Disclaimer: Disclaimed.
::Café de l'Amour::
by
::cherii tomato::
In a city like Tokyo, one of the busiest cities in the world, where honking cars could be found in every corner of the city, where the people living in the city are constantly rushing, looking for quiet place to just sit back and relax is not as easy as it sounds. Sure there are parks meant for these purposes, but places like these could never quite put a Tokyoite's mind to rest. Even if they were to sit down and try to enjoy peace, the honks and chatters were enough to keep their minds occupied.
Absolute peace is hard to find in a city like Tokyo.
But just a few kilometers away from the city, a place that is an in-between city and a quiet suburb lies a small beige building and its miniature white picket fence is a place that serves just that, along with cups of coffee, tea and delectable pastries.
Truth be told, there is nothing eye-catching about the store. It is not elaborately decorated, nor did the owner spend much on advertising the store. Yet, it's not strange to see the quaint little café constantly filled with patrons, especially during the rush hours.
Despite the lack in the decoration department, there is something truly alluring about the café. Like a siren calling out to its prey, the café has the same effect on most passer-bys. They would stop, stare at the little coffeehouse before taking a step into it, their subconscious coaxing them to enter it.
Despite not having the best lighting, nor the greatest music, and definitely no five-star menu, it's the warm, familiar surroundings that pulls everyone in. The airy interior of it provides a comfortable place for people who are just looking for a place to take their minds off things; the playlist with a mix of country, classical music or soft rock proves to be a soothing background; the wonderful Strawberry Tiramisu that will always be sold out by noon has a mellow sweet and sour taste that would leave even a person with a dislike of sweet things with a delightful tingling as an aftertaste, top it up with a cup of coffee that is brewed to perfection, nothing could be better.
But the thing that draws its customers' constant support is the peace that it offers. There's just something about the coffeehouse that can tame even the wildest hurricane. The peace that the coffeehouse offers and its ability to gently manipulate one's emotions is something that most Tokyoites secretly crave for. The moment a person steps into the coffeehouse, hearing the sharp ringing of the bells at the door, the quiet chatters from the people in the room and the soft music playing from the speakers, any distress that was once bothering one's thoughts could be erased away as easy as footprints on sand get washed away by the waves.
Café de l'Amour is the epitome of serenity. That was what the café owner, Anna Umenomiya had in mind when the idea to open a coffee shop popped into her mind.
Ever since she was a little girl, Anna had already pictured herself getting involved in the food industry. When she was twenty and had taken a month-long vacation to Paris, she knew that opening a café in Tokyo was her true calling. The moment she set foot on homeland, Anna had begun to start on her new project. Searching for a location, preparing the menu, trying out recipes that would fit the concept. In a year, the coffeehouse was already up and running. It took only a month for the café to be a commonplace for people who are seeking for a place to pass time
"Goodbye, Anna. See you tomorrow." The cafe owner looks up from the book that was in her hands and smiles at a worker and gives a small wave.
"See you, Kimi. Good luck on that test tomorrow." Anna watches as Kimi leaves the café, the bell at the door chimes softly. From the glass windows, she sees how Kimi runs into the arms of her boyfriend of seven months. A smile unconsciously creeps up to Anna's face as the two lovebirds leave the café hand in hand.
Anna remembers how they met. It was in this very café, when Kimi was manning the cash register. Anna was sitting at the food counter, serving a customer who had ordered for a cake. From the corner of her eye, she could how it was so blatantly obvious that the guy who was standing in front of the cash register was flirting with Kimi. Anna noticed the way he kept running his hand through his hair and the smile he gave Kimi was anything but innocent formality. And it was clear that Kimi was interested in him too. But Anna kept her silence. She never liked to play Cupid. She was always the spectator, never the player.
So she watched them closely. Kimi didn't know what was in store for her but Anna did. It is a frequent phenomenon in the café, truthfully. It's ironic really. When Anna named her café as Café de l'Amour, she named it that way because she loves the cafe, and to the then twenty-year-old Anna, a French name sounded sophisticated. She never would've thought that her café was a hotspot for people to find love. So Anna wasn't the least bit surprise when Kimi told her about her new boyfriend. Anna had already known this from day one.
The minute hand of the clock points north and Anna shuts her book. It is seven, time to call it a day. Her eyes land on a pin board hung on a wall. Attached onto the board are photos. Photos of regular customers who all Anna knew. On the top left corner is a picture of two smiling individuals. Sitting on the left is Mikan Sakura, a bubbly girl who is the curator of a nearby art gallery. Anna knew her since high school but back then, they were never really close. It was a pleasant surprise when Anna saw Mikan walked into her newly opened café. They started to talk, going on about life after high school. Mikan's art gallery used to belong to her father. After he had decided to retire, Mikan, being the only child had no choice but to take over. What started out as a small chat slowly evolved into a four-hour conversation. After that, Anna began seeing Mikan quite often. Every time the brunette has nothing to do, she would pop by for a cup of latte or perhaps a piece of cake. Or simply just to swing by to say hello.
