Chapter 6
I wake up fairly early and memories of last night come coursing through my mind almost immediately. My heart pounds a little faster against my chest. I'll be having dinner with Usui again. In his apartment. Again.
I get out of bed and prepare for work. The sleep I had last night was definitely the best one in a long time and I know the reason why. Usually, I wake up disoriented from dreams I've had during my sleep. Suzuna says they may be fragments of memories I've lost but it always leaves me with a headache or just in a really bad mood. Plus, they're always random so I never know if they're real or just actual dreams. But today, I woke up without one. It's refreshing having to get up without the constant pounding in my head.
I leave my apartment but not before staring a good five seconds at Usui's door. I smile a little and head to work.
It's cat ears day today and everyone's got a different fluffy pair on their heads. As much as I try to focus on my work, my mind starts to drift off to last night's conversation with Usui and I become more and more nervous by the minute.
"Misa-chan?" the customer snaps me from my little trance. I smile at him gently.
"I'm sorry, Master. May I ask for your order again?" I say in the sweetest voice.
I can see him slightly blushing and a stuttering answer forms. "I w-would like some o-omurice, Misa-chan."
I mutter a quick affirmative and head to the kitchen with the orders. Half the day has passed and time seems to be going slower and slower. This usually happens when you're looking forward to something. No matter. In a couple of hours, I'll be done here anyway.
"Oh? I see your blonde boyfriend isn't coming today." Honoka chimes as she hands the orders to the kitchen staff.
"H-he's not my boyfriend. We're just neighbors, Honoka." I stammer.
She gives me a knowing look and grins at me mischievously. "For now."
I sigh as Honoka leaves the kitchen. The women in the shop have not seized the teasing after finding out about Usui. I just hope they don't make it too obvious when he comes here again.
Maid Latte has been buzzing the whole week. Holidays are coming up around the corner so it's bound to get even busier around here.
"Misa-chan? You can take your break now." Erika says as she comes out of the changing room and giving herself one last look at the mirror.
I plop down on a chair in the lounge area and stretch my feet. I had told manager that I wouldn't be taking breaks to make up for all my absences lately but she'd been adamant on making me rest. I am truthfully thankful for her generosity. After getting fired from my last job, I had been in a stump. What are the odds that I'd end up in this shop that awfully contradicts my personality? Getting this job was so easy that it almost seems suspicious.
"Do you have a moment, Misa-chan?" Manager comes up from the kitchen and enters the lounge area. She sits across me and places a shy smile on her face.
"Is something the matter?" Sensing the serious mood in the room, I straighten my back and brace for what she has to say.
"There's nothing wrong. I was just going through our staff's profiles and noticed that you didn't finish high school. How come you never told me?" she says.
I give her a timid smile before answering. "Well, you did kind of just hire me on the spot without asking questions."
Her eyes widen and then she scratches her head, embarrassed. "True. Well, I knew you were fit for the job anyway and I was right." She gives me a warm smile this time. "Do you plan on finishing school? You can take classes next semester if you want. After winter holidays, we can arrange your shift to fit your schedule."
I'm taken aback by her words. I had plans on finishing high school but I was thinking maybe doing it the year after. Manager Satsuki waits as I try to process her suggestion. "I… I don't know, Manager. I haven't really saved up much and my sister's also graduating high school soon. I don't think— "
"Don't worry about it Misa-chan." She cuts me off. "We can cover for your school expenses just until you finish high school. After a couple months, we'll pull up your wages too. Hopefully it can help with your finances even just a little bit. Besides, it's such a waste for you to put it on hold for such a long time. It's been two years, yes?"
I look down, slightly embarrassed. Even some of the staff members are working students. Erika and Honoka are all in college and Subaru's just about to finish her last semester. I know I have been left behind. The circumstances haven't been too kind to me.
"Maid Latte will always give a helping hand. I'm not doing this out of pity. We see so much potential in you and it would be a shame to keep you as a part timer." Manager says. "So what do you say?"
She looks at me and I feel the sincerity in her words. My eyes start to well up and I look at the ceiling, willing the tears to hold their place. Manager Satsuki chuckles a bit and walks to sit beside me. "We're all family here." She says.
