Track 4
“Welcome.”
“Welcome!”
Tuesday’s voice rang out alongside my own.
Arrangements take about fifteen minutes from order to delivery. I ask about the occasion, price range, and preferred colours, and then decide on the flowers and vase.
("Yellow or orange"… then…)
A yellow ranunculus for the mass flower1, purchased this morning from the flower market.
In flower language, it means "kind consideration". Yup, it perfectly matches the customer’s outfit.
The vase is a soft-coloured handheld basket.
Place freesias along the line2, and combine with green miscanthus to add height.
I want some volume too, so I’ll let some baby’s breath peek out from the gaps as filler…
Unlike laundromats, flower shops typically have a lot of walk-in customers.
Changing the water everyday and washing large vases… is hard on the back…
Once that’s done, I get to work making arrangements for online orders and those entrusted to me by stores, and efficiently handle any walk-in orders that come in between.
Like I said, fifteen minutes.
Finally, I take three seconds to imbue my prayers into them, hoping these little ones will bring happiness to someone, and it’s done.
flower LAUNDRY — Wednesday
Thank you very much.
Very much!
(That’s all for Wednesday’s orders.)
Wow…! Nagi-kun, that’s amazing!
You finished the arrangement in no time at all! Your hands were moving so fast, it was like magic…!
Speed is of the essence at wedding venues and other live flower arrangement sites. To get the job done, you have to work with both hands.
I couldn’t do it either, but I practiced while I was working part-time, and before I knew it, I’d gotten the hang of it. You’ll eventually get it too.
Really?
Yeah. Some flowers discolour if you carelessly touch the petals, but you handle them carefully even without being told.
A senpai from my part-time days used to say that people like that improve quickly.
I see. Thank you, Nagi-kun. But I was so tired yesterday that I accidentally fell asleep…
Did Aachama do any work?
Ah… y-yes.
That’s great! I wrote to them in my diary. I told them that I’ll be helping out in your shop, and asked them to take my place when I’m not there.
Wow. So Astaroth grants requests…
Actually, they have a kind side too. Anisama just doesn’t seem to believe it, though.
Aachama was once a much higher-ranked being—
The door opens.
Hey! The flower arrangement I just bought has a bunch of mysterious flowers listed as 0 yen on the receipt!?
Thank you for visiting our store!
Huh?
I don’t remember buying this! You’re not gonna charge me for it later, are you!?
Well, um, let me check…!
Check!
Oh, don’t worry about that.
Actually, we couldn’t find a basket in your price range… Since we used a slightly larger one, we’re covering the cost of the flowers used to fill the empty space.
I’m sorry for the confusion.
What? So these flowers are free? You should have told me that sooner.
Well, if they're free anyway, then… I’d prefer these flowers. Please switch them out for me.
Huh?
And this flower is nice too. Come on, don’t just stand there! I don’t have time!
Y-yes! I’m here…! I’ll make the necessary adjustments.
Adjustments!
Um…! Well, I guess I’ll make some tea in the meantime—
Oh no. It’s going to rain.
Rain? It was perfectly sunny outside just a moment ago—
It begins to pour.
…You were right. Oh dear, I don’t have an umbrella.
Well, if you’d like, please use mine!
Is that okay? I’ll take you up on that, then…
…Huh? Aren’t you the one who told me to buy flowers here last night?
Last… night?
So it wasn’t you? …Now that I think about it, their temperament may have been a bit different.
Well. According to the forecast, it’ll clear up this afternoon, and it’s a hassle to come back and return the umbrella. Could you walk me to the station once the flowers are ready?
Oh, I’ll do it…! I’ve just finished making the adjustments…!
No no, I was the one who suggested it…!
No, no, I’ll…!
No, please, I’ll…!
Nono!
I don’t care which one of you it is. Just decide quickly. I’m in a hurry.
Okay! I’ll see you off…!
Toi and the customer leave.
(Th-that was a close call… I don’t know what would have happened if it weren’t for Toi’s hospitality spirit…)
(Sigh…)
(thump)
(Hm? There’s some noise coming from upstairs…)
Oh no… The clothes rack broke, and the clothes are spilling out…
(This is the laundry I’ve been holding onto for a customer… They haven’t been picked up even though the storage period has expired, so I put them here for now…)
(I really should dispose of or recycle them, but…)
Flashback Start
Yep. I’m an orphan.
Huh?
When I was around 3 years old, I was abandoned at the coin-laundry. Maybe someone just forgot about me, like how people forget one half of a pair of socks.3
Flashback End
(...When I think that maybe someone will come to pick them up someday, I just can’t bring myself to do it…)
Sigh… I need to buy a new clothes rack…
Storage unit for rent, 16500 yen per month…
(The cost of the Queen of the Night, Sonia’s maintenance fees, customer appreciation hospitality expenses, a thank-you gift for Toi, and the cost of edible flowers—which are a bit pricier than regular flowers…)
(Hmm… My expenses are through the roof… I really want to find a way to increase my income, but…)
(Even if I wanted to take on a temporary part-time flower arrangement job, Sonia isn’t here to cover for me at the shop…)
Oi. There are some flowers of blessings mixed in here. These have a strong flavour and are not to my liking.
Why are these mixed in? I thought I’d given you a day full of nothing but suffering?
I summoned that troublesome woman to the shop and even hid the suitable baskets. Suffer more.
Ahh, so it was you who brought that customer here.
Heh, that was quite the misfortune, wasn’t it?
Then, were you also the reason the clothes rack collapsed?
(...That is a misfortune I am unaware of.)
But since Toi helped me run things, I wanted to give you a token of my happiness. That’s probably why there are some flowers of blessings.
What?
Giving away what little is left of your happiness to some devil… That is not how a sane person would act.
Tch, it’s still hard to eat…
(I’ll have the edible flowers Astaroth left behind for dinner later…)
(...Come to think of it, I haven’t given Shunin any flowers lately. Yesterday and today have been particularly unlucky, after all…)
……
(Well, Shunin has seemed pretty busy lately… I’ve been trying not to think about it too much, but honestly, getting fresh flowers every single day is a bit of a hassle… right? Normally, anyway—)
Oi, make me a drink. Something warm. I’ll even allow lemon and honey.
Okay. Just a moment.
(Ah…)
What is it.
It’s nothing. I’ll make some honey lemon.
(No matter what they say, they end up eating it all.)