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“Welcome to Death’s Door, may I take your order?” A voice speaks as the sound of bells accompany the entrance of two figures in the small space of a quaint little shop situated at an isolated street somewhere in Japan. Despite what her composure says, however, the woman is actually trying to hide the soft pains regularly assaulting her head. “What did I even do last night?” She wonders under her breath. The tall woman puts down the cup she was cleaning and moves towards the register to greet her early morning customers.
“Oh wow. I have to admit Ame, you really know how to find good looking places.” Said a short looking girl with white hair that has a couple streaks of blue and wearing a blue hoodie that looked like it had teeth resembling a shark’s mouth.
“So you’re saying you doubted my brilliant detective mind? I’m shocked Gura, I thought you had more faith in me than that.” Responded another, taller girl, but with blonde hair and wearing what looked like a golden brown cap while holding a magnifying glass. “I saw it when I took a detour the other day. I thought it might be a good place to check out before we head to uni.”
“First off” the shorter girl interjects, pointing her finger at the blonde girl’s face. “Aspiring detective. We still need to graduate before considering our job options.” She puts her finger down. “Secondly, so that’s where you went. You should really tell me where you run off to sometimes. We can’t have another case of you assaulting a poor boy’s mom, Ame.”
“Ehhh… But I couldn’t help if I wanted to ground pound her.” Ame pouts, turning away for a second to hide a gremlin smirk. “It was an opportunity I just couldn’t pass up!”
Mori Calliope always enjoyed listening to her customers make conversation. She never was one to socialize much, so getting to hear pieces of the lives others lived always brought a smile to her face when no one was looking. This new pair was certainly interesting. From what she could tell the two were university students studying at a place called Hololive University and were part of the new exchange program which explains the fluent English and obvious foreign appearance. The two eventually finished their bickering and ordered two of the same drink, paying the appropriate amount and leaving shortly afterward.
“Guh!” Mori grunts. Leaning forward into the counter and catching the side of her head as another wave of pain assaults her head. She could’ve sworn she didn’t drink anything last night. She’s making an effort to sleep better after all. “What even happened after-” She says before being cut off by a loud noise accompanying the bell.
“KIKERIKIIIII!!!!!” Entered a loud orange-haired girl wearing... is that two hats? Before Mori could even process what she’s seeing, however, the girl immediately makes eye contact with her and bolts to meet her at the counter, taking Mori’s hands in hers and loudly shaking her awake from head pains. “Good morning, my wife!!! I went to see you as early as I could!”
“W-what? Who are you?” Mori grumbles, having no idea how to respond to situation she’s currently in. Was she supposed to know this girl? How does she know her? Why are her hands so warm? Wait, did she just call her her wife? Before she could even process her own questions, the girl starts talking again with the energy of a bird rising with the sun.
“Ehhhh, my wife doesn’t remember who I am?” The hyperactive girl’s face turns sour. “But you sang so well last night.” She smiles, looking away for a moment, clumsily covering a blush. “You even opened up to me about a lot of your troubles, so I rushed first thing in the morning to comfort you, so you don’t feel bad about yourself again.”
“You were with me last night?” The taller girl’s interest peaks once again. “I’m sorry. It seems I must’ve forgot. My head’s been killing me all morning and I don’t remember why…” Mori pulls her hands out of the girl’s grasp, making a mental note to acknowledge that and the other public displays of affection later.
“Ah” The other girl suddenly pulls her own hands back and fidgets a bit. “That maaaaay be my fault, hehe…” She says while rubbing the back of her head with her hand.” Mori raises an eyebrow to this, and the girl speaks to explain. “I’m Takanashi Kiara. We met last night and I may or may not have spoiled you with drinks because you were too cute…”
“Go on…” Mori narrows her eyes, their situation not really getting any clearer.
“Actually, let’s discuss this over a drink.” The girl suggests. “I’ll pay for yours.” Mori checks her watch and reads. 7:32 am. She looks outside the windows and sees nobody in the street. There were no other customers yet in the shop. Why not?
