Charles Patricius

"Indeed he does. It could almost be said that, if there is a trade, this young man has some experience in it," Hiroshi stated firmly. Any random onlooker could view Nao's list of former jobs and assume there was nothing he could be considered good at. Hiroshi, however, saw it as a great number of learning experiences. If he'd exercised his mind even a little during all those different jobs, he could blossom into quite the all-around specialist. Sadly, Nao himself didn't agree. He wasn't even thinking about things like that ─ only about how he could avoid some deviant accident from happening to him. There was no getting out of this one. Between the manager and the owner, he had no chance to talk his way out, so... maybe he could just do terribly in the interview? That wasn't such a bad idea. "... Hai. Arigatou gozaimasu," he said reluctantly, following behind Rita. It seemed he was keeping more than just two paces away. He avoided looking at her directly, but there was no way such a curvaceous figure could be kept out of periphery. It even seemed like the owner's backside was getting... bigger? No. No, it wasn't getting any larger ─ it was getting closer! Nao's attempt to avoid looking like a pervert resulted in him failing to realize, but Rita was no longer moving forward after a few steps. So, there he was, far closer to the woman than he ever wanted to be in this situation. 'Oh shit! Not already!' was Nao's mental plea to the universe as he barely managed to avoid contact while Rita wobbled forward.

The existence of a student council went beyond the understanding of the blonde loudmouth. In truth, he hardly even knew what those students did, even in high school. He never made use of them, and they never seemed useful to him anyway. In this particular case however, the president was managing something impressive. Her argument about students making up most people in the area didn't hold any weight to him, though. "I didn't say it was a nursing home! Yeah there's students, but look at all these old people! It's not like we're in the school!" he argued. It seemed he was a bit argumentative regardless, except... in one particular moment, which had the young woman claiming she'd never come on to him. Well, that seemed about right, if a little disheartening. "Yeesh," he said, scraping his sole along the ground as he gently kicked the air. He'd have commented on the clause about case workers and caretakers, but he truly didn't know why that matter was relevant. Ah, but there was one thing... an explanation of her meaning earlier. Amamiya Ren was the boy he sought, the one he knew before. This Kurusu Akira person was not someone different, but instead a name change to go along with relocation. Now the gears were turning! "Ohhhh!" he replied, a happy grin spreading across his face. "Yeah, that makes sense! In that case, he sure picked a badass new name! Right? Right? A-kira! Kira! That's fuckin' sweet!"

Hiroshi would have seen this new lad as one with the ability to learn a great many things. Those who learned business in school would have called him a job-hopper. Even so, a lack of ability to concentrate was far from the worst trait in modern times. Perhaps he simply hadn't found the right fit yet. "Unsettled isn't a bad thing, I wish I'd taken a bit more time to make a decision..." Rita said almost wistfully. She'd easily lead this lad towards his interview her minor hiccup having her catch her balance as he was managing his. "Gomen, gomen... I'm usually way more steady on my feet," she mused. Mentally willing to blame the previous night's activity for her unsteadiness, she moved on. Entering that office but not before having a peek back at the lad. All of this was seen by Mami and analyzed in a specific way, 'Damn old slut can't even wait a minute before trying to put the moves on a potential new guy. Hags think they can do anything with their ridiculous bodies...' mami would have scoffed. Oh well, she supposed understanding that woman's motivations would only make her own plan that much easier. Within the office, Rita managed to avoid any more immediate trips though she did, incidentally slam one of her hips into the corner of her desk as she moved around it. It would be a few seconds of recovery as she worked towards getting settled. "Now, you can have a seat. I'll introduce myself, I'm Nara Rita, and I inherited this place from the old man who owned it previously after working here on and off for a decade or so. I consider this place to be pretty flexible, just to provide a bit for the needs of the immediate area. I don't consider myself to be super strict but I would like to be able to trust everyone to complete their tasks without me hovering or anything like that. Also I am 30 years old and will soon be divorced, you may not have needed that information but I like to be transparent about such things as often as possible. That is also to say, I'm not judging for any lack of settling or incidental changes that occurred in your work history, I'd just like to know where your head is at," Rita shared that information while looking over the lad in front of her. "Now, tell me a bit about yourself Aihara-kun, you have a varied list of previous jobs, so is there anything you'd like me to know specifically?" she asked of the lad, all the while she was looking at this list of jobs and references and there were quite a few which only lasted short times and a few gaps. It wasn't uncommon for the young to have a hard time settling and she wasn't judging.

