Chapter Text
Even though jobs are strenuous by nature, Utage always thought the cafe was a nice place to spend her nights. The quiet, still atmosphere was one she loved compared to the loud environment of her house, where something always had to be done, and she was the one to do it. Not to mention, managing her siblings was a whole other ballpark. But here, none of the tasks were too strenuous, and the interactions themselves weren't hard either. Rather, they were so incredibly fulfilling. Over the year she had been working there, Utage had seen countless dates, witnessed loving hangouts, and had been a part of many memorable moments. There were heaps of people who came in visibly stressed and burdened. The source of their weights didn't matter, but what did was seeing how their demeanors were brightened. How their countenances could easily become more relaxed by playing with an adorable animal or sipping on a tasty drink.
As a closer, Utage is given the chance to interact with the animals more than any average customer would. Sure, cleaning the enclosures did suck, but feeding the little critters, guaranteeing their safety to the best of her abilities through medicine, and making sure they're comfortable by moving to a different habitat when tired were all rewarding to the girl. She, along with the majority of her coworkers, prioritized the animal's comfort over customers’ wishes.
That's another thing. The job not only provides money to fuel a certain obsession, but also gives a sense of relationship with her coworkers. Friends weren't necessarily something that came easily for Utage. Aside from Riko and Yuina, it was difficult to find people with the same interests or people who cared as intensely about them as she did. Most of the coworkers were talkers anyway, so she didn't have to do much work. One subject they didn't shy away from sharing their opinions on was their takes on vampires.
While vampires were known to exist in the world, they were not welcomed into it by any means, but her coworkers almost unanimously shared the opposite opinion. Vampires were docile, and if they could be themselves without causing any issues, why should humans bicker about it? The first time the topic was brought up was almost comedic. They realized that the reason it had been so easy to land the job in the first place was most likely because of the debate on going out during the nighttime. A debate that was irrational. Unlike the myriads of legends, myths, and folklore conjured around vampires and their frightening nature, cases where they were hostile were never presented. But Utage didn't feel the need to focus on expecting the worst in life.
Yes, it's a hard thing to do to keep your mindset optimistic, but she figured it would be worth it in the end. When the cafe wasn't full, teens wanting to try the latest trending drink, or kids begging again to hold an animal that they had already stressed out, she allowed her thoughts to drift. Wiping down tables came with a reflection on her day, the good she'd done, and the things she could stand to improve upon. Washing dishes went in suit with pondering about the experiences that would come with tomorrow. Really, endless tasks came with endless thinking.
As the job established itself in her life, it came with a realization of how routines can quickly become a part of one's life. For Utage, life is an assortment of cycles on repeat. Attending school and doing homework, looking after her siblings and walking Pochi, and of course, going to work and seeing the same mysterious man who sat in the very same spot every night was no exception. He was really a boy, a teenager like her, but "mysterious boy" doesn't have the same ring to it.
Her coworkers never failed to gossip about him. The main source of their chatter was his accessories. They were... peculiar, to say the least. A mask was always donned on his face, with a bucket hat to cover all of his hair. Occasionally, Utage would see him come in wearing sunglasses; they were an odd choice considering she only worked after the sun had set. At least it wasn't a paper bag. Anyway, whether his goal was to hide his face or to look utterly ridiculous, he truly achieved it.
You would think a boy who dressed up would consider himself a bigshot, maybe even with an obnoxious attitude, or an ego so inflated he was nearly floating. Neither of these hypotheticals were the case. In fact, he was one of the most awkward customers she had interacted with. There was no way a boy that shy would consider himself a big deal. Sometimes, her workmates would talk about how they felt sorry for the low self-esteem he radiated. So, hopefully, you can imagine how easily the absurd get out was written off. After he became a regular and was just as socially gauche as the first day he entered the building, everyone chalked accessories to being a disguise of sorts. Perhaps, in a way, he was just trying to hide?
