Sup guys! I'm really sorry for making you wait a bit longer than usual. kuma-san is not feeling well lately.
This next one is actually something I have made a loooong time ago which I edited (a whole fucking lot) to fit into the story. The writing style here is different from the others because it's old, but I decided to keep it that way, so I apologize in advance for the shift to past tense from the previous ones.
Enough talk though, let's have fun!
Order 4: cloudy with a chance of romanceIt was an overcast Thursday morning in the sprawling metropolis of Tokyo. Up in the distant rumbling skies, rainclouds began to gather.
Mario was just about to flip the door sign to "OPEN" when he noticed the rapidly darkening sky. A small frown formed on his face. Rain meant less customers, and Kami-sama forbid if it became a full blown storm. He took some comfort in the fact that today was Thursday. It would have been a shame if they had to close on a weekend.
"That's odd. November shouldn’t be rainy anymore." Kai appeared beside the tall man, looking up at the clouds pensively.
"Indeed." he replied, eyes still watching the gray heavens. Suddenly, his espresso machine senses were tingling.
"Miichan,” Mario sighed in exasperation. “For the last time, stop messing with the lever."
Kuu cursed out loud.
"How do you do always do that?!"
The barista sharply turned his head to Kuu, his fake glasses gleaming dangerously.
"Nobody touches my stuff."
The boy gulped.
"Rain is awesome!" Yuu piped up cheerfully. He was latched onto Haruna like a baby koala, though the model paid no attention to him. She was completely engrossed with her Nintendo DS. "It means more time with Nyannyan!" Yuu rubbed his cheek on the top of the woman's head.
Mario's eye twitched.
"Yuko, you always make time for her even when we're busy." quipped Luis, whose hands were being used by the restless Haru as a focus mitt.
The growl of thunder became even louder. Churi's sudden screech of suprise could be heard from the kitchen.
Water began to fall from the sky.
"Kami-sama must love bowling a lot." Kai was still staring outside the window.
"We should go bowling sometime!" Haru declared, speeding up his combos. "There was this one time back in high school, Sayaka released the ball too hard, and it flew like a baseball."
Luis flinched when Haru punched a little too hard. "I can't believe you still remember that."
The energetic ikemen laughed.
"I don't think anyone in the alley would ever forget the moment when the great Choukoku made a strike with a fastball."
Outside the cafe, the rain fell harder, showing no signs of stopping.
Mario looked back out the window and sighed.
"I think...we should just close for today."
~~~
If one had a bird's eye view of the bustling streets of Shinjuku it would look like they were covered by an endlessly shifting canopy of umbrellas. One of those umbrellas was being held (a little lower than others) by a certain midget.
While everyone around her was in a rush to get to their destinations or simply seek shelter from the storm, Minami was in no such hurry. She walked aimlessly, just taking in all the sight and sounds the busy Tokyo ward had to offer. One should spend their day off the way they want to, after all.
The short girl stopped and closed her eyes, breathing in that wet concrete smell. The cool wind blew in her face, making the girl shiver and snuggle further in her black snorkel jacket. She did not care if there was a passerby or two glancing curiously at her as they walked by.
Takamina loved the rain.
(But not as much as she loved katsudon.)
As Minami resumed her leisurely stroll, her mind made its own little journey as well.
It has been a few months since Takahashi Minami started working in Cafe Ricori. During that time, she had grown closer to her new friends, and had long gotten the hang of her job. She would never get used to the harassment though.
Best of all, she was earning money. Despite the cafe owner's slightly sadistic tendencies, Shinoda Mariko paid her workers well. Very well. But it was still a long time before Takamina could finally pay her discounted debt to that fat old geezer of a landlord (The midget really owed Akimoto a lot).
She smiled as she remembered how she got the job in the first place. The old man's deal had sent her scrambling to Akiba, and when she got there, the only place that offered work was Mariko's cafe. It was almost like she was fated to work there. A little sardonic voice in her head thought that maybe she was even fated to become a college dropout. Minami let out dark chuckle.
As her mind led her further down memory lane, her feet led her face first into something hard and wet.
...Get your mind out the gutter, baka.
"OW!" Minami rubbed her forehead and backed away to check what exactly she had crashed into.
It was a torii gate drenched by the falling rain, positioned between two buildings. The girl turned her gaze to the path beyond the torii. She knew this place--it led to the Hanazono shrine. It was said that praying there brought luck to business.
Takamina checked her wallet for some change and made her way down the path to the shrine.
She might as well say a prayer for the cafe.
~~~
Seeing that the path to the shrine was devoid of people, Minami was mildly surprised to find a young woman leaning on the railing, taking refuge from the rain.
