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°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･A Rose For You From Me･*.ೃ࿔:⋆❀°
Lucy’s cafe: A place to meet and eat- a cozy place that welcomes everybody and anybody, a place to relax. It was another bustling day after the other, nothing different nor anything new: coffee: brewed; cakes; baked, orders: served; customers: ate. Just the same day copy and pasted all over. Nothing and nobody troubled the cafe and its reputation was still at its finest. A peaceful life in a cozy cafe… nothing could go wrong for Lucy.
Lucy’s customers weren’t always new as well, they came in daily or weekly and they would always order the same thing. She quickly became close mutuals with them as well! They came in so frequently, she even passively memorised their orders on the top of her head;
A latte for the annoying brunette -Dazai- after repeatedly asking for detergent for the 50th time this week. Sitting next to him is a short-tempered ginger -Chuuya- ordering black tea.
An espresso with whipped cream for the blonde guy with glasses -Kunikida. Two strawberry milkshakes for Tanizaki and his “sister” Naomi (they act really weird together for some reason…)
And then here comes Poe, ordering black coffee as usual with his “rival” Ranpo, ordering a variety of sweets everyday. A small breakfast of eggs and toast for the farmboy Kenji and strawberry mochi for the sweet girl Kyouka.
And finally at last, some iced-coffee for doctor Yosano and a nice hot matcha with some sweet wagashi for Kouyou.
Handling a cafe was not an easy thing for Lucy to do on her own, and so she needed someone to work with her and help her: 11+ orders a day was not easy! Even though she had Louisa, who did help her a lot every time she offered help, she was mostly busy all of the time with Francis always ordering her around so most of the time Lucy ran the cafe all on her own. Everyday, she’d worn herself out with people coming in and out all of the time: throwing herself onto her bed for a two hour sleep when she gets back home. Wake up. Go to work. Go to sleep, and repeat! Where was the fun in that? Yea, she would get some good cash at the end of the day but does that make her tiredness and exhaustion go away instantly? No! Does it remove her eyebags and dark circles? No! Lucy needed some help in her life and she needed it real bad. But who could ever help her out?
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It was just the usual routine, nothing exciting, nothing’s new. Lucy was scrubbing the dishes with her red rubber gloves, making squeaky sounds every time she grabbed a plate; she turned on the radio to romanticise the situation a bit because washing the dishes early in the morning is not fun. She turned on some calm jazz and the world around her was colorful once again.
Disturbed, she heard the bell that rang every time someone pushed the door ;she quickly took off her bright red gloves and went to the customer: it was just a normal citizen from town, she didn't know much about them yet. One hot chocolate, extra sugar, no marshmallows, got it. And off she went back to work.
As was Lucy started to finish the hot chocolate, she looked around her: nothing exciting, all the same, the same life like the past 4 months. Of course she would get tired. She never really expressed it but she hated this life of hers. Everyday, deep inside her heart, she felt this never-ending emptiness that hollowed her out: as if something’s missing: a missing puzzle piece longing to be found and placed. It couldn’t be ignored, it wasn’t just a singular, small dead pixel in the middle of the screen that you wouldn’t mind but instead: it was a huge crack, creating thousands of those dead pixels, ruining the entire screen, threatening it to never turn on ever again.
She also couldn’t know how to even explain it or put it into words, let alone speak of it to anyone (if she even had anybody in the first place). Every time she’d feel a shiver, it didn’t come down from her spine but rather surging from the sides of her body: those waves of shivers would then pool and stack up in her chest, and the longer they stayed, the more painful it felt. She would then have to vouchsafe herself a mask of joy and smiles to the people around her, scared to rock the boat, thinking that her emotions and deep feelings are merely useless dust particles that get easily blown away by just the exhale of one’s lungs. She just had to look strong and confident. That’s all that mattered.
