070.2 – When Eveything is Said

Not a sign of yesterday's rain was seen on its tomorrow. The roads have been dried by the early morning sun leaving no puddles anywhere. But the temperature has not changed even when the sky is clear. Truly, winter is approaching and soon, at that.

It has already been three days of the open event, and two remaining ones including today. There were fewer crowds yesterday because of the weather, but it was nonetheless tiring. My lost energy however came back after a long night's sleep. Thus, I left the house, ready for what is to come.

But I immediately saw Gin leaning on the wall of our yard, looking up in the sky with his mouth half open, as if in a daze.

"Something bothering you, Potato?"

"Kind of… I guess I'll tell you later."

"That's fine, then. We better go now."

"Nii? Nee-chan? I thought you guys already passed," said Anna upon stepping out of their yard.

"Let's all walk to school then."

~ ~ ~

Rumors have already spread from everywhere regarding what happened last Tuesday in our place of services. It was spread out enough that even Wisteria got the news, as what Mina had told me before we went back to work yesterday. She specifically quoted that "three principals of schools in Sector 527 humiliated themselves after underestimating a popup restaurant in Blue Ink High's Open Event". Because of that, Giotto's Mini had gotten more exposure positively, and in addition to that, the YouCube video featuring us also made us known. Hence, a large volume of people has come and gone to the restaurant for its first two hours. The crowd was so diverse that even people from Cotona PD suddenly barged in.

Gin's words, being a sous chef, can't easily be ignored when he had said that "this is almost like Giotto's in its prime time of the day". I called Hiro-nii as we were concerned if the main branch is losing customers; as much as arrogantly that sounded, we did not think like that at all. But in reality, the growth of Giotto's Mini was actually directly proportional to Giotto's South. They are starting to get shorthanded as two of their main cooks—Gin and Yuzuri-san are not present since they are minding their own works.

The open event has finally hit a three-hour mark, and the crowd thankfully died down considerably.

"Jean, go switch with Rin on waitering. While you're going out, please call G so that he can help."

Jean stepped in to the room and called me out and G. We were asked to mind the kitchen, and Jean took the notepad from me.

"Good work out there, G."

"Thanks. Where should I start?"

"Ah, skin the chicken, please."

"Roger.

…

I guess you called me here to talk about what happened with me and Yui? Did I make you curious?"

"Wha-" I uttered incompletely feeling that my voice was not heard.

I was greatly surprised. I did not even get a hint that something happened. I asked myself as to when, where and why it happened. But whatever it was, I think this was Gin's way of saying, "Listen to this, Rin," without uttering a word.

"Of course… Who would not be?

You deliberately opened your mind and entered my cognitive realm just to tell me that you confessed to Yui. You just up and said that and left to reality abruptly. There is no way that I can't be curious."

I guess… curiosity sometimes doesn't kill the cat.

"…

You see, I was planning on confessing to her at the end of the open event. But the timing was so unbelievably great yesterday that I had to seize the moment."

"Aside from that, more so… I don't know that you have already like her. I was still assuming that you were still under a transition of your feelings or infatuation, as what you said in the past."

"Even I thought of it like that. But ever since obtaining your memories, I always get dreams of that time when she went to this room and confessed to you. I know that I can't push my feelings to her, as she is seeing someone or some-you. But I was somewhat frustrated, even when I become aware that Yui was hurt for something that is reasonable. But I was more frustrated that I actually hated you for that, I will honestly say. Later I realized, the reason why she does not see me is because I barely even did anything worth mentioning.

That's why I changed gears over the past months and took a new approach with her. And then everything happened yesterday. I was extremely thankful… that I was given a chance to be with her."

With the way Gin spoke his words, it seems that even he had no idea. The only way that he knew of it was perhaps just because of G talking to Kuro last night in a dream.

"Does that mean, G…" I chimed in, "Did Yui agree to you courting her?"

"Pretty much…"

"Then that means-" Gin wondered. "For that to happen, I would assume that you had to tell about you being an existential coincidence?"

"Otherwise, she will turn me down, so yes."

"Then maybe… You can do something that Potato was not able to do.

Perhaps you can be the one to make Yui happy."

Hearing that, G happily looked at Gin and landed an elbow on his side.

"I don't know, but I just felt so happy hearing that."

"Hahahahaha. Hahh… Does this mean we're quits, G?"

"Yeah. I didn't have too much hard feelings anyway. That's just how it is when you see the memories of the person that the person you like likes."

"You just made that last sentence confusing."

"Well, I'll do my best to court her so that she could sincerely move on over you. Now that things have come to this point, you're basically a pain to me right now."

"Ahahahaha…! Really glad to hear that!" and they both aimed for a fist bump.

Yes, I am proud to say that this club has a really weird hash brown.

~ ~ ~

"Ehhh. Why are you doing a reunion here out of all places?"

G excused himself from the kitchen as he was tipped by Jean that the customers might be someone he knows. He then walked in and went to their table.

It was his friends outside Blue Ink—namely Iura, Nico, Guren, and Shuri.

"I guess you guys already had your orders. Well, I'll go back to the kitchen. Just don't forget to shout 'moe moe kyun' when your orders have been served."

"Haha. Don't mess with us."

"Oh, G. Is Gin around?"

In the time that he was walking away while waving, he was suddenly called out from the door. He recognized one of the two, as it was Kei, and Shiina with her.

"Didn't expect to see you here, Kei. He's busy in our kitchen so you can't say hi to him. Have a seat, anyway."

