Welcome to Cafe 39!

The next few days seemed to fly by and, for once, Miku found herself surprised by the fact that it was already Friday afternoon. It looked like having company for both the morning and night shifts made each day pass by in a flash. Unfortunately, Hoshino wasn’t scheduled for the Friday shift, meaning it would just be her for today. Miku couldn’t really complain — she did insist on it, after all.

Oh well.

At least she closed up shop earlier on Fridays. Plus, Luka was here right now, so she wasn’t yet subjected to the experience of a lonely shift.

Speaking of Luka, a quick glance showed Miku that the girl was just waiting by the register, eyes closed while standing upright, her lips curved up ever so slightly.

To the untrained eye, she looked like she was thinking about something while waiting for a customer to approach, but Miku knew better.

Luka was sleeping.

She may have gotten used to seeing her friend doze off in between the rush of customers, especially when foot traffic slowed down, but Miku still couldn’t believe how she could just fall asleep almost at will, no matter the environment.

‘And she manages to still look good doing it!’ Miku grumbled to herself. ‘While I end up a tangled mess every time I wake up in the morning!’

Oh, to be able to fall asleep and remain graceful and elegant throughout it all.

Miku was definitely not jealous of Luka’s sleeping skills.

The sound of the door opening brought Miku’s attention away from her thoughts of sleep, the corners of her eyes catching Luka snapping to attention, as if she’d been awake the whole time.

The order this time was some instant noodles with a latte, so it didn’t take much effort until she was back on standby as she waited for another customer to enter.

These periods of downtime were always a caveat to running the cafe, which meant that Miku had to find something to do while she waited. Usually, it involved her mind drifting off to whatever random thought or worry would pop into her head, or what her eyes happened to land on in the moment.

And her eyes just so happened to land on the visage of her (once again) sleeping friend. A spark of memories came flooding into her mind, nostalgic and frustrating in equal measure, and Miku allowed herself the time to reminisce.

They first met in college as freshmen sharing the same class. At the time Miku was still kind of nervous about being in such an unfamiliar environment, so seeing someone like Luka act so nonchalant despite being a freshman was baffling.

Still, she didn’t want to have her college life start off without at least one friendship, and seeing as they were both new and didn’t know anyone else, Miku took the chance to introduce herself to her. At the time, Luka had seemed so elegant and mature, and their first introductions seemed to support that image.

Later on, they found out they both shared the same classes, which meant that they’d be able to see and hang out with each other a lot more.

Miku eventually learned about the girl’s more playful side, but that didn’t change the fact that Luka was always someone she could depend on.

The girl was always there to act as a pillar of support for Miku whenever she felt demotivated or down. Even when Miku was going through the lowest point of her life, Luka was still there to take whatever Miku threw her way.

If anything, she owed her a lot for sticking with her through all of it. She even volunteered to take the morning shift despite having another job when she found out about the cafe.

Miku would always feel thankful that she had such a wonderful, genuine friend in her life. Those were pretty rare, if her high-school experiences were anything to go by.

‘No, don’t go there Miku.’ She thought to herself, her hand palming her face as she let out a long sigh.

‘Just think about the people you have now. You have Luka… and now, the new girl, Hoshino.’

Speaking of Hoshino, Miku found that she liked the girl’s company. Maybe it’s the months of late-night loneliness speaking, but having the girl around for the night shift was refreshing, to say the least.

After her sister moved out, the night shift had become so boring, so… lonely. Her sister always radiated an infectious positivity, even in the early morning hours, and having to go without that energy for a few months reminded Miku of the harsh reality that night shifts were unbearable without company.

So that’s why she was glad to have Hoshino now. At first, Miku was worried the girl might have put too much pressure on herself, judging by how she was literally holding her breath during her first shift, but the little pep talk she gave her seemed to have helped the girl find her way through servicing customers.

In fact, she gained a renewed vigor judging by the determined look on her face when she showed up for her second shift.

Miku couldn’t help but smile.

She had to admit, the girl had a special energy when she resolved to give her all to something. Miku could see how she really tried and gave her one-hundred percent in whatever she did, even if it didn’t go perfectly. It was honestly inspiring, in a way.

Sure, she had quite a bit of catch-up to do as a server (her social skills were still a bit rough), and she tended to stammer and stumble over her words when she was caught off-guard, but Miku found her so endearing despite it.

It helped that the girl could talk quite a bit if you managed to steer her towards the right topic, like stars.

To Miku, it had started as an off-handed comment about the view of the stars from the cafe, but that was enough to grab Hoshino’s attention, the girl – hesitant at first – asked Miku if she had any interest in them. When Miku responded with a “Yes”, it seemed to have flipped a switch in the girl, because what started as some simple trivia soon snowballed into a very passionate lecture about the stars in the sky. She even began to point out certain constellations that could be seen from the cafe interior– which wasn’t much, admittedly.

