A tap to the clean glass. Another one, this time slightly more tiresome. Kurapika noticed the third one and smiled calmly as he steered his gaze from the bucket and rug in front of him. It was barely opening time and there was a lot of cleaning to be done. The blonde rose from his seat and quietly walked to the door where his friend Leorio smiled widely. He unlocked the door with a yawn.
"Up again early, Leorio?" The black haired man grinned and showed his medical books that looked more like bricks. "Gotta cram for the exams. Can I come in early Kurapika?" Kurapika let Leorio in gladly to have company. Even though the tall man would probably drown in his coffee and make frustrated noises, it was still better than cleaning off stains alone. Running a coffee shop was hard with so little resources.
"Are Gon and Killua going to come here for lunch?" Kurapika's question reached Leorio after a while and the man grunted for an answer at first. His reading glasses looked funny on him, Kurapika thought to himself. Then Leorio sighed and took a better position at his usual place near the window with lavender colored markings on the frames. "Yes. Those two eat like starving horses. No wonder they rather eat at here than at that crappy middle school cafeteria," Leorio spat out the last words like they were poison.
Kurapika didn't like the school either. It was shady. Killua didn't have to go to there but he wanted to be where Gon was. And the kids didn't really complain. They just made sure to get quality nutrition. Kurapika chuckled quietly as he wiped the last table clean and moved towards the coffee machines. Peculiar boys, he pondered as he reached in to check the equipment. That's when there was a tap at the glass again.
Kurapika looked at the man. He was dressed in a nice, expensive suit. His short black hair was perfect in many ways and his grey eyes seemed to impale Kurapika. The man got Leorio's attention too. "Who is that, Kurapika," he asked protectively and got a confused sound from the younger man.
Kurapika hurried to the door and opened it, starting his "we are not open yet"-speech. The man listened and smiled slightly but charmingly. "I just wanted to inform you that one of your coffee shop sign got knocked away by the wind," the man told Kurapika and lifted the giant sign with ease so that they could both see it. Then he smiled again, almost dazzlingly. It was too warm for Kurapika's comfort. It made him uneasy.
"Where do you want me to put it?" The question yanked Kurapika back to the earth and he startled. He recovered fast and took the sign with not that much ease. "I-it's okay, I'll put it up later. Thank you!" The man nodded and seemed to be on his way before stopping and glancing over his shoulder at the blonde. "Do you sell those antique books you have on your displays?" Kurapika tilted his head and shook his head, "no, they are not on sale." "Is that so? Such a shame. But we'll be seeing each other again soon. Sorry for taking your time like this."
Kurapika locked the door again and looked at the amused Leorio. "You pretty boys. The only difference is that he was charmful as where you are shy. But he reeked like bad fortune. He must be a mafia boss or something." Leorio picked up the book again and sighed so deeply it made Kurapika smile faintly. He was usually either straight on right about his person-readings but Leorio also had a bad habit of being terribly bad at interpreting other people. The man had seemed helpful and nice, and Kurapika was too tired to think badly of new acquaintances. "Thankfully I have you for that," he voiced his thoughts out loud and got a wide smile from his friend.
Leorio stayed for a good while again, glued to his books. Kurapika sometimes worried for his overworking perfectionist friend. He was a good soul, the blonde thought to himself as he checked the register again. A good soul who just wanted everyone's best. Kurapika sometimes wished he could be more like Leorio, in a sense. He wanted to be more unselfish and giving. Instead he was fixated on his shop, the only thing left from his family.
When the doors opened it only took Leorio two hours before he got fed up with the loud noises and middle schoolers skipping classes. He packed his bag and waved at Kurapika who was at the register. "Tell the boys I said hi!" He yelled and was very quickly evading a group of teenagers. Kurapika nodded in hurry and re-adjusted his golden blue apron that always decided to open at bad times. He hated the fabric of if but liked the colors.
It was always busy at the start of the day but then there was a drop at visitors. Teenagers loved the place but school usually forced them to only visit during the morning hours or late evenings. They loved the old feeling the shop had. Dark wood with delicate decoration painting. Big velvet red shelves filled with old books. A bigger cabinet with antique books mesmerizing to look at. The rag rugs were big, round and colorful. A tradition Kurapika wanted desperately hold on to.
As always, Kurapika's daydreaming was interrupted. This time he kinda recognized the voice and sharpened up immediately. And there he was. The man from the morning. He was smiling again and it made Kurapika feel pain in his heart again. This time he had taken the jacked off and looked a bit more casual. The blonde noticed a spider tattoo on his hand.
"Spideria. I like the name," he chuckled and Kurapika was baffled by the topic. Then he reminded himself that he indeed owned a coffee shop. "Yes. I have always found myself be drawn to spiders," he answered calmly. The man chuckled again, this time with much more emotions put into it. Then he looked at the menu and ordered a black coffee and a chocolate brownie with mocha sauce.
There were no other people around when the man was there, so Kurapika let himself be a little less busy. He gave the black haired man his order and then leaned on the counter. That's when the stranger introduced himself.
"I'm Chrollo Lucilfer. I really find your coffee shop marvelous. And in such a good place too." Kurapika was speechless again. He didn't get much attention as he was quite quiet and withdrawn. It took him a while before he muttered his name and thanked for the compliments, a small smile dancing on his lips. Chrollo hummed approvingly and took his tray. As he was walking to his table he clearly flirted with Kurapika, with a voice filled with honey.
"You should smile more often. It suits you." The smile. The attitude. The looks. All were like some sick joke, a twisted play. But Kurapika was sure the creature in front of him was real and alive.
Kurapika's heart fluttered as he returned to stare intensely at the registry, like it had just offended him deeply. And that was how he met Chrollo.