The World Stage (1)

It was too early to be evening, but too late for it to be afternoon by the time I left the pawn shop. The normally busy street was in the lull before rush hour, with only some small chatter here and there. Making sure to dispel my costume this time, I trudged my feet down the concrete sidewalk towards the hotel, thinking about our earlier conversation.

I said ten thousand would be simple in two weeks, but I doubted reality would be that kind. People rarely opened up their purse strings multiple times a week for a performance that was effectively free. The two thousand reales I earned today was probably an outlier due to the novelty of it all. From what I remembered, street performers usually made around three to four hundred a show, and those typically had breaks in-between. I, meanwhile, was planning on doing it every day. Either that, or I would need to find another job – one that required no id.

These thoughts continued to stew as I continued on my way, until I was greeted with an unusual sight. A large number of people seemed to be lined up along the street, excitedly chattering about something. They even blocked the entrances to the other stores, not that there was any foot traffic for them. Though I was curious, my exhaustion from the day’s activities kept me from wandering. Well, it’s going in the same direction anyway, so I’ll follow along for now.

Luckily, the line wasn’t actually as long as I thought it would be, so I reached the start pretty quickly. On the other hand…

“What in the world…”

…the line went straight into the very hotel I was staying at.

“Oi, back of the line!” As I stood there dumbfounded, one of the women waiting noticed me staring and heckled.

But I’m not even–

“Yeah, no cutting!”

“I’ve been waiting hours for this!”

Before I could finish my thought, the others quickly joined in on the faux bullying. My mouth barely sputtered an, “I’m sorry what?”

“Huh? Are you not here for the restaurant?”

“He has to be here for the restaurant! Who wouldn’t after hearing about the Smith Company!?”

“You heard it too. The waitress is apparently a modest goddess. I can only imagine…”

“And the waiter too? Aaaahhh!!!”

Wait, wait, wait… what? What the heck is the Smith Company? Is that waitress our hostess Maeva? But what about this guy waiter??? I couldn’t make heads or tails of what they were talking about, but I decided to push it out of my mind since…

“Um, I’m staying in this hotel.”

The hecklers immediately went quiet. With shifty eyes, they looked at each other, then back at me.

“...right.”

“...this is a hotel too.”

“...I forgot.”

How can you just forget that?!? The restaurant wasn’t even that popular until now!

I let out a sigh. “Can I…?”

“Oh, yeah.”

“Of course.”

“Go right ahead.”

“Sorry.”

The doorframe into the hotel was quite narrow, but nobody moved half an inch to let me through. Instead, a few rotated their bodies, providing just enough space to squeeze through. It was a bit uncomfortable, especially since our noses were almost close enough to touch.

As for the hotel, ignoring the constant chatter loud enough to drone out all other sounds, it was the same as before, sans the hostess. Maeva was nowhere to be found, which given the limited staff was obvious. If I have to guess…

I poked my head into the restaurant. It was a can of packed sardines, most of them sitting in chairs, but quite a few were on the floor or standing in the walkways. There were even a couple jumping around tables for some reason. But the strangest thing was that everyone was eating the exact same dish: the omelet I made the morning prior.

Now, I have nothing against omelets, but for dinner? I know some people in France are willing to live off them, but it should stay a breakfast food. They’re not even that filling! I’m pretty sure it’s bad for your heart too.

Of course, most of the plates were still more than half full due to the lively banter. Though, there was one other moment where the customers stopped and stared: whenever the servers passed by, one of which I definitely recognized.

Maeva was a little more dolled up than usual, wearing clothes that suited her mystical allure yet still managing to obscure her body. It didn’t matter though; she drew the eyes of men and some women whenever she delivered a dish or took an order. The crowd parted wherever she walked. But… her crazed eyes and stuck-on smile were a bit terrifying.

On the other side, the waiter almost acted like a perfect complement. With a celebrity grin and slick-backed silver hair, that handsome fella moved with grace as he snuck around every person with ease. Even when someone was about to bump him, whether accidentally on purpose, he simply tossed the tray, slid by, and caught it like a well performed circus act. Of course, all the women and some men shrieked with glee, earning him some well deserved ire.

Actually, he looks a bit familiar–

“——————————” I felt a small tug on my wrist, bringing my attention downward. Nope, still can’t see anything. Maeva had come over at some point and tried to tell me something. However, her voice was drowned out by the cacophonous restaurant.

“W–h–a–t–?” I tried to say something myself, but I could only hear the vibrations coming from my throat.

It only took her a few moments to realize what was going on, so she decided to be a bit more forceful. Taking my hand in hers, Maeva dragged me all the way to the kitchen and tossed me inside. She didn’t bother explaining either before heading back to the restaurant floor.

The kitchen was just as chaotic. Rows and rows of bowls containing vegetables, meat, and seasoned egg mix covered the countertop like an assembly line. Pans covered each of the burners, each cooking a different omelet. Then there was Maeva’s father, shuffling between each station like a madman.

“Finally! You’re here! Put on an apron and get cooking! There’s no time to waste,” he huffed, dumping a pan’s contents onto a plate and sliding it out the serving window.

“Um, what–” I tried to ask, but…

“No questions! Start cracking eggs! I don’t have enough hands as it is.”

“But–”

“I’ll pay you for it, so just do it.”

“Wait–”

“NOW!!!!”