STARLIGHT | krmy ✓

04

CHAPTER FOUR —
YOU RAN AWAY.

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THE DAYS AFTER were uneventful. Maya spent most of her time in Tokyo merely sitting at her favourite café passing the time reading her book and eating baumkuchen, trying to distract herself from her thoughts.

Her hands itched for something to do; she couldn't wait to be back at the police station thumping through case files, and actually doing something worthy of her time.

"Strawberry again today?"

The waitress, Michiru, stares up at her, her big brown eyes fixed on Maya's tired ones. Maya merely smiles politely and nods, settling into her seat, already opening her book, flipping to the page she had marked.

"Haven't been seeing you in stage plays for a long time now," Michiru states knowingly, settling the plate of strawberry baumkuchen before Maya. The brunette flits her gaze to the waitress, who was tucking her short blonde hair innocently behind her ear.

"Lost the spark?"

Maya stiffens, and sets her book calmly back down onto the table. Michiru watches, a smile tugging at her lips as the brunette looks back at her, properly this time.

"That's the most stern I've ever seen you," she remarks casually, gently patting Maya on the shoulder, as if she was trying to soothe a dragon. "Relax. I was merely asking — you don't have to talk about it if you don't want to."

Maya looks down, staring aimlessly at the open palms in her lap. Why had she overreacted? That wasn't like her at all. Since when had she let her emotions control her so easily?

Trying to cover up her blunder, Maya picks the metal fork up and digs it softly into the appetising dessert. Michiru doesn't leave her side, but instead watches her take the first bite.

"Say, Otori-san," Maya speaks suddenly, putting her fork down abruptly. "What if I never set foot on the stage ever again?"

Michiru blinks, and pulls a thoughtful face, but replies instantly: "The stage would have lost a radiant star."

Maya fixes her gaze onto the blonde waitress, who had a smile playing on her thin lips. Was it a compliment? Perhaps it was, though it was odd hearing it come from the lips of a woman who she had once been rivals with.

"Then why did you leave?"

Michiru's smile widens at her question, and she leans forward, placing her hands on her knees. Maya finds that she's ridiculously close when she managed to get a whiff of lemongrass and the smell of dishwashing liquid.

"Because I enjoyed seeing others shine more." She answers simply, tucking a lock of brown hair behind Maya's ear. As the brunette frowns in confusion, the waitress leans back and claps her hands together in finality.

"Alright, I have other customers to tend to," she smiles kindly at Maya, whose bewilderment had not left her face, and turns away. "Take as much time as you need."

Maya didn't have the luxury to decipher whatever Michiru meant, and instead continued taking savoury bites from the strawberry baumkuchen on her plate.