The Arrogant Manager | Short Story Collection "Twilight" #1

A brown, rustling insect appeared on the kitchen floor. The manager yelled at the chef.

"Hey, there's a cockroach."

The chef replied with a serious expression,

"No... I don't think so... It has four pairs of legs..."

"Huh, what was that?"

"Cockroaches normally have three pairs, six legs, so..."

Indeed, the insect had four pairs, eight legs.

"So it's not a cockroach?"

"Yes, well..."

Then, more of the same insects came crawling out from under the stove.

"Hey, more of them came out!"

"Yes, they did..."

"It's an insect!"

"Yes. But... it's not a cockroach..."

The manager tried to reprimand him sternly, but the chef was so strangely calm that it threw him off his rhythm.

"But isn't this kind of thing bad?"

"What... do you mean?"

"Well, won't it interfere with your work?"

The insects were leisurely eating vegetable scraps scattered on the floor.

"No, not particularly..."

The manager began to feel as though he might be under some terrible misunderstanding.

"I see. So, there are no particular problems, then?"

"Yes, well," the chef replied with an awkward, bitter smile.

"Is the paella ready yet?"

A young part-timer called out energetically toward the kitchen. The chef nodded vaguely and lifted the plate of paella. The manager noticed that the insect, turned upside down, was mixed in with it.

"Hey, wait a minute!"

"Yes, um..."

"What is that!"

The chef looked vaguely at the paella in his hands. He must have certainly seen that insect. Then, with a vacant smile, the chef said,

"Ahaha, it's my specialty, you see."

And with that, he served it to the customer. The restaurant was busier than ever. The manager returned to his office and pondered. Perhaps I should try being a little more humble...

<End>

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