I nod, blinking the tears away. "Thank you so much. I'll work hard." I promise her.
She smiles and pats my back. "I don't doubt it."
My break comes to an end and I feel even more motivated to finish the day. To think that Manager Satsuki would make such an offer when I've just started working here. It must be my lucky day.
The doors open and I turn to greet the next customer that comes in.
"Welcome back, Mas— " I pause as I lock eyes with the woman in front of me. It's Usui's mother. "Mistress." I finish.
She gives a small nod and goes to the seat where Usui usually takes. I follow her and my eyes automatically trail to her long hair. It's a shining bright blonde color that teeters to a dainty green when hit by light. Her honey-dyed eyes scan the menu before choosing an iced latte.
She doesn't seem to recognize me from the apartment. Well, I've only seen her a handful of times. Now that I look closely, Usui doesn't resemble his mother that much. Despite both of them being absolutely beautiful, she doesn't have the same features as her son. Even her hair sports a different kind of blonde. Usui must have taken after his father.
I quickly duck to the kitchen and place her order. Seeing Usui's mother reminded me of the little date that we have later tonight and my heart does a little flip. I should have prepared a little more. Although, I'm not really sure if I should even be making such a big deal out of this dinner. I mentally scan my wardrobe and realize I have absolutely nothing date-worthy to wear. Dread starts to skim its way to my mind as the realization hit me.
"Um… Honoka? Can I ask you something?" I stutter as the said girl rushes into the kitchen. She raises an eyebrow and waits for my question. I look sideways, thinking how to go about this inquiry without making it sound like a desperate plea. "What do you usually wear when you go out to have dinner with someone?"
She gives me that classic Honoka-teasing smile and nudges my arm with her elbow. "You mean, like a date?"
I feel my embarrassment being displayed across my face as I think of an answer. "N-no. Just dinner. My friend's asking."
She chuckles rather tauntingly. "I doubt it. But it depends. Is your friend going out to have dinner at a fancy restaurant? Or are they heading out for something casual like maybe their house?" she wiggles her eyes as if insinuating something. "What's the person your friend is dating like?"
"We're not— " I bite my tongue before I actually embarrass myself even more. "They're not dating… yet." I finish slowly.
Honoka sighs and rests her hands on her waist. "Look, if it was up to me, I'd totally pull out all the stops to look pretty. But you and I are also two different people. I'd say just go and put on something you normally wear but a little lip gloss and mascara won't hurt."
"Okay…" I answer before realizing what I said. "I-I mean, I'll tell my friend you said that."
The blonde merely laughs and treads to the main hall.
"Thank you for your hard work!" I bow before turning to leave the shop. Manager had let me go home earlier than usual after Honoka "accidentally" told everyone that I have a date tonight.
"A date?! Misa-chan, do you have time to get ready? You don't have to stay to close up the shop. Erika can do it." Manager Satsuki's eyes twinkled as she offered in glee.
"N-no. Please, it only takes me 10 minutes to get changed. I don't need to hurry." I insisted.
She merely waved her hands dismissively. "Nonsense, Misa-chan! You need more than that to get ready for a date. Now go home and prepare. Maybe put a little lip gloss and mascara." She said cheerfully.
"I told you." Honoka snorted.
I exhale loudly thinking about how supportive the Maid Latte staff can be. I appreciate it but sometimes, they can be a bit too much.
I walk past the bench Usui and I sat on last night and I chuckle as the conversation we had replayed in my mind. I want to know more about him. I want to get closer to him. He just has a certain attraction that reels me in every time. The moment I saw him two years ago when he moved in the same apartment complex as mine, I was immediately hit by a wave of nostalgia. He had been talking to the owner of the building, boxes piled up behind him. He had seen me then but his eyes merely landed on mine for a second then went back to the owner. Since then, I had been like a teenager—harboring a crush for a man who has never spoken a word to me until a few weeks ago. The progress we've made is laughable even though we've exchanged looks and smiles ever since we became neighbors but I don't mind the slow climb.
