Arigatou gozaimasu~ It means a lot to me to see people reading and following my story.
So without any further delays, here is the next chapter.
The Velvet Lake
Chapter Seven
Akihiko managed to hide his blushing since he was facing the stove; he added some of the milk and carried on stirring, deciding not to say anything more so he didn't embarrass himself further in front of Akari. The lump of paste he'd created slowly blended with the milk as he carefully mixed them together, adding the milk little by little. Once the cheese sauce was finished, Akihiko poured it over the cauliflower and put it on the tray with the Yorkshire puddings; Akari then taught him how to prepare the stuffing and once that was ready, he put it all in the oven.
"What's next?" he asked, clearly anticipating more cooking.
"We need to boil the other vegetables and make the gravy, then that's everything."
Akihiko grabbed the bags of peas and carrots. "What do we do with them…?"
"The peas just go straight into a saucepan of water, but the carrots need peeling and slicing."
"I'll do the carrots," he told her, remembering her cut.
"Okay. I'll sort out the peas." Akari made a tear in the bag of peas and poured some into a saucepan. Akihiko was about to finish peeling his first carrot already. She watched him in awe at his speed. "You're really fast…"
"They need to be done quickly, right? Besides, it's a simple task."
It made her happy how fast he'd picked things up. She felt satisfied with her guidance and watched the peas bubbling gently as he finished the bag of carrots in no time.
"There was something else I wanted you to promise me," Akihiko said, breaking the silence as they waited for the food to cook.
"What's that?" she asked, looking at him out of curiosity.
"I know you said you'd see how you like it here, but…I'd like you to promise me you won't back out without trying first."
"Back out…?" she repeated, wondering if he meant exactly what she thought.
"I mean, rest and get your strength back, then at least see what it's like fighting Shadows with us before you say no."
Nervousness washed over Akari and she turned away to poke the peas with a wooden spoon.
"Say something…" he murmured. "Please."
Akari remembered that she'd said she'd promise anything that would make him feel better earlier, so it made it impossible to say no now. "I promise, Akihiko…I won't back out before trying."
"R-Really? Thank you, Akari."
On the outside, Akari smiled reassuringly. On the inside, however, she felt incredibly nervous and wondered how on Earth she was going to get the courage to see what it's like fighting Shadows with everyone else…but a part of her somehow felt relieved, too. She realised Akihiko must have been worried about her; the least she could do was make sure she didn't disappoint him.
Dinner was due to be ready in five minutes. Akari was quickly preparing the gravy and Akihiko was checking on the food in the oven. Yukari and Mitsuru were laying the table and Shuji watched from the armchair with his second cup of sake.
"It's ready," Akari announced rather quietly, stirring the gravy.
"Dinner's done!" Akihiko yelled to the lounge, taking the chicken out of the oven and setting it down on the side. "You guys better get yourselves at the table!"
Akari blushed and cleared her throat. "I-I'm sorry, I wasn't loud enough-"
"Don't worry about it. Want me to take the chicken to the table?"
"Yes, please," Akari said gratefully, grabbing some plates from the cupboard where she remembered bowls were. Since there were no serving bowls, Akari spooned equal amounts of carrots and peas onto each plate and suddenly Akihiko was very close to her and reached around her to put a Yorkshire pudding on the plate she was spooning peas onto.
"Thanks for teaching me," he whispered in her ear.
"I-It's nothing," she replied quietly, going a little pink.
"I really appreciated it. I'll repay the favour one day."
"Oh, there's no need-"
"Yukari, did you get the carving knife?" he asked loudly, ignoring Akari and grabbing the stuffing and cauliflower cheese.
"Sorry, no…want me to grab it?"
"It's all right, I'll get it. I've got more to bring over anyway."
Akari timidly carried the gravy and a plate over to the dining table where she put it down in front of the empty seat at the end of the table. "Mister Ikutsuki…dinner's ready."
"Why thank you, Miss Rose," Shuji said kindly, getting up from the armchair.
When Akari returned to the dining table, everyone else was seated. She placed the last two plates in front of Akihiko and the seat opposite his before sitting down and staring at her plate. "U-Um..."
