Chapter 3: The Meeting
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"It's late, we should go back to the cafe now." The raven-haired woman said as she looks up at the sun setting down. Everyone agreed as they started to clean themselves up as they look literally a mess because of playing around.
The brunette woman has tons of dried leaves on her head and clothes so does the blonde-haired child as they play at the pile of dried leaves on the side of the playground. They used it as confetti and throw it at each other making the other woman, Den frowned.
"You guys are a mess." She said as she eyed them intently.
"And you too, Kaku-chan. I never expected that you'd be dragged around by these two." She said as she attempted to brush some leaves from his clothes. By the woman's sudden action, the tall man flinched as a huge blush crept on his face.
'Is she not aware how close she is?.' Kakucho thought.
"Hey, please have mercy with the single me." Guini interrupted, not really amused as she felt like the third wheel.
"Huh? What are you saying, Guini?" Den said as she continued on dusting Kakucho's clothes. She then proceeds on cleaning Emma's hair after, as she noticed that the child has even small branches of trees on it.
"Mommy do you like Uncle Kaku?" Emma asked as she looks at the two with curiosity. Her statement caught the three adults off-guard.
'Princess, what are you saying!?' Kakucho thought, he was about to explain something but the other lady beat him to it.
"See? Even the child noticed something." Guini mumbled quite loudly clearly not liking what was going on.
'We are here because of the child Denise, remember that.' Guini thought, concerned that her friend might close further the boundaries. Den just shook her hand, thinking that her friend is insane.
'I know what I'm doing.'
"What do you mean by that, sweetie?" She asked the child.
"Well, I asked if mommy likes uncle Kaku because Emma also likes Uncle Kaku!" She said as a huge smile plastered on her face like she was very proud to announce that she likes someone.
Kakucho, upon hearing it also smiles but felt embarrassed at the presence of three ladies in front of him.
"Hmm, is that so? Then mommy might like him too. He's a nice man." She said as she glanced at the still blushing mess Uncle.
"How about you Auntie? Do you also like Uncle Kaku?"
"I don--"
"Guinivere."
"Fudge. Yes, of course! If Emma likes him, then auntie too!" The brunette said as she carried the child and started to walk back to the cafe not even looking at the man. Den then followed her behind.
"What's with the attitude?" She whispered to her friend, confused at the sudden rudeness.
"Girl, remember our objective. It's just Emma, no more no less." She reminded her. Den just looks at her for a second but eventually sighs.
Before they decided to go play at the park. The two women excused themselves for a while as they discuss the sudden appearance of the blonde child that they help weeks ago. Of course, they were happy and excited. Without any doubt, the child is lovely and not like any other spoiled child they have encountered in their lives. But the child being here is quite questionable. Like why? They were just together less than 24 hours but the child is completely attached to them like they knew each other for years. Like how did the child come up with the conclusion that the raven-head really is her mom and the brunette is her aunt?
The two women then decided that they should talk to the child's guardian sincerely as they might think that they did something to the child, that's why she acts like that to them. They don't want to cause any trouble and misunderstandment as their gut tells them that Emma's uncles are dangerous.
It is true that they treated him like normal right now but it is because they were professionals. Part of their job is to interact with their clients and customer so they did. They treat him like one. But from the very first step when he entered the cafe they felt chills. Den reminded him of the pink-haired masked man and the two identical colored hair men that seem like twins or brothers.
Behind their handsome and gentle smiles hides a beast.
"Yes, I know. What's wrong with dusting off some leaves? I even did the same to you and others before." Den mumbled.
"That's not really the point though," Guini said signing quite loudly which made the child look at them, wondering what's up.
"Yeah, sorry."
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A few minutes later, they arrived at the cafe. But something is up to the cafe that made its owners, Guini and Den stop further approaching it.
"Didn't you close the gate?" Den asked her friend as her eyes did that left the opened gate.
"I did... You also turned off the lights right?" She questioned back, looking at her friend's furrowed eyebrows.
"Something is really up... Do you think---"
"What's going on?" Kakucho asked as he approached the two women. He is walking a few meters away that's why he did not notice the cafe's situation immediately.
The two did not bother answering him and just stared at their cafe. Kakucho then followed were their eyes looking at.
"Why is your cafe open?" He asked confused. He clearly remembered that the two women closed it. He even doubled checked it himself.
"Stay here. Don't call the cops." He said firmly, grabbing the hidden small gun on his vest's pocket shocking the two women.
'Fuck! It's a freaking gun! Our guts were right!'
'Is this Guini and I's last night!?'
Guini and Den shock at the sudden appearance of gun and Kakucho's serious face then decided to move a few meters away, Guini covering Emma's eyes in the process.
