The bar was quiet that morning, sunlight spilling through the tall windows but failing to warm the still air. No customers yet—just the faint hum of a fridge behind the counter.
Hayato sat slouched on a stool, nursing a chilled glass of his favorite apple juice. Across from him, Zeno leaned casually against the counter, polishing a glass with a cloth.
"HAHAHA—" Zeno's laughter rang out loud and unrestrained.
"You're enjoying this, aren't you?" Hayato said flatly, glaring over the rim of his drink.
"I swear, man," Zeno chuckled, "every time you come in lately, you've got something new and hilarious for me."
"Yeah, laugh, laugh," Hayato muttered, gesturing lazily with one hand before downing a gulp of juice. "Meanwhile, I'm the only one frustrated here."
"I mean… how could you tell the girl you have a girlfriend? Couldn't you just say no? Beside why double down on the lie with your mother too."
"I don't know. I wasn't thinking—it just slipped out. Now my mom won't let it go."
Zeno raised a brow. "Why are you so worried? Surely with the number of women that follows you around, you could get at least someone you want as a girlfriend."
"I don't want a real girlfriend," Hayato grumbled. "If I did, I'd have made it happen a long time ago."
Zeno smirked, still polishing the glass. "Well, there's always that girl from the dare. What was her name again…
"...Sayu?" Hayato froze mid-sip.
"Yeah, well she did ask you out, didn't she?" He laughed.
Hayato lowered his glass slowly. "…You're not funny."
"Relax, I'm joking," Zeno said with a grin. "But hey—if you need a 'fake' one, wouldn't it be convenient? I mean people already think you two have a thing."
Hayato gave him a sharp look, but Zeno just shrugged innocently.
The comment was meant as a joke, but something about it lodged itself in Hayato's thoughts. 'Convenient, huh…'
Ding.
Hayato's phone buzzed on the counter. He picked it up to see a message from Sayu.
[Sayu]: Can we do it now? You saw the location I sent, right?
He typed back quickly:
[Hayato]: Yes. I'm nearby, so I'll drop by.
"Who was that?" Zeno asked.
"Oh, it was—" Hayato began, but decided not to finish. He slid his phone into his pocket and stood.
"Never mind. See you later."
With that he went toward the door, "Hey are you really gonna leave just like tha—?"
Before Zeno could even finish, he was already out.
Zeno watched towards the door with a slight wonder at what his friend's thinking.
* * * * *
SunDol Coffee Shop smelled faintly of roasted beans and steamed milk. The morning rush hadn't hit yet, but a slow trickle of customers kept the staff moving.
Sayu glanced at Hayato's reply before slipping her phone into her apron pocket.
"Hey, Sayu, we need some help here," Violet called from the counter.
"Got it," Sayu said, moving quickly to switch places with her.
The first customer was a man in a business suit, eyes glued to his phone.
"Hello, sir, how can I help you?" Sayu asked politely.
"Iced Americano," he said without looking up.
She jotted it down and passed the slip to the barista behind her before turning to the next in line.
This one made her pause. A young man, maybe her age, with thick curly hair falling in a mushroom-like shape over his eyes.
"Hello, welcome to SunDol, how ca—" She stopped mid-sentence, staring for a moment. There was something familiar in the way he stood, the way his hair hid most of his face.
Then it clicked.
It was the boy, that was slapped by that girl Rin called Dianne.
"Oh! Aren't you…?" She tilted her head, searching for the memory. "You're that boy from the other day."
The boy's head jerked up, startled, then his face brightened as realization dawned.
"Y-You remember me?" His voice trembled slightly.
"Of course. At first I didn't, but it came to me. How've you been since then? That girl called Dianne, she didn't bother you again, did she?"
"Oh, I never saw her after that," he said his voice was low.
"Good riddance. You shouldn't let people like that talk to you."
He looked down, fidgeting with the hem of his hoodie.
Realizing she was holding up the line, Sayu straightened. "Sorry, I stopped you. What can I get for you?"
"A… latte," he murmured.
"Okay, one latte." She echoed his order, passed the slip along, and soon handed him the drink.
The boy accepted it with a small, almost shy smile, cradling the warm cup like it was something precious.
'S-She..re..memb..ers..' He muttered under his breath, his eyes slightly flickering.
As he was about to leave, he nearly collided with someone coming in.
Hayato.
They locked eyes for a fraction of a second before the boy ducked his head, pulling his hoodie up further to hide his face. Without a word, he hurried past and out the door.
'What's his deal?' Hayato wondered briefly, but the thought faded as he scanned the shop. His eyes landed on Sayu at the register, her eyes on her phone.
When she raised her head, she spotted him, giving him a small wave. He returned it and walked over.
"Sorry, I couldn't bring it to you myself," Sayu said when he reached the counter, as she put her phone down on the counter[1]. "I just happened to have a shift today."
"It's fine. I was the one who picked the day, anyway."
"Oh, let me grab it for you," she said. "Can you wait here a sec?"
Hayato nodded as she disappeared into the back.
Left alone, he leaned an elbow on the counter, staring idly at the menu board—but his thoughts drifted elsewhere.
'Now… how do you ask someone to be your girlfriend again?'
[1] observe here.