Volume 13 Chapter 181 Shirogane Aqua, Burger Shop Showdown
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
Since Kanon and the others want to hold the first Shirogane Aqua Cup, I’ve decided to join in as well.
At first, I thought about just watching while they prepared the prize for the winner, but since we’re doing this, I want to join in and have fun with everyone.
More than anything, the other day, I saw the 3 members of BERYL playing games without me, and it made me want to play games with all 3 of them.
”Hey everyone, have you installed the burger shop management game?”
”I did!”
”Oh, I’ve finished installing too.”
”Alright!”
Great, it looks like everyone is ready.
What we’re playing in today’s tournament is a game where you manage a burger shop, either solo or with multiple people.
I started the game and set my appearance.
Wait, I messed up!
I clicked repeatedly to skip the explanation, and ended up starting without adjusting my settings.
So it’s the default skin, huh….
Just as I thought that, I was shocked to see my character on the screen.
”Oh no! My skin is a naked apron!?”
”Aqua… you were clicking through the settings screen while trying to skip the explanations, weren’t you?”
How did you find out!?
The perceptive Toa makes a stunned face on the streaming screen.
[Is that Aqua-sama’s naked apron!?]
[REC!]
[As expected of Aqua-sama, coming in with such a bold choice from the start.]
[The streamer loses a player just a few seconds into the stream…]
[Toa-chan’s uniform is shorts…?]
[↑Because of the apron, it looks like he’s not wearing any clothes, so he’s serious]
[↑Sorry. I’ll just go to Toa-chan’s stream]
[Mayuzumi-kun listened to the explanation properly, so he’s safe!]
[Mayushin-kun, you’re great!]
[Tenga-senpai, it looks like he’s having fun playing games with everyone. Good for him]
[Uh, uh, uh, so here is the route where the four of them work hard, which we didn’t see in GTH!]
Yay!
All four of them are here.
I’ll check the official stream to see if the other teams are ready.
’Um, is everyone ready?’
Even though she’s just a character in a game, seeing Kanon in a fast-food uniform is just irresistible.
The vibe of a high school part-timer is just perfect…!
’I’m Yukishiro Emily, the team leader for Kanopon Burger. Sorry, everyone, but our team is going to win today!!’
’Of course! Wait, Emily-senpai, what is Kanopon Burger!?’
’It seems like the time to unleash the serious Morikawa Kaede has come.’
’Everyone, no matter the outcome, let’s do our best! Of course, we’re going all out to win!’
The Kanopon Burger team consists of Kanon, Emily, Kaede, and Kotono, huh.
Kanon and Kotono are skilled at the game, plus Emily, who’s a real-life part-time leader, seems to be quite capable.
This will definitely be a formidable team.
’You all, we are definitely going to win!!’
’Of course! Let’s defeat Beryl Burger!!’
’Yeah, everyone, let’s do our best!’
’I’ve never worked part-time before… what do I do?’
The Nightmare Burger team consists of Kohina-senpai, Inko-san, Maron-san, and Iria-san, huh.
That team should be fine since there’s Kohina-senpai who tends to drag everyone down.
Yeah.
I’ll check on the other teams’ stand-ins.
[Beryl Burger: Tenga Akira / Manager, Shirogane Aqua / Team Leader, Mayuzumi Shintaro, Nekoyama Toa]
[Nightmare Burger: Kohina Yukari/Manager, Sayamu Inko/Part-time Leader, Jou Maron, Kato Iria]
[Sumeragi Burger: Sumeragi Kukuri/Manager, Natsuki Sana/Part-time Leader, Inori Hisui, Tsukimachi Ayana]
[…]
There are about 20 teams in total.
It looks like Kukuri-chan’s team is stronger than Kohina-senpai’s team.
All 4 of them seem capable, and I want to visit that burger shop as a customer.
”Alright then, Manager Tenga, please give us the first call!”
”Hmm!”
