Morning Coffee

“Excuse me sir but the cafe isn’t open yet. Please wait for ten minutes if you are not in a rush.” I am trying to call out the attention of our first customer who just entered the cafe as he mistakenly thought that it is already open while we are cleaning the windows outside.

He just walks in and it seems that he didn’t even notice me and so I grab his hand and stops him from walking in to the counter. “Sir the cafe is not yet open so please come back later.”

“Oh! I’m very sorry, I think I am still half asleep and did not notice you.” He immediately apologized when he came into realization.

“It’s okay sir, if you are not in a hurry then I can prepare a cup of coffee for you after we finish wiping the windows outside.”

“Yes, I can wait for the coffee, I am really sorry for interrupting you back there.” his ears turned a little red as he nods his head.

“No, it is fine. By the way, are you a new customer of our cafe?”

“Nope, I am a regular here but I always come during evenings so maybe your shift had already ended by that time.”

“I see. Then let me show you how our coffee brewed in the morning is better than what you can have during evenings.” I confidently blurted out.

“Okay show me what you got.” Our eyes met for the first time and I cannot explain what I feel when he gives me a smile that is as warm as the morning sun.

My heart started to beat faster just like how it feels when I am making a full sprint from my home to work when I am late.

Why am I feeling like this? This isn’t the first time that I have received a smile from our customers, but it feels like this one is different. Is it because of his perfect smile? His white shining teeth? Or the cute mole under the left side of his lips?

Wait! Stop! I have to stop imagining things before it goes wild.

“Just wait here and I’ll be back with your coffee.” I walk back to the counter and prepare the coffee beans but it was too late to realize that I did not even ask what his order is and just assume that he wants a regular coffee.

How more airhead can I be this coming days.*sigh*

After a few minutes, the bitter sweet smell of coffee lingers in the air as I carry the hot cup to him who is now in the middle of having a morning nap.

“Sir the coffee is here. Sir? can you hear me?”I lightly shake his shoulder as I observe his sleeping face.

His eyelashes are long and they look cute but it is a shame that he have dark spots under his eyes, maybe because of staying up late at night?

His hair seems to have grown a little too long for him because some of his bangs are falling down on his face and so I unconsciously touch his jet black hair to move it out of his face when suddenly an unfamiliar memory flash before my eyes...maybe a childhood memory I lost during an accident 8 years ago and have an amnesia.

An image of my young self was reflected through the glass windows of the shops in the market place as I run away crying and shivering with fear. How can I forget such a cruel part of my childhood where I run away full of bruises and fresh wounds while being barefooted?

It was indeed a memory when I was ten years old, and it was during the summer festival...

After getting my daily beating from my drunken father, I decided to run and just spend the whole night in the festival to hide and wait for my father to sober up in the morning. I’ve been used to my father’s way of treating me ever since my mother died which he always told me that it was my entire fault.

Maybe he is right, maybe it was really my fault because if I just did not forget to bring my umbrella to school that day, then maybe she would not go out and die from a road accident. In the end, I started blaming myself more than anyone and openly accepted the hatred from my father and just let him release all his anger by letting him beat me up every single day.

I slipped in through the crowd and enjoyed watching people having fun while playing games from the booths. The smell of various street foods were all over the place and tempting me to buy some but then I realized that I don’t even have a single piece of coin and so I sadly walked away from the food stalls to stop myself from feeling hungry.

I moved away from the crowded place and saw a bench in a dark corner which can be a perfect spot for me to sleep and so I happily run towards it before anyone can claim it.

“What a perfect place to sleep.” I slowly lay down in the cold hard bench to avoid putting pressure to my bruises and there, I fall asleep after just a few seconds of closing my eyes but it was immediately interrupted when I heard a crying sound in the bushes behind the bench where I am sleeping. Being a kid, I was frightened at first but I believed in the possibility that it may be just another kid who was lost in the crowd and so I bravely peak in the bushes.

“Ahhhhhhhh!”

“Ahhhhhhhhhhhh!” We both shouted in unison as our eyes met in the dark.

“Who are you?” he blurted out when he jump out of the bushes.

“I’m Mizuki a kid who lives in this neighbourhood, what about you? Why are crying there?”

“I got lost here when my big brother and I sneaked out to attend this festival.” He pulls down the hood of his jacket to reveal his face and his long jet black hair.

“I see. I can help you ask some adults for you to call your parents to pick you up if you want.”

“No, I don’t want our parents to know that we sneaked out of the house at this time. I just want to see my big brother here.” He started crying again.

“Don’t worry; I know that your brother is definitely looking for you everywhere so let’s just go to that nearest light post so that he can easily find you.” I pull his hands and walk towards the post at the side of the road where some food stalls are located and then tried my best to stand in the shadows so that he will not notice my dirty appearance and my barefoot.

The smell of the food only makes my body feel the starvation I am trying to forget but all I can do is watch the people eat and waste their food as they throw the half eaten food in the trash can.

“Hey stop drooling; you look like hungry stray dog you know.” I was surprised when he pulled out a handkerchief and wipe off the drool in my mouth.

“I’m very sorry. The food is just too appetizing so I can’t help it, hahaha.” I tried to make an excuse and just laugh it all away.

