Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The best part of being a university student in Ayase Momo’s opinion is the lingering feeling of freedom. Now that she was living in Tokyo, a few miles away from Kamikoshi—and a few miles away from her annoying grandma—she felt like she could do whatever she wanted.

Don’t get her wrong, she loved her grandma a lot, and would fight tooth and nail if someone badmouthed or made fun of her for working as a medium, but as any other 18 or 19 year old freshmen, to be in such a big city, wasn’t it exciting?

It felt good to be away without adult supervision, to have some space for herself–and to not feel the sharp eyes of her grandma on her or on her boyfriend (ex-boyfriend now, because as always her grandma was right and the guy that she dated for a while was a human trash.)

Still, despite Momo being the one paying the rent for the apartment she shared with Vamola and Aira—friends from her high school days—her grandmother was the one who was actually covering her tuition.

So yeah, it was just a lingering taste of freedom, after all, she wasn’t independent.

And because she really wanted to graduate (it means she should take her studies seriously), a full-time job was out of the question, which also meant less income. But, honestly, Momo was happy with how things were going. Six months in Tokyo had been good to her so far.

She was enjoying her classes, Vamola and Aira were great roommates, and even the few parties she’d attended had been fun. Her part-time job was decent enough too, but…

Momo sighed.

From behind, she heard Miko and Kei, her two part-time coworkers at the coffee shop, whispering.

“She sighed again.” Miko observed.

“I bet it is a boy problem.” Kei replied.

Momo turned around, hands on her hips. “I can hear you, you know.”

“Yep!” Kei grinned. “You are supposed to.

“So, are you going to tell us who the guy is?” Miko asked, pushing her luck.

“Oh, come on!” Momo groaned, turning back to her task of refilling the coffee machine with beans. “I told you there’s no one like that!”

“Like who? Takakura Ken?” Kei teased, her grin unrelenting.

“Ughhhh! I said stop that!” Momo resisted the urge to smack that grin off both their faces. “So what if I like the actor? Is it so much to ask to find someone like him?”

Miko and Kei exchanged a knowing look.

“Girl…” Kei began, shaking her head.

“Men like him don’t exist anymore.” Miko finished, nodding in agreement. “Chivalry’s dead.”

Really, Momo was enjoying her classes, Vamola and Aria were great roommates, and even the few parties she’d attended had been fun. Her part-time job was decent enough too, but…

Where I am supposed to find a man like Takakura Ken?!

Her first boyfriend–the trash human being, the one that her grandma strongly disapproved of (with reason, she was mature enough to admit it now)–she only dated him for his appearance, because he resembled Takakura Ken, the actor that she liked so much.

Childish? Yeah, dating someone just for their appearance wasn’t something that Momo thought that she would do.

As she finished refilling the last grain’s container of the coffee machine, Miko passed her a plastic cup with the next drink order. Momo must’ve spaced out for a moment because she hadn't noticed a customer coming in or ordering.

A caramel frappe, extra caramel. Easy order. She made so much of these in just one day that she could probably do it with her eyes closed, not that she would try, if something went wrong, her manager would definitely be happy to deduct a few yen for her paycheck.

As she finished preparing the drink and put a cap at the top of it, Momo started to call the customer. A normal day a day action, she didn’t even realize how her co-workers went strangely quiet and were trying their best to not laugh.

“Caramel frappe, extra caramel for Takakura K–” The drink almost slipped from her hands.

What?!

“Ah, that’s me!”

A black haired guy wearing glasses, slightly taller than her, probably around her age approached the corner where Momo was waiting–frozen in place–with his drink still on her hands, and a shocked expression.

“Thank y—”

“No! I can’t accept it!” Momo suddenly stated, interrupting the poor boy that wasn’t really sure of what exactly he did. “No way!”

Behind her, Miko and Kei couldn’t stop laughing.

“Hum…” The boy–Takakura Ken–stared at the barista, then her co-workers and then around the coffee shop. Did he get involved in a prank or something? “...you can’t…accept a ‘thank you’...?”

“No!” Momo could feel her cheeks get slightly warm, but it wasn’t the guy’s fault if his parents named him after a famous actor, right? She shouldn’t be snapping like that. “I mean…ugh, sorry, that was awkward, right? Sorry for that.”

The black haired boy waved his hands in front of him.

“No, no! It’s fine! I’m also an awkward guy so…”

And if he said something after that, Momo didn’t know, because her brain needed a minute to reboot.

This guy…this Takakura Ken just said the exactly same line as the Takakura Ken, the actor one. He said that line using such an innocent expression, such a soft voice…

FUCK NO!

