The morning light barely filters through the kitchen curtains, casting soft, gray shadows across the room. The clock on the wall is still reading midnight. Both Koemi and I are leaning against the counter, eyes half-closed, trying to process why we’re awake at such an ungodly hour. 

“This is cruel…” Koemi mumbles, rubbing her eyes. “Why do we have to do this when the sun isn’t even up yet?” 

I nod in agreement, struggling to keep my head from dropping onto the counter. “I woke up because of Tetsu growling at me!” 

Grandma Takeshi, standing in front of us, a knowing smile on her face. “You two look like a pair of lovebirds who stayed up making love!” She says, teasing us. 

Koemi’s eyes shoot open, a blush quickly spreading across her cheeks. “W-What? No, we’re not!” she stammers, looking flustered.

I felt my face heat up as well, quickly waving my hands in defense. “But! I wouldn’t do that to Grandpa Takeshi—err… I mean!” I trail off, realizing how awkward I sound.

“Oh, don’t worry, Kazuki. I’m just teasing you both! But it’s good to see you two developed such good chemistry after just a week together.” She smiles, amused. 

Koemi and I exchange, our faces still flushed, but the teasing seems to have woken us up more effectively than any alarm cook could have. The embarrassment lingers in the air, but it’s softened by the comfort of familiarity. 

Grandma Takeshi claps her hands together, bringing us back to the task at hand. “Now, now! Today, we’re going to switch things up. Koemi, you’ll take over Kazuki’s role as a waiter, and Kazuki, you’ll step into the kitchen as a cook.” 

Koemi’s earlier embarrassment is quickly replaced with surprise. “What? I’m used to cooking, not taking people’s orders!” 

I blink in confusion, realizing. “Wait! I’m cooking? I don’t know a single recipe!” 

Grandma Takashi waves off our complaints with a firm hand. “Exactly! You both need to understand the other’s role. Koemi, you need to know what it’s like to deal with customers, and Kazuki, you need to learn how to handle the kitchen. You can’t work together if you don’t understand each other.”

Koemi groans, not thrilled about the idea. “This is going to be a disaster…” 

“I’m about to burn down the restaurant…” Nodding, nervously thinking. 

Grandma Takeshi smiles, a mixture of patience and firmness. “You both will do fine. Now, get ready! We’ll try to start with the basics, and by the end of the day, it’ll click!”

With that, Koemi is now wearing my apron and a notepad while I take a look at all of her kitchen utilities she has lying around. We both took a deep breath, exchanging one last took of mutual dread before handing to our new roles. 

The morning shift begins as I watch over the kitchen’s opening, as Koemi walks over to the first customer, her shoulders slightly slumps, moving with a certain stiffness that she doesn’t usually have. I can tell she’s not enjoying this. Her usual energetic vibe is gone, replaced with a moody smile that barely reaches her eyes. It’s like watching someone fit into a role that doesn’t suit them.

She exchanges a few words with the customer, her body language giving away her frustration. I can’t hear what she’s saying, but it’s obvious that she’s not thrilled about taking orders. After a moment, she turns and makes her way back to the kitchen, her steps a little quickly, almost like she’s eager to be done with this part.

As she enters the kitchen, she looks at me, her expression annoyed. “The customer ordered the usual miso soup.”

“So, are you sure about this?” Asking if I’m sure about taking this.

I nod, trying to keep my own nerves in check. “Yeah…”

As the words come out, despite how limited I am. I feel determined not to mess this up, it’s just miso soup. I can do this! 

As I step up to the stove, I feel a presence beside me. I glance over and see Grandma Takeshi standing there, watching me with her usual sharp, yet kind, eyes. 

“First time making miso soup, huh?” she asked me. 

I nod, swallowing myself. “Yeah… I have tried it many times, but, you know… Don’t know how he made one…” 

She chuckles softly. “Don’t worry, Kazuki. It’s all about the balance. Just take it slowly!” 

With her guidance, I start by filling the pot with water and adding the dashi granules. Grandma Takeshi watches closely but doesn’t interfere, letting me work through each step. Her helping make it more calming, as I start to feel a bit more at ease. 