== 14 hours earlier… ==
It was a slow afternoon on a quiet street somewhere in Japan. The sun turning the sky a warm shade of orange as the hustle and bustle of the day slowly fades into a quiet murmur of voices. Inside a particular coffee shop, a tall, pink-haired woman can be seen delivering a hot cup of coffee towards a lone girl standing in front of the counter.
“I still don’t understand why you would own a coffee shop when you yourself don’t like coffee” said a certain dark-haired girl receiving the beverage from woman. “I mean, I know times were tough after the whole global isolation thing, but wouldn’t it have been better to work for someone else rather than start your own business? If you don’t mind me asking, Calliope.”
“It’s fine, Ina.” Mori Calliope said after placing the drink in front of the girl. “And you can call me Calli. It’s not like I downright hate coffee, it’s just that I can never really drink it when I already have sleeping problems as is. And the reason why I own this place is more because I didn’t want to see it just go away after my sensei had to leave.”
“I see, humu” Ina nodded her head and proceeded to pay to appropriate amount for the drink. “Well, thanks for the coffee Calli.”
“You’re welcome, although I feel I should be the one thanking you for being the only one to visit as often as you do.” Calli said as she placed the money in the register.
“You make good coffee. It always gives me the energy I need to finish my drawings.” And with that the two girls waved goodbye as Calliope’s last customer of the day went out the door.
It was starting to become night as Mori Calliope finished closing the shop. As she was both the owner and sole employee of the small establishment, closing took a while. As Mori finished cleaning the last table and tallying her earnings for the day, she realizes she made a bit less money than she had hoped after calculating how much she needs to put towards upkeep and the usual expenses. “I suppose I could do that tonight.” She says, followed by a heavy sigh.
A positive side to working where she does, however, is the fact that she lives right above the shop she owns. Climbing the stairs situated at the back wall behind the counter, Mori walks by her living quarters, changes into more casual clothing, and proceeds to head into her workspace area where she proceeds to write words on a sheet of paper and subsequently hum to herself. After about half an hour, Mori goes back down the stairs and leaves the shop to go outside.
==~==
The sun has set, and the moon lights the nighttime sky. Down the sidewalk and lit by streetlights, a woman with bright orange hair walks searching for a place of respite. Takanashi Kiara has had a long day at work. Working at a fast-food restaurant was something she wanted, sure, but she has more than a few things she would like to have different. First off, the other staff were not motivated at all to be there. They would botch the recipe and work almost as slowly as possible. Granted, from what Kiara could tell, they were only working there because they seemed to have no other options for work, in contrast to the bright-haired girl who actually wanted to be there, even hoping to start her own chain at some point (She swore that she would work her own employees to the bone if she could). Secondly, if that wasn’t enough, they were getting a lot of customers that day, so she had to pick up the slack of her fellow employees if they actually wanted to serve them in time. But that was earlier in the day, now the aspiring Tenchou just wants to relax. Thankfully it’s gonna be a Saturday tomorrow so she won’t have deal with them for at least a weekend.
Turning her attention towards a nearby bar, Kiara considers whether she should try going in. She never was one to indulge in alcohol and what else you would normally partake in in one of these establishments, but something inside her just sort of urges her to go in. Not really someone to deny herself new experiences, Kiara goes in.
Inside the bar was nothing out of the ordinary. The dark wood walls and flooring being lit up by the soft orange lights hanging from the ceiling. The scent of alcohol in the air and the noise of conversations being held filled the area and gave the place a late-night vibe fitting of what time it currently was in the evening. The off-work fast food employee was about to reconsider why she decided to enter until something, or rather, someone, caught her attention. Sitting at a nearby table without even considering ordering anything, Kiara turned her attention towards the small platform where a tall pink-haired woman wearing a black leather jacket with short spikes at the shoulders and ripped jeans can be seen adjusting the height of the mic and unfolding a portable keyboard.
“Hello. Testing 1 2 3. Okay this seems to be working.” Mori Calliope’s voice echoed through the bar’s speaker system. “My name is Mori Calliope and I’ll be performing some cover songs tonight as well as an original by the end, so stick around until then.” Mori announced with some nervousness. She has performed for a crowd a few times before but tonight will be the first time she’ll sing her new song in front of other people. She has always been into music and making her own has always been something she wanted to do, so this was a first step for her. Slowly, the nervousness would fade as she started with her first cover.