Meanwhile, the blonde lad outside of the college was getting some hard lessons. The real purpose of a student council had somehow escaped him during his schooling, that wasn't too surprising, most people didn't realize what such bodies were for anyway. Beyond that point he seemed to think that all of the random walking down the street counted as old, and that it wasn't just the school he was appealing to, "I mean there are a variety of people here but it doesn't make sense for you to be asking random strangers about a passing student with a forgettable face, just because the accident happened nearby. It would have made more sense to inquire about it a local police station or to ask specifically at the shops or businesses near the cross walk where such an accident was more likely to occur, without the yelling obviously," she explained that he might have better luck in his next investigation. Whatever the case, she'd spoken pretty harshly and got out of it, a rather dejected response. She could at least respect him for not flying off the handle about it, even though that wouldn't change her mind about what she'd said. It only served to make him a bit confusing. After talking him through the logic of his 'missing person', a crease formed between her brows. He understood only after having it completely spelled out for him. "Akira is a fairly common name for a man. If anything I'd say it wasn't meant to draw attention, but what do I know..." she said shrugging it off. In the same moment she decided it was easier to check a few message boards to find the information she sought, and within a few moments she had something to say. "Kurusu-kun is apparently at this hospital. If you call him by the right name, I am sure a nurse or someone there would be able to help you..." she said holding up her phone once more and taking a step back after how close he'd been the last time she'd held it out.

Nao managed a stroke of luck with the first mishap involving Rita. Alas, he'd been dealing with this issue long enough to know it was only a matter of time. A few theories he had involved this condition being some form of bad karma he accumulated in a previous life or something ─ resulting in matters getting worse the longer he managed to avoid accidents. Oh well; there was nothing else to do. He followed along for the moment, sighing and keeping his head low. Once they were inside the office, Nao noted the woman's hip hitting the end of her desk. Was that another sign? Maybe there weren't any, and she was actually just a bit clumsy today. No... he had to be vigilant! Reluctantly did the young man seat himself, even checking the chair for sturdiness before doing so. He sat upright, hands in his lap, and remained attentive to her speech. "Eto... transparent is definitely the way I'd describe all that. It's a lot to take in, but I'll try to match it. Aihara Nao. I'm 25, and I'm not a job-hopper or anything... well not by choice. I want to work, and I'm good at things I put my mind to. It's just... I've had a lot of accidents that separated me from all my other jobs. I just left the most recent one today to avoid something else bad happening and ruining someone's reputation along with my own. That's the best way I can put it... but I might have reason to believe it'll happen again even here. . ."

The student president raised the notion that approaching random strangers in the vicinity was not the best idea; he should have taken his questions to the police. A scoff passed the male's lips in that moment. What sort of suggestion did she think that was? "As if! I ain't gonna go to the shitty, corrupt police! How am I supposed to trust they weren't the guys who hit him?" he questioned angrily. Regardless, the name Akira may have been common, but that changed nothing about how incredible it was in this case. Of course, he didn't expect this random gal to know why that opinion was formed. "Common schmommon! Ya' got no idea how badass that is for him! Best guy to ever use that name I tell ya'!" he insisted. Right back on the happy-go-lucky train, he saw the hospital name as shown on the girl's phone and decided he could finally catch up with an old friend. "YOSH! That's an awesome find! Arigatou, Pres! I'll find the place and see you when my classes start!" he announced. Apparently, this lad managed to gain attendance at Shujin University. . .

