DISCLAIMER: I don't own CLANNAD and its characters.
CLANNAD: Long Road to Love
Some quick notes about this story:
This is an alternate universe (AU) fiction. Expect a little bit of OOC-ness (out-of-character-ness).
I'm writing a story about otaku Tomoya and his adventure to grow up. Elements of fantasy will be added later but for this chapter, it happens in real life setting.
Chapter 0: Prologue
Tomoya Okazaki is making a history today. Not a world-changing history, for sure. But, it is ground-breaking for him alone, nevertheless.
Maid café. He's going to enter one in town. A very small café, though. But, Tomoya don't care. Back in his place, Tomoya is considered as an oddball. His home is in the countryside. While others are busy with farming, he's busy with the Internet. That's his farm….no, even better.
It is his Shangri-La.
The world of anime, comics and games mesmerized him. To hell with the mortals who despise his existence in this world. Even his father regards him as a lost cause, a parasite, a NEET. Nevertheless, tired of his father's constant nagging, Tomoya decided to get out from cocoon and ventured to the outside world.
A long journey from home indeed.
Enough with the backstory. Tomoya is enjoying himself inside the café. He feels like he is already in Nirvana, his Nirvana. Never mind with the almost-empty café, that doesn't bother him.
The problem is, he cannot get over his shyness. He feels forever alone in there.
"Ah goshujin-sama, do you want to have a chit-chat with me?"
Finally! This one is a friendly type, eh...
The boy takes a few seconds to look at the girl. She is shorter than him, wears glasses and her hime-cut hair is tied in a pony-tail. Then, Tomoya glances at her name-tag.
Eri...
"Oh sure. Why not?"
To cut the long story short, thus begins their long conversation. After that, she offers to be Tomoya's gaming partner for one PS3 game. He gleefully accepts.
Ten minutes…
Twenty minutes…
Already feeling bored, Tomoya decides to start another conversation.
"Hey, Eri…"
"Hmm?"
"I thought you are a tsundere."
The maid squints her eyes.
"Who said that?"
"Well, I saw your pic in the café's official page."
Eri pressed the pause button and puts down her controller.
"You wanna try?" She smiles her sweetest smile.
His heart skips a beat.
WOOOSH...
Tomoya staggers as he comes out from the toilet.
"That Eri is a devil…" He sighed.
Then, his stomach grumbled again. Time for another trip to clear his stomach.
Meanwhile…
Eri is busy clearing the table when her co-worker, Chidori, asks her.
"Hey, what's that?"
"What's what?"
The maid with a long, brown hair points out at the half-empty glass with a strange-coloured drink inside.
"I think I never see that one in the menu."
Eri chuckles. "Oh that one…it's actually mocha but I put chilli, loads of tomato ketchup, Thai sauce, mayonnaise and thousand island. Lol..."
Chidori's eyes widened. "Who orders that thing? I don't think it's edible!"
"There's one masochist wants an S&M play, so I gave him one. Ohohohoho~"
Author's notes: Maids working in maid café usually use pseudonyms to protect their privacy. Chidori is my own character while Eri is actually…
"Goshujin-sama" basically means "Master" and in maid/butler café, the waitresses will use this term to call you instead of the usual "Mister". For female patrons, "Ojou-sama" is used instead.
Thanks for your time :)