Extra Story: Noa Works at the Shop

Extra Story:
Noa Works at the Shop

 

WHILE I WAS HAVING LUNCH, Noa came into the Bear’s Lounge. She noticed me right away.

“Are you eating as well, Yuna?”

“Do you mean you’re about to join me?”

“Yes, I came to eat here too. It’s been so long. May I?”

“Go for it.”

“In that case, I’ll order. Please wait for me.”

Noa ordered some bread and cake, then came back.

“The bread this shop sells is so delicious.”

“I appreciate it, Noa. Thank you.” Noa ate her bread as she looked around the shop. Wondering what she could have been looking at, I followed her line of sight. She was watching the kids on the job.

“Yuna?”

“What is it?”

“I would also like to wear the bear clothes,” Noa said, sounding quite serious as she watched the kids in their bear jackets.

“Uh...seriously? I mean, you’re not joking?”

“I am serious. Fina and Shuri get to wear them. I’d like to as well.”

Where did this come from? And what was I supposed to do about it? “Even if you want to wear it, it’s still the shop uniform.”

“Then do I need to work at the shop? I can do that. Now please, let me try on a jacket, won’t you?” Noa put her hands together and begged me. Seeing that, I couldn’t just tell her no anymore.

 

“Mil, hey, sorry. I know you’re busy, but Noa says she has to wear one of the bear jackets and work.” I’d called over Mil to fulfill Noa’s wish, and we were at the changing room.

“Fine by me, as long as it’s just for a short time.”

“Thank you.”

Mil seemed thrilled when I rested my hand on top of her head. Then I had Mil prepare a bear jacket. “Lady Noire, I did wash this, but...are you sure you want to wear my clothes?”

“I don’t mind! That’ll do just fine! Really, I mean it!”

“Are you sure?”

Mil seemed kind of put off by Noa’s enthusiasm, but Noa undressed and changed into the bear jacket Mil had prepared her.

“Do you have a mirror?” she asked.

“We have one over there.” They’d had a big mirror for a while to make sure they looked ready for work. Noa posed in front of it.

“Hee hee hee…I’m a bear! Grrr!”

“Noa,” said Mil, “you’re acting kind of scary.”

“At last, I’m wearing the bear clothes!” Noa declared.

“Since you’re wearing those clothes,” I said, “we’re going to put you to work.”

“Yes, ma’am! Of course.”

“And you can’t fool around in the shop either. If you complain, it’s over—got it?”

“I swear on the bear that I wouldn’t dream of it!”

What was that supposed to mean? Was she swearing on herself now?

 

I decided to have Noa start with washing the dishes.

“Make sure you’re doing it right.”

“I’ve got it.”

Noa didn’t seem unwilling at all as she started to wash the dishes. When Morin saw that, she called me over, seeming worried.

“Yuna, are you sure you can put the lord’s own daughter to work washing dishes?”

“That’s what she wanted.”

“Are you sure her father won’t be upset later?”

“If he gets mad, I’ll take the blame. Should be fine.” Based on Cliff’s personality, it wasn’t like he’d storm into the shop or anything. If he got mad at anyone, it’d probably be Noa.

 

Noa didn’t complain at all as she washed the built-up dishes.

“Yuna, I’m done! I want to bake the bread next. I made bear bread with Fina earlier.”

“Hmm, how about we save the baking for next time?”

“Aww, but…but I’ve practiced!”

At that moment, Morin called over the kids in the kitchen. “If any of you are free, please peel some potatoes.”

“Okaaay!”

One of the kids helping Morin answered back, picked up a knife with her tiny hand, then started to smoothly peel a potato. She was pretty practiced at it.

“Good job there.”

“Thanks, Miss Yuna! I practiced really hard.”

Noa immediately raised her hand. “I want to do it too!”

Morin blinked. “Noa?”

“I don’t know,” I said. “It’d be dangerous. She has to use a knife and all…” If I let a noble get hurt, we’d have a problem on our hands.

“I’ll be okay.” But man, she was completely gung ho about it.

“Are you really sure?”

“Yes!”

Where did all that self-confidence she had come from? Now it was making me anxious.

