[Chapter 2]

=Windy Comic Cafe=

Each step I set upon the concrete pavement beneath my favorite purple sneakers take me closer to Windy Comic Cafe. The walk down the streets was silent and tense, no words came for either of us. After traveling a few blocks away from Ionia Records, we arrived at the cafe and headed inside. As the glass door swung open a soft jingle sounded through the interior of the cafe, signaling to the staff that someone has entered the cafe. Soon after we entered we were greeted with a soothing voice, "Welcome to Windy, how may I serve you today?" said the beautiful red head which was currently serving tea to a table of two customers.

The girl was dressed in the cafe's uniform which consisted of a pair white knee high socks, a black skirt with red linings, a black tube and an unzipped red hoodie. She turned around to look at us once she had placed the beverages on the table, and noticed that it was just me and Saki. "Hey, Miya and Saki! You're back earlier than expected." she said joyfully. "Yo, Runa! It is cause Miya chickened out and ran~" replied Saki. I got mad and hit Saki's shoulder which earned me a laugh from her. "Aww, cute little Miya got shy didn't she?" teased Runa. I blushed because it was true but I was also mad that the both of them were teasing me.

I stomped across the cafe and sat down at a table near the corner next to the glass walls which allowed the sun's rays of light to illuminate the cafe, providing the readers with a good source of light to read their favorite books. Aki joined me and sat down in the chair to my right. Runa came over and asked us if we would like anything to drink or eat to which I ordered a Gum Drop Kitty Smoothie, Aki added in a Funky Chumps Shake for herself as well. Once we got settled, Saki unzipped her backpack and retrieved a stack of paper from a clear folder and her mint colored pencil case. I did the same as well, we always carry around our drawing supplies and regularly visit the cafe on our days off to grab a drink and continue working on our comics, it has become a routine of ours.

Some time after we started sketching, Runa returned with our beverages and set them on the table with an extra treat for us and notified us that it was on the house. The thought that Stellar probably told her to get us a plate of cookies just in case we got hungry made me giggle. The two of us said our thanks to the both of them and continued on with our drawing. After a few minutes, Saki spoke "You are the biggest chicken ever." I lifted my head up from the papers and replied "I know, I wish that I was relatively more brave." Saki shoke her head and said "Well, its over now. Just got to move on." She was right, I have already written my feelings for Ahri in the letter and had given it to her. There was nothing else I could do but hope that she reads my letter.

We sat there in the cafe drawing and talking about stories and discussing about characters that we were gonna be placing in our comics. The soft instrumental music playing throughout the cafe made the atmosphere tranquil and soothing. After what seemed to be hours of sketching and lining, we had finished our drinks and a there were only tiny cookie crumbs left on the plate. Saki suggested that we should get a meal and take a break before continuing on our comics. After we decided on what we wanted to eat, she stood up and went towards the area where the drinks were made and started to whip up more drinks for us. At the same time, I made my way to the kitchen to tell Stellar that we wanted a Crunch Steak and some Prime Puffs. Stellar was not only the owner but also the head chef of the cafe and she makes the absolutely most amazing and tastiest food, ever. She told me the food will be done in 30 minutes, and started on preparing the steak whilst putting the dough in the oven to bake the puffs.

I returned to the table to find Mika with a pot of tea for us, it was the cafe's specialty. A hot pot of Lolly Lillies Tea and two cups filled with the delicious tea for the both of use to enjoy. Taking a sip of my tea while I glance over the plot of my comic's story made me realize many mistakes. As I picked up my pen to change them, Mika grabbed my hand and told me to look at the entrance to the cafe. I turned my gaze from the papers on the table to the door and my eyes went wide. I could not believe what I saw before me...

Many of Ahri's fans that gathered around the Ionia Records Building were frantically trying to get into the building in hopes of getting a glance or a chance to meet the pop star. But Ahri had already left the building using the underground parking lot as a safe escape route since the guards only allowed authorized personal to enter. No one saw her leave besides the guards which bid her farewell and a good evening. Ahri made sure to dress in a concealing manner to hide herself from her fans out in public. She wore a pair of sunglasses with a red baseball cap, a grey tank top, blue skinny jeans, black sneakers and a red baseball jacket to match her cap.

Once Ahri was a safe distance away from the horde of fans, she started to think of the possible places to find that girl. She knew that the girl had ran away in embarrassment so she would not want to hang around the building after what had happened. Ahri walked around the area and checked the places that teenage girls would most likely spend their time at. To no avail, her efforts seemed to be meaningless as she was unable to find the girl. Although she was worn, Ahri did not give up. She continued checking the various shops and cafes that were lined along the streets. Ahri started to get extremely exhausted, but she was still persistent with the search and she continued the hunt.

As time seemingly passes by, her feet were sore and aching after walking up and down many busy streets of the city. Hope seem to fade from Ahri's topaz eyes, as the hours pass on, only until she stumbled upon a particular cafe. It was a new cafe that had its grand opening three months ago, she had been meaning to visit the cafe but her schedule did not allow her the free time to. Ahri thought that maybe the girl would be relaxing inside the brand-new cafe and now was additionally a good occasion to check out the cafe and maybe get a nice drink and a hot meal while she was there.

Gentle hands grabbed the handle of the glass door and slowly pushed it open. The tiny bells rung and the staff on duty welcomed her with a warm smile. The waitress guided Ahri to a table next to the glass walls and handed her the menu. Ahri looked through the various choices in the menu and can't help but stifle a giggle as she read through the names of the dishes and beverages. They were very charming and creative, she liked it very much. The cafe was not what Ahri imagined it to be, it was more unique than any of the other cafes in the city. She made note that she must visit the cafe again on her free time. After she placed her order for a Cure Color Smoothie and a Munch Bunch Steak and thanked the waitress, her eyes started to wander around the cafe. Unbeknownst to her that someone was caught in a daze looking at her.

The interior was very adorable and classy, complementing it was the faint instrumental music being played throughout the cafe which made her feel relaxed and worry free. She too noticed that the waitresses wore very cute uniforms and were exceptionally nice to the customers, and decided to give the cafe a good rating. Soon Ahri was lost in her thoughts on how much she loved this cafe, she imagined herself on her next visit, sitting in the same spot unwinding whilst feasting her eyes upon superb literature. The waitress returned with the smoothie she ordered, eagerly Ahri took a sip of the drink, the assorted flavors exploded in her mouth. The drink tasted like a heavenly rainbow, delectable flavors tingled her taste buds and Ahri felt that this was the best smoothie she ever had. It was not too sweet for her taste buds to handle, contently she continued to enjoy her yummy smoothie with a satisfied smile.

At the time that Ahri was consuming her exquisite beverage, she found herself looking at the girl she was frantically searching for an abounding amount of hours. Sitting straight across from Ahri was a captivating teenage girl that was also staring back at her. Ahri was overjoyed to have found her in this lovely cafe, quickly she stood up and made her way over to the sweet girl that had given her the affectionate love letter.