I was lying asleep in my bed, snuggled in my blanket. I heard the sound of birds chirping outside, and I could faintly see light coming through from my window. Still tired, I turned to the other side, shifting my body to a better position, blocking the sunlight from my eyes.

Poke.

“Hm…” I groaned, brushing my face with my hand.

Poke.

My eyes twitched, and I turned back to the other side, irritated.

Poke. Poke. Poke. Poke. Poke. Poke.

What the hell…? What’s poking me…? I thought to myself.

I turned and faced upwards. As I opened my eyes, I saw a woman with long black hair standing beside me, having pitch-black eyes and a wide grin, her face hovering just above mine.

“You’re finally awake~...” it spoke in a deep and raspy voice, its grin growing wider.

“...!”

Completely startled, I immediately woke up and moved away to the wall. Terrified, my heart began to race as the ghost stared at me.

A-A ghost?! How did it—no, wait. Calm down…just calm down first… I told myself in my head.

I closed my eyes for a moment and calmed my breathing. Once I was focused, I opened my eyes back up, my vision now shifted. Instead of the monster I saw earlier, I now saw a normal human girl standing in front of me. A human I hadn’t seen in a while.

“Yo! You’re finally awake, Hikaru!”

“Yuuka?!” I exclaimed, surprised to see her. “N-No way…you’re…” I rubbed my eyes and looked again to make sure. “You’re…a ghost. You’re actually here.”

“Yep! Sorry it took a while! I had to figure out how to use my ghost powers and stuff. Honestly, it’s quite a hassle~...” she exclaimed, her smile bright and warm, just like I remembered it was.

After she passed and we hosted her funeral, I waited for her ghost to come to me as she wished. However, there was never any sign of her. I waited, day after day, and by then, a month had passed before I lost hope and gave up completely. But now, Yuuka stood in front of me, like she said she would.

I smiled and chuckled. “Haha. Finally,” I said, glad to see her. “I thought you moved on from this world…”

“Of course not! I made a promise to come back, didn’t I?” she exclaimed, puffing out her chest and placing her hands to her hips.

“You did, but…how exactly? You didn’t have any lingering regrets or anything, did you?” I asked, curious.

“Well, not really,” she replied. “It was more of…what do you call it, a dying wish?”

“A…dying wish?” I repeated, confused.

Yuuka levitated and crossed her legs, sitting in mid-air. “I knew once I was dead, you and my family would be devastated and sad. So, before I passed, I wished that I could watch over you and everyone until you all found true happiness and moved forward with your lives. Thankfully, it worked~!” she said, giving me the peace sign.

“I see…” I said, finally understanding. “Well, you look great. You have your long blue hair back, and you’re wearing your school uniform you had when we first entered high school.”

“I know, right?! I found out I can change my form in any way I like! Look!” Yuuka changed from her school uniform into casual clothes. “Hehe! How cool is this?!” she exclaimed, spinning around, showing a huge grin on her face.

“Interesting…” I said, fascinated. “So ghosts can change their form into whatever they wish.”

“Hm…not exactly~,” she said, crossing her arms. “I can only do clothes and change my style. I can’t change into other people and stuff.”

“I see.”

“Oh, Hikaru, there’s one thing I’ve been meaning to ask.”

“What is it?”

“Where the hell were you, huh?!!” she shouted, flying towards me in anger, her ghostly voice echoing throughout the room.

“...!”

“I went back to your house, but when I got there, I only saw your parents! I couldn’t find you anywhere!”

“W-Well, that’s because I moved,” I stammered, startled.

“Moved? Wait…so this is your house?!” she exclaimed, looking around.

“N-No, it’s just a small apartment,” I corrected her. “I rented it using some of the money I made from my job.”

“Job? Money? What have you been doing this past month?!”

I calmed her down and explained to her what has happened in my life since she passed away. After her funeral, I found a job at a local cafe in Shinjuku and worked there getting some money for myself. Once I saved enough, I used it and rented this apartment in Koto for myself, moving schools in the process. I always wanted to get away from my parents for a while now and live on my own, and this was the perfect opportunity.

“I see,” Yuuka said, crossing her arms, finally understanding. “You’ve always had a difficult relationship with your parents, especially with your gift.”

“Yeah. You had no idea how much I wanted to leave. It was a rough start, but life’s been going well since I’ve been alone,” I said, satisfied with myself.

“Wait…so does that mean…you don’t want me here…?”

“Huh?” Yuuka started to cry, showing glistening puppy eyes and her hands covering her face. “W-Wait just a minute! I didn’t mean it like that! I like being alone, but I enjoy your company!” I said, waving my hands, trying to cheer her up.

“Really…?” she said, sniffling.

“Really!”

“Okay~!”

That was fast, wasn’t it? I thought to myself, baffled at her instant mood change.

Yuuka levitated and began looking around my room. “Hm…it looks nice. A little messy, but pretty good.”

