Here, last month's salary.
Keep up the good work this month too.
Thank you, Ma'am. I'll try my best.
Hey, Nako, how much did you earn?
I'd rather not say.
Ohana,
this is your month's salary.
Thank you!
But knowing her,
I doubt I earned that much-
W-Well, I guess since you live and eat here as well,
she subtracted that amount
from your salary!
20,000 yen...
I only got
8,000 a month at home even though
I did the cooking, the laundry, and the cleaning!
8,000 yen?
It's my age multiplied by 500.
Nakochi, don't you just love working?!
Episode 6
Yeah...
Let's finish cleaning this place before we leave for school!
Good morning, low-class hot spring inn.
Good morning,
staff of the low-class hot spring inn.
Good morning!
Nakochi?
You're supposed to greet your customers with "Welcome!"
This is one of the basic principles of running an inn!
Welcome! Welcome!
I've been waiting for you, Takako!
Thanks for coming by so early!
I've already had to teach your staff a lesson.
Forget about them.
Come, it's this way!
I'll include it in my consulting fee.
Of course!
I really want to clean her up too.
D-Don't say that!
We have a guest, Mom.
Kawajiri Takako, Management Consultant.
"Madam Manager."
Right, Madam Manager.
Come on, she came to say hello.
I'm not feeling very well.
What?
But you were feeling fine yesterday.
But not this morning.
Please wait, Takako!
We were in the middle of making breakfast here.
And we're in the middle of clean-
Now, now!
Listen up, this is very important since
it's related to Kissuiso's future!
Now, if you will, Ms. Kawajiri.
Good morning, ladies and gentlemen.
As you may know, I'm Kawajiri Takako, a management consultant.
I'm here to revitalize Kissuiso.
I've been waiting for you!
I know.
Does she drop by often?
About once a month.
Well,
the radical change I'm presenting to you today
is regarding the waitresses.
We're going back to the kitchen.
Yes, sir. Yes, sir.
No fair!
We had our turn last month, remember?
Don't worry.
The plan I brought today is perfect!
Listen closely,
we're going to choose a new design for the waitresses' uniforms!
What?
What are they?
Kissuiso will continue to remain in the past
if you keep wearing those old-fashioned uniforms.
If we improve the inn's image
with the latest fashion trends,
then the customers will be even more satisfied!
No way.
No, no, no!
I'd rather die than wear that...
I don't think that waitresses at a hot spring inn
should be wearing these.
That's what's we call a "fixed idea."
"Standing pools gather filth!"
Ever heard of that phrase before?
Can't you feel the stagnant atmosphere of this moldy inn?!
Well, the futons are a little moldy...
O-Ohana!
And that's why we need to try this!
Challenge! Venture!
Nothing venture, nothing win!
Keep those words in mind!
Nothing!
Challenge...
Could this... possibly be a good idea?
Yes!
That's it!
It's a very good idea!
What are you looking at?
N-Nothing.
Time for work! Work!
Idiot.
What do you think?
Stunningly gorgeous.
That looks great on you.
Are you sure this counts as a "challenge"?
Of course.
It's a challenge.
But I don't want a challenge...
It'll be over soon.
Now, let's find some customers who like
this kind of fashion.
If I recall...
The customers arriving this morning are...
Mr. Tachibana, a man in his 40s.
He's coming along with two others.
Excellent.
Speak of the devil.
Okay.
You two, get a move on.
Yes, Ma'am!
Me too?
Of course!
Let's do this, Nakochi!
Good luck!
Hello.
Welcome.
Huh? What?
He's surprised,
or maybe he's touched?
Maybe this will be a success after all!
Wait, wasn't Mr. Tachibana coming with his...
Allow me to take your luggage.
N-No, it's fine...
What?
Honey?
What are you doing?
Sicko.
Me?
But I'm not!
Are you talking about me?!
I can't do this anymore!
Our deepest apologies.
Don't worry about it.
You probably enjoyed it, didn't you?
No, that's not-
We're really sorry!
That was a complete failure, wasn't it?
That's why I refused to do it in the beginning...
Your forehead is red, Nakochi.
You've got to be kidding me!
I guess we chose the wrong design...
We probably should've
chosen something a little more risqué...
No, we shouldn't have!
I wonder what went wrong?
Everything.
Cosplay?
I guess inns that aren't doing so well
really do have to try a lot of new things.
You're just going to say that right to my face?
I'm just impressed!
You're all so hard working and full of spirit!
That's so admirable...
But the biggest problem is that our
hard work doesn't actually get us anywhere.
I'm sure something good will happen if you don't give up.
Well, what do you suggest we do then?
Let's see...
For example, you could increase the length of the
slit on your Chinese dresses.
Do you really think that'll work?
What's wrong?
Nothing.
I guess not all challenges are rewarded.
Minchi!
Wait up!
I get yelled at whenever I'm late!
Me too!
Me three!
I don't care about you.
That kind of hurts...
We won't be yelled at for coming back at this hour, right?
Are the kitchen shifts different to ours?
Minchi told me that she wants to learn how to
make the dinner from scratch.
I see...
Hey, wait!
Takako, please don't go!
If you don't need my consultations,
then there's no need for me to be here.
