AN: Don't ask how I managed to update this faster than my Negitoro-I don't know the answer myself either, lol. But here it is, the second chapter of this cafe AU. I'm thankful for all the people that took the time to review, favorite, and follow this story. I'm glad you enjoyed it, just as much as I enjoyed writing it. It makes me feel fuzzy and warm inside. Thank my dudes.
Ciao. c:
Honoka stared at the sheet in front of her. Her eyebrows were knitted together with the string of concentration, and her lower lip jutted out as she stared at it with narrowed blue eyes.
"Honoka, I got you your—are you actually studying?"
The surprised voice behind her caused Honoka to arch her neck over the back of the bench she sat on. The upside figure of a wide-eyed Sonoda Umi holding a plastic bag in her hand greeted the orange-haired girl.
"Ah! You got the bread!" Honoka exclaimed as she straightened herself out and turned around. She reached out to grab it, but the blue-haired girl snatched it away from her grasp. Honoka gave her friend a pout. "What's the big—"
"Can you explain that, please?" Umi asked, pointing at the crinkled piece of paper in Honoka's hand.
"Oh this?" The orange-haired girl looked at her own hand and showed the paper to her friend, her eyes poking over the edge. "It's a job application."
Umi gave a sigh and shook her head, her face the epitome of disapproval and disappointment. "I knew you failed the test last week—wait, what?"
Honoka tilted her head to the side as she watched her friend's face morph into a shocked expression once more. In the back of her head, the orange-haired girl noted that she never saw Umi this effusive in a long time. "What, what?"
"You're planning on getting a job?" Umi asked; she was completely astounded with this development, and Honoka honestly had no idea why.
"Is...that a problem?"
The blue-haired girl frowned and looked off to the side, looking unsure. "Not...really."
Honoka mimicked her friend's expression. "If it's about your guess being wrong, I also failed last week's test too if that makes you feel better."
Umi looked at Honoka with an indignant expression. "That's not it at all!"
"Then what?"
"I'm just," the blue-haired girl softened her face into an awkward smile, "a little surprised."
Honoka furrowed eyebrows. "About me getting a job?" She couldn't help the slightly offended tone in her voice—Umi always had a tendency to underestimate her, and despite knowing each other for years, there was always a little sting that she felt whenever Umi voiced her honest thoughts about anything Honoka did.
But Umi was a smart person, and when she heard the edge in her friend's voice, she relaxed into a much more friendly expression as she made her way to sit next to her friend.
"Yes. I mean, it's just...I never would have expected it, really." She said with a shrug, finally allowing Honoka to dig through the plastic bag in search of her bread.
The orange-haired girl let out an excited gasp when she found the treasure trove underneath all the salads and various healthy foods Umi purchased for herself. Honoka pulled out the bread and ripped the packaging open.
"Ish it weawy dat mush ofh a shurprish?" Honoka asked as she sank her teeth into the bread. Red-bean paste filled her mouth, the overly-familiar taste of sugar soothing her insatiable sweet tooth to an extent. A sudden craving for coffee hit her hard, and she regretted waking up late...again.
Umi raised an eyebrow, a gesture that reminded Honoka of a certain blonde-haired woman in a certain cafe. "Can you repeat that in a language I can understand, please?"
Honoka took a moment to clear her mouth of food before speaking. "I said, 'Is it really that much of a surprise?'"
"Kind of. I mean, you're not in a club so I just assumed that you weren't interested in any sort of...outside school activity."
The orange-haired tilted her head, taking another bite of her bread. "If meanfh i fhesush. Clubsh dufn weawy getf my attefnetion."
Umi glowered at her.
Honoka gave a toothy, red-bean-paste-colored grin before swallowing. "'I mean I guess,' I said, 'Clubs don't really get my attention.'"
The blue-haired girl took out her salad from the plastic bag and rested it on her lap, staring at it confusedly. "But I thought you like trying new things."
"Yeah, I do. But if I keep doing the same thing over and over again then it gets old, and the enjoyment I felt the first time doesn't feel so fulfilling, you know?"
"Won't it be the same with a job, though?" Umi asked, turning her confused gaze up to Honoka.
"But it's different!"
"Enlighten me, please."
