Metanoia

Chapter Thirty Seven

"Thank you, come again!" I smiled as I held the door open for the customers who were leaving. With a gentle wave, I closed the door behind them. I turned the sign clockwise, so it said, "Now closed." Dylan, Yuki, Marie, and I all let out a collective sigh.

"Thank goodness, I thought it would never end." Yuki groaned, dramatically throwing herself onto one of the Café tables.

I giggled, shaking my head at her playfulness. "C'mon, it's time to clean up. I'm off tomorrow so I need you guys at your best." I told them, walking to the back to grab the cleaning supplies.

"Are you off every Friday or something? Usually, you do overtime on those days." Dylan asked, clicking his tongue. "That's so unfair."

"I have it off because it's an important day," I said while bending down turning on the faucet, and sliding the bucket under the water. "It's for a birthday."

Yeah, Rindou's birthday.

Given his insistence that his birthday is meaningless, I wanted to surprise him with something special because he is turning twenty-three. Ran and Shion, both wanted me to break the friend zone that was going on between us, so they proposed that I do something. I planned to have Ran drive Rindou to the shore, where I would be waiting with a gift basket and a candlelit meal. With Ran and the guys bringing Rindou out for the day, I'd have plenty of time to get everything ready for our time together.

Nevertheless, the past few weeks have been tolerable in terms of our makeup. He would casually send me texts here and there, visit my place when he knew I was there, and act as if we were friends. Not pushing it was probably for the best, even if it was annoying that it was this way. I couldn't tell whether or not this birthday plan was going to do anything, but I just prayed to the demon lord that he wouldn't intervene and make it awkward.

"Are you and Rindou back together?" Yuki gasped, carrying the broom and dustpan.

I heaved a heavy sigh, shaking my head. "No, we're not. I think we're just friends." As annoying as it was to say it out loud, there was no lie about it. I grabbed the spray bottle from beside me and sprayed the cleaner a few times on each table. "I don't think it's going further than that for a while," I told them, wiping the tables clean.

"So, he put you in the friend zone even though you didn't necessarily do anything wrong?" Marie blinked, pausing her cleaning.

'They sure ask a lot of questions...what did I expect from nosey nineteen and twenty-year-olds?' I smirked to myself before answering. "In his defense, I did screw his enemy so we both agreed that I needed some time. He did, however, ask me to be his girlfriend and I declined." I shrugged, leaning my hip against the table. "He apologized so it's okay."

"Wait," Dylan snorted. He put his manicured fingertips to his lips, "you fucked Rune?"

"No way."

"Was he at least worth it?"

My eyes met Marie, "I have been asked that many times and the answer is still the same, no!" I laughed, rolling my eyes. "What is it with everyone asking me if he was good?"

Yuki scoffed, crossing her arms. "He didn't make you—you know?" She gestured an orgasm with her hands, "You get me?"

"That's a little personal, don't you think Yuki?" Marie asked, nudging her with her elbow. "Besides, wasn't there like a video?"

Great. That was honestly something I forgot even existed, I prayed to the lords that Rune didn't show anyone, but I wouldn't put it past him. He was that much of an asshole. "Yes, it was actually sent to Rindou by Lolo on the day of the fight." I sighed.