Thanks

"Here. Take this." She told me while the bag was in front of my face. I was surprised. I thought that she was going to throw the food at me. I asked.

"Why?" I was confused why would she do this to someone like me.

"As thanks for everything." She asked.

"Eh?" I was confused. I continued.

"I never did anything." I implied. I never did anything good to them nor have I helped them at the cafe. But she said.

"I saw you enter the cafe earlier." Well, my previous thought about being unnoticed was now false. She continued,

"You always came here every time after your games. You always ordered my cakes even though they were horrible. You always said my food was delicious."

So they were always my games? I was shocked. I did indeed come here after my games. I did order their cakes, even though no one ordered them. Their customers only ordered the coffee, which was their bestseller. They said their food tasted morbid. But I never thought of it that way. I honestly thought it was delicious. So why?

"As the owner of this cafe, I have to pay you back for everything." She declared. I opened my mouth and spoke.

"Why?" I exclaimed. I continued,

"I'm just an arrogant boy. I don't deserve your thanks." It was the truth. I always mocked others. Looking down on my opponents was a pleasurable feeling. When I lost, I then realized that what I was doing was incorrect. I never wanted to make fun of others. I just...wanted to be noticed.

"I know that losing is painful. But you shouldn't dwell too much on the past. We learn from our mistakes but remaining in yesterdays can sometimes hurt our feelings." She said, trying to lighten up my mind. It worked. My mind was cleared of the hard feelings of my loss that day. She really does feel like a mom.

"So go on...Take it," She handed the bag again, wanting me to take the food.

"Thank you so much, " I said while finally taking the bag from her hands. I never received thanks from others. But when I did, I started crying. When I got the bag, I finished my statement.

"Fumiko Rika-san." I finished, saying her name. Fumiko Rika, owner of Le Gâteau Café. My favorite café. My only real...home.

"So you do remember." She lightly smiled, seeming relieved that I remember.

I wiped my tears and turned my back and headed for the exit. I opened the door and turned my head back at Fumiko-san and said.

"I'll be going now..." I said to her. She responded.

"Take care..." We were like son and mother. Like a family. I smiled and left the café with the food my "mother" packed for me.

When I left the café, it was already dark. Looks like I spent a long time there. The distance between the café and my apartment was just a 5-minute walk. I was just having a leisure walk around the town towards the apartment. After passing a few houses, I finally reached it. When I got to the front of my apartment, I saw someone sitting curled up at a light post.

A long white-haired girl was just sitting there with no one near her. It looks like she was sleeping. As I came closer to her, I noticed that her body was glowing and she had a crown hovering over her head. I didn't know why. I thought I shouldn't get involved with her, but as a man, I couldn't just ignore a girl all by herself. I got down on one knee and asked the girl.

"Um, excuse me?" As I asked, the girl suddenly woke up from her sleep and opened her deep blue eyes. She looked at me with curiosity. I asked her.

"Umm...who are you?"

To be continued...