Hime tightened the ribbon around her waist, and patted down the pink fabric. She stretched her arms outwards, yawning in the bright rays of sunlight that shone through the window. She loved the smell of sweet strawberry icing and freshly baked muffins in the morning, especially when it came from her newly opened pastry shop, a small yet comfortable café in the corner of town.
Her café was called 'My Little Heart', and idea she had gotten from a clothing brand that she really loved, with laces and decorations that looked a magnificent cupcake. This is how she came to love decorating cakes and sweets for her friends and family.
"You're straight out of high school and instead you decide to open a confectionary café?" A voice called from behind the counter, and Hime turned around, to face the speaker. A taller girl gave her a sweet smile, her hair that was as red as blood was cut short into a mature bob, her body leaning over the clean, ceramic counter, and slim arms that were white and porcelain.
"You've been so innocent for the nineteen long years of your life. Shouldn't it be time to get yourself a boyfriend?" Yozora spoke, and she slid up from the counter, and smiled. Hime watched as she walked over to the door and flipped over the pastel-coloured OPEN sign, so that the CLOSED side was now facing inside.
Hime sighed. "Are you going home now?" She asked, and her friend nodded. "My business won't strive if I'm not there. I'll pop in later this afternoon to see how things are going." The redhead waved, turning the doorknob and then exiting out the front, making the door chimes ring. It was now quiet and peaceful: not that Hime didn't like Yozora's presence- she just loved the peaceful feeling of being alone in the sun in the morning.
Cling… Cling…
"Welcome to My Little Heart!"
Hime turned around, flustered. She hadn't expected a customer to arrive so early, even earlier than any of the employees. Usually the customers would slowly come in, one by one, at around rush hour. The restaurant next to her café was always so busy, that some of their customers would just stop by hers to grab a coffee and cake because they had waited too long. Sometimes she would be grateful to the restaurant, but also frustrated she wasn't getting her own customers. It was safe to say she was just a pop-up shop to 'take a break' in.
The customer that had just walked was young and tall, with dirty blonde hair that was brushed back, charming amethyst eyes that were small, and gave off a princely vibe. Hime scurried back to the back of the counter, and took the braid out of her blonde hair unconsciously. Her long, blonde locks fell down her back like liquid gold waterfalls, and she smiled widely at the man who walked towards her at the counter.
"Hello, what could I get for you today?" She said in the most soothing voice she could muster, and continued grinning. Hime watched as the man looked at the glass display of pastries and sweets, and then at the small blackboard that was situated on the counter. His gaze fell back onto the girl, a faint blush on her cheeks and her eyes bright and dazzling blue.
"I'll have the daily special."
Hime's eyes pricked up, and opened her mouth. "A-Ah! Today's special is My Little Heart's signature cupcake and a regular cup of black coffee. Is that all for today?" She half-stuttered, gripping the sides of the counter tightly. The man shook his head. "Could I please have your name, sir?" Hime said instinctively, and her eyes widened, mentally slapping herself for the stupid mistake. Of course he would think she was strange after asking for a name in a café with no one else in!
"Nozomu. Spelt with the characters for hope." Hime nodded, and went over to the coffee machine in the back. In the corner of her eye, she could see Nozomu sit down at one of the small, round tables, pulling out his phone. As the started to fill the machine with black coffee beans she had grinded the night before, she heard the door charm ring once again. This time, one of her friends and employees, had arrived.
The girl was quite tall, her hair long and tied into a high ponytail. It was dyed a dark indigo, the tips ombre with violet. She wore a white business top and long, peach-coloured skirt that reached her ankles, with round, dangly earring and a faint amount of makeup. When Tsubasa looked inside to see the man sitting at the table, and the girl standing alone behind the counter, red in the face, all she could do was smile smugly.
Hime watched as Tsubasa walked over to her quickly, tapping her shoulder, whispering something that resembled, 'Good luck', and then leaving behind into the kitchen. The blonde-haired girl was flustered, and almost jumped when the coffee machine made a ping! to tell her that the coffee had finished. She lifted the cup onto a saucer, and then went over to the counter. She picked out one of the My Little Heart cupcakes from the cold display, and placed it on a larger plate. Holding the cake and coffee and utensils, she walked slowly and as ladylike as she could towards the man.
