"Here you go, Sir! Apologies for the wait." The waiter set the coffee cup under a plate on the table. They gave off a pearly white gloss. If they kept reusing cups it was not obvious as the cup the professor was drinking then seemed spotless.
"Mei, you really don't want to order anything?" Professor Kira asked.
"Oh, no thanks, professor." She looked up at the waiter and squinted her eyes. It seemed as though she recognized the person serving the professor. He had frizzy hair but had some features missing.
"Isaac? Is that you?" Mei asked the waiter. He stared at Mei and then at the professor, his eyes flared up, and covered his face with the tray he used to serve the coffee.
"Once again, sorry for the wait! I'll make sure your next coffee comes in time." He bowed and scurried off. Mei reached out and called for him again but he had already zoomed across the room towards the kitchen area behind the counter.
"Friend of yours, Ms. Ohara?" The professor raised an eyebrow while taking sips at his coffee. He would've liked to down it all in one gulp but it proved to be too hot.
"Yeah, that was Isaac." She answered looking surprised. "Sorry, it's just that we haven't seen each other for a while and he said he was always busy. If he told me he had been working I would've understood." Mei lowered her head and looked at her fingers as she picked apart loose fabrics on her dress. The professor noticed her change in behavior when the topic shifted to her friend.
"Well, I'll be going now, Mei. Too much to do at the end of the school year and so little time." The professor stood up and neatly gathered all his papers and pens into his backpack. Mei raised her finger to inquire about the question she had but the professor seemed to be in a rush. He then said his goodbye and went out the door, leaving the lukewarm coffee that was still half-filled.
"Your friend forgot to pay Miss, so we're gonna have to bill you." Mei didn't notice the waiter that had approached the table. The stress and fatigue that she had accumulated throughout the day came crashing down on her all at once. Her job for the day was done, and it was back to reality, in this case, the professor that had forgotten to pay for his coffee. Mei had her head down and muttered some gibberish. She did not expect the waiter to understand, this was her way of stalling so she could come up with a way out of this situation. The waiter let out a chuckle after hearing her.
"There's no point stalling Miss, so please let's settle this properly." Mei was shocked at how the waiter understood her.
She looked up to see, "Isaac?! What the hell?! You could've said something!" She raised her voice which attracted some eyes within the store, the vocalist for the band that was playing let out a short grunt on the mic. Isaac waved his hand in the air to indicate that they did not need to worry. The customers and staff continued to go about their business.
"Relax, Mei. That whole thing about the receipt was just a joke. I saw how stressed out you were and thought I'd make it worse." He said laughingly as he cleaned up the table.
"Oh, I also brought you these." Isaac had placed a tray over at the table opposite Mei's. The tray contained a blueberry cheesecake slice served on a plate with a cup of black coffee. Once he was done cleaning up the table, he placed the shiny white platter and the ceramic cup on the table. Both had a matching floral design with blue lilies with the appropriate silverware.
"I heard your stomach grumbling from the kitchen. And don't worry it's on me." Mei opened her mouth to object but Isaac had taken the tray and walked back into the kitchen. Mei stared at the food that had been served to her. "Gee, he remembered the cheesecake." She gleefully said as a smile crept up her face.
Hours passed and the café was getting ready to close up. Mei had finished her food but did not ask the staff to take her plate away because she still planned to stay. She passed the time reviewing her notes and wondering how to pursue the story further.
"Professor Kira seemed to avoid the question of who this student is. I don't think I'll get an answer out of him even if I asked." Mei scratched her head and frustratingly sighed. When she spotted other staff members getting ready to leave he waved over to Isaac.
"You stayed here until closing hours? And why wait until the last second to have me clean your plate?" Isaac asked.
"I wanted to walk home together. Plus that's what you get for lying to me about the receipt." Mei stuck her tongue out at him and made an insulting noise. Isaac frowned, defeated. He took the plates, cups, and silverware away then wiped the table using a rag stored in one of his white apron pockets.
"Thanks, by the way." Mei blushed and muttered under her voice.
"What was that?" Isaac asked as he put the rag back in the pocket.
"Nothing! I said you got some cake on your uniform." Isaac wore a black polo and pants. He searched everywhere for the dirty spot but found nothing. Mei laughed at him and Isaac stood there, defeated once again. He took the dirty dishes and went back into the kitchen to clean them. Afterward, the manager asked that he be the one to close up. The manager looked at Mei then back at Isaac, he whispered something to Isaac which made him flustered.
"What was that all about?" Mei asked as she stood up and stretched her body after hours of sitting down.
"Oh, n-nothing you have to worry about!" Isaac scratched the back of his head and laughed awkwardly. Mei put on her backpack and walked ahead of Isaac.
"Well let's go then, I heard this part of town is beautiful at night. Let's go see!" Mei turned to look at Isaac with a smile. His face became flustered as he prodded his cheek with his finger.