Miku didn’t really contribute much to the conversation, but she was content to listen to the girl’s lively speech after seeing the spark of passion ignited in her eyes. It reminded her of herself when she was younger, excited about the potential future ahead of her.

She was also pretty fun to tease. It wasn’t exactly professional behavior, but there weren’t that many people around during the night shift, so naturally things could be a bit loose. After all, the girl made it extremely easy to find openings to tease her.

It was especially entertaining to watch the girl stutter out a poorly made-up explanation or answer, all the while her face would flare up – the tips of her ears even fading into red.

Honestly, if this was how Luka felt whenever she teased Miku, then she couldn’t blame her. Who wouldn’t love to see such an adorable sight?

(Though that did raise certain questions about herself that Miku decided would be best left ignored.)

So, right now, Miku was very much satisfied with the current state of her job. She had two wonderful coworkers she got along with and could depend on, a cozy spot with a great view, and a stable customer base.

The smile on her face widened. Overall, it was a nice day in the cafe.

So why did she feel like something was missing?

Grumble.

Ah.

She forgot to eat something for lunch.

A quick glance at the clock showed her that it was only 3 P.M.

‘Maybe it’s not too late to get something?’ Miku wondered. ‘I mean, there isn’t anyone coming in yet, and Luka should be able to handle any small orders.’

Her mind made up, Miku walked over to Luka, the girl opening her eyes almost immediately at the sound of Miku’s footsteps, and said, “Hey, I’ll just grab a bite in the back. Is it fine if I leave it to you for a while?”

Luka nodded back to her friend. “Sure! I was starting to worry that you’d go the whole shift without something to eat.”

That response made Miku pause. “Wait, if you knew, then why didn’t you tell me?”

She saw Luka put her hand on her cheek, a mischievous smile forming. “I wanted to see how long it would take until you realized your stomach was rumbling~”

Miku felt her face heat up at her friend’s comment. “L-Luka!”

Grumble.

Both girls froze, silence enveloping them—

—until the sound of Luka’s muffled giggles broke it.

Luka really tried to hold it in, but the sight of her friend’s ever-reddening face was too much for her. “Pfft… Hahaha!”

“I-it’s not funny Luka!” Miku stammered, the redness reaching the tips of her ears. “I… I’ll j-just be in the back!”

“There should be some ice in the back if you need something to cool you down!” Luka managed to say between her bouts of laughter.

Miku shot her a glare with no power whatsoever. “Luka!”

“Alright, alright, sorry~” Luka shot back, hand over her mouth trying to rein-in her amusement.

Hands covering her face as she leaned against a table, Miku grumbled under her breath, muttering words along the lines of “getting her back for this” and “should have said something earlier.”

She takes back the thought she had earlier about not blaming her for wanting to tease people.

Thank goodness Hoshino was not here to see or hear it. ‘I’d probably not be able to face her again if she saw that!’

She wanted to maintain some professional dignity in front of her at least!

With a deep breath and some lingering redness on her face, Miku finally went to the storeroom to get something she could eat quickly.

“What should I get today…?”

There were the packs of instant noodles she could get from, but she wasn’t in the mood for that. Maybe she could grab something from the leftover pastries? No, sweets weren’t exactly a filling lunch.

Then something caught her eye. “Oh?”

She grabbed a plastic wrapper with a piece of bread inside it. “A yakisoba bun?”

When did she get this again? Oh, right, from the snack run she did last week. She saw it on sale and bought it without thinking.

She gave the packaging a thorough check to see if it was still edible. “Nice! It’s not expired yet.”

Well, guess she has her lunch now.

Grumble.

Yeah, she should eat now. ‘Thanks for the food!’

With a quick motion, she opened the packaging and took a bite of her lunch.

“Wow, this is actually pretty good.” Miku thought as she chewed. ‘It’s not restaurant-quality in the slightest, but it has just the right amount of flavor.’

She’ll probably pick up a few more when she goes out to do some shopping tomorrow.

‘And speaking of shopping,’ Miku turned to the other ingredients in storage, ‘I need to get some more stock for next month.’

Just as the thought came to mind, Luka burst through the door to the employees’ lounge, her eyes rapidly scanning the shelves.

Then her eyes landed on Miku, who was in the middle of biting down on the bun in her hands.

They stood still as they stared at each other in silence, until Luka finally spoke.

“Hey, Miku, do you know where the extra bottles of vanilla syrup are?”

Miku took another bite as she walked back into the storeroom. “Won shec!”

“Chew first!” Luka chuckled.

Miku mumbled a “Yeah, yeah” under her breath before she quickly swallowed her meal, grabbed what Luka needed, and handed it over.

As Luka took it, Miku asked her: “How’d it run out so quickly?”

Luka sighed. “I think I forgot to refill the syrup after the lunch rush…”

“Really Luka?” Miku deadpanned.

“Hey, even I forget things sometimes!”

Seeing her chance, Miku took it.