But then, by just the ring of a bell, those cold waves of shivers suddenly stop. A warm gaze reaches out to her like a hand grabbing her out from a pit of flames. A familiar face, with black, flowy black hair. Kyouka, one of her favourite customers, but she wasn’t the one that hooked her attention and paused her racing amygdala… it was him. Followed next, was a face that looked so kind, a smile so genuine unlike hers… doe eyes of joy with a splash of purple and yellow. She could stare at them for hours and she would never get bored… What the hell?? She quickly shook off her head in disgust of what she just thought of.
His bangs looked uneven, weirdly cut and a bit funny looking; his belt was a bit too long as well: it looked like a cat tail if you think about it. Fingerless, black gloves and a flowy black tie hanging low. Who is he? Could it be a friend of Kyouka? She stopped staring, went up to her and waved.
“Hey Kyouka, finally coming with a new friend today?” Kyouka faintly smiled and nodded.
“Uhh, A table of two please!” An awkward voice came out of the boy yet, it sounded so heartwarming, so tender, almost healing the crazy mess in Lucy’s heart. He had a similar height to Lucy, just slightly a bit taller. Lucy no! Get a grip of yourself!
“Hi there! Welcome to Lucy’s Cafe! Sure follow me, there are lots of free tables early in the morning- or probably because nobody would go to a shitty place with only one person working here-” She mumbled that last line under her breath, already exhausted in the first hour, “What’s your name?” Lucy led the way with a forced smile on her face except when she looked at the boy, her smile didn’t need forcing, it was formed with genuine emotion… Wait no that’s not Lucy.
“My name is Atsushi Nakajima, what’s yours?” Atsushi Nakajima, Atsushi, Atsushi: Not a single moment in her lifespan will she ever forget that name. Kyouka was typically silent, she just followed them and watched from the sidelines and sat down on the comfy, red-cushioned chair. Everything in this cafe was red and pink themed- it suited Lucy’s hair.
“My name’s Lucy,” She glanced at Atsushi over her shoulder with a kinder smile that she quickly hid by facing the front quickly. Kyouka stared blankly, noticing it with suspicion.
Both sat comfortably on their seats; Atsushi explored the cafe with wandering eyes in complete awe; the cafe gave off a rosey, warm vibe as if everyday was Valentine’s day. Lucy stifles her laugh as he finally realises the menu in front of him: “Take a look at the menu and when you’re ready just call over, bye!” She waved goodbye and Kyouka and Atsushi waved back: it made her feel something, not knowing what it is, she ignored it. It was the same continuous hollow feeling but…warmer? Oh well, it probably didn’t mean anything.
She collected the dishes off the other customers and waved them goodbye as she made her way to the back of the room where she washes the dishes in the sink; Her eyes however, she just couldn’t focus on what she’s supposed to do at all. Every time she tried to actually do her work, her eyes would dart back at Atsushi for some reason and she just didn’t know why. It made her feel something. Fluttering butterflies in her stomach colliding; The shivering would be less tense, less painful, more healing. She shook her head and brushed it all off.
From her peripheral vision, she saw Atsushi’s arms swaying left and right. She made her way to table no. 13 with her notebook in hand:
“Are you two finally ready to order?” She tried to keep an equal balance of looking at both Kyouka and Atsushi, yet, her eyes still always ended up fixating at his soft, purple eyes and his rosey, pink tint under them-
“I would like some mocha with extra sugar and whipped cream please!” Lucy quickly wrote that down -she wouldn’t even need her notebook in the first place, she would try to memorise his order thoroughly by heart until it got stuck in her mind like super glue.
“Strawberry mochi please,” Like the usual Kyouka, she didn’t have to write it down. Just some coffee to brew and mochi dough to roll and it would finally be break duty; usually it would give her motivation to finish quickly but she already has a better motive in mind now. She’s even looking at it right now. Right in front of her. Already saying goodbye…
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Lucy stretched her back, it was time for another roughless day. She lifted her heavy eyelids trying as hard as she could to wake up. Though, this day is a little bit different: Louisa was going to come and help her with the cafe today.