Nao and Rita were now in the middle of a rather frank conversation. And while Rita was willing to blame any clumsiness on her part, on a night spent drinking and general oddity, Nao seemed to think it was some sort of omen. Though he didn't express it, they still were able to communicate pretty openly, which Rita counted as a generally good thing. Apparently, he met her level of transparency with one of his own. He claimed that he wasn't a job hopper by choice, but that a string of accidents had him switching jobs periodically to avoid major incidents. His most recent example was leaving a job, so that someone else didn't lose their reputation. "Sou ka, that sounds more than fair on your part, a bit self-sacrificing even," Rita mentioned. "I won't fire you over an accident or anything like that and I'm not the sort of person who won't hear you out if you decide this job is for you. Basically, if something happens and you need to clear it up, don't be so hasty as to quit on the spot. I'd like to think I am a pretty fair judge of character. I do appreciate you being honest with me about your work history though," she clarified easily. "If I hired you, what would your preferred schedule be and what kind of shift would you be interested in running? After Fukuyama-san leaves officially I may have to hire another manager for the off times, but until then he's pretty flexible about his own work schedule and I don't mind pitching in and covering incidental or emergency shifts either, so don't worry about being left to become overwhelmed or anything like that..." she explained of the situation surrounding work. it was always best to find out what everyone was looking for from this kind of employment. She assumed he was no longer studying, but if he had family obligations or hobbies she wouldn't want to interfere with them.

Meanwhile, the president of the local college's student council was apparently talking to an individual who held a certain skepticism and dislike for authority. Her thoughts that he should have asked the authorities about his friend, led to an assumption that said authorities might have been responsible for his condition and were innately untrustworthy. "Uh-huh, definitely been through a lot, authority and old people are touchy subjects..." she stated as if this was the only reasonable way to respond. Still, she wasn't at all unhelpful. And just as quickly as his outburst had started, he was talking about the awesomeness of the chosen name Akira for a lad he'd previously known as 'Ren'. "If you say so..." she said hoping that this conversation would be the last of such that she had. She'd given him the information necessary and it seemed he was pleased enough by it. He thanked her for the information and claimed he'd see her when classes started. "Hai hai, it was no trouble at all..." she said seeming not to think about that last bit until she was turning around to walk away. "Eh? How did he get in?" she whispered under her breath as she headed for the local shop she'd been planning to visit all along.

Even though he'd been thinking about consciously failing this interview, Nao seemed to become more forthcoming with the truth than he intended. The moment Rita started talking, all his plans went out the window. The woman was so nice, so understanding and so inviting that he found himself wanting to work for her. How strange. "I understand. I wouldn't jump straight to quitting normally, but... there were some other shenanigans happening at that last job as well. It's been a crazy few days so far," he explained briefly. Nao could probably be a bit more frank with this boss if he landed a job, if he didn't instead catch a case before finishing the interview. She questioned his hours of availability in the event of hiring ─ standard curiosities all around. "Hai. I've already graduated and don't have any connections that would take a lot of my time. I could work full-time for any shift you need filled. If you'd rather put me on nights though, I just request a transition to adjust my existing schedule from something more morning and afternoon-focused. Oh and... you don't have to worry yourself about taking emergency shifts. I could handle those. I... usually work better with less people," he said sheepishly, still keeping his gaze averted to the best of his ability.

At the same time, that blonde male's excitement was building rapidly. He hadn't seen that friend of his in ages. If he ever saw the helpful young woman again, perhaps he'd find a way to repay the favor. Ah, but while they were going their separate ways, Kakihara Shota was walking the streets in search of another form of payback. He'd been driving about previously, seething over the previous day's events. Sadly for him, the very same beat-up sedan that let him escape the beach had recently decided to stop cooperating entirely. As such, Shota was stranded as a pedestrian around some reserved venue for a convention. If nothing else, he supposed it was worth popping in. He'd seen a few random, trashy cosplayers wandering around the area to get a bit of early attention and plan their convention routes. Perhaps he'd find some relief among them? Time would tell. . .

The more Rita spoke to this lad, the more she was sure he'd be a great pick. Though he'd been experiencing a rough few days, she understood how quickly life could get away from a person. She wasn't the type to find his ability to keep going past such issues to be anything but endearing as a quality. Besides she could somewhat commiserate with him, even if they weren't exactly in the same place in life, "The last few days have been pretty crazy. Must be something in the water... don't worry about it too much~" she offered the lad with a smile. Life was too short to get hung up on details and to let minor setbacks completely ruin one's future progress. She believed this, now more than she'd had previously. Hearing out what was necessary for any potential switches in time, she gave it a bit more thought and nodded. "Hai hai, I wouldn't just switch you without need, but being honest I am in a transitional period here and I am not sure how the shifts are going to end up working out. Right now, the store opens at 7am and closes at 10pm. But I've been considering some business hours adjustments for a while," she explained of the current situation. "If you prefer to work on your own, I could potentially accommodate after I finish figuring out exactly how scheduling will work. That might be overnights but if you don't mind the switch I am willing to offer a manager in that position about 6.5 million yen a year, for a full-time employee. For the first year of course, I expect sales to make up an easy difference and I should be able to cover a bit more in the years following. I wouldn't want this job to feel dead end or anything like that..." she explained of her future plans. She currently had enough money to make such a claim and keep her business running based on its current influx. "Do you have any questions for me?" she asked hopefully. She was being honest in her claim of wanting transparency with her employees. Her own previous math made it clear that she could currently pay a full years salary to him, Hiroshi and Mami with one addition person while still covering base business expenses and her own living expenses so long as sales kept up with even the previous years projections. It really was lucky for her to find her husband draining her bank account when she did.

