Chapter Text
“There’s a coffee shop moving in next door.”
“Hmm?” Keigo looked up from the laptop screen, blinking as he tried to switch from thinking about numbers to thinking about, well, anything else. Just because he was good at math didn’t mean he enjoyed doing it.
Ochako grabbed onto the counter, a smile on her face. “Next door! There’s a coffee shop setting up in the empty spot beside us, it looks like it’s going to be super cute.”
Keigo tilted his head to the side, considering that news. “Good. It’s been empty too long.” The last store in that space had been a bakery. Three months ago Ms. Seo had decided to retire and move to a seaside community out of nowhere. The little courtyard held a plant shop, a designer jeans store, a chocolaterie, an art gallery, and Keigo’ bookstore. Well, and now they had a coffee shop moving in.
“Do you want to go spy on it?” Ochako raised her eyebrows at him. “Or do you want me and Tokoyami to go scout it out?”
Keigo tapped a finger to his chin. “Are there people over there right now?”
“Yep, the new owner is there,” she said, “And there are a few guys helping her put up things. One’s grumpy.” She rolled her eyes. “I was peeking through the window, and he threw a towel at the glass where my face was.”
“Not a great way to start off,” Keigo said, mildly amused but a bit concerned. The owners of the shops around the courtyard got along fairly well, and their employees were generally nice to each other. Most of the time.
Ochako tapped her fingers on top of a stack of books. “Maybe they’re not all like that. And if they are, we could send Fumikage over to stare at them through the window every day until they pack up and move out.”
On the second floor, somewhere in the stacks but still overhearing the conversation, Fumikage cleared his throat. “I can’t tell if I’m offended or not.”
“You have a great scary stare, don’t be offended! It’s a compliment,” Ochako said, glancing up at the second floor. The stairs to the side of the counter led to the second floor, and the third floor was where Keigo’ apartment was. He wondered if the bookstore owner was going to take up residence in the apartment on the third floor of that section, too. There was a door up there that connected the two apartments to each other; on the other side of his apartment was his best friend Rumi’s apartment.
“I wish I could look intimidating,” Ochako said with a huff. She partially laid down on top of the countertop, melting against it. “I’m working on it.”
Keigo reached over and patted her head. “I believe in you."
“Yeah, yeah. Don't patronize me.”
“Are we investigating the newcomers or not?”
Keigo glanced up at Fumikage, who was leaning over the second floor balcony, looking intense whether he meant to or not. Ochako had a point about his intense expression.
Keigo closed out the accounting program on his computer, checking the clock at the same time. “Is anyone in here?”
“Just us right now,” Fumikage said. “Are we closing?”
“You guys really want to go do some business espionage, don’t you,” Keigo said with a grin.
Ochako pushed away from the counter, spinning on her heel. “Maybe they’ll give us free coffee.”
“Weren’t you just planning ways to get rid of them?” Fumikage asked as he came down the stairs. Each step was painted with a scene from a book. Keigo had gotten a local artist to do it last year. A lot of the art hanging up in the shop was for sale and created by artists around the city. There were even some dark charcoal sketches that Fumikage had done, but he refused to claim them.
Ochako shrugged. “I’ll take it back if everyone else is nice.”
“I guess we should go see for ourselves,” Keigo said. He stepped out from behind the counter, moving past a couple boxes of new books. The bookshop was, er, eclectic. Half of the books were brand new and half were used. The second floor was where they kept the used books and the ground floor was devoted to the new ones. Comfy couches and chairs and stools that could accommodate people with a variety of Quirks were scattered around or placed into nooks. The color scheme of the place was decidedly warm, with reds and golds and browns, his personal favorites.
Ochako gestured at a door that was almost hidden between two tall shelves, a massive armchair nestled in front of it. “Do you think it’d freak them out if we knocked on the connecting door?”
“They might think their place is haunted,” Fumikage said, crossing his arms over his chest. “We should wait to do that until we decide if we want to scare them off or not.”
Keigo looked from Fumi to Ochako, wondering how they had gotten on the same wavelength so fast. Well, he couldn’t say that he approved of towels being hurled at Ochako, even if there was glass in the way. Fumikage was being protective. “Let’s just wait,” Keigo said, heading toward the front door.
