~M̵̼̟͉̲̈́͑̃͒͝Ị̴̫̼̙͕̼̪̀̈̊͝ͅÑ̴̛̻͇̟͂̀͌̾̅͠͝E̷̯̬̲̝̻͗͝~

Coffee

(Asuka POV)

I blankly stared out my bedroom window. Millions of thoughts occupied my mind. It was 5 in the morning, I can't sleep. I continued to toss and turn throughout the night; I felt frustrated due to my inability to fall asleep at this time. But it wasn't just my insomnia; something felt wrong. I felt anxious, along with an immense feeling of dread. I haven't a clue why I am feeling this way. I decided to get up from bed and make some coffee. I couldn't sleep after all, so what else could I do?

I didn't have to be at work until 7, so I decided to take advantage of the early morning and my free time before a long day at work. I entered my kitchen and headed over to the coffee machine. I turned it on before reaching for a pod. But there were no pods there. I wanted to scream. "What a great way to start the day." I thought to myself. I turned off the coffee maker as I contemplated what to do. Suddenly, the idea hit me! There's a coffee shop just 2 blocks away from here. I can easily get there within 15 minutes. I walked over to my purse which was sat on the dining room chair and head out the door.

~At the coffee shop~

Once I arrived, I immediately smelt the strong smell of coffee filling the air. I loved the smell. I looked around a bit and spotted the cashier drinking coffee at the counter. I began to head over before greeting them. They turned around to greet me back, but their eyes widened once they saw me. I was confused at first, but I then got a closer look at his face... "Hey, you're that guy I saw at the convenience store I work at!" I said, attempting to refresh his memory. He seemed extremely nervous, like he was scared of me. He simply just nodded his head before saying: "Y-Yeah... Uhm... What c-can I get you... ma'am?" He said, barely being able to get a word out without stuttering. I felt awkward. He must've not remembered me. "I'm Asuka Hayashi. What's yours?" I said out of awkwardness. He just stared at me for a few seconds before replying. "Riku." He said plainly. A bead of sweat dripped down my forehead. I decided to just say my order to break the ice a bit. "I'd like a Salted Caramel Mocha. And can you swap the regular milk to almond milk?" He nodded his head before putting the order in. He hastily headed to the employees only room to begin making my drink I assume. I sighed now that our interaction was over, but I felt bad. He must've not been interested enough in me. Or he's just tired... Who knows. Why am I thinking about this so much? As I was lost in my train of thought, I was snapped back into reality by the worker. He had my drink in his hands. I was confused how he made it so quickly. It was like he already had it prepared? I didn't question it and just handed him 570 yen. He quickly took the money and gave me my drink. I thanked him, but I didn't get a response back. Huh. Weird guy... I thought. I then walked out of the store and headed back to my apartment.

~A few days ago~

(Riku Kajii POV)

It was late at night. I was walking along the streets and noticed a coffee shop. I never saw it before, is it new? I figured coffee could taste quite good right now, so I decided to head in. I had some extra cash on me that I got from the building manager.  I looked at the menu and everything looked disgusting. Everything seemed loaded with sweet ingredients. I wanted something bitter. I walked up to the employee and asked if I could just get a plain coffee. He nodded his head before plainly saying "370 yen." I took the money out from my pocket and handed it to him. He eyed me up and down as he took the cash before asking me a question. "You don't seem like the type who can afford things." I was confused by his sentence but didn't feel too offended by it because I knew it was true. I shrugged off his remark. "Just give me the coffee." I spoke. He chuckled. "We're hiring, if you're looking for a job." I almost immediately said no, but then the thought hit me. I could really use a job. I could move into the same apartment building as her... I could buy her gifts... I could see her at work... I decided to take the opportunity since it was presented to me. "Yeah, I am looking for a job. I have experience making coffee." I said. I was clearly lying. I've never made coffee in my life. He seemed to know that but decided to give me a chance anyways.

A few days passed by, and I quickly picked up the requirements of working at a coffee house. It was quite simple. It's a game of memory, really. Before I knew it, I had a job. I had income. I could finally be normal.