Racing hearts|| Umemiya x OC

1

Reiko's POV

The familiar aroma of freshly brewed coffee and baked goods filled the air as I wiped down the counter at Café Pothos. The soft hum of the café's background music blended with the quiet chatter of the few customers enjoying their morning coffee. It was a peaceful, almost serene start to the day,

I glanced at the clock on the wall realizing that it has been too long since Koko left. Kotoha should be back from grocery shopping any minute now. Until then, it was just me and the regulars, keeping the place warm and welcoming.

"How have you been, dear?" an elderly man at the corner table asked. His eyes were kind, his smile gentle. Mr. Tanaka had been our regularcustomer of the café for as long as I could remember.

"I'm fine, thank you," I replied with a smile, even though the truth was a bit more complicated.

"How about you, Mr. Tanaka? How's your granddaughter?"

His face lit up at the mention of his family. "She's doing wonderfully! Just started high school, and she's already making new friends."

"I am glad to hear that" I smiled

As we chatted, the bell above the café door rang, drawing my attention. I looked up to see Kotoha pushing the door open, balancing a few bags of groceries. Beside her was a boy with half black, half white hair, and mismatched eyes. His expression was a stark contrast to the cozy atmosphere of the café—annoyed and grumpy.

And he was wearing Furin's jacket.

Is he new? I thought

"Kotoha! Do you need help with those?" I called out, moving from behind the counter to assist her.

Kotoha smiled warmly, a stark contrast to her companion's dour mood  "Thanks, Reiko-san but I am fine! This is Sakura," she said, gesturing to the boy beside her before placing groceries on the table. "He helped me today"

Sakura shot Kotoha a glare but said nothing, his eyes scanning the café with a mix of disinterest and irritation. I could tell he wasn't thrilled to be here, but there was something about him that piqued my curiosity.

"It's nice to meet you, Sakura," I said, offering him a friendly smile. "I'm Reiko. Welcome to Café Pothos."

Sakura's mismatched eyes met mine briefly before he looked away, mumbling something under his breath that I couldn't quite catch. I decided not to press him; he seemed like the type who needed time to warm up to new people.

"Sit down I will serve you something to eat as a thank you" Kotoha said to sakura as she went behind the counter and started making her famous omurice while I smiled and went to wash dishes while we chit vchat with Sakura boy.

He seemed sweet.

Kotoha, served the plate of omurice to Sakura, who was sitting at one of the tables. "Oh, so you're from out of town? That's why we haven't seen you here before," Kotoha remarked cheerfully.

Sakura looked up from the delicious-looking omurice with wide eyes. He seemed a bit shy but clearly appreciative of the warm welcome. He gulped audibly, the sight of the food making his stomach growl softly. His gaze then shifted to me, curiosity evident in his expression.

I offered him a gentle smile as I continued washing the vegetables. "It's not often someone moves into town like this," I said, my tone friendly and welcoming.

No one liked our town at all because of its past reputation. This town was known as the danger zone until recently some people stopped the destructions.

"Yeah, I am weird," Sakura responded, sounding resigned.

Kotoha laughed softly. "We weren't talking about you," she said, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder.