141 Chapter Seven: Taking Steps Toward The Future

It was now the end of April, meaning that Kanako and Haruna had been dating for about 1.5 months. Now, in terms of relationship length, this wasn't a long time at all, but when both girls' feelings were taken into account, it felt as though it had been a lot longer. This was a good thing in some ways (such as when it came to things like intimacy or sustaining a natural flow of conversation), but in other ways, it wasn't. Primarily, it was a distinct lack of dates that had gotten Kanako's attention.

Going all the way back to when she had to fake being Haruna's girlfriend, the few dates they had ended in disaster. More recently, they had had one that went well enough, but then after that Haruna ran away, so it wasn't an entirely pleasant memory due to association. Aside from that, the two girls had hung out together multiple times, but there was a difference between that and a date.

Being the romantic she was, Kanako had a desire to go on many dates, not just one every now and then. "I'm sure Haruna feels the same way too," she thought. "After all, dates are so fun!" Even despite the problems that had plagued her previous dates, Kanako had managed to see the fun in all of them (well, except the first one. That was just miserable for her).

So, having this desire and wanting to act on it, Kanako decided she was going to ask Haruna out on a date. "I can't wait to see the look on her face," she thought happily. "I bet she'll be excited." Although, Kanako did still have one thing to figure out before she asked. "Where should we go?" she wondered. "Just staying here in Iwanai might be boring…" Kanako had nothing against her hometown, but at this point, it felt as though they had exhausted all of the options available to them. "But if we don't stay here, then where else would we go? Sapporo might be too far and too expensive. Hakodate maybe? No, that would be about the same as Sapporo travel-wise…"

Hokkaido may have been the biggest island that was part of Japan, but that also meant all the places worth going to were far apart. "Is there anywhere that's not too far that might be good?" Kanako wondered as she began doing a bit of searching. "Hmm… Oh, what about this place?" The town she was looking at was a place called Niseko. "It seems like it's pretty well-known," she commented as she scrolled through the website she found.

The specific resort she was looking at seemed to have all sorts of activities. The primary one was skiing, but there were also plenty of restaurants, spas, cultural activities and even festivals sometimes. "Niseko Village," Kanako said to herself, reading the name of the place. "It looks nice, but…" But with quality usually comes a high price tag, and when Kanako checked the price for herself, her eyes bulged a little. "T-That's… a lot…" she said. "There's no way I have that much money, and I know Haruna doesn't. Even if it's only a day trip, it's still a high number…"

Kanako sighed. "This place looked so promising too…" Around the same time, Kanako's mother called her down for dinner, and it was while they were sitting at the table that she noticed her daughter's disheartened expression. "What's wrong sweetheart? Something happen at school today?" In response, Kanako shook her head. "No, it's not that. I was hoping Haruna and I could go on a date somewhere, but it's too expensive…" "Hm? Where?" her mother asked. "A place called Niseko Village," Kanako answered.

"Oh, I know that place!" her mother exclaimed. "Your father and I have fond memories there, right dear?" "I don't know about fond," Kanako's dad said. "I remember crashing into a tree while we were skiing and breaking my nose. You had to take care of me the rest of the night." "Yes, that was *snort* quite tragic," Kanako's mother said, doing her best to restrain a laugh. "It's really not that funny," Kanako's dad scowled. "S-Sorry dear," her mom said. "But I'll never forget the sight of your arms flailing everywhere as you flew into that tree!"

Breaking into a fit of laughter, Kanako's father sighed. "Anyways, Kanako. Why Niseko Village?" "I-I thought it'd be a good date spot. It would probably work for a day trip too," she answered. "Well, you're right on both fronts," her father said. "But, it is a little pricey." Then he seemed to have an idea. "Hey, if you want to save up some money, you could try getting a job." "A job?" Kanako repeated. Her father nodded. "That's right. Plenty of places need temporary help all the time. I bet doing that for a couple weeks would get you that money easy." A couple of weeks…" Kanako muttered. She had hoped to go sooner, but if she wanted a really nice date… "I'll… look into it…" she said, then went back to continuing to eat her dinner.

*****

"Hmm…" Kanako let out as she looked over a list of job openings. "What are you doing?" Haruna asked, sitting beside her. It was after school on Friday, and Haruna had simply followed Kanako home. She had hoped to have a bit of flirting time, but instead all that had happened was Kanako staring at her phone.