Sitting beside her, with an arm casually placed around her waist is Natsume Hyuuga. His smile seems more like a smirk than a smile, a contrast to Mikan's genuine smile. But Anna knows that that's the most anyone can lure out from him. But even without smiling, Natsume could capture any girl's heart. Anna had to admit, Natsume Hyuuga is beautiful. Slightly muscled and tall, a perfectly bridged nose, a pair of what looks like the softest lips a human can possess and those eyes. The two blood red rubies that serve as Natsume's eyes are two bottomless abyss, one could get lost in them with just one look.
But Natsume is not a person of many words. Usually, before he met Mikan, he came to the cafe alone. He would order a cup of extra black coffee before taking a seat in one of the booths by the window. He would then take out his laptop from his bag and start to type whatever it is he had to type. He could sit for three hours straight, just staring at his laptop, his fingers racing along the keyboard. He would refuse to engage in a conversation with anyone in the café. More than once, girls have casually slipped into his booth, trying to chat him up. But Natsume Hyuuga being Natsume Hyuuga wouldn't even budge. He would continue to do what he was doing until the girl gets tired and leave him alone. Sometimes, there were girls who were persistent. Even if they had sat there for an hour, talking to a wall, they still wouldn't give up. Only then, when Hyuuga had enough, will he look up to glare at the girl. Before the girl could even rejoice that she had finally caught his attention, with the utmost scariest tone that exists on the planet, Hyuuga will only utter one word.
"Leave."
And that was enough to send even the most vicious man on earth to run home to his mother. Yes, Natsume Hyuuga is scary. But that didn't mean his fan base would diminish. In fact, it increases everyday. Even after when the whole world found out that he's getting married. Perhaps it's because of his arrogance and quiet aloofness that draws the girls in. Like moths being drawn to fire. It's possibly the reason why whenever Hyuuga's in the coffeehouse, business would most definitely escalate.
Embarrassing to admit, Anna was one of those girls who were captivated by him. But when Hyuuga refused to reply her 'how are you?', Anna gave up. Then again, men with that kind of an ego disgust her.
But, things started to change one day when Hyuuga finally saw Mikan in the café. Anna could remember every single detail. It was a Thursday in August. For some odd reasons, the weather was chilly. Many had decided to seek refuge from the cold in Café de l'Amour. Mikan and Natsume were one of those people. Hyuuga was here first, taking his usual seat. Mikan came in two hours later, wearing a simple beige trench coat. The moment she spotted Anna, they began talking again. So they talked for hours. When Anna got up to go back to work, she caught sight of Hyuuga sneaking frequent looks at Mikan. It was so obvious that the lad had taken an interest in the brunette.
To say Anna was flabbergasted would've been an understatement.
Never in her wildest dreams would Anna think that Natsume Hyuuga would've taken a liking in Mikan. Yes, the brunette is beautiful, but Anna had seen prettier girls throwing themselves at Natsume. Anna was also afraid for Mikan. No one in their right mind would pair the two together. Natsume the arrogant, monosyllabic fellow and Mikan the bright and sunny girl who sometimes talks too much.
But deep down in Anna's heart, even though she didn't want to admit it, she believed that the two were made for each other. They were made to fill up what was missing in one another. Like yin and yang, night and day, they complemented each other perfectly. Besides, opposites attract.
And opposites attract was what happened. Anna wasn't sure about what happened but on one fine day, Natsume and Mikan strode in, hand in hand. Anna saw the horror in Hyuuga's fan girls' eyes. Anna smiled at Hyuuga which surprisingly earned a curt nod from him. Mikan practically hopped over with all smiles.
"Thanks, Anna." She said. Anna didn't ask her what Mikan had thanked her for because she knew.
Her café was the place that joined their paths together. If it wasn't for Café de l'Amour, they wouldn't have found each other.
Anna smiles fondly at the memory. Many years after their meeting, the two had gotten engaged. And in three month's time, Mikan will officially become Mrs. Hyuuga.
Her eyes travel across the board, scanning at pictures of people with smiles on their faces. She had never really given much thought about it, but she realized that her café really is Cupid's palace. Oddly, Anna notices that her little coffeehouse is in some unknown ways, aphrodisiac. Like the people in the photos pinned onto the board. Anna knew all of them. Most of they came into the coffeehouse as individuals yet walked out as a couple. They were singles before meeting their partners in this very café.
