Ch.03 Store Manager

"Would you like to order, ma'am?" K asked, his eyes squeezed shut and his face twitching with barely contained irritation.
Aurora chuckled softly, catching his annoyance. "Ah... haha... I'll have a cheeseburger, please."
Blake chimed in with a grin, "One chicken burger for me. Hey, is Evy not here?"
K's lips twitched as he replied, "Ah... you mean the manager? She's out... uh... taking care of the garbage peo— I mean, the garbage food." He caught himself mid-sentence
He just really said people right Aurora and Blake through in their mind.
Settling at the table, Aurora leaned gently against Blake and murmured, "Brother, do you think he's mad at me because of what happened this morning?"
Blake shrugged, trying to sound nonchalant. "I don't think so."
Just then, K appeared, carefully setting Blake's glass of water down, but practically forcing Aurora's in place.
"Sorry, it'll take about five minutes to get your order ready," he said and quickly retreated back to the counter.
Aurora's eyes widened, and she tugged at Blake's sleeve. "See? He is really angry!" she whispered, a hint of fear in her voice.
Blake laughed awkwardly, uncertain how to respond, "Well... haha..."
As Aurora and Blake waited for their food, the quiet of the store was suddenly broken. The door swung open with a jangle, and a man stumbled in, almost face-planting on the floor—clearly pushed by someone behind him.
Hot on his heels came a young woman in her early twenties—short black hair pulled into playful pigtails, a cigarette dangling from her mouth. She carried herself with the relaxed confidence of someone who belonged anywhere.
"Welcome back, Manager," K greeted her with a warm but no-nonsense smile.
"Ah... K, perfect timing," the woman replied, her tone breezy as she tossed an envelope his way. K caught it without missing a beat. "Alright, here's the payment. The guy covered it all—but since he acted like a jerk to my staff, I brought him here to apologize."
Aurora's eyes widened at the scene, while Blake merely grinned, clearly entertained and at a loss for words.
The apologetic man picked himself up, bowed deeply in embarrassment, and bolted out the door, leaving an awkward silence behind.
The woman's gaze swept the store. Her eyes landed on Aurora and Blake, and her straight face stayed unreadable as she strode right over.
Aurora tried to shrink into her seat, hoping not to draw attention, but Blake piped up as the tension reached its peak. "Long time no see, Evy," he called out just as she smacked him lightly on the head.
Aurora's jaw dropped, unsure whether to laugh or run.
"Are you stupid, or have you officially become an old hag?" Blake teased, rubbing his head and raising his voice for dramatic effect.
"Huh?! What did you just say?" the lady manager shot back, glaring as if daring him to repeat himself.
"Stop it, you two!" Aurora finally burst out, unable to stay quiet any longer. The whole shop seemed to freeze, all eyes now on her.
Realizing she was the center of attention, Aurora shrank back, cheeks burning, mumbling a hasty apology as she slid into her seat.
The woman's anger softened. "Ah… and you are—?" She leaned close to Blake and whispered, "Your girlfriend? She seems a little young. Wait, are you into high school girls now?" she teased with a sly grin.
"That's not it at all!" Blake huffed, pushing up his glasses. "Evy, I told you—I'm not like that. She's my younger sister. She moved in with me so she can study here." He looked exasperated but amused.
"Oh, I see," Evy said, her sharp edge replaced by genuine curiosity. "I'm Evy. Maybe you didn't know, but your brother and I were classmates back in middle school. We've been best friends ever since." She offered her hand to Aurora with an encouraging smile.
Still hesitant, Aurora reached out and shook her hand, already sensing her world was about to get a lot livelier.
Evy glanced at her watch and murmured, "Looks like I've got a little more free time." With that, she slid into the seat next to Aurora, grinning. "Mind if I hang out here for a bit?"
K appeared, placing Aurora and Blake's order neatly on the table. Without missing a beat, Evy raised her hand. "One black coffee for me, thanks."
Shirou, standing nearby, extended his palm expectantly.
Evy blinked. "What's this?"
"Money," K replied, deadpan.
Evy huffed, "Excuse me, I am the manager here, you c—" Before she finished, K reached out, pinched both her cheeks, and pulled with playful vengeance.
Aurora gaped, shocked, while Blake burst out laughing beside her.
Evy winced exaggeratedly. "That hurts... That's not how you're supposed to treat a lady, right Aurora?"
However, as Aurora started to reply, K shot her a sharp look. She froze, realizing it was smarter to stay quiet.
Evy pouted. "See? With this kind of attitude, no girl would ever be interested—But if you ever feel no one loves you, remember me!" She tried to wink at K but he pinched her cheeks again.
"Enough," declared K, heading back to the counter. "And for the record, you're not getting coffee."
Evy stuck out her tongue in protest, making a silly face after him.
Blake shook his head, teasing, "Sometimes I wonder who's really in charge here—you or K?"
Evy sighed, a trace of sadness flickering in her eyes. "It's kind of miserable, honestly. He never treats me nicely. Always keeps this wall up, you know?"
Aurora, curious, asked softly, "Why do you say that, Miss Evy?"
Evy hesitated, scratching the side of her head in embarrassment. "I guess... I just can't really explain it."
Aurora leaned closer, whispering, "Maybe he's just a bit... weird?"
Evy caught the whisper, nodding enthusiastically, "Yeah, that's it!"
Blake interjected, "That's what?"
Aurora tried to clarify, "I mean, he sort of goes out of his way to avoid people... like he's keeping himself separate."
"Now that you mention it," Blake agreed thoughtfully, "he does seem to avoid connecting with others."
As their conversation drifted to K, their eyes wandered over to the counter. They watched as a little girl struggled to place her order; K's face showed clear irritation.
"What would you like, little customer?" K's tone was clipped, patience thinning as the girl stammered, unable to choose.
Aurora, sensing tension, began to stand up to help, but Evy placed a gentle hand on her arm, stopping her.
K paused, took a steadying breath, then reached beneath the counter for a colorful kids' menu. He knelt beside the girl and showed her the pictures, patience returning in his posture.
"This one!" the girl pointed, eyes sparkling. K nodded, prepared an ice cream, and handed it to her with a gentle nod.
The little girl smiled up at him, then leaned in, giving K a quick kiss on the cheek. "Thank you, mister!" she chimed, before skipping out with her order.
Witnessing the scene, Aurora, Evy, and Blake exchanged sheepish looks, silent grins appearing as their earlier judgments softened.
As the little customer left, K stood behind the counter, hair falling into his face. He grabbed a glass of water, splashed it on his cheeks, then wiped it away with a towel.
"Geez, kids these days really don't know manners," he muttered, sounding just as annoyed as before.
The trio couldn't help but chuckle, realizing maybe they hadn't been entirely wrong about his prickly exterior after all.