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Of all the scenarios Kirumi Tojo envisioned on her first day as a barista, this was certainly not one of them. She had prepared herself for any circumstance she could think of, writing mental scripts for answers to any question that could be asked of her. She had thrown on her apron, pulled back as much of her unruly olive green hair as she could, and arrived at Harmony cafe exactly 20 minutes before her shift started, just to be safe. Nothing could possibly surprise her.
That was until the clock struck 8 and someone strutted into the cafe in full blown Hatsune Miku cosplay.
Kirumi had to give it to the girl, she was extremely committed. The costume was created to the exact detail of the one Kirumi saw on magazine covers, the heavy looking wig of bright blue hair curling around the girl’s waist. It was as if the virtual idol herself had come to life and entered the coffee shop. It was hard to tear her eyes away from the sight.
The way she walked was nothing short of mesmerizing. She carried a confidence with her that Kirumi begged she could one day rival, strutting effortlessly in the high heeled boots as the skirt bounced with each practiced step. She was beautiful. She was radiant. She was-
“-ello? Hello? Are you okay?”
She was talking to her.
Kirumi snapped out of her stupor so fast she felt she may have gotten whiplash. She blinked once, twice, trying to gather her thoughts and find a way to apologize.
“Oh, my apologies!” She responded, bowing slightly in an attempt at an apology. “I was so amazed by your outfit I suppose I zoned out. Welcome to Harmony Cafe! What do I have the pleasure of making for you today?”
“Oh, no need to be so formal with me, darling. Just my usual, thank you!”
“Oh uhh…” She reached to scratch the back of her neck nervously before catching herself. “I’m actually new here. It’s my first day.”
That definitely seemed to get the strange girl’s attention.
“Oh?” She asked, resting her elbows on the countertop. “Well, I suppose that should’ve been obvious to me. I definitely would’ve remembered seeing a cutie like you around here before.”
Kirumi could feel heat rise to her cheeks as the woman winked at her. Stay professional. Change the subject quickly before you get even more embarrassed! sShe chided herself. She cleared her throat and returned her focus to the keypad in front of her to enter the order.
“So, what may I get for you then?”
“A venti vanilla bean frappuccino with coconut milk, 2 shots, 1 banana, double blended with 2 pumps of caramel syrup, 3 pumps of raspberry with whipped cream and sprinkles on top.”
Kirumi’s fingers flew across the keypad as she input the order.
“Okay that’ll be 850 yen!”
The girl looked almost shocked for a moment before her lips stretched into a smile. “Wow!” she quipped, reaching into her purse for the payment. “Cute AND smart! Nobody’s ever managed to get that right on the first try!”
Kirumi fumbled with the keypad at the compliment, blushing once more, which the girl absolutely took notice of by the way she giggled.
Stay professional. Stay professional.
“C-Can I get a name for the order?”
The girl gave her a puzzled look as if she had just been asked what color the sky was.
“Do you not know me?” she asked, head tilted slightly to the side like a small puppy. “I’m Hatsune Miku.”
Kirumi could barely contain her laughter at the nonchalant statement, a small snort escaping her, much to her chagrin. It was then that she realized that the woman wasn’t laughing, and was actually being serious. She quickly apologized before writing the name on the cup and leaving to go make the drink, passing by her coworker Rantaro, who gave her a very smug look.
“Dang Tojo. First day on the job and you’ve already had to deal with cosplay girl.” He chuckled slightly at Kirumi’s confused expression. “She comes in on occasion. Usually when there are some local conventions. The only reason we can identify her is because of that crazy order of hers. Nobody knows who she is. Probably only comes here because we’re willing to put up with her ridiculous order.”
Kirumi pondered over the words, blending the strange girl’s drink as her coworker went to take the next customer’s order. Just who was that girl? Why was she always in cosplay? How did nobody know her real name? Surely no cosplayer was THAT dedicated to their craft as to order a coffee in their name... right?
She finished the drink and called for the woman, the brief brushing of their fingers as she passed the cup over, sending tendrils of electricity down her spine. With a wink and a flip of her long blue hair, the woman left the cafe, leaving an extremely flustered Kirumi in her wake.
She really needed to figure out who that girl was.
———
Kirumi really shouldn’t have been shocked when on her second day on the job, the previously dubbed “cosplay girl” returned. Instead of the pastel blue wig she had worn previously, long straight blond hair swayed with her hips as she walked, topped off with a bright red bow. She wore a sunshine orange sailor uniform with matching heels that clearly identified her as-
“OMG! That’s an amazing Sailor Moon cosplay!” a woman from across the cafe called out towards the cosplayer. Kirumi swore that if looks could kill, that woman would’ve fallen dead face first in her mocha with the glare the sailor scout shot her.
Instead of saying something, though, the girl just sighed and stepped towards the counter to get her drink. She looked even more tired that day than she had the day before, and Kirumi had a feeling she knew why. Maybe she could help make her day a bit better.
“Good morning, Ms. Sailor Venus!” she greeted, as the woman arrived at the counter. “Will it be your usual for today?”