Meanwhile, as apparently two college students parted ways with one looking for a friend and the other wondering about the vigorous nature of academic acceptance a different scene was starting. In this case, a young girl with short light pink hair was moving around within a convention set-up. She'd been hired by a couple of cosplayers to take some pictures of the venue as well as to take some special photos for them as well. As a part of that job she was wandering around said venue as it was being set up, taking pictures of choice spots with good natural lighting and interesting backgrounds for photos. She had a bubbly personality and was even waving at a few cosplayers and snapping a few candids as they scurried about. This place was going to be nice, definitely a venue worth coming to during an active convention. And with a copy of the tentative schedule she could even say the celebrity line up would be worth a few pointed photo opportunities.

Nao wasn't the only one dealing with an insane few days recently. Surely they couldn't be on the same page, though. He could only hope it was something in the water ─ something that resulted in one of the employees at his previous job being fired for indecency, and Konomi leaving more recently for similar reasons. Well, whatever happened with Rita was none of his business; he wouldn't pry either way. The only thing Nao could consider his business was the ongoing interview, and apparently the timeframe of his would-be shifts at the establishment. "I would be open to a change of hours if you wanted to expand business. I also understand if it's not possible to have me actually work alone," he said, knowing it would be pointless to call himself a manager if there was no one to manage. The sort of pay she was talking about should come with responsibilities, even if he had to take some risks against his own constitution. First though, did he have questions for Rita? Well... "That uh... makes it sound like I've already got the job, doesn't it? Either way, I don't think I have any questions."

In the meantime, Kakihara Shota was having a bit of luck at last. He'd show that blonde bastard who had Lady Luck's eyes, and Sakura would learn as well. There were quite a few nice-looking cosplayers floating around. Sadly, none of them were exotic enough to combat Sakura. Around and around he went, having little else to do since there was no way his car would function until its engine cooled. In due time, Shota made his way past all the common rabble and saw the most interesting photographer. Some interesting pink hair caught his eye without fail. Immediately drawn, Shota called out following the sound of a snapshot ─ even before he got a good look at the girl whose head he'd seen over a divider. "Oi oi! If you're in the market to take pictures, don't you want somebody else to take one of you? It's not a chance I'd miss!" he chattered.

Aihara Nao was already assured a job if he wanted to take it. While they were talking Rita was sure he was a reasonable person and in hearing out his reasoning for his sudden job switches she wasn't at all concerned about his ability to complete the work she had to offer him. "It's good to hear you'd be okay with a bit of flexibility. I don't know officially want I plan to do, but feel free to offer a bit of input if you feel the need to," she offered. If he was to be a manager she'd have to make sure to hear his opinions based on his natural observations. Still she left herself open for questions and he claimed her words made it sound like he already had the job. "Ehehe, you do, have the job, Aihara-kun, if you want it. We could even finish up the major paperwork and have you started if you'd rather work today, Nanami-chan is due off in the next fifteen minutes anyway and I am sure Fukuyama-san wouldn't mind an extra hand or two around until the end of the night," she offered. "Of course, if you have other things to take care of, I'd be fine to see you tomorrow sometime for all of that. There is no rush," she said smoothly. Truly she had no issue offering this lad a job, she had a good feeling about it. Rita held a certain conviction once a decision was made, and her offerings for employment were no different, in being like this though, she simply wasn't the type to offer second chances once someone was proven wrong.

