It had been a long and boring day at school, but it was like that every day for Tami Hiromasa. She already knew what they were learning about in all the lessons. The teachers were just repeated everything so they could get it stuck into the brains of the clueless students so that it was all they knew and thought of.
All the kids were full of joy and relief when the school bell rang. Everyone ignored the teacher and rushed to the door, pushing and shoving at each other to try to get out of the school first.
Tami grabbed her best friend, Reis hand and charged down the street. Rei was Tami's best and only friend, even though they were the complete opposites. Tami loved skirts, dresses, shopping, cakes and anything fluffy, but Rei loved sports, trainers, and hated anything Tami liked.
"Tami slow down, there is no need for us to rush! We are just going to the bakery, the same as every day!"
"But we have to get there quickly!"
Reis parents owned a bakery just down the street from the school. Tami made cakes there and Rei worked at the counters, while Reis mother made other things such as rolls and more cakes.
Rei hated the uniform, well, it wasn't really a uniform, it was a pastel yellow apron that they were allowed to decorate how they wanted, over their school uniform, but she hated both.
What made Rei hate the bakery even more was the fact she had to put a ribbon in her hair to look "cute" and to "attract customers". Like the customers really care if she has a ribbon in her hair or not, but still Tami insisted Rei wore it, and Rei would never win against her.
"I don't know why you love this place so much." Rei said, as Tami dragged her into the bakery.
"I don't know why you hate this place so much!" Tami continued, "It's an amazing place here where you meet new people, it's so fun hearing what they think about your cakes!"
"How do you meet new people here? You make cakes, I work at the counter and clean the place, and we see people, not meet them. And I don't make cakes so they don't think anything about them!"
Tami skipped behind the counter and slipped on her apron. She clipped her bangs back and washed her hands.
"What cake should I make first? There's too many to choose from!" Tami said, excitedly though it was more of a whine and she sounded more confused than excited. Tami pondered about what to make until Rei shouted,
"Tami, we need more strawberry short cake!"
"There's some there, so why do we need more?" Tami tilted her head, giving an effect to the confusion in her voice.
"Strawberry shortcake sells quickly and that weird man is going to come in an hour! We need you to make some just in case we run out!"
"…Eh?"
Rei let out a loud sigh then explained,
"Everyday when the cake shop is open this weird man comes in and gets some of you shortcake at 5pm, an hour from now!"
"Uh…okay." Tami said and started to prepare the cake.
"So Rei, where is this guy?" Tami asked as she sat on the floor behind the counter.
"Are you sure you have never seen him before? He is always here on his own; I think he doesn't have any friends."
"No I'm ninety-three percent sure I have never seen him. What does he look like?"
"Uh…Tired."
"Well that helps!"
There was a pause of silence from the two girls as the door of the bakery opened. Tami leaned on the counter and watched to see if it was the "mystery man" Rei was talking about. There he was.
"That's him!" Rei whispered.
Tami leaned on the counter and watched the mystery man walk over to the counter. His raven bangs covered his forehead and as Rei said, he did look tired, thanks to the bags under his eyes.
"Strawberry shortcake?" Rei asked the man, who just replied with a nod.
Rei ran off to get the cake as Tami kneeled down on the floor, her head resting on the counted. Tami looked up at the man, his dark eyes met hers for a few seconds and she could see the loneliness in his eyes, though he didn't seem to care about it.
"Tami, what are you doing?" Rei's mother asked.
"Nothing."
"Exactly, shouldn't you be making cakes?"
"But there is already a few in the oven and there's no room and we have enough cakes here already."
"Okay, but get cleaning or something, we don't want you slacking off."
"'Kay." Tami mumbled, getting up slowly. She did what she was told to and cleaned.
~3 days later~
As Rei said, the mystery man did indeed come to the shop every day to get strawberry shortcake.
Tami thought about him quite a lot while she made strawberry shortcake. 'He seems so lonely, you can see it in his eyes,' she thought, but the rest she mumbled without realising,
"…Maybe….hmm no I don't think it would work, wouldn't I seem a bit weird if I randomly tried to become friends with him…anyway, no one opens up to a stranger."
"Tami, you ok?" Rei asked, a bit confused as to why Tami was mumbling, though she never heard what she was mumbling, she was never this deep in thought.
"Oh, yeah…I was just talking to myself."
"About..?"
"I honestly have no idea." She lied, and continued thinking about the stranger.
'Hmm, well, maybe I can…no that won't work, maybe I can just randomly start talking to him. I'm making this my mission to become his friend.'
"Tami, is the shortcake ready? That mans going to come soon." Rei said, interrupting Tami's thoughts…again.
"Yeah nearly, just making it perfect!" Tami said, a big grin spread across her face.
'..Wait a minute isn't the bakery closed for the next three days? While they extend it, he isn't going to be able to get his cakes…maybe that will help me on my mission…'