Hayasaka and a Butler Need to go on a Date

Hayasaka and Shinzo Take a Summer Trip 2.4

"What would you like to have?" asked Eru Chitanda to a group of friends on the table.

They were at a small yet cozy café, now starting to fill up with people. It had a sleek modern look not that found occasionally in such a small rural town. It had polished wooden tables and countertops with chair and stools. Coffee was always round the air as it smelled of it, brewing from the seen kitchen. Some plants and lamps decorated the place, giving it a homely feel. It had a smooth glazed, white-tiled floor and a wooden-tiled ceiling with long lamplights.

And this was the place where Eru and Houtarou decided to work at.

Possessing a genuine innocent charm, the girl took the orders. Her customers were well-pleased by their barista for the day. She wore the proper uniform for the café; a brown-white look of her shirt, pants as well as a dark-green apron around her waist.

"Will that be all?" she asked them after repeating the orders.

They nodded and said yes. She bowed and left them as she headed for the kitchen. She passed by other customers who were enjoying the cozy landscape.

Houtarou's uncle who wore the same uniform gave a shout while cleaning some tables. "Eru, Table Nine wants to follow up on their order!"

"Yes sir!" she shouted in a cute manner before heading to the kitchen.

The kitchen was behind a glass counter presenting and showcasing pastries of various looks and tastes, all prepared by the aunt of Houtarou.

Speaking of, her nephew already was not enjoying the job, with furrowed eyebrows and a flat mouth as he busied himself in dishwashing. He barely finished a stack of plates before another stack waited for him.

"Why did I agree to this again?" he grumbled mentally.

"Houtarou!" said Eru. "Still working on the plates?" she came by to check on his work. Then she wore a worried expression, her eyes at the other stack. "Do you need some help?"

"Yes, of course!" Houtarou wanted to shout but he drummed up his pride.

"No, I can handle this," he said, almost regretting in rejecting the offer.

"Eru, he's fine... it's the best he could do for the meantime," said a woman preparing coffee to be brewed. Despite the sweat on her brows, she bore an excellent pair of bright eyes as she tossed away some used coffee grains from the coffee maker. Even though she was surrounded by sugar pastries and delights, she had a thin figure akin to a ballet artist. And with grace yet precise movements of such, she was whisking away steamed milk, grinding roasted coffee beans, and laying down final touches for an order. Her usual soft and shoulder-length hair was tied to a ponytail.

That was Houtarou's aunt. She was the main man(or woman in this case) at the café: baking pastries for the shop and brewing coffee for those needing it. Though the town was small, the café stood at an open highway, welcome to any passerby needing a quick snack along the way. Even people from the town came occasionally to hang out there.

And since it was popular, people would fill it up. And in those times, Houtarou had problems.

See, he always lived a philosophy of life. Quite simple, not that hard to explain: if it may not be done, it won't be done. When doing anything, do it with the least amount of energy. The man had always believed in conserving energy. He slept and lazed round much and did nothing for most of the time. That was expected from him according to his friends. His life was pretty straightforward: go to school and go home. Rare in-betweens. Maybe hop in at the local grocery store. Get a haircut (his fuzzy hair needed treatment eventually) and not much else to do.