"Huh?" Kanako said. "Oh, um, I-I'm looking at jobs." "Jobs?" Haruna repeated. "You wanna work?" "W-Well, something like that," she said. Honestly, part of Kanako wanted to keep her motives a secret, but she also knew that when she kept things from Haruna, it usually didn't go well. Letting out a small sigh, she decided to explain. "I-I was thinking… maybe for our next date, we could go to Niseko…"

Haruna was quiet. "...Niseko, huh…" she muttered. "Do you not like Niseko, Haruna?" Kanako asked. "Well," Haruna said. "It's not that I don't like it… It's more like, it's kinda painful for me to be there." "Painful?" Kanako repeated. "Yeah," Haruna said. "I mean, that place is really known for its winter activities. Skiing, snowshoeing… snowboarding…"

It was then that Kanako understood. "O-Oh no!" she cried. "I-I'm so sorry Haruna! I didn't think about that at all! You'd probably hate to be in a place that reminds you of something you can't do anymore…" Kanako was really kicking herself now. "Stupid, stupid, stupid!" she yelled at herself in her head. "What is wrong with me?! Of course Haruna would hate that idea! How could I be so insensitive?!" But as she berated herself, she felt an arm circle around her shoulders. Looking to her side, she saw Haruna smiling.

"It's fine, Kanako," she said gently. "Sure, I can't snowboard anymore, but it's not like I'm helpless. I could probably do some mild cross-country skiing or snowshoeing. And besides, it's not even winter anymore, so it's not like we'd be doing stuff in the snow anyway." "Ah… r-right…" Kanako mumbled. Haruna went on. "But, um… thanks for thinking about taking me on a date… that makes me happy…" Haruna's face began turning red, and the sight made Kanako smile as she blushed too.

"A-Anyways," Haruna said, doing her best to change the subject. "If you're looking for a job, does that mean you wanted to pay for it all yourself?" "It is expensive," Kanako pointed out. "There's no way I could afford it without saving up." "I kinda feel bad making you do all the work though…" Haruna said. "You're not making me," Kanako said calmly. "This is something I want to do, so I can create a nice memory with my beloved girlfriend." "B-Beloved, huh…" Haruna said, getting a little embarrassed. "Still though, maybe I'll go see if Hayashi-san needs any help…" "That might be a good idea," Kanako said.

Coming back to her search though, all she could was sigh at it. "Who knew getting a job was so difficult," she said. "There are plenty of them available even around here, but the requirements are too high." "What do you mean?" Haruna asked. "They all want people to have experience," Kanako said. "Even for these temp jobs. Either that, or the job lasts longer than I'd like."

"What about that one?" Haruna said, pointing to a listing on the screen. "Eh? A cafe?" Kanako said as she looked at where Haruna had pointed. "It says no experience necessary and it's only for two weeks," Haruna said. "H-How did I miss that?" Kanako asked. Sure enough, Haruna was right. The only requirement was to have a cheerful attitude. That, and some knowledge of a kitchen was considered helpful. "This is perfect!" Kanako exclaimed. "And it's not far from here at all. I think I'll go there tomorrow to ask about it."

"Now that that's settled," Haruna said as she snuggled up closer to Kanako. "I'd like it if you paid attention to me now." "Hm? Someone sounds needy," Kanako teased. "S-Shut up," Haruna said. "Sorry that I prefer my girlfriend to look at me instead of her phone." "Right," Kanako said, smiling. "I'll look at you all you want." "Mm, that's better," Haruna said softly.

The two of them locked eyes, and as they stared, their faces naturally began to get closer together. Getting so close until they couldn't go any farther, their lips locked together. "Mm," Kanako let out, enjoying the feeling of Haruna's soft lips on her own.

Unfortunately, a resounding thud ruined the moment. Kanako and Haruna immediately parted, and Kanako saw a purse had hit the ground. Of course, the owner of that purse was none other than Kanako's mother. "W-W-W-Why are you making out on our couch?!" she exclaimed. "W-We were not making out!" Kanako shouted back. "Honestly, I knew I shouldn't let you two be alone together!" her mother cried. "My sweet little girl is becoming a lecher!" "L-Lecher?!"Kanako exclaimed. Next to her, it was all Haruna could do to stifle her laughter.