"Because you get to experience new things everyday! You don't know who'll pop in through the door—like, what if it's someone you know or don't know; or maybe it's going to be someone famous or not. Hell, it could even be your own mom! There's just...something, some sense of adventure, Umi-chan!" Honoka explained, her eyes glimmering in the sunlight. Her aura was oozing with exuberance, and an unbridled fervor caused Umi to scoot down farther away from her.
"But isn't that the same thing as joining a club?" The blue-haired girl asked, narrowing her eyes dubiously.
Honoka made a noise that was caught between a scoff and a laugh. "Not really. I mean, it's better than standing around shooting arrows all the time—"
"Hey!" Umi exclaimed, looking more than a little disgruntled, "Archery isn't just standing and shooting. There's discipline and—"
"Are you two arguing again?"
Honoka looked over her friend's shoulder to see a familiar face. She grinned, especially when she saw the tuft of hair that reminded her of a bird's wing.
"Kotori-chan!" Honoka exclaimed as she threw her arms up in excitement. "What are you doing here?"
"I thought you had your internship today?" Umi asked.
"I was supposed to," Kotori began as she took her place in between Honoka and Umi, "but Boss told me that I didn't need to go today since they had enough for the day. Plus she doesn't want me missing school—she always refrains from calling me in unless it's super important."
"What was the situation?" Honoka asked before taking another bite of her bread. Beyond Kotori, she saw Umi give her a thankful smile.
"We had to finish several dresses for an important client, and one of the members of the design team had gone sick. Boss was freaking out over it, since we've been short lately, but the original member managed to make it on the last minute." The gray-haired girl tittered, leaning her back against the bench so that she slouched just a little. "It's been so...hectic."
"I bet," Umi said as she finally decided to rip off the plastic over her salad bowl, "It must be tough working for a fashion company."
Kotori nodded and sighed, but a small smile grew on her face. Honoka scrutinized her carefully, noting the tired but passionate glaze in Kotori's amber eyes.
For as long as Honoka remembered, both Umi and Kotori were always dedicated people to their craft: the blue-haired girl had an exceptional talent for archery that she discovered during their middle school days, while the other always knew that fashion was her calling the moment she saw her first designer dress.
Honoka, however, still hadn't found such passion...unless you counted her love for coffee.
The orange-haired girl looked at her hand, where she held her bread and the crumpled job application for Muse.
Kotori seemed to notice this, and tried her best to wrench the paper from Honoka's grasp without tearing it. She succeeded...for the most part; a rip almost cut off a corner from the rest.
"Is this a job application?" The gray-haired girl asked, looking at it with curiosity.
Honoka gave a shaky laugh. "Yeah, I was planning on working at a cafe named Muse."
"Muse?" Umi asked, shooting the orange-haired girl a look.
"Yeah. It's a cafe that's been around for a while apparently, but never busy."
The blue-haired girl gave a frown. "Where's it located?"
"Across from A-RISE."
Kotori looked up from the application and Umi made a small noise in her throat, one that was a cross between a cough and a gasp.
"Well, it's no wonder that it has no business," Kotori said, "The place has been probably been overlooked ever since A-RISE opened."
Honoka shrugged and sighed as she shoulders sank. Her blue eyes stared at her half-eaten bread gloomily; somewhere along their conversation, she lost her appetite. "I don't really know the details behind it, but apparently they're closing down.," she said as she set the bread aside.
Umi, who had busied herself with her salad, stopped herself so that a piece of lettuce was dangling precariously off of her fork. "If they're closing down, then why are you going to getting a job there? Wouldn't it be a waste of time—"
"No it won't!" Honoka exploded, standing up from the bench. Her sudden burst of energy startled her two friends: Kotori jumped in her seat, and Umi winced just enough to send the piece of ranch-covered lettuce on a one-way trip to the floor.
"What do you mean?" The gray-haired girl asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Because I'm going to help save it!" The orange-haired girl declared as she puffed out her chest.
"But…" Umi exchanged glances with Kotori, "why?"
"Because...because…" Honoka frowned and scratched her head, "I don't know, there's just something about it. It's so charming, and the food is so delicious and the drinks are amazing, and it really is such a great place and—"
"Honoka, breathe."
She took a breath and exhaled slowly before continuing. "I don't know Umi-chan, there's just something about it. There's just so much...potential for it to be such a fun and exciting place! I just hate watching it fade without it having a chance to shine, you know? And there's so many people that spend so much time just to keep it barely alive…." Honoka looked off to the side as an image of Eli popped into her head.