"What's going on Auntie? Mommy?" She asked, confused as to why they did not enter the cafe.
"Where's Uncle Kaku?" She then looks around between the gaps in Guini's fingers but did not find her favorite uncle anywhere.
*Bang*
*Bang*
*Bang*
"AHH!" The three women shouted while covering their ears. Shaking, they look at where the sounds of gunshots were heard. It was from the direction of the cafe.
"Kakucho!" Den shouted, worried at what might have happened inside the cafe.
'What could it be? Burglary? But nothing happened like that from the past years we stayed here!?' Den thought as he stared at their cafe.
"Should we call 119!?" Guini said, putting the startled child down as Den then attempt to console the teary child.
"But he said don't call anyone!?" Den shouted in panic.
"Is that even the problem!? That man could be dying right now!?" Guini said as her shaking hands tried to fetch her phone to her side pocket.
"Damn it!" She shouted in frustration.
*Bang*
*Bang*
*Bang*
"Shit!" Den shouted as she covers the child's ears tightly in an attempt to protect the child from the noise.
"Hey."
"AHHHH!" Both women shouted in surprise as Guini reflexively throw her phone where the sound came from. Den on the other hand grabbed Emma and hugs her as her life depends on it. The masked hooded man in front of them catches the phone.
"119? Didn't Kakucho tell you not to call anyone?" He said as he looks at the phone screen.
"Who are you!?" Guini asked, glaring at the masked hooded man.
"Is that really important right now!?" Den said, remembering what her friend said to her from the past.
"Forgot about me already, hun?" The man said as he lowered his hood and masked.
"Uncle Rinny!" Emma shouted running at the guy.
"Emma missed you!" The child said. The man then lifted the child making the child giggle quite loudly.
"Uncle also missed our Princess a lot!" He said. "But guess who misses you more than me?" He asked the child.
"Hmm... Uncle Ranny?" The child guessed.
"Well, he sure did. But who else?" The purple head man said teasingly.
"Uncle Haru?"
"No. We don't talk about that Druggi-- that guy." He said shifting his jolly mood to an annoyed one.
"Hmmm..." Emma hmmed, caressing her chin as if she was deeply thinking who it was.
"Princess, are you giving up now?"
"Yes! Emma wants to know who!" The child said enthusiastically.
"Well of course, who else but your daddy!" He said joyfully at the child as he gives a smirk to the two women who were watching their interaction.
"Really!? Daddy is here!?" Emma said excitingly. She then looks at her mommy and auntie.
"Mommy! Finally, daddy is not busy! He's here to visit Mommy, Auntie, and Emma! yey!"
'This is what I'm talking about. Shit.' Guini thought as she look at her friend's widening eyes, then to the child and her vicious uncle who keeps smirking at them, and then to their cafe.
'We should move out after this mess. ASAP.'
"Yes, your dad is visiting your mom's cafe right now. Shouldn't we go in?"
On the other hand, Den just wanted to curse everyone right now.
'I just want to be a rich slacker, no more, no less! Why does my dream keep on moving away from me!?'
Meeting this child's guardian is indeed part of the plan but not this way. She felt like her life will be taken away once she steps on their very own turf, their very own cafe.
"We should move fast," Rindou said, putting Emma down. Emma then hurriedly then runs to her mom and then grabs Den's hand.
"Hurry Mommy! Daddy's waiting!" She said as he tried to pull her where the cafe is. Den is still stuck on her feet.
'Fuck, I don't want to go.' She thought as she grabs her friend's shoulder. She then looks at her in the eyes with panic.
"What should we do?" She whispered, shaking.
"Fuck it, I don't know." Her friend whispered back, still looking at the sickening grin of the man in front of them.
"Yes, hurry madam. The boss is waiting." Rindou said amused at the whispering woman in front of him that still not moving.
*Bang*
*Bang*
"If I were you, I would run to your cafe now. Kakucho might end up dead because you two are so slow." He said as he looks at his Rolex. "Tick tock. Tick tock."
"Fuck it!" Den said as she runs to the cafe. "Guini, take care of Emma! Don't let that jellyfish bastard touch her!" She shouted not even looking back. He could hear the psychotic laugh of the man behind him.
Den then entered their establishment's gate but then remember she is barehanded. She then runs to their garage fast and grabs the nearest and sturdiest thing she could find near her. A metal bat.
"Better be alive Kakucho 'cause I'm risking my life for you, you fucker!" She mumbled to herself as she is readying herself to enter their cafe through the garage door.
"Well, well. Who do we have here?"
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03/17/2022