A Firefly's Glow

Chapter 9.5 (Special)-Part Three

Sora slowly sauntered out into the restaurant, taking about three extra seconds per step.

“You’re going to have to go a little faster than that!” Amanatsu’s whisper rang from behind the counter.

“Shut up!” was what was hissed in reply.

She returned her gaze back towards the bleached-hair boy, and as she did, the couple turned towards her.

The boy’s smile gleamed. “Oh, here comes our order!”

And in response to their attention, Sora immediately felt her feet rush towards the table and clatter the plates upon the polished wood.

“Here are your orders of frosted white cakes,” Sora glumly announced, peeling two forks from her apron and shoving them onto the table.

After sliding their orders onto the table, Sora attempted to turn herself around until the boy’s voice chimed “Hey, don’t I know you from somewhere?”

Sora nervously glanced behind her shoulder towards the boy. “Uh—“ she began, gritting her teeth.

Once the boy peered towards Sora’s eyes, he shrugged.

“No, sorry I think I made a mistake,” he nervously chucked, letting a friendly smile cross his face. “I’m pretty sure Hinamori had green eyes . . . err—weren’t they brown?”

As he was pondering to himself, Sora quickly slipped away. She realized that through the time of knowing the Bleached-Haired Prince, he never did remember the cerulean blue that colored her eyes.

She sauntered behind the counter. Amanatsu had lightly fired up the stove, and she heard it hum from the kitchen.

He rested her forehead onto the countertop and lazily let her arms hang at her sides. If he didn’t know her eye color, was it true that he was only just a distant acquaintance?

“Excuse me, can I have a raspberry smoothie?” a lighthearted voice chimed from the opposite side of the counter.

Sora was much too concerned with her poor situation that she ignored the familiarity of the voice and crestfallenly mumbled, “One hundred yen, please.” as she lifted her forehead off of the countertop.

“Hinamori-san?”

Her gaze immediately jolted towards the customer standing before her with a shocked expression looming over her face. Her teeth strongly gritted as she noticed who the figure was.

She recognized the shaggy black hair that hung over his head in messy layers. His annoyingly cheery smile greeted her eyes and she stumbled backwards.

“What’re you doing here?!” Sora hissed, plastering on the cold glare and the pursed lips onto her appearance.

“I knew it was you!”

Sora whipped the small coin Hachimitsu was holding out onto the counter out of his hands and she slammed it onto the desktop. “What do you want?”

“I just told you, didn’t I? One raspberry smoothie, please.”

Sora reluctantly shoved a clear, plastic cup beneath the familiar machine and blue frost swirled into view. She shoved it towards Hachimitsu with an icy glare to match the temperature of the smoothie.

“I didn’t recognize your disguise at first,” Hachimitsu cheerfully chuckled, beaming his smile. “You almost tricked me.”

“Well how come I didn’t trick you all the way?”