My roommate turns out to be the heiress of a triad!

It was already 3 p.m. when the two arrived at the restaurant where they had reserved a private room.

This is a karaoke shop that can be found anywhere, with a simple and unpretentious decor.

The lobby was filled with the current popular music and the sweet aroma of popcorn.

"You two booked a two-hour all-you-can-drink package for the afternoon session on the weekend, and the rooms are for three to five people, right?"

"Yes."

Sugawara Ryoichi replied.

Karaoke shops like these usually open at 10 a.m. or even later and don't close until 3 or 4 a.m.

This time of day in the afternoon is when the occupancy rate of private rooms is at its lowest, and the room rates are also the cheapest.

Because at this time of day, the main consumers of karaoke are either working or studying.

Offering discounts to attract other customers and thus reduce the idle time of private rooms is a common practice for all karaoke shops.

It wasn't until around six or seven o'clock in the evening that the private rooms gradually became filled.

At that time, the private room fees were the most expensive and the demand was the highest of the day.

of course.

This applies only on weekdays.

On a weekend like today, this is the time when students on holiday go out and have fun.

While the cost of a karaoke room is lower than that of an evening session, it is still significantly more expensive than the same time slot on a weekday.

Even so, if you're unlucky, you might still find yourself in the awkward situation of the private rooms being completely full.

"I'm so sorry, both guests. All the rooms of the same standard that you booked are already occupied."

Looking at the two students in uniform in front of him, the young shop assistant apologized profusely, but his tone and attitude were as if he were casually stating the facts, completely lacking the proper attitude for an apology.

This made Sugawara Ryoichi somewhat angry.

"But I booked it online at noon, and the time slot was fine. How come the private room is still fully booked?"

Even now, karaoke remains a classic after-school pastime for students.

After a day of classes, three or five friends would get together to go to karaoke and sing to release the stress accumulated from studying and life.

Afterwards, we'd eat and drink together on the street as the sun set or night fell, then head home.

This is a pleasant moment that every student will experience.

Today's itinerary includes karaoke as the last and most important part of the day.

Ryoichi Sugawara wanted Mayu Kujo to experience the feeling of being a normal student, having fun with friends, and then being able to walk freely on the streets at night without having to rush home.

No way.

The worst-case scenario is paying extra to upgrade to a private room.

Today, we absolutely have to have Mai Kujo sing at this karaoke session.

Seeing that Sugawara Ryoichi was unusually angry, Kujo Mayu quickly came out to appease him.

"Well, nobody wants this kind of accident to happen. Calm down, Sugawara-san."

Although she said that, Kujo Mayu really wanted to sing it.

Even before starting junior high school, she had been dreaming of going to karaoke with a group of friends.

However, he was unable to realize this wish throughout his three years of junior high school.

I finally had a chance today, but this happened.

If the person standing here was still Sugawara Ryoichi from a few days ago, and he encountered this kind of attitude from the staff, he might have swallowed his anger, gotten a refund, and taken Kujo Mayu to the next karaoke bar.

However, Ryoichi Sugawara is not going to let the store transfer the negative impact caused by their negligence onto him now.

We must get an explanation.

He spoke calmly to Mayu Kujo.

"Don't worry about this, Kujo-kun."

If we leave now, we won't be able to book a private room at other stores at this time, and you won't be able to experience the most important part of today's event.

"Go rest in the rest area first, I'll definitely solve this problem."

Mayu Kujo looked at Ryoichi Sugawara with a worried expression.

She certainly hoped to be able to sing karaoke smoothly, but deep down she didn't want to see Sugawara Ryoichi clash with the staff over this.

?

Kujo Mayu suddenly realized something that would baffle her.

In the past, I would stop at nothing to achieve a goal.

It's fine if he leaves home to pursue his ideal of revitalizing the Dongyun Society.

It's good to find a place to stay after running away from home.

It's good that he made his mother worry by using Sugawara Ryoichi at school.

There are even some things from much earlier times.

Back then, I didn't consider the needs of those being used at all.

Why am I now thinking about Sugawara Ryoichi?

This was the first time Kujo Mayu had felt this way.

When Sugawara Ryoichi was arguing with the shop assistant, my first thought was that I would rather not fulfill this long-held wish that was now within my grasp than have Sugawara Ryoichi have a conflict with someone else.

I really wanted to sing karaoke with my friends.

friend?

Could it be because I secretly consider Sugawara Ryoichi a friend?

Kujo Mayu couldn't understand the question, so following Sugawara Ryoichi's words, she moved her body on her own and walked to the rest area to sit down.

Watching Sugawara Ryoichi argue with the shop assistant from behind, I fell into deep thought.

"Is this how your store treats its customers?"

We booked a private room in advance and arrived at the store within the specified time, so you should provide the corresponding service.

The current shortage of private rooms is entirely your restaurant's responsibility.

And what kind of posture were you adopting while you were saying apologies?

Is that the attitude of apologizing to someone?

Ryoichi Sugawara argued his case forcefully, raising a series of questions.

The store manager, who was making attendance reports in the staff break room, overheard the argument.

His years of experience as a store manager instantly put him on high alert, making him realize that something big might have happened ahead.

The people who come to karaoke during this time are mostly difficult middle-aged and elderly people. If you don't deal with their problems properly, it will only bring a lot of trouble.

He immediately put down his work and rushed to the front desk.

The person arguing with the new kid was a customer who looked like a high school student.

The store manager then realized that today was Saturday, and his anxiety subsided.

If it's a student, the problem is much easier to solve.

After understanding the basic situation, the store manager didn't waste any time and directly provided a solution.

"I am extremely sorry, customer. This was indeed our mistake, and I sincerely apologize to you."

You purchased a two-hour all-you-can-drink package for the afternoon session, and the room is for three to five people, right?

We've upgraded your room to a larger room for 5-8 people, and the package has been upgraded to include unlimited karaoke in the afternoon. Is that alright with you?

The store manager gave a professional smile and offered a solution.

It may seem like the store is losing money, but in reality, it's still making a profit.

The afternoon session ends at 6 PM, which means an extra hour is given.

The large room is just sitting idle anyway, so we might as well make use of it.

This way, customers are retained while complaints are avoided.

Get more in one fell swoop.

After receiving confirmation from Sugawara Ryoichi, he personally led the two high school students to their private room, turned on the karaoke equipment, and then gently closed the door.

Room 312.

"Speaking of which, I remember the room next door was occupied by those four guests: three women and one man."

While I was making attendance reports in the break room, the store manager glanced at the surveillance camera and that's when he learned about the basic information of the guests in the next room.

"Business is picking up again."

With these thoughts in mind, the shop manager hummed a tune and left.