We moved our characters to form a circle as 4.
”Today is the grand opening of Beryl Burger. Not just aiming for sales, but let’s all strive for 100% customer satisfaction!”
”””Woo!”””
In this game, besides the straightforward sales numbers that determine victory and defeat, there is also a figure for customer satisfaction.
Customer satisfaction is said to reflect factors like service speed, order accuracy, and the balance of price and taste.
In the Shirogane Aqua Cup, these two figures will be used to determine the outcome.
In other words, if sales are 100,000 yen but customer satisfaction is 50%, and if sales are 80,000 yen with customer satisfaction at 70%, according to the rules, the former earns 50,000 points (100,000 x 0.5), while the latter earns 56,000 points (80,000 x 0.7), resulting in a victory for the latter.
The competition lasts for one week of in-game time, and the first thing to do is to place orders, set prices, and determine the products to handle.
”I need you, Tenga-senpai!”
”Hmm, leave it to me!”
Sitting at the seat with the computer to place orders, Tenga-senpai starts putting a variety of items into the basket.
In this game, only the manager character can set orders, prices, and menus.
”First, we need to narrow down the lineup.”
”We should aim for low-cost ingredients with high profit margins.”
”What side dishes should we have?”
”French fries are a sure thing.”
”What else should we have? Churros and pies seem to increase customer satisfaction, but compared to fries, there’s not as much demand for them, right?”
”We might end up with too much in stock, or we might order too little and sell out. That might affect customer satisfaction, and it might be difficult to manage inventory.”
Everyone looks at each other after hearing Shintaro’s comment.
In that case, it might be better to start with a basic menu on the first day so that we can get used to the game, rather than trying to do too much from the beginning.
”How about starting with several types of hamburgers and fries, and fully stocked drinks? We can add something different on the first day or focus on quality ingredients and just add one more item from there.”
”I agree with Aqua’s opinion. I think that would be better too. Once everyone gets used to it, we can try different things.”
”I’m the same. However, if we’re going to do fries, we should also consider fried onions. It’s possible that onion-loving customers like me will become repeat customers.”
”Hmm… How about we differentiate our Beryl Burger from other teams with some fried items? Let’s promote organic fries made with domestic potatoes and organic fried onions. Since we’re at it, let’s also focus on the salt.”
Yeah, yeah.
Everyone’s thoughts are gradually coming together.
That means the next step is deciding on the types of burgers.
”Classic hamburgers and cheeseburgers are a must.”
”We also have chicken and fish options, but it might be better to stick to hamburger types at the start.”
”Since we’re getting domestic onions, I want to make a fresh burger that highlights the onion.”
”If we’re adding onions, I’d prefer a Japanese-style sauce like soy sauce or teriyaki.”
Japanese-style burgers, huh…
That seems to pair well with the fried items we offer.
Plus, if we go with a sweet and spicy sauce, I think drinks will sell well too.
”Okay, then let’s settle on that.”
”Yes, I think that’s good too. Then I’ll place the order! Click!”
A while after the order, a truck arrives.
We 4 collaborate to unload the cargo.
[It’s BERYL after all]
[Everyone is in perfect harmony]
[Tenga-senpai looks so happy to be the manager]
[↑He couldn’t sleep until 2am the night before and was like, “Manager? That’s so troubling.”
[↑Because of that, the late-night social media trend picks were filled with “Tenga-senpai, go to bed early.”]
[Toa-chan and Aqua-kun present the agenda and make suggestions, Mayuzumi-kun thinks about what is lacking. Then Tenga-senpai makes the decision. So perfect.]
[Kohina Yukari team, they were fighting within seconds, it was funny lol]
[↑That team is all about the jokes]
[Kanon-sama’s team is quick to decide. They’re already assigning roles. And Emily-sama is surprisingly professional at this.]
[↑Emily-sama is excellent at everything she does.]
[Hagetoru, the pro part-timer, would be really good at this kind of game.]