“No way! I refused to believe you!” Momo finally snapped, putting the drink down and slamming her hands at the corner.

“Eh? What? I am sincerely thanking you!” 

“No! Not about it!” Momo grunted, he was still thinking about the thanks stuff. “Your name! I refused to believe you!”

“What about my name?”

“You are just playing around, right? Giving us a fake name like Naruto, Luffy or any other character from an anime, right?!” Yes! That’s it! He was probably just a fan like her.

“I don’t understand what you mean.” Ken rebutted, adjusting his glasses. “Whether you believe me or not, my name is Takakura Ken.”

If, if Momo could, she would lay on the ground and throw a tantrum, but she was a grown up woman in the middle of her job …so her next better option was:

“Stop!” She cried, covering her ears. “I don’t wanna hear!”

“But!”

“I said: stop!”

“Ayase Momo-san.”

Momo froze. There was only one person in the coffee shop who could say her name like that and make her blood run cold. Slowly, she turned around, her brown eyes meeting his icy blue ones.

“M-manager Sanjome…”

The pink-haired man shifted his gaze to Ken, who was still trying to understand what just happened, and bowed slightly in apology.

“I’m sorry for the rude behavior from one of our staff. We’d like to refund your order and make a fresh drink, as this one…” His eyes flickered to the cup with the whipped cream already melted. “...isn’t quite up to our establishment's standards.”

Momo flushed red, bowing quickly beside him. Oh god, she was done for, wasn’t she? Sanjome would definitely fire her after this!

“N-no! Really, it’s fine!” Ken replied, glancing between the two of them. “It was just a misunderstanding. Ayase-san…well, she thought she had called me by the wrong name, that’s all.”

This guy is nice! This guy is too nice! Was the collective thought of the three girls.

Sanjome didn’t seem convinced.

“Seriously, it’s fine!” To prove his point, Ken picked up the drink and took a sip, his eyes widening just a bit. “I have to go now, but thanks anyway!”

And with that, he left, leaving a nervous Momo, a very annoyed Sanjome, and two very amused co-workers in his wake.

“Ayase-san…”

Momo flinched.

“My office.” The manager’s voice was cold as ice. “Now.”

Great. Just great.

Chapter Text

"That was soooo nerve-wracking…" Momo groaned, face buried in the cushions of the sofa in her living room.

Across from her, Vamola was laughing on the opposite sofa as Momo recounted her day, while Aira sat on the floor, focused on painting her nails.

"At least you got off with just a warning." Vamola pointed out, trying to look on the bright side. "Could’ve been worse."

Momo sighed. How could someone be so relentlessly positive?

"Yeah, you could’ve been fired." Aira added with a smirk, examining her freshly painted pink nails. "And I’d have laughed my ass off."

"Ugh, screw you, skank!" Momo yelled, sitting up to hurl a pillow at her pink-haired friend.

“What the hell, Momo! I am painting my nails here!” Aira snapped back, careful not to mess up her polish, which kept her from throwing anything back.

“Do I look like I give a fuck?”

“You b–”

“Okayyy, let’s not fight!” Vamola finally stepped in. “We really don’t need another warning for the syndic about being too noisy, right?”

Instantly, both of them stopped the colorful exchange of words.

“But anyway Momo, this Takakura Ken guy–” Vamola began, ignoring the ‘Nooooo! Don’t say his name!’ that came from the brunette’s lips. “–sounds like a really good guy!”

And for some reason, Momo didn’t like the tone of voice that the blonde girl used. It sounded like…

“And his name is Takakura Ken! You should have asked for his number!” Vamola added with a grin.

Momo gawked at her as Aira burst out laughing as if she just heard the funniest joke in the world.

“Momo asking for his number after the scene that she caused?!” Aira doubled over. “The poor guy!”

“No. Way!” The barista cried, face flushed red, ready to throw a pillow at the blonde girl. “As if I would ask for his number just because he is a little bit nice and is named T-Takakura Ken! And he's definitely not my type!”

“That’s rich coming from someone who dated a trash guy just because he looked a little bit like Takakura Ken.” Aira rebutted sarcastically.

That one stung. Momo felt–almost–ashamed for her obsession over the actor for a moment.

“Oh, shut up! I was too naive!”

“That was last year and we told you that the guy was scum.”

“Come on! Give me a break! He was my first boyfriend!”

“So what does he look like?” Vamola interjected again, but genuinely curious. “Is he cute?”