The cosplayer paused for a moment before her eyes twinkled and she perked up as if a switch had just gone off in her brain. Kirumi felt a gloved hand surround her own, heat slowly rising to her face at the realization that a pretty girl was holding her hand.
“You have no idea how relieved I am to hear someone call me Sailor Venus,” the woman chirped, still holding Kirumi’s hands in a vice grip. “Just because Moon and Venus are both blonde doesn’t mean they’re the same person! Everyone likes to pretend they know who the sailor scouts are just to seem trendy these days, but they couldn’t tell Luna from Artemis if they hit them in the face!”
“Oh… yes! Of course!” Kirumi stammered, her gaze still locked onto the warm hands surrounding her own. In a flash, the girl snapped out of her daze, slight panic on her face as she seemed to realize she still had a stranger’s hands in her own. Kirumi could see the girl blushing as she yanked her hands away.
“Uh, yeah,” she stammered. “My usual, please.” Kirumi nodded and whipped away from the counter, hiding her pink cheeks from the girl’s view as she mixed up the drink.
By the time she handed the cosplayer her drink, she had mostly collected herself, still jumping slightly as their fingers brushed once more.
With a small wave, the girl left the cafe, pausing for a moment in the doorway to look back at Kirumi and wink, before she left her sight.
It was then that Kirumi realized she had forgotten to charge her for the drink.
———
Today’s the day. I have to make some sort of move.
It had been about a week and a half since that very first day in the cafe, and Kirumi was growing restless. The cosplayer hadn’t paused with her flirting, and with each and every day that passed, Kirumi only felt herself falling more for the strange girl.
Her attempts to figure out the girl’s identity had been nothing short of obsessive, countless Google searches of every single cosplay she could remember, from Zerotwo to Misty to Mikasa, praying for anything that might point her to the identity of the mysterious stranger. Despite all her efforts, she couldn’t find a single blog or profile that matched up the days of each cosplay, and she was getting increasingly frustrated.
I need to know who she is. I have to. I need to-
“Excuse me,” a voice chirped from behind her, causing her to jump. She had been so in her head that she didn’t even realize she had a customer, and now she was staring into the sparkling aqua eyes of Sunset Shimmer. Unlike many of the earlier cosplays, the mystery girl didn’t seem to be wearing colored contacts, and the true color of her mysterious crush’s eyes shocked her to the core.
Her mouth suddenly felt very dry, her body feeling mushy and her head scrambled as she lost herself in the beautiful blue.
“H-How did you...g-get in here?” She mentally facepalmed. Good going Tojo, that didn’t sound stupid at all.
“Umm... the door?”
Despite her embarrassment, Kirumi couldn’t help but giggle slightly at the answer, the confused look on the girl’s face nothing short of adorable.
“Sorry,” she chuckled. “That’s not what I meant to say at all. You just surprised me.”
The girl gave her a sweet smile and Kirumi couldn’t help but notice how those beautiful blue eyes scrunched up adorably in the corners, or how a hint of small dimples shone through her skin on either side of those lips highlighted with a pretty pink gloss.
“You know, Tojo-san,” those pink lips giggled, “It’s a good thing you’re cute or I’d have totally called you out for your staring a long time ago.”
Kirumi gawked at her as the girl took her drink out of Kirumi's outstretched hands. When had she even made that? She supposed she had just been so hopeful the girl might come by that she had made it subconsciously before her crush had even entered the building. She wouldn’t be surprised if she had, the order had been firmly implanted in the forefront of her brain since the morning that cosplayer had first entered the cafe.
Venti vanilla bean Frappuccino with coconut milk, 2 shots, a banana, double blended with 2 pumps of caramel, 3 pumps of raspberry, with whipped cream and sprinkles on top. That’s where it had all begun. A complicated order leading to such a simple moment, a barista and a customer locking eyes over a countertop.
Weeks of clear mutual interest, but no moves from either side. Weeks of fingertips brushing when exchanging money. Weeks of lingering glances as the girl left the cafe. Weeks of getting lost in those beautiful eyes, wanting to know who was really behind them.
It’s now or never.
“What’s your name?”
The clatter of the plastic cup against the countertop echoed throughout the practically empty cafe. Pinkish-brown liquid started to seep out of it, as its owner stood in shock, a pure look of panic sparking in those beautiful blue eyes, hand still raised where the cup had been mere moments before.
Blue met pale green as the girls locked eyes over the counter. Time seemed to move in slow motion as they got lost in each others’ gaze.
“I-I’m sorry,” Kirumi stammered, finally breaking out of her trance. She rushed to grab some cleaning rags for the spilled drink. “I’ll make you a new one.”
She scrambled over to the machines she had become so familiar with in the past few weeks, hands working on pure muscle memory as she prepared another drink. She poured and blended with ease, letting her memory guide her until a small voice nearly made her drop the cup again.
“Tsu.”
It was soft, shy, shaky, as if the source of the voice hadn’t even meant to say it.
But the only 2 people in the cafe were…
She whipped around on her heel to face the source of the voice, seeing the object of her affections looking right at the ground, a faraway look in those piercing eyes. The confidence Kirumi had become so accustomed to in the past few weeks was nowhere to be found.