[Kukuri-sama, the Platinum Aqua Burger made with 100% high-grade Japanese beef, domestic vegetables, freshly baked buns, and original sauce is a no-go on the first day. No one will buy a 5000 yen burger, that’s a price bug!!]
[↑If Aqua-sama promoted it in real life, it would probably sell like hotcakes…]
[↑That’s so true!]
[Ayana-chan, stop laughing and stop them!]
[↑Ayana-chan is so used to the wildness of those 2 that she doesn’t try to stop them anymore.]
[Lazu-sama is trying to remove vegetables from the menu because she doesn’t like them, and I can’t stop laughing.]
[↑Lazu-sama is trying to serve a fat-laden burger, and it’s hilarious.]
[↑Lazu-sama, that’s a bit much, considering you don’t have any fat on your chest.]
With the unpacking and arranging of the luggage done, we decide on our roles for the opening.
”Yes, yes! I want to do the register!”
Toa raises his hand energetically, his character bouncing up and down.
I agree that the efficient and resourceful Toa should be in charge of the register.
”Leave the frying and grilling to the master craftsman, me!!”
Tenga-senpai was practicing a ton with the Heaven’s Sword, right?
When Tenga-senpai finds himself in a situation where he has to place an order during business hours, I’ll let him know I’ll help with grilling and frying.
”Then I’ll take charge of making the burgers.”
Shintaro tweaks the character’s glasses.
This game even has unnecessary features like that, huh?
”Then I’ll support the overall operation while serving trays to customers, tidying up, and cleaning the store.”
With this, everyone’s roles have been decided.
”Alright then, let’s open up!”
”Please do!”
”Yeah!”
”Yes!”
I wonder how the other teams are doing?
Since Kanon’s team has Emily, they might have started already, but I think our team is pretty fast too.
[Here they come, here they come!]
[Beryl’s team is really fast!]
[As expected, the two teams I predicted were way ahead.]
[So, which team is in last place?]
[↑It’s obviously the Nightmare Burger place. They’re still fighting among themselves.]
[I haven’t seen the Nightmare generation, but what’s going on with them? lol]
[↑Because the manager, Kohina Yukari, mistakenly ordered 1,000 buns, they have no ingredients to put inside.]
[↑LOL]
[I’m glad Kohina Yukari has acting talent. She’s not cut out for the regular workforce…]
[The Nightmare Burger place’s lineup includes a meatless ketchup burger, a meatless…]
[↑ It’s over LOL]
[Stop making it just bread lol I’m so jealous LMAO]
[One team dropped out, that was quick]
[That team is enjoying this game the most in a way lol]
Oh, the first customer has arrived!
I move my character to the entrance of the store and open the door at the right time.
”Welcome!”
”Good morning!”
”Please take your time”
”Number one, please guide us!”
It may not make sense because it’s in a game, but it’s a matter of feeling.
We’ll go with this.
[If there was a burger shop like this, it would be overloaded from the first day lol]
[↑It seems impossible unless they make a reservation system]
[These four people could run a burger shop normally]
[↑If they hold a collaboration event at some store, I’ll definitely go]
The first customer places their order and heads to table 8.
I see, the seating isn’t assigned from 1 onward but is random.
I thought I’d need to remember that too.
”Order coming in. One potato, one burger. And one Coke is ready.”
”Thank you! I’ll put the grilled meat here. I’ll fry the potatoes.”
”Alright! So, for a regular burger, it goes like this: one slice of lettuce on a grilled bun, one patty, a put of ketchup, add pickles, and then sandwich it with the top bun. Is that correct?”
As Shintaro places the burger on the tray, Tenga-senpai follows by placing a container with fries on the tray.
Toa, who has a Coke, hands me the tray with the items at the counter.
I take it to table 8.
”Thank you for waiting! One burger, one potato, and one Coke, right? Please enjoy your meal!”
Wow.
Satisfaction level 100% achieved!!
