waking the demon

Thank fuck that Ootsuki was still at the kitchen. Incubus Touma, of all people, was the first to come help—they all did. I hated incubus Touma so much. I was a bitter ex. I'd be the bitter ex soon. "Are you okay?" He asked. "Did you get burned?"

Instead of replying, I checked the cups. I'd broken four out of five. One of my fingers had a small cut near the nail, but I didn't even feel it. 

The cannibal girl was next. She knelt next to me, taking my hand without asking. "Ouch. Do you think this'll need stitches? Jun-chan, my purse."

Jun-chan brought her purse, then, silently, picked up the broken cups. The jukebox guy joined in, while Yamada the boss watched us from the corners of his eyes. The cannibal girl helped me up. That's what she must've thought anyway. "Hey, don't worry," she said. "It can happen to anyone. It's okay, sweetie. Let me see if I have something for the wound."

What did she just call me. "Okay. Thanks. I know, I don't..." to Jun-chan and the rest, who were still picking up stuff on the ground, I said, "Don't touch that, please. I'll pick it up. It's fine. Please. Just—stop!" 

They did. I finished picking the broken porcelain by myself. I threw it away by myself. Upon putting on a band-aid, I prepared five more cups of coffee. My hands were shaking so much that I had to use the cart instead of a tray to deliver them.

Ootsuki walked out, oblivious, with the sandwich + panini for the girl + guy couple, which she then served. It wouldn't take long for—

"Oh, what happened?"

—her to notice the stain on the floor. "I'll take care of that," I said. It fell on deaf ears. When I took the coffee to the syndicate of evil, awkwardly, one by one, they took the cups. Ootsuki went and came with a mop, which I seized. "Go study," I told her. "Mr. Clarence will be here. Soon. Just go. Please."

"Kir... fine."

"Thank you." I really meant it. 

No one from the syndicate of evil spoke while I mopped. Only the boss sipped from his cup. There were no spirals this time. I forgot to draw anything on the foam.

It was a blissful, much appreciated stalemate until the cannibal girl spoke up, until I realized they'd been texting... to each other? Even though they were right in front of each other. People were weird. "Hey, sweetie, Yamada's telling us what's going on. I know you think you're doing You-chan a favor, but you're just enabling him. He shouldn't have left you alone like this. Where is he?"

"I'm fine," I said.

The evil syndicate exchanged glances. They, too, must've thought me an imbecile. "You're not," replied Jun-chan. "At all."

Cannibal Miyo glared at him. "Jun."

"It's true, though. Youji just hasn't told you what he's told me. The kid's nuts. I'm surprised they let him run this place on his own when he clearly can't."

"Enough," said Yamada. 

Incubus Touma glanced at me, so I looked away. I wasn't going to cry in front of these cretins. I wasn't going to start picking on my glasses or my skin in front of these cretins. I wasn't going to be something wrong. Fuck these people. "If... if you n..." I swallowed. "...need anything else I'll be at the. Counter."

Once I went back, I used one of the chairs from the studying table for support. It helped to exist if I remembered I still had things to protect. One, the shop. Two, the costumers. Three, my job. Four, Youji. 

I knew better than everyone else combined that I was a hopeless wreck and I'd never get anywhere in life, so their words didn't hurt that much, anyway. 

Well, no, I lied. They hurt a lot. 

'Someone like him.'

It hurt.

'The kid's nuts.'

It hurt to be like this. 

'You're afraid of everyone.'

It hurt a lot. 

It hurt.

It hurt.

Still, I refused to give up. I wouldn't give up. Entire lives were at stake right now. I could feel bad about myself later. Before Mr. Clarence showed up, I had to... call the police? No, the syndicate was probably too powerful for that. Fuck, a customer walked in. I swallowed, I sighed, I gripped my hands until they stopped shaking. It could hurt later. Later. I'd just cry myself to sleep or something. I'd hold on until then. I'd done that before. I could do this. 

Said customer sat next to the businessman, who took his earbuds off before closing the laptop. He'd showed up with the same girl last time. When he ordered the coffee candy, she laughed, and he smiled, to a secret no one else but they knew. I pretended not to know what it felt like. 

Him: sugar-flavored coffee. Her: green tea. Them: two slices of vanilla cake. Doable. Not only was I fighting the syndicate of evil, but also a growing lump in my throat. It made it harder and harder to breathe with each step, but I refused to crumble.

Incubus Touma stood up, which made me swear under my breath. As I headed back to the counter, so did he. As I brewed the drinks, he said, "Hey. Isaooo."

I ignored him.

"What's your favorite cake? I'd like five of those, please."

My favorite pastry was the apple pie with rainclouds on top, and I'd rather smash it against his face and get fired than let him have any of it. I delivered the coffeeteavanillacake order without tripping or breaking anything. I went back. He still stood there, examining the display case, like a vulture. The rest of the syndicate watched us, like meerkats. Every so often, they'd whisper to each other. 

"Bad Isao, ignoring customers."

I grit my teeth. Incubus Touma was right. Before enemies, they were clients. "Is there anything else you need?" I managed. "All of our pastries are. Delicious. I don't have a favorite one."

"Oh, really? Too bad. Then I'd like five of Youji's favorite. You know it, right?"

Chocolate cake. "No," I said. "You'll have to specify."

"Seriously? You don't even know that?"

"No. You'll have to specify."

"I thought you guys were going out, though?"

"No."

Incubus Touma blinked. His posture straightened. He glance back at the syndicate, then at me. "Since when?" He asked.

None of your business.

Go away.

Leave me alone.

Just go out with him already. I don't care. That's all you incubi are good for. "S-so what will you order?" I asked. 

"You're kidding, right? Why? What happened?"

"Just... hurry up."

"No? Ugh. Come on. Guys!" He called out to the syndicate. It was on. Their plan had commenced. "Could you take care of the shop for a bit? Thanks!" 

One of them stood up. Two. Shit. This was it. The world spun again. Everything. Incubus Touma circled the counter. He'd come to seize me. I had to fight. This was it. Now or never.

He tried to take my arm, but I ducked under him, past the counter, straight to the break room. 

"Touma, you—"

He forced the door open before I could lock it. 

Who had yelled that? Sounded like Jun-chan, but I wasn't sure, didn't care, couldn't care. 

Incubus Touma pushed me.

Incubus Touma walked into the break room.

Incubus Touma locked it.