Eli: Finally! I have someone to love!
What makes you think it's not a story of how lonely you feel after the previous 'Don't Worry' stories?
Eli: Anju is here!
Where?
Eli: Behind you. *Points to Anju*
I don't see her.
Eli: Ffffff- Okay never mind, this story is going to be me and Anju together!
Like I said, it could be just you going through life all alone...
Eli: Well I refuse such a tragic tale! C'mon, pity me already!
Fine fine, I don't own anything.
XXXXXX
"Hey Maki, you wanna close up early?" Eli asked a scarlet-haired waitress, the latter scowling as usual.
"What?! No, it's only like..." The waitress took a quick look at her wristwatch, the time reading 3.30 pm. "... 3.30 pm? You know we close up at five..."
"That's rare of you, I thought you'll want more time to study for your exams..." Eli commented, her eyebrows shooting up slightly after noticing the way she looked at the customer. "Oh I see..."
'More like you wanna spend some time with our customer...' Eli smirked to herself as the waitress shot her a confused frown.
"What is it? Ah Hanayo, how are you doing in there?" The waitress went back into the kitchen, leaving Eli alone with the customer and an orange-haired waitress.
'Hey... Isn't that Minami-san? What is she doing here...? Welp, time to find out.' Eli thought to herself as she made her way to the customer's table, taking a seat opposite her. "Kotori Minami right? You're something to capture the eye of my most coldest waitress."
"Ahaha... What are you trying to say Ayase-san?" Kotori laughed somewhat awkwardly, her amber eyes focused on the woman's cerulean ones.
"You're quite impressive, as expected of the former Minalinsky~"
"Seriously though, Nishikino-san's pretty magnetic herself. She's the reason why I've been visiting your cafe more often..." Kotori blushed a little, sipping her iced water.
"I have to give her a raise then. But really, make a move on the poor girl already." Eli casually replied, impressed with Kotori's honesty. 'Never expected her to be so honest. But she looks like the type to chicken out at the last second...'
"Maybe next time when I see her. For now, I think I'll just enjoy one of your limited cheesecakes~" Eli flinched, Kotori was not only honest but she was direct.
"H-Hey, it's not my fault that people in this area like all sorts of desserts but cheesecakes!" Eli defended, a slight frown on her face. It wasn't her fault that she had to cater to the demand of her customers.
"Doesn't mean that you have to mark up the price though. I mean, 2000 yen for your Shokolad Cheesecake?!"
"Okay the ingredients are of top-notch quality so-"
"Here's your dessert miss. Please enjoy." The scarlet-haired waitress arrived with Kotori's cheesecake, professionally placing it in front of her.
"Makiiiiii, shouldn't you also ask me what I want?" Eli whined, irritating the waitress.
"Eli, we all know you love the Super Choco Nico Parfait." Maki replied as calmly as she could, resisting the urge to sock her boss in the face.
"That is Nico's favourite dessert here. Mine's the Extreme Chocolate Lovers Deluxe Special."
"To hell with you Eli." Maki stormed back into the kitchen, muttering curses under her breath.
"Hahaha. You see, this is why she has the reputation of the coldest waitress in Ikebukuro." Eli sighed, standing up from her seat. "Now if you'll excuse me, I must get back to my work."
"Hmm, Nishikino-san seems more like a tsundere though. Oh well, the cake tastes yummy~" Kotori beamed, nothing brightened her day more than a slice of cheesecake. Eli chuckled at Kotori's comment and entered her office.
"Maki-chan! Your favourite customer gave you a tip!" Eli heard one of her other employees shouting at Maki minutes after she entered her office. She decided to take a quick look at the scene outside before locking up for the day. What she saw was a blushing Maki retorting at the other employee.
"S-She's not my favourite customer! Geez!" Eli smirked, walking over to the duo. Maki had noticed Eli's presence and tried to cover up her blush by putting on the ugliest scowl she could muster. "What do you want?!"
"Nothing much, just checking up on my favourite waitress~"
"Eli, shut up will you? I'm leaving." Maki muttered as she stormed out the cafe, still in her work clothes. "See you tomorrow Hanayo."
"M-Maki-chan! C-Change out of your uniform first!" Hanayo squeaked, calling out to Maki but was ignored.
XXXXXX
"So you think that Maki-chan is gay for Kotori-chan?" A woman with byzantium hair asked, a smirk on her face as she flipped a novel. "Aoyagi-san's new novel is interesting yan~"
"I'm positive Nozomi."
"With AIDS?" Nozomi joked, her turquoise eyes gleaming with mischief. Eli resisted the urge to whack Nozomi as she calmly responded to her roommate's cruel joke.
"If I do, then you do too."
"I haven't had sex with you for at least five years."
"I may have contracted it years ago before we broke up."
"I'm your first sex partner Elichi."
"Fine, you win." Eli gave in, there was no way to out-talk her mischievous roommate. "Anyways, how's your job going?"
"I just have to direct Aoyagi-san's first novel and I'm done~ How's your love life Elichi?"
"Are you trying to be sarcastic?" Eli asked, not bothering to look Nozomi in the eye. For five years, Eli had many on-off relationships, with none lasting more than a month. Which was a pity, as Eli was truly a decent woman. Just that her unconscious habit to flirt with other women caused any of her current relationships to dissolve instantaneously.
"Not really Elichi."
