A Throne Of Greed

I

"Wild..."

Kamei, Katou's co-worker, stared out to the shop's window wall while leaning on the counter with his chin rested on his hand.

Katou wrinkled his nose.

He and Kamei have been working together for months in their university café for the sake of work-study. Both are majoring in Criminal justice in their third year though Kamei transferred to university just this school year.

"They've been doing it for a whole 20 minutes now." Kamei continued as he observes a couple, in the middle of hay day, shamelessly shoving their tongues into each other's mouth and failing to hide their session behind the shop's outside decorative plants.

"We got customers!" Katou pulled a strand of Kamei's quiffed sandy blond hair. He groaned and rested his head on the counter.

Within this week, awkward couple dates packed the café of Katou's job that his face became numb from cringing to them. He saw someone slowly die inside, for the date never arrived. One couple went on their phone throughout the date, appearing unbothered with each other's existence. Some desperate to leave their uncomfortable date. But the breakups were the worse; you literally watch someone have a mental breakdown.

A couple came in, looking quite professional and seem not the typical college students. The male wears a black polo shirt tucked into his black slacks. His date wears a white blouse tucked and a pencil skirt. There is a glint of hope in Katou for a great ending to this couple.

They took seat at the left corner table near the wall décor.

It is the table prone of breakups to happen.

"Oh! they came in!" Kamei exclaimed. Meanwhile for Kamei, this has been an interesting week to a job that he finds boring as his first ever date.

The 'make out' couple came in, and Kamei assisted them with such glee.

'Great! two couples staying at this cursed café!' Katou thought.

......

"Let's do a bet!" whispered Kamei. Throughout the week, these harmless bets kept Katou from cringing himself to death.

"I'll bet that the fancy couple breaks up!" Kamei immediately declared his bet.

"Both couples." Katou smirked.

.......

15 minutes in, they have delivered all orders, and all customers are settled who are either vigorous studying college students or just socializing, yet the professional couple, who seems to be talking normally, and the 'make out' couple, who are cackling to each other, bore no interesting movements.

Kamei and Katou squinted their eyes, anticipated to see who breaks first.

Finally, a movement is unveiled and it is from the professional couple.

The female bowed her head, and she clenches her tiny fist over the table. The male's back faces towards us; we cannot see his reaction.

The sounds of screeching chairs started, and groups of customers are leaving. Kamei comes to inspect his betting couple while pretending to clean the table next to them.

"No." The female said. Like Kamei, Katou decided to also inspect the couple but from a different table.

"I'm breaking up with you." Kamei looked over his shoulders. The guy held a stone-cold face.

"No.." She starts to tremble.

"We were only together in high school because of our family's fortune."

Kamei and Katou's ears perked up; they now feel awkward on their evident close positions around the couple.

She stood up and slammed her fist on the table. The couple's coffee cups quivered, spilling some of its content, but the black-haired male remained unmoved. Her dark eyes gave a piercing stare to her black-haired date and her date stared back with hollow eyes. Some customers turned their head and then went back as they try not to pry on some another ridiculous public break up.

"How much..." The male started. Kamei and Katou stopped and looked each other with widened eyes.

"How much to break up with you?"

An instantaneous loud slap fell upon the male. The female came swiftly running to the exit of the café with rage in her eyes. She bumps into customers as she leaves with eyes following her.

The black-haired male touches his sore red check with the same hollow eyes and an expressionless face.