The short girl decided to ignore the woman and went up to give her offering and ring the suzu.
She clapped her hands in prayer.
I wish that the cafe will still do great, and that Ohori-san and Kuramochi-san will come less often.Lightning suddenly flashed in the sky, followed by the loud roar of thunder. Minami opened her eyes and glared upwards.
What? You want me to suffer their perverted ways? The sky rumbled softly in agreement.
Goddammit.A small cough made Minami turn her head to the direction of the woman. Her appearance made the midget raise an eyebrow.
Minami did not care much for the cream mutton jacket the woman had that looked so expensive it was probably worth more than her apartment rent, or the skinny jeans that looked amazing on her long legs, or the fur-lined boots or the floppy hat that looked cute with her dark, medium length hair.
Instead, she was bothered by the large sunglasses that covered nearly half of the young stranger’s face.
Who the hell wears shades during weather like this? But what bothered Minami even more was that she was looking blankly at the gloomy skies, a frown adorning her face. Like she had too much troubling her and the rain was just one of them.
"To danso is to become cooler than men!" An exceptionally hyper Sae half-shouted one Sunday, Jurina nodding eagerly like a passionate student. "BUT! We must not become cooler only in appearance, but also in attitude! To be cool is to be a gentleman to the ladies! Even if we are not in danso!"
Sayaka glowered at Miichan.
"Have you been messing with the espresso machine again?"At the time, Sae's caffeine-induced speech seemed ridiculous, but the short girl now realized that it had its points. Even if she was not in danso, she should help a lady in need--heck, even if it wasn't a lady. Okay, except maybe creepy old men.
With a bit of hesitation, Takamina approached the young woman. She would help this stranger.
"Ano, miss," she began slowly, "is there something troubling you?"
The woman gave a little jolt of surprise at being broken from her thoughts.
"Eh? Eto...I was just waiting for the rain to stop so I could go home." she answered a little shyly.
"If it's alright with you," Minami gestured to her closed umbrella, "We could share."
The frown that was already on the woman's face deepened.
"You're not going to take advantage of me, are you?" She could feel the suspicious squint behind the dark lens.
Minami gaped in disbelief. "Ehh? Do I look like that kind of person?" she asked, a bit offended by the stranger's question.
The frown was still on the stranger's face, but had now lightened up, the midget's reaction amusing her a bit. "Well, yes, actually."
"Uwaa! That's cruel." Minami made a pained expression. "How do I gain your trust?"
The woman tapped a finger on her chin, a brilliant smile beginning to form on her lips. The way her nose crinkled as she smiled seemed awfully familiar to Takamina.
"You can start," she thought out loud, "by treating me lunch."
Takamina immediately calculated in her head the amount of money she had with her.
Good, I have a little extra. The short girl grinned and opened the umbrella.
"I know a place."
~~~
Shomben Yokocho, like Golden Gai, was a stark contrast from the rest of Shinjuku--alleys so narrow even a small car couldn't fit lined with an assortment of tiny dilapidated buildings that had even tinier shops crammed together. Although unlike its alcoholic cousin, Shomben Yokocho only had one alley instead of Gai's six, and it was mostly made of eateries, not bars.
Traversing the cramped, smoke-filled passage in awkward silence was an odd pair--one half wearing clothes probably bought in a bargain store and the other in designer clothing--under one umbrella.
Minami was sweating despite the cold weather, glancing nervously at the silent woman walking next to her who was looking around curiously.
C'mon Minami, get a hold of yourself! Go make small talk or something. Like with customers. She took a deep breath and gripped the umbrella's handle tighter.
"So, um, you looked troubled earlier."
"Was it that obvious?" The stranger asked with a surprised tone. "I guess I just worry too much."
Before the conversation could continue, the pair finally saw a shop with vacant seats. They gazed up at the slightly battered signage.
The Kinky Kids.The girl beside her snorted.
"Nice name."
Minami chuckled and peered at the people manning the yakitori grill, two shaggy haired men in their thirties. One of them with a puppy-like pout noticed her staring and looked at her.
"You're not gonna order beer are ya, kid?" He asked with apprehension on his face. "We dun' serve liquor to minors 'ere."
A vein ticked at Minami's head. "We're just gonna eat anyway. And I'm not a minor!" she added angrily.
"Ah, don't tease the kid, Tsuyoshi." The other one chuckled and gestured for the pair to come in. "You two get in 'ere and warm yerselves up. Name's Kouichi."
The two girls settled themselves at the counter. Unbeknownst to the their two customers, the two men kept glancing at Minami's companion, muttering "I'll be damned" while they started cooking. The aroma of grilled chicken soon wafted through their noses making the girls drool a little. The short girl turned to the stranger.