At the same time, the girl behind the divider was happily snapping a few pictures. She wasn't at all unused to a bit of attention as a pretty girl, so when someone called out to her she found herself looking in the direction of the voice. She was wearing a blue flowy skirt and a white spaghetti strapped shirt which hanging frills off her shoulders. On her feet a pair of small heels black in color with strappy little accessories and a flower on them. Under her chest a small string ribbon as tied in a bow. She had a choker necklace with a light blue bow on around her neck as well. Her eyes were a blue color which caught the light oddly sometimes, and her face was rosy and happy. "Well, I am doing a bit of work today, but I don't think cute girls should mind people taking pictures of them♥~" she answered in a happy way. She rather quickly struck a pose with the peace sign and a big grin on her face, assuming such would be a pretty passing interaction. Still this guy was reasonably attractive, she'd hear him out at least if he wanted to chat a bit longer.

Nao had the job, should he decide to take it. What a strange situation he'd walked into. His intention since the moment he saw Rita and confirmed her position as owner was to fail whatever interview she had for him, and move on to apply somewhere else ─ hopefully somewhere full of men he couldn't have strange, sexual accidents with. He'd already seen one or two signs of something building since following her to the office. It should have been easy to reject the job offer or even make the interview go badly from the start, yet her he was... acting differently. "I'd do the paperwork now regardless if it's possible. And if you're going to be down a person soon anyway, it might be best if I start today," he accepted. Why did he do that? There was something about this woman he found incredibly agreeable for some reason. 'Wait, why did I say that? I shouldn't take this job!' he argued with himself mentally. Well, at least the other woman would be leaving soon. All he had to do was survive the paperwork, and it would just be him and that tall man. Things had been going well so far. . .

The girl Shota decided to shout for was even more of a looker than he initially thought, as confirmed when he rounded that divider. Her outfit was put together quite well, her eyes had a special twinkle to them, and the figure was nothing to shake a stick at from what he could tell. Based on her own words, she even had a high and well-deserved opinion of her own looks. Cute girls shouldn't mind people taking their pictures, she claimed. Shota wore a cheeky grin as he sauntered up and readied his phone. "That's what I like to hear! You're finer than any of these cosplayers I'm seeing today!" he praised. Shota would immediately begin snapping photos of this girl's pose, catching a few angles and seemingly focusing the exposed portion of her legs in the fourth shot. "Nice figure to boot! You're not a model, are you? I'd spend half my life's saving for your bikini spread♥~"

Aihara Nao was a bit skittish at first but it seemed like he'd warmed up to the idea of working for Rita. This whole hiring process had gone much easier than the one she'd had with Nanami Mami. Perhaps it was simply easier to talk to young men? Or maybe it was that residual hatred that thin girls maintained for their more buxom counterparts until they grew into themselves? Whatever the reason she supposed having an easy interview was much easier than having a hard one. And what was more, she couldn't find any potential flaws in this lad's character based on his own words about his work history. "I'll take that as a formal acceptance. Happy to have you aboard, Aihara-kun," Rita said with much happiness in her voice. She reached over her desk and had to work to wiggle loose a drawer, but still managed to pull out the necessary small packet of papers she'd prepared for any potential new hires. "Eh, maybe I should invest in a small filing cabinet. The previous owner only ever had himself and me and I am already three employees deep," she said joyfully. She'd move a pen across the table for him along with that stack and leave him to filling those out while she pulled up the necessary entry pages on her computer to fill in important documentation while she sat. It'd be more efficient that way.

Meanwhile, a rosy haired maiden was being predated in a way she didn't yet realize. A few pictures seemed harmless enough and several were taken of her as she was fed compliments. "Aw, thanks. That's super nice, but the extra real cosplayers and attendees aren't here just yet. They won't be until the big weekend slots~" she added assuming because he was here, there was some interest maintained in the venue and the upcoming convention. It was sure to be something worth seeing at the very least. A few compliments were always good for a girl's ego though and a gentle blush bloomed across her face. "I'm a cute girl, but I spend most of my time on the other end of a camera. Glad to hear I also look good in pictures though~" she added seemingly pleased about the whole thing. Well, what girl wouldn't be happy to receive a compliment or two. Even the slight oddity about bikini spreads could be mostly ignored since the modeling comment was made. That was how a girl like this one thought about it anyways. She was at least familiar enough with cameras and pictures to know where about the lens was pointed towards the end, well, she did have nice legs, she supposed that wasn't the oddest point to take a picture of considering the bikini based commentary.