The nervous Beth ended up ordering some pancakes with fruit to go with her coffee.
She waited expectantly, hoping Master Sunless would return to serve her. She wanted to talk to him in more depth, as she had never before felt such a strong pull toward a stranger.
Footsteps sounded from the kitchen hallway, and she tensed unconsciously.
Her face fell with disappointment when a different person approached her table.
"A teenager?"
A short girl with black hair and an apron identical to Sunny's appeared, carrying a plate with Beth's order.
She carefully placed the plate in front of Beth. Beth glanced at the waitress; she had a friendly smile, but something in her posture suggested she was hiding something. What's more, she felt the girl's gaze wasn't just observing—it was evaluating her.
After delivering the plate, the girl retreated into the kitchen.
"I must be imagining things. After all, working day and night is making me see visions."
She picked up a fork and knife that had been provided with the food. With the fork, she speared a portion of pancake.
After separating it, she speared one of the fruits that accompanied the dish and brought the entire forkful to her mouth.
She chewed and savored the food with gusto, washing it down with a sip of her coffee.
When Sunny left the kitchen, Beth's heart immediately began to pound. Eager to see the man again, she wished he would walk toward her. Fortunately, her wish came true.
Slowly, Sunny approached the table of his first customer of the day.
"Well, Miss Beth, how is everything?"
Beth spoke with complete sincerity, swallowing her nervousness.
"The pancakes are delicious! They're fluffy and have a soft texture. The coffee is just as good! It's absolutely perfect. Actually, I didn't know about this place. I just stopped by out of curiosity. There aren't usually any places open at this hour, and I saw that this one was. I just needed some caffeine, so I simply walked in."
Sunny smiled, pleased with the response.
"I'm glad you like the food, Beth."
The girl's heart fluttered, and a warm feeling spread through her chest.
"I always put my best into my cooking, and you probably haven't heard of the place because I'm actually new here. I arrived a couple of months ago, two if I'm not mistaken. I'm just getting settled!"
Beth listened carefully to Sunny, burning every syllable into her memory. He said he had just arrived in Bastion.
'So, it could be that...'
With her cheeks slowly turning crimson, she swallowed hard and mustered the courage to ask the man she had just met the following question:
"Excuse me, S-Sunny, but do you... have a partner?"
'Uh?'
Sunny froze mid-conversation. He had intended to chat with her for a little while before she left. He hadn't seen her in four years. He was very happy to see her again, as he hadn't heard anything about the people he cared about in the past, with the exception of public figures like Nephis or Kai.
So seeing a healthy and... not so healthy Beth pleased him, although the dark circles under her eyes caused him a twinge of concern.
He was simply glad to see her.
But the question she had just asked threw him completely off balance.
Forced by his flaw, he had to give an answer.
"Ah... well, I've never had a partner. I never had time for those things, not until now."
Beth's heart beat again.
'Was that... a hint? It has to be! Sunny gave me a hint!'
Beth was grateful to her past self from a few hours ago. Despite her chaotic job, she always tried to look her best. Fortunately, she had showered before leaving today.
Unconsciously, she played with her fingers, her gaze shifting to the side.
"...I've never had a partner before either..."
The words were almost a whisper, but they were loud enough for Sunny to hear. He now felt even more confused by everything that was happening.
They both fell silent. Sunny stared at Beth; she noticed and returned his gaze.
They both held the gaze for different reasons: Sunny, because he was so bewildered, and Beth, because she relished the moment.
Taking advantage of the situation, with a nervous half-smile, Beth teased:
"Excuse me, Sunny, but don't you think staring at a lady like that is a little inappropriate? ... Do I look cute to you?"
Now Sunny's brain truly short-circuited. He had handled impossible situations in Antarctica, killed a Saint as a teacher and even a Supreme, but nothing before had stunned him as much as Beth's unexpected sequence of questions.
But he didn't even have the luxury of silence; his flaw forced him to speak.
"I'm sorry you felt I was looking at you inappropriately... and yes, I think you are a very pretty woman, Miss Beth."
He had trained and learned to manage his flaw. But what was he supposed to say to something like that? Deflecting the question would only result in an awkward situation, so he simply gave an honest answer. Ever since he met Beth, he had thought she was a pretty girl.
And there, in the middle of the morning, the Holy Lord of Shadows, who was standing, felt a blush creeping up his neck.
Sunny suddenly felt like a teenager; it was all too much for his heart.
At 25, Sunny was still emotionally a teenager.
He turned his head away, his eyes fixed on the side.
Beth, seeing this, was filled with excitement. It was a small yet significant victory. Driven by the emotion of the moment, she dared to ask:
"Sunny, would you like to have a..."
Before Beth could finish her bold question, Aiko appeared and levitated over Sunny, embracing him and shattering the conversation's delicate mood.
"Boss!" the little woman said excitedly.
Sunny was not surprised by the display of affection; he saw it coming thanks to his Saint's Sense and Shadow Sense.
