A/N: Sorry for the late update of this fic ^^; I have no excuses. Yeah I'm being lazy ^^; I can't get my butt to work so ... my apologize for making you guys wait. Please enjoy this part and I hope I'll see you guys again on my next update. Not sure with one I will update next but I'll try my best.
Thank you for your time here <3Kako no Cafe [Part 7]
Several days later, on a sunny day, very beautiful Thursday, when the Matsui duo was sweeping the floor, Yuki was cleaning her cups and Takamina was checking the income book of the café. The place was quite empty even though it was already 9 am since it was a national holiday. Therefore, most people were out of the city. This explained why Jurina and Rena were here during weekdays.
*Ring*
“Irasaimase~” All the four staff said cheerfully at the same time when the doorbell rang. Walking in was no other than the usual cold cyborg with her backpack, Mayu.
“Mayu-chan~” Immediately, Jurina jumped on the little girl and snuggled her, trying to kiss her cheek. But of course, Mayu dodged the kiss, ignored the kissing monster and walked to her favorite table while dragging along the puppy.
“Oi! Jurina! What are you doing?!?” Yuki shouted from the counter and gestured Rena to get the young girl off Mayu. The pale girl was quite mad and annoyed about what she was seeing so Rena obediently did what Yuki told her to do. She took the collar of Jurina’s shirt and pulled the girl away from their customer.
“No! Let me go, Rena-chan!!!” Jurina struggled.
“Stop it Jurina. You’re disturbing her.”
“What’s wrong with that? I missed her. I haven’t seen her for quite a long time now!” The puppy protested.
“OK what’s going on here?” Both Yuki and Takamina walked to Mayu’s table and placed down a piece of strawberry cake and a cup of hot chocolate. Then both of them turned to the Matsui duo.
“I just want to greet my best friend but Rena scolded me.”
“Oi! I wasn’t scolding you!” The pale girl slapped the younger girl at the back of her head.
“Best friend? What do you mean by that, Jurina?” Yuki raised an eyebrow while glaring at Jurina in disbelief.
“Oh so Mayu-chan hasn’t told you that huh? She’s a senior in my school. We usually hang out in the campus every day. About a week ago, she was sick so I haven’t seen her since then.”
“You two are studying in a same school huh?” Takamina smiled in interest.
“Yeah! And best friend we are too! Right, Mayu-chan?”
Jurina said happily and tried to kiss the cyborg again, who was busy reading her book, but then she ended up getting her face pushed away by the girl, making her face look like an octopus.
“OK… This is a weird combination… How comes someone serious like Watanabe-san hanging out with someone flirty like Jurina?” Yuki scratched her chin.
“Mou! I’m not flirty!” The aforementioned girl pouted.
“More like clingy to me.” The cyborg replied in a mono tone without taking her eyes off her book. “That puppy always clings on me when we’re at school, causing her girlfriend to get jealous of me for no reason.”
“Oi! I‘m not her girlfriend, Mayu!” Without noticing, Rena’s face turned red. She defended herself by shouting at Mayu.
“I didn’t say your name, Rena-san.” Rena finally realized that she just fell in a trap. The pale girl said nothing but her flushed cheeks told everything. She quickly went back to the kitchen to work, avoiding any questions from her bosses.
“Ne, Rena-chan! Wait for me!” The puppy chased after the pale princess, leaving behind a dumbfound midget and a confused barista.
“What was that?” Finally, Yuki was able to say something.
“I don’t know. Something is happening between those two.” Takamina answered.
“You just met a real tsundere lolicon and a dense puppy.” To answer Yuki’s question, the cyborg took a sip of her chocolate and replied softly.
“Oh… So that means something is really happening between those two. More like it’s coming from Rena.” The midget scratched her chin amusingly.
