Disclaimer: I am working, but I don't own "Working!". The rights belong exclusively to Karino Takatsu, and I am only a humble fan.

Author's Notes: Finally posting a new chapter and 'Gomen nasai' for the prolonged wait.

Thank you, thank you Shisoukengo-sama the review. Yes, it's quite a battle of wits in this story, yet it's so fun to write. Out of all the stories I'm writing, this one I find the easiest. And yes, Tanuma is an interesting character and is the voice of reason for Souma; God knows he needs it.

I want to thank, Toon Youngster, lonelycrystalizine and smlash for adding this fic to their favorites. Arigatou, mina-san!

Now, on to chapter four! Please read, hopefully, enjoy and leave a review.

Chapter 4: Taking the L

Maya arrived at Wagnaria at 6:30 am, nearly half an hour before her scheduled shift. The manager, Kyoko Shirafuji, had just opened the doors to the restaurant as the waitress walked across the parking lot.

"Ohayou!" Maya cheerfully greeted her manager, the morning chef, and another AM waitress that arrived early. She entered the locker room and changed into her uniform, all the while, humming a tune. It was a beautiful morning; the air was crisp, and a brisk walk to work left her feeling refreshed. Not to mention the two days she had off.

On Sunday, Maya, Shiori, and Obaa-chan had traveled to the amusement park, stayed overnight and returned Monday evening. Once home, Maya did nothing but lounge around, watch an episode of a TV drama before she and her daughter turned in early. However, another reason for Maya's good mood, she had, once again, thwarted Wagnaria's supersleuth, Hiroomi Souma.

Kyouko had confirmed she had received the employee assessment from Wagnaria North, which gave a valid account of Maya's work status although nearly all else was a fabrication. Her age was correct, but not her date of birth; also, Matsumoto was Maya's mother's maiden name; she had ceased using her father's name to help cover her tracks.

"You're from Asahikawa," Kyouko said, reading over the information. "I have friends there," she informed the young waitress.

"Oh," Maya responded, unconcerned that they might know the same people. "College friends?" she inquired, to make conversation.

"No," Kyouko answered absently, still going over the assessment, and then added, "Gang members."

Maya's jaw dropped, and she gawked at her superior. Now it all made sense - Kyouko's laid back manner, nothing-bothers-me, I'm-untouchable attitude; it was a typical delinquent Yankee trait, and Maya was surprised she had not picked up on it before. She would have to be extremely careful around Kyouko in the future; it seems the two traveled in similar circles. Except for Souma, she hadn't focused too much on her other coworkers; it seems that was a mistake.

"An assessment wasn't necessary," Kyouko said in her usual monotone, as Maya watched the woman place the paperwork in the office employee file drawer. "I already know you're a good worker, Matsumoto, but Taneshima says its protocol, and we have to follow the rules," the manager said, leaving the waitress, once again, dumbfounded that a high schooler was running this restaurant.

Popura Taneshima was a sweet 17-year-old, who had the appearance of a grade schooler; she had a bubbly personality and was the new floor chief in training for the evening shift. The teenager was replacing Yachiyo Todoroki, the current floor manager, who would be leaving soon to venture out seeking other types of work, as well as marrying Jun Satou, the restaurants head chef.

"Thank you, Jichou," Maya beamed at the unexpected praise from Kyouko. It was rare that the woman complimented any of her staff, and now she understood why, but it sounded sincere, and Maya was surprised at herself for feeling pleased with the flattery. With a bow, the waitress left the office and headed out to greet the breakfast patrons.

The next two hours were busy; by 8:30, the pace had slowed, with only a few stragglers who worked later shifts in the morning. The lunch crowd was bustling, with many customers coming in large groups. Was every boss in the vicinity treating their staff to lunch today or something, Maya wondered as she had just taken orders from a group of ten government workers.

"Matsumoto-san!"

After placing her order tickets on the carousel, Maya turned to greet her coworker, Reina Nakano, a married, mother of two. Reina's husband was working abroad, and the woman worked part-time here at the restaurant, three days a week on the day shift, while her boys were in school, to help make ends meet.

"Yes, Nakano-sempai."

"I'll be leaving soon. Junji has a doctors appointment later this afternoon," Reina informed Maya. "You might want to take your break now before I have to leave."

"Oh... thanks for the heads up, Reina-sempai, as soon as I finish the order for table twelve, I'll take you up on that."

Thirty minutes later, Maya sat in the breakroom, enjoying a bubble tea, as she stared out of the window. Right now, was the perfect time to study for her Environmental Sciences class this evening, but no one here knew she was attending university, and Maya wanted to keep it that way.