Ouch…

“Hm?” Something interesting caught her eye and Yuuka floated over to a wall in my room that had photos and papers hung on a bulletin board. “Haunted sightings? Missing people? Hey, Hikaru, what’s this?” she asked, pointing to it.

“Oh, I often find those around the city and take a copy for myself. In my free time, I would investigate and research them to see if there are any ghosts or people who’ve passed away. Then, I’d go out and help them move on.”

“Have you done this before?” she asked, curiously.

I nodded. “I’ve been doing it for a while actually. Back when you were still alive too.”

“What?!!” she screamed at the top of her ghostly lungs, dropping the temperature of the room and making it colder.

“So loud…” I said, stunned and covering my ears.

“You’ve been a detective all this time and you haven’t invited me once?!!” she exclaimed loudly, anger on her face.

“W-Well, I thought you’d be busy or creeped out by this…”

“Of course not! I love mysteries! You find the victim and follow the killer’s tracks, and then you figure out that somehow that one person you didn’t expect was the killer and it instantly blows your mind!” she said quickly in a hyperactive voice.

“Y-Yuuka, you watch too many shows…” I said awkwardly. “And this is real life. You shouldn’t be excited if someone gets killed.”

“N-N-No, it’s not like that!” she exclaimed, waving her hands. “I respect them, and may their souls rest in peace, but it’s just I want to solve their mysteries and help them!”

I sighed, then grabbed my phone from my desk and checked the time. “It’s seven o’ clock on a Saturday. I have work in an hour, so I have to get ready. We’ll do one of those on the board once I get back, alright?”

“Yes~!” she exclaimed, her eyes sparkling.

I got up from my bed and left my room to go to the bathroom. I started washing up, cleaning my face, brushing my teeth, and combing my hair. Once I finished, I went back to my room and went to my closet. I picked out a gray shirt and black jacket to wear, then I started changing out of my pajamas.

“Yaaaaaah! You idiot~! You’re changing in front of me?!!” Yuuka screamed, blushing red and covering her face with her hands.

“Why are you here then?! Just look away!” I shouted at her, embarrassed now.

Yuuka did as I said and turned around. Even though her gaze was away from me, I still felt embarrassed with her in the room.

Wait… I thought. Yuuka’s going to stay with me, isn’t she? That means…she’s going to know everything I normally do! She’s going to watch me everywhere I am! What am I supposed to do…?

I shook my head and pushed those thoughts away for now, focusing on changing my clothes. As I was about to put on my shirt, I heard a gasp from Yuuka.

“Woah…you’re ripped. Have you been working out or something?” she said, peeking through her hands.

“Why are you still looking?!”

“Sorry, sorry!”

After changing and that embarrassing moment together, I left my room and went to the kitchen. I opened the fridge and took out some eggs, tofu, and some salmon. I reached into the cabinets and pulled out a pan, placing it on the stove and heating it up with some oil. On a cutting board, I used a knife and cut the salmon into small pieces, then seasoned it and placed it into the hot pan.

As it was cooking, I cracked the eggs into a small bowl and stirred it, adding in some dashi and some soy sauce. I placed another pan onto the stove and heated it with some oil, then added in the eggs. Using some chopsticks, I gently rolled the eggs, layering them together and making tamagoyaki.

“Wow…” Yuuka said, watching me in awe and drooling. “That looks so good~! When did you know how to cook, Hikaru?”

“I’ve been cooking for a while now. Even before you passed away,” I answered.

“What?!!” she screamed out loud. “You’re telling me you’ve been cooking all this delicious food and I haven’t been able to try it!?!”

“Well…you never asked, and I feel like you may not have liked it,” I replied. “You usually eat pre-packaged food from the convenience store, and I know how often you’re picky when you go out to eat.”

“Hmph! It’s still mean of you to keep all of this to yourself!” she said, pouting and crossing her arms.

“Sorry…”

Some time later, the salmon and eggs were finished. In a bowl, I added some leftover rice, eggs, salmon, tofu, and picked vegetables together. On top of the salmon, I drizzled some teriyaki sauce, then I went over to my dining table and sat down.

“Thank you for the food,” I said, closing my eyes and folding my hands together.

As I dug in, Yuuka sat down in a chair in front of me and watched. She reached over for my bowl and tried to grab some of the food, only for her hand to pass through. Yuuka tried it again and again, with each attempt being futile.

“Ugh~...!” she grunted. “I’m so mad~…! I want to have a bite of your food~!” she said, pouting and looking down with tears in her eyes.

“I know how you feel, Yuuka, but you can’t really do anything like you used to as long as you’re a ghost,” I said, trying to sympathize with her.

“I know~...”

Frustrated, Yuuka levitated from her chair and floated upwards, turning herself upside down and sitting on the ceiling.

“Well, at least I can do this! How cool is this?!” she shouted.

“It’s cool,” I replied, giving her a thumbs up.

“Hehe!” she giggled. “Hey Hikaru, what else do you think I can do as a ghost?”