"Huh, sounds like it though. Oh well, I'm heading out to Yuki-san's." Eli picked up a grey jacket from a laundry basket, draping it over her shoulder. "See you later Nozomi."
"Elichi." Nozomi had a solemn tone in just one word, her turquoise eyes boring into Eli's cerulean eyes. "Are you sure you're really okay?"
"Well yeah, why wouldn't I?" Eli asked, starting to put on her jacket over her navy blue blouse.
"You know what I mean." Nozomi continued, worry visible on her porcelain face. She was one to never really worry about her friends, especially not Eli. However, given her history with pursuing relationships, it was hardly unexpected that even she will worry.
"... I'm fine, just need a drink or two." Eli muttered, unable to look Nozomi in the eye. "You know I can hold my liquor."
"It's not whether you can hold it or not Elichi." Nozomi chided, knowing that it'll fall on deaf ears. "It's whether you're relying on 'em as a way to cope."
"I'm... not addicted."
"Not yet. Elichi, when will you break this cycle?"
"... Have fun with your directing." Eli lamely countered, storming out of the apartment. Nozomi had a point, she always had a point. But sometimes, following the right choice isn't the right choice.
'I'm really a loser. Using alcohol to survive, no wonder Russians are stereotyped to be alcoholics... Probably because of people like me...'
XXXXXX
Anju Yuki never really cared much for others. Sure, she was a bartender and technically obligated to hear her customers' sob stories. That didn't mean that she had to care, did it? Stories about romance were the worst, they made her cringe. Though that was due to her extensive history of failed relationships, mostly being cheated on.
"Hey bartender! Whaddya think I should do?" A drunk man asked Anju, his grey eyes starting to glaze over. Anju sighed, rolling her violet eyes when he wasn't looking.
"Ask her out, but in a romantic way." Anju offered, thanking her good memory.
"How romantic must it be?"
"Like, a sweet gesture? It's like showing appreciation for parents on Mother's Day or Father's Day. You don't have to impress her, just treat her like... your favourite food?"
"Good idea, thanks bartender!" The man got up and dragged his way out of the bar, surprisingly not knocking into anything.
'Maybe he wasn't that drunk after all...' Anju thought to herself as she cleaned a cocktail glass. "Oh well, not my problem anymore..."
"Apathetic as always, Yuki-san?" That sentence made Anju's heart skip a beat, something that didn't happen often. When she turned around, she was face to face with the same pair of cerulean eyes she had been seeing for the past five years.
"Elichika, you're here again." Anju greeted, pulling out a bottle of distilled vodka. "It's from Poland, so it's quite painful."
"Meh, I don't mind." Eli replied as she grabbed a shot glass from a nearby sink. "I'm still Russian after all."
"Quarter, mind you." Anju reminded, picking up a martini glass. "So, what brings you here this time?"
"As usual, my mouth is thirsty." Eli replied monotonously, gulping down her drink and pouring herself another one.
"I don't give a damn to most people but you worry me with your frequent trips to my bar. And I'm supposed to be happy that you're supplying me with money every night."
"Isn't that great? You happy, I happy." Eli grinned as she chugged down her drink from the bottle. The sight worried Anju, as she tried to convince Eli to stop.
"Elichika?! H-Hey, stop drinking it directly. C'mon stop- you drank the whole bottle." Anju commented as Eli tipped the now empty bottle, a silly smile on her face.
"Yuki-san, you have more of where that came from?"
"Yes, but I'm not going to let you drain away my limited stock of high-quality distilled vodka." Anju sighed, pulling out another bottle. "Here, distilled gin. Please take it easy on the drinking this time."
"Right right. Chert voz'mi (Damn it), you sound like Nozomi." Eli remarked as she poured herself a shot of gin, much to Anju's relief.
"You come here every night, of course even I'll get worried." Anju glanced at Eli, noticing her melancholic expression. "You seem down Elichika, want to vent them out?"
"Even if I do, you'll give me some half-assed answer. So, why bother?" Eli chuckled, gulping down her shot again.
"I care enough about you to ask you about your problems. At most, I'll give you a cliché answer." Anju replied, genuine concern etched across her face. "So, are you going to spill?"
"... Well... There's this employee... and a customer... you know what, forget it."
"That's going to make me worry even more." Cracking Eli was harder than Anju expected, but it wasn't impossible. After exhausting her whole array of drinks that is.
"Hey... Have you ever wondered... what's like... to fall in love again...?" Eli asked, her words forming slower than usual. Anju wrinkled her forehead, it wasn't a topic she liked to dwell on. Then again, Eli was just like her in terms of romance.
"Sometimes. I don't wish to fall in love for real again though, I'm not strong enough to take it." Anju admitted, ruffling a hand through her auburn hair. "Do you have someone you like then?"
"... Not really... Just felt like asking." Eli mumbled, eyeing Anju. 'She's pretty, but her heart has frozen up a long time ago. A shame though, she used to be so... naive? Is that even a good word to describe her? Being mature is tough, especially when the one that you invested all your love and time just cuts you off, expecting you to just suck it up.'
"You're not thinking of bedding me, right?" Anju asked, noticing the change in Eli's eyes. From worn-out, cerulean eyes, Eli's eyes now took on a darker shade of blue, resembling an animal sizing up its prey.
"Even if I am, it's not like you'll agree to it. Plus Nozomi's still back home, so bringing you back will be a no-go."