The last thing she needed was Souma discovering anything about her outside of the workplace. The assistant chef was persistent, but so far, Maya had managed to stay two steps ahead of him. Even today, by procuring the assessment she needed to continue working, she had accomplished minimizing his threat, and hopefully, that would keep him quiet, if just for a little while.

"Obaa-chan was worried for nothing," Maya thought, as she smirked and then took a sip of her tea. "You're nowhere near the supersleuth you believe you are, Hiroomi Souma."

XXXXX

"Achoo! Achoo!" the person in question sneezed twice in a row. "Someone's talking about me," he sniffled, left the kitchen to go into the living room of his small apartment and grabbed a box of tissues off the bookshelf.

"And based on the number of sneezes, they're not saying anything good," Tanuma Itou said, as he sat on a bar stool at the counter. "But that's no surprise."

Souma returned to the kitchen, turned to his old friend and only confidante, and shot him a hostile glare. "Is that supposed to be funny?"

"Not just funny, it's also true," Tanuma responded, unconcerned by Souma's offended expression. "What's with that look?" the taller of the two raised a brow. "Don't forget, I know you; you're a pachyderm, and too thick skinned to have hurt feelings."

"That's brutally honest," Souma responded huffily but dropped the facade, as he closed the lid on a bento and slid it across the kitchen counter. Tanuma worked a few blocks away at a construction company and to make up for him stalking the train station the other day in search of Maya; Souma offered his friend a weeks worth of prepared lunches.

"Thanks, man," Tanuma smiled as he caught a whiff of the miso soup before Souma closed the lid. "Heard any word on that Maya chick?" asked, as he stuffed the container into his knapsack.

"No, but she's on the schedule today," Souma stated. "She works the morning shift, and leaves at 3 o'clock; that's usually the time I arrive, and I work until close."

"So... she's leaving as your coming; that doesn't leave a lot of time for chitchat."

"Right," Souma answered with a smirk. "But, I'm going in an hour early today so we can..." the assistant chef paused for effect, "... chitchat."

"Harass is probably closer to the truth," Tanuma said and frowned, knowing first hand how irritating Souma could be when he set his sights on something or someone. "You're really into this case and this girl. From what you've told me, she sounds normal; maybe you should respect her privacy."

"She's 'too' normal," Souma said and leaned against the kitchen counter. "Or, at least she appears that way. It seems she has no friends; no customer has come by the restaurant and said, 'oh... there's Maya, I had no idea she worked here.' Everything seems so - routine, for the want of a better word. Twice, I've tried to follow her home, only to find out later that the buildings that I saw her enter, she didn't live at either of them."

"Maybe she was visiting those 'non-existent' friends," Tanuma said sarcastically and watched Souma scowl. "Come on, man, she probably knew you were following her and gave you the slip. If you ask me, she sounds like a pro."

"Exactly!" Souma said and snapped his finger in his excitement. "The day before Maya was scheduled to go to the station, she and I had a confrontation outside of Wagnaria. She called me out!"

"What do you mean, she called you out?" All Tanuma's sarcasm was gone, as he sat up, alert.

"I provoked her by asking why someone with her smarts would settle for being a waitress, and she came back at me asking why someone with my skills in electronics would settle for being a chef."

"She said that?"

"Oh yeah, and it gets better; she called me a hacker, and then she threatened me," Souma said with a wide grin. "This normal young woman tells me to back off, with all the smoothness of a yakuza boss; I think she meant to do me bodily harm."

"It would serve you right," Tanuma muttered, "But, I'm... I'm astonished," shrugged, unsure what to think, but was starting to find this Maya equally intriguing.

"Your spidey senses are tingling too, right?" Souma sensed his friend's interests and referenced a superhero from the American comics that they both had read back in high school.

"I hate to admit it, but yeah, they are," Tanuma admitted with reluctance. "Argh! Irisu would have my head if she knew I had another chick on my mind."

"Who, Fujioka-san?" Souma looked surprised. "She was our kohai in the journalist club. Are you two still dating?"

"We live together, knucklehead. She attends university here in the city. You would know these things if you crawled outta your hole sometimes, Mr. Incognito."

Souma ignored that, instead, he responded, "I'm telling you, Maya's has secrets, and I won't be satisfied until I know what they are. So, you going to help me solve this puzzle?"

With a sigh, Tanuma nodded, picked up his knapsack with the bento inside, and moved toward the door. "Don't forget that old saying, Hiroomi, 'curiosity killed the cat,'" the tall laborer said, as he walked out the door.

"Yeah, but that's why they have nine lives," Souma mumbled to himself before picking up the phone and dialing Jun Satou's number.

"Oi, Satou-kun," he greeted his superior. "Are you going in early today? Great! Can I catch a ride with you?"