Anna's eyes stopped on another photo. A blonde male with his girlfriend, now wife. Ruka and Hotaru Nogi. Ruka is Natsume's best friend who came into the café upon Natsume's recommendation. Hotaru's Mikan's best friend who came into the coffeehouse together with the brunette. Though they're now a happy little family, their meeting was anything but a pleasant one.
Ruka came in one day, with distress written all over his face for the world to see. He stumbled into the place and ordered a large cup of cappuccino before stumbling to a seat. Unfortunately—or perhaps fortunately—he wasn't exactly looking at where he was going and the next thing you know, he tripped and his cappuccino went flying before falling onto Hotaru's lap. The only saving grace about the whole incident was perhaps that the cappuccino was not scalding hot. Everyone in the café stopped what they were doing and stared at the commotion unveiling before their eyes.
Ruka widened his eyes in horror while Hotaru merely looked at the stain on her white skirt. Mikan was truly horrified. The only thing she could do was to stare and pray to God that the man's life could be spared. Cautiously, Mikan took a quick peek at Hotaru's face, only to find herself shaking at Hotaru's expression. The fact that there wasn't a trace of emotion on her face meant it was all the more deadly.
Hotaru Imai, the daughter to two world renowned doctors, granddaughter to the multibillionaire Prof. Takumi Imai, is a genius. By the time she became sixteen, she was already considered as one of the richest people on Earth, all thanks to her own company, Imai Tech which she had built from scratch. To top it all off, the money that was taken into account was not her inheritance but the money she made herself.
Despite Hotaru's intelligence, she is anything but friendly. Icy, calculative and unforgiving, these are the words that best describe the inventor. Besides her inventions and intelligence, the other thing known by all is that Hotaru Imai is merciless. Her heart is practically made out of ice and the last thing anyone would want to do is to upset her.
Which was what Ruka had successfully done at that very moment.
Ruka carefully raised his head to look at the Ice Queen. As always, she was expressionless and Ruka would've preferred if she had showed the least bit of anger. At least he would know what was in store for him.
Hotaru turned to look at the blonde before asking in the chilliest tone ever, "What's your name?"
Ruka took a gulp of saliva before stammering a reply. Perhaps it was an illusion but he though he swore a sadistic smile crept up to her lips. But he couldn't dwell on that matter for a second longer because the next thing he felt was a sudden pain on his forehead and he could see stars floating above him.
He was punched by a fist.
Hotaru wiped the muzzle of her Baka Gun 4000 with a napkin. She then stood up from her seat, preparing to take her leave.
"You owe me 8,251,964 yen, for the damages you have caused to my 2005 limited edition Marc Jacobs skirt and mental damage compensation. An invoice will be sent to you in an hour." She looked at him. "I'd expect you to bank in the full amount into my account by tomorrow evening. Failure to do so will result in legal action being taken against you. I'm sure you know who I am and what I can do." With that Hotaru walked out form the café, not caring about the eyes on her.
Mikan rushed over to help Ruka up. "Are you okay, Ruka? God. That was scary. Don't worry about her, Hotaru's just—" She paused. Unsure on how she should continue. "She's not kidding. But don't worry; I'll talk her out of it!"
The blonde could only stare into space in shock.
Then things went about as normal and Anna wasn't sure what happened next. Mikan had told her that Hotaru wouldn't cave into her persuasion to lower the fee but she did manage to coax the inventor into having lunch with Ruka Nogi. At that time, the lad had yet to give her a formal apology.
Soon enough, one thing led to another. Somehow, Ruka managed to woo the Ice Queen and they dated for about two years before tying the knot. Anna was at the wedding since she was a friend and that she made the cake and also because in a way, she was their matchmaker.
Yes, dozens of people had found their love in my café, Anna thought sadly. Where's mine?
Anna goes about her business, busying herself in closing up the café. But the nagging thought wouldn't leave her alone. This is so unfair. People find love here all the time. It's such a norm but where's mine?
She's about to lock the front door when she hears a car engine pulling up at the front of the store. Anna turns around to see who it is and recognizes the silver Honda. The driver kills the engine and steps out of the car.
"Kitsu!" Anna greets the young man with a grin. Kitsu, or his full name Kitsuneme throws her a bright grin. He stops in front of her, scratching his head.