In Utage and her coworker's eyes, he was certainly not hidden. He was given the name "bucket hat boy" by the staff. The nickname was really unnecessary, since after ordering, he'd give the name "Hara," but it added to the excitement. The staff would guess how his interactions with them would pan out. What drink would he order? A useless question, always an iced vanilla coffee.
They all knew his order, but didn't have it premade in case it would embarrass him. What animals would he ask to pet and hold, if any? Now that was the real kicker. Some nights, he would sit in his spot (his panic was also a funny sight to see if someone else was seated at his table) and focus solely on drinking his coffee. The employees decided those days were when life and its upsetting situations had gotten the best of him. However, more commonly, he would finish his homework, chug his drink, and ask to hold different critters.
After a couple of months of bucket hat boy's visiting, they realized his favorite animal to hold, or the most frequent one he asked to, was a hedgehog. The animal being nocturnal could also be a factor, but aside from that, nothing was special about it. Really, the hedgehog was as bland as could be; his name was even Spike. But that didn't stop the sparkle from appearing in the boy's eyes every time the little creature was placed in his hands. Utage thought it was a fitting critter for him. C'mon, who wouldn't think the timid and guarded boy loving on an animal with a built in self defense mechanism that most others were wary of was adorable? And it's not like it’s her fault that they're both cute.
Tonight, however, there were no hedgehogs in the mix! The boy had his school books laid out on the table. Notebook paper and a bag of pencils were neatly spread. Earbuds in his ear, a playlist going that would probably help him focus. The atmosphere is quiet. All the perfect factors for a study session were here! But, how long can something be perfect for? The boy's table had two chairs, one on each side. That fact had never mattered since he always came alone, but when someone forces their way into your personal space, it kind of warrants your attention.
So, when a girl took advantage of that empty chair and sat in it, all of the staff were on the edge of their seat to see how this would play out. Bucket hat boy was in a world of studying, and didn't seem to notice her until she broke his comfortable silence.
"What're you doing sitting by yourself?" the girl asked, propping her hand to the side of her face and giving a flirtatious smile to the boy.
Some of her coworkers wondered if bucket hat would find an insane amount of courage and shoot his shot. The girl was very pretty, and the boy didn't even need to worry about how to go about making the first move. That had already been done for him. But the answer to their question immediately became evident when his demeanor changed from what it once was, light and content, to vastly uncomfortable, and he began to look more tired by the second. His face, which was previously marked with a slight smile, now had wide eyes and pursed lips. He started twiddling his thumbs, probably wondering what he was gonna say.
He cleared his throat, "just studying," and looked away from the intruder. The girl obviously didn't care about the transparent signs of discomfort, because she reached across the table to place a hand on her arm. He nearly flinched at the unexpected touch and let his sight roam around the room. She went on to talk about how a handsome guy like him had no business being by himself. Throwing out unwanted compliments about his "admirable work ethic" or "attractive style."
Multiple times, the boy went to start a sentence, but was interrupted by the girl's attempts at flirting. The boy just considered it blabbering and couldn't shake how unkind the whole interaction was. The girl couldn't take a hint, and he was getting fed up. Locking eyes with Utage, he stared daggers at her and started praying that she would pick up what he was silently conveying. The message was instantly received, and without stopping to think about what she was going to say, she was trekking across the room to his table. Once she got there, the girl stopped speaking and turned to Utage. Her hand was still resting on the boy's arm.
"Excuse me," Utage started. "I think you may be making my guest uncomfortable. I'm gonna have to ask you to find a different table, Miss."
The girl was offended by the assertion and scoffed. "And I think you're ruining our conversation."
Oh, Utage was having none of this. "What conversation? You haven't let him get a word in."
"Who do you think you are, watching us, a creep?" The girl returned.
"It's kind of unavoidable, considering I think someone can sense his discomfort from a mile away. Again, do you think you could move tables? You don't even have to leave. I'm just politely asking you to relocate."
