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Today's the day you would finally buy coffee jelly. Oh, but it's not just any ordinary dessert. This is a limited-edition coffee jelly made from the finest coffee beans and legend has it that your face will be clear and your grades will be high once you eat it.
No kidding.
You've saved up all your allowance for this for five whole months. They say they only sell one cup of it a week for one month in that one grocery store because it's that special.
So saying, every single day for three weeks, you've been visiting the supermarket from the opening time to the closing time just to get that coffee jelly.
However, you always fail.
"Who in the world always gets it before me?! I've always been here--well I guess except for the times when I go to the restroom--but other than that, I'm always here!"
That's what you always say.
With the fact that they only sell one cup of it once a week and you're the only one always visiting the supermarket, the dessert could have been yours! You've never seen any other human being stealing your treasure before you!
Unless . . . the person isn't a regular human?
Nah, this isn't some supernatural fictional story.
So anyway, back to your failures in life, who gets your coffee jelly?
It's now the first day of the last week of the only month the dessert is being sold. You don't know exactly which day it's being sold since the advertisements never really said anything about it.
Since it's the last week, you decided to try something different. You hid in the bathroom, let yourself get locked in the supermarket, and slept there.
And yes, you're doing that for seven days.
So now you are awake from your slumber. It's time to watch the people restock the shelves. You plan to peek outside the door until you realized that it is locked.
Quite smart of you.
It's also quite smart that you have a bobby pin, but since it's your first time picking a lock and you never practiced, it took you quite a few tries before you unlocked the door.
You checked the time. 07:59. One minute before the supermarket opens.
Going to the aisle where the coffee jelly is supposed to be at, you walk carefully and quietly to make sure no one finds out about your existence.
You hear the entrance door of the place swing, signifying that someone has arrived.
You run quickly to the designated aisle to make sure no one gets your jelly before you. You arrive there and see the glass cup. Oh how wonderful it looks! As you take your time gazing at it, a hand grabs it.
You look at the person who just got it. So this must be the guy! you think. Pink hair, green glasses (Wait, are they plastic?), and those weird things on his head. How does someone as lame as him always get your treasure before you?
"Hey!" you exclaim. "That's mine!"
"What?"
You make a face. "Are you dumb? Give that back!"
" . . . I am obviously not dumb. Now this wasn't even yours to begin with so--"
"Just give--!" You try to take it from him but he's too fast. Before you knew it, his hand is raised high. "You always get them! Just let me have a chance!"
He lowers his hand and you try to snatch it again but his reactions are much quicker than yours.
Fine, then Plan B it is!
You drop on the floor and start "crying". "It's no fair!" you sob. "I come here every single day every single week just to get that coffee jelly! I even saved up for it! You look like you can just work for your parents or ask your grandfather for money but what about me?"
You look at him and he still has that blank look on his face.
"Look, I just want my siblings to have a taste of this okay? They always ask me if I could buy--Hey, wait, are you leaving?"
True enough, he is. He started walking away silently a while ago while you were having your monologue.
"No!" You chase him. "Give that to me!"
He starts running as well, and obviously, much faster than you. In no time, he reaches the cashier, quickly pays for it then leaves the supermarket, but you're just right behind him. Once the doors closed, you grab his shirt and catch your breath.
"Hey! You!" you pant. "I'll pay you. Give that . . . to me . . ."
So many ways of cursing at him and beating him to death have been constantly running through your mind but your train of thought breaks when you hear a shatter.
You look at the once beautiful cup of coffee jelly the guy had in his hand which is now on the floor. Crushed. Dead.
You kneel. "No!"
You look at the guy and he seems pretty shocked as well. It's the first facial expression you've seen him make.
"My coffee jelly . . ." you hear him say.
He picks up a baseball a few inches away from where you are. He looks angry. Like, really angry. It's like he could destroy the whole world with one punch.
"Oh, hey partner!"
The both of you look at the person who just said that and my god he is hideous.
"Thanks for picking up my ball for me!" He laughs. "I guess I threw it too hard--Oh? Partner, you're looking pretty scary right now--"
The coffee jelly-thief grips the baseball and throws it far away. If you were in an anime, you'd probably see that "star" thing in the sky.
