Reincarnated Into A Dead Woman's Body In Another World-Chapter 286: Interlude - 5: Employment Opportunity

The afternoon was getting late and into a less crowded street the Asobi and Jotou wandered into. A lollipop to each, they stuck together whilst glancing about.

A man with a greying beard and tattered clothes sat under the shade of a roof of an abandoned building. His hat beside him with a few copper pieces within while his eyes sagged, getting sleepier by the second.

As the two passed by, only then did Asobi notice the homeless man. She stopped to her left, pausing Jotou in her steps. Asobi reached into her illusory outfit to fish inside her blazer pocket.

She leaned down to the man with a polite smile and placed the five silver pieces she had into his hat. The homeless man opened his eyes to catch a glimpse before Asobi returned to Jotou.

Just as Asobi began walking forward, Jotou swiftly twirled on her toes back around and leaned to flip an armite into the man’s hat; she twirled all the way back and walked along with Asobi without the magician noticing.

The man blinked a few times and checked his hat... His eyes completely waxed open as he beheld an armite... He smiled, then chuckled in shock.

He rushed onto his feet and shouted over to the two walking away, "THANK YOU! THANK YOU SO MUCH!"

Asobi spun her head back and in a pleasant surprise waved back with a bright smile. She looked back ahead, her eyes glittering in white light, "Wish I had more to give. Hopefully that’s enough to get him back up on his feet and try again."

Jotou stared to Asobi with a smile, "I’m sure he’ll be fine." Asobi nodded with a little giggle as both their tails swayed up.

In the near distance Asobi spotted a large train car dismantled and bolted down next to rows of shorter shops. She skipped ahead to take a closer look.

’Hm. I’d normally crunch these by now.’ Jotou popped the red lollipop out of her lips. She shrugged and chomped on the last bit, yanking the lolly stick out as if it were a chicken leg.

"Jotou, Jotou, Jotou!" Asobi hopped and hollered.

"Coming, coming," Jotou approached the front of the train car, shattering the little crystals in between her teeth. Folded tables, chairs and parasols kept aside while chains secured a lock on the sliding metal door—windows shut and curtains drawn.

Asobi pointed to the colourful chalk on the blackboard menu stand outside, "Sweet-milk cumin bread, pomegranate meat stew, nettle soup, jewelled rice, rose water pudding; lamb, chicken, beef and mutton kebabs?

They all sound so yummy! Maybe we should buy some; we can even bring some back, Meko would love them!"

Jotou read through, "I think the palace has more than enough dinner for us not to waste. Sorry to burst your bubble, but this diner only opens at seven."

"Aww... Guess dinner’s why they call it a diner..."

"I think it’s cause it used to be a diner car for a train," Jotou corrected whilst probing her tongue into the fissures of her teeth to get the wedged lollipop pieces out.

Seeing the bummed out Asobi, Jotou beamed, "Cheer up, we can make plans to come here some other time."

"Ooo, yes, yes! Maybe on your birthday?"

The smile immediately disappeared, the black cat-like ears spiking up while the tail fell. With a flutter of her lashes she blinked away her shocked eyes. "How did you know...?" she forced a chuckle.

Asobi tilted her head, "Mmm, you shouted it out when we were first talking to Kor in the Ordinate. I still remember," though she was more confused at the split-second reaction of the other. "It’s the day after tomorrow, right?"

"Yeah," only then did Jotou start to hear the sounds of the less crowded street; the people walking by, chatter, the afternoon heat that had lured out her sweat—all the things she hadn’t noticed before till now.

However, all her senses took a pause as she felt a hand on her shoulder and heard, "Is everything okay?"

Jotou focused back on Asobi with a shake of her head, "No, it’s fine," her lips curled up so naturally, it was hard to call it fake.

The jade-green eyes stared and stared, "Please don’t ignore the problem," she said in Jotou’s voice. In her normal tone she then asked, "Should I’ve not brought up your birthday...? I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to-"

"No, seriously it’s fine, don’t apologize," she reassured with a more pensive expression. Still, Asobi’s gaze never left her. Jotou... sighed, "I’ve told the story enough times that it just doesn’t feel right to say it anymore..."

Jotou began walking forward, Asobi following suit beside her. "The more I told it and thought about it, the less serious it became over time; it feels like a silly reason to resent a birthday at this point.

It’s nearly gonna be two years. I really should be getting over it by now. Daiyu already knows and if you do, there’s a good chance the detective and Aru do too.

