As soon as Ayaka-San called us , Evangeline's demeanor changed even more.
From a very cheerful and happy one, she become more "silent".
I was probably the only one who noticed something like that, probably because she slightly grabbed my shirt signaling her discomfort.
Meanwhile, Suzuki sighed and greeted Ayaka-San too.
"Good Morning, Ayaka-San!" She said before bowing her head.
After seeing her, I did the same.
"Hello, Ayaka-San!" I said, with a cheerful tone of voice.
Evangeline then followed me and bowed too.
But her tone of voice was too formal, almost scared.
"Oh! You brought someone new, don't you? For some reason, I was expecting that you would've become friends with such a lovely girl." Ayaka-San said.
My suspects were actually right.
They already knew each other.
"Haha… well yes. Fumihiro is actually my school tutor. He has been helping me with almost everything." Evangeline said.
Her usual "happy" demeanor seemed to have returned, but I knew that she was faking it.
"Oh, I see. I guess that you're lucky, because I saw this little boy growing up like a child of mine. I literally raised him!!! He's the very very best you can find out there, you know?" Ayaka-San said, while walking closer to us.
Evangeline lowered her gaze to the ground for some seconds after hearing what Ayaka-San said, like she was remembering something.
Then, I took the perfect chance to ask.
"Really? Do you already know each other?" I asked, with a curious tone of voice.
Evangeline looked right into my eyes with a wide but fake smile, but she didn't say anything.
She just nodded her head.
"Oh yes!! Of course. She's a special customer! She came directly from France to try my special vanilla shake. She said that it's also very famous in her city." Ayaka-San said, before putting her arms around me and Evangeline in a friendly "hug".
My head was directly on her huge chest and the soft sensation on my cheeks felt really… good.
I could see Benjiro's soul burning with a murderous intent.
Suzuki , instead , still had a pout on her face.
"Let's go inside now, shall we?" Ayaka-San said with a even more cheerful tone.
"Y-Yes." I said, with a small blush on my face.
"…" Evangeline didn't answer, she just "accepted" her fate.
I decided that
For some strange reasons, Ayaka-San didn't ask about Ema.
She has always done that whenever she saw me alone.
After that little greeting, we headed inside the Sakura Brew Haven and we took a seat in front of Ayaka's working place.
All of us sat on a table , pretending to take look at the menu despite knowing that we all wanted the vanilla shake.
Suzuki was on my left, while Evangeline and Benjiro were in front of us.
Benjiro kept looking the menu with a very concentrated look, thinking carefully about what he wanted.
But in the end, we all went for the usual vanilla Shake.
"At your orders!" Ayaka-San said, with a very sweet smile.
The fact that we went visiting her seemed to have made her happy.
She put on her apron and started to grab all the ingredients.
Then, Ayaka-San personally prepared our shakes, serving them with her usual radiant smile.
"And… there it is!" She said, while giving us the shakes that she made.
The sweet scent of vanilla filled the air, and as she placed the glasses on the table, we all eagerly grabbed our favorite drink.
"Itadakimasu!" Benjiro said with a cheerful tone.
"Itadakimasu!" Me, Evangeline and Suzuki replied.
And then, we started to drink.
"Ahh, perfect as always!" Suzuki said after taking a long sip.
Her face relaxed, finally looking at ease.
Benjiro, meanwhile, put on an expression of mock superiority, as if he were tasting something of the highest caliber.
"It could be better, but I suppose it's acceptable," he said in a joking tone, drawing laughter from the group.
Ayaka-San looked at him with a deadly and menacing look and a fire aura was all around her.
Benjiro slowly turned his head towards the owner and noticed it.
"OH, SORRY! IT WAS A JOKE!" He said with a scared tone.
"Oh? Good boy!" Ayaka-San replied.
Then, we all bursted in a laugh.
But I couldn't really laugh.
My eyes kept drifting to Evangeline.
She was sipping her shake with trembling hands, her smile forced.
Even though she was trying to act normal, I could see through her.