I doubt Usui remembers the first time we met. We didn't even talk then. We just gradually knew each other after crossing paths so many times in the hallways of the building. The small glances were enough of an introduction. Moving right in front of his unit had been something completely impulsive though. Did he really pull me in that much that I had to switch units almost immediately after finding out the one in front of his was vacant? I shake my head and let out a small laugh. I guess it's the feeling of familiarity he exudes that interests me so. Maybe I'm using the nostalgia he gives me to fill in the gap in my memories even though he's not even involved with my life.
I pass by a small bookstore that doesn't seem to be all that popular considering the number of people inside. A shade of blonde halts my feet and I see Usui's mother scanning through the pages of a book. Squinting my eyes through the window, I read the title of the book 'Downhill' with a drawing of a black mountain on the cover. She seems immersed in her reading as she flips through the paper in her hands but the sadness in her eyes is evident as soon as she closes the book. Before she can look up and notice me staring, I quickly wheel myself away.
I wonder if she went to see Usui. I think and decide to ask him later.
As soon as I reach my apartment, I quickly change out of my white hoodie and jeans and pull a new pair of same looking ones. I grimace as I realize all I ever own are denims in different shades. It's not that I abhor skirts or dresses. It's just I've never had situations where I would ever wear one.
No choice. I think as I slip on the high-waist jeans that are at least a tad lighter than what I previously wore and tuck in a maroon knitted pull-over. I brush my hair and contemplate on putting on a little makeup but go against it realizing the ones I own are probably a little past their expiration date.
Taking one last glance in the mirror, I sigh once more to calm myself.
Why am I even getting so worked up over this? I roll my eyes at my reflection. Well, at least I look decent enough. Suddenly, my bell rings and the effort of calming myself goes to waste as my nerves go awry.
"Who is it?" I shout even though I know who's behind the door. I swing it open and there he is.
God. He's gorgeous. I mentally slap myself and bring out a small smile as I greet the man before me.
"Oh. I can come back later if you're not ready yet." Usui says. He's wearing a black button down shirt with faded jeans. His spectacles are comfortably sitting on the bridge of his nose.
"No, I'm good. I just—let me get my phone and keys." I stammer. Quickly, I grab my stuff from the counter and head out to Usui's. As soon as I enter his place, the smell of roasted chicken wafted through my nose and I'm instantly starving.
"I hope you're hungry." He says as he goes to the kitchen.
"Famished." I reply. He gives me a small chuckle. "Can I take a look around?"
Usui looks up from his station and cocks an eyebrow. "Sure."
His apartment's layout is just like mine but more organized. There are no traces of his life with his friends and family as no photos were displayed—just books and art pieces hung on the walls. Everything remained unchanged since the last time I was here, save for the new pile of books on his coffee table. I peek and see stacks of medical books and a few literary ones as well.
"You really love reading, huh?" I say as I read the titles of the books.
He smirks. "You don't?"
I shrug in reply. "I guess… I'm not much of a reader. Truthfully, I don't remember ever reading a lot." In fact, I don't remember anything at all. I think to myself.
His smirk falters to a slight frown.
"Does that bother you?" I ask. Every time I say I don't read, he always makes a face, as if he's disappointed.
He gives me a sad smile. "Not at all, Ayuzawa. I just recalled a slight memory. A friend of mine used to say that a lot." He looks down and a chuckle follows.
"Is it a sad memory? You don't seem very happy talking about it." I press on.
He looks up contemplating for a bit before giving me a genuine smile. "I used to think so. But now, not so much."
I smile back at him as he goes back to cooking. Suddenly his hands stop moving and he looks at me titling his head. "Would you like to help out in cooking?" The tone of his voice is teasing, as if he knows just how terrible I am at that field.
"Uhh… No. I'm not exactly good at cooking. I can wash the dishes after, if you want." I say, waving both my hands dismissively.
His smirk widens and grabs another apron. "C'mon. It won't be difficult. Just try it."
If he didn't look so goddamn enticing, I would have stayed on my ground. But fool as I am, I hesitantly walk beside him in his little kitchen. He hands me the apron and silently moves behind me to tie the knot. "Too tight?" his breath fans to my ear and his voice is soft and husky—almost like a whisper.
I feel the heat burning from my neck to my face and I quickly step a tad bit away. "Y-yes. I mean, no. It's good."
