"Motoki-san!"
"Good afternoon Usagi-chan," Motoki smiled as a bubbly young girl skipped into Crown. As she skipped, many people turned to smile their greetings also; it was wonderful that someone so young could have such a positive effect on people.
"What can I get for you today?"
"Usual please," Usagi replied batting her eyelashes. Motoki laughed and started to prepare her milkshake. He heard Usagi humming to herself as he made it, and soon the sounds of a bell interrupted the lovely sound. Motoki didn't even have to turn around.
"Afternoon Mamoru," he called.
"How did you know?" Mamoru replied, settling into a stool. Motoki put Usagi's milkshake in front of her.
"I could feel the sparks the minute you walked through the door." Before he could answer, the phone rang. Motoki rushed out the back to answer it. He returned to an unpleasant, yet sadly not unfamiliar scene.
"You are so… aggravating, and disgusting and infuriating and revolting, and that's just your personality you JERK!"
Mamoru grinned slyly and leaned in close, so their noses were almost touching. The two men could both see the repulsed look on Usa's face, but she said nothing.
"My, my, have we swallowed a dictionary Odango Atama?" Usagi still remained silent. "With grades like yours I couldn't see any other explanation." He leaned further, about to go in for the killer comment.
"Can your mindless, hollow airhead define any of those large words Odango?" Motoki waited for the outburst. It did not come in the form of a comeback, as he expected.
*SMACK*
Motoki winced, and so did several onlookers. Still Usagi said nothing. Her face remained expressionless, for someone who was always bright and smiling, this new look was somewhat frightening. Her eyes seethed with fury, but also, they shone with pain. This was mirrored in Mamoru's eyes, but in a different way.
Motoki bowed his head. It was clear that Mamoru had crossed a serious line. "Right,." he said. "Right. Let's just calm down, and look past it and-"
"She smacked me!"
"You hurt her feelings!"
"She started it!"
"Oh that's very mature. How old are you?"
"Right! That's it!" Motoki shouted. "You! Sit on that side of the counter! Usagi! On that side." The two grumbled and sidled over to their respective sides. "Maybe now I can get some peace," he muttered.
To Motoki's despair and utter frustration, the fighting did not cease. Faces were pulled, bitter insults were mouthed at one another. Every so often, paper aeroplane napkins with taunts and teases were passed back and forth. It was only when a plastic spoon hit Motoki in the back of the neck that he decided enough was enough.
"RIGHT!" He shouted, slamming a fist onto the counter. Ignoring the baffled looks from those around him, he focused his full attention on the "if-only-they-would-admit-it" couple in front of him. "Am I really going to have to write a rota for the times you two can come in, so I don't have to put up with this?"
He sighed resignedly and put his head in his hands. "Look," he began, "You two are my closest friends, can you please just try and not argue for five minutes? That's all I ask!"
"Sorry Motoki, we'll try," came the pathetic mumblings of the couple in question.
Motoki sighed again. "Thank you Mamoru, Usagi-chan." Smiling for the first time in hours, he started wiping down the counter.
"Odango started it though…"
"DON'T CALL ME THAT STUPID NAME!!"
