The sleep that I had that night was the most peaceful I've had in a long time, despite not being in my own bed. It felt like I was laying on the softest clouds in the sky, instead of the semi-firm twin bed in the shelter.
After finishing my simple breakfast of cereal and an apple, I dressed up and informed the receptionist of how long I'd be out, making sure to give myself an extra hour or so just in case something happened that I didn't expect. I wore the same pants as yesterday, thankfully dry from the unexpected soak it had from the rain, but I chose to wear the other new shirt that I was able to find in my size.
It was a long-sleeved shirt, gray in color with a spattering of sparkles on the front in a random pattern. I was definitely overdressing for whatever position I was applying for at the café, but I couldn't help it. My hand pressed against my stomach and a frown crossed my face.
I still needed to take a pregnancy test...
"Fancy seeing you here, (y/n)," A male voice cut off my thoughts as I looked around to try and figure out who was talking to me. I hadn't realized that I had walked to the small park from the previous day, the scenery startling me a little bit. I felt someone's presence to my left, and looked over to see Osomatsu in his priest garb sitting on a bench with a book in his hands.
"Father Osomatsu," I nodded in his direction, "Good morning."
"Good morning to you," He returned the nod before closing the book, focusing on me, "How did the rest of your day go yesterday?"
"Oh...it went well enough. I was told of a place that is looking to hire, so I'll be checking that out today," I glanced away, "Though...I'm not sure where it is. Your brother told me about it."
"Oh? Where did Choromatsu or Todomatsu suggest?" Osomatsu raised an eyebrow.
"Actually, it wasn't either of them. It was Karamatsu," A shiver shot down my spine as I watched Osomatsu's face fall into a look that could only be described as hatred for a split second before recovering into interest, "Father...?"
"No, it's all right. I hadn't heard his name in a while...and I wasn't expecting him to be so close," He raised a hand to his chin, his eyebrows furrowed in thought, "I guess I should go and pay him a visit. Did he tell you where you could find him?"
"No, he only took me to a local café during the downpour yesterday. I didn't want to pry much into his personal life when we had only just met," I shook my head before pointing towards the entrance to the park, "I was going to ask around to see if I could find the cat café he suggested."
"Well, I remember one opening up downtown within the past year. It's received some pretty mixed reviews about the service, but the food and adoption center they have are consistently rated high," Osomatsu stood up and tucked the book underneath his arm, "It's not too far of a walk, and I still have time left on my break. I don't mind escorting you there."
"No, Father Osomatsu, it's all right. I can just have--" I started to shake my head before he put a hand on my shoulder, turning me around and guiding me out of the park.
"It's all right, (y/n)...Call it a needless worry, but I do want to make sure that you're safe," The tone of his voice dipped into sadness.
"Father...?"
"When we had heard of what happened to you when you went to that foster home, my brothers and I were angry and worried for you," He talked in a low volume, but I could still hear every word he said, "You are like a sister to us, and any sibling would have gotten upset at what happened."
I lowered my head, trying to silence the echoes in my head of a male yelling at someone, a woman screaming back at him in retaliation. I had hoped that they would've never found out...
"There's not much that I can do right now, but please..." He lowered his head down to look at me, "Don't think that you'll bother us for asking the smallest favor, okay?"
I saw honesty in his eyes, his normally carefree face set in a solemn expression.
"Okay, I won't."
He nodded at my response before standing back up to his full height, the smile back on his face.
With him walking next to me, I could really feel the difference in our heights; he and his brothers seemed to top the chart at around 198 centimeters, while I was much shorter than them.
I started picking at my shirt, wondering what had happened to the brothers during my time away. They all seemed to have some kind of...aura...around them, but could it have been because the three were priests?
"Oh, it looks like they moved recently," Osomatsu's voice pulled me from my thoughts as he looked across the street, his hand pointing the way and directing my attention to a small storefront with two large bay windows. Both windows had cats lounging across any flat surface as they took in the morning sun, the light peeking in between the buildings at this hour. The purple lettering on the sign above the door read 'Cat Garden', and the interior design seemed to follow the purple theme.
"I wonder if that's the right one..." I tried to look past the morning sunshine reflecting off the glass. I heard Osomatsu chuckle behind me before giving a light push on my back.
"Only one way to find out. Go on," He was giving a wide smile when I turned around to look at him, "I'll stay out here. Allergic to cats, and all..."
"Oh, okay. I'll be right back!" I smiled in return before crossing the street using the closest walkway, making my way towards the Cat Garden. Opening the door let out a wave of dried chamomile and catnip smells, the scents nearly overwhelming the vehicle exhaust and stale air of the city. The bell attached to the door handle jingled softly as it shut behind me, the outside noise practically cancelled out when it completely closed.
"Welcome," A male greeted me from behind a countertop lined with carpet material, his hand gently petting one of the many cats before moving out to meet me. My eyes were drawn to the many platforms that hung from the ceiling, imitating bird cages with some cats curled up inside, sleeping on the fluffy cushions that were in each 'cage'. A long track led from the beds to a carved tree near the front of the café, more platforms carved out from the 'limbs' of the tree. The material that wrapped around the truck looked like it was a giant scratching post.
"Seating for one?" The male grabbed a menu and waited for me to confirm the party size. I had to shift my focus from admiring the interior of the café to the reason I was there.
"Oh, I was actually wondering if the café was hiring...?" I tucked some hair behind my right ear, nervous if I had the wrong café.
"We are, actually! Hold on, I'll get the owner for you," His smile grew wider as he set the menu down, making a motion for me to 'stay'. With his reaction, I could guess that Ichimatsu was the owner, and not the waiter. Suddenly left alone in the decently-sized cafe, I was able to take more of a look at the furry occupants, most of them by the front to get the late morning sun before it disappeared behind the towering buildings surrounding it.
'Oh, it looks like they moved recently,' Osomatsu's words rang in my head. Did the owner move his shop because the first location was bad for the cats? I heard some muted conversation grow louder as the speakers walked closer to me from behind the door the waiter disappeared to.
"--ould really use the help, sir," I recognized the waiter's voice.
"I don't care if she's the Queen of England," A gruff voice argued, "Everyone's the same."
"You gave me a chance, so why not--" The male opened the door, cutting himself off when I came into view.
I knew it...Related to the brothers or not, I may not be given an opportunity at this place, either, I sighed to myself as the owner came into view, wearing the same face as the other brothers, but his expression was more judgemental. His dark hair was roughed up from basic maintenance, his posture was slightly slouched, but his eyes...his dark eyes just glared at me from underneath hooded eyelids. I couldn't hold his gaze, looking down at the floor.
"You're looking for a job here?" I hadn't realized how close they had gotten until I heard the owner about a meter away from me.
"Yes, I am," I thought I spoke too loud at first, quieting down as I looked up at him, "I heard from Karamatsu that you were looking to hire, and I really need a job right now to get my feet back under me."
His eyelids lowered even more, his lips stretching thin, "It is true that I do need hired help...but what can you offer?"
"Anything!" I took a step forward, taking a chance. No one else had asked me the question before, always turning me away before I could offer my services, "I'll be a janitor, a waitress, or even a groomer!"
"Oh...?" The thin line of his mouth turned upwards into a mock smile, "We'll see if you're able to handle it. Come back tomorrow at 5:00 a.m., and I'll give you a trial run."
I stifled a cry of joy, turning the energy into an enthusiastic bow and thanking him for the opportunity. He merely waved me away before turning his attention towards the cats that were staring at us, moving towards them and giving each of them some attention as I handed my contact information to the waiter, thanking him as well before leaving the cat café.