“Tsu. That’s my name. Or, part of it anyway,” she muttered, her voice barely above a whisper. She fidgeted with her hands, eyes glancing upward occasionally at the barista to gauge her reaction.
“Tsu,” she tested the name on her lips, and smiled. It felt so natural. It felt right.
“It’s a pleasure to finally meet you.”
———
Surprisingly, not much changed with the partial reveal of the cosplayer’s name. Tsu still came in every day like clockwork, ordering the drink Kirumi knew like the back of her hand. Kirumi would compliment whatever cosplay the girl had worn, guessing the ones she didn’t know.
From an outsider’s perspective, you’d think nothing had changed between the two girls.
But Kirumi, she had noticed. Noticed the way Tsu’s smile looked a little bit brighter when their eyes met. Noticed the way their hands touched for a little bit longer than necessary any time Kirumi handed over her drink. Noticed the way they both subconsciously overshared just a little bit when they asked how each others’ days were, desperate for just a little more time to talk. It seemed as though neither of them could stand going a day without talking to each other.
Which is why Kirumi found it strange when the clock struck 8 one morning, and Tsu had yet to arrive. Her drink was already made, sitting on the counter with a straw already inserted in the lid.
She’s never been late before, her mind was racing. What if she’s hurt? What if she got tired of me? What if-
Ding
At the ring of the bell above the door, Kirumi whipped around in relief. Her smile faltered when instead of an elaborate cosplay, her eyes fell on a rather pretty, but plain looking girl. She wore a simple, school girl-like jacket and skirt, with black tights and shoes to match. Deep blue hair reached all the way down to her waist, curling slightly at the ends.
She was pretty, but she wasn’t Tsu.
Kirumi pushed down her disappointment. She’ll be here eventually. You still have a job to do.
“Hello and welcome to Harmony Cafe! What can I get for you today?”
Instead of answering, the girl gave her a soft chuckle.
“You really have come a long way from that first day, huh? Guess you really took that advice to heart.”
When the girl lifted her head, Kirumi understood. She would recognize those eyes anywhere.
“Oh, no need to be so formal with me, darling.”
“Tsu?”
The cosplayer walked forward slowly, each step calculated. She was clearly nervous, her hands shaking slightly.
“...mugi,” she muttered, barely above a whisper.
“What?”
“Tsumugi. That’s my real name. Tsumugi Shirogane.” She walked the remaining steps to the countertop, taking Kirumi’s hands delicately in her own. “This is the real me. I’m sorry if it’s not what you were hoping for. I know I’m rather plain.”
Kirumi’s heart broke at the statement. To think her Tsu, the wonderful person she had come to love, was finally here in front of her and doubting herself. She wasn’t going to stand for it.
“You’re beautiful, Shirogane-san.” She couldn’t help the borderline giddy smile that rose to her face when Tsumugi turned bright red.
“You- You don’t have to lie to me, Tojo-san. I know I’m not what you were expecting. My plain self kind of pales in comparison to all my cosplays.”
Kirumi shifted her hands so she was now holding Tsumugi’s, running her thumb slowly along the backs of the pale girl’s hands. Opening her mouth, she decided to take a leap of faith.
“Shirogane-san, I didn’t fall for you because of your cosplays. I fell for you because you’re a good person. You’re kind and funny and caring, and somehow you have the greatest sugar tolerance of anyone I’ve ever known.”
“You remember how awkward and proper I was when I first started out here. You helped me break out of my shell, out of that harmful mindset of needing to be proper all the time. You strutted through those doors on my very first day and told me to lighten up, and here I am now.”
“You’ve been such a constant joy in my life these past few weeks Shi… Tsumugi. I like you a lot, and if the feeling is mutual…”
She reached over to where Tsumugi’s drink was already made on the counter. Grabbing a nearby marker, she neatly printed her number on the side of the cup before handing it to the cosplayer, who was frozen in shock.
“...I’d really like it if you would call me sometime.”
Tsumugi stood frozen for a few seconds, running her fingers over the numbers as if they were an illusion that would shatter at the faintest touch. When they didn’t, she broke out into a wide smile, practically leaping over the counter to catch Kirumi in a hug.
Their bodies fit together like puzzle pieces, and Kirumi swore she had never been happier in her life. The moment was broken when someone cleared their throat behind Tsumugi, reminding Kirumi that she was, indeed, still on the clock.
The twogirls released each other stubbornly, Tsumugi leaning back over to her side of the counter. She grabbed her drink slowly, clearly not wanting to leave.
“My shift ends at 3,” Kirumi shot the girl a small grin. “If you want to go to dinner later?”
Bouncing on her toes, Tsumugi leaned upwards and across the counter. Kirumi gasped as she felt a soft pair of lips briefly meet her cheek before Tsumugi’s smiling face filled her vision once more.
“I can’t wait!”
And as Kirumi watched Tsumugi walk towards the door, the cosplayer stopping briefly to wave and blow her a kiss before disappearing from her sight.
She had never been happier to be a barista.