《Reaching For the Stars》Chapter 25
Advertisement
I open the doors out of the break room and go out into the new job.
I deeply inhale. For now, I'll just be cleaning tables from customers that have left and sweeping the floor.
Seeing a few customers leaving, I head towards their table and begin picking up their leftover items.
That's amusing. I do remember people being flamed over not getting rid of their disposables and leaving it to the workers. Is it common instead in this world to leave it to the workers?
Since the world was pretty advanced, the waiters didn't use paper and pen anymore and just used custom restaurant tablets. It also helped to communicate faster and more efficiently between all the workers.
I haven't received one yet and that's because the newly updated batches are barely coming in and I don't really need one.
I grab the tip and hand it to the guy that was assigned to this table.
At least giving tips is common here.
It's also a sit-down and order type of cafe, instead of the one where you ask for your order like Starbucks and then just sit down and leave.
What we did the other day was go to the take out to specify that we were all 'couples' to get the 25% discount. We just decided to get our orders there.
I laugh out loud remembering the fun time we had.
Slightly weird that I was a customer and now an employee here.
I wipe the table with a cloth and leave it ready for the next customers.
Heading back towards the employee zone, I receive a few waves from people that recognize me.
I politely smile at them.
I mutter to myself, "Okay, the majority of the tasks were already finished by the guys that were here earlier. I just need to be a waiter, clean tables, occasionally sweep the floor, and play the piano."
Seeing that all current tables still had customers in them, I mentally check clean tables for now.
"Hey, Charlie."
I turn towards my co-worker.
"You've got an assigned table, it's #12 and it's the one over in that corner."
I nod at him and begin walking towards table #12 with a paper and pen. Damn, I think I'm going to need a tablet.
I walk over and it's a group of noisy girls.
"Good afternoon, I'll be your waiter today. May I take your orders?"
They stared at me and they began tapping each other frantically.
The three of them suddenly talked after a little awkward silence,
"Yes!"
"Yea, we've got our orders."
"Nope, please stay as we think of our orders."
They began talking again.
"Yeah, we haven't thought of our orders yet please wait here."
"Yup."
Some of them stayed quiet while the rest began telling me to stay for a little while.
Advertisement
I mentally palm my face. Just say your damn orders women. I've got other things to attend to.
I politely smile at them and they just stare at me once again.
"Ummm, I'd like an iced caramel cappuccino and your—COUGH, number please." She began lightly coughing and they all started laughing.
I once again smile and laugh lightly. "An iced caramel for this pretty lady, then. May I take your orders?" I write down her order. Complimenting has been pretty effective for switching subjects. No way I am going to give her my number.
The girl blushed red and the girls began frantically calling out their orders. Some regretting that they weren't the first ones to order.
Complimenting also made them make their orders so much quicker. Ah, should I just do this every time now?
I write down their orders, "Thank you. The orders will be here in around ten minutes. Would you like anything else?"
They all seemed satisfied and I left.
My co-workers gave me a high five and congratulated me on my first table. Aren't all of these people wholesome?
As time passed, the tables began filling up and soon we were rushing around swiftly throughout the entire cafe.
I carried sweet chocolate croissants on one hand and two icecreams on the other.
"Here, are your orders. Please enjoy."
It seemed most of my assigned tables were mostly satisfied and happy with me. Better tips, and better satisfaction and happiness for both sides.
I got a new assigned table.
"Good afternoon, I will be your waiter for the day. May I take your orders?"
They gave me their order with a smile. It seems being respectful at any given time will be beneficial.
"A double ice cream sundae for the beautiful couple, then. Your order will arrive soon in ten minutes, thank you."
…
Soon, all the tables were filled and had their orders already taken. However, people still were trickling in through the doors.
Most went to the quick takeout and some left after hearing it was full.
Michael comes up to me, "Hey Charlie, you're doing a great job right now."
"Thank you."
He smiles at me.
"Since all of the tables are filled now, it should be the perfect moment to show off your skills."
I nod getting his intentions and walk towards the upright piano. I sit on the stool and pull up the lid.
Last night I prepared the songs I was going to play. I decided I would start with a loud song that would impact the people in the cafe. My choice for that was Sincerely - Violet Evergarden.
[Author Note: Haven't watched the anime yet but I've heard the anime is very beautiful. I listened to this OST in my recommendations and its piano version is one of my favorite piano songs to listen to. There are many beautiful covers and arrangements, I recommend you guys listen to them.]
Advertisement
I learned it right after listening to it for the first time even without watching the anime.
This one is extremely beautiful and I think it'll quiet down the cafeteria a little. After they quiet down I'll play another of Yiruma's pieces which is called River Flows in You.