After flipping the sign to closed and locking up, Keigo, Fumikage, and Ochako made their way to the storefront beside the bookstore. The bookstore was the last store in the courtyard, but it had its own little patio area and a kind of garden off to the side. It was a great location.
Ochako shielded her eyes and leaned against the window. “They’re still in there.”
“And you’re smudging their window,” Fumikage said.
“I’ll wash it if they want me too.” She knocked on the glass.
Keigo could see three people inside. There was a blond dude who was shooting a glare at Ochako while holding a broom, a red-and-white haired guy diligently scrubbing a tabletop, and a green-haired guy who was putting pictures on the wall.
Pointing toward the door, Keigo smiled and raised his eyebrows. He would yell through the glass if he needed to, but he hoped they understood what he was asking. The one with two-toned hair blinked and went back to scrubbing the tabletops. The blonde whipped the broom up and onto his shoulders before he stomped over to the door, unlocked it, and flung it open.
“We’re closed,” he snapped. He flicked his eyes at Ochako. “I told you that five minutes ago.”
“I brought reinforcements,” she said, using her thumb to indicate Keigo and Fumi. “We’re here to investigate.”
“You’re inspectors?” he asked, leaning against the doorframe, blocking their entrance. “Fork over your licenses.”
“Katsuki!” A female voice called from inside the coffee shop. A woman with a long white and red ponytail popped up from behind the old bakery counter. Keigo hadn’t seen her there; she must have been cleaning behind the counter. She surged out from behind the counter, her blue eyes wide. “Stop chasing people off!”
“We’re not open,” he said, frowning back at her as she rushed toward them. “You said—”
She sighed and grabbed the door, suddenly opened it wider and almost making him fall. “I said you were going to have to work on your customer service skills. Right?”
He made a face. “I don’t because I’m not going to talk to idiots. I’ll make coffee.”
“You might have to work the register one day, Kacchan,” the green-haired guy said, leveling one of the pictures.
The blond snorted. “I’d rather choke on a cappuccino.”
The woman stared at him and then gently pushed him away from the door. “Go be useful elsewhere before I regret hiring you, please and thank you.” Brushing a lock of white and red hair out of her face, she smiled, easy and comforting. “Sorry about that, he’s learning manners. Welcome to Iced or Toasty!”
Keigo felt something snap awake inside of his chest at that bright smile. Quickly, he batted the feeling away. “Thank you,” he said. He pointed at the bookstore. “We’re your neighbors. I’m the owner, Keigo Takami.”
She looked at him, her gaze taking in his wings. That smile brightened. “Your store’s name is very fitting.”
Keigo had thought it was pretty clever to name the place Flyleaf Books. Not only did it allude to his wings and also paper, but hey, flyleaf meant the blank pages in a book. He smiled back at her. “Thanks. This is Ochako Uraraka and my brother, Fumikage Tokoyami. We just wanted to say hello.”
“And find out if everyone’s like that one,” Ochaco said cheerfully, pointing at the blond.
He scowled at her. “They’re worse.”
Fuyumi opened the door all the way. “Come on in. I won’t say Katsuki’s all bark and no bite, that would be a lie, but he’s not as bad as he pretends.”
“Anymore,” the green-haired guy muttered.
“What was that?” the blond demanded.
“Annnd you’ve met Bakugou, but this is Izuku Midoriya and my brother, Shouto Todoroki.” Her hands flailed and then she pressed one to her chest. “Oh my gosh, and I’m Fuyumi, I missed that part.”
“It’s nice to meet you,” Keigo said.
She tugged her hair back up into a neater ponytail while she walked backward toward the counter. “Since you’re here, do you want to be coffee guinea pigs? We’re trying to get our first menu sorted out so we can open week after next.”
“Yes!” Ochako said, hurrying toward the counter. “Please, I volunteer us as science experiments.”
“I can agree to that,” Fumikage said.
They probably needed to open the bookstore back up soon…but he saw the hope for a yes in Ms. Todoroki’s eyes.
“I can throw in a couple bakery goods,” she said, sweetening the offer.
Keigo nodded. He would have to drop off a couple books later as an appreciation gift or invite her over for a tour. “You don’t have to,” he said, “But if you want to, we wouldn’t turn them down.”
She beamed. “Perfect.”