IT WAS FINALLY THE DAY. January 5th. The day that would decide the final fate of Expresso Express. The group had been discreetly setting up the protest, talking with citizens and business owners, making signs, and coming up with a full proof plan.
And today was when the plan would be put into action.
time: 11:20 a.m.
"Okay Tamaki! You're switching out with Ginger. Take over the register, okay?" Y/n smiled, examining her employees as they worked. Tamaki glanced over at Ginger.
Ginger gave a weird signal with his eyes, sweat dripping down the side of Tamaki's head. "U-Uhm, y/n?"
Y/n turned around, her clipboard hugged to her chest. "Something wrong?"
"I-Uhm...I have a doctors appointment soon and...I was wondering if I could be excused from work for a couple hours?"
"Appointment? Sure! I wouldn't want you getting sick!" She smiled, Tamaki's cheeks turning a deep red. I can't believe I'm lying to her straight to her face...
"Well then, Ginger, can you stay on the register a bit longer?"
"Actually, boss. I've got an appointment too! It's a...dentist! A densist appointment!"
Hailey sighed as she popped open a jar of jam. Way to sound totally stupid, Ginger.
"Both of you have appointments? Well...I guess it can't be helped! I'll take over with with Hailey, no problem!"
time: 11:59 a.m.
Y/n glanced outside the coffee shop windows, a seemingly large amount of people rushing by. "I wonder what that ruckus is all about." Y/n muttered.
Hailey's heart started to pound. "Probably nothing. Can you help me with this dough?"
Y/n turned to see Hailey holding a kitchen knife like a murderer. "H-Hailey, why do you have the knife!? You don't need that to make dough!"
time: 12:16 p.m.
"I'll be back Hailey, I'm going in the break room for a drink." Y/n excused herself, jogging towards the back.
She opened the break room door, skipping to the mini fridge. She then noticed Ginger and Tamaki's aprons weren't hanging in the cubbies. "...Did they accidentally leave with them on?"
Y/n bent down, opened the fridge, and took out a cold can of orange soda. She stood back up and turned to examine the rest of the room. "...Something is off..."
Suddenly, a loud ring rang throughout the room. "A phone? That doesn't sound like my ringtone...It sounds like...
Tamaki's."
Y/n glanced over at the coffee table to see Tamaki's familiar blue phone case. "He left his phone?"
The device started to ring again, and again. Y/n pursed her lips. Don't invade his privacy, don't invade his privacy, don't-
She skipped to the table, picking up his cellphone. Sorry, Tams!
She read the text messages, her brain rattling in confusion.
nejire
is y/n still distracted?
hailey
yep. she has no clue. how're things on your end?
ginger
everything is going according to plan! there's tons of people out here!
Y/n batted her eyes. "...What's going on here?"
time: 12:20 p.m.
"Hailey." Y/n walked behind the counter, glaring at her in suspicion. "Do you know where Tamaki and Ginger went?"
Hailey froze, staring at the coffee she was brewing. "...To their appointments, right?"
"Really? Then why did Tamaki leave his phone in the break room?"
"...Maybe he forgot?"
"Oh reaaaalllyyy? Then explain these messages!"
Y/n held up Tamaki's phone to Hailey's face.
"...I can't see. I'm suddenly blind."
"Hailey!-"
"Excuse me."
Hailey and y/n turned to a customer, the young woman giving them a wave. "I was wondering if you were the manager of this place?"
"Me? Yes ma'am I am! Can I help you with something?"
"Not really but...I wanted to know if they're was a way I could help save your shop? I passed by the protest downtown and they were chanting against the Endeavor agency."
Y/n's blinked in confusion. "...Protest?"
"Yes! There's almost 100 people protesting outside the agency on behalf of them trying to shut down small businesses! I noticed one of them was yours! How can I support?"
Y/n slowly turned to Hailey, Hailey immediately looking up at the ceiling, whistling quietly. Y/n sighed. "We're taking donations! Hailey, tell her about it! Take care of the store while I'm gone!"
"B-Boss, you can't go-"
"No stopping me now!" Y/n ran behind the curtain to grab her coat.
Hailey slouched. "Well....it's too much work to chase after her."
time: 12:31 p.m.
Y/n ran down the sidewalk, her nose frozen and her knees numb. The sound of chanting grew louder and louder as she approached the Endeavor Agency Tower. What the heck is going on?
"DON'T SHUT US DOWN ENDEAVOR!! DON'T SHUT US DOWN! DONT SHUT US DOWN ENDEAVOR!! DONT SHUT US-"
"What in the world?" Y/n whispered as she witnessed a large crowd of people chanting at the tower, them holding up signs and yelling loudly.
She then noticed a familiar orange haired boy in the crowd, accompanyed with a purple haired boy, a blue haired girl, and a blonde boy. "No freaking way."
Y/n squeezed through the crowd. "Excuse me-sorry-my bad!-I gotta get through!-Sorry-excuse me!-"
"Boss, 9 o'clock." Ginger whispered to the groups. Nejire, Mirio, and Tamaki all turned to their lefts, alert.
"Wrong 9 o'clock!"
"What do you mean wrong 9 o'clock!?" Nejire seethed. "9 o'clock is to your left!"
"...Okay then, 3 o'clock!!"
They turned to their rights to see y/n swerving in and out of the crowd, approaching them. "Oh no, what now?" Mirio whispered.
"This is the end, soldiers." Ginger sighed, him and Mirio placing their hands over their hearts in defeat.
"What the heck are you guys doing here!?" Y/n asked as she caught up to her employees. "What happened to your appointments?"
The group turned to Tamaki, him gulping down his fear. "Um...well..."
Y/n titled her head, waiting for a reply. Tamaki took a deep breath in. "...Because I don't want you give up the money you worked so hard for!"
Y/n hitched. "What are you talking about? The 400,000 yen we saved up? But we saved it up just to pay for the-"
"I know but...We can't be pushed around. We have to fight back...T-The shop shouldn't have to be saved by you paying a ridiculous amount of money. It's not fair...A hero shouldn't be making poor people pay expenses like that."
"...Tamaki..."
"I understand that you wanna save the shop no matter what, but paying them shouldn't be the only way...I just...don't wanna see you give in so easily."
Y/n stuck out her bottom lip. "Awww...Tamaki..."
"Look! It's y/n!"
Y/n and her friends turned to see a old man approach them, him giving a welcoming wave. "M-Mr.Mastabura? What are you doing here?"
"Protesting to save my shop, of course!"
"Oh, so he's the owner of the Mastabura Bakery? Nice to meet you!" Ginger waved.
"You and your friends are good people. They set this whole thing up in just a matter of days! Me and the four other business at risk of being shut down are all protesting here today! Thanks to you guys, we never would've had the guts to speak up!"
"Really?" Y/n smiled. She then turned to Tamaki, reaching out her arm and and holding his hand tightly. "...I can't take any of the credit..." She grinned, turning to Tamaki an planting a kiss on his cheek.
A rush of energy surged through his body, him turning to y/n's sparkling eyes. "Thank you, Tamaki."
"...Y-Yeah-"
"WHY THE HELL ARE THEY'RE A BUNCHA EXTRAS OUTSIDE OF THE AGENCY!!??"