"... Well, you can stay here for the night as usual. Not like I want to haul your drunk ass back home three hours later." Anju offered, taking a sip out of Eli's refilled glass. "... Tastes bitter, how the hell do you enjoy this?"
"Acquired taste. Wake me up at 8 am, I have to open my cafe..." Eli continued to guzzle down her alcohol, soon falling asleep an hour later. Anju smiled slightly as she draped a blanket over Eli, glad that she hung blankets close by. Anju tenderly petted Eli's head, her hand running through the soft blond hair.
"Always flirting with women as usual, you loser playgirl..."
XXXXXX
"Makiiii, are you-" Eli popped out of her office, wanting to do a final check before closing up for the day. Upon seeing Maki and Kotori together, she decided to change her usual schedule. "Never mind. Rin, turn the sign over! We're leaving once Hanayo is done cooking up their orders!"
"Roger nya!" Rin bounced over to the glass door and turned the sign over, reading 'CLOSED' from outside.
"U-Uh, I'll go tell Hanayo our orders then..." Maki was about to head for the kitchen, but was blocked by her boss. "Hey what the-"
"Sit down Maki, you're our customer now. I'll take your order." Eli pushed Maki into the seat opposite of Kotori, a smile on her face as she took out a notepad from her blazer. 'Heh, a date huh? Minami-san's finally acting on it huh?'
"Tsundere Carbonara. And I guess a Nozomi's Love Juice. God why did you name a drink in such a sexual way..." Maki grumbled, unable to comprehend the idea that a normal sparkling pink drink would be called in a lewd way.
"Okay, and for you Minami-san?" Eli casually ignored the comment, not wanting to delve into the story behind the drink's name.
"Just the cheesecake and iced water." Eli nodded, and disappeared into the kitchen to tell Hanayo the orders.
"Hanayo! One Tsundere Carbonara, Nozomi's Love Juice and a cheesecake!"
"O-Okay!" Hanayo squeaked as she went about her cooking. Eli stood at the side of the kitchen door, observing Kotori and Maki interacting together. The longer Eli watched, the urge of Eli wanting to go up to them and make them kiss was getting stronger. At the same time, she felt something unknown bubbling within her. It was as though she was jealous of the two of them, when she should be happy that her tsundere waitress finally had a love interest.
"Maki-chan's order is ready nya~" Rin informed Eli, snapping her out of her observation.
"Thanks, I'll bring it over to them." Eli said as she walked over to the only occupied table in the cafe. "Here's your order. Maki, lock up afterwards!"
"C-Can we go now?" Hanayo asked, peeking out shyly from the kitchen.
"Yup! Let's go!" Eli nodded as she left the cafe first, followed by Rin and Hanayo. Unlike her employees who headed for the train station, she hid herself behind an opaque wall outside of the cafe, giving her the opportunity to message someone without missing out on the conversation inside.
To: Kotori Minami-san
[You coward.]
"In the end, you never told Maki how you feel. Just go for it will you?" Eli mumbled to herself as she continued to stand outside the cafe for 20 minutes, before heading down to her favourite bar.
XXXXXX
"Ah you're back again. Your usual?" A bartender with auburn hair and a friendly smile asked Eli, who was clearly in a bad mood. "Aw, did Elichika get into a fight?"
"Yuki-san, stop joking around." Eli sighed, taking a seat in front of the counter. Even though she was just a third party, she couldn't stand it when love was hindered by two people who had the hots for each other. 'Kotori Minami, what the heck happened to that promise?!'
"Sorry, you know that I love to tease you." Anju laughed softly as she approached her regular customer, her violet eyes noticing Eli's darkening expression.
"Hmph."
"What's wrong though? Normally you're just... well, normal." The bartender commented, her violet eyes glancing at the grumbling woman. 'She's usually never like this... Must be something important.'
"Two idiots like each other but don't have the guts to say it."
"How is that affecting you?" Anju asked solemnly, now giving Eli absolute attention. "Unless you tell me that you like one of them and just want them to confess so that you can move on then-"
"It's not like that Yuki-san." Eli replied, though she was questioning herself. 'But she does have a point. Why am I so bothered by it?'
"Then what is it?"
"I... I don't really know..."
"Then go find out. You may be a playgirl but you're not stupid."
"T-True..."
"Here's your vodka." Anju slid a shot glass filled with vodka to Eli, a small smile on her face. "Drink up Elichika, it's on the house."
"Thanks..." Eli mumbled as she gulped down her vodka. 'Yuki-san's got a point. Is it because I'm just jealous of others?'
"It's fine. Do you want my opinion though?"
"... Well I'm open to anything at this point, so why not?" Eli sighed, maybe Anju's opinion could help her.
"You're just jealous that others are having a healthier love life than you."
"... Thank you for your input..." Eli scoffed, she didn't know whether Anju could be any more obvious.
"I'm trying to help you here." Anju frowned, she was truly trying to help Eli and all she got was a scoff? 'So much for trying.'
"Uh huh..." Eli muttered under her breath as she gulped down her shot. All of a sudden, Eli whipped her head around, startling Anju.
"Something wrong?"
"No... it's nothing... nothing at all..." Eli murmured as she went back to her drink.
'What was that noise that I heard...?'
XXXXXX
"A-Ayase-san?!" Kotori yelped in surprise as Eli suddenly stood before her as she was on her way to meet Maki.
