.. Pattern ..
"Good afternoon, miss! What can I get you today?"
"I have some questions, actually."
"Of course."
A month has passed since the woman started to appear. Not much has changed. She shows up at the same time everyday asks a question or two, orders a small fry and milkshake, and then she leaves. It doesn't matter how cold it is outside, or if the snow had warded off most other customers. Everyone is used to it by now, and Maou isn't the default to deal with her anymore.
"Our apple pies are made out of only the best apples." What kind specifically, they don't know. They come frozen in crates, ready to be deep fried. What kind of apple never seemed to be important.
She seems to accept the answer as she doesn't press it. She orders a small fry and a milkshake.
Once she leaves, the store is empty, as expected due to the blistering snow outside. The employees begin to converse, talking about the day as they busy themselves with cleaning.
"Things have been going really smoothly around here lately, huh, Mr. Maou?"
Maou blinks at Chiho as she wipes down the tables with him. "What do you mean?"
"Well, think about it. We haven't run into any problem customers, we haven't messed up any orders, I haven't even dropped a single fry!"
It was true. They seem to be having a lucky streak lately. Even Ms. Kisaki is happy about it. The manager is pleased with the sales, and the employees are pleased with the ease of work.
"But, there is that woman..."
A whole month since the strangers first visit, and no one really seems to mind her anymore. Sure, she is strange, but it became habit. Even Maou had gotten used to it.
But they didn't want to leave the mystery of her unsolved. They still gossip, exchange theories, murmur ideas to each other when they're bored. It's much less speculation as it is a passing conversation topic. A way to entertain themselves as they juggle burgers between buns.
He goes home thinking about it. About the woman and her strange schedule. Where did she go after she left? Where did she come from? She doesn't know anything about him, does she? He doubts it.
For the first time in a long while, Maou is actually happy that he is no longer asleep. However, he still isn't exactly fond of being awake, especially with the alarm clock blaring at him from a distance and Urushihara whining at him from his box to shut the damn thing up.
He had a dream that night, though he can't remember what it was about. The alarm makes sure of it. He spends a minute trying to grasp at the fading memories, though he considers that perhaps he shouldn't. He feels a sense of unease, something warding him away from the sleep he normally enjoyed.
He lunges for the noise of the blaring alarm, proceeding to ram his toe into the table it sits on. A great start to the morning, and all too nostalgic.
He ignores the injured appendage and jumps up again to throw on some pants before dashing out the door. He only says a quick "See ya later" farewell to Ashiya before he closes the door and hops on his bike.
He doesn't let himself think too hard about it. He goes to work early, hoping a slower bike ride can clear his head. It does, but not for the right reasons. His bike skids on a patch of ice and almost hurtles him into oncoming traffic. He forces himself to stop thinking about the woman until he gets to his work. He can't afford to ruin his perfect attendance record in order to muse over it.
The woman is already there by the time he arrives.
They're starting to become more comfortable with her. They allow themselves to hesitate, to actually think about the questions the woman asks before offering a response. They start to admit it when they have no idea, and they occasionally even crack a joke.
The woman doesn't react.
She never does.
Maou sometimes wonders if she even processes the answers to the questions she asks. Maybe someday she'll repeat a question. Maybe she'll mess up.
Like always, she orders a small fry and a milkshake.
Idly, Maou wonders if she even likes milkshakes.