"Relocate," she rolled her eyes. "I guess I have no choice anyway, since this guy can't even return a compliment." She said before grabbing her bag and walking out the door.
As the snob walked out the door, Utage realized that this could be an embarrassing moment for the boy. Imagine having a girl try to hit on you, only for another one to come to your rescue. Yikes.
"Sorry about that," Utage began to apologize. "I could've handled that better, and I didn't even stop to ask if you wanted her there. I hope you enjoy the rest of your night here!" She started to walk away after giving a polite "excuse me." Starting is the important part. She paused and turned around after a hand was placed on her shoulder.
The previous awkwardness and discomfort seemed like a facade now. The part of his face that wasn't blocked out by his accessories appeared to be inviting and almost flirtatious? His body language was entirely transformed, and now he was the one initiating physical touch rather than shying away from it. He must've been playing coy.
Utage had never stood this close to him before. The sudden burst of confidence, combined with the abrupt touch and height difference was staggering. It seemed like he was nearly a foot taller than her.
"Have you had your break yet?" The boy's voice wasn't muffled by the mask, but came through in a magnetic tone.
She shook her head. The shock reestablished itself as he sat down and waved his arm for her to do the same. Utage glanced back at her coworkers. They were grouped together whispering, when she made eye contact with them, they all gave thumbs up and big grins. She sat down. Then, the guy looked almost as confused as she was at the gesture.
"Sorry about that if the invitation put you on the spot." He muttered something like "Wow, I'm tired," before his manner lost all of its charm. Alright? That's an interesting explanation.
"Don't get me wrong! I really appreciate it, I just realized you may rather spend your break relaxing. But I do wanna say thank you. Believe it or not, I actually have to deal with that a lot. Today's just an off day for me, I guess." He rubbed the back of his neck and looked away with a timid expression.
"Sorry you have to deal with that. What were you working on before you were interrupted?"
"Oh, I was just studying. I haven't had much time for it lately, but I'm a second year, so I gotta start doing better with that." He sighed.
Utage wondered if she should continue the conversation or make an excuse to clock out to take her actual break. She thought of the ridicule that could come from her coworkers if they found out she ruined her interaction with Bucket Hat Boy, and decided to stay.
"That's so cool! I'm also a second year."
The boy's face immediately lit up. If he spent all his nights here, he probably didn't talk to that many people his age. Maybe he was excited to find something in common with someone? Whatever it was, it sparked the beginning of a fun talk.
Among the many things chatted about during her break, school and their favorite subjects were one of the main things. Utage found out that the boy, who told her to call him Hara, was homeschooled. Hara said he worked during the day doing camera work for certain J-Pop bands or even some shows.
Utage thought that was amazing! Definitely a cooler job than hers. But, he was a stuttering mess talking about it, so she wasn't sure if he enjoyed it as much as he'd like to. Either way he felt about the job, it turned their conversation to music. Utage consciously did not bring up F/ACE. Becoming extremely animated and worked up about the band came with talking about it. She had seen first hand how her deep obsession with the group was normally unrequited and almost frowned upon by others. Knowing this, she wasn't going to reference it and extinguish the kindling of a new friendship.
Overall, the teenagers had a grand time talking. When one of Utage's coworkers came to grab her from her break, she was sad for it to come to an end!
Oh well. At least there was a guarantee he'd come back. Being a regular and all. She went back to her job and started all the bland tasks of closing. Before she moved the animals to their nighttime enclosures, she asked Hara if he'd like to hold any of them.
He, of course, asked to hold the hedgehog.
Her offer, combined with his invitation earlier, quickly became a source of teasing from her coworkers. Utage was simply happy to have hopefully made the tired boy's day a little bit better.
One may think that a regular would only bring dull interactions or leave a worker to relive the mundane. But as Utage was doing the dishes, she couldn't help but smile to herself at the thought of seeing the boy again tomorrow. This night was a reminder of not only how uncomfortable interactions can have a silver lining, but also of the good things that can happen in a world of fear and uncertainties.