The morning of the cultural festival arrived with clear skies and an energy that buzzed through the hallways like electricity.
Streamers dangled from the ceilings, music echoed from every direction, and the air smelled faintly of fried noodles and cotton candy.
Haruto stood by the classroom door, clipboard in hand, reviewing the café schedule for the fifth time. Their class's café — Café Fluffy Bean (a name Aoi had proudly come up with) — was finally ready to open.
Aoi, dressed in a white apron with cat ears on her head, bounced up beside him.
"Haruto-kun! Look, look! Don't I look like a real café waitress?"
Haruto blinked, momentarily speechless.
"Uh… yeah. You look… convincing."
"Convincing? That's all?" She pouted, pretending to cross her arms. "You're supposed to say something like, 'You look cute!' or 'You could be in a commercial!'"
Haruto turned away slightly, his ears pink. "We open in five minutes. Focus."
Aoi giggled, clearly satisfied that she got a reaction out of him.
---
As soon as the festival officially began, the café filled up fast.
Students, parents, and even some teachers lined up for coffee and sweets. The tables were decorated with pastel napkins, origami flowers, and hand-drawn menus that Aoi and Mika had made together.
Haruto managed the cashier station with calm precision, while Aoi zoomed from table to table like a ball of energy.
"Welcome to Café Fluffy Bean! Would you like the special strawberry parfait?" she said, flashing her brightest smile.
She carried plates, took orders, and chatted with everyone — occasionally bumping into chairs or spilling a few drops of lemonade. But no one seemed to mind. Her energy made the whole café glow.
Meanwhile, Haruto scribbled totals and mentally recalculated their stock.
Between keeping track of receipts and trying not to stare at Aoi every five minutes, he was exhausted.
---
During a short lull in customers, Aoi plopped into the chair across from him, wiping her forehead with a napkin.
"Phew! I think I've said 'Welcome!' at least a hundred times today."
"You're supposed to be resting, not counting," Haruto said, passing her a glass of water.
She smiled, accepting it. "You're always so serious, Haruto-kun. But… I like that about you."
He froze mid-sip. "Huh?"
She tilted her head innocently. "You keep things running smoothly. You're dependable, and everyone knows it. If you weren't here, Café Fluffy Bean would've burned down by now."
"That's not exactly a compliment," he muttered, though a small smile tugged at his lips.
Before he could respond further, Riku shouted from across the room,
"Hey lovebirds, we're out of napkins!"
Aoi nearly choked on her drink. "L-lovebirds!?"
Haruto groaned, rubbing his temples. "Ignore him."
But her cheeks were already pink, and she couldn't quite hide her smile.
---
By the time the festival ended, their café had been voted "Most Popular Booth."
Their class erupted into cheers, and Aoi threw her hands up.
"We did it, Haruto-kun!"
He turned toward her, smiling softly. "Yeah… we really did."
For a brief second, under the colorful lantern lights, their eyes met — and everything else faded into a quiet, happy blur.
---
As the sun set and cleanup began, Aoi tugged lightly on his sleeve.
"Next year," she said, "let's run another café. But this time, I'll bake all the cookies myself."
Haruto chuckled. "Then we'd better have a fire extinguisher ready."
"Haruto-kun!" she whined, playfully smacking his arm.
Their laughter echoed down the hallway — a gentle melody that seemed to say:
this was only the beginning.