A speech bubble above the customer’s head shows the comment, “It was delicious.”
What a good start.
More customers keep coming in.
Oh, is this a family group?
”Two burgers, one without pickles, one with extra ketchup, one cheese, 2 potatoes, one with extra salt, and one onion, please.”
Is it just me, or does Toa seem more skilled already?
Am I imagining things?
I’ve just started the game and I’m still in a relaxed role, so I go to the juice stand to check the orders.
”I’ll prepare the hot coffee, so please handle the other 2.”
”OK!”
Well, one soda without ice and one regular orange juice.
I quickly set the glasses, poured the drinks in them and put them on the tray.
Then, the other three smoothly placed their cooked items on the tray one by one.
”Aqua, seat 5.”
”Got it!”
I take the tray to seat 5.
The first customer to order passed behind me.
”Thank you!”
”Thank you!”
”We look forward to seeing you again!”
I put the tray on seat 5, then go to seat 8 to collect the payment and clean the table.
The payment for this game is a post-payment system.
It seems that this system is in place because customers might get angry and leave if the food is served late.
Also, the first customer didn’t make much of a mess at their table and cleaned up their own tray and trash, but if it gets dirty, we have to clean it, and it was mentioned in the initial explanation that we have to clear away trays and trash.
”Looks like we might just be okay.”
”Yeah!”
Although there were some minor mistakes, the 4 of us cooperated and successfully finished our first day’s work.
Our sales on the first day at Beryl Burger were 124,800 yen, with a customer satisfaction rate of 92%.
”At this rate, we could add more items to the menu, right?”
I suggest that I help with the counter duties while Toa supports the kitchen.
”I agree. The cash register duties are easier than I thought, and it seems like we could manage adding a few more items.”
The question is which menu items to add, though.
I share the comments from customers after handing over their orders.
”Um, what I saw a few times was that since the fries and onions are delicious, some wanted burgers that use more fresh vegetables, and others said they wanted a little more innovation for the Japanese-style burger, and also requested soft serve ice cream or shakes.”
”Fresh vegetables… how about adding tomatoes and bacon to make it a bacon lettuce tomato sandwich?”
”Doesn’t that seem a bit lacking in volume? How about adding a fried egg to give it a bit more thickness?”
”Hmm. That might be a good idea. Since the first customers will become repeat customers, it would be better to target that and expand from there.”
Since we’re going to do it, we decided to use domestic lettuce and tomatoes.
We decided to stick to the milk for the soft serve ice cream and shakes, but the problem was how to add a little something to the Japanese-style burger.
”About that, when Tenga-senpai was looking at the orders, there was a bun with sesame seeds on it. I think the sesame flavor would bring out the flavor of the Japanese-style burger.”
”That’s great!”
”We’ll take it!”
”Yes. It’s just a little something, so even if we change it, it will be that much. Well, let’s place the order!”
We nod at Tenga-senpai’s words.
The next morning in-game, we restocked the refrigerator and other supplies with the items we ordered the night before.
[Yukari Kohina’s team, they just ended up fighting on their first day.]
[↑Lol, the shop wasn’t even open yet.]
[It’s inevitable that they can’t sell just plain bread, but they’re already in debt on the second day, that team is done for.]
[Emily-sama’s rampage, Kanon-sama’s rampage, Nee-san’s rampage]
[↑What about our Morikawa?]
[↑It’s better if she doesn’t stand out in this kind of game.]
[Kukuri-sama’s high-class burger sold 6 for some reason, lol]
[↑That burger shop is probably the only one in Roppongi, Minato-ku.]
[There are places selling 5000 yen burgers, and there are places selling plain bread with no fillings.]
[↑The disparity is hilarious.]
[I still feel the most comfortable with Team BERYL.]
[↑They don’t fight, and everyone is enjoying the game.]
The operations on the second and third days went smoothly.
However, on the 4th day, a trouble occurred.
