Welcome to Cafe 39!

After getting back to her dorm and washing up, Ichika immediately collapsed onto her bed. Checking her phone, she saw that it was already 12 A.M. and yawned.

She was exhausted, but in an oddly fulfilling way. The night had gone way better than she expected, despite making an almost-complete fool of herself. The interview felt more like an icebreaker than a formal job interview and, to Ichika’s surprise, she was given the position as well as a rundown of her shift schedule.

Aside from that, she was taught about how the different machines were used, how the inventory system was set up, and the different rooms she had access to as an employee. She had even been offered a chance to shadow Leoni for the Saturday night shift, which she agreed to immediately.

It was a very insightful experience to see how Leoni handled the few customers that came in at such a late hour.

Since it was a Saturday night, the cafe’s policy was to close up earlier than on a weekday, with the sign hung on the cafe’s door turned to the “Closed” position at exactly 9 P.M.

She had turned to Ichika afterwards and said, “At the end of the shift, all we have left to do is clean up, and I get the place up and running with the morning shift by 9:30 a.m.”

Leoni stretched a bit before immediately getting to work, bringing Ichika along to show her exactly how she did the after-hours clean-up.

Soon enough, they were both done and Leoni decided to walk Ichika to the exit. Ichika waved her off, a slight blush on her face. “Leoni, you… you really don’t need to! I’ll be fine walking by myself!”

Leoni just waived the girl’s concerns, walked out of the building and turned around, waiting for Ichika to follow. “It’s fine, Miss Hoshino. Besides, weren’t you lost earlier?”

“I… Well… I mean, I was, but… I definitely know the way now, I swear!”

Leoni gave her a gentle smile. “Consider this my courtesy to you for having you stay out so late on a Saturday, okay?”

After contemplating it for what seemed like an eternity – but was really only a few seconds – Ichika acquiesced to her boss’s insistence.

And now Ichika was staring at the ceiling of her room in silence, before breaking it with a big sigh. She was glad that she was able to get this job, even more so that her boss was such a nice person.

On their short walk back, Leoni had allowed a comfortable silence to settle between them, and Ichika appreciated it. It allowed her a chance to look up and see the few stars that were peeking out of the night sky, and it also prevented any awkward conversations from starting up.

She would have to get better at socializing, however, especially since she was in a service-related job now. Plus, she probably had to get used to calling Leoni by her actual name, Miku, which would definitely be an adjustment period.

‘I’ll just stick to calling her Leoni for now.’ Ichika thought. ‘I guess I can call her Miku after I get used to it.’

Still, she was unsure about calling her by her name since a part of Ichika was concerned that the topic of Hatsune Miku may be uncomfortable for her boss. It was subtle, but she had caught the way Leoni’s smile faltered – her eyes dimming ever so slightly – when she made an off-handed comment about the diva.

It would probably be for the best that the diva not be brought up, or the fact that Ichika enjoyed her music.

‘That should make things go smoothly between us.’

Despite that, Ichika thought that it was a cute coincidence that Leoni seemed to favor the same colors Miku was associated with.

Her mind made up, Ichika was now left to grapple with the social aspects of the job.

‘That shouldn’t be too much of a problem…’ She thought, ‘Since the drinks would help do most of the talking.’

She just hoped she would be able to react correctly to any situation outside of taking and serving orders.

‘Speaking of, I wonder if I could drop by later. That iced coffee Leoni made was actually really good. Refreshing and energizing, with the perfect hint of spice to enhance the flavor.’

If there was any one thing that Ichika could say she learned with full certainty today, it was that her boss – despite looking almost exactly like Hatsune Miku – was one-hundred percent an expert in drink making.

She hadn’t understood how much went into making the takeout drinks she’d get from the coffee shop near her dorm, but after being shown the basics of the machines and recipes Leoni used everyday, Ichika had gained a newfound respect for all baristas around the world.

Ichika was especially entranced by how effortlessly she had navigated her station, how she always knew where each ingredient was so she could whip up a drink in no time at all. She could imagine how much work she had to juggle on a more busy day, and yet here she was, doing it all with a smile on her face. It was like Ichika had been granted a front-row seat to an artist’s solo performance, and it only left her in awe.