Now that Lucy is thinking about it, Louisa might be the kindest person she has ever met! Not only is she offering to help Lucy out despite the fact she has loads of other work to do from Fritzgerald, but without wanting to be paid as well!
It was 6 am, Lucy walked in early in the cafe with her heavy handbag. She placed it on a countertop but when she opened the lights-
“Huh? Louisa? What are you doing here so early in the morning?” Due to her surprise, she saw Louisa sweeping off the floor with a broom all on her own; she got startled for a second when Lucy opened the lights.
“Oh um I am so sorry,” She fixed her glasses for a second and pinched her arm nervously, “I thought that if I came early I would give you a quick headstart before the customers come in.”
"You're going too overboard though…” She took Anne from her handbag, putting her on the countertop and displaying it like a small trinket for the cafe as a cute little decoration.
“Running a cafe on your own is not easy, that’s why I wanted to help you, Lucy,” She carefully sweeps the dust off the hanging vines and the shelves with a duster in hand. At around 7:45, some customers started to come into the cafe like usual. First came Kunikida then Kenji and Kyouka but Lucy didn’t wait for any of those people to come. She was waiting for him and him only.
Lucy felt like if she asked Kyouka where he was, she might suspect her of something and she doesn't want that at all. All she wanted was just for that constant emptiness in her heart to disappear into thin air and never return again. Could it be loneliness? The absence of love? Lucy thought about it deep in silence. She rested her elbow on the counter with her hand on her cheek, dozing off away from her unbearable reality whom she unfortunately existed in. Why was she even obsessing over that homeless looking boy anyway? She should just forget about him and focus on her work. Silly Lucy, she didn’t realise that her mask is now wearing off and now Louisa is looking at her in concern. What was she going to do? What was she going to say? She didn’t even bother to fix her face, she just let the frames play: curious of what will happen next but also secretly in fear.
“Lucy, is something wrong?” Louisa placed her hand on Lucy’s shoulder delicately as if she was touching fragile glass, scared for it to shatter into thousands of pieces. Lucy turned her head towards Louisa, just barely enough for the corner of her eyes to look at her.
“Oh no Louisa, it’s nothing. It’s just these days are just so tiring, so repetitive too…” She finally turned and faced Louisa properly and smiled it off with a small chuckle but then a silent, heavy sigh that Louisa almost caught. “Don’t worry about it,” she stretched her back with a satisfying crack sound, “It’s just work.”
“Lucy, if you ever need to talk to me, just know that I am always free to listen,” Oh of how much Lucy wanted to laugh hysterically after that joke she said. She knew that Louisa was barely free, almost never.
She knew that Louisa never had time for her at all so she ignored her, but faced the door where the bell finally rang.
A tall man with a long, beige trench coat and having a shuffled, messy and brown hair came in with the most annoying and smug smile Lucy has ever seen; she just couldn’t bear anymore of this never-ending hell she lived in and disappointment was written in big bold letters on her face.
But no, wait. Surprisingly, followed by Dazai was the same boy with the embarrassing haircut she had seen yesterday! Her mood was lit a bit when she saw Atsushi again. Louisa squeezed her eyes and studied her body language and emotions, she knew she was getting somewhere until she was then abruptly disturbed by a notification on her phone…Francis Fitzgerald. What a pain in the neck. Before Lucy made her way to get her notebook from the countertop, Louisa had something to say:
“Umm Lucy, I need to tell you something really quickly…” Lucy faced her with a raised eyebrow, she doesn’t have time for anything right now, “Fitzgerald said that he needs me to do some paperwork so I need to leave-”
“Huh?? Are you seriously going to leave me to do all of this work on my own?! After saying that you’re always free to listen to me?!” Those words jumped out from her mouth like a frog. It was blurted out with no thought that backed it up but just careless letters that were spat right on Louisa’s face. People turned to face her, first was Dazai. It made Louisa even more nervous and scared: this is what she feared the most. Atsushi turned to Lucy with curiosity, not knowing what was even happening.