"May I ask what delightful dishes you have cooked for us tonight?" Shuji asked politely.
"O-Oh, of course! Well, there's chicken, potatoes, honey-glazed parsnips, cauliflower cheese, sage stuffing, Yorkshire puddings, vegetables and gravy…"
"And what, may I ask…are Yorkshire puddings?"
Akihiko looked at Akari. She noticed everyone else staring at her too, curious of the answer to Shuji's question.
"Well, they're basically plain, cooked batter and they go really well with gravy…I-I really like them…" Akari told them quietly.
"It looks very interesting, Akari," Mitsuru commented. "Shuji, would you like to do the honours?"
"Of course," he replied. "Itadakimasu!"
At Shuji's words, everyone began to spoon food onto their plates; Akihiko made a start on carving the chicken but Akari just sat there and watched everyone help themselves.
"'Itadakimasu' means 'let's eat'," Akihiko explained as he put some chicken on his plate. "Pass me your plate."
Akari immediately gave it to him. He put a fair few slices of chicken on her plate and handed it back to her. She thanked him quietly and decided to continue letting everyone else take as much as they wanted before serving herself.
"Aren't you eating, Akari?" Yukari asked, taking a spoonful of peas.
"O-Oh, yes, I was just waiting for everyone to take what they wanted first…"
"You should get first choice since you cooked it."
"But Akihiko helped out a lot too-"
"I barely did anything," Akihiko interjected, pouring gravy over his food.
"Yes you did! You did pretty much everything after I cut my finger."
"I helped out a bit, that's all."
"You did a lot more than help out. You practically cooked the whole thing yourself."
"Either way, I've taken as much food as I want, so you should too."
Once again, Akari was defeated. She felt frustrated at Akihiko for some reason and wanted to glare at him. He was tucking into his food so he didn't notice her staring but after he'd taken a mouthful, he looked up from his plate and took a glance at Mitsuru next to him, whom was oblivious to what was going on, before staring back.
"Are you okay, Akari…?" he asked, sounding slightly nervous.
"O-Of course I am!" she replied instantly, realising she must have actually glared at him and spooned peas on her plate to try and hide it. "Why?"
"You looked a little…upset, that's all."
"I'm fine," she assured him quietly, taking a small spoonful of stuffing.
"Hmm…" he muttered, not really sure he believed her. "Oh, before I forget, Akari made me a promise earlier."
Akari looked up from her plate with the jug of gravy frozen in motion. "S-Senpai…"
"She promised me that she'd at least see what it's like fighting Shadows with us before she says no."
"Thank you so much, Miss Rose," Shuji said gratefully. "For agreeing to help us and for the food."
"Y-You're welcome…" she stuttered, trying to immerse herself in her food.
Yukari started to play with her food. "I hope nobody forced her into it…"
Akihiko began to feel guilty. "I just asked her not to give up without trying first. She insists that she lacks the confidence and fighting Shadows is something you need to train for and takes time to get used to. You saw how she defeated that Shadow, Yukari. She saved your life. We need her power."
Yukari looked at Akihiko for a few seconds before staring at Akari, who appeared to be completely unaware of the conversation about her. "You're right, but…it still makes me feel bad. That reminds me though. I need to thank you, Akari…if it wasn't for you, I'd probably be dead. There's nothing good enough for me to repay you with except guaranteeing that I'll fight alongside you and protect you with all my strength."
Akari froze again, this time halfway through cutting a potato. "I didn't save you…you were already unconscious…"
"I just got knocked out for a bit, but if you weren't there the Shadow would have attacked me again, so…thanks Akari."
Akari gave Yukari a warm smile. "Technically, I don't think my mind was in control at that point-"
"Just give in, Akari. You saved her life. Deal with it."
Both Akari and Yukari looked at Akihiko. "Akihiko-senpai…"
He stared back at them. "What? Nothing can change that fact."
"C-Can I ask you guys something..?" Akari asked timidly.
"Of course," they all echoed in unison.
"Why did it feel like…I wasn't in control of myself when I summoned my Persona?"
