He sat himself down at the counter before me and plopped down his head face first.
I greeted him. "Hello to you too."
A muffled "Hi" escaped him.
"How can I help you, sir?"
He grunted.
"Then that'll be the bacon cheese fries, mango smoothie, and fish burger."
He grunted. He rummaged through his jacket before fishing out his wallet and sliding it across the counter. I rang him up and let him be to prepare his smoothie and fries.
"The best pick me up is food." I placed his meal on a tray before him.
"Yes..."
He seemed to have his headphones in. Seeing him hunched over the desk like that, I was tempted to stroke his head which at the moment seemed like a puppy.
I didn't realize I was actually doing it, until his hand moved to reach for the smoothie and I retracted my hand quickly. It felt as if my hand was on fire.
Unexpectedly rather than eyeing me weirdly he only seemed annoyed. Something I had never seen before. "What are you doing? Comfort me more!"
I was so shocked.
Maybe I was too spent but he seemed like a whining puppy. I fake coughed.
"Why don't you tell me how your day went first? How else can I comfort you?"
My right hand felt weird and fuzzy, so I quickly went to the sink to wash it.
As I did Kagami-kun began to tell me about his day.
Apparently, he ended up as a guitarist in a group with some delinquents. They were assigned the task for their first album, it's been decided that the band was going to revise their old songs, Kagami's job is to change the composition, of course, he can't just change it as he pleases, he needs to work with the others. The problem is some of the members are a bit disagreeable so he's a bit uneasy.
"In your old band, I'm sure the group had disagreements as well right? How did you handle those?"
"Well...we'd choose rock paper scissors and whoever lost we'd go with his suggestion. Or, I'd do what the majority decided and treat the person who was left out to a meal. I'd also listen to their opinion first on the next song... Or... I'd convince them to do what I want by pestering them."
"That doesn't sound like a bad system. Why not continue to do that?"
"My bandmates were my friends, this is different, these are strangers!"
"Well, you could always make them your friends... Kagami, you know when I first met you I didn't care for you much but because you kept bothering me." I confessed in the hopes I gave him more confidence.
He eyed me, his gaze neither offended nor surprised. He blinked.
"I had a feeling that I annoyed you in the beginning."
"And you still bothered me. Look? Aren't we friends now? It's the Kagami affect, Keep bothering those new bandmates of yours, and in the end, they'll come to love you." I found myself smiling slightly and had to bite the inside of my cheeks.
Kagami sat up, a look of resolve shimmering in his eyes.
"Right, everything is up to me after all!"
"Right, if it becomes too difficult you can imagine them as babies or puppies."
Kagami nodded.
"Mmm!" But then he leaned forward. "But...Amara-san, have you ever used this technique of yours like imagining me as a baby or a puppy? Is it really effective?"
". . ."
With a curious expression he waited for a response I absolutely refused to give him. My body rejected answering so strongly, I had to look elsewhere.
I changed the subject with a suggestion. "Why don't you try calling up those bandmates of yours and talk to them about their songs?"
"Eh?!"
"Why... don't you buy them something?"
"Er..."
While he fished out his card once more, I reached underneath the counter for a paper bag and cup holder and packed his food to go.