Is he cute? Momo considered, gladly accepting the change of subject and trying to remember the frappe guy's features.

He was just slightly taller than Momo herself, and skinny, but still looked like he was hitting the gym, unruly black hair, brown eyes hidden behind round-framed glasses…

“I guess…” She muttered with a thoughtful expression. “...that he was kinda cute, but he looked like a nerd.”

“Woah! So you are aiming for Otaku Ken instead of Takakura Ken?” Aira teased, stifling a laugh.

“Can’t you just shut your trap?!” Momo yelled, ready to throw another pillow at Aira. “And what if he was a little bit cute?! It’s not like he is ever coming back to the shop after today!”

Vamola and Aira exchanged a knowing look before turning back to Momo.

“You realize you just jinxed it, right?” They said simultaneously.

“I didn’t!”

…

She totally jinxed it, didn’t she?

The 'frappe guy’—as Momo had decided to call him, because no way was she saying his actual name—was back at the coffee shop, fiddling with a cellphone while waiting patiently for his turn in line to the cashier where Miko was taking the orders.

Why? Why was he back? Shouldn't he be so weirded out by yesterday's fiasco that he’d never want to set foot in the shop again?

She tossed the ingredients for the drink into the blender and switched it on, trying to focus. Kei, who was making the hot drinks, and Miko weren’t even trying to hide their amusement, grinning openly at her flustered state. Momo gritted her teeth, resisting the urge to strangle someone. But after yesterday’s mess, and with Manager Sanjome watching her like a hawk, she couldn’t afford another slip-up.

She glanced sideways, catching Kei and Miko exchanging a look and suppressing their laughter, and muttered under her breath.

I swear, one more grin, and I'm gonna mur-…No.

Momo took a deep breath, forcing herself to stay calm. Just like her roommates, her co-workers were only teasing, getting a kick out of her embarrassing moment and poking fun at her crush on Takakura Ken— the actor, of course. They didn’t mean any harm, they just wanted to get a rise from her because she had a really peculiar taste.

"Get it together, Momo." The brunette mumbled to herself and cast another glance at the line. Frappe guy was the next. “Just don’t be weird about the same thing.”

And maybe he would order something warm instead of something cold, right? Kei would be the one making his drink this time, RIGHT?

.

.

.

Wrong.

Miko just grinned, clearly savoring every bit of Momo’s frustration. With an exaggerated wink, she patted Momo’s shoulder while handing her a cup.

“He even asked if it would be possible to ask you to make it.”

Her face was heating up. Momo glared down at the cup with strict instructions about a caramel frappe with extra caramel…again. And the big, obnoxious heart around that name was an eyesore. She knew she had no choice but to make the drink and, worse yet, call his name with a straight face.

This sucks!

“I hate you.” Momo said between gritted teeth.

“And we love you.” Kei said from over Momo’ shoulder. Even without looking at the blonde girl’s face, Momo knew that she was grinning from one ear to the other.

This fucking sucks!

…

The drink was ready, the lid was on. The last step was to call for the drink owner's name.

Shit.

The more her brown eyes stared at the name written inside the heart, the less courage she had to say it, but her co-workers were little shits, so no matter how much she begged and tried to bribe them, they wouldn’t call for him.

Maybe if she waved at the frappe guy, he’d notice his drink was ready. But one glance at his table, and Momo gave up—he was totally absorbed in some book or magazine.

There was another option, though.

With just one person waiting in line, Momo realized this was her chance.

If I can’t call him over, and he’s not coming up here, then the only choice left is to bring it to him. No need to say his name!

There wasn’t exactly a rule against employees delivering drinks directly to tables, but something about it felt awkward…it felt wrong to just go there with the drink and drop it. Frappe guy was really nice during the whole mess that she caused yesterday…and as much as Momo could be foul-mouthed, her grandma (as foul-mouthed as her) had taught her better manners than that.

She sighed, and a small smile appeared on her lips.

Okay. Here I go.

“What are you doing?” Miko asked, intrigued, as she saw Momo reaching into the dessert showcase.

“Put this on my tab, ‘kay?” Momo replied, grabbing a tray and heading toward the black-haired boy’s table.

“Oooh, now this is getting interesting!” Kei said, leaning over to the cashier, who stifled a laugh.

…

As soon as she placed the drink on the table, his gaze shifted up to her.

“Oh, sorry about that…I didn’t hear you calling me.”

“Because I didn’t.” Momo replied, only to see the same puzzled look that he had on his face the day before.

“Uh…and I didn’t order this…” Ken said, eyeing the strawberry tart she’d just set beside his drink.

