Chapter Text
The best part of being a university student in Ayase Momo’s opinion is the lingering feeling of freedom. Now that she was living in Tokyo, a few miles away from Kamikoshi—and a few miles away from her annoying grandma—she felt like she could do whatever she wanted.
Don’t get her wrong, she loved her grandma a lot, and would fight tooth and nail if someone badmouthed or made fun of her for working as a medium, but as any other 18 or 19 year old freshmen, to be in such a big city, wasn’t it exciting?
It felt good to be away without adult supervision, to have some space for herself–and to not feel the sharp eyes of her grandma on her or on her boyfriend (ex-boyfriend now, because as always her grandma was right and the guy that she dated for a while was a human trash.)
Still, despite Momo being the one paying the rent for the apartment she shared with Vamola and Aira—friends from her high school days—her grandmother was the one who was actually covering her tuition.
So yeah, it was just a lingering taste of freedom, after all, she wasn’t independent.
And because she really wanted to graduate (it means she should take her studies seriously), a full-time job was out of the question, which also meant less income. But, honestly, Momo was happy with how things were going. Six months in Tokyo had been good to her so far.
She was enjoying her classes, Vamola and Aira were great roommates, and even the few parties she’d attended had been fun. Her part-time job was decent enough too, but…
Momo sighed.
From behind, she heard Miko and Kei, her two part-time coworkers at the coffee shop, whispering.
“She sighed again.” Miko observed.
“I bet it is a boy problem.” Kei replied.
Momo turned around, hands on her hips. “I can hear you, you know.”
“Yep!” Kei grinned. “You are supposed to.
“So, are you going to tell us who the guy is?” Miko asked, pushing her luck.
“Oh, come on!” Momo groaned, turning back to her task of refilling the coffee machine with beans. “I told you there’s no one like that!”
“Like who? Takakura Ken?” Kei teased, her grin unrelenting.
“Ughhhh! I said stop that!” Momo resisted the urge to smack that grin off both their faces. “So what if I like the actor? Is it so much to ask to find someone like him?”
Miko and Kei exchanged a knowing look.
“Girl…” Kei began, shaking her head.
“Men like him don’t exist anymore.” Miko finished, nodding in agreement. “Chivalry’s dead.”
Really, Momo was enjoying her classes, Vamola and Aria were great roommates, and even the few parties she’d attended had been fun. Her part-time job was decent enough too, but…
Where I am supposed to find a man like Takakura Ken?!
Her first boyfriend–the trash human being, the one that her grandma strongly disapproved of (with reason, she was mature enough to admit it now)–she only dated him for his appearance, because he resembled Takakura Ken, the actor that she liked so much.
Childish? Yeah, dating someone just for their appearance wasn’t something that Momo thought that she would do.
As she finished refilling the last grain’s container of the coffee machine, Miko passed her a plastic cup with the next drink order. Momo must’ve spaced out for a moment because she hadn't noticed a customer coming in or ordering.
A caramel frappe, extra caramel. Easy order. She made so much of these in just one day that she could probably do it with her eyes closed, not that she would try, if something went wrong, her manager would definitely be happy to deduct a few yen for her paycheck.
As she finished preparing the drink and put a cap at the top of it, Momo started to call the customer. A normal day a day action, she didn’t even realize how her co-workers went strangely quiet and were trying their best to not laugh.
“Caramel frappe, extra caramel for Takakura K–” The drink almost slipped from her hands.
What?!
“Ah, that’s me!”
A black haired guy wearing glasses, slightly taller than her, probably around her age approached the corner where Momo was waiting–frozen in place–with his drink still on her hands, and a shocked expression.
“Thank y—”
“No! I can’t accept it!” Momo suddenly stated, interrupting the poor boy that wasn’t really sure of what exactly he did. “No way!”
Behind her, Miko and Kei couldn’t stop laughing.
“Hum…” The boy–Takakura Ken–stared at the barista, then her co-workers and then around the coffee shop. Did he get involved in a prank or something? “...you can’t…accept a ‘thank you’...?”
“No!” Momo could feel her cheeks get slightly warm, but it wasn’t the guy’s fault if his parents named him after a famous actor, right? She shouldn’t be snapping like that. “I mean…ugh, sorry, that was awkward, right? Sorry for that.”
The black haired boy waved his hands in front of him.
“No, no! It’s fine! I’m also an awkward guy so…”
And if he said something after that, Momo didn’t know, because her brain needed a minute to reboot.
This guy…this Takakura Ken just said the exactly same line as the Takakura Ken, the actor one. He said that line using such an innocent expression, such a soft voice…
FUCK NO!
“No way! I refused to believe you!” Momo finally snapped, putting the drink down and slamming her hands at the corner.
“Eh? What? I am sincerely thanking you!”
“No! Not about it!” Momo grunted, he was still thinking about the thanks stuff. “Your name! I refused to believe you!”
“What about my name?”
“You are just playing around, right? Giving us a fake name like Naruto, Luffy or any other character from an anime, right?!” Yes! That’s it! He was probably just a fan like her.
“I don’t understand what you mean.” Ken rebutted, adjusting his glasses. “Whether you believe me or not, my name is Takakura Ken.”
If, if Momo could, she would lay on the ground and throw a tantrum, but she was a grown up woman in the middle of her job …so her next better option was:
“Stop!” She cried, covering her ears. “I don’t wanna hear!”
“But!”
“I said: stop!”
“Ayase Momo-san.”
Momo froze. There was only one person in the coffee shop who could say her name like that and make her blood run cold. Slowly, she turned around, her brown eyes meeting his icy blue ones.
“M-manager Sanjome…”
The pink-haired man shifted his gaze to Ken, who was still trying to understand what just happened, and bowed slightly in apology.
“I’m sorry for the rude behavior from one of our staff. We’d like to refund your order and make a fresh drink, as this one…” His eyes flickered to the cup with the whipped cream already melted. “...isn’t quite up to our establishment's standards.”
Momo flushed red, bowing quickly beside him. Oh god, she was done for, wasn’t she? Sanjome would definitely fire her after this!
“N-no! Really, it’s fine!” Ken replied, glancing between the two of them. “It was just a misunderstanding. Ayase-san…well, she thought she had called me by the wrong name, that’s all.”
This guy is nice! This guy is too nice! Was the collective thought of the three girls.
Sanjome didn’t seem convinced.
“Seriously, it’s fine!” To prove his point, Ken picked up the drink and took a sip, his eyes widening just a bit. “I have to go now, but thanks anyway!”
And with that, he left, leaving a nervous Momo, a very annoyed Sanjome, and two very amused co-workers in his wake.
“Ayase-san…”
Momo flinched.
“My office.” The manager’s voice was cold as ice. “Now.”
Great. Just great.