She raised her hand, “Well, hopefully little-miss-forgetful”, and flicked Luka’s forehead, “won’t forget next time!”

“Ow!” Luka exclaimed as she rubbed the spot Miku flicked. “Was that really necessary?”

Luka tried – keyword tried – to give Miku a pitiful look, but Miku playfully stuck her tongue out at the girl. “That’s for earlier.”

Luka let out a small sigh. “Alright, fair enough.” Then she looked at Miku wistfully. “Oh, how quickly children grow, so ready to disrespect their elders.”

She struck a dramatic pose to complete the look. Miku palmed her face.

“We’re the same age…”

“Okay!” Luka snapped back to attention and began to make her way back to the mixing station.

“I’ll go back to mixing now, thanks Miku!” She waved back as she left.

Miku really loved her friend, but sometimes she couldn’t help but wonder how she’d be if she were a little less mischievous.

“No use wondering though.” She said as she finished the rest of her lunch. “Luka is Luka.”

By 10 P.M. the store was closed for the day and Miku was in the middle of taking stock of the cafe’s storeroom for anything she’d need to restock during tomorrow’s grocery run.

Miku was surprised Luka had decided to stay after her shift to keep her company, but she welcomed her friend’s presence. It helped the night feel a little less quiet.

Luka did eventually leave so that she could get to her other job, but that was after they finished clean-up. Once she had left, Miku was now actually alone for the night.

With the familiar silence of an empty cafe as her only company, Miku began to hum to herself, another song that her famous namesake had been featured in.

Despite the weird feeling that bubbled in her gut, the song helped keep her somewhat occupied throughout the monotonous process of inventory checking, which she thankfully finished in no time.

“Alright, that’s everything I need to get for tomorrow.” Miku said as she finished her checklist. “Now, should I get it delivered?”

She recalls a certain collision and the resulting rain of boxes.

“Yeah, I should.”

After she finished making sure the cafe was properly locked up, with a yawn and a stretch, Miku made her way back to her apartment. “I think I’ll get some water, then get ready for bed…”

After getting a cup for herself, her eyes wandered to the fridge in her small kitchen and she stared at it for a moment. ‘I don’t think I’ve restocked this thing in a while, actually.’

Setting the cup in her hand down, Miku opened the fridge and was greeted by a blast of cold air and a near-empty food stock. All that was left was a lone egg, some bread, and a half-finished juice bottle.

“Yeah…” Miku lamented. “I should probably stock up for myself tomorrow…”

Well, an extended grocery run meant she’ll probably need more time for sorting stuff, so she might as well have the cafe be closed for a day.

With her mind made-up, she quickly sent a message to Luka and Hoshino, telling them about the schedule change for Saturday.

After receiving replies from each of them and sending a few apologies to the girls, Miku finally got ready for bed and went to sleep.

When Miku woke up, she checked her phone for the time, her eyes flinching at the sudden burst of light.

“Um… 7:30 A.M.?”

Well, she was up early. Miku briefly contemplated sleeping in longer since the nearest grocery wouldn’t open until ten, but she quickly ignored that thought. Travel time would take a while, so she needed to get ready.

And she needed breakfast.

With a reluctant yawn, Miku got up and freshened up for the day. Since she wouldn’t open up the cafe for the day, Miku decided on a more casual wardrobe consisting of a black shirt, a grey sweater vest, and a black skirt – her usual.

Then she quickly raided what was left in her fridge and prepared her breakfast for the day. If she got hungry later, well, convenience stores were there for a reason.

With what can barely qualify as a proper breakfast being her only sustenance on this Saturday morning, Miku grabbed her bag and set off.

On her way out, she made sure to put a visible notice on the cafe doors to notify anyone who’d happen to pass by later.

As for her walk to the station, since it was the early morning, there weren’t that many people out and about. Considering it was a weekend, the lack of foot traffic this early wasn’t too surprising, which meant that her trip to the station was unimpeded and uneventful.

That didn’t stop her eyes from wandering over to the same sights she’d long gotten used to.

On one side, some family restaurants with a few customers – some alone, some in a group – having their fill for the morning.

On another, a florist tending to their flowers outside their store, giving greetings to the few people who passed by.

Even further still, was a store for pets and pet supplies, just beginning to open up for the day.

Dotted here and there were a few convenience stores for those that needed a quick pick-me-up for something urgent.

And, as she neared the station, a cafe. Or, at least, the construction site of one.

That… was different.

Miku paused in front of the site.

“...Crase Cafe?” She read aloud as she went over the permit that had been posted.

“Must be a new brand. I don’t think I’ve ever heard that name before.”

The construction site seemed rather unremarkable, as most foundations ought to be, but Miku couldn’t help but wonder how the final building would turn out.

Was she worried at the thought of competition? Not really. Her spot, though niche and out-of-the-way, still had decent foot traffic, all things considered. Rather, she was open to a newcomer opening up in this place. That would mean more variety, and, maybe, a nice place to hang out when she was free.

