Aoi: A New Guest at MofuMofu no Ouchi

The bell above the café door jingles. Aoi looks up from stacking the menus and gives a cheerful, practiced wave. Reaching up to make sure her cat ear headband is straight – it is – she smiles as she smooths down the apron on her black and white maid’s dress before walking toward the new guests.

“Welcome home, goshujin-sama! Neko-chan is happy to see you today, nya~!”

It’s a group of three: a tall, lean figure in an oversized hoodie, hood pulled forward so it shadows his eyes. The lower part of his face is hidden behind a common white paper mask, very sensibly for this time of year. Just behind him are two men in expensive-looking suits and serious faces. They’re all standing stiffly enough that Aoi isn’t sure if they’re a group or if they just happened to enter at the same time.

“A table for three?” she asks, widening her smile and raising her hands in a cute cat paw gesture. The hooded man shakes his head.

“Two tables, please.”

“Of course, goshujin-sama! Would you like a table by the window, or a cozy one further in, near the cats?”

Noticing the tension in his shoulders, she hopes for the latter. Like many of their customers, he probably needs a safe, quiet place to relax. A bit of pampering, cute tasty food, and of course: petting the cats. Happy to provide all three, he smiles softly as he glances around the room. At this time of the evening, there aren’t many customers, so he has several tables to choose from.

“We’ll stay up here, close to the door.” One of the other men intervenes, bowing politely before moving to an empty table by the windows, closely followed by his friend… colleague…?

“Excellent choice. Luna-chan will be with you shortly… Oh, here she comes now.” Aoi waves at her friend and co-maid as the other girl heads toward the window table, “You’re in good paws with her, I assure you.”

She turns back to the hooded figure. “And what about you, goshujin-sama?”

“Uh… near the cats, I guess.” He nods towards the back of the room. “Those small sofas look very comfortable.”

“Perfect! The cats are also fond of them, but they’re happy to share with you. Nya~” She claps her hands lightly. “I’ll get it ready for you, goshujin-sama. Right this way.”

Smoothly, without stepping on the tail of the black cat that’s circling her legs, she picks up a menu and shows him to a small table in the corner. He sinks down onto the sofa with visible relief, placing his sizeable bag next to him.

She hands him the menu, a double page with tiny paw prints scattered around the edges. Every item has its little photo: frothy hot drinks, heart-shaped omelets, sandwiches and rice dishes, and smiling cats lounging beside cute plates with various desserts. Her new guest looks it over before he turns to her, half-amused, half-overwhelmed.

“What would you recommend?”

“The pancakes are always popular. But if you’re hungry and want something more savory, I highly recommend either the Chicken & Veggie Purry Rice or the Tofu & Avocado Sandwich.” She leans in with a conspiratorial wink. ‘The cats are particularly fond of the chicken.”

He chuckles at that, the corners of his eyes crinkling just a little, making her imagine a genuine smile behind the safety of the mask.

“Then I’ll trust the experts.” He hands the menu back. “The rice dish, then. And a small pot of green tea, please.”

“Excellent choice, goshujin-sama.” She claps her hands again, nodding so the little bell on her choker chimes merrily. “I’ll be right back with your order.”

She turns and almost trips over the huge ginger cat that’s now stretched out comfortably just behind her feet. Shaking her head, she mock scolds the cat. Unimpressed by her words, it promptly yawns, gives her an offended look, then clumsily jumps up onto the sofa, claiming the last free space.

“Goshujin-sama, meet Moff. He’s the cafe mascot, and he’s clearly decided to keep you company until I’m back.”

“I’m honored.” Tentatively, he reaches out to scratch Moff’s furry cheek and is rewarded by loud purring.

When she returns with his order, he’s taken off the mask and is bent over a tablet, typing quickly with his eyes glued to the screen. Admirably focused, but he really should allow himself a small break from work. Thankfully, the food – and Moff – should help with that.

“Chicken & Veggie Purry Rice,” she announces softly, so not to startle him, “and a small pot of tea.”

“Oh, right. That was fast.” He puts the tablet down and looks at the tray expectantly.

“Here you go, goshujin-sama.”

She places it in front of him and pours steaming tea into the small cup. The rice is roughly shaped as a chubby, curled-up cat, surrounded by chicken and a mix of colorful cooked vegetables. It’s already a pretty dish, but it still lacks a little something…

Smiling, she picks up a small squeeze bottle with ketchup and tilts her head. “Would you like it if I decorate it a little? We like to make every plate special.”

He hesitates, glancing at the bottle in her hand. “Decorate?”