*****

"Geez, that was the worst…" Kanako groaned as she walked with Haruna over to her house. "Haha," Haruna laughed. "At least she didn't seem to actually be too mad." "She even insisted that you stay for dinner," Kanako said. "I really don't understand my mom sometimes…" "At least she's better than mine," Haruna pointed out.

Once they reached the front step of Haruna's house, Kanako said goodnight to Haruna and left after the door shut. As she walked back, she thought about the cafe she was interested in. "I wonder if I'll get lucky enough to get hired," she wondered. "Then again, they might not want to hire a high schooler. But, I am almost an adult…" Kanako continued to go through the agonizing back and forth before a potential interview well into the night, and by the time morning came, she was exhausted. "I really should've just tried to sleep…" she said to no one.

*****

"One order of chocolate-strawberry parfaits to table two!"

"G-Got it!"

"Three coffees for table eight!"

"O-On it!"

As Kanako rushed around through the cafe, she felt frazzled beyond belief. "T-This is so much harder than the other days!" she thought as she placed an order of vanilla-lemon parfaits down in front of a patron. "How did it get this crazy in here?!"

This chaotic moment was the culmination of Kanako's work experience, a test of sorts to see just how much she had learned. Not that she had ever wanted a test in the first place…

*****

It was Saturday, the last day in April, when Kanako went to check out the listing for the cafe that wasn't too far from her house. She made sure to dress for an interview if there was one, wearing a yellow dress with a high neckline and short sleeves. On top of that was a gray coat to help ward off the remaining chill of early spring in Hokkaido. Kanako also wore her hair differently, this time putting it into a braid (her best effort in trying to look professional).

As she made her way to the cafe, she found herself to be a little nervous. "I hope that they'll give me a chance," she thought as she neared her destination. The place she was looking for was a space in between two other buildings. "The listing did say it might be hard to find…" Kanako thought as she kept looking. Reaching an alleyway that had a deadend, she noticed a sign about halfway down. "Is…that it?"

Along the brick wall, in the mild darkness of the alleyway, there was a circular sign that jutted out into view. Following the curve, the name read "Cafe Mori," the words written in English, and a small tree centered in the circle over a white background. "It's the right name…" Kanako thought as she stared at the faintly glowing sign. "B-But is this really a cafe? It seems a little… dangerous…"

However, despite her concerns, Kanako still went ahead. "I guess there's no harm in finding out for sure…" she told herself as she reached the door. In front of her was a wooden door, the top half a sheet of glass divided up into nine perfect squares. "Seems normal enough…" Reaching for the handle, Kanako opened the door, causing a bell to ring and announce her arrival.

"Welcome!" a cheerful rang out. "I'll be right with ya!" Kanako couldn't see who was talking, but just based on voice alone, they seemed like a decent person. While she waited, Kanako took a small look around. The interior was different from what she had seen in other cafes. The walls were pitch black, but along them all were paintings of trees, with what appeared to be vines wrapping around the walls themselves. The floor was a deep brown, wooden surface, and the tables were all square, matching the color of the floor. The chairs at the tables though stood out the most to Kanako, as they were like tree stumps, but they had backs. The only thing that looked standard were the booths, having normal looking tables in between seats covered with black fabric.

"So, what can I do for ya?" the same voice asked, getting Kanako's attention. Looking to the bar, which had a rough, wooden appearance to it, she saw a woman. She was on the taller side, with a slim build and average-sized chest, but what really caught Kanako's eye was the woman's face. To start with, her hair, tied back in a ponytail, was a deep, deep green, with some spots almost looking black. Her eyes too were of a similar color, and her face was smooth, with a small nose and thin lips.

For her outfit, she wore a white dress shirt with a black vest overlayed, and below was a pair of black pants. To complete the ensemble, she wore a black bowtie, finishing up the look of a typical waiter of sorts.

"She… kind of looks like Haruna," was Kanako's first impression. "That is, if Haruna were more… woodsy?" Regardless of comparison, there was no denying that the woman standing behind the bar was attractive. Although, there was something about her that struck Kanako as a bit odd.

