"La Terrasse Noire"

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The loud pang of our school's bell distracts me from my thoughts. Ah, it's time to go home. I hadn't really been paying attention in class today, too. Well, it doesn't really matter, my grades are decent as is.

…But that's just it. Decent. Average. Normal. It's been worrying me, recently. I'm nothing special. Just another face in the crowd. It's gotten me this far, sure, but what about next year? What about when I finally start college? Eventually, my lack of interests might have a consequence. What should I do when I have to pick a major?

I pick up my bag silently, tuning out everyone's cheerful chatter and mindlessly leave the classroom. Maybe I should pick up a hobby or something? I've already tried to differentiate myself from the other people in my class with my hair. Long, rose pink locks are trapped in two big pigtails on my head. Although, a new hairstyle isn't really enough…

Idly, I walk back home through a peaceful part of my town, a lovely spot with a nice view of the river running through it. But, I'm not particularly sure how to go about being unique. Maybe I should try harder with my original idea and change my looks even more? Dye my hair, perhaps? I could even try altering my school uniform a little bit. I've heard our school in particular is fairly lenient on their dress code policies, so maybe that's the route to go down?

Although, there's probably no point in such a basic change, is there…? People probably won't notice if I did something minor like different socks, and I'm not exactly bold enough to do something bigger. Maybe-

My mindless thoughts are shaken off by a sudden collision. After being stuck in my thoughts, I can't particularly tell which one of us is responsible for it, but I bumped into someone without even realizing they were in the way. I look up and cautiously assess them, focusing on their expression.

They're a man, and a quite beautiful one at that. Lightly curled and well cared for blonde hairs practically shine like a gold bar, even with the limited sunlight this cloudy day provides. His cyan eyes are practically smiling on their own, even without the gentle smirk his lips wear. His attractiveness throws me off, leaving me not too sure what to say. The man seems to assume I'm just shy after a beat, and pats my head a little.

"Watch out, okay? It'd be a shame if your pretty hair got ruined!"

I nod awkwardly and try to rush off without responding, but something catches my eye. It seems we're outside of a café right now, which is nothing special on its own, really. This part of town is so beautiful, it wouldn't be a surprise to find out there's 20 cafés here. But, what really draws my attention is a small poster taped carelessly on the glass window. A note reading 'Now hiring!', clearly handwritten. The man, now behind me, must have noticed my attention on the sign, because he lets out a little laugh.

"I wouldn't work here, if I were you. The boss is sooo greedy she can't even list how much they're offering for the job."

I hesitate for a moment, thinking about my previous dilemma. A part time job might give me a chance to test my options, right? I could probably get a better idea for a future job if I've worked one already…

"Do you work here?"

"Hmm? Are you interested in me~?" He teases with a small wink. "Well, if you're seriously thinking about working here, I could show you around, but…"

The man trails off a little, lost in thought. He contemplates for just a moment more, before shrugging.

"Well, c'mon! I promise to keep things short n sweet!"

He reassures me and nabs my hand, gently tugging me in the small, silent café. It smells pleasant, like scented candles, and the soft sun shining in leaves behind a gentle warmth in the air. After a tiresome day at school, a place like this could easily put me to sleep.

"Nice, right? Although, the small kitchen where I work doesn't have as nice of a view outside, we're only looking for another waiter so you wouldn't have to worry about it!"

I nod shyly. Despite his jokes about the low pay, he seems to be very passionate about how much he likes it here. Maybe he's proud of his work? Or maybe the other people who work here are fun to work with? He does strike me as the sort to goof off during work.

"Do a lot of people come here? It's strange you'd only just be opening now."

"We used to be open during the daytime, but our only full-time waiter quit. Until we can replace her, we just have to wait until our part time one gets out of school for the day."

How strange. A cafe can't really survive off of the few night owls drinking coffee so late in the afternoon. They probably won't want me then, since I've got school, too…

"You're a student too, right? In all honesty, you might still be able to get hired despite that 'cause I'm such a darn good cook! Even though we're technically a café, a lot of people come here to have the food and snacks we sell, so maybe we'll just transition to an afternoon and weekend only place now."

"Wouldn't that just make the boss less money? I thought you said she was greedy?"

"She is, which is exactly why she might do it! You'd be surprised to learn just how little of a profit can be made in the middle of the day. I think she'd been considering this for a while, since most of our customers work during the day."

Maybe this is a good idea after all…? I can't really tell, but it might be fun if I give it a shot. It sounds like the cook knows the customers pretty well. It could end up as a way to make a few connections... Although jobs that require connections all sound boring. Maybe I'll decide after I meet the place's boss?

Suddenly, the man starts muttering a little countdown under his breath. As if on queue, the second he says zero under his breath, a girl wearing the same school uniform as me, albeit modified a bit, bursts into the café. Her hair is short and a very pale shade, tea green, but beautiful and well cared for. In contrast, her eyes are dark, almost black, and very angry. Without even paying me any mind, she instantly focuses her rage on the man giving me a tour.

