Continuation of that blind!Haruki au, which might even continue for a long while, aha

edit: cheers, fixed up that odd sentence. This is what you get for updating when sick I suppose.

The third time Haruki visited the cafe after the rainy day was just over a week later, and it was a pleasant day outside. She nursed a caramel latte in her hand.

It had been a busy week, so Haruki hadn't had the time to come and sit, and listen, and drink. But now it was much calmer outside, and here she was, drinking, listening, in silence.

Well, not perfect silence.

"Good morning!" Haru's voice entered Haruki's ears, because nothing was beyond her hearing. She knew at once it was Haru's voice. It was sweet, light, youthful... Yes, it was sweet. But Haruki was used to it, and it didn't make her heart flutter.

"Good morning," Haruki replied, carefree, and turned towards the sound where she though Haru would be. There was no correction, so she must have gotten it close. Then Haru must have moved, because suddenly her voice was coming from the opposite seat. Haruki adjusted accordingly.

"How're you today, Haruki-chan?" Haru's cheerful voice carried across the soft murmur of the cafe with ease. Haruki imagined there was a smile on the smaller girl's face.

What did a smile look like?

It was a simple motion, a pulling back of lips, so she'd been told. Haruki smiled, and, with a gentle press of the finger, felt the contour of her mouth. Haru said nothing, polite as always.

"Pretty good, thanks," Haruki said, at last, and could feel the nod and gentle smile from across the table. There was another comfortable silence as Haruki took a sip of her latte. The drink was cooling. Perhaps she had waited too long. Ah,well, the sweetness was still there. No matter how long Haruki waited, it was still sweet.

"Alright, Haruki-chan?" Haru was saying, when Haruki tuned back in. "You sit here a lot... Are you waiting for someone, maybe?"

Haruki smiled, into her cup which was now only a little bit less full than before.

"You could say that."

"Ah, Haruki-chan! Who could it be that you're waiting for? Haru is curious!" Haru's voice was rising in pitch as she got worked up, and Haruki found it endearing, really. The girl was like a child, both in voice and, probably, everything else. And though Haruki was fine with these kind of inferences, she wished, just a little bit, that she'd been born as lucky as everyone else.

"I don't know yet," Haruki sighed wistfully. She leaned back in her chair, allowing caramel scented perfume to enter her nostrils. She wished she could see Haru as she leaned closer, a little dramatically. "Not yet."

"Oh, how mysterious of you, Haruki-chan," Haru gasped, causing Haruki to laugh a little. Mysterious? Not so much. Haruki would rather have called herself hopeful. She was always hoping. Hoping that one day, she might be free of her bandages and walking stick. Hoping that one day she might hope again.

Hoping that one day, she might hear that sweet, sweet, caramel voice.

"Ichinose." Azuma, now. Azuma Tokaku. Haruki could tell that stern voice apart from all the other workers at the cafe, and of all the workers, Azuma was the only one who would address Haru by her last name. "Your shift starts now. Dress up."

As usual, Tokaku spoke with a terse, almost relenting voice, and Haruki imagined she was walking away by this point, because her footsteps were never, ever audible. It gave Haruki chills.

"Oh dear, sorry, Haruki-chan, I have to go. I'll talk to you afterwards...?" Haru was probably already up and moving to follow Tokaku's call (man was she whipped) when Haruki signalled a yes with a small little nod.

"I'd like that."

And then it was silent again. Haruki paused, sipped, fumbled at her bandages. Sometimes, her face stung as if it missed being able to see, even if Haruki had been born blind as a bat. What a curse. What a burden.

Her latte had just about been finished, for she was never one to waste food, even if it had gone cold, when the door opened again. Normally, Haruki would have paid it no mind, but something was familiar. Something familiar which was currently making an order for a familiar drink.

A voice as sweet as caramel latte.