Chapter One: Junepai the creep

Junepai didn’t remember much from when his father and mother were alive, but he did remember one thing his father told him before his passing.

“Every man should strive to wed a beautiful woman who can cook and clean.” He didn’t know why those words in particular stuck with him, but he always kept them close to his heart. That’s why, when he saw her just under a month ago, he knew that she would fulfill his dream.

Yoru’s maid cafe, that was where he saw her. He caught a glimpse as he was fighting a rogue beast. She was unlike any woman he’d ever seen.

Her skin was a beautiful olive color, her eyes blue like the oceans twilight, her hair so long it flowed to her lower back, and on her face she wore a pair of large circular glasses, making her that much more adorable. She was a bit too tall, but he could forgive that.

From that day forward, he made it his mission to visit the cafe every day.

Today was no different. The sound of a gentle bell echoed, the smell of delicious pastries filled his nostrils, and the pastel colored tiling and gentle lighting gave the place a faint pinkish glow. There were a few other men seated, small cups of tea and coffee before them, plates of pastries at their side, their eyes practically glued to the maids serving them.

“Hello master!” A small woman at his side greeted him with a bow, her short white hair bobbing as she picked herself back up. She handed him a menu with both her hands pinched tightly around it, a powerful blush on her face.

“Thank you.” He plucked the menu from her hand.

“Right this way master!” She approached a small white table at the corner of the room, pulling out his chair and gesturing for him to sit.

“Would you like to try our special American style omelets! they're half off!” She spoke with a giddy tone.

“That’ll be alright. I was actually wondering if I could see Yu?”

The woman looked taken aback for a quick second, then returned to her uppity expression.

“Of course master! I’ll go fetch Yu immediately!" She bowed once more before disappearing behind a door at the far back.

A minute or so went by before another woman emerged from the same door, the bottom-half of her dress held tightly in both her hands, her face burning red. She studied his appearance as though she hadn’t seen him time and time again this past month. From his long strawberry colored hair, to his golden eyes, and finally at the faded freckles on either side of his cheeks.

“It’s nice to see you again master.” She spoke quickly, bowing and staring at the floor with wide eyes. She took a deep breath and stood up straight, a wide smile on her face.

This guy again! She thought I swear he’s stalking me.

“What can I do for you today?” She cocked her head ever so slightly.

“Just my usual. Coffee with light sugar.”

“Great choice M-” Her words were caught in her throat, her gaze stuck on something behind him.

“Something the matter, Yu?” He turned his body back to try and see whatever it was she was seeing.

“What is it-”

Suddenly, the wall at the front of the cafe exploded into a cloud of dust, the window shattering into hundreds of tiny shards. The cafe shook violently, Junepai shielded his eyes from the wall of dust as best he could, dirt staining his white button up. The maids fell to the ground, the plates fell from their tables, some of the men even fell from their chairs.

“Meat! Meat! Meat!” A grating voice chanted, “Me want meat!” The dust finally settled.

“A rogue monster?” Junepai muttered.

It wasn’t too tall, but its body was stocky. Its skin was a deep shade of green, its head large and circular with ears as jagged as knives. Its eyes were a moonlight yellow, its mouth home to sharp blade-like teeth, and its fingernails replaced with long black claws.

“Meat! Meat!” it was growing louder, its head on a swivel, drool spilling from its mouth and pooling on the floor beneath him.

Yu stumbled backward in fear, as did everyone else inside.

“How did a rogue monster get in here!” One of the men shouted. Of everyone present, he appeared the oldest, with short gray hairs and wrinkled fingers. He leapt behind one of the maids and held her forward like a human shield.

“I’m too young to die!” He shouted.

This… Is… Awesome! Junepai's thoughts were roaring, and the blood in his body was heating up with excitement.

I get to show off to my beautiful Yu!

He stood abruptly, his chair skittering back before falling toward the ground. He looked over his shoulder at Yu, a smile on his face.

“Don’t worry, I’ve got this.” He gave her a thumbs up before turning to face the goblin.

“Now then.” He stepped forward, loosening the tie around his neck and tossing it into the air with an exaggerated backward swing in his arm, the wind allowing it to glide toward the ground.

“You just ruined me and my precious Yu’s moment, you’ll pay for that.” He clenched his fist tightly, watching as the beast bellowed before him, slobber flinging from its open mouth.

“Meat!” It chanted one last time, pouncing with its arms stretched outward. Junepai took a calm step backward, dodging beneath the creature's swipe, the wind above his head silently whooshing. He grabbed its arm mid swing, suspending it in the air and balling his other fist.

The goblin squeaked as the atmosphere around them stiffened, a powerful gust of wind twisting itself around Junepai's fist, his arm barreling forward like a catapult and slamming into its stomach.

In an instant, its body barreled into a building across from theirs, a loud explosion echoing in the sky.

“That’ll teach ya.” He looked over to his other hand, realizing he was holding the goblins severed arm. He cringed, then dropped it.

“Now, where were we?” He turned around with a hand held tightly to his hip, his eyes falling onto the cowering Yu, one of her hands held tightly against her face while the other frantically pressed against the tile floor.

She must’ve been so terrified.

“Don’t worry, it’s over now.” He crouched at her side, but her hand only pressed harder against her face.

“You don’t have to be scared anymore.” Junepai wrapped his hand around her wrist in an attempt to reassure her, his eyes falling onto two large pieces of balled cloth at her side.

“Were you searching for these?” He plucked one off the ground and examined it with a confused expression, “they’re kind warm.”

She yelped silently at his statement, slinking away from him and practically shivering.

“What’s with that reaction?” He thought to himself for a moment, looking between the cloth, then at her, then the cloth once more. He looked at her dress, then it clicked.

“Wait, don’t tell me-”

She uncovered her face and snatched the pieces of cloth, “don’t-” She muttered.

“You’re-”

“I’m warning you!”

“You’re a guy?” His voice was so loud Yu was sure the entirety of Japan could hear him. He looked mortified, his gaze averting toward the other men in what remained of the cafe.

“Wait, that chicks a dude?” They looked her way with curious expressions.

“Wait a minute, if you’re a dude, then that means…” His voice trailed in a moment of realization, his heart thumping in his chest and his cheeks burning red, “I was in love with a dude?”