“Ah~ Welcome! You’ve come here three times to this week!” Chisato welcomed a female customer who seemed to be around her early twenties. The female blushed at Chisato who only held her hands in joy. “A seat for one person~!” The female followed Chisato as she directed her to a seat.
The door chimed again and Chisato looked towards it in anticipation. “Welcome~ A first timer?” She smiled brightly at the young woman who meekly answered in affirmation. “Another seat for one person~ Welcome to Cafe LycoReco! Are you here for our on-going promotions? For coffee? What do you do for work?”
“Chisato. Stop chatting the customer and let them choose their order on their own. Bring this to table five.” Mika called from behind the counter and placed a plate onto a tray.
“Fiiiine.” Chisato pouted at Mika and smiled at the new customer before leaving.
“Was Chisato always this way?” Takina spoke as she asked Mizuki who just finished putting down another plate of a sweets order.
“What way? A weirdo? You bet she is.” Mizuki raised an eyebrow as she and Takina watched Chisato go around the tables, chatting with customers, new customers and old alike.
“No, I mean, that.” Takina directed her gaze at Chisato and the recent female regular who kept on blushing at everything Chisato tells her. “Um… Close? To people?”
“Ah… Yeah. She is. I guess you could say she has no sense of personal space.” Mizuki shrugged and went back to the kitchen to prepare more orders after taking order receipts.
…That’s true. Takina blinked and picked up the plate Mizuki had just set a while ago and went to deliver it. “Maybe I’m just overthinking things.”
It started a week ago. It was a regular day at the cafe when suddenly there was a fuss over about someone who had suddenly given Chisato a letter. Takina happened to see the commotion from near the counter, but it seemed like Chisato turned it down on the spot.
Ever since that day, Takina had started to have some irregular thoughts about other people and Chisato and every single one of those thoughts always gave her an odd feeling in her chest. One thing she has never experienced before. Feeling turmoil and uneasiness, not knowing what to do about if, she chose to try and ignore it but as time passed by it seemed to only grow bigger, apparent.
“Takina?” Chisato’s face suddenly popped in front of Takina.
“Kyaah!” Takina took a few steps backward startled, her hips hitting the counter quite hard. “Ah… Ow…”
“Are you okay? Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you. You looked a bit out of it.” Chisato blinked wrapping an arm around Takina’s shoulders to assist her. “Here, sit down.”
“Ah, no. I’ll be fine.” Takina took a few steps away from Chisato’s touch. “Is something the matter?”
“No, like I said, you seemed a little out of it. Did something happen?” Chisato blinked at her, eyebrows furrowed.
You, happened. Takina only stared at her back before turning away swiftly. “It’s nothing. I’m sorry to have worried you.”
“Ehhh? Takinaaaa. That’s so cold~! Tell me~”
“No. As I’ve said, it’s nothing. Please do not worry about it.”
“Takina…” Chisato watched her in worry, in the corner of her eyes she noticed a customer raise their hand for attention. “I’ll–“
“Yes, how may I help you? The check? Understood. Please wait a moment.” Takina immediately turned her attention to the customer and completely ignored Chisato.
Chisato watched her the whole time and wondered if she had done something wrong. She considered that maybe this was just one of those days where Takina was a bit irritable, but then, her behavior changed as days passed by, and she seemed to have started to ignore Chisato.
Once the door to the cafe opens, before Chisato could move to greet the new customer, Takina was immediately already onto the door. Left with the duties of delivering orders to people’s tables, Chisato thought that maybe Takina had just suddenly awoken to the joys of customer service and started being more forward with how she dealt with their regulars, but whenever their eyes would meet Takina would shun her with a ‘hmph’ and turn away.
“It was cute! That pouty angry face is so cute! Sure… It’s so cute! But…” Chisato sat in a chair of the cafe as Kurumi continued playing her VR game next to her. She placed a finger under her chin as she stared at the table. “…What did I do wrong?”
“What are you talking about?” Kurumi removed her VR goggles and looked at her. “Chisato?”
“NGggggghhhh. Takina… What did I do?” Chisato slammed her hands onto the table, surprising Kurumi who almost fell from her chair. “Ah, Kurumiiii. What do you think?”
