Chapter Text
“Clover!”
Puzzles called out in a soft voice, a warm, affectionate smile spreading across his screen. He bent down lovingly toward the little cat and gently scooped her up into his arms. “You have to finish all your food, sweetie! Otherwise, how are you going to grow? If you eat it all up, I might even give you a bowl of milk!”
As he set her back down gently, he didn't forget to stroke her honey-colored fur. All the other cats in the cafe had already finished their meals, but since Clover was still just a tiny baby, she hadn't even managed to polish off half a pouch of wet food. Still, it made Puzzles a little worried.
This cat cafe was the sole purpose of his life. It was the place where he made a living, and a place where he never got tired of playing with cats for even a single second... He took a deep breath and walked toward the cafe's glass door with slow steps. He grabbed the handle, pulled it toward himself, and flipped the “CLOSED” sign hanging on the window over to "OPEN".
There—the shop was open! All that was left was to wait for the customers. Seeing plenty of people walk through those doors every day brought him immense joy. After all, he was an energetic, positive person who genuinely loved people. But off the record, he loved cats way more than anyone else!
A few hours passed. It was getting close to eight in the evening, with just an hour left until closing time. Everyone coming in and out was having a wonderful time, petting the cats and playing with them.
WPNZ, on the other hand, was extremely tense. They had chosen this stupid cafe named “Puzzle & Paws” specifically to avoid drawing attention. “Everything's gonna be fine,” he thought to himself, taking a deep breath.
The guy he had arranged to meet had already entered the cafe earlier, taped the small package containing a USB flash drive under a specific table, and left. The guy had even ordered a coffee and petted the cats just to keep suspicion away. Roughly seven minutes after the man walked out like nothing had happened, WPNZ stepped inside himself.
The cafe carried a warm, sweet scent—light vanilla mixed with something he couldn't quite name. He headed straight for that specific table, sat down, and started staring out the window. The sky was beginning to darken...
Hearing footsteps approaching from the side, he winced slightly and turned his head toward the sound.
“Hello there!”
Puzzles stood before him, a huge grin plastered on his screen as he looked down at the tough-looking, cool guy. He set the menu down on the table. “Here’s our menu! What can I get started for you today? A warm Cappuccino? Cupcakes? Our cat-shaped cookies just came fresh out of the oven—”
“An iced Americano,” the man cut in coldly. His gaze was intense, stern, and intimidating.
Puzzles was taken aback for a moment because the guy hadn't even glanced at the menu. An Americano? What a boring choice! It was bitter, and honestly tasted like petrol!
“That was... a bit quick... Ahem! Excellent choice! Alright then, one ice-cold Americano coming right up! Medium? Large?”
“Medium.”
“Great... Any cookies, cupcakes, or anything else—”
“No.”
“Alrighty then!” the TV-headed guy said, keeping his smile intact. He lingered for a few seconds, looking at him. When the silence stretched on, he realized the conversation was over and backed away.
“Fucking kill me, TV-head...” WPNZ muttered under his breath.
Meanwhile, behind the counter, Puzzles was busy preparing the iced Americano at the espresso machine. As he dropped ice cubes into the glass, a soft, rosy blush flickered across his screen. The guy was undeniably intimidating... but at the same time, insanely cool! He looked like he had just walked right out of an action movie—that sharp demeanor, those icy eyes... Puzzles caught himself giggling softly. Dealing with moody and mysterious customers had always amused him, but this guy... this guy was on a whole different level.
He shook his head quickly to clear the faint pink tint off his screen, pouring the coffee over the ice to finish it up. He needed to pull himself together and act like the perfectly upbeat host he was!
After discreetly scanning the surroundings for a moment longer, WPNZ reached his hand under the table. Tracing his fingers slowly along the wooden surface, he felt the texture of the package almost immediately. He carefully pulled it off from under the table and slickly slipped it into the inner pocket of his jacket as fast as he could.
A few minutes later, Puzzles returned holding a glass of cold Americano. He gently placed the glass on the table.
“Here’s your coffee!...”
He didn't want to drag out the conversation; it was obvious this intimidating guy was uncomfortable around him. So, without saying another word, he quickly walked away.
WPNZ took a sip of his coffee. Woah... This was genuinely might have been the best coffee he’d ever had. It was so much more than just a simple Americano. For some reason, he felt like that TV-head’s cheerful smile had actually warmed something inside him. The guy had annoyed the hell out of him, but at the same time, WPNZ strangely liked it.
Just as he was lost in thought—
“FUCK!”
WPNZ flinched with a quiet curse, nearly spitting his coffee out! Because right at that exact second, the most adorable cat in the world had jumped straight into his lap.
Right... This wasn't a regular cafe, you idiot. This was a Cat Cafe. Which was the exact reason why they had chosen this place in the first place...