"The first time is always like that," Shuji told her. "Not that I speak from experience, but from what others have said to me, the first time you summon your Persona, your soul awakens. This is partially due to the fact that you use an Evoker to summon it."
"Why do we use a gun?"
"It's not a real gun," Mitsuru informed her. "It's merely a tool to help us control our Personae. The reason it's a gun is because of the state of mind we come to when we use it. We gain a sense of terror and realisation of death from the emulated bullet shot, giving us the correct mindset to bring forth our Persona. That's why we call it an 'Evoker'."
Akari felt overwhelmed and unable to respond. Instead she nodded and began to let it all sink in. "I understand. Thank you…"
"Whilst we're on the subject, it might be a good idea to explain the activities we partake in after school," Shuji started, nearly finished with his food already. "Mitsuru, since you've finished, why don't you start us off?"
Akari looked over to Mitsuru's empty plate in surprise, but noticed Akihiko's plate was practically empty, too and listened to Mitsuru's explanation about how they belong to an after school club called the 'Specialised Extracurricular Execution Squad', or 'SEES' for short and how Shuji is the club's advisor. She also learnt that their aim is to explore the Dark Hour and a place called 'Tartarus'.
"We haven't really explored Tartarus much," Akihiko admitted. "We've only been as far as the entrance, but Mitsuru's Persona helped us discover that beyond the entrance there's a labyrinth full of Shadows."
The discussion continued over the rest of dinner; before she knew it, Mitsuru and Yukari were cleaning up around her. "Oh, no, please let me-"
"It's all right. You did your part by cooking and serving us a delicious dinner," Mitsuru told her, carrying the plates to the sink.
"Delicious…? So…you enjoyed it?"
"So much that I wouldn't mind having it again," Akihiko hinted with a warm smile.
Akari felt herself beginning to blush. "T-Thank you…I'm so glad you all liked it…"
Shuji put down his empty cup of sake. "My goodness, is that the time? I should head off. After all, the early bird catches the worm."
Yukari whispered an apology for Shuji's bad joke and everyone bid their goodbyes to him as he left the dorm. After Mitsuru and Yukari had finished cleaning up from dinner, they all sat in the lounge in silence. Akari wanted to run and hide to her bedroom, but speaking up was too much of a difficulty around her housemates that she still regarded as strangers.
"I think I'm going to relax in my room for a bit before I go to sleep," Yukari told everyone, breaking the silence.
"M-Me too," Akari chimed in, jumping at the chance to leave without feeling too embarrassed.
"Very well. Goodnight," Mitsuru said.
"Goodnight, then," Akihiko said.
"Goodnight," Akari said in unison with Yukari and turned to follow her.
When they reached the third floor, Yukari stopped outside her door. "A-Akari…?"
Akari stopped in her tracks outside her own door. "Mhm?"
"Can I talk to you for a second?"
"Of course."
Yukari faced Akari. "Well, I wanted to talk about the night that Shadow attacked the dorm…is that okay?"
"All right," Akari said, feeling a little wary.
"Okay…well, firstly I want to thank you again for saving me. I'm sorry I was such a coward…if I wasn't, things would have been different and you might not have ended up in hospital-"
"It's not your fault," Akari assured her. "I don't blame you for being too scared to summon your Persona. I was too; it just so happened that my mind was ready. I was scared, too."
"Really…? But the way you did it…you defeated the Shadow so quickly…and you didn't seem scared at all. I believe you, though. Personae, Shadows, Tartarus and the Dark Hour…it's all scary."
"That's for sure."
"I know how scared you must be. You seem a lot more timid than I am…but don't take that as a bad thing. I-I didn't mean it in that way…it's just…your power seems so great, yet you come across as a very fragile and shy person."
"That sounds about right."
Yukari giggled. "It's okay, though. I-I mean…I'll fight alongside you."
"Akihiko-senpai said that too. I appreciate how nice and welcoming you all are, but I don' think I'm cut out for this."
"I thought that too and sometimes I still wonder if I should be here fighting with everyone else, but d'you remember what I said earlier? I realised I'm meant to be here."