“What do you mean ‘What do I think?’ I have no idea what the heck you’re talking about if you don’t start talking.” Kurumi sighed and paused her game. “I’m sure I won’t be of help in anything but I’ll at least listen to you.”
“Don’t you think Takina’s been so cold to me lately?” Chisato stretched her arms forward the table and rested her face on them with a pouty face. “Last week, she was all, ‘I’ll do the accounting!’ and all ‘The cafe is important to you, right?’ and then now she’s back to ignoring me like some cold moody cat…”
Well, cold moody cat sure sums her up. Kurumi only raised an eyebrow with a sigh. “Now that you mentioned it, she does seem a bit more distant with you lately. Did you cheat on her or sometimes?”
“Cheat on her?! What blasphemous blasphemy of all blasphemous blasphemy are you talking about?!” Chisato glared at Kurumi who only laughed devilishly at her. “I would never!”
“Sure? But aren’t you the type of person whose distance with others isn’t restrained?” Kurumi shrugged.
“Speak English so I understand!” Chisato slammed a hand onto the table and leaned forward towards Kurumi.
“Like I said, you’re overly too familiar with people.” Kurumi moved away as Chisato’s face moved closer and closer towards her’s. “Just like that what you’re doing now, right, Takina?” She turned towards the back room door and Takina stood there looking at them, in a foul mood, as she was lately.
“Ahh! Takina!” Chisato almost fell over the table from too much leaning forward. “Wait! Waitwaitwaitwaitwait!” She chased after the black haired woman who just went back the door she came from.
Kurumi just shrugged and put back her VR goggles and started playing her game again.
“Why did you go back inside?” Chisato closed the door behind her as she chased Takina all the way to the changing room. “Didn’t you just finish changing?”
“…There was no particular reason. I did not want to see your face.” Takina spoke without turning to look at her.
“E- Ehh…?” Chisato tried to grab her arm but Takina avoided it. “…Why not?”
“I couldn’t take seeing you make a face like that.”
“A what face?”
“A hurt and sad face…” Takina slightly turned to look at her sideways. “…I think that a smile suits you more.”
“Eh? Ah, Mm. Thank you.” Chisato blushed at the sudden hit of honesty. “But… Takina, did I do something wrong? Please talk to me.”
“…I will talk if you let me stay in your house today.” Takina stared at the floor, her cheeks flushed pink.
“O- Ou. Okay. Let’s go?”
Takina nodded and followed Chisato outside. “We’re going home now~”
“Ou~ Good work~” Kurumi raised a hand at them and the door chimed as it closed.
Takina and Chisato sat side by side in the living room of safe house no. 1. No one moving, only the silence of each breathe taken, and the occasionally passing by cars, bicycles, people.
“…I can put some coffee? Tea?” Chisato broke the silence as she turned to Takina, and almost at the same moment Takina turned to face her.
“…I’ve been feeling weird lately.” Takina turned to look at Chisato. “I have no idea what to call these feelings. It’s ugly, complicated. I don’t understand it, and I don’t like it.”
Chisato nodded.
“At first I thought maybe there was just something that I ate that was weird, but the uneasy feeling here,” She placed a hand onto her chest. “Didn’t disappear. Whenever I see you interact with people, when you hold other people’s hands. When you smile at them with your bright smile, the feeling just grows worse and worse.”
“Ah- Ahh… Oh… Oh?” Chisato blinked rapidly as she stared at Takina who was only looking at the space in the couch in between the two of them. “…Hm?”
“And then, I started to not like seeing you talk with other people… So I… Chisato?” Takina looked up at the other girl who was only staring at her with a big smile. “…I feel like I’m not gonna like what’s going to come out of your mouth right now.”
“Taaaakinaaaaaaa.” Chisato breathed a sigh of relief. “I’m glad you aren’t angry at me.”
“What do you mean?” Takina looked at her, skeptical.
“That feeling’s called ‘Jealousy’, Takina-san.” Chisato winked at her followed by snapping her fingers and pointing at her with a finger gun.