She’d need a lot of practice to get close to even a fraction of that skill, but if Ichika was anything, she was a persistent worker when she needed to be.

She had a lot of things to adjust in her schedule, and a good night of sleep should definitely help her out with that.

With that thought, Ichika finally closed her eyes, and allowed sleep to take over her exhausted mind.

After seeing her new coworker off, Miku made her way back to the cafe, a small smile on her face. Passing through the alleyways she had become familiar with after years of living in the area, she hummed the melody of a song her namesake had recently been featured in.

Honestly, she was glad that someone finally came. She’d been desperate to get some help ever since her sister moved out a couple of months ago to properly pursue her dreams of being an idol.

If you asked her, she didn’t really mind that she shared a name with one of the most well-known names in the music industry, but she could understand her sister’s aversion to their namesake.

After all, the stares, the expectations, and the gossip were near constant back when most of them were still in high school. It had reached a point where it was too much to constantly deal with, especially when any one of them showed some level of interest in the musical arts.

She didn’t blame her eldest sister for going overseas the moment the chance presented itself.

She didn’t blame the second eldest for choosing to hide behind a digital avatar to pursue her dream of being an idol.

She didn’t blame the second youngest for dyeing her hair a different color entirely just so she wouldn’t be associated with that name.

They needed an out from it. For the longest time, it was suffocating to be expected to match her and her producers. It was exhausting seeing their efforts be reduced to novelty, side pieces that served as little more than temporary amusement for those that consumed her works. It was why this cafe existed now, and why she ran it, why she ran…

Miku sighed. How’d she end up thinking about her family problems again? She shook off the unwelcome thoughts and hurried back to the cafe. She definitely needed to sleep now, and hopefully she wouldn’t have to think about her sisters again. Or her regrets.

Greeted once again by the expansive sight of the sea and sky blending into the horizon, Miku quietly admired the view. Unfortunately, there weren’t many constellations to make out tonight. Maybe another time they’ll be more clear.

She made her way back inside, sparing a small glance over at the raised platform she had never used since buying this cafe.

‘Maybe I could…’ she thought to herself before shaking her head.

‘— No.

I gave up on that a long time ago.’

She was the owner and manager of a fully-fledged cafe and a barista now, a good one at that. Plus, running the cafe wasn’t so bad, despite the rather late schedule she had settled with. It was fun seeing people of all walks of life find her spot and enjoy the drinks she made for them. It was especially gratifying to see the satisfied smiles she’d glimpse from her customers after they took their first sip.

‘This is enough.’ she’d always find herself thinking, and tonight was no different.

With a small stretch, Miku let out a yawn. She made her way to the lounge in the back, unlocked the door, and ascended the staircase to the second floor of the cafe, her apartment.

She paused briefly, as she often did, when passing by the door for the second bedroom. She bit her lip, the pain jostling her brain enough to not complete whatever thought was going to form. Without a second glance, she hurried to the bathroom.

After letting her hair down and washing up, Miku finally met the gentle embrace of her bed. As she closed her eyes and slowly drifted off into her dreams, she thought back to the new employee joining her shop.

‘Finally…’, she thought, ‘It’ll be less lonely at night.’

Hopefully, Hoshino Ichika would stay with the cafe for a while, even if the gig was part-time.

Her sleep was dreamless that night, a welcome change from thoughts of her family.

— Which was immediately interrupted by the alarm on her phone.

Miku begrudgingly opened her eyes, still slightly drowsy. Through her window, she saw the sky begin to turn a lighter shade of blue.

‘Well, it’s time to get to work.’

Sundays were usually slow days for Ichika. A day where she could sleep in and use the free time she had how she wanted, though it usually meant catching up to course work and revising for exams. Thankfully, she was currently caught-up with most of her requirements and her next exam would be in two weeks.

As she lay on her bed, eyes glued to the ceiling while ignoring the afternoon rays of light, Ichika thought: ‘I kinda want a drink.’

