Naomi nodded.
"I'd be happy to."
The restaurant introduced several improvements afterward.
The changes weren't designed to make every meal feel like an airport security checkpoint.
They focused on clear responsibilities.
Staff needed to understand when they could stop service because of a safety concern.
Managers needed procedures for preserving evidence and reporting unusual incidents.
And guest instructions couldn't override basic food-handling standards simply because they came from a wealthy or influential person.
Mei asked Naomi to participate in developing the training.
The young woman drew on her education in food science, her experience in hospitality, and what she'd learned during the investigation.
She didn't describe herself as a forensic toxicologist.
She wasn't one.
Instead, she helped translate the practical lessons into procedures service workers could understand.
How to recognize a suspicious interruption.
How to seek assistance.
How to communicate a safety concern clearly.
And how management could support employees who acted in good faith rather than abandoning them when a powerful guest complained.
The program also emphasized restraint.
Not every unfamiliar object was dangerous.
Not every unusual guest request was malicious.
And workers weren't expected to make medical or criminal conclusions on the spot.
They were expected to recognize when something required attention and use the appropriate reporting process.
Naomi liked that approach.
It treated service workers as professionals.
Not decorative figures who existed merely to keep wealthy guests comfortable.
The restaurant's management offered Naomi a training coordinator position.
The role included more predictable hours, additional responsibility, and an opportunity to develop her skills beyond ordinary table service.
She accepted after reviewing the terms carefully.
The promotion wasn't announced as a reward for saving a billionaire.
Mei had been considering Naomi for broader responsibilities before the incident.
Her performance, education, and experience supported the decision.
But the crisis demonstrated how valuable those skills could be when an unexpected problem arose.
Naomi continued serving occasionally because she enjoyed direct contact with guests.
She also began studying for an additional professional qualification related to food safety and hospitality training.
For the first time in several years, she felt that her career was moving forward again.
Not because a billionaire discovered she spoke Japanese.
Because the abilities she'd spent years developing were finally being used in work that suited them.
Her mother visited New York that autumn.
Her health had improved enough for the trip, and Naomi wanted to spend time with her outside medical appointments and family obligations.
They walked through Central Park.
Visited a museum.
And ate dinner at a small neighborhood restaurant where nobody recognized Naomi from the news.
One afternoon, her mother asked to see Kintsugi House.
Naomi smiled.
"Are you sure?"
"Of course."
Her mother looked amused.