“Yeah, I know.”

They stared at each other for a moment, each sizing up the situation.

“The dessert’s on me today.” Momo finally sighed, averting her eyes as she felt her cheeks warming a little.

“W-w-what?! Why?!” Frappe guy stammered, and if the word ‘cute’ crossed Momo’s mind, it wasn’t anyone’s business.

“Look, I just wanted to thank you properly for yesterday. If you hadn’t spoken up, I probably wouldn’t be working here anymore.” She confessed. It was embarrassing, but she wanted to show him that she was truly sincere about this. “So, thank you. Really.”

This time, it was the boy’s turn to blush. He nervously rubbed the back of his neck, his brown eyes darting between the dessert and the barista.

“I-it was nothing, after all, I guess that it was a misunderstanding.”

Momo grunted, feeling kind of guilty.

“Are you alright, Ayase-san?” He asked, watching her expression.

“Hum? How do you know my name?” The girl asked, visibly surprised. Now that she thought about it, he had said her name yesterday too.

“Your manager…he mentioned it yesterday…”

Oh, that’s right. Manager Sanjome did say my full name.

“Ugh…that’s right.” She muttered. “That was embarrassing.”

“Well, not as embarrassing as telling the cashier that I wanted my drink made by the same person as yesterday.”  Frappe guy laughed, scratching the back of his neck with a sheepish smile.

“What?” Momo stared at him in surprise, trying to process his words. She thought that Miko was just pulling her leg there! So, Frappe guy really asked her to make his drink?!

“Uh…well…” His cheeks reddened as he continued, “The drink was really good yesterday. And, you know…sometimes, even with the same recipe, drinks can taste a bit different depending on who makes them. So I figured I’d ask if…you could make it again…”

The following silence was awkward, they were both blushing, and Momo could feel curious eyes on her (most likely Kei and Miko, the little shits!). Clearly, Frappe Guy had pieced together that she was the one behind his drinks—she’d been the one to call his name yesterday, after all, and here she was again, delivering his order personally.

“A-anyway!” Momo finally found her voice, though she stammered. “I just wanted to thank you for yesterday! I have to go back to work!”

“W-wait! Ayase-san, about the tart–”

Ugh! He really needed to stop calling her name! It was bad for her heart!

“It’s on the house, Frappe guy!” She repeated, blushing.

“Frappe guy?!” He sounded shocked.

“That’s what I will call you for now!”

“But, my name…”

“Nope! Your name is off-limits!”

“But!” 

“If you want me to keep doing your drinks, we're gonna have to set some rules here!” The barista crossed her arms. “Your name is forbidden. I will call you Frappe guy until we find something better to stick to.”

“Okay…” He sighed, but in Momo’s eyes, he didn’t really seem upset. “I got it, Ayase-san.”

“I have to go back now, see you around, Frappe guy!”

“Yeah, thanks for the tart.” He grinned, his brown eyes warm.

With a grin of her own, Momo spun on her heel and headed back behind the counter, her cheeks still flushed as she felt his gaze lingering a moment longer.

Chapter Text

When Takakura Ken was ten, his parents decided to move to Tokyo.

Both had demanding careers that constantly required them to relocate, so Ken never had the chance to stay in one school long enough to make friends or feel settled. Just when he thought he’d have a chance to connect with someone, his parents would announce yet another move.

“We are sorry.”

“This is the last time, I promise.”

Lies. But Ken was a good kid and didn’t really want to trouble his parents, so he never voiced his thoughts.

They showered him with gifts instead—games, toys, books—anything a kid could want, but what good were all those things for if he had no one to share them with? The only thing that he wanted was a friend. But how can a person make a friend if he can’t stay put in just one place?

He left Kamikoshi, but it’s not like he had anything to leave behind anyway.

…

Changing schools wasn’t something new for Ken, nor were the uninterested stares that he received from the other students. They already had their own friend groups, and a plain figure like him (bowl cut hair, round glasses, and short boy) wasn't something that they wanted to add to their circle.

So Ken would stay quiet and alone during school hours, reading magazines about UAP’s, because those were the only things that could make him forget about his loneliness. How many times did he wish that the aliens that people wrote about in those magazines would come for him? Maybe he could contact them, maybe he could strike up a conversation, maybe…he could become their friend.

At least someone would be interested in him.

…

For once, his parents seemed to keep their promise and finally settled down in Tokyo – or so he thought. Five years in the same city was a record for his family, after all.