He smiles at me again and hands me an apple. I cock an eyebrow at him. "Let's start something simple. The food's actually ready but since I couldn't make any dessert, why don't we make bunny apples instead?"
"You… cut your apples in bunny shapes?" I ask, dumbfounded.
He stares at me for a second. "Is there something wrong?"
I shake my head, thinking I've offended him. "No, it's just… My mom and sister makes bunny apples too. I thought we'd grow out of it after grades school but I guess old habits die hard." I chuckle a bit and when he looks at me, his smile is indescribable. He looks endeared.
Before I get lost in his deep ocean of green, I grab the apple from his hand and prepare to chop it. "Don't expect a lot though. My sister does all the cooking so I can't be trusted with a knife." I say.
Five minutes later, the single apple handed to me was chopped to shreds. Not a hint of bunny in each piece. I smile timidly and put the knife down before I destroy more of his stuff. A laugh escapes his lips and he immediately covers his mouth yet his eyes are squinting from joy. If I weren't so embarrassed, I would have smacked him from laughing at me. But my heart leaps at the sound of his laughter so I simply laugh with him.
"Let's try that again, shall we?" he maneuvers himself behind me and places his hands over mine. "Hold the knife like this." My breath gets caught in my throat and I find it hard to concentrate as he murmurs his directions to my ear. My blush is evident on my face and I know he sees it as I feel him smirk from behind me. "You don't have to force it down." He says. I only have half my mind on cutting the fruit and the other on his lean chest pressed against my back.
My eyes struggle to keep looking at the intricate way he's guiding my hands to cut the bunny apple's ears. If I turn my head just a little bit, our lips would meet. My face feels hotter and I'm sure it's the same shade as my sweater now.
"There. Wasn't that easy?" I blink and look at the bunny apple in my hand. I was so out of it that I didn't realize I had finished one piece.
"Oh…" I mutter. Usui hasn't moved from behind me and is still grasping my hand. Suddenly he caresses my arm all the way to my shoulder and gives it a little squeeze. My skin burns at his every touch.
"You did great, Ayuzawa." And with that, he moves away. "Think you can finish one more apple before the night ends?" his teasing tone is back along with his smirk.
This little… I pull my sleeves up to my elbows determined to win his little challenge. "Just this apple?"
We finish dinner and head on to our dessert which consisted of one perfectly made bunny apple and seven others that look like bunny apples. Usui picks the one that I made without his help and I grimace.
"That's…" I start.
He simply chews on the apple and smiles at me. "Delicious." I blush at his remark and continue to eat.
"The food was great." I say as I bite on one bunny ear. Dinner went by pretty quickly. It wasn't awkward but we didn't talk all that much. I was able to mention that I will be taking classes after winter break to finish high school. He smiled as I told him about Manager Satsuki's offer.
"I might see you at uni soon." I said while munching on the chicken.
"Looking forward to it." He answered.
Other than the casual stories about maid latte, we didn't really talk about anything else over dinner. Suddenly, I remember seeing Usui's mother a while ago.
"Oh yeah, I saw your mom at a bookstore when I was walking home." He looks at me, urging me to keep going. "She was at maid latte this afternoon too. I wasn't stalking but it's hard not to notice her since she's so pretty." He smiles a little and chews on his apple. "She was reading a book called 'Downhill'."
He stops chewing and places his fork on the plate. "Was she alone?"
I think back and remember her being accompanied by no one and so I nod to his question. "I didn't see anyone else around her." His unsettled expression doesn't go unnoticed and I lean closer to look at his face. "Is something the matter?"
He beams rather warily and shakes his head. "No, everything's alright, Ayuzawa."
I can tell he's still hesitant about sharing things about himself. I know I'm not one to complain since I have things I want to hide too but I can't help wanting to know more.
"Hey, if you're… you know, bothered about something, I'm literally just across from you." I scratch my head and think of a way to remedy the awkwardness starting to rise. "I'm saying, if you need to talk about your problems…"
"I know." He cuts off. He smiles at me again and my face reddens for the nth time that night. I return his smile and we continue finishing our apples.
"You say you don't cook so how do you eat?" he says after a while.