"Am I too late?" He has his hands on his waist. They met a year ago when Kitsuneme came in for a cup of coffee and ever since then, Kitsuneme has been hooked onto her coffee like it's a drug. Almost every day, without fail, he will appear at her coffeehouse. Anna was having a nagging feeling that something was wrong for the whole day yet she didn't know why. And when Kitsuneme appeared, she realised why.
"'Course not! Come on in. I was beginning to wonder why you haven't stopped by today." Anna pushes the door open and turns on the light. The room is instantly bathed in a warm yellow light. "Make yourself at home—which I'm pretty sure you've already had since God knows how long ago, no? I'll go heat up some food. How does chicken pie sound?"
"Delightful. I'm starved." Kitsuneme sits at the counter while Anna disappears to the back of the kitchen. Ten minutes later, she comes back with two hot steaming plates of chicken pie. Kitsuneme hears his stomach grumble and he had to hold himself back from stuffing the two whole pies into his mouth when Anna places a plate in front of him. The smell is tantalizingly tempting.
"Go on, dig in. I'll just make you a cup of coffee." Kitsuneme gobbles up his pie hungrily while watching Anna occupies herself with the coffee. She pours a generous amount into a large mug before putting in two cubes of sugar and some milk. She stirs it till the coffee turns into a light shade of brown and passes it to Kitsuneme. "Two cubes of sugar and a bit of milk, just the way you like it." He takes a sip and closes his eyes to savour the taste. The richness of the coffee tastes like heaven to Kitsuneme and in the blink of an eye, the entire cup was drained.
Without another word, Anna pours him another mug. "Don't worry. Everything's on the house. You can have as much as you like." She sits across him and starts on her meal while Kitsuneme is already finishing the second piece of chicken pie.
"Don't mind if I do." He raises his mug and takes another large gulp. He can never get enough of it. "I envy the person who's going to marry you. He gets to enjoy the best coffee in the world whenever he wants. Lucky bastard." Anna smiles offhandedly as she pierces her fork into a few pieces of cut-up pie. Kitsuneme notices this and narrows his already squinty eyes.
"What's up with the reaction? I made a joke, you're supposed to laugh." Anna shrugs nonchalantly but Kitsuneme is not satisfied. "Come one, what's up?"
"No, no. Never mind, it's nothing. Just something trivial." She wants to put it all away but Kitsuneme remains persistent.
"Tell me."
With a sigh, Anna begins to pour her heart out to him. "It's just that, I was thinking that it's not like I'm ever going to get married. This place," she gestures around her café, "is a freaking love palace. Do you know many couples have gotten together in this very place? So many that I've lost count. Just a few days ago, a couple who met each other in this very café got engaged in this very café. The guy proposed and god they were so bloody happy! This place is a freaking dating site. But it's always others who've gotten their happily ever afters. I'm always the spectator. Never ever the player. This place finds love for others but not its owner. So if I can't even find someone I love in this place where Cupid has probably taken it as his residence, I'm not going to find someone I love anywhere. I'm going to grow into an old lady with her sixty cats. And I hate cats!" She did not realize that a tear had escaped from the corner of her eye. She had been so emotional since early in the morning and she hates it. Hastily, Anna wipes the tears away with the back of her hand. Kitsuneme can only watch with a heavy heart. He doesn't know what to say.
They sit in awkward silence in a while before Kitsuneme attempts to lighten the heavy tension in the room. "Hey, you know what, if there really is not choice, I guess I can be your last resort. If you're still single in five years, I'll sacrifice myself and marry you, because I'm that good of a friend." Kitsuneme rubs his chin in contemplation. "When you think about it, it ain't that bad. You'll get a handsome man to be your husband while I get your coffee all the time I want. Yeah, it sounds like a good plan." His 'good plan' earned a punch from Anna, though it's not hard enough to hurt.
But the girl smiles, though meekly but this time, its genuine. She chews her food thoroughly before swallowing and says, "Perhaps. Perhaps I guess."
"So you agree to my proposal?" Another punch on the arm, this time a bit harder.
Anna sits there thinking it over. There is no harm in agreeing really. If worse comes to worst, if she really can't find a man she loves and one who loves her, perhaps Kitsuneme could be the best candidate for a boyfriend slash husband. If given that he's still single five years later.
Anna studies Kitsuneme carefully. He's not as alluring as Natsume nor is he as cute as Ruka, but there is a certain charm in him that draws people to him. He's funny and can sometime be rather charismatic when he wants to be. He does not look as dashing as Natsume but he's fairly good-looking. Kitsu's a good man. He deserves someone else.
"Fine. Though I highly doubt that this will work but sure." They shake hands, as in closing a business deal. "Five years." I'm pretty sure you'll find the perfect girl to be your wife by then.