"Minami-san, where are you going in such a hurry?" Eli asked, picking out some lint on her jacket. Upon seeing Kotori's blush, Eli instantly knew the answer. "Maki huh?"
"Ehehe... I've decided that today will be the day." Kotori said, reflecting back on the countless messages she had in her virtual conversation with Eli. "I should be brave, and accept whatever that comes my way. Right Ayase-san?"
"..." Eli flashed a smile, and patted Kotori's head before walking away. "Maki's alone at my cafe. Better hurry and have your 'sisterly hangout' there before she leaves."
"Thanks." Kotori ran towards Eli's cafe, determination etched across her face as she passed by Eli.
"Don't regret it." Eli whispered to no one, tears starting to stream down her face. "Ahhh why can't I practice what I preach...?"
"Hm? Who's calling me?" Eli took out her phone and cheerily picked up the call, her mood doing a 180 degree flip. "Oh Umi, you wanna hang out? Sure, I'm still single anyways!"
'No wonder I'm called the loser playgirl...' Eli sighed to herself as she hung up, brushing away her tears as she made her way to where Umi was. Upon arriving, she quickly located Umi and sat directly opposite her. "Hey Umi, asking me out already?"
"No, I called you over as you're the only other single woman that I'm okay with." Umi sighed, leaning forward. "Kotori's probably going to confess to her stepsister..."
"About time." Eli shook her head as she stared outside of a window.
"You know about it?" Umi asked, surprised that her playgirl friend was in the loop on Kotori's love life.
"Well yeah, Maki works at my cafe. In fact, my cafe is literally the place where they first met."
"A place where it brings people together... and you still can't get anyone...?" Eli's eyebrow twitched in irritation, she disliked being reminded of her lack of a significant other.
"Nope, neither can you though."
"I choose not to involve myself in relationships."
"That's what a NEET would say."
XXXXXX
"Oh Nico, welcome." Eli greeted a petite woman with raven hair tied into twintails, the woman's ruby eyes meeting Eli's cerulean.
"Eli." Nico nodded, acknowledging Eli's presence. She went to a table and made herself comfortable, her surprisingly calloused fingertips ghosting over the pages of the menu. "The food sounds disgusting as usual, why did you allow Nozomi to name them?"
"She insisted." Eli shrugged, going over to Nico. "You're lucky that today's a Thursday."
"I know, the Maximum Tsundere Fusion special is exactly what I came for."
"Blunt as always huh?"
"... What do you want to eat?"
"Huh?"
"I want you to join me for tea Bakachika."
"It's been a long time since someone called me that..." Eli chuckled, writing down the orders on her trusty notepad. "Tell that to Maki, she'll flip out."
"Where is she anyway?" Nico scanned the whole cafe for the scarlet waitress, only to find no trace of red. "Did she quit?"
"Nah, out on a date with her step-sister."
"... Hurry up and send the orders already." Nico mumbled, noticing a change in Eli's usually calm expression. Eli nodded and went into the kitchen to give Hanayo the orders, coming out to face Nico.
"I'm back. So, what is it that you need?"
"Are you still affected by your breakup with Nozomi?" Nico asked, not bothering to mince her words. Eli flinched slightly, averting her eyes from Nico's hard stare. "... I'll take that as a yes then."
"Why bother asking the obvious...?" Eli gritted her teeth as she posed her question, steeling herself for an (unwanted) insightful wake-up call from Nico.
"For starters, you're not comfortable with the topic of romance."
"Many people aren't too."
"True, but your problem is way worse. And by the way, why the hell are you still shacking up with Nozomi?!"
"We paid for the apartment, we're just roommates."
"Uh huh, and when she hooks up with another slut-"
"Nico, watch your language."
"Another thing, why do you still defend her?!"
"We had a mutual breakup!"
"Irrelevant, now back to the slut part..."
"Oh come on Nico! Do you really think that Nozomi would be so loose to date any woman she meets?!"
"Yes." Was Nico's only reply as she stared at her recently manicured nails. "I wonder, why did I bother getting a manicure when I'm so busy?"
"Don't you dare change the topic! Why is your impression of Nozomi so bad?!"
"I dunno, why are you defending her?"
"Cause I still kinda like her but I hide that by drinking my ass off every night!" Eli slammed the table in rage, extremely frustrated that Nico is pushing her limit. And she was known to be quite patient while she was sober too. 'Why is it so noisy? Someone make it stop...'
"Uh huh."
"Don't 'uh huh' me! You're the one who wanted to know why the heck am I so sensitive towards romance! Fine, I admit it! I'm jealous of Maki and Kotori! I'm jealous of you and Honoka-san after I found out that you two are smooching each other silly!"
"Correction, Honoka-chan smooches me silly. I don't kiss her that often."
"Whatever! I'm freaking surprised that the NEET actually got it together with Rin, and I'm especially jealous that my ex is in a happy and steady relationship with Hanayo!"
"Um... Ayase-san...?" Hanayo nervously squeaked out, her trembling hands barely keeping the tray of food on her sweaty palms.
"... Hanayo." Eli curtly spoke, gesturing the waitress to place the food on the table. "Do not tell Nozomi a single word of my conversation with Nico."
"O-Okay!" The brown-haired woman yelped, hurrying back into the kitchen without looking back at Eli. Eli turned to face Nico, who had a triumphant smirk on her face.
"Nico." Eli's tone was significantly colder than usual, her cerulean eyes losing their calm sparkle and resembling more like angry tidal waves, threatening to devour anything in their path.
