"Welcome, ladies and gentlemen!" a blonde woman prances around to each table, handing out menus to each customer. "Welcome to the restaurant Humanité, where all of humanity is welcome in every way! All of our ingredients are fresh and delicious, waiting to please your stomachs!" Her golden eyes twinkle as she welcomes and says hello to all.

"Mrs. Satoshi, you're really to kind to everyone!" an elder woman smiles.

"There is no need to be so formal, Madame!" the blonde curtsies, "please, Mayu will do!"

"Mayu... that's such a lovely name!"

"Thank you!" Mrs. Mayu Satoshi grins brightly. Despite being in her late twenties, she looks no older than 15; not even her height—five foot five—has changed in those twelve years. Though her husband—Mr. Fukase Satoshi, aged 29—isn't much taller. At a measly five foot seven, he is a fair bit smaller than most of the men in town.

Mayu heads back to the kitchen, where Fukase is working as hard as ever. "Sweetheart, has anyone else come into work today?"

"Rin can't come in because of a family reunion in Shisuta," Fukase responds; his voice is soft, with a slight rasp to it. He turns away from the sink to face Mayu.

Mayu loves everything about Fukase; his voice, his personality, his bright red hair and eyes (one eye was 100% red, no iris or pupil), the rough patches of skin that are deformed from a childhood accident (or at least that's what he'd told her)... everything.

And damn straight, she'll kill any woman who so much as looks at him oddly.

"And Megumi* says she'll be in late..."

"She told you to just call her Gumi, silly," Mayu giggles, "you're always so formal with everyone!"

"Force of habit..." Fukase mumbles in response, "sorry..." He turns away

Mayu's heart sinks. He sounds guilty. There is something Mayu didn't like about Fukase, and it's something she's always been desperate to fix.

He felt guilty so damn fast.

"Sweetheart, I didn't mean it as a bad thing..." Mayu reaches out and places a gentle hand on her husband's shoulder. "I was just pointing it out as a cute little quirk of yours, that's all."

Fukase sighs. "I know–"

The door to the kitchen swings open. "I'm heeeere!"

"Megumi is here," Fukase points out, "perhaps you should get her going for the day. I'll finish up the dishes and get to cooking." He turns away again and goes back to work, humming a song titled Set Me Free.

Mayu walks over to Megumi Nakajima, who had been standing there watching the couple talk. "I need you to run out and gather the customers' orders, Gumi," Mayu says to the green-haired girl, "they must be tired of waiting for someone!"

"Okay, Mrs. Satoshi!" Gumi smiles and hurries out of the kitchen.

Mayu turns to Fukase and reminds him of what day it is.

"What's so special about a Tuesday?" he asks.

"Tuesdays are the days we close down early," she responds. Tuesdays and Thursdays are what the couple had dubbed "Brunch Days" upon opening. They close down at 1pm on those days. "So I was thinking maybe we could go out and do something nice after we close down!"

"Yeah..." Fukase mumbles, "sure..." He turns his head to look at Mayu and offers her a genuine smile.

Mayu giggles happily. She prances back over and gives him a joyous little smooch on the cheek. Fukase chuckles deeply in response. "I needed that. Thank you."

Mayu laughs again and turns on her heels, her bobbed blonde twirling around her head. "You're welcome, sweetie!" And with that she leaves the kitchen and returns to her work.

Note: there's gonna be a lot of made up towns in this—any towns of the same name, unless it's like a capital or popular town—will be purely coincidence.

* Megumi — first name of GUMI's voice supplier, Nakajima Megumi.