"About earlier." Minami began. "Mind sharing your worries to a stranger?"
The woman gave a tired sigh. "I don't know, it's just that...ugh." She massaged her temples. "I have no idea where I'm going with my life."
Takamina tilted her head. "What do you mean?"
"I...left behind a lot of people close to me so I could chase my dreams." The girl paused, thinking of what to say next. "I mean, I know that they're doing great without me for now, but sometimes I wonder if I made the right choice by leaving."
Kouchi slid a plate of freshly grilled yakitori and two glasses of iced tea. ("No beer for the kid!" Tsuyoshi told him. "I heard that!" roared Minami.) The two started biting into their meal. For a moment Minami realized she hadn't had chicken in a long time, courtesy of Churi's cooking preferences.
"Right now I'm finally doing the things that I've always wanted to do." The stranger murmured." But I don't know if what I'm doing right now is enough. I feel like people expected so much more from me and I let them down." She took a long gulp of her iced tea. Minami was mesmerized by the way her neck moved as the drink went down her throat.
Kouchi's sudden cough broke Minami out of her reverie. She sent the man a dangerous glare as he winked knowingly at her.
The midget took another bite, thinking of what to answer. She watched the grill, the skewered chicken slowly becoming charred.
"Your dreams are not theirs." The short girl thought out loud. "Who are they to judge you for what you do? Who are they to be critical?"
"Isn't it more important that you're happy with what you do, instead of constantly trying to please others?" She mentally winced when Ohori-san and Kuramochi-san came into mind. "You do not not know if what you do is enough or not. It's either you're satisfied or you're not. And if you're not, then work harder, 'cause hard work will always be rewarded." She mentally winced again, suddenly being reminded of her college days. "But don't work to point that you break down."
"Kid," the one named Tsuyoshi suddenly spoke up, "you class president or somethin'? Cause that was pretty good."
"I'm not a kid!" Minami snapped. She was about to say more when the stranger began to giggle. Soon it became full blown laughter.
To Takamina, it sounded like wind chimes on a breezy summer's day.
"What a shame." The taller girl said when her laughter died down. "You would’ve have made such a good captain."
The midget blinked.
"Eh? What do you mean?"
The stranger shook her head. "It's nothing."
Minami was about to take her second stick of yakitori when she found that their plate only had sticks left and no chicken.
"Sorry," the other girl smiled cheekily. "I was hungry."
~~~
After they finished their second plate of yakitori (which Minami's companion still ate mostly), the pair were in the narrow alley again, on their way back to the hustle and bustle of urban Tokyo. However, unlike the awkward silence that befell the two before, now they walked comfortably side by side, as if an invisible barrier was lifted back in the yakitori shop.
The heavy rain from earlier that day had disappeared, though the skies were still cloudy. They no longer needed to use Takamina's umbrella, which now hung on her arm.
They were almost on the way out when the stranger tugged on Minami's sleeve.
"Look over there." She pointed to a shaking cardboard box by the side of the alley. "It's moving a lot. Let's check it out."
"But--" The woman dragged the helpless Minami to the box.
A little furry gray head popped out and meowed. Rather cutely too, the short girl thought.
"It's sooooo cute! And it's a girl too" The taller girl picked the kitten up and cuddled it like an infant child. "Why are they always found in cardboard boxes anyway?"
"Just like on TV and books huh?" Minami chuckled and caressed the happy kitten's head. It had a light gray back
"Here," the woman handed the kitten to Takamina, "why don't you keep her? I have too many pets at home already."
"Eh," the shorter girl faltered a little but still took the little thing anyway, "I hope my landlord will be fine with it..."
"I'm sure he'll be fine. Who can resist such an adorable thing?"
The woman smiled brightly, and for a second Minami lost herself in it.
The pair became silent for a few minutes, just adoring the now adopted kitten.
"...So what will you name her?" asked the stranger.
Minami made a humming noise, thinking deeply. She looked down at the kitten, which had fallen asleep in her arms.
"Nyaachan. She'll be Nyaachan."
~~~
Soon the pair arrived at the eternally busy train station of Shinjuku. It was time for them to go separate ways.
The sky began to rumble again.
"Where's your stop?" shouted Minami over the loud din of the masses walking hurriedly around them. Nyaachan sleeping soundly into her arms. "Mine's Arakawa."
"Shibuya." the woman replied just as loudly as she did. "I know it's pretty near, but it might rain again."
"Looks like we're going on opposite lines then." Takamina paused for a moment in contemplation and handed her umbrella to the stranger, careful not to drop Nyaachan. "Here, you can have my umbrella."
The stranger shook her head "No, no, it's okay! Really."