“Jea…?” Takina blinked as she considered it for a minute. “Jealous…? Me? Being jealous meant showing or feeling an envious resentment of someone or their achievements, possessions… or on suspicion that one’s partner is attracted to or involved with someone else… Being fiercely protective of one’s rights or possessions…”
“Whoa.” Chisato moved back from Takina who suddenly flipped over the opposite side, both hands on her lap. “Takina? Takina-san?”
“…Please don’t look at me. I am extremely embarrassed.” Takina closed her eyes. “…What have I…? How am I…? Why did I…? I need to apologize to the regulars tomorrow, to Mizuki-san, and everyone to whom I’ve caused trouble with…”
“…But what about me?” Chisato sat closer to Takina as she wrapped her arms around Takina’s suddenly rigid body. “…Do I not get anything?”
“…I will think about it.” Takina sighed as she resigned to the relaxing warmth on her back. “I still think that all of this is all your fault.”
“Me? Ehhh? Why…?” Chisato rested her chin onto Takina’s shoulder as she nuzzled her head onto the crook of her neck. “…Please tell me what it is, and I will do my all to correct my behavior.”
“…I don’t want you to correct your behavior, as to Mizuki-san said that you have always been this way, even way before I came here.” Takina turned to face Chisato and leaned her cheeks onto her head. “Maybe… If you could give me the same amount of…attention… too…”
“Hm? What did you say?” Chisato lifted up her head and looked at Takina.
“…Never mind.” Takina looked away from where Chisato’s head was at. “It’s fine. I will apologize to everyone I have bothered the past few days because of this, jea… jealousy…”
“Then that means I just have to give more of my attention to you, right?” Chisato smiled as she grinned at Takina.
“So you did hear it after all.” Takina turned to look at her only to be met with warm soft lips on her own. She closed her eyes to take in the softness of Chisato’s lips as she felt her body being turned. “Chisa…” They parted a moment for air only to find her lips sealed once again.
Takina opened her eyes only to be met by brightly colored red ones who looked at her like she was the most important thing in the world. She raised her arms and wrapped them around Chisato’s head as she pulled onto her closer.
“Chisato…”
“I thought I really did something bad, that made you angry. I’m sorry I made you jealous. I’ll do my best to be better.” Chisato buried her face onto Takina’s chest. “…Your heart’s beating so fast.”
Get kissed like that, anyone would be the same… “Idiot…” Takina lightly smacked the back of Chisato’s head. “I’m sorry too… for not talking to you about this earlier. I will… do my best.”
“Say, Takina.” Chisato lifted her head up from Takina’s chest and smiled at her. “When you feel that way again… please tell me.”
Takina blushed and turned her gaze away. “Wh- What would you gain from it if you knew…?”
“…I’ll do something to reassure you that I only have you in my life.” Chisato grinned.
“Please don’t just suddenly kiss me in public.”
“Even I won’t do something like that! Well… Maybe, I would…?” Chisato rested her elbow onto the couch right beside Takina’s body and placed her jaw onto her hands. “Well, I probably won’t because I’d like to reserve this very adorable Takina-san for my own consumption instead… Or maybe I should so I can brag?”
“Stop saying everything that comes out of your mind… You’re embarrassing.” Takina sighed as she lightly pushed Chisato’s face away, like how a cat would when you try to hug them and they don’t want you to. “Chisato.”
“Yeah?” Chisato turned to face Takina again and was surprised to find soft lips covering her own with a warm hand on her cheeks.
“Thank you.”
“Takina. If I had a heartbeat, I’m sure it’d be beating like crazy right now…”
“…Idiot.”
“Ehehe.”
(Only A Little/END)
Omake
“Ugh. Could you believe that? Takina, being jealous?! And not realizing it herself?! I hate working with lovebirds ugh.” Mizuki downed a glass of alcohol and slammed the glass onto the kitchen counter. “When will my Mr. Right come?”
Kurumi sighed. “Why am I hearing this story again…?”
“My Mr. Right, come home!!!” Mizuki screamed to practically nothing and downed the whole bottle of liquor instead of putting some onto her glass.
(END)