However, Yuki remained silence. She didn’t go along with Takamina since something was bothering her mind more than the love problem between the Matsui duo. The fact was that she was more curious about the cyborg. Knowing the girl was studying in a same school with one of her employees made her mind work harder. She remembered the time when they recruited Jurina and Rena, she and Takamina just thought about hiring more people but not yet posted a notice outside the café. She thought about it a little more and she found it strange. How comes the Matsui duo knew they wanted to hire employees before the notice was posted? Yuki took a look at the reading girl and asked herself: What if the Matsui duo knew because the cyborg told them about the issue? But then she quickly shook it off her mind.
“No way. She was sick for a whole week. How comes she knew that?” Yuki mumbled to herself. However, Takamina, who was standing beside her, heard her voice.
“Did you say something, Yukirin?”
“No. Nothing.” The barista shook her head. “Let’s go back to work, Takamina.” She changed the topic, hopefully wouldn’t get any more questions from her friend.
“Sure.” The midget smiled. “Watanabe-san, please excuse us.”
The young customer just nodded silently and went back to read her book, leaving the two older girls with their work. The café was filled with silence again when no one was making a single sound. The Kojiyuu duo wouldn’t come until evening while the troll duo was on their honeymoon trip. Therefore, the café went back to its old time, during the first few days of its re-opening. However, the current quiet atmosphere didn’t last for long when the doorbell rang again.
*Ring*
And stepping inside was a fine young girl, brown wavy long hair, soft pink lips, wearing style clothes and a pair of black glasses that made her look so mysterious.
“Irasaimase” Yuki said and bowed to the girl. She was curious and surprised to see such a girl would come to their café at this time.
The girl nodded at her shortly and then looked around to choose for herself a nice seat. After a few minutes, she walked to a table in the middle of the room. At that time, Jurina approached her and gave her the menu. The girl was sitting in a good place that Mayu could have a clear view of her. The young girl took a quick glance at the newcomer and then went back to her book with a smirk blooming on her lips.
“A hot cappuccino and a chocolate cupcake, please.” After a minute of reading the menu, the girl said to Jurina, who quickly wrote down the order into her notebook and then gently took the menu from the girl.
“Yes, ma’am. Please wait for a few minutes.”
Jurina quickly went to the counter and gave the order to Yuki and Takamina. Then the puppy looked at the girl doubtfully. While the barista and the baker were doing their jobs, only Rena, who was cleaning the cups, noticed the strange expression of the youngest girl. Following the gaze of Jurina, Rena could see her friend was staring at the new girl, who was observing the café carefully while waiting.
“Jurina, why are you staring at the girl like that?” Rena asked with a hint of jealousy in her voice. But Jurina didn’t notice that so she answered innocently without breaking her gaze on the stranger.
“She looks familiar to me. I think I’ve seen her somewhere…”
“Well you have many fan girls at school. I bet she could be one of them and decide to stalk you here.”
“No. Not at school for sure… I think I saw her on TV or in a magazine…”
“Hmmm?” Rena looked at the girl again, observing her more carefully. Now she realized that she have seen the girl somewhere before too. “Now that you mention about it, I think I’ve seen her too.”
“Of course you have. You have read all of my magazines and watched TV with me for more than ten years already.”
“Back to the topic, are you thinking what I am thinking, Jurina?” Rena asked while smiling at the puppy. Hearing the question, Jurina turned her head around to meet up with Rena’s gaze and smiled.
“Are you thinking what I am thinking, Rena?”
“OK, both of you, cut it out. Your smiles are creepy.” Yuki sighed and placed the cup of cappuccino and the chocolate cupcake onto Jurina’s tray. “The order is done, Jurina. Do your work.”
“Right away, Black-sama.” Jurina saluted the barista in military way and quickly went away with the tray placing firmly on her hand.
At that time, Yuki sighed again and leaned on the counter, standing next to Rena, who was giggling.
“When will that flirty puppy stop calling me as Black-sama?”
“Well, you scared her to death with your black aura when she was trying to kiss you so I guess you’ll have to live with that name from now on.” Rena replied in amusement.
“Oh well, at least she would stop stealing my first kiss then.”
“Wait, you haven’t had your first kiss?” Rena opened her mouth in shock.