”Order coming in! 6 potato fries, 8 onion rings, 6 Japanese-style burgers, 2 regular burgers, 3 cheese burgers, 1 chicken burger, 2 chicken and cheese burgers, 1 fish burger, 3 vanilla soft serves, 2 vanilla shakes, 1 orange juice, 3 cokes, 4 hot drinks, 3 ice teas, 1 ice tea with milk, 2 oolong teas!”
”Japanese-style burger with extra sauce, regular burger without lettuce and extra pickles, cheese burger with extra cheese, and fish burger with double tartar sauce!”
”Sorry, we’ll need about 5 minutes for the potatoes to finish frying. We’ll place an additional order, so someone please take care of the frying!”
”I’ll do it! Toa, I’ll add a tray, so please take care of it!”
I had underestimated this game a bit.
With the addition of chicken and fish burgers, the high customer satisfaction led to an increase in repeat customers, but at the same time, the number of new customers also grew, and we were completely overwhelmed with work.
After finishing our shift, we held a meeting to discuss the day’s performance.
”Today’s customer satisfaction rate was 88%. It’s the first time since our opening that it dropped below 90%. I believe this is a turning point.”
After finishing work, we hold a review meeting.
”Today’s customer satisfaction rate is 88%. It’s the first time since we opened that it’s fallen below 90%. I think this is a turning point.”
Just earlier, the management announced that from day 5, drive-thrus and hiring NPCs will be allowed up to a maximum of 2.
Things are already at their limit, and if we add more, we’ll have to think about how to manage it.
”What should we do? We could simply add more NPCs, but that means we’d have to pay them too.”
”I think we should rethink our task distribution instead. Rather than letting Aqua play on the floor, it might be better for me to handle the floor while occasionally supporting in the kitchen and have Aqua help in the kitchen to cover everything.”
”I agree with that opinion.”
”Shintaro, is that alright?”
I turn my gaze towards Shintaro, who has been working hard in the kitchen.
”The drive-thru window is close to the kitchen. If I handle the drive-thru while Aqua supports Tenga-senpai, I can support the kitchen. I think that would be better.”
”Understood. Then leave the kitchen to me.”
I recall what Akio-senpai said about never having lost in the kitchen.
Akio-senpai, I’ll do it for Shintaro, who let me take over the kitchen!!
”I want one more thing.”
It’s the final move in the game.
I thought I wanted something other than a new menu or discounts.
”Since it’s the weekend, how about a campaign to add one more fried onion to our best-selling menu?”
”””Tenga-senpai, that’s a great idea!!”””
Tenga-senpai’s suggestion resonated with me, Shintaro, and Toa.
After ordering more products, we formed a circle again.
”Okay, let’s do our best for the final sprint on Saturday and Sunday!”
”””Oh!”””
The reassignment worked, and customer satisfaction recovered to over 90% on Saturday.
And on the fateful final day, sales hit a record high thanks to the campaign to increase the amount of fried onions.
[Good news, nightmare burger place goes bankrupt on the final day]
[↑They were just selling regular bread all this time]
[↑It was surprisingly fun at the end]
[That nightmare of a burger shop was something else. They don’t sell just plain buns, so they put regular burgers, fish burgers, and chicken burgers on the menu, but in reality, they serve buns without any fillings. There’s not even lettuce in the store, let alone any meat.]
[Just so you know, it’s not like they’re putting up a false menu; they’ve just forgotten the contents, LMAO.]
[↑ Is this what you call an otherworldly level of adaptability? LOL]
[With a customer satisfaction rate of a shocking 0%, even the game company folks explaining it said it was the first time they’d seen anything like that, haha.]
[The team of Kanon-sama and Emily-sama was insane. At one point, Morikawa slipped and broke something, but if it weren’t for Morikawa, we might have crushed it.]
[↑ In terms of making the game more interesting, Morikawa played the most important role. If they hadn’t been there, we would have totally dominated. I’m really glad Morikawa broke the soft serve machine lever and swapped it out.]