"Somehow I don't feel like that'll happen to me…"
"I didn't, either. To be honest, a part of the reason is you joining us."
"Me…?"
"Yeah…we're special, we're able to summon a Persona…don't you think that means something?"
"I suppose so, but…it still seems so surreal…"
"Yeah, it does. The more people we find that can summon a Persona, the better; the people of Port Island are becoming zombies and we can actually do something about it. Just saying that makes me feel stupid…"
"It sounds stupid," Akari agreed. "Like a bad dream."
"I know, right? Listen…there's something else I want to tell you. Before you came here, Mitsuru-senpai told us about you and your past, which made me feel like I could relate to you…and I feel bad about it. So I think it's only fair that you know about mine…"
"What did she tell you about my past?"
"…How you grew up in England, but you've never met your father and didn't have a good relationship with your mother, then you ran away to Japan about ten years ago until the police found you. You were taken back to England and stayed until your eighteenth birthday, which is when you legally moved out of your mother's house and relocated to Japan for good. Since then you've been living with a host family that you'd arranged before you got here."
Akari was in shock at how Yukari had just relayed her life to her and didn't know what to say.
"I'm really sorry-"
"How did Mitsuru-senpai find out about me? Did she know about me being able to summon a Persona?"
"I don't know how she found out, but her family is very important so I guess she has access to databases or something. She didn't know about you being able to summon a Persona, though. I guess you could say it was by chance that you came to this particular dorm. Mister Ikutsuki suggested monitoring you a couple of nights after you got here to see how you transmogrified…and when it turned out you didn't, he got very excited and wanted to keep monitoring you…that was, until the Shadow attacked the dorm."
"So he wanted me to join straight away," Akari realised.
"Exactly," Yukari said. "So…do you mind listening to my story…?"
"Of course not."
"Then will you come in my room? I don't want…other people to be able to hear."
Akari followed Yukari into her bedroom, curious about whom she meant by 'other people' and was reminded of the mysterious boy. She took in the décor of Yukari's bedroom; it was very pink and basic. There were a few posters on the walls of what Akari assumed were boy bands and actors.
"Feel free to sit wherever you like."
"Thank you," Akari said, kneeling on a pastel pink satin pillow. "Um…by 'other people', did you mean that mysterious boy?"
Yukari relaxed on the pillow opposite and giggled. "Mysterious boy? Are you talking about Akihiko?"
Akari realised that Yukari had no idea what she was talking about and thought she meant Akihiko was mysterious because of his personality. "I suppose so. Well, never mind."
Yukari sighed softly. "So, you see…I don't exactly have a good relationship with my mother, either…and my father died ten years ago supposedly in an explosion, but nobody really knows if that's true. I was very young, so I don't remember much about it anyway. My Persona awakened after I came here…I don't know if it can really be called fate, but I'm sticking around in hope that I'll discover something. "
Akari didn't know what to say. "I'm sorry to hear that…it must have been hard for you. I kind of get where you're coming from though."
"I thought you might. I can sense a similarity between us; though you might not like it because it's to do with our parents."
"You're right, it's not a good thing to have in common," Akari agreed. "I-I…lost my grandad a few years ago. He was a father to me and my best friend."
"Oh my gosh…I'm so sorry…"
Akari fell silent.
"Let's change the subject…d'you want to watch some anime? I heard about one that's about a train full of cute guys who save girls from their troubles. I missed it yesterday but it'll probably be repeated tonight."
"Oh, I saw it last night…I might just go to bed early, I'm actually quite tired."
"Are you sure? I haven't upset you, have I?"
"No, you haven't…don't worry. I'm really tired so I should get an early night. I think my body clock is a mess…"
"Oh, that's right. I forgot about the time difference. Well, goodnight then, Akari."
Akari stood up. "Goodnight."
