AN: " Variable X" = Dialogue
'Variable Y' = Thoughts
-Variable k- = Setting
Saturdays. Saturdays were grueling for Misaki, when they weren't supposed to be. Her shift started at 3:00 PM, so she couldn't really start any activities before her shift, and it will be too late when she gets home. It's one of those Saturday Limbo moments. She didn't awake from her slumber until 2:00 PM anyway.
Usui on the other hand, was not so crunched for time. He had finished a project for classes, gone out for lunch, and would even have time to visit Misaki at work.
-3:05, Maid Latte-
'Today's gonna suck.' Misaki grumbled in her thoughts, changing into her attire. Her damn boss has been riding her about her performance, that was always fun.
She stepped out into the diner, and he was already there, awaiting his order.
'Never mind, today's really gonna suck.' She sighed.
"Yo." He said cooly.
"You arrived when my shift started, eh?" She said bringing his coffee.
"Affirmative." He admitted.
She sighed. Deeply. "Usui, I don't need this today. Could you, leave me alone?"
"Hn?"
"I want you to stop bothering me. For real this time." She quietly said not to disturb the other customers.
"So, no more perverted actions? Or…" He pondered.
"No, Usui. Just leave." She blurted out.
He paused for a moment.
"Is… That what you want?" His voice rattled.
"Yes, please."
He remained still, and slowly grazed the back of his index finger along his lips, thinking.
"If it takes a burden off of your chest, it's done." He said inhaling deep, dropping his tip on the table, and slowly exiting the shop.
Misaki watched him, only tiny feelings of regret washing over her, but for the most part she was stoked. She could finally… Relax, and enjoy her day at work.
The hours ticked by faster, her mood improving drastically. She felt so… Happy. She didn't know why.
"Oi, Misaki." Her boss came over, sweetly.
"Oh, um." She cleared her throat. "Hello."
"I wanted to apologize for yesterday. I was irrational." The boss choked.
"W-What?" Misaki blinked several times.
"I am sorry for my attitude I had with you."
"Don't take me wrong, I'm flattered at your change of heart, but why all of the sudden?"
"That boy is a real charmer. He stayed at the shop a few minutes last night and… Knocked some sense into me. Verbally, of course."
"What did he say?"
"Oh, how no one should even call you spoiled knowing how hard working you are, and how much you have been through. All in all he stuck up for you."
"Oh…" She couldn't help rolling her eyes. 'Damn Usui.' She didn't even know why she was annoyed with him at the moment.
"I offered him a job." The boss said, breaking her train of thought.
"What?!"
"He declined though, said it'd make you happy. Unfortunate, but his mind is made. Anyway, I just wanted to apologize from earlier. See you."
"Thanks." She said as her boss walked by.
Misaki's tip-bag fell onto the floor, spilling a bit of money everywhere.
'Damn it.' She scrambled around, grabbing the money, putting it back together.
Her eye froze; she saw something amongst the dollars. A white slip hid beneath some money. She picked it up, and turned it over.
It was her picture with Usui. He had left it with his tip. The small picture was in bad shape, by her guess he had it with him all of the time.
She pocketed the picture, rolled her eyes, and continued the closing stages of her shift.
-City streets.-
Usui was walking, whistling amongst a few other random folks going about their daily lives. Usui looked care-free, but his mind was racing. He had finally made a decision.
-The following Monday, at school.-
The first half of the day went by quick, most students too tired to cause a ruckus. The high School President, Misaki was buried in work with her assistant and it was scorching inside the school.
Usui sat lazily in his desk at class 2-2, watching the clock turn. His class-work was already completed, and the bell to get out would ring in 9 more minutes… To end his boredom he would continuously convert the minutes left into seconds… And back again…
His thoughts scrambled, and he jumped a bit when the bell rang. He sighed, not negatively, but more like an anxious sigh.
The halls cleared within five minutes, Usui was alone in the cafeteria buying a pop when a familiar face approached him, a girl.
"Hi."
He jumped, startled.
"Uhh, Yo." He said grabbing his soda from the machine.
"We met at that café… I was wondering if you wanted to go somewhere else. A restaurant? " The girl stammered.
Misaki was alone, walking down the halls. She could hear Usui's conversation, but she was out of sight.
'Here we go, another rejection.' She thought, rolling her eyes and continuing her way.
"You know what, sure. I'll go." Usui said with newfound vigor. Misaki didn't seem love him, so he'd get his feet wet.
"R-Really?!" The girl said, eyes lighting up.
"Ehh, yeah." He said with just a hint of doubt left. 'Relax Usui, you made up your mind yesterday.' He couraged himself.
Misaki froze. Reality hit her.
'But he… He always says no to other girls. He loves me. ' She felt pangs of sorrow, and regret.
'Get a grip, Misaki. That guy is a creep.' The other side of her brain reinforced.
She shook her head, and walked home, trying to forget about it.
-That evening.-
Usui was dressed decently, nothing over the top. The new girl, who had introduced herself as Yoko, was in black dress, easy on the eyes. The dress had small gold stars that Usui couldn't help but love. Black and gold, two perfect colors together.
They sat in a window booth, eating quietly. Yoko was doing 99% of the talking, Usui intently listening. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't enjoy himself.
Misaki was on her way home from work, and saw Usui through the window. He didn't bare any expressions on his face… But she was ever so curious about his date.
"It's about time we went home… Would you like to do this again sometime?" She asked, gulping.
"I like your dress." He said ignoring the question.
"Silly, I asked a question! But thank you." She giggled, leaning forward pecking him on the cheek.
Usui felt nothing from the kiss. Why? He just wanted to enjoy himself. He couldn't.
"Sure." He said finally answering her question.
"Brilliant." She shot up, happy as ever, and bid him farewell.
Usui sat in the booth alone for some time, pondering.
"It was her. The damn dress, it reminded me of her.' An image of Misaki in her school uniform entered Usui's mind. The long black hair he longed to run his hands through, and the piercing, but welcoming amber, gold eyes.
"Love sucks." He mumbled in his folded arms. In time, hopefully he'd forget about her.
-Misaki's room.-
She dressed into her smallclothes, and prepared for bed. She turned the lamp out, and lay in silence. After a moment of clarity, a small sniffle emerged to kill the quiet. She powered the light back on, and frantically grabbed for the picture she had a few days ago. Her eyes forged tears that landed seamlessly onto the picture, further wearing it down.
"I'm sorry." Her voice attempted to comfort the small face of Usui in the picture, her plea unheard.