"Ya just gonna stare, or do ya wanna order?" she said teasingly. It was her personality that threw Kanako off a bit. Based on the atmosphere of the cafe and the look of the woman herself, Kanako just assumed she'd have a very calm personality. Instead, her words carried more energy than Kanako expected.

"S-sorry," Kanako said with a short bow. "Um, I'm actually here, because, um… I saw that you wanted to hire some temporary help." "Ohhhh," the woman said. "I see, I see. Well then, have a seat up here at the bar, kid." "O-Okay," Kanako said, doing as she was told. Once she sat down, the woman took a good, long look at Kanako. "Hmmmm. Y'know, ya look familiar," she said. "Have ya ever been a customer here before?" "N-No," Kanako answered. "And I don't believe we've met." "Well, I think yer right, but… hmmm, i don't know… Somethin' about ya… I can't put my finger on it…"

Suddenly, the woman clapped her hands. "Oh well!" she exclaimed. "If I need ta know, it'll come ta me. Anyways, what's yer name, kid?" "K-Kanako Nakatomi," Kanako answered. "Kanako, hm? I'm guessin' people call ya Kana-chan?" "Y-Yes, usually," Kanako said. "What about Kana-chin? Kana-chi? Kanichiro?" the woman asked, the last one getting a laugh out of Kanako. "I can't say anyone has ever called me Kanichiro!" she giggled. The woman laughed too. "Yeah, that'd be kinda weird, wouldn't it? Well, I guess I'll just stick ta the standard Kana-chan."

"So Kana-chan," the woman said. "You wanna work here?" "Uh, w-well," Kanako sputtered, but before she could continue, the woman spoke again. "Ah, right, I haven't introduced myself yet, have I?" Taking a more formal stance, the woman gave a slight bow. "Name's Sara Mori, and I'm the owner of this quaint little establishment."

Standing back up straight again, Sara smiled. "It's a pleasure ta meet ya, Kana-chan!" "S-Same to you," Kanako said. "You really own this place?" "Yep," Sara said with a nod. "Though, we haven't been open long. Only about a year or so. I get decent enough business, even despite being in this crappy location, but I'd really like this place ta fill up, y'know?" "I understand that," Kanako said.

"So, my grand plan is to hold a big event!" Sara announced. "It'll bring in all the customers! Only problem is, I don't have enough hands." "And that's why you need extra help?" Kanako asked. Sara nodded. "Mhm. Truth be told, I can manage near everything on my own, but doing something like an event is just too much for one person. So, Kana-chan, ya think ya can help me out?" "W-What do you need me to do?" Kanako asked. "Mostly serve," Sara said. "And maybe help out in the kitchen if yer able." "I-I can do that!" Kanako said enthusiastically. "Love the energy!" Sara said happily. "You're hired!" "...eh?"

"W-What?!" Kanako exclaimed. "Is it really that easy?" "Well, this is my place," Sara said. "So if I wanna hire someone, I can do it just like that. Besides, ya seem like a nice girl, so why not?" "But we've barely spoken," Kanako thought. "Is she just that confident in her judge of character?" It had only been about 10 minutes since Kanako had walked in, and now she suddenly found herself with a job. "A-Are you sure you're okay with me?" Kanako asked, but Sara just shrugged. "Only way to find out if you're any good is to give ya a chance, right?"

With that said, Kanako accepted the job. "It's only for two weeks anyways," she thought. "If it goes poorly, at least I won't have to come back here." And so with new responsibility, Kanako prepared to leave, only to be stopped by a sudden "AHHHHH!"

Whipping around, Kanako stared at Sara as she pointed at her. "I finally remembered!" she exclaimed. "Yer Haruna's friend, ain't'cha?" "Y-You know Haruna?!" Kanako asked in surprise. "You bet I know her," Sara said. "After all, I'm her aunt."

It was then that a tiny, buried detail rose to the front of Kanako's mind. She remembered a conversation from a long time ago. It had had nothing to do with her, but she recalled a couple of adults talking (most likely her parents and Haruna's) and the topic of last names came up. During that conversation, someone had mentioned that before Haruna's mom had gotten married, her last name had been… "Mori…" Kanako thought.