“But this place will probably be opening up in a few months or so.” Miku thought. “So I’ll have to wait a while.”

The new cafe on the street aside, there really wasn’t much else different as Miku continued on to the station.

The train ride, like her walk to the station, was unremarkable and hassle-free, which Miku welcomed. As she exited onto the platform, she made her way to the grocery store she frequented for cafe supplies.

It wasn’t open yet.

Miku pulled out her phone to check the time. It was 9:35 A.M.

She sighed. “Guess I’ll just walk around for a bit.”

Turning toward a random direction, Miku set off to wherever her feet would take her to kill some time.

‘What an interesting location.’ Miku thought as she let her eyes wander while she walked. ‘I’ve been here so much, but it’s still surprising to see such a wide variety of stores and pop-ups here. Some food stalls too, though they’re not open yet.’

What caught her attention, however, was a small little cafe sandwiched between a bakery and a clothing store. As Miku approached it, she wasn’t too surprised to see that it was already open.

‘It wouldn’t hurt to try something here while I wait.’ Miku thought before she pushed on the door, a ding accompanying the motion.

Miku heard a welcome greeting come from the employee manning the register as soon as she entered. ‘This is a cute little place.’ she thought as she took in the pleasing mix of pastel colors around the cafe.

‘This honestly feels like a place where you’d constantly snap photos to post later…’

As she reached the counter, the employee asked Miku for her order.

A quick scan of the menu board on the wall showed Miku that this place was definitely for social media types. There were a lot of… unique drink types and ingredient mixes. There was even a screen next to it that would showcase images of what Miku assumed were their best-sellers.

‘How’d they make a rainbow-colored latte?!’ Miku thought in awe.

“Um, Miss, if you’re having trouble choosing, would you like a recommendation?”

Oops, she was too busy staring.

“Um, sure!” Miku nodded. “This is my first time here, so I’m not really sure what to get.”

“Oh! In that case, why not try out the Velvety Sensation?”

Miku tilted her head to the side. “What’s that?”

“It’s the drink that we’re most well-known for! Put simply, it’s a drink that takes the flavor and feeling of eating a decadent red velvet cake and puts it into the coffee of your choice!”

“Oh, that sounds interesting. I’ll have one of those then.”

“Of course! Would you like it to be simple, beautiful, or extravagant?”

“Um”, Miku looks confused, “is that your drink size…?”

“O-oh yeah! Apologies, I forgot that it’s your first time here…” The employee said as they scratched their head.

“Then I’ll just take the simple one.”

“Alright! What kind of coffee would you like it to be?”

Miku thought for a moment, then said: “I’ll have it as an iced latte.”

“Okee-dokee! Anything else?”

Miku shook her head.

“Then that’ll be this much. Would you like it here, or to go?”

“To go, please. Thanks.”

Once Miku had finished paying, she took a seat at one of the empty tables in the cafe while she waited and checked the time on her phone. It read back: 9:45 A.M.

‘Fifteen more minutes…’ Miku inwardly sighed. ‘Why’d I get up so early today?’

As she pinched the bridge of her nose in exasperation, Miku heard the server call out her name.

“Miss Leoni! Order for Miss Leoni!”

“That’s me.” Miku replied as she moved to the counter to claim her drink.

“Here’s your order! Enjoy!”

“Thank you.”

With a small nod, Miku exited the cafe, but not before taking a quick sip from the drink in her hands.

‘Whoa! She wasn’t lying, this really does taste and feel like a red velvet cake! I should take some notes for my specials!’

With drink in hand and her mind in overdrive trying to piece together said drink’s ingredients, Miku’s walk around the area passed by quickly until she was back at the grocery, the doors now open to customers.

‘Nice! Time for some shopping.’

“Alright Miss Leoni, we’ll have these delivered to the cafe within the day.”

Miku nodded. “Thanks! It’ll save me the trouble of lugging them with me all the way.”

“Still, this is the first time you’ve opted for our delivery service.” The clerk wondered. “Any particular reason you’re doing it now?”

Miku let out an awkward chuckle. “Let’s just say that I’d rather avoid any incidents, hahaha…”

The clerk gave an amused stare before getting back to work.

“Well, enjoy the rest of your day Miss Leoni!”

And now that she was free of cafe-related shopping, Miku grabbed a cart and went back in for her personal groceries.

She thanked her lucky stars that Luka wasn’t there last night to see the pathetic state of her fridge. She shuddered at the thought as she walked through the aisles.

‘I just need to stock up on food for the month then I’ll be done here.’

And for her first destination: the bread section.

When she arrived, she made sure to keep an eye out for any yakisoba buns while she went to get a loaf of bread.

Then her eyes caught sight of familiar packaging from the aisle opposite to her. Having found what she was looking for, Miku immediately made a beeline for it.