"You needed it okay? I don't like this as much as you do, but it's close to six years. It's about time to move on already." Nico sighed, shooting Eli a pitying look. "There's a certain someone out there that likes you, just that you're too hung up to notice it."
"..." Eli glared in silence, before ordering Hanayo to come out of the kitchen. "Hanayo! I need to have a word with you."
"W-What is it...?" Hanayo asked, trembling at the rare sight of her angry boss. 'S-She's even scarier than the time when Rin-chan ate her imported chocolate or the fact that I caused that sink incident... which Maki-chan kinda took the fall for me.'
"Do you have your own place?"
"E-Eh?!"
"Hanayo, please answer the question."
"... Y-Yes." Hanayo whimpered, not liking the cold glare in Eli's eyes.
"I see." Eli stood up, tossing the key to Hanayo. "Hanayo, please lock up once Nico has paid for her meal."
"Don't you want your dessert?" Nico asked innocently, seemingly unaware that she caused the change in Eli.
"It's on your tab." Eli replied, exiting the cafe. 'I have to get away from this noise... Why is it just so noisy?!'
"Um..." Hanayo blinked at the sudden silence if the cafe, unsure if she should go back to the kitchen or just hang around till Nico finishes her dessert. Thankfully, she was given an option by her sassy customer.
"Hey, Hanayo right? You think you can put Eli's dessert back into the fridge? A real shame to throw it all away." Nico said as her fingers flew across her phone's keypad, quickly typing out a lengthy message for the receiver.
XXXXXX
"Nozomi, there's something I need to tell you." Eli said as she entered her apartment, not noticing the boxes littering the apartment.
"My, what a coincidence Elichi. But you go first." Nozomi replied, her turquoise eyes glancing at Eli for a brief moment before turning back to a stack of clothes in front of her.
"Nozomi... I need to evict you out of this apartment." Eli solemnly informed, expecting her roommate to at least inquire her why the sudden decision. To her surprise, not only did Nozomi not ask why but the words that followed already explained almost everything.
"I know, which is why I'm evicting myself first." Nozomi smiled, stuffing the stack of clothes into a cardboard box. "Nicocchi messaged me."
"... Did she tell you why...?"
"Being the nosy friend she is, she told me about the latest gossip about you. Not a single word about your next action though."
"And...?"
"And what, Elichi?"
"Aren't you... I don't know, disgusted with me or something?" Eli asked, wishing to help Nozomi with her 'self-eviction packing' but couldn't bring herself to do it. "I mean, I still loved you all these years."
"How could I? You're my ex-girlfriend, it's logical to think that you still loved me after five years and a few months." Nozomi lifted up the box and moved it to a corner of the living room. "I should be glad that you didn't rape me in my sleep, now that would make me hate you big time."
"That's wrong! Who would rape an ex just because they're living under the same roof?!"
"See, you're still upholding your morals. Most people would go in for the kill, especially prey who have sexy figures." Nozomi teased, shooting Eli a mischievous wink.
"Don't tease me Nozomi." Eli sighed, eyeing the stacks of boxes placed in the room. "When are you leaving?"
"Hm? Tomorrow, I got Umi-chan and Hana-chan to help me!"
"I assume you're staying with Hanayo?"
"Yup! Wanna help me out tomorrow? Umi-chan may be strong but I doubt she can haul all those boxes over to Akihabara~"
"Get a moving company to help you out. Or at least use my car." Eli sighed once again, tossing a set of keys to Nozomi. "Here, my car keys."
"Where are you going?" Nozomi asked as Eli shuffled towards the door.
"I'm heading to Yuki-san's."
"Again?!"
"I'm not gonna drink that much. Return my car to me once you're done moving. Or call me, I don't mind going over to Akiba to collect my car." Eli waved before exiting her house, soon regretting her decision of not grabbing a scarf to brave the weather. Eli flinched suddenly on her way to the bar, her hands covering her ears as she broke into a run.
'Why is it so noisy today...?! Damn it, stop it! I don't want to hear anymore of this noise!'
XXXXXX
"Yuki-san, I've finally figured out the reason for the KotoMaki issue last October." Eli declared after entering the bar with a melancholic smile on her face.
"Do tell." Anju replied, slightly worried after noticing the smile on Eli's face. 'I don't like where this is going...'
"You're kinda right with your hypothesis last time, though there's another reason to it." Eli went over to her usual seat, with Anju serving her usual vodka.
"Oh? And what might that be?"
"I was still hung up over Nozomi. I may had accepted the fact that we were no longer together but my heart couldn't, hence the flirting with other women."
"That's great."
"But you know, after finally realising what my problem was... it hurts a lot. It's worse than the pain I've felt when we broke up." Tears started to fall from her cerulean eyes as she downed her vodka. From a bystander's point of view, she may have been crying from the burning sensation vodka will give as it goes down the throat. "It's really over. Nozomi's moving out, I have no physical reminders of our past relationship. Shouldn't I be happy, now that I've finally found the root problem?"
"It's okay to cry though. Always remember, the pain is a physical reminder that you're moving on." Anju attempted to console Eli, but knew that it was a weak attempt. After all, her experiences from her previous breakups weren't exactly good examples.
"You think?" Eli asked rhetorically, sighing to herself as she stared blankly into her glass. 'Even if it's April, it's still way too cold to have my heart broken...'