“Wow” Kiara mumbled under her breath. Whoever this girl was, she sure could rap. By the second song, she even pulled out her phone and started secretly recording this girl. She only recorded her voice though, as it would be rude to capture her on video without telling her. She stayed long enough that she even ordered a drink just to be able to stay for a little longer. As the girl ended her last cover song, something inside Kiara stirred. She had to admit, this girl was hot.
By the time Mori Calliope ended her last cover song for the night, the nervousness was starting to creep back in. She had hoped it wouldn’t come back and she could ride off her performance with the covers, but her heart only beat faster and faster. “The n-next song will be an original b-by me called… GUH!” She started to stutter. Many of the bar’s guests turned their heads at that last sound, noticing the obvious state of her mind right now.
Noticing the girl falling into a pit of nervousness, Kiara recounts her own experiences. Despite what first impressions may tell you, Kiara actually considers herself to be shy. She could relate to the nervousness this performer had when talking about something dear to her, and so she stood up and made an attempt to rally the girl. Kiara suddenly shouted, “YOU GO GIRL, I LOVE YOU!!!” Kiara’s voice boomed across the whole bar. She didn’t know if it was the alcohol in her or just her own desires surfacing, but she just felt she had to say it. All the other people in the bar turning to look at her instead.
Shocked by the sudden declaration of… affection? Calli snapped back to her usual self. More confused than anything by the loud shout from another woman in the bar, she straightened herself and started to regain her composure. “T-thank you. Uh, well this next song is my own work called “Cursed Night”. It’s something I’ve been writing for a while, so I hope you all like it”. And so, she started to sing. Kiara swearing to herself she’s never heard anything more beautiful.
"The days are blending together
Pretending like I don't notice
Drowning in mental fog so thick
My hands might close where my throat is
Not gonna rap that "I'm cursed"
My words got heavy
And sure enough the steady ebb-and-flow of life subsided
But I wasn't ready"
The embarrassment Kiara felt before suddenly subsided as it turned to wonder as the pink-haired girl started to sing her song. She didn’t know why but the words spoke to her. Something about this girl’s words and the emotion woven inside them just hit her.
"Searching by city light
You'll never find me
We're running through a cursed night
"Do you have a death wish?"
Shut the lid tight, it's complicated
Could ya not look inside, it's complicated
Somehow I'm just a page in, but I've cried and I've grown
To shut away the conversations of my "highs-and-lows"
自分の目で見えたいの?
この絶望の美しさ"
Maybe it was because she hit a low point some time ago wherein recent events caused the world to stop for a year, and because of it, the results of her training to run for the Olympics never came to matter. Or maybe there was something about this girl and the sudden admiration she had for her. Whatever it was, it caused her to focus even more of her attention towards this performing girl.
"自分の目で見えたいの?
Wanna see it?
Fine, this time, look for yourself~"
And as the girl finished her song and was given a louder than usual applause, Kiara knew what it was she felt. Although she blurted it out earlier to cheer on the girl, she realized that it wasn’t just that. She was in love. She wanted to make this girl hers.
Calli thanked the audience for the applause. There was less than 20 people in the bar at this point, but she was still thankful for the positive reception. She folded up her keyboard and went to collect her pay. She approached the bartender and contemplated buying some red wine but decided against it tonight as she was saving her funds.
“Can I buy you a drink?” Calli heard a woman’s voice ask. She turned to look and saw a girl with bright orange hair wearing an orange top and skirt. “I heard you sing. You were good.”
“I uh... thanks.” Calli responded, surprised at the offer. It was the first time a woman offered to buy her a drink after all. “Oh yeah, right. That was you. Thank you, I suppose.” She turns to look at the wine selection they have. “Guh, why not? Sure. I’m Mori Calliope by the way, though you probably already know that.”
“I’m Takanashi Kiara!” Kiara announced enthusiastically. “But you can call me… Wife!”
