The next day while wiping the floor near the floor near the counter area of the family restaurant where she was working part-time, the orange-haired waitress was continuously lost in her thoughts and was thinking if she could make any, if but none, progress in her relationship. "I guess not" she sighed and murmured to herself which prompted her tiny but big-bosomed colleague and friend, Popura to ask her "What's the matter, Inami san?" "Oh it's nothing" she replied with a smile and added "It's just that I want to move ahead in life but there are times I don't know what to do"

"Is it about Katanashi kun" she asked sweetly to which Inami just nodded her head.

"It's just that I wish I didn't have this androphobia. Maybe that's why he's scared and…" as she was about to continue, the blond, handsome head chef of Wagnaria, Jun Satou, interrupted "It's not like that" to which Inami shrieked in shock "Awaa! Satou Kun, you were here, I was seriously surprised!" Without being perturbed Satou continued "Obviously I'm cooking here and can hear anything going on in the counter. Calm down Inami."

"I'm sorry Satou Kun. I'm alright. But what do you mean?" she asked with a hand on her cheek

"I mean Takanashi isn't scared of you. In fact he told me the other day how it was better that you didn't get close to other men as not all but some of them could be really harmful or dangerous. It's just that he cares for you and simply wants to protect you" replied Satou while frying the steak.

"He really said that" she asked with her eyes widened like a lost puppy.

"Yes and he also went on to say how much he considered you special but at the same time since it's his first, how should I put it…" said the blond chef as he added oil to a larger wok "Maybe he's just trying to figure out what's best for you as well as for him."

"Hontou ni arigatou, Satou kun (Thank you really! Satou kun)" said Inami as she bowed her head to the chef with her heart embroiled in feelings of love, excitement and embarrassment

II

It was break time. The atmosphere was lively with the waitresses of Wagnaria chatting away in the break room. While the male staff were working off, the female staff were taking a tea break. "Ain't it just great!" commented the lazy slacker, Aoi as she glanced through the photos of a pia. Among the chitter-chatter, Popura looked at Aoi and asked "What's great?"

"This" replied Aoi pointing at the photograph of an upcoming local summer festival. "It would be great if we could go" she added. "But we don't have any off days right Yachiyo san?" asked Popura

"I don't think we get any common days off" said Yachiyo placing her hand on her left cheek. "But I could ask Kyoko san if she could give us any off days. I'm sure…" continued the pretty almond haired girl only to be interrupted by Popura as she said "It's ok Yachiyo san. It would be nice if we could go together. But I don't think it would be nice to trouble Kyoko san just for fun's sake"

"Yes, I believe so too, Taneshima san" added Inami.

"Minna" said Yachiyo

"Anyway" said Popura taking a sip into her tea cup and added "If we get an off during golden week, we could go out together. Right?"

"Yeah. Can't we Yachiyo san?" said Aoi

"Um. That would be an awesome idea" said Yachiyo as she nodded her head in an agreement.

As Inami took a sip from her tea cup, she glanced through the pia thinking of the possibility of going out together with Takanashi.

III

Evening had set upon Wagnaria and the clocks were set upon the rush hours of the family restaurant. While Takanashi was busy waiting around and serving, Inami was either pouring coffee or tea onto the cups or preparing the parfait or mock tails and waiting for either Takanashi or Popura to return to serve the orders to the customers. Just as she was preparing a parfait which was to be served by Aoi, a loud crashing sound came from outside to which Popura, Satou and Takanashi exclaimed "What was that?" Yachiyo rushed in from the front counter and said "I'll go and see what just happened" and rushed to the back exit to check out the situation.

After sometime, Kyoko, Yachiyo along with Satou and the wily sous chef, Souma appeared together in the lobby way where Inami, Takanashi, Popura and Aoi stood tensed near the break room.

"Yeah I understand" said Kyoko as she hung up on the call. "What's the matter Kyoko san?" asked Yachiyo. "Apparently" she replied and continued while munching on a senbei "the restaurant will be closed from afternoon 2 p.m. onwards because the second water pipe required for the kitchen broke down and if we don't fix it, then the day after the kitchen won't remain in working condition. So since the first pipe is working, we can keep the kitchen open till 1 p.m. The repairing guys won't be able to make it before 1.30 p.m. So the restaurant will be open in the morning and day hours but will be closed by 1.00 p.m."

"That means we get an off in the evening" said Aoi with an optimistic look on her face.

"Uh…Yeah" replied the manager of Wagnaria

"Then why don't we go to the festival tomorrow evening?" asked Aoi flashing out the photos of the local festival in the pia.

"That's a great idea" said Yachiyo with a smiling face and asked "Isn't it Satou kun, Kyoko san?"

"Hmm" said Kyoko taking another bite into the Japanese rice cracker.

"Not bad" added Satou with a ladle in his hand

"Then it's fixed" said Popura

"What's fixed?" asked Takanashi who just arrived at the scene after handing out an order. "Since we're having an off from afternoon onwards tomorrow, we're going to the festival in the evening" replied Aoi with starry-eyed gaze on her face.

"…".

"Will you be free tomorrow Katanashi Kun? Inami san?" asked Popura

"Yes, Why not?" he said with a smile

Blushing hard while covering her face with a menu card, Inami replied "I'm free tomorrow evening. I don't think I have any plans." "Well then, its fixed we're going to meet at the festival tomorrow evening at 7 p.m. said Popura with enthusiasm. "Wait, but what about the yukata?" asked Aoi and added "I don't think my mother will be around tomorrow. I wonder what should I do?" "You can always wear casuals' right?" said Souma. "No wait!" retorted Yachiyo "I think I have an old yukata back from high school days which might fit you right. I'll bring it during the day tomorrow." "Thank you so much, Yachiyo san. You're an angel" said Aoi hugging onto Yachiyo like a child.

"You're coming over too, right? Souma Onii chan?" asked Aoi with a puppy dog look in her eyes.

"What choice do I have?" replied Souma shrugging off his shoulders. "Besides I'll get a chance to take voyeur shots or catching our leading couples in action"*** he thought smiling like a Cheshire cat from ear to ear to which the head chef next to the sous chef retorted with a pan in his hand "Oi Souma, you'd better not be getting any crappy ideas in your head" said Satou with a murderous expression on his face and added "Otherwise you'll find yourself in a hospital bed tomorrow evening instead of a festival!"

"It's a joke. It's a joke" replied the blue-haired sous chef with sweat running down his face.

(***Author's note: This man is really like a distant twin of Orihara Izaya!)

[P.S- I'm sorry I'm not continuing with my last fanfic "a hell of a night" becoz I was busy studying for civil services and public services examination, which I passed a few months back. Let's see if I can watch the Kamiya starrer City hunter (for all those DGS fans, btw it's not hiroshi kamiya but akira kamiya) 2 start writing again]