CHAPTER 25

DAKOTA’S POV

“Hawaiian pizza, ma’am.” I slowly placed the food on table number three. There are many customers today even after two o’clock in the afternoon. We are all busy but I, I feel like I have to hurry to work because I want to peek at Akihiro in our room. Since I left him in the room a while ago, his temperature was slightly warm.

“Thank you, please refill our glasses, Miss.”

“Okay, ma’am.” I smiled and took the thing that the customer handed me.

I was going back to the counter when my eyes caught the laughing Ivo and Almira coming out of the cooking area. I don’t know why, but it felt like something poked my heart. Because of that and I didn’t notice a child playing on one side. I tripped there and dropped the tray containing three glasses.

I tried to catch it, but it didn’t happened. They fell to the floor, causing them to break. All the people’s attention was on me now because of the noise created by the broken glasses. The boy next to me, who was looking at me, suddenly started crying. I don’t know what to prioritize. Should the child be assist first or should the broken glass be picked up and now scattered on the floor?

“S-sorry, I’m sorry. I didn’t notice you.” I immediately apologized to the child, who was now being carried by his mother.

It looked at me badly while hugging the child. “Could you please, next time look where you’re going, Miss. You’re hurting a child!” she said to me.

My cheeks are red because of the shame I feel now. I just knelt down to pick up and put the pieces of the broken glass on the tray. But because of my haste, I suddenly got cut. I felt hot and painful in my hand. A few moments later, blood came out of it. I quickly moved to wipe it with my apron. The cut on my hand got worse after I touched the bruise again, but I didn't cry because of the pain. I bit my lower lip to stop sobbing, but my eyes immediately filled with tears.

“What happened here, Dakota?” asked Ivo, who was already close.

I simply closed my eyes. I don’t know what to say. I looked at him. “Chef, I’m sorry. I-I didn’t notice the kid k-so I tripped and dropped the tray with only glasses.” I bent down and explained, while still picking up the bowls with one hand. My other hand was hidden in the apron because it must be bleeding.

“What!? You’re not careless. What is that, Dakota?” he barely raised his voice to me so I leaned in. I can’t look him straight in the eyes right now.

It was only then that I noticed that many customers were looking at us now. Liam approached us now with a broom and dustpan. Willow also followed with a mop. “We’ll take care of it, Dakota. You go inside first,” Liam said.

“If I were you, Ivo. I would fire her. She’s not helping.”

My eyes suddenly looked up when I heard Almira’s voice, who was now behind Ivo. He looked at me with his arms crossed. I felt different at that time. I can not explain. I limp because of the pain in my hand. Whether the eyes can see that, I’m not sure. It really hurts.

“Don’t be, Chef Ivo. You know that Dakota isn’t going anywhere,” said Shane who was by my side and Willow was with me in supporting me.

I just bowed my head and tried to pick it up, but Liam spoke. “Don’t touch it. I will pick that up.” He turned to my friends first. “Get him inside first. I’ll just clean up.” I could see that he was really worried about me. He still smiled at me.

I couldn’t smile at him because my hand didn’t feel good. When I looked at Chef Ivo, he was just staring at me. He has no emotion even in his eyes. I was scared.

“Dakota, your hand!” Shane said in shock.

All of our attention immediately turned to my apron. It shocked us to see that it covered my apron and uniform in blood. Blood seeped from the pocket of the apron where my cut hand was stuck. I didn’t move immediately and just looked directly at Chef Ivo with a frown. It was about to move, but we heard Liam speak.

“That hand of yours is mine. Why don’t you touch the blood?” Liam suddenly pulled my arm until we entered the cooking area.

He made me sit in an empty chair. Liam left me for a moment. I noticed that my friends followed us, but they didn’t stay long. I know that they cannot come to me and stop working. I just nodded to show that it was okay. I understand. Later, Liam came back with a face towel and wrapped my wounded hand in it. From where I was sitting inside the cooking area, I glanced out the window and saw that Chef Ivo was talking to the child’s mother. After a while, Chef Ivo’s gaze landed on me. I’m not sure, but I saw something different in his face. There seemed to be a tinge of concern but because Almira said something and she lost her gaze on me. I took a deep breath before focusing my attention on my hand, that was still bleeding.

“Does it still hurt?” Liam asked me. The bleeding stopped a while ago and Liam cleaned it up. I have also taken pain medication to reduce the pain somehow. Honestly, I don’t feel any pain whatsoever. I can handle the pain and it’s not like before. Now it just fixes the big bandage on my hand.

“M-it’s enough. I’m fine. S-thank you, Liam, for treating my hand,” I shyly told him.

“Dakota, are you sure you don’t want to be sent to the clinic so we can check-up on that?” asked Shane. My friends’ faces showed concern for me.

I just shook my head and smiled at him. “Thanks but I’m fine, Shane,” I said. “I will bother you too much. I’m really sorry for earlier.” I was ashamed of all of them because of my clumsy behavior earlier.

He smiled back at me. “Don’t think about that.”

“Where’s Dakota?!” The three of us turned to the source of Chef Ivo’s voice, who was now approaching where we were. I quickly let go of Liam.

“Oh, look. He is still able to hold hands even though he has committed a sin,” said Almira, causing my forehead to frown. He raised an eyebrow at me.

“Is your wound deep?” he asked me. I didn’t move because his question surprised me. I also read something else in his eyes. It seems like it’s worrying, but I’m not sure if I’m seeing it right.

“Your hand was injured, not your tongue. Answer me!” Almira yelled at me, causing us all to turn around.

“Almira, please! I’ll take care of this. Go ahead.” Ivo scolded his friend.

Even though Almira didn’t want to leave, it still forced her to leave us. That’s even better because I’m already annoyed with him. I might not be able to hold back and beat him.

“C-chef, maybe Dakota really needs to be taken to the clinic. It looks like she has a deep cut.” Shane was worried as he looked at Chef Ivo. It’s obvious.

Chef Ivo looked at me, so I avoided looking at him. “Get dressed. I’ll take you to the clinic,” he said, turning away.

“Chef, I’ll come with you,” said Liam, standing up.

Chef Ivo turned to this and spoke, “No. Leave it here. There are many customers outside,” he said.

Shane carefully carried me to our room to get dressed.