Yohei: A Purrfect Table Reservation

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

The welcome is as warm as he remembers it, and he can’t help but notice the small pause she makes before continuing, clearly off script. “You came back! I’m so glad.”

“Of course. Couldn’t disappoint Moff now, could I?”

“Oh no, he’d be terribly sad if you hadn’t shown up.”

Looking around, Yohei soon spots the big ginger cat. Moff is now seated politely on a chair at a table where he has charmed two giggling teenage girls into sharing the cream of their pancakes with him. The cat looks anything but sad.

“Devastated, I’m sure.”

“Anyway, your table is free, goshujin-sama.” The girl slips into her maid role once more as she beckons him to follow her.

A quick look back shows that Sato has chosen a small table close to the door, where he has an excellent view of the whole room, including Yohei’s table. Which is currently covered in neat stacks of menus.

“Here we are. I’ll just get it ready for you, goshujin-sama,” she says as she hastily picks up the piles.

“That’s a lot of menus,” he observes. Watching her struggle – rather adorably – with the stack of slippery sheets, he suddenly realizes why… “Wait, did you place them here as a kind of reservation note?”

For a moment, she freezes, cheeks turning pink. Then she nods, looking rather sheepishly at him, before abruptly turning and depositing the uncooperative pile on another table. He smiles at the obvious diversion. He’s done enough of them himself to recognize one when he sees it.

She remembered and went through the trouble to do this for him. Not for RYO, but for the strange guest who kept his hood up indoors throughout his meal. His smile widens into something probably bordering on goofy, and he’s grateful for both the mask and the absence of cameras.

“Thank you for that, Neko-chan. It was very thoughtful of you.” He winks and adds, “Very clever too.”

“You saw through that, did you?” Still blushing, she gives the now-empty table a quick routine wipe. Straightening up, she flashes him a big grin as she hands him one of the menus. “Don’t tell Moff, but I didn’t quite trust in his ability to keep the table free for you, goshujin-sama.”

“Rightfully so, it seems.”

They both turn to look at the untrustworthy culprit, who’s still busy licking cream off a spoon while the girls are taking pictures.

Just like last time, Yohei sinks down on the sofa with a sigh of relief and takes off the mask.

“I guess I’ll save him some space if he changes his mind.”

“So… What are you in the mood for today, goshujin-sama?”

“Perhaps a few different things? I’ll probably be here for quite some time,” he admits, opening his bag and placing his tablet and phone on the table. “I have some work to do, and I found it very easy to relax and focus here.”

Photos, blogging, fan mail, romantic lyrics… yeah, he might easily stay here for a few hours if he’s to finish it all. Somehow, the thought makes him feel happy, light, and some of the tension in his shoulders fades away.

“Then I know the perfect thing!” She claps her hands and bounces happily so the little bell in her necklace chimes, and the cat ears on her head flap back and forth. “I’ll bring you our special mixed platter. It has mini omurice, tiny sandwiches, some karaage bites, and a salad cup. Easy to eat while you work.” She tilts her head as she jots down his order. “And… green tea?”

“Yes please,” he says with a smile. She remembered.

Neko-chan beams at him. “I’ll be right back with your order, goshujin-sama.”

Walking quickly, smoothly sidestepping a cat, hair and skirt swaying with each step, she disappears behind the counter. Reluctantly, he turns his eyes to his tablet instead. The pictures Tanaka-san wants posted are already in his inbox, and Yohei opens the tabs with his two main accounts to get started.

He’s finished the short accompanying texts for most of them - a few jokes, praising the team of dancers, excitement for the upcoming release party - when Neko-chan returns. A square plate filled with various bite-sized dishes is placed in front of him. They already both look and smell delicious, but he looks up at her with a hopeful smile

“Any cuteness magic available today?”

“Of course. Always!”

The little ketchup squeeze bottle appears in her hand as fast as if magic truly is involved, and she leans forward. As each little omurice bite gets tiny ketchup ears and whiskers, Yohei finds himself more captivated by the expression on her face. The way she chews her lower lip and her eyes narrow in concentration…

Despite all his training in not reacting unless he wants to, he feels the tips of his ears grow warm…

“How do you feel about adding a little spice?”

“Spice?” The heat from his ears is now creeping down to his face, and he really, really hopes it doesn’t show. He manages what should be a confident, slightly cocky smile. “Sure. I can handle a little spice.”

Her eyes sparkle, and though her face is definitely rosier than before, she winks and, without missing a beat, says:

“I’m glad to hear it. Some cute heat coming right up.” Another little bottle takes the place of the first one, and within seconds each little face has pale green eyes. Wasabi mayo. She finishes with a small heart on an empty space on the plate and straightens up, nodding in satisfaction.

“Very pretty, thank you.”

“You’re welcome. Enjoy your meal and your work.”

After pouring him his tea, she bounces off, and Yohei picks up his chopsticks, deciding what to start with. From the corner of his eye, he notices Sato has ordered food too, dividing his attention between it and every guest entering the door. And of course, the Sudoku magazine, predictably present next to his plate. Yohei gives him a small nod as their eyes meet and raises a piece of chicken before putting it in his mouth.

Time goes quickly, and by the time his plate is empty, he’s posted all the official ‘unofficial’ pictures across several sites and moved on to answering fan comments.