She left Yukari's bedroom and went to her own, only just realising that she still hadn't unpacked her suitcases, so she spent the rest of the evening making her bedroom a little more homely. Her clothes were finally put away in the wardrobe and drawers and her laptop was set up on her desk. The few books that she'd brought with her were piled up on a shelf on the wall, where she also put a photo album and her camera. One special photo was propped up against her bedside lamp. As she looked at it, she began to find it difficult to keep her eyes open; she took off her clothes, threw them to the floor and quickly put on her pyjamas before getting into bed.
"Good evening," a slow, hauntingly familiar and young-sounding voice said, making Akari jump and wake up just as she was dozing off.
"Huh…? How did you get in here!" she exclaimed, sitting up in her bed. "Are you even real…?"
"I'm always with you. I thought I'd let you know that the end of everything is near. I'm not really sure what it's about, but I just remembered so I came to tell you."
"U-Um…"
"I also noticed that you have an unusual power. It's pretty impressive."
"Y-Yeah…unusual…"
"Do you remember when we first met? I expect you to honour your commitment."
"What commitment…?"
"The contract you signed: 'I chooseth this fate of mine own free will.' Remember, I'll always be watching you, even if you forget about me."
Akari swallowed nervously. "H-How?"
The mysterious boy smiled. "Time will eventually reveal the answers to the many questions you are destined to ask…"
Suddenly Akari felt déjà vu. She'd heard him say those words before and didn't bother to ask another question. She merely blinked and the boy disappeared, just like before.
"Am I going crazy…?" she wondered aloud, feeling a little spooked so she hid her whole body under the covers and tried to get back to sleep.
Akari looked around. She was in a huge hall with a large stairway leading to a grand door. To her left there was a familiar purple-blue door. She walked to it apprehensively, unsure of what would be waiting on the other side. Then she remembered Igor and the couple of times she'd actually been in there. It led to the Velvet Room, but what that place actually was, she didn't know and felt too scared to find out…she stopped walking closer and took a few steps back instead, bumping into something. Whatever it was, it must have been in human form because two hands firmly grabbed her shoulders and began to thrust her forwards, towards the door. Akari couldn't say anything, her voice wouldn't come out…she felt her legs moving involuntarily as the two hands pushed her even closer to the door…she thought she was going to hit the door so she closed her eyes as she was about to be rammed into it but there was no impact; instead, her feet found a soft carpet. In shock, she opened her eyes again. This time, she saw the vaguely familiar white-haired man standing tall, many inches higher than her. He was holding the door open and when he noticed her staring at him, he gave her a calm, friendly smile that triggered an onset of déjà vu. She remembered the first time she'd seen him; he'd smiled curiously, in wonder of who she was and why she was being brought to the Velvet Room. Igor must have explained to him since he looked warm and welcoming now. He wore the same blue suit as before with a matching cap and looked at her as though he knew her. This made her realise that last time his expression was in fact in expectation.
"Welcome to the Velvet Room, Miss Rose…" he said softly, smiling at her knowingly.
She recognised his voice, somehow…her mind thought hard to where she recognised it from, but it didn't take long; it was during the evening that her housemates had asked her to help them fight Shadows…she'd gone into a daze and heard his voice telling her that her friendships with her housemates had enabled her to hold stronger Personae of the Fool arcana…
Tuesday morning arrived quicker than she thought it would and Akari managed to eat half of an extra slice of toast. Akihiko ate the other half as they left the dorm for school with Yukari. Akari wondered why Mitsuru always left early and on her own, but assumed it was because she was a very busy person.
"Yo, Akari!" Junpei's familiar voice called.
"Good morning, Junpei," Akari greeted with a smile.
Akihiko eyed Junpei carefully. "Morning, Junpei."
Yukari was oblivious to his arrival and continued writing a text message on her phone. The short walk to the lockers was silent and even whilst everyone sorted their belongings out, nobody said a word.
"Hey, Akari-" Akihiko started at the same time as Junpei.
"You first," Junpei said.
"I was going to say, do you need to share a locker today, Akari?" Akihiko asked, pulling out the books he needed.
"Oh, yes please," Akari replied gratefully, standing next to him patiently.
"There was something I had to tell you…" Junpei trailed off, looking at Akihiko. "Wait, I'm not supposed to say anything!"
