. Maybe he knows somewhere that's hiring."
Mike sighed.
"Anywhere is fine…" he muttered.
"It's always the same problem… money."
At the same time ….deeper in the market
In a busy corner of the market stood a large restaurant.
A wooden sign hung outside, and the smell of food spread far into the street.
Inside, almost every table was full.
Voices filled the room. Glasses clinked. The kitchen echoed with constant noise.
A young man in a waiter's uniform bowed slightly to a table.
It was Hajime.
"Good afternoon," he said politely. "What would you like to order?"
He wrote quickly in a small notebook, then moved smoothly to the next table.
He moved through the crowded space with ease…fast, clean, never bumping into anyone.
In the kitchen behind him, a completely different scene was unfolding.
Flames burned under large pans.
Daniel stood at the stove, stirring constantly.
Sweat covered his forehead, but his movements were precise and confident.
He added spices, flipped the pan, plated dishes without hesitation.
The owner….a slightly overweight middle-aged man….stood nearby, watching.
He nodded in approval.
"You're young, but your skills are impressive."
He laughed.
"My restaurant really needs someone like you."
Daniel bowed slightly.
"You flatter me," he said. "I'm just doing my job."
He placed a freshly cooked meat dish onto the counter.
Outside the restaurant…
A tall young man stood straight like a statue.
Chad.
He wore a neat black suit, his hair perfectly styled, looking like a high-class receptionist.
Whenever a customer arrived, he opened the door.
"Welcome."
And when they left…
"Thank you for coming."
Everything went smoothly.
But when no one stood at the entrance, Chad frowned slightly.
He looked down at his suit, tight and not very comfortable
Then at the door handle.
Then at the busy street.
He muttered quietly to himself…
"…Why did I have to do this job?"