Ugly Duckling (HatsuHaru Sohma Love Story)

Chapter 17 - Worry

Previously on UD...

I put on my work uniform before walking out of the room and over to where Serena was, grabbing two fresh cups of coffee and two fresh baked croissants before telling me which table requested them. I nodded and walked over to them only to tense up once I saw who requested for the coffee and croissants. With alerted posture, I placed down the croissants and coffees on the table in front of the man I have looked up to since I was a toddler. papers displaying names of various patients in front of him on the table

"Two black coffees with two sugars in each and two croissants. Enjoy." I told him, keeping my voice leveled and steady, try to not give away the fact that I was panicking right now at the sight of him

"Thank you..." Hatori Sohma thanked me, not sparing a single glance up at me from being to engrossed in his work.

Akira's POV

I quickly scurried away to another table, taking a Mom and her two children's order. I wrote down what they wanted before walking to the register, handing the slip of paper to Serena who nodded and began to make the coffee and food for them. I couldn't help but glance over at Hatori, watching as he sipped on his drink as he read over his work papers, reading glasses on and giving off a glare slightly. Without even meaning to, I asked Serena

"Serena, who is that? He has never been here before." I asked her, catching her a tad off guard

"Hmm?" She looked over to where I was looking to see Hatori sitting down at one of the table and sipping coffee before she shrugged

"Dr. Sohma Hatori, he is actually my regular doctor. He knows that I work here so he must have came here to see if the cafe is good." Serena explained to me before getting back to work. I nodded, confirming that it actually was Hatori Sohma. I couldn't believe my eyes, why now does he suddenly show up at my work, why do I keep meeting people from my past this week? It boggled my mind to even think of how many Sohmas I have seen and spoke to this past week. It's crazy and unbelievable, but I had to believe it or I was utterly screwed. Serena handed me the order for Table 5 before washing her hands in the sink. I walked over to the table and gave the mother and two children their order. I was about ready to go over to the next table that new people sat down at until-

"Miss, may you direct me to the restroom?" Hatori asked me, standing up and straightening out his tie. I nodded cautiously before pointing in the general directions the restrooms were

"Over there sir." I told him and he nodded, walking over to the restrooms before disappearing out of sight. I took a deep sigh of relief before jumping when I heard a phone going off, Hatori's phone to be exact that was left on the table, the screen lighting up to display a message. I walked over to Serena, grabbing a dishrag to start wiping down some tables while the phone get going off, not wanting to shut off. I made my way over to where Hatori's table was, catching a glimpse of what the message was

-While you're there pick up Selena and bring her back home, her shift is almost over if I remember correctly.- ~Shigure Sohma

Shigure? I looked over at Selena as she helped customers in paying their bill, thoughts running through my mind, if that was so, then Shigure must have really left the Sohma Estate for good, I wonder who he took with him. Paying my attention back to wiping down tables at the corner of my eye I could see Hatori coming back from the restrooms, fixing the cuffs on his suit. He leaned over his table, grabbing his phone to read the message while I tried my best not to stare at him. I grabbed a paper towel from my waistband before wiping down the damp tables so they won't be slippy for the next customers

"Miss! May I please have a refill on my coffee, my son accidentally spilled it all over him and perhaps some paper towels?" I heard the mother calling for me and I nodded

"I will be right over!" I told her before going to grab some more paper towels to help clean up the spill of coffee. Pushing my glasses up the bridge of my nose, I grabbed the paper towels and requested Serena to make another cup of coffee before going over to the mother and helped clean up the spill, the mother cleaning up her son while I cleaned up the table and having to get the mop to clean the floor. I grabbed the mop and bucket filled with soapy water before dipping it in and mopping up the floor, telling the mother to move to a different table. I dipped the mop back into the bucket and bringing it out again to clean underneath the table, slightly crouching down to see what I was doing under the table

"Are you sure you don't need any help, dear?" The mother asked me and I nodded

"I'm alright! Just enjoy the rest of your evening." I told her, dipping the mop into the bucket only for my glasses, that were already slowly inching towards the end of my nose fell off and into the bucket causing me to groan loudly, Hatori no doubt hearing it. I crouched down to grab the glasses that was now covered in water and soap to clean them, Hatori staring at me as if he knew who I was, unluckily for me, a sense of recognition dawned on him, his eyes widening in shock. Keeping my gaze away from Hatori's, I wiped my glasses on my shirt not caring of the wet spots that would now be etched onto the piece of cloth. It's just water anyway. I looked through glasses only to see fogginess through them. I brought them back down to the end of my shirt to wipe them, a voice sounding behind me

"Orchid...?"

TBC