XXXXX

Wagnaria's northern restaurant was just as busy as its southern counterpart. The day shift waitresses trekked from the dining floor to the kitchen and back again, as customers arrived in droves, and most were in large groups.

"What's going on today?" one of the dayshift waitresses asked.

"I know," another responded, "It's crazy busy this afternoon."

"I'm not talking about that," the first waitress nudged the other. "I'm talking about Kondou-sempai. Look!"

Both women turned the blonde waitress balancing two trays on each arm, weaving through tables and other staff like a pro.

"Oh my!" the second waitress gasped. "Is that really Kondou-sempai working?"

"Looks like our cloud chasing sempai's got some skills," the first waitress chuckled. "It's too bad Miyakoshi-san's not around to see this."

"Looks like table three could use refills and the coffee filters low," a voice said from somewhere behind the two women.

Both froze, before turning to the owner of the voice and grinned sheepishly. "Hai, Buchou! they squealed in unison, bowed and scrambled in different directions.

Kenichirou Sakaki, Wagnaria north's, head manager watched with listless eyes as his staff returned to their duties before his eyes sought out the woman the two were discussing.

Sakaki and Kisaki Kondou had been working together for a little more than four years. She had left for a year, in which Sasaki later discovered that she had had a child before returning. Kisaki was lazy, condescending, a smartass, yet highly intelligent and on top of that, surprisingly, a great mother. The woman spent more time in the breakroom than doing her job as a waitress, but she was a godsend to Sakaki when it came to inventory, budgeting, accounting, or anything dealing with finances. Kisaki was a wiz with numbers, and he often wondered at her lack of motivation. With her mind, she could do much more than waiting tables, although those skills were also phenomenal when she chose to use them.

Sakaki waited, as Kisaki served the last group of patrons and then raised a hand and waved her over. As she approached, he turned and entered his office and then closed the door behind her the moment she crossed the threshold.

"Oops! What's this? A closed-door conference, Sakaki Bichou?" Kisaki asked wide-eyed as she stood in front of him. "Is this finally the day you've had enough of my slacking and plan to fire me?"

"Originally that was the plan, but seeing you out there working so diligently today, I didn't have the heart," he teased and smiled to make sure she knew he was joking. "I just wanted to ask if you have heard from Matsumoto-chan."

"Oh yeah, she texts me earlier. Her boss received the paperwork, and Maya sent her thanks once again."

"Good, good," Sakaki murmured, nodded his head and then crossed his arms over his chest. "Kisaki, how long have you known Maya?"

"We met when she was pregnant with Shiori," Kisaki informed him and started to wonder where this conversation was going.

"So, that's what..." Sakaki held up his fingers and began counting.

"Four years," the blond supplied because he was taking too long adding single digits and then snapped. "So what about it? I can only assume there's a point you're trying to make."

With a sigh, Sasaki sat at the edge of his desk and then indicated the chair in front of it; a silent request for Kisaki to take a seat. After hesitating for a moment, the blond looked puzzled before sitting down.

Leaning over his desk, Sakaki opened the top drawer and removed a cell phone. He flipped it open, punched a few numbers and then and then placed it directly in front of Kisaki's face. He watched her lean forward, reading the text received by him and anyone with connections to a gang.

A minute later, Kisaki leaned back in her chair and looked up at Sakaki.

"What does this mean?" she asked. If the information rattled her, Kisaki gave no sign of it.

"Unfortunately, it means that this Souma guy is the least of Maya's worries. The description is vague, but on a hunch, I'm pretty sure it's our girl they're talking about here," Sasaki said, as he closed the phone with a snap.

Kisaki crossed her legs, and then her arms over her chest. Why would thugs be looking for Maya? None of this made sense, she decided as she looked up at Sasaki.

"I don't know," he responded as if reading her mind. "But I'm going to do some digging," he told her.

"What? No!" Kisaki stood up so fast she knocked the chair back, and it crashed to the floor. "You no longer associate with those types of people; you left them a long time ago!"

"That doesn't happen in real life, I'm afraid," the manager dared to laugh. "Besides, we're not all bad people; we're like a family of delinquents. Over time we all go our separate ways, but we're always there for each other."

"Why do you keep grouping yourself with them," Kisaki hissed and had an odd impulse to stomp her foot in frustration.

"Because that's who I am," Sasaki stated, as he stood also. "I now have a decent job, wear a tie, but my past won't ever go away," he said and then gave thought to why his staff member/friend was reacting this way. "Are you, by chance, concerned about me, Kisaki-san?"

"Why the hell would I be worried about you!" the woman snapped. "I'm worried about losing a manager who lets me take five-hour breaks on an eight-hour shift; one who watches my kid when I go out with my friends, not only that I... I think I'm getting used to the cats," she petered out on a sigh.