The cherry blossoms were in full bloom, their petals swirling in the breeze – a beautiful start to a new school year, which also meant that a new school year was starting. A new school year, but nothing would change anyway, Ken would still be sitting alone during breaks reading his magazines, always within the sights of the school bullies, and…

“Hey, what are you reading?”

He barely registered the question, assuming no one would bother talking to him unless it was to tease him.

“Heyyyy, I’m talking to you.”

There was another person sitting in front of him, an auburn-haired boy, and even if he was sitting, Ken noted that the boy was way taller than him.

“Are you…talking with me?” Ken asked after taking a look around him. Why did a guy who looked like the popular sportsman type talk with him for starters?

“And who else would I talk to?” The auburn-headed boy asked.

“Hum…I mean…” How should he address the subject? “...you don’t look the type of person who would talk with me…no offense.”

The redhead made a funny expression before letting out a laugh.

“What is that supposed to mean?” He laughed. “Can’t I just talk with everyone?”

“No! I mean, yes!” The words left Ken’s mouth desperately, scared that he just messed up one of the few interactions that he had with other students. “It’s just that…what are you doing?”

The other boy was making faces at him, and Ken was trying to figure out if the auburn-haired stranger was actually mocking him.

“Oh, guess that didn’t work.” The taller boy said, crossing his arms and nodding. “I usually get a laugh with these—my faces, I mean.”

What a strange guy.

“Why?” Ken asked, genuinely puzzled.

“I’m just trying to break the ice…?” The boy replied, looking a bit unsure. “That’s how I usually make friends.”

“You…want to be friends with me?”

“Why do you sound so surprised?”

“Ugh…well…” Ken hesitated; he didn’t want to admit that he didn’t have a single friend all his life.

And as if sensing Ken’s hesitation, the taller boy quickly switched back to his original question.

“What are you reading, anyway?” He asked again, but this time, he grabbed one of the magazines from Ken's pile and started skimming a random article.

“H-hey! Wai—”

“Whoa! Someone spotted Nessie again?” The auburn-haired boy exclaimed, his eyes wide as he turned the magazine and shoved it in Ken’s face.

“Look! Another Nessie sighting!”

“Y-yeah…they’re probably the only ones who ever manage to snap a photo of it…”

“Aww man! I wish I could see Nessie too!”

“W-well, there are also some UFO’s photos in there too.” Ken offered, warming up just a bit to the strange guy’s enthusiasm.

“Really! Let me see!”

What a strange guy…but…

“Ah! By the way, the name is Enjoji Jin!” The auburn-haired boy finally introduced himself. “What about you?”

“Takakura Ken…”

“Takakura Ken?” Jin repeated, raising a brow. “Like the actor?”

“...yes…”

Jin hummed, but his brow was arched as he looked between Ken and the magazine.

“Do you like the occult?”

“Well, yes, but what…”

“Okay, let’s settle with Okarun .”

“What? Why?!”

“You like the occult, right? So, occult-kun, Okarun. Makes sense, no?”

Ken couldn’t hold back a frown, but he also couldn’t deny the slight warmth spreading inside him. For the first time in a while, he actually felt…a little happy.

“You can call me Jiji instead, Okarun!” Jiji smiled.

What a strange guy…but…he seemed like a good person.

“Nice to meet you, Jiji.”

…

His three high school years weren't so bad in the end.

Enjoji Jin turned out to be a good friend. He was popular with some of the girls—funny and charming, they’d say—and definitely the sporty type. But Jin had a silly side too, constantly making funny faces, cracking weird jokes, and pulling dramatic moves. Despite his antics, he was genuinely nice, and Ken appreciated having someone like him around.

So Ken was more than happy to know that he and Jiji would be attending the same university, even though they were majoring in different areas. Also, moving from his parents' suffocating house to a shared apartment with his only friend was a plus.

The only thing that bothered Ken about Jiji was how incredibly observant he could be when Ken least expected it.

“Hey, are you dating someone, Okarun?”

It was an innocent question, but it nearly made Ken spit out his drink—the one Ayase-san had made for him. He coughed a few times, and his two companions, sitting across from him in the living room, waited patiently.

"W-where did this come from?!" Ken asked, stumbling over his words. "Why would you think that?!"

"These last few days, you've been running off somewhere after afternoon classes." His roommate said, eyeing the drink in Ken’s hands. “And sometimes you come back home with a drink.”

“You should be pointing out that the cup always has this heart drawn on it, Handsome devil!!!” The third boy in the room—Sakata Kinta, a friend they made during one of their shared classes—finally snapped.