"Leo you stupid bastard! Why did you lock the door behind you again?! You know I can hardly unlock it while I'm carrying my damn bag with me!"

The man, who I assume now is Leo, just laughs lightly in response.

"I'm so glad you can be so energetic, even so late in the day like this! What a passionate kid, it's a shame you're such a little brat, hmm?"

His smugness sets the girl off a little, as she responds by slamming the café door shut. Loudly. But, that's all she does, aside from a few quiet profanities under her breath. She stomps off into the back. Or, tries to.Leo stops her for a second to ask,

"Isn't Vera gonna be here soon? Shouldn't you just leave the door open for her?"

"She wasn't even in class today. She either skipped or she's sick. Either way, she's not coming at the same time as me today."

And with that, she shuts a door behind her, possibly to change into uniform. Leo refocuses his attention on my confused expression, and gives me a sympathetic look.

"She's the part-time waiter I was talking about earlier. Her name is Aroha. She has the same uniform as you, right? Do you happen to know her?"

"I think… she might have a class in common with me? Her face seems familiar, but I'm not sure."

"Ah, then I guess I'll have to explain. She has a little temper, but she's not a bad kid. We just like to tease her. She's been hoping to steal a job in the kitchen for a while, but she's got a long way to go before she can beat me!"

He seems to only be half joking. Now I'm, admittedly, kind of curious to try what he makes. Maybe I can get something before I leave? I might as well make the trip worthwhile, even if I don't end up taking the job. But, I'm also curious about that girl. I didn't want to make her look bad in front of her co-worker, but I swear I've seen her in a fight before…

"What sort of foods do you sell here?"

His eyes seem to light up at the mention of his cooking, and he visibly has to hold himself back from listing their whole menu off. I envy the sort of excitement he seems to have for his work.

"We have a little bit of everything! Cookies, cake, sandwiches, even some fish! We've been leaning into a more restaurant style menu 'cause of what I mentioned earlier. Next thing you know, I'll get to make steaks here!"

"Could I try something?"

"Weeeell, it may be a little before opening time, but how could I possibly turn down such a cutie!"

I avert eye contact as Leo drags me to a glass counter, showing off a few things that I assume are from the previous day.

"There's not too much out yet, since I came in late. Boring appointments, y'know? But don't worry, all this stuff is perfectly fine to keep out for a few days! I can even make something fresh if you're fine with waiting."

My eyes wander the display case. There's quite a few varieties of cookies and a few scattered cupcakes. Macaron flavors are given their own mini display setups in the case, too, next to tiny personal pies. What ultimately catches my eye are the brownies, with colorful decorations covering them. They seem popular, given how there's only a few left.Leo nods, and puts one in a small pastry serviette, reaching it over the counter to me.

"Thank you. How much?"

He shakes his head a little.

"Don't worry about it! I'd just have to throw them away to clear up space after I finish the next batch, anyway."

I mutter a quiet word of appreciation before taking a small bite off it. It's, admittedly, not as good cold, but I'd be lying if I said it wasn't delicious regardless. They're filled with a delicious, thick cream, and the melty fudge frosting is a perfect contrast to it. There's a few nuts on top, adding a satisfying bite to the whole thing. Even after swallowing, my mouth instantly starts watering in anticipation of the next bite. I've never had a brownie so delicious before. I can hardly imagine how good it must've been freshly baked. He's definitely proven himself to not be all bark. I can practically taste all the painstaking effort that went into making it with just a single bite.

"So? How was it?!"

He looks like a proud child showing off something he drew to his mom, so excited for praise. Only, a child could never accomplish such an amazing feat.

"I've never had such a good brownie before. Thank you."

I keep light on the praise since I'm not exactly a food critic. I'm not capable of describing it that well, but that doesn't stop Leo from making a very proud expression in return. He comes back around the counter to presumably continue our tour, but Aroha pops out from changing to ask,

"So, is she the new waiter?"

"Maybe! She took interest in our little poster, so I decided to give her a tour."

She walks up to me, examining my outfit for a minute.

"You're from Érable High, right?"

"I am. Ah, I haven't introduced myself… I'm Marisol. Thank you for your hospitality."

She stares for a few moments before sighing. A hint of frustration in her voice, she responds,

"Aroha. Good luck, I guess."

…and she walks off, seemingly losing all interest in me immediately. She goes and unlocks the front door, flipping a sign around to say 'open', and shoots Leo an impatient glance, silently warning him to hurry up and get to work. He ignores it, next taking me back into the kitchen. It's simple and cute, just as comfortable as the rest of the place, despite customers not coming back here. The designer must've cared a lot about the theme.Leo lets me glance around for a moment before explaining,

"You'd probably have to come back here to deliver orders, occasionally. We usually don't get many purchases for sweets, since we charge extra for unmade stuff, but some stuff aren't made unless ordered. Might as well know the layout so you don't bump into me, y'know?"

I mutter in agreement, taking a nervous bite from the brownie. He chuckles awkwardly, then suddenly, seemingly out of nowhere, he makes a serious expression, although his big eyes make it hard to take it too seriously.

"Marisol, please take this job!"

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