[Sorry. I was watching Ayana-chan, who was in charge of the register, with a grin, and before I knew it, the game was over.]
[↑ Lapis-chan and the others were cute too!!]
[Hisui-chan and Natsu King are immediate assets; they can totally handle things in-store. By the way, please come work part-time!]
[Did Maron-san really get soaked by a bucket of water and go see-through!?]
We switch the screen to the official channel and wait for the results announcement.
First up is the selection of the MVP based on their in-game evaluation scores.
The top ten will be announced by the host, Announcer Onidzuka.
10th place: Tenga Akira, 88 points.
9th place: Mayuzumi Shintaro, 90 points.
8th place: Inori Hisui, 91 points.
7th place: Kirika Kotono, 92 points.
6th place: Natsuki Sana, 94 points.
5th place: Shirogane Aqua, 96 points.
4th place: Nekoyama Toa, 97 points.
2nd place: Mary, 100 points.
2nd place: Shirogane Kanon, 100 points.
1st place: Yukishiro Emily, 102 points.
Apparently the maximum rating for this game is 100, but how did Emily exceed 100?…
The development staff member giving the commentary looked confused.
”Well, all 4 of us are in the rankings, so we can do it, right!?”
”No, I don’t know how much of a deficit Morikawa-san is in, but Kanon and the others are pretty bad off too.”
”Yeah, and this number is just based on individual work data; it has nothing to do with profits or satisfaction.”
”Indeed, you never know what might happen until the very end.”
And the worst ranking was clearly Kohina-senpai’s.
It’s surprising that some people have evaluation scores of 0 or negative, but the development staff faced unexpected errors and it would be better if they just didn’t operate at all.
[Well, of course.]
[It’s because they don’t clean, so cockroaches show up and the fire extinguisher makes a mess in the store, forcing them to clean all day.]
[Also, there was that time they forgot to close the back door of the truck while transporting, leading to a major accident and compensation payments.]
[Ordering 1000 burger buns on the first day was pretty cute.]
[That team should have fired the manager on the first day.]
[Inko, Maron-san, and Iria really did a great job. It brought me to tears.]
Kohina-senpai, is it like that in the game too…
With a serious expression, I feel a sense of duty to take care of her for some reason.
’Now, we will announce the results.’
The teams in 5th and 4th place are going to be announced.
That leaves 3 remaining.
I’m counting on you!!
’3rd place, Kanopon Burger!’
Huh!?
What?
Kanon’s team came in 3rd?
I was really surprised because I thought Kanon’s team would win or get second place.
’Second place, Beryl Burger!!’
We got second place!?
What?
There was a team that could beat Beryl Burger and Kanopon Burger!?
’The winner is Sumeragi Burger!!’
What!?
What do you mean!?
Sumeragi Burger wasn’t even in the top 5 teams in terms of sales at the time.
We looked at each other in the Omotenashi picture.
[Sumeragi Burger was strong]
[No one would think that a 5000 yen burger would sell so well]
[At the end, they put gold leaf on the fries and sold them for over 10,000 yen]
[That burger shop was in a different location]
[3000 yen for a cup of hot coffee? Is this Ginza? lol]
[Even the game developers were surprised]
[Indeed, Kukuri-sama is the strongest.]
So Kukuri-chan and her team succeeded with their high-end strategy.
Damn, we were outplayed!
But I think we did a great job too.
”Thank you, everyone. We didn’t win in the end, but it was fun.”
”Yeah, I had fun playing with all of you too.”
”Yeah, I’ve never worked part-time in the real world, so this was enjoyable.”
”Indeed! Now I think I can fry the perfect potato.”
And so the first Shirogane Aqua Cup came to a close with the victory of Kukuri-chan, Hisui-chan, Summer King, and Ayana’s team.
Please bookmark this series and rate ☆☆☆☆☆ on here!
Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
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