She stared wide-eyed at the woman still behind the bar. "Haruna's… aunt…" she said quietly. "But how have I… never met her…?" "Ah, yeah, I guess you wouldn't have," Sara said. "I've always been a little bit of a free spirit, y'know? Exact opposite of that sister of mine. I traveled around a lot and only came back around here every once in a while. That's why this cafe's only been open for a year or so."

Kanako heard the woman's explanation, but she was still reeling from the shock of somehow getting hired by one of Haruna's relatives. "But I know back when she was little, Haruna would always tell me about the things you two did together," Sara said with fondness. "Do you… still talk to Haruna?" Kanako asked. "Mm, I haven't seen her in a while, actually," Sara said. "The one downside ta being a free spirit, I guess. So, how's she doin' anyways?"

Kanako froze. Not only was she meeting one of Haruna's relatives out of the blue, but now she had to tell her how Haruna was? "Can I… tell her about our relationship?" Kanako wondered, but that thought turned out to be fleeting. "No. I don't want to be worried about things like that. I want to be able to tell people with pride that Haruna and I are dating."

"She's doing well," Kanako answered. "Actually… she's in a relationship now." "Oh yeah?!" Sara said with glee. "Who is it, huh? Is it that boy you two ran around with? Or is it some other guy she met in high school?"

"It's… me. I'm Haruna's girlfriend."

Sara was quiet for a moment, her jaw left hanging open. Finally, after several long seconds of silence, she spoke. "Whoaaaa," she said. "Is that really true?" "Yes, it is," Kanako said. "Well how 'bout that?" Sara said with wonder. "My lil' niece went and got herself an adorable lil' girlfriend." Hearing that, Kanako blushed. "I bet you two make a pretty cute couple," Sara said, seemingly enjoying this new discovery. "T-Thank you… for saying that…" was all Kanako could manage to say.

"Alright Kana-chan," Sara said, shifting gears. "Remember, be here tomorrow at nine! I'm gonna teach ya everything ya need ta know! And don't think I'll go easy on ya just because yer my niece's lover." "I-I'll be here!" Kanako said. "Thank you for this opportunity!" "No problem! Say hi to Haruna for me, would ya?" Sara said, waving to Kanako as she left.

Once outside, Kanako leaned up against the cold brick wall and let out a breath. "That was a whirlwind…" she muttered to herself. "Who would've thought I'd stumble across Haruna's aunt?" Deciding to make her way back home, Kanako began walking, and along the way, she called Haruna.

"Kanako?" the voice on the other end said. "What's up? Something happen at the cafe?

"Y-You could say that."

"Did you get hired?

"Well, yes…"

"You don't sound very excited."

"I am! I'm looking forward to it, it's just…"

"What?"

"Haruna… do you… remember having an aunt named Sara Mori?"

"Huh? Sara Mori… oh! Auntie Sara, yeah! I remember her. But wait, why do you know that name?"

"She's actually the one who runs the cafe that just hired me.

"...what?! Auntie Sara's here?! I didn't even know she was back!"

"Apparently she's been back for a year."

"What the hell?!"

And so the two girls continued their spirited conversation as Kanako continued to make her way home. By the time they were done talking, Kanako had arrived at her house, but since she was still outside, she decided she'd go next door instead. Knocking on the door, she heard a thud of footsteps and the door quickly opened.

"Hey Kanako," Haruna said, a little out of breath. Seeing that, Kanako laughed. "Why did you run to the door?" "I don't know," Haruna said shyly. "I guess hearing about my aunt got me kinda excited." Haruna then moved aside and let Kanako in.

"You must really like her, huh?" Kanako said. "Yeah," Haruna admitted. "She was always so interesting to me as a kid. This woman would just appear in my life, tell me all sorts of crazy stories, and then leave. Sometimes she'd bring me presents too, and once or twice she even took me out to a couple of places. If Auntie Sara was around, I knew I was going to have fun."

"I'm surprised I've never heard you talk about her," Kanako said as she sat down on the couch in the living room. Haruna joined her, speaking as she did. "Honestly, I had kinda forgotten about her until you mentioned her name. She's not around that much, so sometimes it's hard to remember." "Shouldn't you remember your family members?" Kanako said with a raise of her eyebrow. "It's not like I don't remember her at all," Haruna said. "She's just so here and there. One moment you see her, the next moment she's in Russia hunting bears." "W-Wait, did she really do that?" Kanako asked. Haruna nodded. "Yeah. I didn't believe her either, but then she showed me pictures and part of the bearskin she got." "W-Wow…" Kanako uttered. "Your aunt is kind of amazing." "That's not even the half of it," Haruna said.