“Of course!” she says cheerfully. “It’s tradition. Food tastes better when it’s cute. It’s magic.”

Before he can reply, she leans in slightly, biting her lower lip as she concentrates. She’s good at this, but drawing is still a lot easier with a pen or paintbrush. Still, the bottle moves in smooth, practiced strokes: lines for sleepy eyes, a small nose and whiskers, tiny triangle ears, a tail where the line curls into a heart. Within seconds, the rice-kitty is done. To finish it, she adds a single dot of mayo to the ketchup nose to turn it pink, then sets the bottle aside with a satisfied little click.

“There. All done.”

“Very cute. Thank you.” He tilts his head, studying it, a lopsided little smile tugging at his lips. “I feel bad eating it now.”

“Then you’ll just have to come back so I can draw you another one,” she says matter-of-factly, straightening up. The bell at her collar jingles softly. “Please enjoy your meal, goshujin-sama.”

Before leaving, she turns to Moff, waves a stern finger at him. “And you… You’ll get your own food later, so don’t even think about stealing goshujin-sama’s.”

This earns her a light chuckle as well as a disinterested flick of an ear before she heads back to her other customers. Time goes by quickly, and she’s tidying up behind the counter when her mysterious guest comes to pay.

“Did everything taste all right, goshujin-sama?”

“It was great,” he says. “And the cute magic worked, by the way.”

“Of course it did.” Her grin widens as she prepares his bill, nodding wisely. “That’s statistically proven.”

“Of course it is.” He glances at the bill, ¥2,300, and pulls out his wallet. Smoothly and elegantly, he counts out the bills and slides them toward her. He’s about to put the wallet back in his bag when he spots the donation jar sitting beside the register.

Moff & Friends’ Snack & Vet Fund 🐾 — Thank Mew for Helping!

Inside the simple glass jar are a few folded notes and small coins; most guests leave a little something, especially if they’ve had some cat interaction. Seemingly without thinking, he slips in a thousand-yen bill.

“Ah, thank you so much!” Aoi says quickly, eyes widening as she meets his. Still shaded by the hood he’d kept up during the whole stay. “That’ll go straight to Moff’s food budget. He eats like a lion.”

“He looks like one.”

“He thinks he is one.”

They both laugh, light and easy and surprisingly genuine. For a moment, neither speaks, and her fingers are nervously fiddling with the receipt as she tries to think of something to say. Being tongue-tied? Her? At work? That’s a first. Then he clears his throat, breaking the slightly awkward moment.

“I, uh… was wondering,” he begins, “would it be possible to reserve the same table for tomorrow? I know cafés don’t usually…”

“We don’t,” she admits, tapping her chin thoughtfully, “but… if you come at the same time, I can make sure Moff’s guarding it for you.”

“I’ll probably be a bit later, but I trust in Moff’s powers.” He flashes a quick smile, “And yours.”

“Wait, I’ll give you a proper reservation note.” Back to her normal self, she finds an empty receipt and a pen. “What name should I write it for?”

“Takamura.” For some reason, he stiffens after he says it and pulls the hood a bit deeper over his face, and the mask comes back on. 

Smiling, she puts the pen to the paper and begins. Occasionally glancing up at him, she quickly draws a chubby cat in a hoodie and a speech bubble in which it declares: ‘Reservation for Takamura-san, officially purr-firmed.’ finishing off with a tiny paw print. It’s not her best work; there’s only so much shading she can do in less than a minute, but she’s happy with it as she formally hands it over.

He holds it with both hands, looking at it for a few long seconds, and she finds herself holding her breath waiting for the verdict.

“You actually did that freehand? Just now, just like that?”

Her cheeks grow warm from the implied compliment, and she hopes it doesn't show. “Ah, yes. I study illustration and design, so I try to practice when I’m here too.”

“That’s… impressive.”

“That’s me. Impressive. Drawing by day, neko magic by night,” she laughs, then turns serious. “It’s… different from the classroom, sure, but it makes people smile. That’s kind of the point of art, isn’t it?”

“I agree. Art should make people feel happy,” he says quietly. “Or at least feel something. Something real.”

He’s right, yet there’s something almost… sad about the way he says it, but before she has a chance to reply, he turns away and heads to the door. The two men in suits get up as well – they must have paid earlier, then waited for him to finish. Now, that’s really odd. She makes a mental note to ask Luna-chan about them later. But for now…

Snapping back into Neko-chan mode, she waves cheerfully. “Thank you for today! Hope to see you back soon, goshujin-sama!”

The doorbell chimes as the door closes, and she stares after them for just a little too long. She really does hope he’ll be back soon.

..