"Yeah. Don't worry, you can do it."
"... Thanks. I wonder though, I was expecting to be depressed for at least a week. Not mere minutes after stepping into this bar." Eli brushed the tears away, staring into her empty glass. "Maybe it's because of your comforting..."
"It could be an insightful scene if you just kept your mouth shut at the end." Anju sighed as she refilled the glass with more vodka, a slight smile gracing her face. "Well, I'm glad you're all better Elichika."
"I'm not 'all better' Yuki-san. I'm just patched up more quickly than expected." Eli smiled, staring into the auburn-haired bartender's violet eyes. "You're quite the beauty to be honest."
"Where did that come from?" Anju sighed at her regular customer's flirting. "At least be more sullen for today."
"I'm serious. You're quite pretty, have a decent figure minus your chubbiness around your waist-"
"That's not what you should be saying to a lady."
"-a good personality, and most of all, a kind heart even after being shattered so many times."
"... You know, you may just be an airhead flirt..." Anju sighed, somewhat regretting that she had even told Eli about her string of failed relationships.
"I'm just complimenting you though..." Eli pouted, confused to why Anju accused her of being an airhead. 'Maybe I shouldn't try to win her over after telling her about Nozomi. Or rather, when was it that I've started to show interest Yuki-san...? No wonder they call me a playgirl...'
"Uh huh..." Anju was not convinced, and dropped to her knees to find something.
"What are you looking for?"
"I'm rummaging.. for... this!" Anju then held out two tickets to the amusement park, which were slightly dusty for they were underneath the counter for quite a while. "Elichika, do you want to go with me?"
"Like a date?" Eli asked bluntly, which surprisingly made Anju chuckle.
"Well, I guess you can call it a date if you want to. I would call it an opportunity to use up expiring free tickets with someone who's definitely free."
"Always the opportunist huh?"
XXXXXX
"So Yuki-san..." Eli barely said Anju's name before being silenced by said person. The two of them were outside the amusement park, waiting to get in.
"You think of this as a date, so address me by my first name." Anju replied, smiling teasingly at the quarter-Russian.
"Which is?"
"I told you once Elichika."
"I'm trying to make you mad, you look quite cute when you puff out your cheeks." Eli earnt herself a smack to the head, not regretting her actions. "Alright, alright. Don't get mad at me Anju."
"I thought you said you like to see me get mad? Why retract that statement?" Anju teased, managing to flash a smirk at the blonde.
"Not when you're seriously mad though. That's too scary, like you're part of a haunted house."
"Am I? You're glad I like you enough to ignore the last part." Anju casually admitted, thankfully she knew that Eli was dense enough to not pick up on that. 'I'm not going to let her find out about my attraction towards her. Especially since she just went through all that self-reflection a week ago.'
"Lucky me. Say, how did you get those tickets?" Eli asked, changing the topic. 'The noise I've been hearing for a while... It's getting softer...'
"Oh, I got them from some librarian who offered two of them to me."
"What a nice person."
"She mentioned that she wanted to give it to a alcoholic Russian acquaintance of hers, but decided not to as she didn't have a date." Eli frowned at Anju's words, now knowing the identity of the 'nice' librarian.
"How... considerate." Eli gritted out as she decided to shoot a certain someone a text.
At the library, Nico got a message from a certain someone whom she didn't expect to contact her. Upon opening the message however, Nico realised why she had received a text from the very same person whom she have given some insightful (but painful) advice.
From: Eli Ayase
[You're dead when I get back from the amusement park.]
"What the fuck did I do to piss her off this time...?" Nico muttered to herself and went back to work, brushing Eli's death threat aside.
XXXXXX
"That took a while, thank god that I've suggested to arrive an hour earlier." Anju sighed in relief as she trudged into the park with Eli beside her.
"Well, two hours to get in wasn't so bad." Eli replied, shrugging at Anju's comment. "The last time I went to an amusement park, we've waited for three hours."
"Just to get in?"
"Yeah, the line was endless! And it was on a Tuesday too!" Anju cracked a smile, playfully hitting Eli's back.
"Good for you Elichika."
"You just love to see me in torment huh?"
"Don't make me sound like I'm a sadist."
"You are though." Eli laughed, getting herself slapped silly five seconds later. "So, where should we go?"
"I don't know, where do you think we should go?" Anju asked, a mischievous smile gracing her tired face. Eli didn't like the smile she was seeing. Granted, that may have been one of Anju's sincerest smiles but still, it didn't bode well for Eli.
"... Why do I get this sinking feeling that when I suggest something you would drag me somewhere... scary...?"
"Your intuition serves you well." Was all Anju said as she proceeded to drag Eli towards the haunted house attraction.
"No! Someone save me! I'm scared!" Eli bawled as she tried to resist Anju's grip, to no avail. She looked like a child, a grown-up sized child crying in the middle of an amusement park.
"Oh quit your whining, it's just a place with dim lights and suspicious sound effects." Anju muttered as they entered the attraction, the doors creaking shut which frightened Eli greatly.
"Easy for you to say! Don't do this to me! PLEASEEEE!"
XXXXXX
"T-That was... an utter nightmare..." Eli whimpered, still trembling after being scared silly by the haunted house. Anju laughed sadistically as she ruffled her 'date's' blonde hair, her violet eyes gleaming with joy.
"Wow Elichika, I've never heard someone wail like that before! Man, you even made those people inside the house to pity you!"
