A Little Café

The feeling of loneliness and rejection was strange. Strange in the worse way possible.

Yukari couldn't stop her tears from flowing as she continued to flee. Other students were a blur around her, their faces unclear through her tears. They were all clustered in little groups, chatting, laughing, having a great time.

It made her feel so, so lonely.

Iroha had approached her on the first day of school, and had commented on how she liked her light violet hair. It was so random, yet so kind and welcoming that Yukari couldn't help but start giggling. Iroha had looked confused for a moment, then joined her with bouts of boisterous laughter, and then, their friendship bloomed.

But now, that blossom of friendship was wilting, and it left Yukari emptier than she had ever felt before. People in Vocaloid Academy were nice, but no one else was Iroha.

The tears just wouldn't stop.

Yukari knew she wasn't crying because of the insult Iroha had thrown at her. It was the pure contempt and hurt and bitterness in Iroha's voice that broke Yukari's self-control.

Seeing all the clusters of friends around her, Yukari felt suddenly sick. She wanted to go somewhere she could be alone, somewhere she could stay until she calmed down.

So she ran towards the forest.

Hidden in a small grove of trees, facing the lake, there was a little café. Barely anyone went there, and to Yukari, it was just about the perfect place.

She stopped in front of the café for a moment, wiping at her tears and trying to clear all signs of sorrow, before cautiously pushing open the wooden door. A small bell rang at her arrival, and immediately, she was hit by the pleasant smell of coffee and hot pie.

A fireplace crackled merrily on one side, illuminating the room with warmth and a cozy, orange light. There were wooden tables and chairs, several fluffy armchairs, beanbags, and even a tiny bar.

"Hello," a voice said.

Yukari looked to the front to see a girl about her age in a modest maid's dress. She had straight cut purple hair that varied in length, the shorter hair barely brushing her chin and the longer have pulled into twin ponytails. Her deep purple eyes were soft and warm, just like the café.

"Is there anything you want?" she asked, her voice welcoming.

Yukari shook her head slightly, just gestured towards one of the armchairs near the fireplace, not exactly trusting herself to speak.

The girl nodded and retreated, and Yukari plopped down onto the cushions, sinking in comfortably.

The café was silent save for the crackling of the fire. Despite the homeliness of the place, the hole in Yukari's chest remained gaping. Unconsciously, another tear slipped down her cheek and landed on the back of her hand. It glittered like a pearl on her hand, so pretty for such a sad thing.

There was suddenly some rustling sounds behind her, and Yukari looked up to see the maid approaching with a tray. There was a steaming cup of hot chocolate and several tissues.

"You look like you need it," she said quietly, passing the drink to her and setting the tissues on the coffee table before her.

Yukari sniffled before sipping at the hot chocolate- perfect, not too sweet with a hint of bitterness, the taste of milk and chocolate blending wonderfully. She sniffled again, placing the cup next to the tissues and wiping her eyes with the back of her hand, trying not to show any signs of hurt.

The girl next to her shifted awkwardly.

"Um…" she spoke timidly, "Would you like to talk about it?"

Yukari shook her head and grabbed a handful of the tissues from the table.

The silence was crushing.

"It's okay to cry, you know," a small voice comforted her. "There're usually not much people here. This is the place where you could just lay all your burdens down and shuffle through them to your heart's content. If possible, something might even be solved here." There was a gentle hand on her shoulder. "My name is Tone Rion. If there're any problems or worries you are willing to share, I'll be here. You're Yukari, right?"

Yukari nodded, Rion's words only half registering in her mind.

"I remember seeing you around the halls with your friend." There was a long pause. "Is this about your friend, Iroha?"

At the sound of her name, Yukari broke down completely, sobbing into the tissues as the story poured from her lips in bits and pieces and slurred, muffled words. Rion dug out more tissues from the pocket on her apron.

"It's okay," she murmured when she finally understood Yukari's situation. After a moment of thought, she said, "I might not be Iroha… but if you don't mind, could I be your friend? Just until you two make up. I'm sure it will help, even if it's just a little bit."

Yukari didn't know what to say. She didn't know how to reply or react. But the suggestion sounded harmless and sincere, so she simply nodded, and continued to sob.

As for Rion, she had never felt joy more overwhelming than that moment when she finally made her first friend in Vocaloid Academy.

Even if it's temporary.

~o*o~

Iroha's heart was about to burst in anger. Her face was redder than her hair, her golden eyes filled with untamed ire and barely suppressed wrath. Her expression was more murderous than a feral feline, and there was a dangerous aura around her that made people avoid her like the plague.

And everything was because of that. Little. Backstabber.

Iroha saw her smile, and laugh in that gentle way of hers, but it wasn't with her. It was with another girl whose face she doubts she had even seen before! She just dumped her and ran off and got herself another best friend! What the hell?!

But there wasn't much Iroha could do. She didn't know what to do.

So all she did was stalk down the halls, out the building, and back into her dorm room.

And isolated from all others, she seethed.

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