Snippet #2364380

Cafe Shukumei, or just Shukumei as many of the customers had dubbed it, was thriving with business, which was hardly unusual on a Friday afternoon. As one of the more popular sites in the city, teenagers and young adults tended to flock to the cafe, eager to have their weekends start off right, sometimes stay-at-home parents came with their children for a treat, and even a few elderly couples here to enjoy a nice Spring afternoon. Yes, the cafe was packed, but not full enough to make the customers feel uncomfortable as they sat at either the tables or the couches, enjoying a coffee or pastry, chattering amongst themselves or typing silently on their laptops. However, in the back of the cafe, it was a much different story because in the back was the kitchen and it currently held just one occupant, Masaru Sohma.

It was one of those days where all the wait staff had shown up and even both of their baristas, ready for the Friday afternoon rush. This left the twenty-three-year-old to do what he did best; cook. His hair, an orangey-blond color, was pulled into a messy bun as he leaned over a fresh batch of strawberry pastries, the last for the day, icing each with deliberate care, creating a perfect swirl to top it of. He stepped back to admire his handiwork, sucking a stray bit of icing off of his thumb. Perfect.

"Masaru!" He was pulled out of his moment of tranquility, glancing over to the entrance of the kitchen. It was one of the new waitresses who'd been making doe eyes at him all week. Today, however, she seemed a little more nervous, a little unsettled.

"What is it, sweetie?" He asked, charming smile already pulled on his lips. She faltered for a moment, cheeks blazing a pretty pink color, still unused to his idle flirtation.

"I, um- Well, there's this guy who drove up like a crazy man and now he's in the cafe and..." She trailed off and for good reason. With the kitchen's door open, Masaru could plainly hear the cause of the disturbance.

"Masaru! Masaru, time to gather the explosives!"

Instead of looking perturbed, Masaru's grin grew even larger as Ichirou continued his rant about burning things. It grew even larger when the added voice of Kutaki joined him.

"Oh, I wouldn't worry about them," He advised the waitress, slipping off his apron and putting it away neatly. Apparently it was time to go. "They're insane, but they're not dangerous. Usually. Unless they're already drunk, which may be a possibility. I'll take care of it. Have a good weekend, sweetie." And with that, he exited the kitchen leaving the still blushing waitress behind., stepping out from behind the counter and made his way over to the two idiots he considered some of his dearest friends. Yes, they were idiots, but they were his idiots.

"Both of you, stop that! You're scaring off my customers," He chided, but the grin on his face shattering the illusion of real irritation.