Sure, there was the takeout spot downstairs, but that was for a quick pick-me-up, and Ichika wanted something she could savor.

The image of a teal-haired barista crossed her mind. ‘Well… It wouldn’t hurt to come in now, right…?’

She did say she would come back as a paying customer, even though she was an employee.

With her mind made up, Ichika got up from her bed, freshened up, and headed for Cafe 39.

Upon arriving at the area and tracing back the steps she had taken the day before (a process that had taken longer than she’d like to admit), she found herself back at the cafe, which had a surprising amount of people seated, especially with how out-of-the-way the place was. It wasn’t exactly full, but it was substantial enough.

As she entered the establishment and headed for the counter, she was greeted by the sight of her boss operating the machines behind the counter. Ichika was even more impressed to see her moving around in such a rapid, yet graceful and controlled manner in order to get so many drinks made. ‘Amazing…! She’s so cool!’

As she approached the register, behind it was a girl with long pink hair who seemed drowsy. She too looked oddly familiar, but Ichika couldn’t quite pinpoint exactly who she reminded her of.

Upon getting her attention with an “Excuse me”, however, the girl seemed to suddenly gain energy as a calm and smooth voice welcomed her.

“Welcome to Cafe 39!” the girl said with a smile. “What can I get for you?”

‘Ah’, Ichika realized, ‘she… looks exactly like Megurine Luka…!’

Ichika’s brain froze as she tried to process the existence of the girl in front of her before said girl’s voice broke her out of her stupor.

“Miss? Are you okay? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.” the Luka lookalike says, a wry smile on her face projecting her amusement at Ichika’s shocked expression.

“O-oh, right, um, well…”

Ichika quickly looked at the menu board behind the girl, hoping to quickly find the drink that Leoni had made for her yesterday. Unfortunately, to her confusion, none of the options seemed to match the drink from yesterday.

“Miss…?”

“Ah! Sorry!” Ichika panic-yelled, “I was just… looking for a specific drink but I can’t find it…”

The pink-haired girl smiled at her gently. “Ah, then maybe you can tell me what it was? We do accept custom drinks.”

“Well, it was… it was an iced coffee, with only a hint of bitterness. It was mostly sweet and there was definitely some kind of spice mixed in.”

As Ichika tried her best to recall and describe the drink, the face of the girl in front of her slowly morphed into one of understanding.

“That… that’s all I can remember, miss.”

“I see… One Manager’s Special then!” the pink-haired girl confidently declared. “Good choice.”

“Is that what it is? I didn’t see it….”

“Don’t worry,” the girl replied with a smile, “Miku’s experimental drinks are more of a ‘secret menu’ kind of thing, though that’s known only to regulars and staff.”

Ichika raised an eyebrow at the girl’s use of Leoni’s actual name. ‘She must have known her for a while to casually address her with it.’

The eyes of the girl in front of her, however, widened as she processed what she said, then focused on Ichika. “Wait… you don’t look like a regular here.”

The girl scrutinized Ichika – who awkwardly shifted around under the girl’s gaze – before she continued: “Are you the new girl taking the night shift?”

Ichika nodded, a slight flush on her cheeks. “Y-yes, I am.”

“Oh! Then it’s nice to meet you! I’m Luka, and I handle the day shift with Miku!”

The girl stretched out her hand to Ichika. Ichika stared at it, mouth slightly agape. ‘Her name is Luka too?!’ she thought, as she tried to suppress the urge to scream.

A hand waved in front of her eyes, reminding Ichika that she was currently in public.

She tried to respond, but her messy brain failed her, and her ability to speak coherently disappeared as her words came out garbled and inaudible.

Luka smiled at the girl. “It’s okay, take your time. I get that a lot from first-timers,” she said with a small grin.

Thankfully, Ichika’s brain remembered the ability to return greetings. “It’s, um… nice to meet you Miss Luka,” she said weakly, eyes drifting towards the very interesting pen on the counter.

“No need to be so formal with me~” she cooed, “Just Luka is fine.”