"Shut it Anju!" Eli snapped, she never liked being scared. The only thing she hated more than scary things was darkness, add that with scary things and you would get haunted places. Or dimly lit, eerie places.
"Alright alright, I won't tease you anymore. Good grief." Anju still couldn't rid the smile on her face, it was just too hilarious for her to forget.
"Geez... You should comfort me!"
"And why would I do that?"
"It's a date."
"For you that is." Anju reminded, her tone starting to turn playful. "I said that my reason for coming here is to simply use up those tickets I got from a librarian didn't I?"
"Indulge me won't you?" Eli pouted, crossing her arms.
"You indulge yourself in alcohol every night Elichika."
"Tch."
'Meh... Maybe I could just cheer her up a little. Wouldn't hurt to make her feel safe, I would want someone to make me feel safe too...' Anju thought to herself as she stared at Eli's trembling figure. Unlike most people, Eli was visibly scared even though they were far away from the haunted house and having left the place 15 minutes ago. It wasn't even scary to begin with, just some jump-scares and a few bloodcurdling screams.
"Alright, calm down already. To make it up to you, how about you choose the next attraction to visit?" Anju brought Eli into a loose hug, enough to send Eli's heart racing and to make her face all red. 'She's cute when she's blushing. But why is she even blushing though...?'
"T-Thank you for your generosity then..." Eli sputtered, stunned by her sudden loss of words. 'W-Why am I blushing?! Having an interest in Anju doesn't mean that I like her... right?'
"... Sure." Anju replied, uncertain if she should even respond to Eli's thanks.
"Hey Anju?" Eli started, after ten minutes of thinking.
"Hm?"
"Let's go on a roller coaster." Upon hearing Eli's decision, Anju immediately paled. Ever since that one traumatising incident as a child, she vowed to never go up on a roller coaster. However, she did give Eli the right to choose the next place to visit...
"You know... They have long waiting times... and they look like it'll take all day." Anju tried to worm her way out of Eli's choice, but was swiftly countered by her 'date'.
"They're freaking empty." Eli pointed out. True enough, there were (surprisingly) no lines at the roller coaster attractions. "Anju, are you by any chance... scared of roller coasters?"
"No I'm not." Anju replied, though she looked like she wanted to run away.
"Really~?" Eli asked, a Cheshire-like smile appearing on her face. Anju tried to run, but was held firmly in place by Eli. "Then why are you trying to run off?"
"L-Let me go!"
"No way, we're going on a roller coaster!"
"Elichika! Unhand me right this instant!"
"Nope~" Eli beamed, who knew seeing Anju scared thrilled her so much?
"Y-You'll regret this Elichika! You hear me?! Regreeeeet!"
XXXXXX
"I hate you Elichika. I utterly detest you." Anju murmured, shooting death glares at the quarter-Russian for at least two hours. The latter simply laughed at the memory of Anju screaming once the ride started, as though she was about to die.
"Well you're the one who said that I could choose the ride!"
"I nearly died."
"No you didn't. And besides, I made up to you by treating you to an early dinner!"
"That was dinner?!" Anju scoffed, how could six hot dogs, three buckets of candy floss, two litres of soda and one paper bag containing purely grilled meat be considered as dinner?
"... Now I know why are you so chubby... You need a diet." Eli remarked, earning herself a fist to the abdomen. "Ow?!"
"What you need is some tact." Anju replied, slightly irritated about Eli's comment on her weight. "Never talk about a lady's weight."
"Do you even know why I'm asking you to go on a damn diet?!"
"No. Thank god we can yell in here, no one will be able to hear us in a cabin." Anju commented, turning her attention to the view outside of the cabin. "The view you see on a Ferris Wheel is always so breathtaking..."
"Yeah I ag- Hey, don't change the subject!"
"Hm? Were you talking about something before this?" Anju innocently remarked, conveniently forgetting the previous topic.
"Yes! I was talking about the reason why I said that you need to go on a diet!"
"Oh? Do tell." Anju's tone was sarcastic, but not sarcastic enough for Eli to get the hint.
"I'm worried about your health! Eating junk food is bad for your health! What if you get a stroke or something?!"
"... I'm surprised that you're worried about me." Anju was slightly touched by Eli's reason, though she suspected that Eli had a hidden motive to her concern. "You just want me to be healthy so that you have access to more alcohol right?"
"No! I can always get alcohol from elsewhere! But I only can have you in your bar!" Eli admitted, blushing a while later. "Um, that came out a little wrong didn't it?"
"Kinda. Change some of your words and it'll be a great confession." Anju coolly replied, covering her reddening face with a pale hand.
"You know, I always had an interest in you. I'm not sure if I love you or not, but I'm comfortable with hanging out with you like this." Eli continued, this time more cautious with her words.
"I guess that makes two of us." Anju laughed, staring into Eli's eyes. "Maybe... we could... I don't know, try? Like dating. I mean, today's fun. Apart from the roller coaster ride."
"Don't forget the haunted house."
"Right, right." The cabin descended into an awkward silence, with Eli speaking up at least a minute later.
"So uh, we're like... girlfriends now?"
"Yeah." Anju nodded, her hand creeping onto Eli's. "Somehow, I kinda like the idea of being your girlfriend."
"Same here." Eli agreed, not removing her hand away from Anju's. "Um, are we supposed to kiss now that we're dating?"