If you guys want to celebrate it, go for it, I’ll appreciate it. But honestly, just wishing me would be more than enough. My 20th birthday was just a bad day, that I don’t feel like putting into words anymore."

"Not everything can be happy... I guess that goes for birthdays too," Asobi pondered aloud, while they no longer cared for the shops and whatnots along the street they walked.

"It definitely does..." Jotou faced her with a bittersweet smirk, "It’s not a guarded secret or anything; I’ll, tell you some other time."

Thinking silence would reign over them, Jotou glanced to the left. Instead she was greeted by two black cat ears and raven black hair drifting down as the head leaned forward, "Well, I never had one so, I wouldn’t really know."

Despite the dreary words that passed her lips, the cute and still cheery face couldn’t help but garner a laugh from Jotou, "I’m sure you have one at the very least."

"Hm..." Asobi recoiled back onto the heel of one foot, "When do you think my birthday is? Maybe, July?"

"Aww, then we’ve already missed it," Jotou turned to play along.

"Silly Jotou," she beamed. "There’s always this year~!"

"What if it was yesterday?" she raised her brows with a grin.

Asobi gasped! "Then I need twenty-one presents, right now!"

"Right meow?"

"Meow," Asobi giggled after mimicking a cat, her ears pricked and her tail swayed from side-to-side.

Jotou’s tail curled into a question mark and her ears cheered up as she attempted once more, "Meow~"

Asobi’s eyes glittered with white light, "That was purrfect!"

"Well cats technically do mimic baby cries, so it’s easy to do."

"Ooo, do me, do me!" her legs shook unrelentingly as she pointed to herself.

Jotou chuckled, "I’m not as good as you."

"Then you must learn from the master! I shall teach you the ways of the voices!" Asobi sounded different in each word.

Jotou winced an eye, "Mmmaybe some other time..."

Asobi stood still, "You’re not interested are you."

"Nope."

"It’s truly a shame for a voice like yours," the disappointed master shook her head though she smiled.

"I can do a little here and there, but I don’t want a full course," Jotou cleared her throat. "Meow, meow, meow," she laughed right after, causing Asobi to giggle as well-

"WOOF!" "BARK!"

The two hadn’t realized they were loitering at the mouth of an alleyway. Their heads turned and out ran on all fours a large grey dog baring its teeth.

Jotou stepped in front and hovered her left arm ahead of Asobi. The dog was about higher than her knee and it charged its fangs straight for the taller black-haired cat-woman.

’I don’t wanna kick a dog!’ Onlookers turned and stopped.

"Jotou!" Asobi pointed her wand as light formed at the tip.

"Hold on!" Jotou let the dog dash to her before she crouched down and fell to her knees. "Ngh!" she caught the hound by the neck, pushing its snout and teeth up and away from her face.

The dog’s paws tried to claw forward, it lurched its body left and right. Jotou’s shoulders and body jerked in the direction, but she gripped both her hands tighter.

The dog came to a pause, panting and growling with a side-eye to Jotou. Asobi stood in terror, wanting to help, but not wanting to interfere.

Whilst its claws did make contact, it didn’t really hurt. In the stalemate, people started to pace towards them in worry. Jotou then noticed the blue collar around its neck.

Its fur wasn’t matted and only its snout seemed to indicate that it was rooting through garbage. "Hey!" Jotou growled and shook the dog once.

The dog bit the air in return. Jotou held its neck tight and forced the dog to its side; although it fought back with its hind legs, she made it fall and pinned it onto the street.

Its head turned up and leered whilst panting. A crowd started to form as adults began getting closer to aid Jotou. "Stand back, please, nobody needs to get bit," she told.

’Collar doesn’t seem to have a name.’ Holding the dog down with hand and forcing her weight down on it slightly, she released her right hand.

Slowly she petted down its chest; its fur was not only not matted, but it was as smooth as silk. The dog’s growl lowered a smidgen...

"Calm down, I’m not gonna hurt you," she hushed. She gently soothed till she could feel the dog resisting her grip less and less. "There we go, good," Jotou checked, "Good boy. Where’s your owner-"

"Roy! Roy!" a tall, rotund man pushed through the small crowd and stood beside Asobi who had hid her wand—she awaited Jotou to be okay.

He wore a purple pinstripe suit and a hat to match—wide eyes, large handlebar moustache and tan skin. He came to a pause, realizing Jotou had loosened her grip from the dog completely.

It panted lying on its side till its head jerked up to the man who called out its name. Jotou continued to pet to avoid the dog going rogue with a crowd now present, "He’s yours? Ever heard of a leash?"