“Then why don’t you just buy the food you like to eat? I bet your mother gave you a pocket money before letting you go alone in the festival right?”

Suddenly, I feel like I wanted to cry too after hearing what he said knowing that it is the most impossible thing to happen in my life.

“By the way, are you new here in this place?” I started to change our topic.

“Yes, my parents decided to move here after receiving a house as an inheritance from my grandparents.”

“Then do you have any new friends here? We can be friends if you like.”

“Really? Then can we meet and play here every day?” his eyes that shines brightly like the Galaxy under the light post.

“Yes, we can play here until the summer break is over.” I smiled at him while still admiring his shining eyes.

“Then it is a promise between us.” He raised his right pinkie finger and together, we made a pinkie promise.

“By the way, my name is Nozomi Hi-----“

I didn’t get to hear his name because my attention was caught by someone who suddenly runs towards our direction while holding different kinds of snacks in his hands.

“Big brother! Where have you been?”

“I’m very sorry, I got carried away while buying from the stalls and I just realized that I loss you when I am on my 10th food stall, hahaha.” said the kid who runs towards us who is much older than us.

“You are so mean, how can you even forget your brother just because of those foods?”

“I’m really sorry, but you should still be grateful because you found a new friend here.” He looked at me and smiled although I cannot see his face properly because he is wearing a cap.

“I guess you are right about that.”

“Oh crap, I think we should go back now before mom notice that we are missing. Let’s go.” his brother panicked when he check the time from his wrist watch.

They started running and so I also walk back to the dark bench to continue my interrupted sleep but I was surprised when someone called me.

“Hey kid! Wait up!” I stop and turn around to see that it was the brother of my new friend who is still holding his snacks. “Thank you for helping my little brother, here take this and don’t walk out barefooted next time okay? Goodbye.” He gave a box of warm takoyaki and a stick of candy apple before running again leaving me no choice but to accept the food that he gave me.

“Thank you.” I smiled but tears came down my eyes as I took my first bite of the apple candy I always wanted to try with my mother that time.”

Back to the present...

“What are you doing Mizuki-san?”

“My flashback ends when I heard someone’s voice. I instantly pull my hand away from his hair and back away from him.

“Huh? How did you know my name?” I cautiously asked.

“Well it is written in your name tag there.” He points to my chest and there I saw my name that I have forgotten to exist.

“Ohhh yes you are right, I am just trying to wake you up but you didn’t even flinch after shaking you.”

“I’m really sorry for that, I think I’ve been overworking for the entire week and haven’t got enough sleep for too long.” He sit up straight again and takes a sip of the freshly brewed coffee.

“How’s the taste? Do you like it?”

“Hmmmm... let me taste it again.” He takes another sip but eventually finished drinking everything. “It’s good, I like it but I think you have forgotten to ask me what kind of coffee I really like to have right now.

“Sorry, I’m really sorry sir. That coffee is on me so you don’t have to pay for it and just tell me your order and I’ll brew it for you.” I apologize to him and feel a little embarrassed after being pointed out of my mistake.

“It is fine, I’m just kidding and besides, I think I found another coffee that I can add to my favorite list.” He playfully smiles again towards me and my heart starts reacting again and so I instinctively makes an excuse to flee.

“If that’s all you need then I will be going out to continue cleaning the windows outside. Just call any of the staff cleaning around if you need something.”

“Wait! Mizuki-san, can have a chat sometime if you are not busy? I’ll treat you a coffee and a cake.”

“Huh? What do you mean by that? Are you hitting on me?” I can feel my face burning hot and to my surprise, his face turns red as a tomato as he tries to cover it up.

“No! I—I mean YES! Oh crap, what the heck am I saying right now?”

“Pffttt, ahahahaha, you are acting so cute right now sir but I think before you try to flirt with me, will you please introduce yourself first?”

“Yes, you are right, I’m very sorry for being rude.” He stands up straight and cleared his throat before speaking up again. “My name is Nozomi Hikaru, 27 years old and a freelance interior designer. PLEASE GO OUT WITH ME!” The right hand that he raised to prepare to shake my hand earlier went flying up to slap his own forehead as he covers his whole face again. “Oh please just forget about the last part of what I said. I think I have to go now, bye Mizuki-san.” And then he makes a full speed run away from the cafe leaving me stunned in place.

“Manager, did that man just run and didn’t pay for his coffee? Just tell us and we are all ready to chase him back here.” Miyoshi, a high school part timer asked me when he saw the man run out of the door.

“Ahahahahahaha” I can’t stop myself from laughing while remembering what just happened.

“Manager what’s wrong? Hey, Mizuki-san are you all right? This is the first time I see you laughing like this.” Miyoshi looks at me with a concerned gaze.

“You don’t have to worry about that man, I’ll pay for the coffee so you don’t have to chase him and besides, I am pretty sure that he will come back here soon.” I wiped the tears that came out of my eyes because of laughing too much.

Nozomi Hikaru, are you someone connected to my past? Are you somehow related to that kid I met in my memory just now?

You suddenly appeared in my life without a warning and more than any strong coffee that I can make, you wake all the emotions that I have locked away from the moment I wake up with amnesia.

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