Chapter 166. [Check, Please]

When I tried to take some sauce, Angu Ogu scolded me for reaching out.

I wonder what I did wrong.

The correct answer is.

<<Did you forget already, Iroha? Reaching out your arm in front of others is a breach of etiquette!>>

<<Oh, really!? Sorry, I forgot! It’s just a habit.>>

<<Honestly. Here, I’ll get it for you this time, so make sure to ask me properly next time.>>

Angu Ogu handed me the sauce that was next to her.

I accepted it with an apology.

It’s easy to forget knowledge you don’t use.

During my previous stay, I had been taught some manners.

But they had completely slipped my mind.

<<Let’s see. You’re not supposed to lean on your elbows, you shouldn’t make noise while eating, you’re not supposed to slurp your nose, and you’re not supposed to lift the plate, right?>>

<<As for the plates, I think the Japanese “Ochawan” culture of lifting plates to eat is actually more unique.>>

While having such a conversation, we continued to eat and change the flavors. However, my hand stopped completely midway. The burger itself was delicious, but the portion was too large! Even Angie was sipping her drink slowly with some French fries left.

<<Shall we go soon?>>

<<But I’m not finished yet…>>

<<Forcing yourself to eat will only make you uncomfortable. It’s okay to leave some.>>

<<That’s “Mottainai”, right?>>

<<Haha, very Japanese of you. You understand.>>

Angu Ogu made brief eye contact, and despite being quite far away, the waitress from earlier came over immediately.

<<I’d like the check, please. We’ll pay together. And can we get a “doggy bag” too?>>

<<A doggy bag? Oh, a doggy bag! Sure. Two of them, okay? Just a moment.>>

By the way, isn’t it also considered impolite to shout like “Sumimasen!” when calling the waitress?

While thinking about such things, the waitress brought something to our table.

<<I see, a doggy bag means “takeout,” right?>>

<<That’s right. In America, the portions of meals are often large, but it’s not common to “share” or “eat with multiple people” like in Japan.>>

<<Oh, even Angie finds it too much. But I see.>>

<<And it’s also a culture of not overdoing it. Basically, in any restaurant, if you ask, you can take home the leftovers.>>

<<I wish you had told me that a little earlier.>>

<<Sorry, sorry. Leftovers can be tomorrow’s lunch.>>

Saying so, Angu Ogu expertly packed her leftovers into the doggy bag.

I followed suit, and she reached for another item.

<<Is that for… oh, the bill?>>

<<That’s right.>>

As she said that, Angu Ogu placed her credit card in the bill holder and placed it by the side of the table.

The waitress quickly came to collect it.

<<Is it okay? I got treated.>>

<<It’s fine. Let me “treat” you today.>>

<<Well, then, I won’t hesitate.>>

As we chatted, it seemed the bill had already been settled, and the waitress returned the bill holder.

Inside were the credit card and, in addition to the bill, a receipt.

<<By the way, I haven’t seen you around here. Are you on a trip?>>

<<No, we recently moved to this area.>>

<<Is that so? In that case, please come back for a meal sometime! And bring the young lady too.>>

<<Thank you very much. We will.>>

I responded with a smile.

At first, I was overwhelmed, but once I got used to it, the waitress was very nice.

American waitstaff were really friendly, unlike in Japan.

That is probably due to the significant difference in the perception of “equality between customers and waitstaff.”.

Japanese people sometimes see that as a “poor work attitude.”.

However, in America, this is normal.

Because it’s equal, it’s okay for them to use their smartphone and chat.

After all, aren’t customers doing the same thing?

<<That waitress was really nice, wasn’t she?>>

<<Yeah! Oh, look. Take a look at this receipt.>>

She said that, and I peered at Angu Ogu’s hand.

There was a message with emoticons. It said, “Thank you!” with a handwritten note, and I felt satisfied that it was a good meal.

However, I realized that I had committed a serious etiquette mistake.

<<Oh no!? Come to think of it, I didn’t give the waitress a tip!>>

<<Iroha, you’re starting to understand “America”. But don’t worry; we can give it to her now.>>

Angu Ogu smiled and said, “You can hand it directly if you want.”.

But how should I give it?

The bill has already been settled, and we paid it by card. Should I give cash now?

As I pondered this, she was writing something on the receipt.

<<What are you doing?>>

<<Oh, I’m deciding on the tip amount. That should do it.>>

Inside the bill holder, there were two receipts: one for us and one for the restaurant.

There was a checkbox to choose the tip percentage.

Angu Ogu checked the box at the bottom, which said “20%,” and signed it.

<<Wait, is this how tipping works?>>

<<You can write down the amount freely if you want. Adjusting so that there are no odd cents with cash. Today, you seemed really happy, and as a way of saying, “Nice to meet you in the future,” I decided to give a little more.>>

<<I see.>>

<<Alright, shall we go?>>

Angu Ogu got up from her seat.

Apparently, it’s okay to leave it there and leave.

There’s no need to check the tip amount with the waitress.

The credit card charge will be adjusted later to include the tip.

<<Honestly, I don’t really know the tipping etiquette from a Japanese perspective.>>

<<Well, we’re also doing it by feel. Japan doesn’t have a tipping culture, so just be careful not to forget to give it!>>

<<Is tipping really that important?>>

<<No joke, it’s really important. Japanese people might think they don’t want to pay “extra”. But in America, it’s directly linked to wages. If, hypothetically, there were no tips… some jobs would pay less than $3 an hour, for example.>>

<<What!? That low?>>

<<The minimum wage is set with the assumption of tipping. Of course, it’s not always necessary. There are also places where you don’t have to tip, like when you order at the counter and it’s almost self-service. And whether you get tips or not can also affect the minimum wage. For example, in a job where you get few tips, it might be around $8 an hour, while in a job where you get tips frequently, it might be around $3 an hour.>>

<<I thought prices were high, and salaries were even higher in America.>>

<<That’s a common misconception among Japanese people.>>

Not giving a tip might be like saying, “You can work for $3 an hour.”.

I solemnly pledged to always give a tip unless there was a very good reason not to.