Just as she was about to reach her hand out to get one, however, she bumped into the hand of another person, causing both her and the person to retract their arms suddenly.

“Sorry!”

“Sorry!”

They both shouted in unison.

Then silence.

Miku thought that voice was oddly familiar.

When she turned her gaze to the person she had bumped into, her suspicions were confirmed.

“Oh! Hello Miss Hoshino!” Miku greeted the girl.

“H-huh? Oh! L-Leoni! I didn’t expect to see you here!” Hoshino replied, surprised to see her boss.

Miku decided to tease her coworker, just a bit. “Well, I mean, I did say I’d do a grocery run for the cafe.”

She gestured to the grocery store.

“And this is the largest grocery store near the cafe. Why wouldn’t I be here?”

“O-Oh, right, right.” Hoshino stammered. “I mean that, uh, I didn’t think that you’d, uh…”

While Hoshino tried to come up with a sensible explanation, her face taking on an adorable shade of red that matched the highlights in Miku’s hair, Miku took in her co-worker's outfit.

‘Plaid button-up, jeans, and a hoodie. Is that really all she wears?’

Well, if it ain’t broke don’t fix it.

“Um, is there something w-wrong?” Hoshino interrupted. “You’ve been staring at me…”

Oh, she was? Oops.

It was Miku’s turn to stammer out an explanation. “Oh, s-sorry! I, I was just…”

How was she going to not make this awkward?!

“Just…” An idea popped into her head. “Just wondering where you bought your button-up, is all. It looks… comfy.”

Miku hoped her hesitation wasn’t too obvious.

Luckily, Hoshino didn’t seem to notice because she immediately responded to Miku’s question.

“Oh, I usually buy these from a clothing store near my dorm. The prices are pretty good too, so I actually have a lot of these.” Hoshino chuckled.

“That’s nice to know.” Miku nodded. “Maybe you can show me some time.”

Hoshino nodded. “Sure! O-Only when you’re free to, of course!”

Miku smiled, then asked the girl: “So, are you also here for groceries?”

“I am.” she nodded in response. “My yakisoba bun supply is running out, so I needed to get some more.”

“What a coincidence, I’m kind of here for the same reason.”

“Oh, you also like them?”

“I bought a couple before and they kind of won me over.” Miku admitted. “They’re really tasty.”

Hoshino didn’t need to know that Miku basically emptied out her stock during the night shift.

Those things were surprisingly addictive.

“Right, right?!” Hoshino enthusiastically moved closer. “They’re the perfect snack for any day and have just the right balance of bread and stuffing!”

Miku did not expect the sudden surge of energy from the girl, but she still enjoyed seeing her act like this. It was quite fun to see the girl get so pumped up in conversation.

Hoshino, seeming to realize what she just did, reined herself in.

“A-ah, s-sorry about that…”

“Oh, no, it’s fine.” Miku chuckled. “It’s fun to see your sudden bursts of energy.”

Hoshino felt heat creep up her neck again and turned her gaze away.

‘Cute.’ Miku thought.

“W-Well, um, weren’t you shopping for the cafe?”

“Oh, I finished that first”, Miku explained, “and it’ll be delivered, so now I can shop for my personal groceries.”

“Oh, I see. Then I won’t hold you up much longer then.” Hoshino scratched her cheek awkwardly. “I’ll see you on Monday!”

As she turned to leave, however, Miku told the girl to stop.

“Hey, wait a sec.”

“H-Huh?”

“Ah…”

Miku panicked internally. Why did she just stop her from leaving?! She should be fine doing her shopping alone! Why’d she hold up Hoshino now?!

“I-Is something wrong Leoni?”

Miku’s eyes scanned her surroundings for anything that could help her.

They landed on the yakisoba buns.

“You forgot to get some yakisoba buns.” Miku pointed out.

“Oh! Thanks for the reminder!”

Miku watched the girl grab an armful of buns before she went to leave again.

Miku, for some reason, decided to stop the girl, again.

Wow, where did this come from? Was she this in need of company?

“Are you gonna be buying anything else?”

Hoshino paused. “Hm. Well, I was going to do one last look around for anything else I might need.”

‘Well, it wouldn’t hurt to offer…’ Miku thought. “If you want, you can join me…?”

Miku’s confidence plummeted as those words left her mouth.

The silence that followed didn’t help.

‘Okay, why did I just ask her that?! I’m her boss! That’s the most awkward thing I could ask her!’

Miku wanted to slap herself. It was one thing to be comfortable with someone, it’s another to casually ask them to go shopping as if they were friends!

Wait, were they even friends?

Miku hoped they were.

Unbeknownst to Miku, her thoughts were showing on her face, and Hoshino was adept enough to notice.

After a moment of silent contemplation, and with a silent nod to herself, she broke the awkward silence. “Um, is that really fine?”