“Lucy, I am sorry but I need to go right now…” She walked faster than usual out to the door as guilt infected Lucy’s mind and body. Her eyebrows furrowed: fists clenched. Soon the customers looked away with Dazai just deciding to go and sit on a table on his own, making Atsushi follow him. He felt worried and mostly sympathy for Lucy, working entirely on your own with barely anybody there to help you is disheartening for him to hear.
“Damn what’s up with the beef today?” Dazai puts his hands behind his head while slouching on his chair.
“I don’t know, but…” He glanced at Lucy with a downturned smile, “She seems to be really struggling on her own-” His eyes fixated down on the table before he got startled by Dazai’s burst of laughter.
“You’re a funny one, Atsushi. If you feel that bad then go and work with her then!” He cackled out, maybe a little bit too loud. It reminded Lucy that she has customers to serve and so she made her way to their table with miserable steps. She took out her notebook and pen then faced the two, she didn’t even bother to force a smile.
“You two want anything??”
“Hmm, maybe a slice of good customer service would be nice, extra sugar too-” Before Dazai could annoy the heck out of Lucy anymore, Atsushi gave him a glare and shook his head signaling him to stop.
“Look, if you’re going to be like that, you might as well just leave and never come back.” Lucy was getting more impatient.
“You seem pretty bored out of your life, you might as well just end it with me-”
“I would like some hot chocolate please! You can just give him a latte.” He covered Dazai’s mouth before he said anything worse or else, Lucy might actually do it. She didn’t say anything but just wrote the orders down and left.
She knew it was only just some of his stupid jokes, she didn’t take it too personally and she shouldn’t. But still, she gave herself the question: if things got too much, would she actually try to end it all? She gave herself a slap on the face. What was she thinking?? From weird obsessions to thoughts like this? What was up with her the last few days?
Atsushi looked at Lucy: he felt a connection like never before, he felt that there was something in common between them both. When he turned back to Dazai, he saw him with the most annoying and smug smile on his face: his head resting on his arms on the table, he tilted it a bit as he looked deep into Atsushi’s eyes. What the hell is he thinking?
“Stop looking at me like that,” Dazai stared even longer, “please.”
“Finally hearing some manners today!” He sat up with his hands behind his head again, “I see right through you, sushi. Don’t even try to hide it.” He gave a mischievous wink on his face: it just made Atsushi cringe at him even more.
“Why didn’t you go with Chuuya today? Why meee??” he groaned; talking to Dazai was awfully unbearable and Atsushi couldn’t take it anymore.
“I thought it would be nice to hang out with you for a change. What’s wrong? Enjoying the time with me already?” Atsushi could only think of one word in his mind: annoying. He looked back at Lucy, now finally holding a tray and coming towards them with their order ready: just right on time- Atsushi just couldn’t handle Dazai anymore.
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After they finally finished with their drinks, Atsushi knew that he couldn’t handle the amount of guilt he would get if he just left the cafe with Lucy working on her own. She would wash all of the dishes by herself. Brewing dozens of coffees all alone. Sweeping the floor with no one to help her. He needed to do something. He stood still, still looking at Lucy. Dazai couldn't be bothered to wait and just left.
It was those warm shivers again, she felt like someone was looking at her in the corner of her eye and it was true; Atsushi was standing still, his eyes towards her, almost pitying her too. He wasn’t leaving the cafe for some reason and she felt her face suddenly warm up.
“Atsushi, is there something wrong?” She couldn’t keep eye contact, it was painful, so unbearing yet, she was longing to look back into his eyes.
“I was wondering if you needed any help with your cafe…” He put his hand behind his neck in awkwardness. “I am really good with dishes, trust me!” She stood in silence. Something hit her. She didn’t know what to say. She felt something rush through her heart; she grabbed on the side of her dress. Her cheeks went red and before they got even more redder, she turned away with a “Yeah yeah sure, come and help.” That was only the words that came out. Not her thoughts. Not her feelings. Not what she wanted to say.
Stay with me.