“Oh, okay Miss Lu—” A raised eyebrow was shot her way. “–Lu… Luka…?” Ichika tried, as her earlier flush turned a darker shade of red at the insistence of familiarity.

Luka giggled at the girl’s shyness. “There’s no need to rush if you’re not used to it, so just take your time~”

Ichika nodded, then remembered she should also introduce herself. “O-oh, right… I’m Hoshino Ichika, but you can call me Ichika… if you’re fine with that, of course!”

“It’s nice to meet you Ichika,” Luka replied with a big smile. “I hope you’ll treat Miku well for the night shift~”

“I’ll do my best!”

A cough from behind reminded Ichika that, Oh, yeah, she was here for a drink. “Um, about my order?”

“Oh.” Luka stared, only now seeming to remember that her coworker was a customer right now. “Right. What size would you like it to be?”

“Um, large.”

“Okay, and would you like it here, or to go?”

Ichika thought about it for a moment before she responded: “For here.”

“Is there anything else you’d like?” Luka asked as she gestured to the pastries to her right.

Ichika’s gaze followed Luka’s arm to the display cabinet, where one item caught her eye: an apple pie. She paused as she stared at it.

It reminded her of someone; someone she occasionally found her thoughts would drift off to; a reminder of the countless nights spent asking ‘Why?’ and ‘What if?’

She felt a long-buried dull ache in her chest resurface– a reminder of a wound that could not heal, would never heal. She never really understood why she did what she did – Ichika had to transfer to a different city the year after she was cut off – but she wished she could get a chance to see her again, if only to get an answer. She looked away and shook her head, now wasn’t the time for this.

Luka didn’t comment on the sullen expression that suddenly appeared on the girl’s face. It wasn’t her place to pry.

“N-no.” She scratched her head. “Just the drink is fine.”

Luka inputted the order. “Okay, it’ll be this much.”

She turned to Miku’s general direction while Ichika handed her the payment. “Hey Miku! One Manager’s Special!”

She gets an “On it!” in response.

After the transaction is finalized, Luka handed Ichika a piece of paper.

“Here’s your order number. You can wait at a table and your number will be called out when your drink is ready.”

Ichika nodded. “Okay, thank you.”

Luka smiled at the girl in return, and Ichika left to find a table for herself. Luka then moved over to Miku’s station to put the order ticket down, before returning to the counter to attend to the next customer in line with a smile.

“Welcome to Cafe 39! What can I get you?”

Miku was in her element as she darted between the machines and ingredients she'd prepared. It was a simple task to move around and get what she needed, from the beans to be ground to the appropriate pumps to approach for the right syrup.

It was second nature to her, and she didn’t really pay attention to much else around her unless Luka called her name and placed a ticket on her station.

‘One of my specials? Alright.’ She thought upon rereading the ticket placed near her after bringing over the orders she’d just finished. ‘The drink is already prepped, so let me just get the mix right.’

Once the coffee was prepared, Miku mixed in the different ingredients she needed for the special available this month. A bit of syrup, a smattering of ice, some sugar, some homemade vanilla extract (top secret!), a consistent mixing motion throughout, and a dash of spice to top it all off.

She made sure the drink was perfectly presentable before she brought it to the pick-up station.

“Alright, I have the order for…” Miku called out as she quickly glanced at the order ticket, “Number 139!”

Upon calling out the number, Miku saw a familiar face walk up to the counter.

“That should be my order,” Ichika replied.

Miku’s eyes widened at the sight of the girl. “Miss Hoshino! It’s nice to see you! I didn’t expect to see you here today.”

Ichika let out an awkward chuckle. “Well, I really liked the drink you made yesterday, and I just so happened to be free today.”

Miku smiled at her. “I’m glad.” She then handed over the drink. “One Manager’s Special.”

Ichika smiled back at her. “Thanks, Leoni.”

“Enjoy!”

“I will.”

Miku smiled as she briefly watched the girl return to her seat before she returned to her station– five order tickets lined up and waiting.