"Honoka-chan—"
"But!" The orange-haired girl looked at her two friends, her blue eyes burning with an intense fervor and exuberance. "That's why I want to help! To show people that even the most simplest of things can be amazing and great if you just give it a chance!" Honoka reached out to grab the application from Kotori's hands. "And that's why I want to help this cafe. Because it's simply amazing." She finished on a much softer note.
"You're really serious about this, aren't you?" Umi asked quietly.
A smile, one that can almost be described as sad, came across Honoka's face.
"I really am."
-x-
"I can't believe she's serious."
Nozomi looked over Eli's shoulder. A red-bean-paste stained, wrinkled, and ripped job application was in the blonde's hands. It was, to say the least, a horrid mess to look at; even the handwriting was written in an indecipherable scrawl. But after much squinting and trial and error, Nozomi was able to make out a name.
"Kousaka Honoka?" She asked.
Eli screamed and nearly fell off her chair. She managed to catch herself before she touched the floor, then quickly whipped around to face Nozomi with a deep scowl. Her irritated blue eyes managed to shine for the first time in a while, the purple-haired woman noticed.
"W-when did you get here?" Eli demanded, her cheeks and ears turning bright red. Nozomi smiled endearingly at the sight—she always had a soft spot for Eli.
"When you started talking to yourself again."
The blonde's face turned impossibly redder. "Why are you here."
"Isn't it my shift now, my dear?" Nozomi smiled just a little larger and took the spot next to the blonde. With every movement, she could feel Eli's eyes piercing her. Nozomi, however, was not perturbed at all and simply returned it with a steady gaze.
"Your shift is tomorrow."
Nozomi shrugged and shook her head. "Minor details."
Eli sighed and readjusted herself so that she was looking at the application once more. She said nothing, but Nozomi was able to see the plethora of emotions building up in Eli's eyes.
"Aren't you happy?" Nozomi asked, "It's our first application in ages."
"She said she wanted to help save the cafe," Eli said, leaning back against the plastic chair she was sitting on. The pathetic thing creaked under her; Nozomi bit back her tongue and a witty remark about the blonde's weight.
"Isn't that a good thing?" The purple-haired girl asked as she mimicked Eli's posture.
"It is, but…."
"You want to save this thing by yourself, don't you?" Nozomi concluded.
Eli said nothing. She didn't have to—Nozomi took the words right out of her mouth, and they both knew it. That was how their relationship worked most of the time: the blonde would stay stubbornly mute while the other would figure everything out just by a simple glance. It was one of the guilty pleasures Nozomi relished in her relationship with the blonde.
"You know that's impossible, right?" The purple-haired woman pointed out softly.
Eli looked at her with a tempestuous look that was a cross between anger and distress. Nozomi noticed that the blonde's bags under her eyes had gotten darker. She sighed—Eli spent too much time worrying.
"But still—"
Nozomi sat up and placed a finger on the blonde's lips. "I know you want to save this place just as much as Nico and me, and I know that you know we can't do it alone."
Eli said nothing but the angry storm in her eyes dissipated.
"Please, Elichi," Nozomi begged as she gathered the blonde's face into her cold hands. The purple-haired woman had the impression she was holding a ball of flame in her palms—Eli's red cheeks completed the picture perfectly.
The hardened resolve in the blonde's eyes was beginning to chip away.
Nozomi smiled and moved closer so that she was leaning her forehead against Eli's. A light pressure pushed back on her too.
"You always make it hard to say no," Eli admitted with a sigh. The purple-haired woman laughed and inched in closer, so that the tips of their noses brushed against one another.
"But I know you still love me," Nozomi mumbled as she tilted her head to the side.
Eli replied by closing the distance between them.
Nozomi felt herself growing light-headed, and her heart began to sprint in her chest. She never understood why she still got like this, even after the countless nights and kisses they've shared together. But, here she was, closed-eyed and burning red., that fuzzy sensation she felt when she first met Eli rampaging in her gut.
God, she felt like a highschooler again.
The sound of the door slamming closed shocked the both of them. Quickly, they pulled apart, but Nozomi's teeth accidentally grazed against Eli's lip—painfully. The blonde let out a squeaky yelp and covered her mouth with her hand, glaring at Nozomi with teary eyes before whipping around to see who dared to interrupt them.