"She once lived with a tribe in Africa for two years just because she felt like it."

"Huh?"

"She got pretty good at painting and actually became pretty famous on the art scene under the name Forêt de la Artiste."

"W-What?!"

"She became a member of the royal family in some island nation and was apparently a fan favorite of the people."

"H-Haruna… just who is your aunt?"

"I have no idea…" Haruna sighed. "But, it's nearly a guarantee that if you're with her, something crazy will happen. I'm happy you got a job, and it's cool that my aunt is back in town, but… you should probably watch out. Who knows what'll happen at that cafe, especially if she's planning some sort of event like you mentioned earlier." "Uuu… now I really am nervous!" Kanako cried.

*****

Sunday, May 2. Kanako's first day of real work. "Okay Kana-chan," Sara said. "I wanna see what you can do! Impress me!" "W-What should I do?" Kanako asked. "Hmm, let's see," Sara said. "Oh! Let's see ya make some desserts!" "I-I don't know if my skill at making sweets is up to the level of a cafe…" Kanako said. "Hey, Kana-chan," Sara said. "It ain't about the skill." "Huh? What do you mean?" Kanako asked. "It's about the food," Sara said.

"Y'see, this one time in Germany, I was workin' at this restaurant. It was a real ritzy place, all glammer and stuff, chandeliers on the ceiling. I had already had some cooking experience, but I was so nervous workin' there that I broke five plates in the first hour! Can you believe that? Everybody in that kitchen was so mad, but the head chef just laughed, like he didn't have a care in the world. When everybody looked at him, he just smiled, and he said 'Tell me something. Why are we all here? Is it because of the fame of this restaurant? Perhaps for some, but that isn't what got you here. What did was your passion.'"

"Kana-chan, you in the cooking club at Iwanai High?" Sara asked. "U-Um, yes!" Kanako said. "That's great!" Sara said. "See? Ya wouldn't be in that club if ya didn't care about food, and it's those feelings that'll propel ya forward. Skill? That's something that just comes with time. But passion? That's something yer born with, Kana-chan. When ya get that feelin' in yer chest that tells ya you really wanna do that one thing, that's when ya know as long as you do that thing, you'll be okay. So don't worry about the skills or doing it right. Just trust in your passion."

"Trust in my passion…" Kanako repeated to herself. "Like how I believe in my love for Haruna…" This moment was a valuable life lesson for Kanako. For the girl who hoped to one day make a living making food for others, this was something that she knew she needed to commit not only to her memory, but to her heart. "Okay," she said, giving herself a little fist pump. "I'll try my best!" "That's the spirit!" Sara said.

And so Kanako tried. And tried. And tried. She spent hours at the cafe, working as hard as she could as Sara helped to guide her. By the time the end of the day came around, she was exhausted. "Good work, Kana-chan," Sara said as she placed a hot cup of tea down in front of Kanako sitting at the bar. "Thanks…" she said. "But I still wish I was better. I only got a few of those recipes right…" "Ya shouldn't worry about it so much," Sara said casually. "It's not like ya need to memorize it and do it to perfection in a day. You'll get the hang of it with practice." "I don't know how much practice I can do in two weeks," Kanako commented. "Well, maybe if ya do well enough, I'll hire ya part-time," Sara said. Kanako was surprised by the offer. "Really? I thought you said you could do everything on your own?" "I can, but it doesn't hurt to have someone else around," Sara said.

Sara's offer was certainly something to think about, but Kanako decided to save it for later. "Right now, all I need to do is focus on these two weeks, and then planning my date with Haruna!"

*****

After practicing for a few days, Kanako was starting to get the hang of working in a cafe. "Startin' to look good, Kana-chan!" Sara said. "You'll be a pro in no time!" "I-I don't know about that," Kanako said. "There's still a lot that I need to learn." "There'll always be stuff to learn," Sara said. "Just focus on doing what you can." "Right," Kanako said.

