・・・ xiii ・・・
He stood there.
Questions like
'How did he know?'
and
'Why here?'
circled his head.
Was it by coincidence?
Was it intended?
Ao did not know.
Before he could open his mouth to ask,
Leo had opened the door and stepped inside.
"Come on," he invited.
Ao blinked.
Very slowly, he willed his feet to move and followed after him.
Once they stepped inside,
it was like they had entered a different place.
There was the same piano music.
The same peaceful quietness.
The same nostalgic comfort.
As always, there were only a few people around,
encased in their own bubbles of silence.
Ah... Surely...
Hesitantly, Ao turned to look in the direction of the cashier.
He blinked once. Twice.
The same ponytailed hair.
The same bright eyes.
The same warm aura.
He did not expect to see her.
"... Hashimoto Rie."
・・・ xiv ・・・
Leo headed straight for her without hesitation.
In the end, Ao could do nothing but follow.
Once they were close enough, Rie finally noticed them.
The moment she did a quick look of surprise spread across her face.
Then, it disappeared as quickly as it arrived.
Hashimoto Rie made a wide grin.
"Ah! Ao-kun, Leo-kun, you're both right on time! My shift's about to end!" she said happily.
・・・ xv ・・・
The moment those words left her mouth,
Ao made a slight frown.
Her reaction seemed to say that she had been expecting them.
Immediately he turned to Leo, who was rubbing the back of his head.
"Ah... You might be wondering how I know this place," he finally said to Ao, seeing the confused expression on his face.
"Rie... actually told me about it. It's your favorite cafe, isn't it?
I figured you'd like to eat here... even though all they have are desserts."
Leo made a small, dry laugh.
Rie, on the other hand, offered Ao an apologetic smile.
"I... hope you don't mind," she said.
Unable to form any clear thoughts,
Ao simply stayed quiet.
His ear buzzed.
The walls seemed to tremble.
Then, without warning, Leo suddenly reached out and tugged at Ao's sleeve.
He had made sure not to touch his arm.
Still, Ao flinched.
Leo pretended not to notice.
"Let's take a seat, Ao," he pointed to the same table by the window. "Rie'll also be joining us soon."