Sasaki was dumbfounded; what was going on here? He was missing something, of that he was sure, but what?

"I'll be okay, Kisaki," Sasaki spoke softly, as he approached her. He looked down on her bent head and raised his hand to stroke her blond curls. "I'll contact a few members by phone first to see what I can find out, okay."

"Okay," Kisaki's voice was barely above a whisper. "It's important to know who else besides Hiroomi Souma is after Maya."

"Right," Sasaki said, feeling Kisaki was back to her usual self. "It's just a hunch, but I think Maya may have some connections to delinquents as well."

"No way!" Kisaki refused to believe that. "Maya's a nice girl; she's caring, and she's smart. What connections would she have?"

"I'm a nice guy," Sasaki said and watched Kisaki nod the affirmative. "I'm caring," he continued to probe and received another positive. "I'm..."

"Don't go there," Kisaki said, and her eyebrows twitched in annoyance. "Okay, I get where you're going with this, but I just can't imagine Maya..." she left the rest unsaid.

"Don't be surprised," Sasaki taunted. "You never know."

"Oh, I'm willing to put money on it," Kisaki snapped back. "I'll bet you a case of Nisshin moist cat food that this is a mistake, that you're confusing Maya with someone else."

"You're on," Sasaki grinned. "And if by some slim chance you happen to win, I've got the cash on hand."

"Some victories are not about money," Kisaki said slyly.

"Coming from you, that's a first," Sasaki chortled.

"Don't you worry, when I win, I'll decide then what I want for a prize."

XXXXX

Souma entered the restaurant behind Satou, and his blue eyes immediately flew toward the dining area; no Matsumoto. Heading to the men's changing rooms, he continued searching; she wasn't near the register, the pantry nor the beverage area, and the assistant chef started to panic. While changing into his uniform, Souma wondered if Maya was unable to obtain the assessment needed and decided to call it quits. If that was indeed the case, then it proved a clear win for Souma, and yet it bothered the assistant chef that she would bow out without putting up a fight.

"Damn!" Souma hissed aloud.

"You okay over there?" Satou asked from the lockers on the opposite side.

"Hai, hai," Souma sighed, "Just stubbed a toe," he lied and the excitement he'd been feeling all morning ebbed away slowly.

Had he pushed her too far, Souma wondered? After their confrontation the other day, he never imagined Maya would bolt. Although he had threatened to expose her once he knew what to disclose, she still had gone toe-to-toe with him; Maya had refused to be intimidated.

"I'm headed out," Satou announced. Souma muttered a response and heard the locker slam shut, the head chef's footsteps leaving and then the open and close of the changing room door.

Souma sat there for a minute, his thoughts in turmoil. He had won, but it wasn't a sweet victory. He was no closer to putting together the missing pieces of Maya Matsumoto's puzzle. With a resigned sigh, he stood up, tightened his apron and moved toward the door. He swung it open, stepped into the hall and came face to face with the object of his thoughts.

"Konnichiwa, Souma-san!" Maya smirk knowingly.

He stopped, staring stupidly and blinked a few times to confirm she was really standing before him.

"Well say something," Maya taunted. "Oh, come on, a simple hello will suffice." Her brown eyes behind red-rimmed glasses gleamed triumphantly. "You seem so surprised to see me; I wonder why."

After the initial shock had worn off, Souma felt a resurge of the excitement that had dimmed earlier. He felt revitalized just seeing her and knowing that Maya planned to take their battle to the end.

"Maya, Maya, Maya," Souma shook his head with each pronunciation of her name. "I actually believed you tucked tail and ran," he told her, and his blue eyes gleamed, as his smile reappeared.

"Hah! In your dreams, buddy!" Maya scoffed while keeping her voice low. "And that's Matsumoto to you!" she snapped.

Souma loved the fire in her eyes, as well as the way they shot daggers at him. He enjoyed hearing the various intonations in her voice, and the changes in her dialect. She could go from professional to prissy to hooligan in zero to six seconds and not miss a beat, that was the many facets of Maya Matsumoto.

"Don't spaz out on me, Souma-san," Maya snapped her fingers in front of his face to pull him out of his daze. "I'm about to deliver my victory speech."

"That's a little premature, don't you think?" Souma grinned, his bravado returning. "You've only managed to win this small skirmish, Matsumoto-san," he emphasized her name. "We haven't even reached the heart of the battle yet, but when we do..."

"The end result will be the same," Maya smiled and finished the tautology phrase, claiming herself the overall victor. The woman tossed her head and turned toward the women's changing rooms, and threw a final parting shot over her shoulder. "Have a productive day, Souma-san!"

"Arigatou na, Matsumoto-san, I will now!"

Til next chapter...