Akihiko almost gave a look of warning to Junpei. "Hand me your things, Akari."
"Thank you, senpai. Hey, you have to tell me now, Junpei. You can't say that and then not say anything!"
"Sorry!" Junpei apologised, grinning. "You'll find out soon enough."
"Junpei-"
"Hey, you remember that time you slept in class? Well, Mister Nasty Old Ekoda set you homework so you can catch up…I think he gave it to Yuka-chan because you guys live in the same dorm."
"Oh, really? She never mentioned it…"
Akihiko listened to their conversation as he sorted out his locker. Once he was done, he followed them to the second-year lockers and they waited for Junpei to sort himself out.
"Hey, Yuka-chan." Junpei started.
"What is it?" she replied, not looking up from her phone again.
"Who are you texting?"
"What's it to you?"
"Ooh, is it your boyfriend?"
"That's none of your business, Junpei, but to make sure you don't go spreading rumours, I'm texting my friend Hana."
"Where's the proof?"
"I don't need to give you proof! Come on, Akari. Let's leave Junpei behind."
Akari didn't say anything. She wanted to wait for him so he wasn't left behind and needed to at least say goodbye to Akihiko so she didn't feel rude, but Yukari had grabbed her arm and pulled her through the crowd of students.
"See you later, senpai…!" she called, hoping he heard her. Since there was no response, she sighed and assumed he didn't. "Akihiko-senpai is so hard to understand…"
"Tell me about it," Yukari agreed, letting go of Akari's arm now. "Especially since you came here."
"What do you mean?"
"Remember what I said before? He sometimes acts different around you…then the next minute he's back to his usual self. That makes it even harder to understand him."
"Hmm…" Akari wondered quietly as they entered their tutor classroom. Somehow, Junpei had beaten them and was sat at his desk with a smirk on his face. "Junpei? How did you get here first?"
Junpei didn't get time to answer; Miss Toriumi walked in and everyone fell silent. Tutor period went by quickly; before she knew it, lunchtime arrived and she didn't feel hungry. She sat with Yukari and Junpei in their tutor classroom, watching them eat their lunch.
"Aren't you going to eat, Akari?" Yukari asked, opening something that Akari didn't recognise.
"No…I'll make up for it tonight though."
Yukari looked a little worried as she took a bite of a squishy bun. Junpei was tucking into a yakisoba bread hungrily.
"Oh, Yuka-chan," he started, taking another mouthful. "You should tell Akari about her homework."
"Oh my gosh, you're right! I totally forgot! I'm sorry, Akari! Mister Ekoda set you some homework so you can catch up with the rest of the class. We were studying Ise Monogatari, but we've moved on now…"
"Yeah, he set you homework for the class you slept through, plus more for when you were in hospital. You should feel lucky though, we had to listen to him practically lecture us on how nobody understands Classic Lit…I wish I'd slept through it, too. Then again, I'd be screwed since Mister Ekoda would probably punish me."
As Akari was gathering her things in their last lesson, Mitsuru walked into their classroom and came over to them. Every student in the class looked up in surprise; it wasn't normal for her to enter any classroom but her own, so everyone assumed it must be important and whispers spread around the classroom like wildfire.
"I'd like you to meet me on the fourth floor when you get back. There's something important Akihiko needs to tell us," Mitsuru told them quietly.
"Okay," Yukari said, not looking at Mitsuru.
"What's it about?" Akari asked curiously.
"Sorry, I can't discuss it here. It'll have to wait until you get back. See you later."
She was gone as quickly as she'd arrived. Akari stared after her. "That was quick…"
"Yeah, well she's probably got more important things to deal with, like Student Council…"
Junpei's face was grinning and he merely chuckled. "Yuka-chan, did I sense some hostility?"
"I-It's not that I don't like her or anything…" Yukari muttered.
"Well, whatever," Junpei said, still grinning. "I have things to do, so I'll see you guys later."
Both girls said goodbye to Junpei and finished gathering their things. Yukari decided to give Akari a short tour of Paulownia Mall on the way back, since she figured that if what Akihiko needed to tell them was that important, they'd be asked to come home straight away.