‘Welp…’ Miku thought. ‘She’s probably not fine with that…’

“Sorry. Sorry.” Miku waved her hands in front of her. “That was a weird thing to ask, wasn’t it? Hahaha…”

She couldn’t quite deny the tinge of disappointment in her heart, but she’ll be fine. She’s used to being by herself.

“Well, I’ll be on my way.” Miku declared. “Have a nice day Miss Hoshino!”

“W-Wait a sec!” Hoshino grabbed hold of Miku’s sleeve, a few of the buns in her arms falling to the ground.

Miku stared back, surprised.

“A-Actually, I’m fine with joining you!” She stammered. “I don’t really have much to do at my dorm, so…”

Miku turned to face the girl. “Miss Hoshino, it’s fine. You don’t have to go along with my offer if you’re not comfortable with it.”

“No, it’s fine really! I swear! And since we’re both here for groceries, shopping together should be okay!”

Hoshino then turned away to hide the dusting of pink on her cheeks. “I… also may have forgotten to get a cart….”

Miku chuckled at the girl’s admission. “Miss Hoshino, I didn’t think you could be that careless!”

Hoshino let go of Miku’s sleeve and scratched the back of her head. “Hahaha… I might have been a bit too excited over yakisoba buns.”

Miku nodded, an amused look on her face. “Your love for those things is something else.”

“Well, I can’t really get enough of them, hahaha.”

“Alright then, what are you waiting for?” Miku gestured to her cart. “Go ahead and leave them there. We’ll just split at check-out.”

“O-Okay! Thank you!” Hoshino nodded.

Once Hoshino had picked up the few buns that had fallen and placed the rest in the cart, the pair began to move around the grocery in search of the things they needed.

“So, what’ll you be getting Leoni?” Hoshino asked as they walked by a snack aisle.

“I’m just looking for stuff to fill my fridge for the month.”

“Okay.” Hoshino nodded. “Anything in particular that you need?”

“Probably just eggs and juice if I’m being honest.”

“Do you not eat much?” Hoshino looked at her, worried. “Because I’m not sure if that’s enough to stay healthy…”

“Miss Hoshino,” Miku sighed, “I have all-day shifts from Monday 'till Sunday. I don’t think I am in any way healthy…”

The girl’s eyes widened at Miku’s admission. She didn’t actually think about her boss’s schedule, but that was a sobering reality check.

“W-Wow.”

“Yeah, so it’s normal for me to eat light.”

“But you should try to treat yourself better! What if you get sick?!”

Miku had to admit, she had a point. She rarely got sick, but she’s not sure if testing fate would be a good idea.

“Alright, alright, I understand Miss Hoshino.” Miku waved her concerns off. “I can’t promise to fix my schedule, but I can try treating myself better when I can.”

“Well, better than nothing.” Hoshino sighed, her attention drifting to the rows of food items. “But, maybe consider getting—

She grabbed a box on the shelf that caught her eye.

—something like this.”

Miku stared at the box presented to her.

“Cereal?”

“I hear this brand’s pretty healthy! That way you can have more substantial nutrition for a light breakfast!”

“Er…” Miku turned away and covered her mouth, a wave of nausea coming over her. “I’m not really a fan…”

Hoshino stared at her boss incredulously. “Why not?!”

“Let’s just say…” She recalled the sight of one of her sisters coming out of their family kitchen, a ‘bowl of cereal’ in hand. “It takes real talent to ruin cereal for a child that ate it religiously.”

She held back the urge to gag.

Hoshino blinked. Now she was curious. What could make her boss look that distressed over cereal?

“What kind of incident?”

“Oh, look Miss Hoshino, orange juice!” Miku interjected as she quickly walked away.

“Hey, wait—” She rushed to catch up. “Leoni!”

As the pair continued to walk-and-shop, dropping in items ranging from snacks to household supplies, the cart was gradually beginning to reach its full capacity.

Hoshino was the first to bring it up after dropping in some tissues. “Wow, we’ve bought quite a lot here.”

Miku returned with a bag of detergent in her arms. “Oh? Whoa, you’re right. We’ve almost filled it up completely!”

“Um, Leoni, what happened to just buying stuff for your fridge?” Hoshino asked as she pointed at the detergent.

“Well, since I’m here, it wouldn’t hurt to stock up on it.” Miku explained.

“But you won’t try at least a granola bar?”

Hoshino had given up on trying to get her boss to buy cereal for herself, but she was surprisingly defensive about buying anything remotely healthy.

In fact, the healthiest thing in the cart were probably the spring onions. Go figure.

“Miss Hoshino, let’s not go back to that.” Miku turned away, at least looking slightly ashamed of her earlier behavior. “Some things are just best left out of my way.”

Hoshino sighed, but relented. “At least you were willing on a few greens…” She then turned around to look for anything else she might need.

After a while, Hoshino nodded to herself. “Alright, I think I have everything I need. How about you?”

Miku perked up at the question. “Oh, I’m good with the stuff I need, too! Shall we go?”

Hoshino nodded and the pair made their way to checkout.