"Yeah, five years." I'll wait for you. Even if it's ten years, I'll wait.
They hold onto each other's hand and hold each other's gaze. Neither one of them could take their hands nor their gaze away.
I wonder how she will look like. She'll be pretty. I'm sure
You'll be my wife. I'd be jealous of myself in the future.
She'll be a lucky girl.
I'll be a lucky man.
Anna pulls away and finishes her food in silence. Kitsuneme watches her amusedly.
She's beautiful.
Anna takes their plates to the sink and washes them. Not even once did Kitsuneme take his eyes off her. Secretly, he admits that he enjoys watching Anna. But not once did he muster up the guts to tell her that he likes her.
I'm such a loser...
The clock strikes eight and Kitsuneme looks at his watch. "Crap. I have to get back to work. I have like, fifty projects to work on." He notices the sceptical look Anna's giving him. "Okay okay. Not fifty, but three. Enough to drive me up the wall."
"Okay. I'll just wash up and then I'll leave." Anna didn't turn to look at him. Her mind is too occupied on something else, something she can't quite put a finger on. "Bye, Kitsu."
"Hey Anna," At first, Anna keeps her back facing him but when Kitsuneme didn't continue, she turns her head around with an eyebrow raised, urging him to go on.
"Would you like me to drive you home?" It's late and I'm worried.
"No. No. It's perfectly fine. You should get back to work. I won't want you to receive a scolding from your boss, or worse, fired." Anna replies.
"Really? Cause I can wait." I want to drive you home. The projects can wait.
"No. It's perfectly fine, really. You'll go tackle those projects you have. I'll walk. I like to walk. My house is just down the road. Don't have to worry."
But I am. Knowing that there's no use in persuading her anymore, Kitsuneme decides to leave. He stands up from his seat. "'Kay then, I'm off. Thanks for the dinner, Anna."
Anna wipes her hand on a piece of cloth. "No, thank you. It's nice to have dinner with a friend." She touches his arm lightly. "Bye Kitsu."
Kitsuneme takes one last look at Anna before he turns to leave. Somehow, Anna feels her heart falling a bit. What's wrong with me today? Minutes later, she watches at as the silver Honda glides away from her sight.
I should go home. So Anna turns off the lights in the coffeehouse and after locking the front door, she walks home. The heavy feeling in her heart didn't leave her. I need to stop being so emotional.
Meanwhile, Kitsuneme sits in car and watches Anna going up to her apartment. He waits until he sees the light in her apartment unit being turned on. Knowing that Anna's safe at home, he restarts his car before driving back to his office.
Perhaps tomorrow I'll tell her. I'll tell her how much I'm in love with her. I'm going to tell her before I chicken out.
Again.
The next day, when Kitsuneme walks into the café, Anna is chatting with Mikan. Her eyes lights up when she spots him.
"Hey Kitsu!" Anna squeezes Mikan's hand gently. "I'll be back in a moment." Mikan notices the sudden change in Anna. She observes Kitsuneme and with just one look, she knows that he's crazy for her. She leans in to Kimi.
"Anna kept telling me that she's not going to get married. Isn't that a perfect candidate?" she jerks her head to the direction of Kitsuneme who's smiling dreamily at Anna while the latter prepares his coffee. Even an idiot would've known that Kitsuneme is completely infatuated with the pink-haired girl.
"Yes," Kimi replies with a giggle. "But Anna just wouldn't realize it. It's pretty obvious that she likes him too. She couldn't notice that fact either."
"You reckon we should do something about it?"
Kimi smiles and shakes her head lightly. "Nah. The realisation will hit her when it hits her." She places the cup she was wiping back onto the rack. "I knew they were meant for each other the moment I saw them together for the first time. It's the way they act around each other. You'd think it's friendship, but," Kimi winks playfully. "I know better."
"Get me another Strawberry Tiramisu, please." Kimi complies and in less than a minute later, Mikan is already digging into her second serving of cake. Mikan takes note of the way Kitsuneme smiles and all the small movements that blatantly shows he's in love with Anna.
"He's whipped alright." The two girls laugh and deep down inside, they're just happy Anna has finally found someone who she loves and also loves her back.
Even though that pretty much the whole café knows what's going on between Anna and Kitsuneme, the heroine herself didn't. She's still clueless that the guy in front of her wants to tell her how much he's in love with her and she still doesn't consciously know that she likes him too.
That is, until Kitsuneme blurts out a single sentence that will change everything.
"I love you."
At that moment, thoughts of dying along and living with cats vanish within Anna's mind. No longer to be found ever again.
And thus, like the fairytales Anna doted on when she was a little girl, they lived happily ever after.
The end.