At that comment, Ken's face turned bright red, and he hastily put the drink down on the table.

“T-that’s a misunderstanding!” He stammered.

“Yeah, we can see that.” Jiji teased, grinning widely.

“Really! It’s a misunderstanding!” Ken sputtered, unsure where to even start explaining the mess he’d gotten himself into.

“Care to explain the heart, then?” Kinta crossed his arms, raising an eyebrow. “How could you do this to me, Takakura?”

“Hey! Don’t phrase it like that! It sounds like I’m cheating on you!” Ken exclaimed, thoroughly unamused.

“So you are seeing someone!”

“No! I’m not!” Ken quickly shot back, trying to shake off the teasing.

“Oh, come on, Okarun! You can tell your oldest pal anything!” The auburn-haired boy grinned, a hand on his chest.

“And I’m telling you, that-”

“Is she cute?!” Kinta interrupts again.

“She is, but–”

“Oh! He is whipped!” His two friends yelled.

“Are you even listening to me?!” Ken yelled, face buried in his hands, his cheeks flushed with frustration and embarrassment. “Seriously, stop it!” 

“Sorry, Okarun.” Jiji leaned back on the sofa, arms crossed and smiling. “Just wanted to tease a little, but seriously, what is going on?”

Ken sighed, sitting up straight again, meeting their eyes.

“If I tell you, are you going to leave me alone?”

They nodded, far too eager for Ken’s liking, but he was getting tired of being teased.

“Okay, so there was an incident the other day at this coffee shop…”

As they heard the story, Jin and Kinta made a mental note to go there one of these days. 

…

“Why are you guys here?” Okarun sighed, not even bothering to look at Jiji and Sakata, who had followed him after classes.

“To get a drink.” They answered in unison.

Ken facepalmed. It was obvious. They were here to see the barista who refused to call him by his real name, but was nice enough to apologize. He shouldn’t have said anything about what happened, but deep down, he knew they’d follow him here anyway.

“You guys are impossible.” Ken muttered under his breath, keeping his gaze fixed on the counter, hoping they’d just leave him alone and not cause trouble.

Jiji chuckled. 

“Oh, come on, Okarun. Don’t be like that, we just want a nice coffee.”

“You don’t even like coffee!” The round glasses boy snapped. “You only drink milk!”

“I don't know what you're talking about.” Jiji said, crossing his fingers behind his neck and looking away.

“Takakura, why were you hiding such a place from me?!” The other glasses boy asked while staring at the cute cashier.

“But weren’t you…never mind.” Ken decided to bite his tongue. There was no need to bring up Kinta’s recent crush on that girl from another department— what was her name again? Vamola?

“Oh! You came again, Frappe guy!” The cashier said, grinning, already getting the cup and writing the ingredients for the drink. “The usual?”

Ken didn’t even realize how quickly the line had moved, and before he knew it, it was his turn.

“Uh, yeah.”

“He’s also paying for our drinks!” Jiji exclaimed, casually draping his arm around Okarun’s shoulder.

“Hey!” Ken protested, but before he could say more, Kinta chimed in, slipping his arm over Ken’s other shoulder.

“An iced vanilla latte for me!” He added, smiling at the cashier. “The name’s Kinta.”

The cashier raised an eyebrow but didn’t comment, simply jotting down the order on the cup.

“And an iced matcha latte for me, no sugar, please.” Jiji said, flashing a smile, though the cashier’s expression remained flat as she noted the order.

“That’ll be 3073 yen.”

With a sigh, Okarun pulled out his card, paid for the drinks, and offered the cashier a polite thanks. Then, he headed to one of the tables to wait for the orders, with Jiji and Kinta trailing closely behind, both clearly enjoying the moment. Distracted by his friends, Ken didn’t notice the cashier walking directly over to the barista, who looked up at his direction with a baffled expression.

…

"Hey!"

Ken looked up, only to find the barista standing in front of him, a tray with three drinks in her hand.

“Ayase-san!” he blurted out, feeling his cheeks grow warm. “I…didn’t hear you calling.”

“Because I didn’t.”

The whole scene felt strangely familiar.

“Woah! She is Ayase-san! She really is cu–”

Ken’s eyes widened in horror as he shot a panicked look at Kinta, ready to shout anything to stop him. Thankfully, Jiji still had some sense and quickly slapped a hand over Kinta’s mouth, silencing him just in time.

“Err…Ayase-san…” What was he supposed to say now? She did catch that, right? Ohhhh, that was so embarrassing!

“Hey, Frappe Guy.” The brunette said, her gaze shifting suspiciously between Enjoji and Sakata.