“Now, the miso paste,” she instructs gently. I scoop out a spoonful and begin mixing it into the broth, careful to dissolve it thoroughly. I glance over at Koemi, who’s now leaning against the counter, her arms cross as she waits, nervously watching me, wondering about how this is going to turn out.

“Don’t overthink it,” Grandma Takeshi tells me, reading my mind. “Just trust yourself.”

I add in the seaweed, giving the soup a final stir. Smelling the scent of the miso is familiar, comforting even, as I feel a spark of confidence. I really can do this… 

“Looks good,” Grandma Takeshi gave me an approval. “Now, let’s finish it up by throwing in the green onions.” 

I sprinkle the chopped green onions into the pot, watching it float to the surface. I carefully pour the miso soup into a bowl, making sure to not spill a single drop. 

As I hand the bowl to Koemi, giving her a small nod of confirmation. She takes the bowl with steady hands, as she delivers the order to the waiting customer. 

As I watched her go, I felt nervous as this is just my first order I made. But because of her help, I managed to get through, but today is far from over.

The kitchen falls into a temporary quiet as I wait for Koemi to return with the results. I’m still trying to process everything when suddenly, she bursts back into the kitchen, with a bright smile lighting up her face.

“You did it!” She exclaims, her earlier frustration completely gone. “The customer loved it!” 

A wave of relief washes over me as her words hit me. I can’t help but smile.

“I did?” I ask, almost not believing it.

Koemi nods enthusiastically. “Yes! I knew you could do it!” 

I feel a new sense of confidence take root. My anxiety that I had been gnawing at all morning began to fade away, replaced with a growing belief that maybe, just maybe, I can actually do this.

Grandma Takeshi congratulates me too. “It was better than what I expected for the first time. Good job!” 

As I take a deep breath, taking in the compliments. “Thanks…” 

As the shift continues, the lingering nerves have transformed into determination. I learned that training isn’t just about learning the roles. It’s about proving to yourself that you can handle these situations. After both of them cheering me on, I felt ready to take on these challenges.

There are moments when I stumble, when my hands shake as I try to perfect a dish, but with each mistake, I learn something new. The kitchen, once a foreign and intimidating place, starts to feel familiar. I slowly understand why Koemi enjoys being here, why she takes so much pride in her work. 

As the afternoon sun filters into the kitchen, casting a warm glow over the space, I realize that I’ve learned more today than I ever expected. Not just about cooking, but about myself, and about what it means to work as part of a team.

Grandma Takeshi watches us both with a proud smile, her eyes gleaming with approval. “You’ve both done well today.” She tells us. 

Koemi grins, wiping a bit of sweat from her brow as she finishes handing off another order. “We might survive this after all.” She said, 

I laugh, sounding genuine. “Yeah, we might.”  agreeing with her. 

As Grandma Takeshi and the last remaining customer leaves and the restaurant begins to quiet down, Koemi and I collapse into one of the dining booths, feeling exhausted. Both of us are too tired to speak, but the satisfaction in our expressions says it all. We did it. We survived our first shift in each other’s roles, we managed to come out stronger than before. 

I glance over at the clock, realizing how much time has past since we started working. The sun beginning to set, casting long shadows across the room, I feel a sense of accomplishment, a deep-seat pride that I haven’t expected. 

“Let’s clean up and head upstairs,” Koemi tells me. “We earn this.”

Together, we start cleaning up the kitchen, our movements slower but more relaxed. There’s no rush now, no pressure, just the comforting routine of tidying up after a long day’s work. 

As we finish and make our way upstairs, Tetsu greets us at the door, wagging his tail excitedly. Koemi bends down to give him a pat, her tiredness melting away from a moment as she smiles at him.

“Good job today.” I say to her as we step into the living room. 

She looks at me, smiling. “You too, Kazuki. You did really well.” 

As we finally settle onto the couch, Tetsu jumping up to join us, I feel a sense of peace that I haven’t felt in a long time. We’re both tired, but it’s a good kind of tired, the kind that comes from knowing you gave it your all. 

Koemi leans back, closing her with a sigh. “Let’s not try to make a habit, okay?” She says with a small laugh.

“Definitely not,” I reply. 

As the sun sets outside, casting the room in a warm, golden light, I realize that today is not about learning how to cook. It is about learning how to work together, to trust each other, and to push through even when things get rough. That’s what really matters.