"Sir? Your coffee and cake." He nodded and she placed down the two plates, before giving a slight bow. He had a cold expression on his face, and Hime cocked her head to the side. She didn't want to intrude on his personal business, but she couldn't help being curious. She quickly bowed and walked back to the counter.
Tsubasa poked her head out of the doorway when the door chime rang again. "Welcome to My Little Heart!" The tall hair called when she realised Hime wasn't paying any attention. Instead, the blonde-haired girl was staring at the man at the table, still pink in the face, and spilling milk all over the counter.
"Hime!" She called, and the girl in statement looked down, eyes widening in shock. Her slight shriek and the loud crashing of the milk jug caused two pairs of eyes to look at her; Nozomu and the man that just walked in. Hime looked down at the mess on the ceramic and the floor. Milk was also all over her apron, and she groaned. She hated the feeling of making mistakes; and now the hot guy was staring her down like she was a clumsy idiot.
"I'm sorry for the inconvenience sir." Tsubasa bowed apologetically at the new man, who bared crimson hair and deep, blue eyes. "What would you like today?" She asked, and he smiled warmly.
"It's okay. You can tend to the girl over there. She seems like she needs your help." Tsubasa stopped pressing buttons on the cash register, and froze for a moment, before nodding graciously. She picked up the fallen jug and placed it up on the counter, before following Hime back to the back kitchen.
"I can't believe I embarrassed myself in front of Nozomu." Hime sighed sadly, taking off her pink apron and her socks. Tsubasa watched as she filled a water basin and then stuck her feet into it, and the wiped them with a towel. The other girl had gone back to the front to wash the milk. "But he's gorgeous, don't you think?" She continued, after putting on her shoes and getting a new apron.
"He is. But he looks so cold. He's been looking emotionless since he came." Tsubasa retorted. Hime nodded sadly. "I'm very sorry for the inconvenience one again. Would you like a coffee or cake? We'll give it to you on the house." Tsubasa apologised profusely, and the patient man with crimson hair just smiled.
"Nah, it's okay. Could I have a white cappuccino with extra sweetener, and two slices of strawberry meringue cake?" He decided, pointing at the cake in the display. Tsubasa nodded. "We won't be long." The indigo-haired girl and looked at the coffee machine. "I'm gonna go 'round the back to fetch some more cappuccino beans. Stay put." She told Hime.
Hime nodded, and stared at Nozomu. The other man was still standing by the counter, a warm smile on his face. "Are you okay, sweetie? You looked like you were struck by a love arrow." He said, and Hime sighed.
"That's exactly what happened. And now sadly, I think he thinks I'm just strange." She explained. "Do you think I'm strange?" Hime felt a little strange talking like this to someone she didn't know, but she didn't care at this moment.
"I'm not sure. But I'm guessing you fell in love with Nozomu over there?" He stuck his thumb up behind him, and Hime stared in shock. She didn't expect for him to say that- to know the hottie over there.
"You know him?"
"I wouldn't say I know him. He's just one of my superiors from the workplace. It's amazing how he's my age yet he's gotten so much higher in life than me. It's had to believe he just graduated last year." He explained. Hime sighed, realising that the two were both her age and seemed much more mature. She was beginning to think that maybe Yozora was right about how she wouldn't go far being single and running a confectionary café.
Both Nozomu, and the man, who Hime had found out was called Subaru, came in regularly to the café. Nozomu seemed the same as ever, with an emotionless and cold face, ordering the same thing everyday. Subaru would always drink something sweet and try a new cake everyday, and tip the shop whenever he left.
"Talk about different personas." Tsubasa said, filling the coffee machine with more black coffee beans. In about a week, the café had become much more busy, with all the tables filled up at rush hour. Hime continued to stare at Nozomu and his nice features, and Tsubasa would cheer her on from the sidelines.
"Apparent he has a boyfriend now." Subaru said while waiting for his order. Her ears pricked up, and she felt her blood run cold.
"He's taken?" She looked at the redhead with widened eyes. "The hottie that I've had my eyes on is taken?" She stared at the man sipping his black coffee. Hime brushed a hand through her long locks, which she had styled and curled this morning to impress the man. Now that she knew he was taken- she felt like she had wasted two long hours of her life.