"I... don't know actually. Maybe we should just let the flow to guide us along."
"That's probably one of the most helpful things I've ever heard from your mouth." Anju raised an eyebrow, she could hit Eli for that comment but it'll spoil the mood. And Anju liked the mood that they had in that cabin.
"Just to tell you, I won't give you a discount on alcohol." Anju randomly said, giving Eli a reminder that dating a bartender didn't bring any benefits.
"Aw, not even a 100 yen off?" Eli joked, knowing what would Anju reply with.
"Nope."
"What a good girlfriend you are." Eli smiled as she gazed at the scenery outside of the cabin, marvelling at the view outside of the cabin. Eli suddenly flinched, before relaxing, her head propped onto her new girlfriend's shoulder.
'The noise... it sounds nicer now. It's like a noisy melody...'
XXXXXX
"Oh hey Anju, it's my first time seeing you in my cafe." Eli grinned as she handed Anju a menu.
"That's because it is my first time." Anju swiftly replied, a small frown on her face. "May I ask why are the names of the dishes you offer so... crude?"
"That would be because of me yan!" Nozomi beamed, bouncing towards Anju's table. "Pretty neat huh?"
"... Yeah... I guess." Anju replied, clearly not convinced by Nozomi's response. "Hey Elichika, what's this Autumn Dessert Special?"
"Oh it's a cheesecake with some chestnuts. Figured I try integrating some cheesecakes into the menu." Eli explained, peering over Anju's shoulder. "You're not gonna order more than one of those right?"
"Well no, I don't have time to eat more than one cake."
"... So you are going to order more than one if you had the time...?"
"That's right."
"Your appetite never ceases to amaze me Anju."
"Thanks for that compliment, I'll have one of those and a cup of water." Anju handed the menu back to Eli, who went into the kitchen to inform Hanayo of the order. "So, you're Elichika's friend?"
"That's correct! Nozomi Tojo, at ya service!" Nozomi nodded, excitement evident in her eyes.
"Nozomi...? Aren't you-" Anju's words were cut off by a high-pitched voice from the corner, with Nozomi smiling for some reason.
"Oi Nozomi, pipe it down will ya? I'm trying to enjoy my Maximum Tsundere Fusion special!"
"Nicocchi! It's been so long since I saw you!" Nozomi happily went over to crush Nico in her tight hug, with the latter turning purple from breathlessness.
"Nozomi, don't kill Nico. Honoka would cry, she's right over there with Kotori you know." Umi sighed, chopping Nozomi's head with a loud whack. Anju cringed at the sight, not used to seeing violence when someone was sober.
"A-Ahhhh! Nozo-chan!" Hanayo ran out from the kitchen to check on Nozomi, while Maki sighed at one corner. Beside her was Kotori, who was trying to stop Honoka from cramming her heavily caramelised toast with generous servings of butter into her mouth.
"Nya~ Umi-chan's turning violent!" Rin laughed, hugging Umi as she high-fived Nico for no reason.
"So how do you find them Anju?" Eli asked, reappearing with the cake.
"Rowdy, but likeable." Anju commented, her head resting on her right hand. "Is the cafe usually like this?"
"Nope, just on this particular Thursday. I'm really glad that our relationship is going well now."
"Don't jinx it. But I agree, it is going well."
"Hahaha- wait, were you expecting it to go downhill?"
"No, just that my expectations were lowered drastically after all that breakups."
"Oh." Eli replied simply, taking a seat opposite Anju. "Hey Anju?"
"Yeah? Want some of my cake?" Anju offered, holding up a forkful of the cake.
"Sure! Aaaaah~" Eli happily chomped on the cake, a smile on her face before returning to her question. "I wanted to ask whether you're bothered by my friends' rowdiness, before being lured by some delicious cake."
"Not at all. Don't worry, having some noise in life makes it colourful." Eli nodded, before realising the hidden meaning in Anju's words.
"Wait a minute, you do mind!"
"No I don't. It's something that most people can do without but with it, it's like a melody." Eli's cerulean eyes widened, finally discovering the source of the noise she had been hearing.
'So this noisy melody I hear... I see, now I know why I keep on hearing it for the past few months...'
XXXXXX
Eli: See! I knew I'll have my happy ending!
Anju: It doesn't look like it.
Eli: Way better than what Enya described about me being alone!
Yeah yeah shut up for a second. So this is the final part to the 'Don't Worry' series. Why the hell do I name it like that anyways?
Eli: Ask the 2015 you.
Good idea Eli. When I find a freaking time machine that is!
Anju: Well it's better than saying 'this is the final part to that 2015 Valentine story' right?
Maybe. Oh well, thanks for reading up till the end. Damn this is easily the second longest oneshot as of today, 21 October 2016.
Eli: Isn't that my birthday?
Yup. Happy birthday Eli.
Eli: It's my birthday! Yay it's m- Hang on... you planned to make this story sad for me, on my birthday?!
Anju: Suits you.
Eli: Wha- No I don't deserve this! And why do I have to be the only one to hear noise?!
Well I wanted you to link to the title sooo...
Anju: What noise?
Oh, just something that only Eli knows.
Eli: You have got to be kidding me. I waited a year only to have this as my birthday present?!
Hey, I spent at least three freaking months on this. You better be thankful you chocolate addicted bi-
Anju: Okay, let's just stop right there. Once again, happy birthday to Eli.
Eli: At least sound more cheerful damn it!