A Bittersweet Mystreet

{Chapter 9}

{A/N: Thank you guys so much for the stars and comments! I really thought I'd barely get any throughout the book! I know I haven't exactly been responding to any of the comments, but I love reading through them and hearing your thoughts.}

IHOP.

It's a living heaven.

For Kawaii~Chan, IHOP was not just the place where dreams came true; it was also the place where money was made.

She walked into the kitchen to take a breather during her shift. There was only one more hour left before she could go home, relax, and—oh my Irene, someone just sat at Kawaii~Chan's table. She could barely see the top of their head, but she knew that someone had just sat down. With a sigh, Kawaii~Chan grabbed a menu and walked over to the customer. She barely bothered making eye contact with the person, as she was too tired to care.

"Good Evening! Welcome to I—HOT!" Kawaii~Chan yelped as she finally looked at the customer in front of her. Sitting at her table was the one and only Reese! What was his last name? The world may never know.

Before Reese could say anything, she threw the menu onto the table and speed-walked right back into the kitchen. Covering her blushing face with her hands, she placed herself on a wall and slid down to the ground.

"Kawaii~Chan can't believe that Reese~Senpai is here! She was so close to him too, and this time he was conscious!" she squealed into her hands. Wait, she couldn't just ditch a customer! She could get fired, but KC didn't know if she would be able to look him in the eyes. Look what happened when she did it the first time. Reese still didn't even know that KC knocked him out! In the midst of her panic, she felt a tap on her shoulder. Michi was standing over her with her brows furrowed.

"What's up with you?" she asked.

"Reese~Senpai is at Kawaii~Chan's table, and Kawaii~Chan doesn't know if she'll be able to talk to him," KC whined to her co-worker. Michi stepped outside to take a look at Reese before stepping back inside.

"So that's the guy that you're head over heels for." Michi looked down at KC and back over at Reese before sighing to herself. "You know that guy is a paying customer, right? If you don't take him, I will."

"But Michi-" Kawaii~Chan was about to complain until the other Meif'wa glared at her half-heartedly. Once Michi was sure KC wouldn't complain anymore, she went out to take Reese's order. Kawaii~Chan just sat there and waited; the stairs she received from the kitchen staff went ignored as she waited. Each second that passed felt like an hour. What if Michi was flirting with Reese? No. Michi would never do such a thing to Kawaii~Chan, right? Before KC could think too much about it, Michi came back in. KC jumped up and started bombarding Michi with questions, frightening the purple-haired girl.

"What did Reese~Senpai say? What did he smell like? Did he ask Kawaii~Chan for her hand in marriage?"

Michi grabbed Kawaii~Chan's shoulders and pulled her back.

"Calm down! Are you crazy? He said he wasn't ready to order yet but asked for a soda," Michi snapped.

"What flavor?"

"Cherry."

Cherry soda? Oh boy, Kawaii~Chan was falling for Reese all over again...

"Hey, if I'm going to take your customer, then you have to take mine. They're almost done with their meal." Michi pointed at the window in the direction of the table in question. KC nodded and hugged Michi.

"Michi~Chan, thank you! You're the best!"

Full of happiness, Kawaii~Chan ran out to finish her shift. She lightly skipped over to Michi's table before stopping dead in her tracks a few feet away. Out of all the people in the world who could have come to IHOP today, it just had to be him. Sitting in the booth all dark and broody with an almost empty plate of cupcake pancakes was Zane Ro'Meave.