"Welcome to Paulownia Mall," Yukari said with a giggle. "This is where most Gekkoukan students come after school, as you can see."
Teenagers wearing the Gekkoukan uniform were casually strolling around the mall. Akari felt as though she was an impostor.
"There's an arcade right here, a cool music shop, a pharmacy next door…then there's the weird antique shop, but it's closed. Up those stairs is a karaoke box, which is always really busy. The police box is self-explanatory…oh, Be Blue V sells cute accessories! Chagall Café has a really good selection of drinks and cakes. Oh look, they're advertising a job-"
Akari took in the large mall. It was shaped in a circle, with shops surrounding half of the walls and a huge fountain stood in the middle. Two smaller fountains were in each corner opposite the shops with water trickling gently. She noticed next to the steps to the karaoke box there was a small alleyway that led to a glowing purple-blue door, but Yukari had gone over to look at the job advertisement in the window of Chagall Café so she quickly made her way over too.
"It's for a maid!" Yukari exclaimed excitedly.
"Maid? Hmm…" Akari wondered. "I should probably apply…I need some sort of income."
"Oh, they'd totally accept you right away!"
"W-What? How do you know?"
"You'd be perfect!"
Akari didn't know whether or not to feel insulted. "I-I suppose…"
"Let's go in and speak to the manager!" Yukari said excitedly, dragging Akari inside. "Excuse me!"
They eased their way through the busy café and came to the counter where a small girl, a little shorter than Yukari was dressed in a sweet black maid outfit that had a really puffy tutu petticoat to make it look fuller. The young girl had a small ribbon around her neck tied in a bow and a silky, white apron to match. It wasn't as frilly as Akari expected it to be, considering she was used to the French-style of maid outfits. Akari wondered if she was going to fall in love with Japanese fashion.
"Good afternoon! My name is Haru! How may I help you?" the young girl asked cheerfully.
"Hi, we're here about the job you have advertised in the window," Yukari told her.
"Oh, I see! I'm afraid there is only one position available, so if the interview is successful, only one of you will be hired-"
"Oh, that's okay! My friend is the one who wants the job."
"Ah…well, then, may I take your name, Miss?"
"A-Akari…Akari Rose," Akari said shyly.
"Thank you very much, Miss Rose! I'll let my manager know you're here and he'll be with you shortly," Haru said, disappearing through the door behind the counter.
Akari stared at the glass counter and was mesmerised by all the delicious-looking desserts.
"They look good, huh?" Yukari asked, staring at them too.
Akari nodded. "I want to try them all."
"I've eaten most of them…their strawberry mousse is my favourite, though."
"I'm not too keen on strawberry…"
"I'm sure the desserts here will taste very different from the ones you're used to. You should give them all a try!"
Akari giggled. "I think I'll have to. Each one looks so yummy."
"Sorry for the wait, Miss Rose!" Haru apologised, appearing behind the counter and bowing low. "Master Riku is on his way!"
"Thanks," Akari said nervously.
"Please don't be nervous, Miss Rose. Master Riku is a very gentle person. He is very kind and understanding," Haru told her.
"Is that so?" a soft male voice wondered curiously.
"Master Riku!" Haru squealed with many girls in unison, as others echoed his name.
Akari met his calm blue eyes and tender smile. "Good afternoon, sir…I-I'm Akari Rose…"
"Good afternoon, Miss Rose. Welcome to Chagall Café. I hear from Haru that you wish to apply for the job I have advertised."
"T-That's correct, sir."
"Then please, follow me to my office and we shall discuss the opportunity."
"I'll just hang around the mall until you're done," Yukari told Akari. "Come and find me when you've finished."
"Okay," Akari said timidly.
"This way please, Miss Rose," Riku said, inviting her with a hand gesture. "Ladies first."
Akari muttered a quiet word of thanks and went through the door that Riku held open for her. She heard Yukari wish her good luck just before the door closed behind her; she was now on her own.
"So, Miss Rose," Riku began as he led the way down a pink and lacy-themed corridor. "Where are you from? It is already clear to me that you are not of Japanese origin."