I look sideways avoiding the question but he peers at me and silently coaxes the answer out. "I… just order takeout. I used to eat leftovers from the convenience store where I previously worked. A lot of food gets thrown out once they're expiring and it would be such a waste so I take them home to eat. Luckily, we're offered free lunch at maid latte so my consumption has been better."
His eyebrows knit together hearing my confession. "I didn't know." He says in a low voice.
I chuckle at his concern and wave a hand. "Oh, it's alright. We didn't even know each other back then. We only started talking a couple weeks ago so don't fret over it."
His frown is still plastered on his face and I don't know how to alleviate his worry. "Don't feel so responsible. It's not like you caused my misery." I laugh at my own little joke and he frowns even more. I stop laughing and scratch my head.
"What time do you get off work?" he asks almost demandingly.
I blink before answering. "Umm… eight o'clock if I'm not closing the shop. Why?"
"I'll bring you dinner when you come home. Although I may not be able to on Thursdays since my classes end at nine in the evening. Unless you want to wait for me then?" he offers so casually that I'm flushed from ear to ear.
"W-wait. Hold on, Usui. I don't understand. You—" I point at him, "—want to cook for me?" I point at myself next.
He smirks. "Do you have a problem with my cooking, Ayuzawa?"
"N-no, your cooking is perfect—" I answer almost immediately and regret it afterwards. "I mean… I have no problem with your cooking." I say with more control but the damage has been done. Usui leans back on his seat confidently, smirk never going away. I roll my eyes at his display of arrogance. "I'm saying, you don't need to do that. I can manage on my own. I've done so for two years now." I assure him.
"I don't mind. Besides, I like this. It's less lonely." He says.
My god, he's relentless. I shake my head in disbelief. How is this okay with him? We've barely knocked down each other's walls and here he is offering something as absurd as eating dinner— every night – together. What exactly goes on inside his head?
I'm still gawking at his suggestion until he props his arms on his thighs and leans forward. "What do you say, Ayuzawa?" he grins as he says, "Mind spending every night with me?"
My eyes widen as I stare at him and furiously blush as red as a tomato at his words. He smiles cheekily and continues. "For dinner, of course." I purse my lips, clearly debating with myself. He sees the dilemma I am in and seizes his playful tone. "I'm serious, Ayuzawa. You've been having headaches, right? I'd like for you to take care of yourself."
"Oh no, that's because—" I stop myself before I spill something I shouldn't. Usui looks at me and his jade orbs glisten with concern. I sigh in defeat. "Alright. But I don't want to get in the way of your studies so tell me if you're unable to make dinner. I can just order takeout." This will probably lessen Suzuna's worries as well if she knows I'm eating fine. I tell myself that's the only reason I'm accepting Usui's offer but I know my heart is over the moon from the sudden progress in our relationship.
"Classic Ayuzawa." He mutters quietly. I look at him a little stunned by his comment but he brushes it off as he continues. "Shall we do some grocery shopping then?"
"I'll pay. Please, I can't be enough of a burden to you." I offer.
He shakes his head. "We'll split. How's that?"
I shrug in reply. "Fair enough. Sunday?"
He smiles softly. "Sounds good."
Ah, another day to look forward to. I'm a little annoyed that I've spilled more about my life than him to me but we have every day to talk now and I feel a little closer to him than before. We're both still pretty guarded but I hope to get over that hill someday.
He looks at me warmly and that familiar feeling rushes through my body again. I am tempted to touch his face. I feel so attracted to him—not just physically but emotionally despite us still being in the stage of getting to know each other. Why is that?
A/N: I apologize for updating really late. Sadly, I've been in isolation for a month now due to Miss Rona. Wasn't able to celebrate Christmas, my birthday and now the New Year's because I have to be separated from the rest of my family. I feel better now and finishing up the last days of my quarantine. I should have used the time to write but being alone during the holidays really messed up my mental health. No worries, though. I'm recovering well. I hope my depression didn't seep through my writing too much haha. Anyway, I hope you're all doing fine and safe. Please remember to wear masks during your gatherings. It's really not easy but we have to adapt to the new normal. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Merry Christmas and a have a Happy New Year! xoxo