Everyone and their mothers know or have heard of this piece and there's a reason why. Although it's very repetitive it's very beautiful and hits the heart.
I debated whether to play the original piece which is quite simple or play one of the advanced arrangements I learned.
The advanced arrangement includes the simple piece in it's beginning anyway and then devolves into a more profound song. I decided on this one.
By now, the cafe will probably be tired of the silence and just begin speaking loudly once again. I'll take a small break and continue waitering.
After that, I'll continue and play Joe Hisaishi's Summer. It's a relaxing song that gets you nostalgic and thinking about your childhood.
[Author Note: This one's also really good and for a while makes you feel as if you're 8 years old and running around the playground with your childhood friends.]
I wrote down my list the other day and I more or less visualized playing the songs to refresh my memory. I'm not sure I'll be able to perform all of these without mistakes but I think it'll be fine.
Playing songs in this cafe will give the listeners a good vibe and feel like they're young again. The high school students who are here instead will be enjoying their time and probably feel like they're in a movie.
Well, let's start with Sincerely from Violet Evergarden, then.
I begin playing some loud and flashy warm-ups to attract the attention of the whole cafe.
People begin quieting down and watch me.
Some even took out their phones as they recognized that I had played here before.
I play some bright tunes to get my fingers moving and abruptly end the sounds.
I lay down my fingers on the keys and close my eyes while playing the beginning sections. The beginning section was the chorus but watered down a little bit. It got people's attention pretty quickly.
[Author Note: Violet Evergarden - Sincerely. KyoAni, the studio that made many animes which includes Violet Evergarden and other famous works was hit by an arson attack that killed 36 people and injured 33 while destroying their materials. I give my condolences to KyoAni fans.]
The introducing section came in pretty quickly and it was a gentle and simple measure that sounded good to the ear. I play a few flowing sounds and the piece begins gaining more harmonic depth.
The bridge connecting to the chorus begins playing and I begin upping the volume.
Oh my god, I'm getting chills from this.
[Ding!]
Shoot, not now system.
[The skill Piano has been added to the host's arsenal!]
[Notification temporarily muted.]
My fingers felt a little more energized and I was able to visualize and hear what I was going to play as I played it.
I gained more dexterity and the sound sounded even fuller than before with more colors.
Chills started going down my back.
God damn, this one sounds nice.
I poured in emotion into this piece with hints of sorrow, bitterness, and also some slight love. The bright sonances pulled in the listeners and created a special atmosphere within the cafe.
People stopped to listen and even my co-workers momentarily stopped to enjoy the moment.
People stopped, and proved the saying, 'Music is the universal language of mankind.'
I descend into the finale after the three minutes of emotional playing and end it with a light note.
A few seconds later, there's roaring applause coming from everywhere.
I smile and look around at everyone.
"Wooo! Charlie!" What in the tarnation? Who?
I look back to where I heard my name being called out and there in the takeout section are my friends smiling and clapping for me.
Wow, I did not know they were there. I'm happy they're supporting me, though.
I let the applause ring for a few seconds after and began playing the keys in the piano once again.
I'll dedicate this one to my family and friends then.
[Author Note: and the readers!]
The familiar tones begin ringing out. No one but me recognizes the song being played.
Some people just turn off their phones. They have looks of satisfaction.
They don't need to record and can just enjoy the moment because other people are recording me right now. They know they can just search up the video another time.
The ones recording me are probably going to upload it to their social media and that'll be even more exposure for me.
Now in the section connecting the main part, I go out of the original notes and begin playing a few crazy techniques.
I spread my hands over the keys of the piano and begin inserting some forte into the main part.
People are enjoying the song right now which is great. I feel a sense of satisfaction rising from my heart at the people's reactions and begin playing with even more emotion.
Advertisement
- In Serial29 Chapters
Protettore.
"P-please. I'll be good. Please don't hurt me." I begged him, wrapping my arms around myself, as though that would keep me from completely falling apart. "I'm not going to hurt you princess." He told me comfortingly. His hand raised to my face and his fingers ghosted over the cut from uncle's ring. "I'm not going to let anyone hurt you ever again. My name is Lorenzo Conti. Will you tell me your name?" Nora Phillips didn't think she would ever escape her uncle's grasp. Little did she know knights in shining armor could come in the form of mafia bosses. As soon as Lorenzo saw her, he knew he had to save her, but can he protect her from everything? Can he be her protettore?Rated M for language and violence.REVISIONS AND EPILOGUE HAVE BEEN POSTED!
