Those Who Do Not Work Shall Not Eat

**Those Who Do Not Work Shall Not Eat** is the premiere episode of the Shōnen Maid anime series. The episode aired on April 7, 2016.

## Summary

Elementary student Chihiro Komiya had just lost his mother who was the only family he had, now wondering what to do next and how he will survive, he then helps a man who claims to be his uncle.

## Plot

"If you struggle when you are young, it will be easier as an adult", these are the words that Chihiro remembered his late mother telling him, although he thought it was a distorted version of a proverb.

As he and his mother's elderly friends mourn her death, one of her friends hands Chihiro a letter in case if she died. *"Dear Chihiro, you must be surprised to find yourself alone all of a sudden, sorry I couldn't stay with you forever. I'm sad I couldn't see you grow into an adult. About what you should do now... I think you'll be fine, so don't worry. You're a worrywart, so that's what I'm worried about. Life usually works out okay somehow, so you don't have to worry too much about it. Do you best. Love, Mom."* Feeling disheartened by the letter, he decides to burn it but is persuaded by her mother's friends not to and offers him to stay with them until he figures out what to do next.

In school, Chihiro tell his friends about his situation they question if he's going to live with his relatives which he replies that he does not have any and they wonder if he'll be homeless, but they give him support to do his best. During class, Yuji Hino, his best friend, tells Chihiro to go to him if the situation go really bad which cheers him up.

As he says goodbye to his friends and walks home, he sees a cat on top o his mothers gravestone and remembers his mother was working most of the time and was rarely at home. Feeling lonely, Chihiro then sees a man on top of a ledge trying to shoo away a puppy and notices Chihiro and asks for his help. Chihiro then holds the puppy while he gives the man a disappointing look as he gets down. As the owner of the puppy retrieves her puppy, the man thanks Chihiro and while shaking his hands, he grabs his face and asks if his name was Chihiro, in which he then hides behind a pole in suspicion and then asks the man for his name. The man then say that he resembles his mother and introduces himself as Madoka Takatori and says that he is his uncle, which surprises Chihiro.

While a taxi drivers loads his suitcase in the trunk, his mother's friends give him their goodbyes while reassured that he now has a place to live. Chihiro then arrives to Madoka's mansion. Madoka's secretary and childhood friend, Keiichirō Shinozaki, then welcomes him back and Madoka asks him to bring Chihiro's boxes inside in which Keiichiro applies. Surprised, Chihiro then tells Madoka that he may have the wrong person after all since he and his mother were always poor and said his mother told him that they have no relatives. Madoka then explains that technically, she was cut off the main family and asks if she never told him. Chihiro then remembers seeing her mother's dead body from heart failure and asks why didn't her family help her in which Madoka's replies that it was what his sister wanted. Even if it disgraced their father, she left her home and chose to leave her parent's protection and had Chihiro.

Believing he doesn't need help, he tells Madoka that he's going home in which he asks him where his home is. Madoka then tells him that his apartment is not his home anymore and tells Chihiro that it'd be easier for him to be helped since he is just a child. Upset by this, Chihiro runs away and Keiichiro then questions Madoka the point in teasing him, in which he replies that he couldn't help himself since he was saying "cute things" and later says he's exactly like his sister. Keiichiro then questions if he can take care of Chihiro, in which he says he has to as it was the one time she was selfish and believes Chihiro knows he can't survive on his own and wonders where he could have gone to.

Chihiro, hiding in the mansion's kitchen, talks to himself that if it weren't for him, his mother would still be alive. While crying, he then notices a cockroach near him and shrieks out of fear throughout the mansion which surprises Keiichiro and Madoka remembers not going to the kitchen for about three months. After turning on the lights, he then notices the kitchen to be a total mess and when Keiichiro and Madoka go in, they sees Chihiro beginning to clean the whole kitchen. Keiichiro then asks Madoka why he didn't hire a housekeeper in which he replies that he's not good with strangers. Madoka then thinks of an idea, in which Keiichiro ask what, and Madoka tells him to trust him.

After throwing away the trash, Chihiro then remarks that the kitchen is finally clean but then notices the whole house is dusty. Madoka then offers Chihiro a job so that he wouldn't feel indebted to him and gives him food, school and living expenses in exchange that he be his housekeeper. Chihiro then remembers the last words on his mother's letter: ***"Those who do not work shall not eat."*** and accept Madoka's offer.

On his first day at work, Chihiro questions why his uniform is so frilly in which Madoka says that it looks cute on him. As he begins to work on cleaning the mansion, Keiichiro then notices that Chihiro hasn't taken any breaks as wouldn't be satisfied sleeping because the house is too dusty. As Chihiro finishes cleaning the lastest room, he begins to feel tired and accidently knocks over a vase. Madoka and Keiichiro then appear and Madoka tells him he doesn't have to do this but Chihiro the tell him to leave him alone. Keiichiro then tells him that he doesn't have to rush after being in a new home and that he won't last long if he's always on his guard and tells him to relax more. Chihiro then finally sleeps after exhaustion and after waking up he then notices the two cleaning a room in which Madoka tells him that they are preparing Chihiro's room. Chihiro then remarks that he never had his own room before. As Chihiro's furniture arrives, he then makes dinner for the two and Madoka remarks that it's been a long time that he had a homecooked meal.

The next morning during breakfast, Madoka ask Chihiro what color he likes, in which he replies that he likes green and asks why but he abruptly leaves. As he is washing the dishes, Keiichiro tells him not to worry and that Madoka is a costume designer and is currently designing for a play. Chihiro then sees the door that Madoka tells him to not clean that he has not yet seen. He slightly opens the door and notices Madoka working and notices that he really does look like an adult. Chihiro then brings him late-time tea and snacks. As they are chatting, Chihiro then tells him not to overwork himself and Madoka tells him it'a promise but he then asks him what he meant by that and tells Chihiro it's a secret.

Madoka then tells Chihiro that he's finished and shows him that he made cat pajamas for him, and that he's still not finished with his actual work yet, which irritates Chihiro to the point he hits Madoka and tells him not to play around until his work is done.

## Trivia

* This episode marks the debut of the anime adaption of Shounen Maid.