"Oh, and by the way, that event I wanted to do is comin' up," Sara mentioned. "Think I'll have it May 4 and 5." "You still haven't told me what kind of event it is," Kanako said, eliciting an excited grin from Sara. "Oh it's gonna be a good one. See, I'm havin' this make yer own parfait competition, and if ya pick the right combination, and eat the whole thing, ya win!" "What's the prize?" Kanako asked.

"Uh, I was thinkin' a million yen might be good."

"...eh?"

Kanako stared in shock at hearing such an absurd number. "O-O-One million yen?!" she repeated. "C-Can you even afford that Mori-san?" "Sure can," Sara said breezily. "I may own this little cafe now, but back in the day, I was practically rollin' in dough!" "O-Oh…" was all Kanako could manage to say. After the stories Haruna had told her, Kanako didn't necessarily doubt Sara's ability to give out such a large amount of money, but… "A million yen is a million yen…" she thought. Then she recalled Haruna's words. "If her aunt's involved, something crazy will happen… Is this event really going to be okay?"

*****

About a day before the event, Haruna finally came by the cafe. She had wanted to come earlier, but Kanako had insisted that she wait until Kanako had had a chance to practice enough. "She should be good now, right?" Haruna thought as she walked in. Immediately, she was greeted by a cheery, "Welcome!"

Seeing her girlfriend in a waiter's getup made Haruna stop for a moment. "Oh, Haruna!" Kanako said happily. "I didn't know you were coming today!" "Yeah, I thought I'd… surprise you," Haruna said as she took in the sight. Kanako noticed, and a playful smile crossed her lips. "Do you like my outfit?" she asked. "Y-Yeah, it looks good," Haruna said shyly. "Hmm," Kanako hummed. "I guess I should keep that in mind. Who knows when something like this will come in handy." "Come in handy?" Haruna repeated, but Kanako just offered to show Haruna to a seat at the bar.

Once she sat down, a menu was placed in front of her, but not by Kanako. "Finally come to see yer auntie?" Sara asked. Haruna looked straight ahead, spotting the aunt she hadn't seen in some time. "Don't make it sound like I've been ignoring you," she said. "I didn't even know you were back in Japan until a few days ago." "Well, here I am!" Sara said loudly. "And here's my cafe. Ya like it?" "It's a little different than the ones I've been to, but it's not bad," Haruna said as she looked at her surroundings. Then her eyes landed on Kanako, as she took an order at a table on the other side of the room.

"Ya really managed to snag yerself a cute girlfriend, huh?" Sara said with a bit of awe. "R-Right, she mentioned that she told you about us…" Haruna said, a little nervous. Sara smiled at her. "She seems pretty happy with ya. Always mentions ya at least a couple times a day." "R-Really?" Haruna said, and Sara nodded. "That girl loves ya more than anything, I can tell." "I… love her a lot too…" Haruna said, blushing. "Well good," Sara said. "So tell me what's been goin' on! I wanna hear all the details." "Shouldn't you be working?" Haruna asked, which only got a laugh out of Sara.

So, the two of them talked for a while, only having the occasional interruption when Sara had to take care of an order. "It's nice being able to talk to Auntie Sara like this again," Haruna thought, thinking back on her childhood memories with her. "Although, I do wonder why she decided to open up this cafe…" But instead of asking, Haruna decided to just enjoy herself. "I can always ask her later," she thought. "Right now, it's just fun talking with her. And it's nice seeing Kanako like this. I've never seen a professional side of her."

Haruna was constantly looking in Kanako's direction, wanting to watch her as much as possible. "She said this was only a temp job, so it's not like I'll get to see Kanako working like this for very long. At least, not while we're both in high school."

That thought made Haruna think about the future a bit. "I'm sure Kanako wants to be some sort of chef after we graduate. And she threw that idea out there about us opening some sort of bed and breakfast… Maybe, I should start working on my future a little more too…"

*****

"One order of chocolate-strawberry parfaits to table two!"

"G-Got it!"

"Three coffees for table eight!"

"O-On it!"

It was the second day of the event, and Kanako was rushing around like never before. She had missed most of the first day because it had been on a Friday, but as it turned out, business had only been slightly higher than usual. With it now being Saturday, the customers had come out in full force to try their hand at Sara's contest.

"How did she even manage to attract so many people?" Kanako wondered. "Did she run some sort of marketing campaign without me knowing?" Truly, it was a mystery as to where all of those people came from. "Then again, I guess if the prize for something is a million yen, people will come from all over…" Kanako thought.