“What’s so surprising about that?”
“Honestly, you’re beautiful. I thought you would have had many boyfriends in your past.”
“My appearance has nothing to do with my love life.” Yuki pouted. At the same time, Jurina went back with an empty tray so the conversation ended.
“Seriously, I can’t remember where I saw that girl or who she is. But she is awfully familiar. Damned my fish brain.” Jurina knocked her head several times with the tray, trying to make herself remember the identity of the new customer. However, it didn’t work even though she felt dizzy after that. She couldn’t even stand straight and had to let Rena support her. Seeing that, both Yuki and the sitting cyborg shook their head in defeat and mumbled the same word quietly, “Baka”.
The question still remained for a while until the mysterious girl finished her drink and cake. She stood up and walked to the counter in order to pay her order. However, as she was walking, an object caught her attention, the glass cabinet placing next to the counter. Yuki noticed the girl was staring at the cabinet. She silently praised the midget again for the great idea of the souvenir. Few customers asked them for some old things in the cabinet, took them away and visited the café on the next day with a big smile on their faces. The midget sure had no fortune, but she did know how to please her customers very well.
“Your order is 560 yen, miss.” Yuki typed on the cash register to get the bill and gave it to the girl. Without looking, the girl took out a 1000 yen banknote from her black leather purse and gave it to Yuki. While waiting for the change, the girl asked Yuki about the cabinet.
“Excuse me, what are those inside the cabinet? And why do you leave the cabinet there?”
“The cabinet is for displaying the souvenir that we’ll always be pleased to give it to our customers when they ask for it. As you know, our place’s name is Kako no café. Everyone has a past and an object that reminds them of their past memory. Some memories are very precious to people but because of their busy lives, they tend to forget about it until something can help them to recall those lose memories. Of course we don’t suggest the customers to live in the past but we don’t want them to forget it. Even it’s good or bad, their past always has an important role to create their current lives. The past can only exist in their memory.”
Yuki finished her explanation. It was actually what Takamina told her about the idea. The customer now wore the same amazed expression that Yuki had on her face when she listened to the midget. It was truly an amazing idea.
“Really impressive. I’ve never thought of a better idea than that.” The girl nodded slowly.
“Thank you for the compliment. The owner of our place would be glad to hear that.”
“So this is the owner’s idea? May I know who is the owner?”
“It’s our baker. Do you want me to call her for you?”
“No thanks. I don’t want to interrupt your work. Besides, I don’t have much time left. I have to go now. I’ll come back when I have a chance. Tell the owner that I’m impressed by her talent.” The girl smiled gently to Yuki and left the café. “Keep the change. See it as a reward for your brilliant idea.”
“Eh?... Etou… Thank you and see you later miss…” The girl quickly disappeared behind the door, leaving a confused barista with some coins on her hand. At the same time, the midget came out of the kitchen and stood beside Yuki.
“What’s wrong, Yukirin?”
“Well, nothing wrong besides that strange customer. She asked me about your idea of the souvenir and left without taking her change. She said we could keep it as her reward for the idea. And she also wanted to tell you that she was impressed by your talent, Takamina.”
“Wow… Did she say she would come back?”
“Yes when she had a chance.”
“In that case I’ll have to note myself that I’ll thank her next time.” The midget smiled happily.
At the same time, Jurina came back with the empty cup and disk on her tray from the table and gave them to Rena, who would clean them later on. “Black-sama, Takamina-san, I got a news.” The young girl called out, which made the two aforementioned girls standing on the other side of the counter to look at her.
“What news, Jurina?” Takamina asked.
“The mysterious customer. I saw her enter our rival’s place, the next door café.”
“Wait, what? Really?” Takamina gasped in surprise.
“Yes really. I saw her with my own eyes. It’s true.”
“Does that mean she’s a journalist?” Rena, who got interested into the conversation, stood next to the midget and asked.
“Maybe. Or she’s a spy of our rival. I think they want to know our secret and try to steal it of us.” Jurina said quietly.