Did she just ignore Sakata? Well, small blessings, he supposed.

“Are those guys extorting you?” She deadpanned.

It took Ken a second to process the question, and by the look on his friends' faces, they were also thinking hard.

What did she ask again?

“Are those guys extorting you?”

Oh, right! She just asked if Jiji and Sakata were…were…

…were what????

“What?!” It was the only thing that left Ken’s mouth.

It looked like another weird misunderstanding was unfolding.

Chapter Text

“Can I ask you something?” Vamola said suddenly, walking side by side with Momo and Aira.

“Sure, go ahead.” Momo replied distractedly, her eyes scanning the coffee shop’s schedule. She still had an hour before her shift started.

“How do you know if someone has a crush on you?”

Aira froze mid-step, eyes wide and jaw practically on the floor, while Momo nearly tripped over her own feet.

“What?!” Aira exclaimed, spinning around to grab Vamola by the shoulders and shaking her like she’d lost her mind. “What the hell did you just ask us?!”

“Who the hell is eyeing you weirdly, Vamola?!” Momo cried, standing shoulder to shoulder with Aira. There was no way they’d let their sunshine of a friend get snatched up by some random guy who was probably thinking with the wrong head.

Students passing by on campus shot the trio curious looks, eyebrows raised at the sudden outburst. Not that Momo or Aira cared—they had bigger matters to address.

“Did this person do something?” Momo pressed, narrowing her eyes. “Do I need to punch someone?”

“Or do we need to teach someone a lesson?” Aira chimed in, hands still firmly gripping Vamola’s shoulders.

Vamola laughed at the exaggerated reactions, but it still made her feel warm and loved.

“No, no, you guys are really blowing this out of proportion…” She said with a smile, then quickly added. “…way too fast, actually.”

The two girls didn’t say a word, both waiting for Vamola to elaborate.

“It’s just that…how do I explain this…” Vamola hesitated, looking thoughtful. “There’s this guy in my advanced physics class, and he keeps coming over to talk about robots and nanomachines ever since I presented an idea for a space suit powered by an alternative energy source.”

Nanomachines? Space suits? Alternative energy sources?

Momo and Aira exchanged a look, both clearly lost. Their majors were worlds apart from the science-heavy topics Vamola dealt with, but they both decided that wasn’t the main issue at hand.

“Okay, keep going.” Aira said, brushing aside the weird words.

“Well, he just keeps finding excuses to talk to me about this stuff.” Vamola continued, tapping her chin thoughtfully. “I mean, it’s nice to chat with someone who understands, but…I don’t know. I feel like there’s more to it? Or am I just overthinking things?”

“No!” Momo and Aira exclaimed in unison, their voices so sharp they made Vamola blink in surprise.

“You should always trust your instincts!” Momo declared, planting her hands on her hips.

“Exactly! Women have a sixth sense for this kind of thing!” Aira added, crossing her arms. “So listen to it!”

“So…you think this guy has a crush…on me?” Vamola asked, tilting her head as she processed the idea.

“Yes!!!” Her friends cried in unison, exasperated by her obliviousness.

“Okay.”

“ Okay , what?!” Momo demanded.

“Are you planning to date him?!” Aira asked, looking absolutely horrified at the possibility.

“Eh? No.” Vamola replied with a puzzled expression. “I was about to ask how to turn him down if he ever confesses.”

Ouch.  

Momo and Aria exchanged a glance. It was easy to forget that behind Vamola’s sweet and adorable exterior, was someone who delivered brutally honest answers without hesitation.

“Now that we’re done talking, I gotta go!” Momo announced, glancing at the time on her phone and stuffing it back into her pocket.

“Hah! Look who’s desperate to see Taka—”

“I dare you to say that name !” Momo snapped, pointing a threatening finger at Aira, who only smirked in response.

“Takakura K—” Aira teased again, dragging the syllable out.

“Shut up, skank!” Momo hissed, her cheeks burning as she got in position to throttle the other girl.

“See you at home, Momo!” Vamola chimed sweetly, grabbing Aira by the arm and dragging her in the opposite direction before her teasing could escalate further, and they had to deal with the campus director for causing a scene.

“Hey, Vamola.” Aira muttered a few minutes later.

“Hum?”

“Do you have any plans today?” The pink-haired girl asked with a smile.

“No…” 

Oh …

Aira was definitely planning something, wasn’t she?

…

If there was one thing Momo had learned over the past few days of chatting briefly with the Frappe guy, it was that he was genuinely nice, easily embarrassed, just as stubborn as she was, fun to talk to, and that he had a way of making her smile and laugh with his comments.