No one said that you weren't needed here!
Right, Madam Manager?
We don't need her.
But Mom!
"Madam Manager."
Madam Manager!
Wait, stop!
Takako!
Hang on!
Hey!
He seems a bit bummed out.
Should we say something to him?
I don't know...
You two...
Welcome back.
W-We'll be getting to work immediately!
Nakochi sure is quick-witted.
And you?
Right away, Ma'am.
So that consultant majored in management in college
and even went to graduate school?
That's what they say.
Apparently, the young master met her in college.
I do understand why he's panicking though.
Our inn isn't doing well at all.
Wait, really?
We haven't been getting many customers for quite some time now.
Oh...
so that's why we need to try new things.
But I don't want to dress up like that again.
Does that mean you'd wear something else, Nakochi?
No!
Well, it's not our place to worry about it.
I'd rather not wear stuff like that though.
See you tomorrow!
See you!
What do you want?
N-Nothing!
What do I want?
You don't seem to be very cheerful.
Is it because Madam Manager yelled at you?
Well, both Tomoe and Nakochi
didn't like the uniforms either...
Everyone says things like that.
I understand that I'm being a tad unreasonable,
but everything I do is for the sake of this inn.
But even then, Mom...
Even if a plan fails...
it's better than not trying at all!
What?
"Cheer up!"
I'm sure things will work out in the end!
Sis... Satsuki?
My mom?
Yeah.
Whenever I felt down,
that's how she used to cheer me up.
Telling you to cheer up without giving you a reason to, right?
Yes, exactly that.
That's awful, isn't it?
But...
she's your mother.
And?
So I was thinking that
there might be something
that even I can do for Kissuiso.
Like?
I don't know.
What do you say to cosplaying with us, Minchi?
You're not making any sense.
You might be popular with the customers.
Tohru would definitely enjoy it.
Shut up and die!
I thought we agreed not to-
Balut!
Good night.
I need to find something I can do...
In the current situation, I just can't be proud
of this 20,000 yen.
You came to bother me this early
in the morning about that shady woman?
It's just that
I understand how the young master feels.
If Kissuiso goes out of business
without us trying anything-
Why would this place go out of business?
Who said such a thing?
Th-That's just a small part of it!
No, it isn't.
Anyway, I think it's a good idea
to try something new!
Like what?
Like...
Lengthening the slit in the Chinese dresses?
But if this place goes out of business,
I'll have nowhere else to go!
If you mention us going out of business again,
you're fired.
Then, "declining"?
We've been declining for a while,
so I don't really care.
But...
Ohana?
Sorry, Beanman,
but I was in the middle of a debate
with Madam Manager...
Business has been bad for a while.
For a while?
Madam Manager knows that very well.
But...
if she realizes this, why doesn't she do something
to try and make things better?
I do know that the young master's ideas
aren't exactly the brightest, but...
What is...
W-Wow!
I never knew this room existed!
This one's so pretty!
So is this one!
And this one's chic!
Did Madam Manager make all of these?
Some of these are old,
but they aren't damaged at all.
Are you taking care of them?
Dunno...
Oh!
Beanman?
Nakochi!
You look so cute, Nakochi!
So do you, Ohana.
Really?!
Ohana?
Isn't this one pretty?
What on earth are you two wearing?
Madam Manager...
How do we look?
How did you find those?
It's time for a challenge!
What on earth...
I've finished cleaning the entrance!
Thanks.
Jiro-
Aren't those...
Wow!
Your clothes are so pretty!
Can I touch them?
Go ahead.
It's so soft, Mom!
Wow!
Madam Manager was wearing
this too the very first time
I stayed at Kissuiso.
Really? How long ago was that?
Long before you were born, I bet.
Wow...
She was really pretty, I tell you.
Sorry to bother you so early in the morning.
What? Well, well.
This does bring back some old memories.
I must admit it's rather embarrassing.
But why?
You're the one who designed this in the first place.
I was?
If I remember correctly,
you were trying to come up with "something new,"
and that made your husband angry with you.
Wasn't it something like that?
I really can't remember...
It was so long ago.
Come on, you're not old enough to
start forgetting things yet!
Well then, see you.
We hope to see you again.
Thank you very much! Thank you very much.
And so Kissuiso's past is revealed.
Yes, indeed.
What was with that bow?
What?
You looked like a feeding rooster.
A bow like that insults the customer.
Y-Yes, Ma'am!
Oh, Madam Manager, I need to talk to you about something.
You still haven't had enough?
Just hear me out, Mom!
"Madam Manager!"
Madam Manager, this one will work out for sure!
Hang on!
It would be nice if we
get more customers from what we did this morning,
but maybe things don't work out that easily.
We're going to be late! We're going to be late!
Where's Minchi?
You're so slow!
Wait, Minchi!
Trust me, the next one will work out!
Yes, I know. I have an even better idea.
But doing something will
at least cause something else to happen.
I don't know whether
it's better for Kissuiso to change or not,
but as long as we're doing something, it's good.
Those are my thoughts.
Hell if I know.
I wonder if it's worth continuing this job.
I'm thinking about going back home.
Okay, my waitress life is officially over!
Episode 7: All Quiet on the Kissui Front