8 134 - In Serial50 Chapters
The Alpha's To Mark✔️
~~First book in Alpha Series~~~~~Completed~~~Natalie has gone through one rejection and is not strong enough to take part in another. Her rejecter was one of the Alphas' who sits on the high Alpha council making him powerful. With territory as far as the eye can see and power that many craved. His rejection was simply because she held no titles. A normal werewolf with no power or ties to any Alpha blood. To Alpha Maxwell she was not a normal wolf. She is his mate. His everything. His true mate, the one many never get to meet or have. Completely head over heels in love with this female. He doesn't care she is normal with no titles. Alpha Maxwell is the most powerful Alpha in the lands. --WARNING--Sexual content, mature scenes, language, violence, death, and gore.~~~Ranks~~~November 14, 2018- #3 in Alpha MaleFebruary 21, 2019- #9 Alpha FemaleJune 28, 2021- #150 in wolfJuly 7, 2021- #32 in challengeAugust 16, 2021: #22 in challenge April 15, 2022: #3 in WerewolfStarted: June 29, 2019Completed: June, 28, 2021New chapters (prologue, 5, 6, 7, 8, 16, and 33) added: August 16, 2021
8 281 - In Serial63 Chapters
Muddy Green Waters || Draco Malfoy
She is a Slytherin. But she is also a Muggle-born. Rosie Carter finds herself in a world where she's not wanted. Especially not by the Slytherin Prince himself.----A Draco Malfoy love storyFrom enemies to lovers*****TRIGGER WARNINGS:Contains mature language and sexual scenes throughout Mentions of alcohol misuse Violence, death and grief*****Translations in Spanish, Italian and German can be found in my reading lists on my profile.
8 190 - In Serial39 Chapters
Back To You (#3)
Aeryn Reynolds had a perfect day going on; her restaurant was bustling with customers and she couldn't be any happier about it until Everette Wilbrose walked in and Aeryn's daughter decided to play matchmaker for them.Some bad choice of words from Everette pissed her off, completely. And she doesn't want to see his face ever again.Throw in some money problem for Aeryn and a search for a bride for Everette and pressure from Aeryn's daughter for a father. Will she be able to tolerate being married to Everette, the self-made billionaire or her life's gonna crumble?And especially, it's not easy for an arranged marriage to work when both of them are waiting for their long-lost childhood love._______________________________________________"How can you be so sure about marrying me?", the little girl asked. "What if I am somewhere else and you are somewhere else?"The boy smiled softly. "No matter which part of the world I am in, I will always find my way back to you."(In case you are wondering why the hell there's a hashtag next to the title, numbering it...go read my bio.)
8 127 - In Serial10 Chapters
Bully Turned Bottom ✔️
💦SMUTTY EPILOGUE UNLOCKED💦A smut comedy about a lanky nerd [Parker] who's bullied by his super popular and super straight, next door neighbor [Brett] up until he happens upon footage that could land him in prison.With the bully's future in his hands, it's time for some payback.Is payback all it'll ever be? Hold on to your d*** and find out, but keep the tissues close. Or socks, if that's your thing.And ladies, keep your bean flicking finger strong!☝️ Written entirely on WattPad: October 2022#69 - sexscenes on 10/23/22No other ranking matters.Excerpts:---=====---Parker takes a bite and hands the sandwich back. Brett's first bite is slow, but the next is much more generous. He even lets out a satisfied moan.Parker turns up his palms. "So?"Brett nods, holding up the sandwich as if raising a glass, then takes another bite.After he devours it, Parker says, "I'm really glad you liked it. It'll make the next part so much easier on both of us."Brett looks at him in confusion, so he explains. "I came in the mayo and you're going to watch me make your lunch from now on." He doesn't say, "You might even help out."---=====---It takes Brett forever but, he says, "I wouldn't, you know, mind doing the, uh... what you did earlier.""Which part?" Parker asks."Either."Parker flashes a sly grin behind his back. "I will," he squeaks, "if you're bad or whenever you've earned it, of course.""Of course."---=====---"Do you actually expect me to let you finish?""Please, Master," Brett begs."That's enough jokes," Parker says, "Close your eyes and accept your punishment. Let me know when you're ready."Original Cover. Do not use without permission. Unless for sexual gratification.
8 130 - In Serial23 Chapters
Strawberries and Cigarettes | jikook ✓
Jeon Jungkook loves his cigarettes dearly. But the only thing he'd give them up for is the taste of strawberries on his lips.(or)AU where Jungkook loves leather jackets and tats and Jimin is an innocent sweetheart who's too kind for the world.[ a jikook fanfiction ]started - 21.09.18finished - 12.01.19#1 in lgbt (14.03.19)#2 in boyxboy (14.03.19)#1 in jikook (02.05.19)#1 in jimin (09.05.19)#2 in kookmin (18.05.19)#1 in kookmin (23.07.19)
8 109