"My ball!" The buttchin guy starts chasing it but you doubt he'd catch it, let alone find it.
The guy beside you sighs. He looks really disappointed.
"I'm sorry about that. Though that was supposed to be mine but it's all right, I guess," you say.
He just nods at you.
"Uh, since they won't be selling it anymore, do you want to go buy the coffee jelly there at Cafe Mami? I heard it's really good there and I've been dying to try--"
You just stopped talking because the excited look on his face was a more than enough response from him.
The two of you walk to Cafe Mami and sit by the window. You both order a cup of coffee and of course, the coffee jelly.
Both of you start eating. The coffee jelly is delicious! You still remember the limited-edition one but it's fine. This one is good, too!
You glance at the boy sitting across you and he has this weird way of eating. He's smiling so happily and it doesn't seem like he's chewing it but it looks kind of cute.
"Is it good?" you ask him.
He nods happily while taking another scoop of it. "Definitely."
"By the way, I'm not going to pay that for you," you joke. He looked kind of disappointed, although you could be seeing things. I mean, he probably still has a lot of money with him.
You see him reach into his coat's pocket. He looks a bit worried and starts patting on his other pocket, then soon, everywhere on his body.
"What's wrong?" you ask while taking another scoop of coffee jelly.
He lowers his head. "My wallet . . . is missing."
You snicker. "You lost your wallet? Poor kiddo. You can just go cry--" He glares at you and at that moment, you were sure you were going to die. "I mean, yes! I am willing to pay!"
He smirks. "Thought so."
He caught you. You slam your fist on the table. "But I'm poor!"
"If poor means you could afford a cup of coffee jelly worth ¥45,000, then which level of the social class are the commoners from?"
"I'm sorry? Then that must mean you're way above me."
"No, that's not me. That's just my clingy grandfather and my idiotic parents."
"Sheesh!" You lean back on your seat. "Now that's one way of describing your family, huh? That's mean."
"I apologize, but it's the truth. You'd know if you see them--" He freezes.
"Hey, are you okay?" you ask. "Why are you all tense?"
". . . Offu."
"Offu?"
You hear the cafe door open. "Hmm, Saiki?"
You check behind you and you see a girl--heck, she's too pretty to be even called a girl. She must be a goddess! Your self esteem lowers by 97%.
She looks around. "Aww, I thought I saw Saiki in here. And he may have also said 'Offu' but I'm not really sure." Though you couldn't hear that part since she mutters it. She walks near you. "Oh, hello! Have you seen a pink-haired boy here?"
You look at the seat across you only to see the guy you were with gone. Where did he go? you think. Wait . . . Does he like this girl?
Peeking underneath the table, you see him hiding there. He places a finger in front of his mouth, telling you to keep quiet about him.
You turn back to who could possibly be the most perfect girl in the world--no, the whole universe! "Uh . . . no . . ."
She smiles. "Are you sure?"
And now you feel bad for lying. "Yes."
"Oh, okay then. Well, I'll leave now."
She exits the place. What exactly did she even come in here for?
You see the guy come out from underneath the table and make himself comfortable in his seat. He sighs. "Seriously."
"Who was she?" you ask.
"Just someone annoying. I'd rather not be involved with her," he says with slight annoyance.
You widen your eyes in surprise. "Oh, so you don't like her? I actually thought you did. I mean, with the 'Offu' and the hiding and all that."
He makes a disgusted face but quickly changes it to his neutral expression. "No, I do not."
"Okay, then . . ." You take a sip of your coffee. "Well that was quite eventful."
He nods.
"So! Uh, I'll take my leave now, and--"
He glares at you again.
"Ugh fine." You pay for his and your orders.
"You're also paying me for my limited-edition coffee jelly," he says.
"What?!" you raise your voice. "Why the heck do I have to do that?"
"If it weren't for you, I would've seen that ball coming."
"Hey, that doesn't make sense! You were clearly looking straight ahead."
"Yes, but I was preoccupied with something else."
You stay silent for a while. You couldn't think of a good comeback until, "I saved you from the beautiful girl!"
Now he's quiet. ". . . Fine. We're even."