 

Noa picked up the knife with her tiny hand and tried to peel a potato. It looked so dangerous, I just couldn’t watch. Her knife slipped in a weird direction.

“Nope, no—” I took the knife from her “—you’re going to hurt yourself!”

“Wh-what are you doing?!”

“Noa, no knives for you. No sharp objects.” I couldn’t let her use any—it just looked too dangerous. “This isn’t your first time using a knife, is it?”

“Pssht. I’ve used knives, um…a couple…of times…” She mumbled that last part. I sighed. She was a girl from a high-class family. Guess that was just how things were. Fina and the orphans used knives all the time. Fina had learned the skill from butchering, and the orphans from cooking.

Noa forlornly set the potato on the table. I scratched my head and thought for a while.

“Noa, do it this way. Now watch carefully, okay? I’m not sure you’ll really need to know how to do this, since you’re an aristocrat, but…”

“That’s not true at all. Please teach me.”

I picked up the potato and knife, then slowly started showing her the proper way to peel it. It would’ve been nice to have a peeler, I’ll admit, but the kids never needed them. Maybe it could make things go smoother, though…

 

Noa peeled the potato clumsily, but exactly like I’d shown her. “Uhh, this is hard…”

It was probably my imagination, but even the bear on her hood looked kind of bummed out.

After that, the three of us (me included) peeled the potatoes that Morin had asked for.

“I couldn’t peel that many,” she groaned.

“Everyone starts out as a beginner.”

“Even you, Yuna?”

“Even me. Everybody.” I consoled Noa, then we started moving toward the dining area after she asked for her next job.

 

“Am I serving customers next? Just leave it to me. I’ll handle the money, pick up stuff, and wipe things down.”

She did a turn, showing off her bear outfit.

Why was she so into this?

When I took Noa into the dining area, the kids were milling around doing their work with Karin at their center. Let’s see…

“I guess we’ll have you help out with picking things up? Um, hey, Karin!”

Karin was supervising as the lead on the floor. “Ms. Yuna, what is it? Oh, I feel like I’ve seen that girl somewhere before.”

Noa pulled off her hood so her face was more visible. Her long blonde hair flowed out.

“Lady Noire?”

“Yep. She’s helping out with the shop today in exchange for being able to wear the bear clothes.”

“Uh, Yuna…are you sure? She’s a noble…” Karin looked at me, then back at Noa.

“Well, she said she wanted to do this herself. I was thinking she could help clear the tables. If she gets in the way, just let me know.”

“No way will I get in the way. I’ll follow any direction you give me. Ms. Karin, what would you like me to do?”

“In…that case, could you clear the plates off the tables that customers have left? And wipe them down too, please.”

“Do you know how to do that, Noa?”

“I’ve seen everyone else working, so I should be able to manage,” Noa declared. And off she went to clean the tables, her little bear tail wagging from side to side.

“Ms. Yuna, are you really sure we should be doing this? No one is going to summon me about it later, right? I won’t get in trouble for it?”

Karin sounded just like her mom.

“It’ll be fine. I’ll take all the responsibility for it.”

 

Karin’s worries aside, Noa’s one day of work experience came to a close with nothing of note happening.

“I’m not paying you a wage for this, but we do have some pudding and bread if you want to take it home,” I told her.

“Thank you.” Noa accepted the bag and started to leave.

“Noa, wait one moment.” I grabbed her shoulder.

“Wh-what is it? I need to head home soon.”

“You can—after you’ve changed.”

“Ugh, I thought I’d almost gotten away with it…and with the bear jacket.”

She’d end up in trouble with Cliff and Lala if she went home dressed as a bear. She really seemed to forget her station sometimes. “C’mon, go change.”

“You’re so very mean, Yuna,” Noa pouted.

She got changed back into her usual clothes—and then tried to walk out the shop still holding the bear clothes in her hands. She really didn’t know when to give up. Did she want a bear jacket that badly?

 

Though she didn’t get to take the jacket home, Noa did look very pleased with herself when she left. Hmm. Maybe I’d better prepare a bear jacket for the next time she stopped by…