"Take it. I insist. I have a coat on anyway." Minami patted her snorkel jacket.
The stranger pursed her lips and took the umbrella. "Fine. But I'll return this to you, got it?" she declared. "Are you free tomorrow? Where can we meet? Do you work somewhere? "
"Slow down with the questions!" Takamina grinned. "I work at Cafe Ricori, in Akiba. It's near Don Quijote." She turned her head to the train that had arrived at the line she needed to take. "I guess that's my ride." She jokingly made a sweeping bow, making the other woman blush lightly.
"Nice meeting you, miss!" Minami waved at her new friend and made a run for her train.
The woman cupped her hands around her mouth. "Take care of Nyaachan!" she hollered.
The midget made a quick salute and entered the railcar.
~~~
She gazed at the small blond boy's back as he made a mad dash for the train.
The woman unconsciously held the umbrella in her hands tighter.
He's actually pretty sweet.She remained there in the noisy and crowded terminal for a moment, smiling back on her unplanned little (no pun intended) date with the stranger.
As her train arrived, realization hit her. Dark brown eyes hidden by sunglasses widened in surprise.
For all the time they had spent together that morning, she had forgotten to ask for his name.
~~~
"Crap, I totally forgot to ask for her name." Takamina muttered, watching Nyaachan playfully fidgeted in her jacket. She had taken it off and wrapped the little thing in it to keep it warm.
Her face seemed familiar though, she thought, looking out at the concrete jungle outside the train window. Perhaps she had seen her on TV before.
She was kinda cute too.The kitten purred in delight.
~~~
"You're soaking wet, child. Why did you take your jacket off?...And didn't you have an umbrella?"
"I lent my umbrella to someone."
"And the jacket?"
"Oh yeah...Uh, jiisan, pets are allowed here right?"
"Just keep that thing potty trained."
"Thanks old man!"
"Takamina."
"Yeah?"
"Take your wig off already."
"Oh. I must've forgotten about it."
"Takamina."
"Yes old man?"
"Do you know if the Lawson's nearby still has some bento left?"
"..."
~~~
That night, she dreamed of smiles, laughter, and crinkled noses.
~~~
"ACHOO!"
Minami groaned and curled up in the kotatsu. Nyaachan trotted to the short girl and hopped on her, nuzzling her lap.
Damn that adorable cat.Yesterday, she had run all the way from Minami-Senju station to the aparment complex with the kitten wrapped around her jacket. She arrived drenched to the bone and shivering, greeted by the sight of Akimoto eating the biggest onigiri she had ever seen.
The next morning, she had a fever.
She had already called Mariko and told her she couldn't come ("Meetan will be disappointed." the barista said. "Like I care!" the midget spat), and now here she was in her apartment, drinking miso soup and reading old manga while she turned her small TV on for some noise.
Minami stared forlornly at the half-empty bowl of soup.
She missed Churi's katsudon already.
Suddenly her phone rang, startling Takamina.
"Ganbatte nante watash--"
Click.
"Moshi moshi? Yuko?"
"My dear Takaboy, I never knew you had it in you."Takamina started to frown.
"Nani?"
"You're doing us proud, midget."Minami tried her best to ignore the midget comment. "The blazes are you talking about?" She demanded.
"Guess who came in looking for a little blond boy earlier.”"...Eh? Who?"
It must be the girl from yesterday."Maeda-freaking-Atsuko, my friend."What.
The midget snorted. "Very funny, you damn squirrel. Let me rest."
"She wanted to return your umbrella."Minami froze.
Her mind was racing. Maeda Atsuko? THE Maeda Atsuko? She was the woman standing at the shrine? The woman who wore shades on a rainy day? The one who made her adopt Nyaachan? The one who ate nearly all the yakitori?!
"Y-Yuko," her voice trembled, "by Maeda Atsuko, do you mean ex-AKB center Acchan? Aspiring actress Acchan? Dramatic-Tokyo-Dome-graduation-in-a-white-dress Acchan? THAT Acchan?!"
She could feel the squirrel grinning like crazy.
"The one and only."The familiar smile. The crinkled nose. The nice clothes. Those legs. It all added up now.
Minam's eyes widened when her mind finally grasped what she had done yesterday.
She had basically gone out on a date with Maeda Atsuko.
“HOLY FUCKING SHIT!”
~owari~And a wild Acchan appears!
Also, KinKi Kids cameo!
kuma-san is NG at romance, NG I tell you!
I think I like past tense more now lol
Do tell me what you think about this one. ^_^
Updates will be slower now, unfortunately. Second term is starting for kuma-san...
Topic: Tales from the Danso Cafe - chapter 7 (30/01/2014) (Read 38189 times)