Don’t leave me
Help me
Heal me
And Thank you
Lucy was brewing some coffee and making hot chocolates. Atsushi was happily doing the favour of cleaning the dishes for her, working on the sink next to Lucy. The soothing sound of the radio music danced around them like colorful waves making its way through their ears.
This exact moment, those exact delicate minutes, were the only bits of her life that she never wanted it to pass. Time felt horrifyingly fast and so, she enjoyed and appreciated every single nanosecond of it. Every single blink, she counted them. Every single time he glanced at her, she kept it deep inside.
“You’re surprisingly good at washing the dishes.”
“Thanks, I am quite used to it..”
“Used to it?”
“Yea, I would wash the dishes everyday when I was at the orphanage…” His face then didn’t look very happy. Lucy saw right through him, she empathised. She didn’t question his face.
“Orphanage? I used to be in an orphanage too…I don’t like to talk about it though,”
He looked at her and she looked at him back
“Me too, it’s better if we move on.”
Seconds felt like minutes and minutes felt like hours.
“Um is that steam coming out of the-?”
Lucy stared for too long, she quickly looked at the unattended coffee maker, overflowing uncontrollably with intense steam coming out of it.
“Oh shit-”
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It was already the end of the day and Atsushi was still helping her?? But why? Why would someone who she met just yesterday, help her for that long? Though, even if it felt ridiculous and abnormal for him to stay, she liked it.
“What time is it?”
“It’s…” She checked on her watch, “5:45, so just 15 more minutes. Also, why do you even want to stay for that long?”
“Oh yeah, I forgot to ask you but is it okay if I work here everyday?” Lucy swore she saw him blush. Yet, it confused her and angered her. Why would someone help such an unlovable person? She feels like she doesn’t deserve it at all.
“But why?”
Atsushi didn’t see that response coming. And neither did Lucy ever expect him to ask her such a thing.
“It’s just that you work here everyday on your own so I want to help you even with the slightest job.”
Those words. That voice. She could listen to him talk for hours and it won’t bother her not a bit: It warmed the air around her. He was the light that gave her hope, a reason to move forward; It was the type of light you’d see that would do anything to try and break into a cave through the thinnest cracks- a cave that trapped a soul that longed for freedom and happiness- a soul that waited for hundreds of years for it to be finally rescued. Those years held millions of seconds of suffering and pain- the type of pain that could only be healed by that one singular ray of light.
“Yes!- I mean yeah, sure I guess. Come Monday to Thursday at 7:30 and you better not come late.” Yes Lucy, yes. Hide it all in with your confident persona. Blend and melt that nasty mask onto your skin until you can’t take it off. Is that how you live your life?
“Yes, don't worry I am good with waking up early!”
“We will see about that.”
—--------------------------------------------------------
A new day of a new life from a new page of a new book. This current life of hers was immaculate, perfect and she never asked for anything more. They grew closer. Not distant. But closer. Ever since Atsushi rolled into the job, Lucy couldn’t be much happier. She was grateful: grateful for everything he has done for her.
Lucy was serving multiple drinks on her tray to her customers while Atsushi was cleaning the tables. The two had become close friends and they would talk to each other a lot when they work. Some days, they would stay together at the cafe after closing time, hangout and eat together. They’d talk about various different things together, ranging from their favourite book to their cruel and horrible orphanage life. Though, one of them decided something different, something new.
It was 6:12; all customers left and the two just finished their cleaning for the next day. Putting her gloves away and taking his apron off, another day is finally complete! Atsushi looks at her as if he has something to say:
“Today was soo tiring…” he groaned as he stretched his back.
“Nobody asked you to help me but sure.” She scoffed off knowing damn well that if he never did the favour she would close down the cafe and work under that stupid Francis guy. Atsushi knew that was just her typical self so he didn’t say anything about it but instead; he asked her a question that caught her completely off-guard.
“Hey Lucy, can I ask you something?” She gave him a side-eye and an eyebrow raise that silently said “Just spit it out already!"
“Since today is Thursday, can we go somewhere else instead of staying in the cafe?”
