On our way home, after working at the cafe and parting with the others, Mocha-san and I were the only ones left, walking home together as we hadn't reached our turn.
Looking at the expression Mocha-san was making, she seemed down for some reason. I wasn't aware she was physically, mentally, and emotionally exhausted, feeling bad for underperforming at work today.
We did have a busy day, and it was already past 8:00 pm, after all, so I just assumed it was only in the physical sense of things as to why she looked like that.
Wanting to cheer her up, I brought her to a nearby playground.
"So, did you manage to assassinate people with our food?"
I asked Mocha-san, as we sat on the swings under the clear night sky.
"I...don't know."
She replied, unsure of herself, though I thought she was just playing the role of a person having a moral dilemma after committing a crime. By crime I meant assassinating our customers' taste buds with our food and service.
I opened my mouth and told her.
"Do not waver. Didn't I promise you, I'll make you stronger? Just do as you're told without complaint. This world isn't kind for those who are weak."
Mocha-san stayed silent, cannot deny her short comings and accepted that she was "weak".
I stood up and proceeded walking, Mocha-san followed thinking we were about to continue our walk home.
Suddenly, Mocha-san stopped, hearing the sound of footsteps hitting against a metal pipe. Her eyes that were looking down straightened, focusing her vision towards the sound. There she saw me, climbing the geodome. But why? she thought.
Standing proudly at the top of the metallic dome, putting this stoic expression on my face as I gazed down on her under the moonlight. I opened my mouth and told her,
"Destroy, and build yourself up again. That's the only way you will survive.. Didn't I invite you to step foot in my world, which you happily accepted?" I grinned at her with a villainous smile, "Try your best not to lose yourself."
Mocha-san's eyes widened, she was looking down so much that she didn't realize the beautiful stars embedded on the night sky. 'Did he seriously make the effort of climbing that thing just to tell her that?' Is what she was thinking. It was as if the boy, her master, was confirming her convictions.
"Yes..."
She answered with a tired tone, yet it seemed like she cheered up a little from my edgy speech.
Seeing her finally looking straight, we continued our walk home, making sure Mocha-san arrived at her turn safely.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[The next day.]
We checked out some clubs again during free time. And again, we didn't find any clubs of our interests.
After school ended, we went to the cafe to turn in on our part-time job. It's now my third day working in the cafe, day 2 for Mocha-san, and Aria-san as well.
There's a few things I noticed.
'Isn't the floor looks cleaner today?'
The floor seemed sturdier than yesterday, as though it was refurbished. I no longer hear that squeaking sound whenever I walk on that certain spot on the floor. 'Maybe it was just my imagination?'
I brushed it off as it wasn't really that relevant to my job. In fact, it is a good thing for the cafe now that it's gone.
Also a thing I noticed was that there are now endorsements outside store. And the menu was slightly adjusted overnight, trading some items with more popular ones.
Is Old Man Roji-san trying to make a comeback by flipping the cafe? Maybe after having more helpers, he feels more confident in making changes, trying to turn the cafe around and make it more competitive with the others.
Anyways, we proceeded with our work and there were even more people coming in than yesterday. It seems like the flyers we handed out early are working, drawing in more customers, now that the cafe has proper promotion for itself.
Seeing all these people around, Old Man Roji-san couldn't help but put a satisfied smirk on his face, seemingly happy seeing this busy atmosphere that he hasn't experienced in a while. He turned his gaze to Aria-san, telling her,
"Thank you, young lady. I owe all of this to you."
"I don't know what you are talking about."
Aria-san denied, trying to be humble in he own way. Plus, she doesn't want the others to realize she became the cafe's sponsor, not wanting to make it awkward by openly telling them she was paying our salaries.
Aria-san sighs, looking at Old Man Roji-san's expression.
'To think the reason he wanted to hire employees in the first place,' Aria-san concluded that, 'He's just a lonely old man looking for someone to talk to.'
As mentioned, we were having pretty busy work, more than usual today. We pretty much retained our positions, I was working over the counter again, and Aria-san too serves as a waitress inside, while Mocha-san struggled to survive at the cafe's outdoor extension, anxiously serving the customers.
As Mocha-san was tending a table, a customer asked her.
"What do you recommend?"
To which Mocha-san replied, without meeting eyes with the customer.
"I, I haven't eaten here yet..."
The customer and her fell to awkward silence.