“Oh right”, Hoshino remembered, “should I get another cart so we can split our stuff?”

Miku shook her head. “Nah, it’s fine. You can just put your stuff first, then I’ll follow after.”

“Are you sure?”

“Positive.”

Once the pair had finished paying for their groceries (and made sure they didn’t mix up their bags), they found themselves stepping back outside, the afternoon rays of light draping them in a comforting warmth.

“That was surprisingly fun.” Miku remarked as she turned to Hoshino.

Said girl nodded, a satisfied smile creeping up her face. “Yeah, it was kind of nice to have company for something like this.”

Miku checked her phone for the time, and it was only 3 P.M.

Maybe it wouldn’t hurt to have the girl stick around a bit longer.

“Hey”, Miku began, “Do you still have anything important to do?”

“Hm? Oh, no, not really.” Hoshino answered. “Just some light reading I can finish later.”

“Well, if it isn’t too much trouble, want a drink?”

Hoshino turned to Miku, a questioning look on her face. “What’s this for all of a sudden?”

“Well, I kinda feel guilty for keeping you here…” Miku laughed awkwardly.

“I said it’s fine though Leoni.”

“I know, but humor me, isn’t the weather perfect for a drink?” Miku gestured to the space around them.

Despite all the hustle and bustle of a Saturday afternoon, the rhythmic sound of footsteps mixed with the gentle breeze made the whole place feel oddly serene. Even the afternoon rays, though not quite scorching, helped sell the atmosphere. Sure the occasional sounds of people talking were the furthest thing from peaceful, but there was an odd allure to the chaos. The only thing missing was a nice cold drink to take the occasional sip from while moving with the crowd.

And now that Hoshino thought about it, she was feeling kind of parched.

“Alright, I’ll humor you, Leoni.”

Miku let out a small chuckle. “That’s what I like to hear.”

“Back to the cafe then?”

Miku nodded as she moved in the direction of the station. “Mhm. I’ll whip up something special for you!”

“You don’t need to go that far!” Hoshino followed suit, the sound of laughter leaving her lips.

Once the pair had exited at the correct station, they both made their way to the Cafe.

Along the way, Miku spared a glance at the construction site across the road she passed by earlier and suddenly stopped.

Hoshino noticed her pause and questioned her. “Is something wrong, Leoni?”

“Oh no, I’m… fine.” Miku replied. “I just… thought I saw someone… familiar.”

Miku stared at the site. She swore she saw a familiar head of brown, but that couldn’t be.

She… she left years ago with her and didn’t say anything about coming back.

Her brain must be playing tricks on her, right?

Hoshino stared at her boss, worried. She looked distressed, but in a way different from how she reacted to cereal.

The way her eyes widened, her brow creased, and her shoulders stiffened, it was as if she saw someone she didn’t want near her.

Someone she was afraid of.

It reminded her of how someone else looked all those years ago.

Before she could even come up with something to say, however, Miku spoke first.

“Hey, let’s keep going, alright Miss Hoshino?”

“Ah…” Hoshino hesitated. Then she just nodded. “Alright… If you’re sure.”

And the walk resumed, neither person choosing to bring up what just happened. In fact, the silence between the two was rather stifling.

Neither knew exactly what to say, the air between them awkward as they both lost themselves to their thoughts.

Both of them stuck on thoughts of the past.

Hoshino looked at her boss, worry eating her mind.

Miku kept her eyes straight ahead, unsure of how to break the silence.

She had just wanted to invite her for a drink as a ‘thank you’, but she had just made the day take a nosedive for the worse.

She wanted to slap herself again, and she actually just might, just not in front of Hoshino.

No words were exchanged for a while longer as they walked through the maze of alleyways and streets that led to the cafe.

Neither spoke a word when they entered.

Neither spoke while Miku whipped up two drinks.

When presented with the finished product, Ichika didn’t drink much.

It didn’t taste right.

Miku left hers untouched as she mulled over her thoughts, staring at the horizon, but not actually seeing it.

The silence continued, until Ichika had enough.

This didn’t sit right with her.

And she didn’t want to make the same mistake.

With a deep breath, Ichika steeled herself.

“Miku.”

That was enough to draw Miku out of her thoughts.

“W-Wha… Did you–”

Miku was surprised.

This was the first time the girl in front of her had called her by her actual name.

“Are you really okay?” Ichika interrupted her.

“I’m fine, really.” Miku tried to deflect. “It’s nothing important really, so there’s no need to involve your–

“You didn’t look fine at all earlier, and it’s worrying me.”

Miku stopped talking.

The girl in front of her was more attentive than she thought.

She looked down at the floor, like a child being scolded by their parents, ashamed that the girl saw her like that.

“I… I’m sorry…” She whispered, barely audible, but enough for Ichika to hear.

A gentle touch on her shoulder. “Hey, there’s no need to be sorry. I’m just worried about you.”