"Sorry, sorry," the man got closer and checked on the dog and then glanced to Jotou. He looked around the crowd, "I’m terribly sorry, but you may go about your business, nothing to see here."

Jotou gave a look to Asobi. Asobi nodded, "You heard him, shoo, shoo, everything’s handled," she politely shooed them off. The crowd—in mutters—dispersed, leaving Jotou still petting the dog.

The man took off his hat, "Are you alright miss?"

"Considering my flesh was gonna be Roy’s dinner, I’m doing peachy," she glared up. Though, petting the dog who clearly enjoyed it was a pleasant turn of events.

"I’m so sorry, he just ran off and we’ve been looking for him all throughout the city. He’s ran very far from home... Luckily people spotted him running by," the man crouched down slowly and pulled out a leash from his pocket.

He hooked it onto the dog’s collar and the dog rolled up, its tail wagging. "Are you hurt or anything?" Asobi checked on Jotou. Roy stood still, panting heavily.

Jotou got up onto her feet and dusted off her skirt, "I’m fine."

The man examined them both; their cat-like ears and tails. "Ahem, I’m sorry again and thank you for saving him. You seem to be good with dogs."

"I wouldn’t really say that," Jotou replied.

"Yeah and it was more self-defence than saving this scary now cute doggie," Asobi agreed.

"Sorry for being forward, but are you two good with pets?"

"Uh..."

"Uhm... Sure we are!" Asobi answered after giving it some thought.

"I’m sorry again," he shook his head. "I’m Daksh Mahajan, the owner of Ruya-Paw Café in Downtown. And you two are...?"

Jotou took a second to blurt out, "Anastasia, Keel," she played it off with a smile.

"And I’m her sister, Amelia Keel," Asobi added.

"Are you two of working age by any chance?" he held the leash closer whilst keeping an eye on Roy.

"Well, I’m turning twenty-two and she’s twenty. What’s with the weird questions?" Jotou’s tail spiked down and wagged like a pendulum.

"I’ll be straight, we’ve been a little understaffed since New Year’s, employees taking extended breaks and such. Are you two in any line of work currently?

We deal with pets on a daily basis, you two seem to be able to handle them and you fit all the necessary criteria. If you’re interested, we’d have more staff so dogs like Roy here, don’t run off into the city."

"You mean it’s a café full of pets?" Asobi’s eyes glittered.

"Yes. You would most likely be joining the waitstaff as well as managing the needs of pets if they’re not being tended to. Just keeping an eye on them, giving them some treats or attention, such and such.

It would be part-time, you can quit whenever you like. If you want to stay full-time afterwards, that’s up to you of course, but we’d be delighted to have you," he pitched.

Asobi halted for a second to peer at Jotou. Jotou held her fingers over her lips in thought, "When exactly is this?"

"Anytime within the week, but preferably tomorrow if possible. We open at eight, but staff would be needed there around seven at most. So, what do you say?"

"Hm..." ’It does sound like fun. I’ve never actually done a ’real job’. It wouldn’t hurt and it’s better than doing practically nothing in the palace. Asobi seems excited about it too.

Everything else today was on a whim. What’s the difference here?’ "Sure! We’d be happy to check it out."

"Really!?" Asobi jumped.

"Mhm, tomorrow works for us too."

"Yup, yup!" Asobi turned.

"That’s great to hear," he sighed in relief. "I don’t have to look for more staff. You’re paid five copper per hour—breaks included. Staff working hours are seven a.m. to nine p.m.

Actual opening hours are eight to eight. Come in tomorrow morning, to this address-" he fished out a business card from his pockets. "-and you can register all your information and such."

Jotou took the card, "Uh, we don’t need to bring identifications and all, do we?"

Mr Mahajan furrowed his brows, "You’re only part-timing... I can make an exception, but if you want long-term you’ll have to register everything properly. Test out a few days, see how you feel."

"That works for us!" Asobi replied.

The early evening was settling in. "Alright, thank you so much and sorry again for Roy. I look forward to your employment," he raised his hand with a wave, while the dog turned and strained the leash, pulling Mr Mahajan forward with heavy breaths.

Asobi waved goodbye and looked to Jotou, "We have jobs now?"

"We have jobs now."

"Yay! I thought it’d be harder!"

"It normally is... We should probably head for the palace now; it’s about time."

"Aww... It’s at least been quite the adventure with you sister!"

"Alright Amelia, let’s go," Jotou- Anastasia rolled her eyes as she walked off with her sister.