Regardless, finding out how the people showed up wouldn't do anything to change just how many people there were. Every table was full, the bar was packed, and there was even a line out the door. A time limit had even been instated in an effort to get as many people through as possible.

Of course, this also meant that Kanako was facing her biggest test yet in her restaurant career. Luckily, it seemed like most people were understanding, and they were willing to wait (though there were a few that weren't so happy about the situation).

However, it was about midday when Kanako got a feeling of dread. "Is that… Kat-chan?" she wondered as she caught a glimpse of flaming red hair toward the back of the line. "Oh geez," she sighed. "I hope she doesn't cause any trouble." Though, a part of Kanako doubted that would be the case. It wasn't as if Katsumi was a troublemaker by nature, but lately, she and Haruna had been fighting nonstop. "Yesterday was especially bad," she thought. "Kat-chan wouldn't let go of my arm until the very last second. It kept making Haruna so mad…"

Kanako did feel bad about it, but at the same time, she wanted to be able to renew her friendship with Katsumi. "But, I know she doesn't want to be just friends…" Kanako thought. "What should I do?" It was a question on Kanako's mind all through her shift, and by the time Katsumi actually entered, Kanako still had no idea. "Well, of course I won't figure it out that fast," she thought, a little annoyed with herself as she went to serve Katsumi.

"So it really is true," Katsumi said as she was seated at the bar. "What's true?" Kanako asked. "That you're working at a cafe," Katsumi said. "I heard some other girls talking about it, so I asked them. Then they told me about this event, so I thought, 'why not go?' This way, I can see you AND maybe win a million yen. Two birds, one stone, right?" "S-Sure…" Kanako said. "So, if you want to participate, you have to fill out a form with everything you want in your parfait. Then we make it and bring it out to you." "How will I know if I won?" Katsumi asked. "Mori-san will be the one to determine that," Kanako explained. "But, it basically comes down to making the right combination and then actually finishing the parfait." "Is it hard to finish one?" Katsumi asked. "Um, they are kind of big…" Kanako said. "Most people have finished, but there have been some that couldn't."

"I'm up for the challenge!" Katsumi said excitedly, drawing a laugh out of Kanako. "Alright, then I'll get a card for you."

*****

In the end, no one won. When Kanako asked what the winning combo was, Sara said it was "the sweetest parfait you can imagine, and then covered in chili flakes!" "Of course no one would make that," Kanako thought, mildly irked. "Who'd want to ruin something sweet like that?"

Then, after cleaning up, Kanako and Sara went over the event. "I feel like it went well, but the number of people was probably too much. I kinda felt bad about havin' ta turn away so many," Sara said. "Maybe you could have a registration next time," Kanako suggested. "That way you only have the number of people you want." "Hmm, yeah, that might be a good idea," Sara said. "But hey, ya did pretty good today Kana-chan! I'm impressed!"

"I never want to do that again," Kanako said. "I'm exhausted." "That's too bad," Sara said. "'Cause I was thinkin' of offerin' ya a job. A real one, not just temp." "R-Really?" Kanako said. Sara gave a definitive nod. "Ya did good, and it'd be kinda a shame to have you leave so soon. Plus, it's kinda fun workin' with my niece's girlfriend." "I-I don't know what's supposed to be fun about that…" Kanako said. "Can I think about it?" "Sure," Sara said. "Talk it over with Haruna too."

So, with the event over, Kanako changed back into her normal clothes and made her way back home. As she did, she thought back on Katsumi's time at the cafe. "She was… surprisingly well-behaved…" she thought. "If she could act like that all the time, then maybe it would be fine to have her around more."

When Kanako had first seen Katsumi, she had been expecting a mountain of trouble, but the girl did nothing of the sort. Instead, all she did was talk with the people by her and enjoy the parfait she had made. When she finished, she had just said a simple goodbye to Kanako and then left. Her behavior was so different from what Kanako normally saw that she was almost worried something was wrong.

"Well, I guess I can think about that later," Kanako decided. "After all, I only need to save up a little more and then me and Haruna can have our grand date!" With that thought in mind, Kanako continued on, happily looking forward to her date with the girl she loved.

End of Chapter Seven.