"Do you… Do you know who his girlfriend is?" Hime asked, a little desperate. She refused to let her eyes water in the café. She could cry all she wanted back at home. Subaru shrugged.
"I've seen her around though. She's younger than us and is pretty cute. She wears her hair in childish pigtails. I think she's blonde. Her hair's got these fancy pink tips too. I'm pretty sure she is still in high school though. I never really expected for him to start dating a high schooler." Subaru explained, and Hime sighed.
What a lucky girl… She picked out two blueberry muffins and handed them over to the man in front of her with a plate. "You're coffee will be ready in a bit."
After Subaru sat down with his coffee and blueberry muffins, Hime was shocked to see that the man she had continued to stalk from the counter walk up to her. "Could I have a pink frappuccino and strawberry-pineapple cake?" Hime looked on at him, a little shocked. "Take away please. Keep the change." He handed her a twenty, and she smiled a little, fakery.
"Wow, this is quite the change, sir. For your girlfriend?" She bent down and took the cake he wanted, putting it into a fancy cake bag. He nodded, and Hime sucked in a breath. Shit. I dug my own grave. She walked over to the blender and put in all the ingredients for the pink frappuccino. After realising there was no white chocolate left, she walked slowly and sadly to the back kitchen.
Tsubasa watched as Hime grabbed a block of white chocolate from the ovens. After the blonde girl stopped for a while, and turned back, she couldn't help thinking what her friend was doing. "Hime, where are you going with those jalapenos?" The mentioned girl stopped in her tracks. "Didn't you go and shop for those earlier because you ran out at home, to make your super hot curry? Why do you need them now?"
Hime sighed, and muttered, "We ran out of chilli powder for the chilli chocolate shakes. This is the substitute for today." Tsubasa stared at the girl as she walked out, gripping the sides of the oven tightly. She didn't like the feel of that.
The blonde haired girl stared at the blender. A mix of ingredients were inside, ready to be made into a delicious strawberry smoothie. Only one jalapeno would do its job. Hime gritted her teeth, and looked back to see the man staring intently at his phone. He won't notice.
Placing her hand over the blender with the spice, her eyes widened when a larger hand stopped the pepper from falling. Shit. No. No, no, no. I'm screwed as hell. He saw me!
"Sweets are nice, y'know. That's why you make them." Hime recognised this voice. It belonged to the nice man who entertained her everyday with his blissful conversations. "Jalapenos don't belong in that smoothie. And jealousy doesn't suit a pretty face like yours." He put on the lid for her and pressed the blend button. She felt like throwing something. She felt like crying.
Subaru finished serving the man instead, as she sat on a chair, her face in her legs. Tsubasa had left urgently, saying that her boss from her actual job needed her, and so, Subaru had closed the shop himself, and stayed with her until she got better.
"Nozomu's quite a nice guy. Much nicer than me. It seems like he's cold because his relationship with his mother and girlfriend are unstable right now." Subaru explained, and Hime watched from puffy eyes as he got a plain muffin from the cooler and began walking around the behind area of the counter.
"What's her name?" Hime managed to whisper out.
"Yume- like a dream. That's what he said, at least. They're a match made in heaven, I have to say. Compatible even if it's a little unstable. You're no match compared to her." He continued on bluntly.
Hime gripped her legs. "That's not helping."
Subaru chuckled. "I suppose not. But he doesn't deserve a cutie like you." Hime gazed at him, doing something to the plain cupcake. After he seemed content with whatever he did, he walked up to Hime with a decorated muffin. There were many different colours and decorations everywhere. It was…
"Horrible." Hime whispered, out but still held her hands out, so the cupcake could fall in. She held it around the paper cup so the horrible icing didn't go on her hands.
"I know right? When I saw your cupcakes, I was delighted. You don't see such beautiful and delicious handmade pastries these days- and this café is like heaven to someone with a sweet tooth like me." Hime giggled, and sighed
"Why are you so nice?" She looked up at the boy, with gentle features and a warm smile. She didn't understand why she could finally see his handsome features. I was probably too focused on Nozomu.
"Because you're adorable and I probably like you." He laughed. Hime blushed and giggled, smiling slightly. She took a large bite out of the destroyed cupcake.
"Delicious."