"You know, that woman is actually really beautiful. If that's Kei's girlfriend, I'll have a hard time believing it."

"But well… Yui is getting there."

"Why in the world am I reminded of the shark…?"

But while he was thinking of that, his friends had one question that they openly asked themselves.

"Ginji… do you guys think that he had changed so much?"

…

"Uhh, Rin. Is the reception handing out the surveys? I kind of forgot about that."

Potato asked, as he was talking about a survey form to be handed out to customers before they step out of the room. Its content is simply asking what their opinions in our service are, and they are of course free to not answer it.

At this point, we have stopped looking for what is the end result, and just focused on the conclusion of the open event.

▪ ▪ ▪

October 11; the last day of the Open Event.

The time has come by fast for the week, yet it felt so long as we have been doing constant work for already the fifth day. But even if it is the last, we took a modest approach and did not set up something surprising to the customers. That is because we ourselves believe that it is surprising enough to see people patronize this very small service we give.

I have seen it in many particular fictions, but seeing the people with face of delight up close was very uplifting on its own. I have not profoundly thought of how and why I make food for people, and so I didn't get Gin and Jean's visions much. But finally seeing what they wish to see was enough for me to truly understand what they mean, especially if it was seeing a blissful expression from those you love.

"…

I have to go back to work!"

~ ~ ~

Afternoon.

The room has become significantly silent. The tide of people had lowered down, so much that Giotto's Mini had become something like a serene restaurant.

But I thought, this place might get noisy again in a few. And I was right.

All at once, both our families walked in to the Art Room—that is, even including Shiina and Hiro-nii. What a fluffing coincidence, I screamed. It was like a get-together. Not only are our families here, but the number of people multiplied. Enter Ai-chan, Haru-san, Yuka Alex, Ken, Makoto, Akira, Dr. Kagetora, Naru, Mina, Erika, Yui, the three from Anew, and even Yohan "Mizuno" along with Ryota and his mother is here.

It all happened when we were reading the feedback of the customers through the survey we handed out. We have indeed seen responses that people were genuinely blown away by this place. But seeing almost all of the people that we met in these two years were the amazing thing that made us the ones that were blown away.

I momentarily looked out, and saw that there are now so few guests inside the schools. For the most of its parts the majority that was seen are just students. It does seem that the open event truly is reaching its conclusion.

I finally realized why our families did not have dinner together just this past Wednesday. It was most likely to give way to this day where we can enjoy ourselves together in this great time. With that in mind, we sat on where our families are at.

"…You're in a daze again, Potato."

"Yeah… I was just hopelessly imagining how this Open Event will be like if Eijiro was here. I don't know how it will be like, but it seems like it will be just as fun."

"Fufu. So you really had fun?"

"Of course I had! I would be surprised if you haven't."

"Ahahaha. No, no. I might have found it more fun than you."

"No, I had it more fun than your 'more fun.'"

"Whaaat, are we competing now?"

"Lol."

At this point, it might sound like I'm just bragging with how much fun I had felt, but it was of course a finite time, as they bid their goodbyes to us, while we unexpectedly began cleaning up for the final event.

The sun had sunk down to the horizon, and in such a rare time, the sky showed its greatness. It was not every day in Orio that you see the sky in colors of orange, purple and dark cerulean. And as it still grows darker, a broadcast sounded all throughout the school, instructing everyone to close all of the lights.

It has gotten extremely dark in the school but another broadcast echoed with the words telling to do a countdown from five to one.

And so we did.

"Five!

Four!

Three!

Two!

One!"

…

In an instant, orange ambient lights illuminated everywhere, as lanterns were placed everywhere in the school, including the classrooms. Instinctively, I hurried out of the room and ran towards the century-old tree after passing by a line of illuminations on the hallway.

I was right to follow my hunch, as I stood in front of it as I watch the falling leaves get illuminated by the lanterns that have been generously hanged on its branches. It was so much of an indescribable feeling that I fell to a trance, only to be pulled back by a hand that held mine.

"Mind if a carry you?"

"S-Sure…?

Wait, are you actually going to leap when there are other students around?"

"It won't hurt to do it while it's dark. Do you think so too?"

"Hahh… Have it your way."

I closed my eyes as I was honestly frightened. I felt the air pushing down to my face, and so I held tight to him. When the things have calmed down, I opened my eyes, and saw the entire school being warmly illuminated by the orange light. It was dim, yet it was bright. It was in an instant that I was just on the ground a second ago, and now I am seeing the school through a bird's eye view, as if I am floating in the air.

Guess what I did next.

"…!

Hey… that's the second time that you kissed me on my cheek…"

"Hehehe. Just because."

Slowly, we began losing altitude vertically while Gin attempts to fight the gravity and landed softly back on the ground in the middle of Nacchi, Shiro and everyone.

"Th… That was…

That was so mind blowing…!"

Dear Tenth…

Wherever you are here in school, we would like to thank you from the very bottom of our hearts.


Chapter Message:

You've finished the second part of 070!

With that, I'd like to announce that I'll be taking a short break from proofreading and releasing chapters to focus more on writing where I left on four months ago. I need to get back to it this story will see no end! (Not implying that I'm already thinking of ending it)

Edit: So uh, this is me from the future and I have only written, like, a page! Didn't think it would be so difficult to find motivation in returning to writing, but I hope to really get back to it soon. That being said, I have been drawing a ton. It's been a month since the last release, but I'm afraid there won't be any new chapters anytime soon, even if they are from backlog. I apologize from that, and I will be sure to go back writing!

Thank you for reading!

Next

071: Past memories.