“I don’t think so. She looks luxurious and well-mannered. I don’t think she would have that kind of job.” Yuki shook her head.
“I agree with Yuki. She didn’t act so suspicious. I’d guess she’s some sort of journalist.” The midget nodded in agreement.
“Now I understand why this café was so empty at the beginning.” Suddenly, a voice interrupted the staff’s conversation. The four of them turned around and looked at the source of the voice.
The cyborg, who was still sitting comfortably in her seat and reading her novel, said in a monotone without looking at the dumbfounded people. “You build a café next to a popular one and yet you don’t even know your rival’s face.”
“Get to the point already, Mayu-chan.” The puppy pouted.
“Fine. The girl you just met is the owner of the next door café, you baka people. Her name is Maeda Atsuko, a famous actress and singer. I’m surprised that no one recognized her, except for that fish brain puppy.”
“Damned it! Now I remember her. I’ve watched all of her movies and have her photo books at my house. I’ve read on a magazine about her having a bakery café in Akibahara. Damn, I’m so stupid.” Jurina smacked her head.
“What? So our rival just visited us without us realizing it?” Yuki’s face turned into an owl. “What the hell, Takamina? Why didn’t you know her face? She’s your rival?!?!” She grabbed the midget’s shoulders and shook the girl violently.
“C-Calm down, Y-Yukirin…” The poor midget tried to speak in difficulty. “I-I never… left my café… s-so how… c-can I… k-know her?”
“Takamina-san is right. You have to calm down, Yukirin.” Rena put a hand on Yuki’s shoulder to stop the raged girl. “Besides, I don’t think she intends to do something bad to us. She’s an idol, a public person. If she tries to do something bad to our business in purpose, she will have her fame damaged too. I think she just wanted to know her rival better.”
Hearing that, Yuki relaxed a bit and finally released the midget, letting out a heavy sigh. “OK… What should we do now?”
“Maybe we should try to do something to promote our café? I don’t think we have done enough.” The midget suggested.
“Good idea but do what?”
The four girls scratched her chin and thought. A few moments passed but no one could come up with anything. Therefore, they all gave up and asked for help.
“Ne, Mayu-chan, do you have any idea?” Jurina smiled and approached the cyborg girl.
“You’re the staff. I’m a customer. It’s your problem so deal with it by yourself. Why do I have to help you?” Mayu said in nuisance.
“Come on, Mayu-chan~ Help your friend, please~ I’m begging you.” Jurina put up her infamous puppy eyes, imaginary ears and tails.
“Get away from me you clingy puppy.” Mayu quickly shoved her hand into her black backpack and took out a piece of paper, only then smacked it violently onto the puppy’s face. “Bring it back to your owner.”
The cyborg ordered and Jurina just held the paper in her hand and gave it to Rena.
“What is this?” Rena asked confusingly as she received the paper from Jurina.
“Mayu gave it to me. She told me to bring it to you.”
“For what?” Rena quickly read the paper and realized that it was a poster for an upcoming event. Her facial expression brightened when she knew what the girl was telling her. “Now I know why Mayu is the top student. She’s really smart.” Rena smiled and gave the poster to Yuki and Takamina. “Mayu came up with an idea for us. Take a look.”
The barista and the baker looked at the poster in a brief moment and then turned to the side to look at each other with a big smile. The midget grinned happily and then spoke to the WMatsui.
“OK, listen up. We’re going to have a big event next week so I’d like to ask for your help. So are you with us?”
“Of course! We’re your employees. How could you leave us out of this?” Rena smiled.
“Great! Then Kako no Café will have a musical show on next Sunday. A live concert right here!”
“A WHAT?!?!” The Wmatsui duo shouted in union, staring at the midget confusingly. The barista just shrugged and shook her head lightly. Only the midget, who came up with a crazy idea, grinned like a maniac, satisfied with her decision.
[To be continued]
Topic: Kako no Cafe [Part7][2/24/14] (multipairing) (Read 41147 times)