Miku let out a dry chuckle. “I’m your boss here. I shouldn’t be the one making you worried.”

Ichika was silent at the girl’s remark, but chose to correct her.

“Right now, the person in front of me isn’t my boss, they’re my friend.”

Miku’s eyes widened and she quickly looked up to the girl.

“And I want to help my friend.” Ichika stated calmly, a gentle smile gracing her features.

Somehow, hearing those words made Miku feel both relief and joy.

“We… We’re… friends…?”

“Are we not?” Ichika looked at her, confused.

That got a laugh out of Miku.

“H-Hey, w-what’s so funny?”

Miku’s laughter grew stronger as she saw Ichika’s confused face morph into one of embarrassment, her face slowly gaining an adorable shade of scarlet.

“I-I mean, we’ve done the night shift together and had fun, r-right? Why wouldn’t I consider you a f-friend?” Ichika tried to say with her slowly crumbling composure.

“N-No, I’m not laughing at you calling us friends!” Miku managed to say between her fits of laughter. “I’m just laughing at how confused you were!”

“So, you were still laughing at me…”

“I didn’t mean anything bad by it! Swear on my bracelet!”

Ichika stared at her, doubt in her eyes. Then she sighed.

“Fine, I’ll let it go this time.” Ichika relented.

“But, thank you, Ichika.” Miku added.

It was Ichika’s turn to be surprised.

“What, surprised that I called you by your first name? We’re friends aren’t we?”

“I, I know that, but s-still, I’m not used to it…”

“Hehe, get used to it then.” Miku poked her friend in the cheek. “I like saying Ichika more than Hoshino.”

Ichika’s face grew even redder. Miku found it very cute.

Ichika coughed into her hand. “W-Well, anyway, how are you feeling now?”

Miku beamed. “Much better thanks to you!”

“That’s a relief…” Ichika replied with a sigh. “But, if you need to talk about something bothering you, I’m here, alright? Ah! But you don’t need to talk about it if it’s uncomfortable for you, okay?”

Miku nodded. “Thanks, Ichika.”

“But since you offered, I might as well tell you about it.”

“Eh? Are… are you okay with that?”

“Mhm. Well, let’s have a seat. This might take a while to explain.”

“You ran away from your family?!”

“Yep. I was having a terrible day in college and things… escalated.”

“So you cut all contact with them except for one.”

Miku nodded.

“And now you don’t really want to see them.”

“Mhm.”

“And the person you thought you saw earlier might have been a friend of one of your siblings?”

“Not just her friend. The friend she left the country with.”

“And you’re worried she’ll tell your family about where you are if she sees you?”

“Pretty much.”

Ichika stared at Miku, stunned. “Wow. I didn’t expect you to have such a heavy history.”

Miku chuckled. “Luka was surprised when I told her I cut myself off from my family almost completely.”

“But it’s amazing you managed to make it this far, with a cafe of your own to boot!”

Miku smiled at the girl’s praise. “Thanks. It was a rough few years, but I think I came out of it pretty okay.”

“But, are you really fine with not seeing your family again?”

Miku shook her head. “I… It’s not that I don’t want to see them ever again, it’s just that I’m… not ready. Not ready to see their faces…”

“Miku…”

“They say time heals all wounds”, she laughed bitterly, “but I don’t think I’ve had enough time yet.”

Ichika stared at her friend, then gently clasped her hands. “Luka and I will be here for you, okay?”

Miku smiled at the reassurance. “Thanks Ichika.”

Ichika then let go to have a sip of her drink. “Oh, the drink’s not as cold as earlier…”

“We’ve still got ice”, Miku said as she stood up, “I’ll go get you some!”

“Really? Thanks Miku!”

“Mhm, no problem!” Miku replied.

Once she finished the refill, just as she sat down to take a sip from her own drink, Miku said something to lighten the mood.

“You know, I think I like it better when you call me Miku. It feels so… intimate.”

She held in her laughter as Ichika violently suppressed the urge to spit out her drink, her face doing its best approximation of a tomato.

“M-Miku!”

As she was subjected to Ichika’s adorable stammering, Miku found that her drink tasted way sweeter than she normally made it, but that didn’t matter now.

What mattered more was enjoying Ichika’s company.

It was late at night, with the moon up in the sky casting a faint glow down towards the few people mulling about.

The subtle clacking of heels reverberated through the empty alleyways as a lone figure made their way through the urban maze.

Their eyes scanned every corner and every sign until it reached the exit of this maze, a boardwalk along a river that flowed out into the sea.

Their short-cut chestnut hair bobbed lightly as they walked over to the end of this area, the chilly night air not affecting their jacketed form.

Brown eyes quickly caught sight of a signboard for a cafe that was currently closed for the night.

“Cafe 39.” A mature feminine voice read aloud.

The woman then let out a soft smile.

“Your little sister’s not doing so bad after all, Vivi.” She said to no one in particular.