Though it was the truth, it still wasn't the right way to tend to the customers. By not meeting eyes with them and her overall demeanor, they could easily mistake it that their presence isn't welcomed because she wasn't being hospitable enough.
Anyways, there she was, anxiously serving the customers, lagging behind in work, seemingly reaching her mental limits.
Hitomi-san, sitting with Mei-san at the table next to the window, Hitomi-san got a full view of how Mocha-san was working, looking at her with worry.
She thought, 'Is...she really alright like that?'
Compared to us who were working inside, Mocha-san has twice as much work that is too much for one person, specially an unskilled one to handle.
Even from a distance she was getting second hand embarrassment at just how much Mocha-san was messing up out there. It was almost pitiful, comical even at the way she messed up the orders, dropping plates and silverware when cleaning the tables, and seemingly about to cry when a customer grew impatient with her.
'But still, even though it looks like she reached her mental limits, how can she keep going?' Hitomi-san though, 'If that were me, I would see myself being crushed by the intense pressure.'
She wondered, 'How can she keep going? What could the reason be?'
And then, it came to her...
Thinking of the reason how, her gaze pointed towards the counter.
'Why was she even calling Yukiya-kun "master" in the first place anyway?'
Hitomi-san mumbled in surprise, as if realizing something.
"Ah! Is that why she's calling him master in the first place?"
Deducting what could Mocha-san and Mine's relation really be, she came to a conclusion that maybe,
'Did Yukiya-kun make a promise to her, like making her more confident in herself, so she could handle talking to people better. Perhaps?'
[She hit the mark.]
'Then, if my theory was right, that must mean Yukiya-kun purposely threw Mocha-san into a foreign environment, a condition where she was forced to adapt such as the customer service industry.'
[She did not hit the mark.]
'But why go through such extreme lengths rather than just taking it slow?'
Hitomi-san shook her head, 'No, actually, maybe this was a better option.'
She puts her hand on her chin, thinking deeply.
'Being thrown into a harsh environment, forced to adapt through extreme conditions. This might have been the most efficient route to take.'
'Was this Yukiya-kun's aim for from the start...?' she assumed, mumbling. "Forced evolution."
'However, if this method fails, then...'
"Ah-"
Without realizing it, the cup of latte she was drinking was already empty.
"I better get a refill... Now that I think about, I am getting kinda hungry. I wonder what type of cake I should try today?"
Walking over the counter, looking through the glass with a selection of cakes, Hitomi-san decided to order a slice of pink velvet cake, which I handed to her with a 10/10 customer service smile over the counter.
Looking at the cake that is now on her hands, she was reminded of Mocha-san as it was the same color as her hair.
Curious about something, she leaned over the counter, covering her mouth secretively, which I went along and lent her my ear.
"Yukiya-kun. Aren't you afraid that Mocha-san might hate you?" She inquired,
'If my theory was right, he is exploiting his title as "master", forcing Mocha-san to do what she usually wouldn't try doing. It's easier to blame others, after all. If Mocha-san was led to believe she was forced into doing things, if all turns out well, then great. It would increase her respect for her master, Yukiya-kun. However, that also means she could easily shift the blame to him if ever things were to turn south. Such is the victim mentality.'
A mysterious grin crept on my face. I replied to her question,
"It's alright," I said, with a somewhat pained expression hinted on my face, "I am the villain, after all."
I delivered those words, thinking. 'Uwah! I've always wanted to say those lines.'
I continued, "All of the sins of the world, you can blame it on me. If Mocha-san were to hate me one day, it's just fine. I would not blame her."
I told Hitomi-san, think by blame means for our assassination roleplay that I believed we were doing.
Hitomi-san curiously asked,
"Why are you going so far just to help her?"
With a serene expression on my face, I replied.
"All I wanted to do was to have a peaceful highschool life."
"A peaceful, high school life...?"
Hitomi-san mumbling repeated, tilting her head by what I meant by those words.
"Ah- I, I see. I totally get it now..." She said, as if realizing my intentions. 'Then, that must also mean...'
"You do..?"
I stared back at her, more puzzled than she was.
"Yup, really. As expected of Yukiya-kun!"
She praised me, telling me with a wide smile.
Well, she was probably just humoring me with my Chuunibyou delusions, I have always seen her as the type of classmate who gets along with practically everyone, so I could see her smiling for me without actually realizing what I was talking about.
She returned to her table, satisfied with my answer, thinking.
'I could really learn a thing or two from Yukiya-kun.'