Most of the replies are what he expects. Praise for the new photos. Excitement for the upcoming release. Compliments about his clothes, his smile, the dancers behind him. Smiling, he logs in as real_RYO, giving each one a short but warm and grateful reply.

The rumors surface too, of course. Some fans brush them off as gossip. Others worry they might be true, arguing louder, more insistent.

This is probably exactly the kind of noise their labels are hoping for, but still it makes him rub his temples, hoping to chase off an impending headache. Sighing, he leaves a few comments, neither denying nor confirming anything, pointing out his and REYNA's common interests and that they’re regularly attending the same events.

He scrolls through several lines of innocent bickering, then his thumb freezes mid-scroll, the comforting café noise fades as he stares at the next comment.

'RYO wouldn't be interested in someone so shallow. She’ll dim his light. She can’t understand him as I do.'

Suddenly, he feels cold, even in this warm place. The handle, @my_light_RYO, is new. The word light isn’t. She’s back. He quickly flags it for the team, closes his eyes, takes a few deep breaths. Obsessive fans come with the territory, still…

“Was everything alright, goshujin-sama?”

Startled, he opens his eyes, looking into a smiling face, the warmth in her eyes heating up the air between them.

“Yes, thank you. The magic worked again, so everything was delicious.”

“I’m glad to hear it.” She collects the empty dishes, then nods to his tablet. “Did you get everything done? You looked a little tired there for a bit.”

“Most, but I still have more to do.”

She tilts her head. “Then… can I get you something else? Maybe coffee? Or a cute dessert… for energy?”

“That sounds great. A latte, extra foam. And something… I don’t know… soft and sweet?”

“How about our custard purin? It’s soft… and very comforting.”

“Perfect. I’ll take that.”

“You mean ‘purrfect’,” she laughs, giving him a dazzling smile, and the last of the cold dissolves from his chest.

As soon as she’s gone, he closes the program; the rest can wait until tomorrow. Instead, he opens his photo folder. His private one. Choosing a few to share with the world is strangely exciting, and to his surprise, nervous butterflies flutter in his stomach at the thought of sharing something so personal. Almost like in the beginning of his career.

“Here you go, goshujin-sama.”

“Thank you.” The coffee smells wonderful, and the pudding trembles very satisfyingly as she sets it down. The matching cocoa-dusted paw prints add the ‘purrfect’ touch. He can’t help but close his eyes and inhale the scents.

“That’s a beautiful picture. Did you take it?” Her eyes widen, a hand going to her mouth. “I’m so sorry, goshujin-sama. I didn’t mean to… it was just right there, and I…”

“It’s okay. And, yes. I did take it, so I’m glad you like it.” Without thinking, he slides the tablet toward her.

She leans over it, long hair falling forward, absentmindedly pushing it back behind her ear. White teeth biting her lower lip as she studies it. Yohei leans forward a little too, suddenly seeing the image in a new light. It’s just a narrow street after rain, sunlight breaking through clouds just long enough to catch in a puddle.

“The light is beautiful, so peaceful,” she says quietly. “I like pictures like this, catching the magic of everyday moments.”

He nods. “Me too. They’re so easy to miss.”

“They are.” Almost reluctantly, she straightens up and turns to leave, when she suddenly gasps. Looking down. He follows her eyes and sees a small cat sitting quietly under his table, legs folded neatly beneath his white, fluffy body.

“Oh, hello there,” he says, shifting a foot, but the cat doesn’t move. It just stares up at him with the bluest eyes.

“That’s Snowy. He… he’s deaf, and still new here. We got him from the shelter we work with a couple of weeks ago, and I’ve never seen him approach a guest like this before.” 

She looks between him and the cat as if she can’t believe it. There are clearly things about cats he doesn’t know.

“Shelter?”

“You know, for homeless cats. Actually, most of the guys here are up for adoption. Except Moff, of course. He kinda owns the place.”

As she keeps talking about the shelter and cats, he can’t help but smile at her passion. 

“He’s beautiful. I’ve never seen a cat with blue eyes before.”

“He is. And it seems you’ve made a new friend.” She turns to leave but stops herself, “Would you… Would you perhaps like to make another reservation? For tomorrow?” Her cheeks are definitely turning pink again, and he wishes he could say yes.

“I’m afraid not. Work’s going to be intense for the next few days, but I hope I can find the time to stop by soon.”

“You’re a photographer? Or designer?” She nods to the tablet. He shakes his head, chuckling.

“Hardly. That’s just a hobby. But I do work in the entertainment industry, so my schedule is often very… unpredictable.”

“I understand. Well, I… I mean, the cats are hoping to see you again.”

“Me too. I like it here.” He looks down, ears feeling suspiciously warm again. “Um, if you don’t mind me asking… Which days are you here?”

“Not at all.” Is it his imagination, or did she look genuinely touched by the question? “I’m usually here Monday to Wednesday, and on the weekends.”

He nods, committing the days to memory. She hesitates, then smiles, softer this time.

“Then… I’ll try to keep your table for you,” she says.

She would?!  He lifts his head slightly, giving her a small, shy smile. 

“Thanks… Neko-chan. I appreciate your effort.”

Once she’s gone and he takes his first sip of coffee, Yohei finds himself thinking that no matter how unpredictable and busy things get, he really ought to find a way to come back.

Some things are worth the extra effort.