"That's correct, sir. I'm from England."
"England? Now, that really is something. I have only been twice and unfortunately for business purposes…although my time in England was short, I discovered the wonders of the language and the accent. It's such a beautiful and sophisticated tone…"
She thought about what to say back to that. "Well…t-there's more than one English accent."
"…That sounds interesting. Now that you mention it, I can tell hear in your voice that you are not from London."
"And you would be correct there, sir. I come from a smaller city called Plymouth."
"Plymouth…? I cannot say I have heard of it. Tell me of your city, Miss Rose."
That was the last thing Akari wanted to do. Memories started to cloud her mind, making it harder to focus and tell Riku what he wanted to know…
Riku had stopped in his tracks with his back to her outside a hot pink door at the end of the corridor labelled 'Master Riku' in a shiny, italicised, pastel pink script. Since Akari hadn't replied when he'd requested her to tell him of her hometown, he assumed something was preventing her from doing so he decided to forget about it.
"I'm sorry, sir…I'd rather not…talk about that…" Akari finally admitted.
"I already forgot about it, Miss Rose. Let us move on," he insisted, gesturing for her to enter his office first. "Welcome to my office. You may call me Riku. Please, take a seat."
"T-Thank you, sir…I-I mean, Riku…" Akari stuttered, taking in the surroundings.
If the room had a theme, it would have been 'England'. The carpet was wine-red, just like Mitsuru's hair. All four walls were white, each covered in a photo of an English scene. When Akari happened to look up, the ceiling was the blue of an evening sky and decorated in gently twinkling stars that lit up the room, mesmerising her.
"Do you like the décor?"Riku asked with a chuckle. "I designed it myself. Of course, England was my inspiration."
"I could tell," Akari replied in awe. "I love the ceiling."
"I often get mesmerised by it, so my work can take a while to complete…" Riku admitted. "Now, let us get on with what we are here for, yes? The first thing, and possibly the most important…we must see what see what you look like in our maid outfit."
"W-What…!"
"After that, you may choose a special maid outfit, too."
"…Special?"
Riku motioned towards a rail of maid outfits against the wall. "One of those."
Akari looked at them. There were so many hung together that it was hard to tell what each one looked like, but she could see that each one was uniquely charming in its own way. "They all look so wonderful…"
"They look even better when cute girls like you wear them."
Akari blushed, not able to ask the many questions popping up in her head and wondered where this was going to lead…
Riku chuckled at Akari's embarrassment. "You can change through that door. The Chagall Café maid outfit is already in there. Show me when you have it on, okay? And let me know if you need any help putting it on. Take as long as you need."
She nodded and bowed, hurrying to the door. When she went through and closed it behind her, she took a deep breath and tried to gather herself together. She noticed that it appeared to be a bathroom. A small bamboo fountain was serenely pouring water and occasionally knocking against itself, making a soft knock on wood when it emptied. Even though she'd taken in everything she could see, there was no maid outfit. She turned around and grabbed the door handle, but before she could turn it, she spotted the maid outfit that looked just like Haru's, hanging on the back of the door.
"What have I gotten myself into…?" Akari whispered to herself, letting the handle go and staring at the dress.
Akari began to undress, partly because she realised she had to do it now so she didn't embarrass herself; though wearing it in front of a handsome stranger was embarrassing enough. The other reason was that she secretly wanted to try the maid outfit on because it was so cute; she'd always had a thing for Japanese cosplay and had hoped that one day she'd get to try wearing something like this. With that thought in mind, she wondered if working here would be fun, after all.
Akari nervously cleared her throat, straightening the apron. "I-I'm ready…"
"Then, come on out," Riku coaxed softly. "I am waiting."
She grabbed the handle again and took another deep breath before opening the door. "I-I'm not sure it's quite right-"
"Oh, you look so cute!" Riku exclaimed. "Your accent, too…it all fits…an English maid…"
Akari was blushing furiously and didn't know what to say.
"This is wonderful! I have no need to take this interview any further…that is, if you will take the job."