There was something odd in the way she behaved around Ayaka-San, as if an invisible tension weighed her down.
Even though my heart was still heavy from the breakup with Ema, I couldn't ignore what I was seeing.
I leaned slightly toward her, pretending to be distracted by my shake, and whispered, "Is everything okay?"
She looked at me for a moment, surprised by my question.
Then she nodded, but it wasn't a sincere answer.
However, I didn't press her to talk.
Instead, I gave her a small smile, trying to let her know that I was there for her, even if silently.
She then whispered a low "Merci-" before starting to drink again.
It wasn't the right time to ask for any further information, but I could feel a strange tension raising with every second passed.
Ayaka-San, oblivious to the tension between us, beamed at us. "Oh, I see my shakes are working miracles! Look how happy you all are!"
Evangeline forced a laugh and nodded. "Yes, they're as delicious as always…" she said , with a normal tone of voice.
"As always" my mind focused on these two words.
She already knew this place very well , and the words "As always" aren't something you say if you come a couple of times…
Something told me that there was an untold story between her and Ayaka-San, but I couldn't put my finger on what it was.
I simply observed Evangeline, noticing how every word from Ayaka seemed to weigh heavily on her. I couldn't understand what was going on, but it was clear that she wasn't comfortable.
So, I decided to do something to lighten the mood.
After finishing my shake, I turned to Benjiro with a playful grin.
"Hey, Benjiro, I've never seen you so serious while drinking a shake. You usually finish it in two seconds. Are you afraid this one isn't up to your standards?" I said, with a mischievous tone of voice.
He gave me a mock offended look, but then laughed.
"Pfft, as if a shake could challenge me. I'm just savoring every drop. Something not everyone can do…" he said, throwing a mischievous glance at Suzuki, who responded by sticking out her tongue at him.
"Eh? What are you trying to say?" Suzuki asked.
"Nothing." Benjiro said while looking away, pretending he didn't say anything.
A small but adorable put appeared on Suzuki's face as she kept drinking her shake.
The tension eased a bit.
Even Evangeline seemed to relax slightly. Perhaps it was my imagination, but it seemed like she appreciated our small attempt to bring some lightheartedness back into the conversation.
"But… seriously speaking , this shake is more delicious than usual… it looks like it's filled with… love". Benjiro said while turning his gaze to Ayaka-San, expecting a proper answer.
Ayaka-San immediately stopped his dreams.
"Oh sorry, but you're not my type~" she replied with a playful tone while crossing her arms.
Everyone of us saw Benjiro's soul leaving his body and we all laughed.
Benjiro was literally the spirit of the group, the one who always tries his best to make everyone feel better with some laughs.
And more than that, he's a very kind guy.
I really hope that he'll find a proper girl who'll love him deeply one day.
After we finished, we stood up and headed for the door, thanking Ayaka-San for her usual warmth and hospitality.
She waved us off with a big smile and an energetic wave.
"Come back soon, you guys! And Fumihiro, take care of the girls, okay?"
"As always, Ayaka-San!" I replied, trying not to let my lingering thoughts weigh me down.
Once we were outside, an idea popped into my head to keep us together a bit longer, and maybe help Evangeline forget her discomfort for a while.
"Hey, how about we go to the amusement park?" I suggested, trying to sound as enthusiastic as possible.
Suzuki immediately jumped at the idea. "Yes! That's a great idea!" She said with a wide smile.
Benjiro seemed less enthusiastic, but one challenging look from Suzuki convinced him. "Fine, fine," he grumbled, "only because I have nothing better to do."
Evangeline looked at me for a moment, then gave a small nod of agreement.
Her smile this time seemed a bit more genuine.
As we began to walk, I pulled out my phone and searched for Kazuha's number.
She would definitely want to join us, and maybe her presence would add that carefree spirit we were all looking for.
I dialed her number and held the phone to my ear as the sun slowly set on the horizon, hoping to have a fun day to put my intrusive thoughts away.