== Present time, Saturday… ==
“That’s it?” Mori Calliope asked across the table, her coffee already finished “I thought I ended up getting involved in an underground marriage ring when you suddenly called me your wife.”
“W-well. There were other things too.” Takanashi Kiara fidgeted a bit in her seat. “You talked a lot about how you always felt so alone when you opened up that night. I just couldn’t stand to do nothing after hearing all the things you said to me. I already knew I wanted to at least try to shoot my shot after seeing how hot you were, NOT THAT I WAS THINKING OF ANYTHING WEIRD OKAY!?” She suddenly corrected herself moving her head up from the bottom-left positioning it was in. “It was just a bit too much for me when you had to lean on me as I tried to find where you actually lived. I promise I didn’t do anything!” So that’s how she knows about this place.
“O-okay.” Mori had to admit, the fluctuating cuteness this girl was showing when talking about how she felt was a bit adorable. Not that she actually thinks she’s cute or anything. “Look. I appreciate the thought, and I’m grateful for walking me back, but don’t you think you’re rushing things a bit? I don’t know what I said while I was drunk but calling me your wife when I just re-learned who you are feels a bit too fast for me.” Mori didn’t know why, but she felt a little hurt after saying that.
“O-oh…” Kiara mumbled. Her face showing obvious signs of sadness. “I suppose I was a bit too forward huh? Hehehe…” She tried to laugh it off, but Mori knew a swerve when she saw one. “I guess I should be leaving now.” She turns to look at the clock on the wall. “You probably have customers to serve soon anyway.”
As she stands up and starts to head to the door, Mori didn’t know why but she felt a tug at her own heart. Did she really just shut down this girl after all that she’s done for her? She had to admit she did feel a small connection with her after listening to her talk for a bit, but that was normal right? People make connections all the time. Kiara reaches the door and starts to pull it until-
“Wait!” Mori finds herself standing up and holding out her palm towards the girl. “I-I…” Kiara turns to face her. “I…” She hesitates for a moment but comes out and says it. “I may not want to be your wife [AN: yet], but I suppose I don’t mind if we maybe start as friends and spend some time together?” Kiara’s eyes widen. “Don’t take this the wrong way! It’s just… I don’t exactly hate the idea of being with you.” The pink-haired girl looks down, the embarrassment plain to see. There was a good 5 seconds of silence where she ended up accepting that Kiara just left, but the bell never rang. Instead, before she could properly react to the flying projectile headed towards her, she had to brace herself as she was nearly tackled to the ground with a hug.
“Calliiiii~” Kiara cried as she buried her face in the girl’s neck. The taller girl contemplated wrapping her arms around the now sobbing girl but just awkwardly left them hanging. “O-of course we can! I’d love to!” The girl’s normal enthusiasm seeming to have returned as she tightened her hug.
“Okay okay! I get it. Guh!” Mori said as she fumbled out of the warm girl’s embrace, with a slight reddening in her cheeks that she swore was never there. “Gosh, you’re really night and day with your emotions, Kusotori.”
“Kusotori?” Kiara repeated and soon was howling at laughter at the sudden nickname given to her by the café owner. Mori raised her hands to apologize but Kiara instead took them in hers again and looked her in the eye. “No no, it’s fine, I like it.” They stood there for a moment until Kiara spoke again and said “Thanks Calli, I know it was sudden and you’re probably not used to it. But I really do like you okay? I still wanna try and win you over so I can take you on dates and stuff.”
“T-that’s fine.” Mori responded, not making an attempt to let go of the girl’s hands. “It’s not like I mind or anything…” She sheepishly admits. Kiara grins at the display of cuteness by this normally emotionally cool girl. “I mean we don’t have to be dating to hang out and go places. That’s what I meant!”
“Hehe, sure thing my wife~” Kiara smiles as Mori seemingly cringes. “Well, I suppose you should go back to work then. I don’t want to keep my wife busy. I’ll see you again sometime dear Calli!~” And with that she’s off. Leaving the shop and Calli alone again, but this time, Mori feels a little different than she usually does when she’s alone.
“そろそろ Say Goodbye...
See you again, sometime
Ladada~~”