"You guys can't keep it in your pants, can't you?" The tiny newcomer said in a smug drawl. Her red eyes glimmered with mischief.
Even though her voice was muffled, Nozomi was still able to hear the clear venom in her lover's voice.
"Shut up, Nico."
-x-
Honoka wanted to barf.
She sat in front of Eli—who happened to be Muse's manager as well, apparently—in one of the many tables in the cafe. Honoka looked around, her blue eyes drifting here and there, looking anywhere that wasn't in Eli's direction. As she bounced her knee up and down, she noticed that Muse was in a state of unrest as well: the constant drip, drip, of the faucet, the very faint playing of music coming from the back, the scritching of Eli's pencil against the almost-destroyed application, the occasional unexplained creaking of wood. The uneasy peace of the cafe caused Honoka's knee to move even faster.
Light coughing prompted her to stop abruptly.
"Thank you," Eli mumbled as she continued to mark Honoka's application dutifully.
The orange-haired girl began to tap her foot instead.
God, she was so nervous—
"Honoka."
"Y-yes!" She squeaked, sitting up instantly and halting almost all movement. The only thing that kept going was her rampaging heart ready to explode at any given moment—
"I'm going to go to the back to discuss this with the assistant manager," Eli said as she rose from her chair. The sound of wood screeching against wood clawed at Honoka's ears and put her even more on edge.
"Y-yeah, s-sure," she said with a shaky smile, "G-go ahead."
The blonde raised an eyebrow; it looked like she was about to say something, but in the end she decided against it and made her way to the back.
The door thudded closed.
And Honoka was all alone in the cafe.
Before she could spiral down into the pits of her anxiety and bile, Honoka's phone vibrated in her pocket. She took it out and stared at the screen.
It was from Kotori.
How's the interview?
Honoka quickly unlocked her phone and typed her reply, her thumbs flying across the screen.
I'M SO NEROVIUS HEOLP ME S
Umi's name popped up on her screen, along with three dots.
Wow, even when she's not eating I still can't understand her.
Even if it was at her own expense, the orange-haired girl managed to crack a smile and a choked laugh. She could feel herself starting to calm ever so slightly.
Umi-chan, be nice to Honoka-chan! Kotori replied.
Umi replied with a funny looking emoticon.
And Honoka-chan, don't worry about the interview. Even if you don't get the job, we'll still be here to support you and help you make amuse successful!
Yeah, Honoka, what Kotori said. You know we have your back. So buck up and shoot for the gold!
The orange-haired girl snorted at the blue-haired girl's text.
Was that an archery joke, Umi-chan? She asked.
Shut up.
Honoka laughed as she imagined Umi's voice in her mind. At this point, the butterflies in her stomach had all fled, and her nervous energy converted into a lax peace. She sighed through her nose, staring fondly at her screen.
Thank you, both of you. I don't know what I would do without you two.
Kotori's reply was swift and brief.
I love you, Honoka-chan.
Umi's was just as quick.
Same here, Honoka.
A sudden rush of emotion welled in her eyes, and the orange-haired girl cleared her throat as she typed.
I love the both of you too.
"Kousaka Honoka?"
Honoka looked up. A woman with purple pigtails and a voluptuous chest was smiling at her with closed eyes.
"Y-yes?" The girl stuttered, feeling her nerves getting the best of her again. She took a breath to calm herself, remembering her friends' words. "What is it?"
The woman's smile grew even larger. "I'm Toujou Nozomi, the assistant manager. And I have big news for you."
-x-
Eli looked up when she heard Nozomi enter the room. The other woman still had the same exact smile she left the break room with.
In the distance, two bells ringing signaled Honoka's departure.
"So," Eli began, "how'd she take it?"
"Surprisingly well."
"Find that hard to believe, honestly."
The blonde sighed and shook her head, watching as Nozomi walked over to take the seat next to her. "I don't understand why you had to do it. What difference does it make if I say it? The news will still be the same."
The purple-haired woman laughed heartily and rested her head on the blonde's shoulder. Eli buried her nose into Nozomi's hair; the comforting smell of lilies soothed her.
"At least she had an idea of what her other co-worker is going to be like," Nozomi said as she took a deep breath. "She's interesting, isn't she?"
The sound of muffled, yet victorious screams and yelling coming from outside filled the quiet break room. There was a beat of silence, and the women broke into a fit of giggles.
"She really is, huh?" Eli mumbled.