She slapped her face with both hands to dispel any extraneous thoughts. “Alright—”

She quickly scanned each order ticket and began to grab everything she needed with practiced ease.

“—Back to work.”

While Miku normally tuned out her surroundings when she began making orders, she couldn’t shake the feeling of eyes watching her. Between each completed drink, she’d sneak a quick glance around the cafe to see if anyone was watching her.

Then her eyes landed on her new employee that was enjoying the drink in her hand while looking around the cafe interior, her gaze lingering slightly too long at the mixing station.

The sparkle in her eyes told Miku everything she needed to know. ‘How endearing.’

Well, since she had an audience, she may as well show off a bit.

A showy twirl of a cup here, an overly fancy flourish there, and a lot of that performer confidence she didn’t know she still had.

If she had listened a bit more intently, she might have just caught the girl’s quietly muttered ‘Amazing!’ Right then, however, she was in her own little world, giving her audience a performance to savor.

In fact, she had gained a few more eyes on her little performance, as a few people began to turn their gazes toward her.

By the time she had finished up the tickets and handed over the drinks, she finally noticed the small crowd of people who had gathered near her station.

“Um, May I help you with anything…?” She asked, her head tilted to the side.

The small crowd immediately dispersed at her question, only words of thanks offered as they left.

Miku then turned to Luka. “Luka, what was that about?”

“Oh, you’re just amazing at what you do, is all~” She replied, a cryptic smile on her face.

Miku was just left more confused. “Hey! What does that mean?!”

“You’ll find out when you’re older.”

“We’re the same age!” She grumbled, a small flush dusting her cheeks. “And I’m not a child anymore!”

Off to the side, unbeknownst to Miku, Ichika chuckled at the argument that ensued between the two.

By the time 9 P.M. rolled around, the store was closed and Ichika even offered to help with the clean up.

Miku was reluctant to accept, especially since Ichika’s first shift would be scheduled for tomorrow– not today– but she relented when she saw the eagerness in the girl’s eyes.

She ignored the small giggle she heard from Luka who, for some reason, had decided she’d stay in the cafe after her usual Sunday hours.

The extra help was really appreciated, though, as clean-up went a bit more smoothly than yesterday, though Ichika had the occasional minor slip up. She apologized every time she messed up but Miku waved her off every time, saying that there was no need to be sorry. She even saw Luka engage in conversation with the girl, though most of what she was able to piece together was advice for cleaning.

‘Would you look at that,’ Miku thought, ‘Luka seems to have taken a liking to the girl.’

It was rare to see her friend so energized, and Miku couldn’t help but smile. ‘I’m glad.’

Luka caught Miku’s smile when she turned around to get something and shook her head with a smile of her own, understanding the thoughts that were likely running through her head. She didn’t mind though. ‘It’s nice to have a junior you can help,’ she thought.

When things were finally neat and tidy, Luka grabbed her stuff and took her leave.

“See you tomorrow Miku!” She said with a wave. “And it was nice to meet you, Ichika~!”

“It was nice to meet you too, Miss Luka!”

“Like I said, just Luka is fine~!” She cooed back. “There’s no need to be so formal!”

Ichika blushed at her senior’s playfulness. “J-just give me some time!”

“Alright. I’ll be waiting then~” Luka replied, a smug smile painted on her face before she turned around and walked away.

When Ichika checked the time, she realized that she should also get going.

She turned to Miku, a hint of eagerness in her eyes. “I have classes tomorrow, but I’ll be here for the night shift.”

Before Miku could respond, however, Ichika interrupted her. “And no, Leoni, you don’t need to walk me back. I know where to go now.”

“Are you sure, Miss Hoshino?”

“I am.” Ichika replied as she left. “Bye.”

Miku smiled at her as she walked away. “Take care Miss Hoshino! Good night!” she said with a wave.

“Good night!” Ichika waved back.

When she could no longer see the girl’s silhouette, Miku locked up the rest of the place, returned to her apartment, and flopped onto her bed. She felt a small smile on her face at the prospect of having company again for tomorrow’s night shift.

‘But for now… It’s time to rest.’