He was usually flattered by private interactions of this kind, but this situation was different. Not only was he interacting with a customer, but she had directly interrupted his conversation.
Annoyed, Sunny spoke.
"Aiko!"
But his reprimand was interrupted.
Of all the possible situations, he never expected Aiko, right in front of Beth, to take his face in her hands and give him a passionate kiss.
Sunny, for the second time that day, froze completely.
After Aiko stole a deep, surprise kiss from her boss, who now looked more like a statue than a person, she pulled back, pleased with her misdeed. She smiled with her eyes closed, then floated down, turned, and walked away toward the kitchen, leaving a profound silence in her wake.
Beth, like Sunny, was stunned. But she was the first to recover. Her heart hammered in her chest after seeing the scene, and her mood became chaotic as her expectations were shattered by that small girl.
Beth nervously said:
"I-I-Uh... I have work, I have to go... H-How much is the bill?"
Sunny snapped out of his stupor, coughed, and replied,
"It's on the house. I hope to see you again soon," he said like an emotionless robot.
He didn't think much about his words; he didn't care if they could be misinterpreted. At that moment, he wasn't thinking at all.
Nodding, Beth quickly got up and stumbled out the door, almost tripping again.
She took one last look at the cafe, managing to see Aiko standing in the kitchen entrance. Aiko looked back at her, flashing a friendly smile and winking as she waved goodbye.
Meanwhile, Sunny had to sit down. His legs gave way, and his mind almost collapsed.
"What just happened?"
It was the first day of the week, and it was only the first hour. At that moment, when Sunny realized this, he understood that the peaceful times would not be as good as he had believed.
After recovering enough, he got up to face Aiko, but just then he heard the bell ring again; it was a new customer.
Luckily for Sunny, it was a normal person, no one he knew. He gritted his teeth, sighing mentally, and decided he would leave this conversation for later.
And so the day passed. Sunny's heart never completely calmed down, but he endured it.
Afternoon came, then evening. When the customers stopped coming, the "Closed" sign finally appeared on the door, announcing the store's status.
The long day was finally over.
He let out a long sigh that he had been holding in for most of the day. Massaging his temple, he took a moment to reorganize his thoughts.
It was clear what to do next.
"I'm going to talk to Aiko."
Throughout the day, she had behaved normally at work. Nothing out of the ordinary, as if she hadn't done what she did in the morning.
He approached the kitchen, where Aiko was organizing the supplies.
Sunny coughed, trying to get Aiko's attention before speaking to her.
"Aiko, listen to me. Can you explain what that was this morning?"
The woman stopped tidying up, turning around slowly. He could see a smile of realization on her face.
She slowly approached her boss, standing in front of him.
"Oh! Didn't you like my surprise kiss?" she replied with feigned disappointment.
"No... that's not it, don't play dumb, you made the lady uncomfortable—"
He was interrupted when Aiko placed a finger on his lips.
She floated up to his eye level and, with playful eyes, said,
"I know what you mean, Sunny. Don't worry, I have a plan. I didn't do that just out of jealousy... I have a great idea in mind that will benefit us both, maybe more you than me! Just go with it and trust me!"
Sunny opened his mouth to protest, but was cut off again, this time by a kiss from Aiko.
He yielded to the movement of her lips on his, reluctantly enjoying the soft sensation.
Aiko pulled away to hold his gaze.
"Trust me, it's nothing bad, I promise. Or is it that you don't love me, Sunny?"
Aiko had never asked him how he felt before, but suddenly, when the situation turned so strange, she did. He had thought and reflected a lot on his feelings, without having been able to find a resolution for them, or at least not one he recognized.
With no other way out, Sunny responded with the sincerity that only his flaw could draw out of him. Without manipulating what he was about to say, the answer came out of him and his heart responded for him:
"...Yes, I do, and... I'll trust you. But if this ends in trouble, I'll deduct half your salary. You need to be clear about that."
Aiko's confident expression wavered, but she didn't give in. She was satisfied with his answer.
"Great! I love you too, boss. I'm glad you trust me. I won't disappoint you, I'm sure my plan will make you feel great!"
Sunny asked, even though he knew the answer Aiko would give him:
"And can you at least tell me what you're up to?"
Aiko's voice, cheerful, exclaimed:
"Nope! It's a surprise!"
'I knew it...' Sunny thought.
Aiko stopped floating and went back to her work, announcing:
"I'm going to my apartment today; I have some things to plan."
"Unless you'd rather I stay," she said with a hint of mischief. Sunny could see how she swayed her hips as she said it.
'This woman is going to lead me to a very dark place... well, I am the Holy Lord of Shadows anyway, so wouldn't that be good or normal for me?'
He shook his head.
"You can leave for today, do whatever you want," he said with suppressed annoyance.
Immediately, Aiko turned away from the kitchen. She floated and lunged at him.
She kissed him deeply one last time before leaving.
"See you tomorrow, boss!" She walked away happily, but it looked like she was bouncing with each step.