She paused and screamed internally: screams of happiness. Was he asking her out? Or is she just overthinking it and getting too excited? She was ecstatic, more than that even! The only thing she felt was just pure happiness and joy. Was that a dream? Or was that reality? Either way, she couldn’t ask for more. It was a dream come true. Despite the gushing river of emotions she had inside, her face didn’t reflect those feelings at all.
“Yeah sure but where?” She kept her solemn, bored face. That clearly didn’t give Atsushi any hope.
“There’s that place called ‘Yamashita Park’ we could go to if you want. It’s really close from here!”
Lucy’s face flushed. It was a simple offer but coming from Atsushi, it felt monumental. She never really goes anywhere aside from this annoying cafe anyway but wait a second, that name sounds familiar… oh well, if you forget something then it’s probably not that important anyway. If it mattered then she’d remember it.
“A park? That sounds boring but sure-”
“Then, let’s go!” Atsushi didn’t let her have time to overthink it so he held his hand out to her. She hesitated for a heartbeat before closing his fingers around his. . From that moment on, her life changed forever.
The two quickly set his way off this miserable workplace of theirs and ran away. Their footsteps were light and fast like cats running with a body full of feathers; or stray dogs running away with no purpose in life. Her stomach felt like a cotton candy stick spinning and whirling around, catching uncountable amounts of sugary threads.
By the time they slowed to a halt, Lucy was breathless from the relentless running.
“You didn’t have to run, you know-” From just a small slight look from her eyes, up high, she saw a view no camera could catch: no painting could express and no piece of writing could describe. Above them, the sky was full of beautiful collisions of violet, deep oranges and a fierce, bleeding red.
“I’m sorry, I just didn't want you to miss the sunset. I thought you should see it.”
She stared at the beautiful, mesmerizing sky. A mix of all colours, all colours that coincidently reflects her emotions. Blue of her loneliness. Red of her temper and a soft purple of hope. She loved them all.
In front of them, they saw the wonderful, splashing water of the fountain, encircled by exquisite and vibrant flowers: it had a huge and detailed statue of a woman holding a water jug on her shoulder in the middle. She couldn’t look away and she was too amazed to reply back. “Lucy, do you like it?”
“I don’t like it.” He looked at her and got worried for a spilt second.
“I love it!”
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They sat on the fountain together and watched the sky getting darker and darker until it finally blackened: starting to see the bright and immaculate stars forming around them. The breeze was light and refreshing like mint and soothing like a sweet melody out of a music box.
“The full moon is so beautiful today,” His eyes sparkled, reaching his hand and pointing to the illuminating circle of light. He probably didn’t mean the moon but Lucy wouldn’t even know that anyway. She sat staring at the night sky: her mind blank. It was starting to get boring now but clearly no one wanted to address the elephant in the room so Atsushi put his hand into his bag and decided it was finally time. He took out a crimson red rose with a bow tied onto it in a mini bouquet of small daisies. He did it! He finally took it out but what now? She was still looking at the sky unaware of anything happening around her and it was getting quite awkward for him now. He took a deep breath. “Hey Lucy?” She barely turned her head to him.
“What do you want-” In front of her, she saw the most unexpected thing she could ever imagine. Her mind couldn’t process anything at all right now. A rose? Not just a rose on its own but a bouquet too? Was this a dream? She was in complete awe and Atsushi could clearly see it. “What is this?”
“It’s a rose,” He handed it out to her trying as hard as he could to not make eye contact. “A rose for you, from me.” Well of course she damn knew what it was and that wasn’t what she meant but either way, she accepted it. She loved it.
“Thank you, Atsushi. Thank you so much.” She looked down on the beautiful flowers, with the rose having cool, purple undertones in the dark, yet looking ever so bright and colorful. He never saw her that happy and smiling before and it made his chest warm. Not only that but he also never saw her ever saying thank you to him too and it truly made his day.; they made each other’s day and they made each other happy. Under the bright moonlight, slowly, their hands joined.