Okay. It wasn’t just one thing that she learned about him, but that was not the point.

Anyway, so far, their conversations had been limited to small talk—chatting about the weather, how university life was going, or an occasional complaint about something silly their roommates had done. Nothing deep, nothing that led to questions like ‘Can I have your number?’ or ‘Are you single?’ or ‘Would you go on a date with me?’.

Momo had brushed off the teasing from her roommates and co-workers about Frappe Guy, denying their accusations with fake anger. But she couldn’t lie to herself.

She may or may not have developed a small crush on Frappe Guy.

Sue her for feeling like that, but her friends were right about one thing, guys like Frappe guy were definitely on the verge of extinction! Sure, there was a chance she was wrong and that behind the cute face lurked some kind of jerk. But her instincts told her otherwise. Frappe Guy didn’t seem like the type to fake who he was, and she had been nothing but herself from the very start. And yet, he kept coming back.

That had to mean something…right?

“Momo, can you grab more coffee beans from storage?” Kei asked. “I already used up the backup we keep here.”

“Got it.” She answered, already heading to the back. Absently minded, she noticed that chime from the door, announcing that a customer had arrived.

Well, nothing will change if I don’t do something. The brunette thought, hoisting a bag of coffee beans and a few packs of plastic and paper cups in various sizes.

One day, Frappe Guy could walk into another café, decide her drink wasn’t that great after all, and stop coming back. And then what? Momo didn’t know anything about him, at least nothing that could help contact him, not even the university that he was attending, though, considering the shop’s location, odds were good it was the same one she went to.

But the campus is big…how am I supposed to find a person?!

She sighed, shaking her head. She should stop overthinking and just be straight with Frappe guy and ask him out.

Her friends would make fun of her? Yep! They were all little shits, – except Vamola, who’d actually be supportive.

Would it still be worth it? Double yep! That is, unless Frappe Guy’s answer turned out to be a big, fat no .

Momo returned with the bag of coffee, which Kei promptly took from her hands, and the cups that she began replenishing once more in their proper places.

“Momo.” Miko called, walking toward her.

Something about her tone was off.

“Is something wrong?” Momo asked, her brow furrowing.

Miko pulled a strange face.

“Frappe Guy is here.” She answered, giving her three cups with different instructions.

For a moment, Momo thought her co-worker was teasing her, but Miko’s expression stayed serious.

“But…” Miko glanced toward one of the tables before meeting Momo’s eyes again. “...he came in with two other guys, and I don’t know…”

“What?”

“They made Frappe Guy pay for all the drinks…but he looked…uncomfortable.”

“Are you saying…” Momo’s gaze followed Miko’s, landing on the two guys laughing at the table while Frappe Guy sat slumped, looking drained. “...they’re extorting him?”

“I’m not sure.” Miko replied cautiously. “I just thought you should know, in case something looks suspicious.”

Momo shot one last glance toward Frappe Guy before slamming the cups down on the preparation counter.

“Leave it to me!”

…

Momo placed the drinks on the tray, asked Kei to handle the cold drinks for a bit, and sent a final glance toward Miko, who gave her a small nod.

As she approached the table, snippets of their conversation drifted to her ears. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, but most of the chatter came from the red-haired guy and the weirdo sitting beside him. Frappe Guy, on the other hand, barely seemed interested in the discussion.

“Hey!” She said, as soon as she was right beside Frappe Guy, who looked up in her direction.

“Ayase-san!” He exclaimed. “I…I didn’t hear you calling.”

“Because I didn’t.”

Was it her imagination, or did that scene seem strangely familiar?

“Woah! She is Ayase-san?! She is really cu–”

The red-headed guy slapped a hand on the weirdo’s mouth, but  Momo just arched an eyebrow at their reactions. Frappe guy also looked flustered by something, but right now, she didn’t really care about it. She had other things to take care of.

“Err…Ayase-san…”

“Hey, Frappe Guy.” Momo said, her gaze shifting suspiciously between Enjoji and Sakata.

For a moment, Frappe Guy looked relieved. Was it because she was there? The thought crossed Momo’s mind, making her wonder if he was being forced to hang out with those people after all.

“Are those guys extorting you?” She deadpanned.

Judging by the surprised—maybe even panicked—look on his face, Momo figured her words had been a bit too blunt. But how else was she supposed to ask? She wasn’t the type to beat around the bush!

“What?!” It was the only word that left Frappe guy’s mouth.