I took a bite of tamagoyaki, then sat back in my chair. “Hm…well, I’ve met a few ghosts who did some crazy things…”

“Like what?” she asked, tilting her head, curious.

“Well, there was one time where I met a ghost that could affect electronics and lights. Everything started to glitch or flicker, then it all instantly turned off at the same time.”

“Wait, I can do stuff like that?!” she said, smiling with her eyes glistening.

“Maybe.”

“Let me try!”

Yuuka looked at the ceiling light and pointed at it with her index finger. “Hm…” she hummed.

“What are you doing?” I asked.

“I’m trying to turn off the light!” she replied.

“I know that, but…why are you in that pose?”

“I’ve seen it in a superhero movie! If I do this, it’ll help me with my ghost powers!”

Rather than questioning it, I stayed silent and watched her, taking bites of rice and some salmon from my bowl. The two of us waited patiently for the ceiling light to flicker or go out, but nothing happened.

“Hm…!” she grunted, frustrated and her arm shaking . “Ugh…it didn’t work…”

“It’s fine. Maybe one day you’ll be able to turn off the light, young one,” I said, talking in an older and wiser tone.

“Hey! What’s with that voice?! Don’t treat me like a kid!”

“Now, now, don’t get angry. Your anger will only make you lose focus. You must be calm and patient.”

“I said stop that!”

Just then, the lights in the room flickered, and the two of us looked at it.

“Did you…just do that?” I asked.

“Yeah…I did…” she replied. “I…did it. I actually did it! Yay!”

Yuuka happily bounced up and down on the ceiling, telling herself over and over again that she did it.

“Hm. It seems emotions can help a ghost to use their abilities,” I noted.

I eventually finished my breakfast and went to the sink to clean my bowl. Once I was done, I made sure I had everything and put on my shoes.

“Alright. I’ll be heading out now,” I told Yuuka.

“Ooh! I’m coming with!”

“Wait, you’re coming with me?” I asked.

“Yeah!”

“Why?”

“Well, what else am I supposed to do? Just float around? I want to go with you and see how you work at this cafe!” she said, smiling and giving me the peace sign.

“Haha, alright. Let’s go, Yuuka.”

“Hm!”

*****

I entered a train headed to Shinjuku and sat down in a seat. I sighed and laid my head back to the wall as the train began departing. As I sat, I watched as Yuuka frolicked through the train, humming to herself, doing flips and dancing around. It was a little awkward that I could see this unfolding in front of me.

Just then, I felt something poke me by the arm. I turned and saw Yuuka sitting by my side, her finger touching me.

“Y-Yuuka?!” I said, startled by her suddenly appearing next to me.

Immediately, everyone in the train turned to look at me, confusion on their faces with their eyebrows raised. I shut myself up, and they eventually turned their gazes away.

“Sorry~! I didn’t mean to startle you, Hikaru!” she said, folding her hands. I sighed and calmed down. “So…Hikaru, what cafe do you work at?” she asked, curious.

To make sure the people on the train won’t look at me again, I pulled out my phone and opened the notes app, typing a message and showing it to her.

“I work at Ringo Cafe.”

“Ringo Cafe?” she repeated the name, tilting her head. “I don’t think I’ve heard of it before.”

“It was small and new when you were still alive, so not many people would’ve heard about it.”

“Hm. I see,” she said, finally understanding.

“If I knew about it and found the job before, maybe I could’ve had a few free coffees to give to you,” I typed.

“They give you free coffees?”

“Every now and then,” I replied.

“Lucky~!” she said, jealous of my benefits. “Still, I was sick at that time. Even if you did get a few, I probably wouldn’t have been able to drink it in my condition.”

“Yeah, probably not.”

I thought back to our embarrassing moment at my apartment. Since I was talking with her, I might as well ask.

“Yuuka,” I typed. “About you living with me. Can we draw a few lines? There are times where I want my privacy and things like that.”

The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

Yuuka nodded. “I promise I’ll leave you alone at times like that.”

“Thank you. I’ll do the same for you.”

Just then, my phone vibrated from a notification. I moved from my notes app to LINE, finding a text from one of my friends from school, Shinjai Hanabi.

“Hey Hikaru! Are you free today? If you’re not busy, do you want to go hang out at the mall with me?”

“Sorry. I have work today at Ringo Cafe. I’ll go with you another time.” I quickly responded.

“Who’s that?” Yuuka asked.

I went back to my notes app. “A girl named Hanabi. She’s a friend of mine from my new school.”

“Ehhhh…” Yuuka stared at me, her eyes narrowed and lips tightened. For just a brief moment, I could’ve sworn I saw her eyes turn pure black.

“What’s wrong?” I typed, asking her.

“What’s wrong~?” she repeated in a mocking voice, crossing her arms. “You’ve been hanging out with someone else beside me and I didn’t know! And a girl too! What, are you two dating or something?”

“No, of course not.”

“Eh? Really?”

“Really.”

Yuuka stared at me for a moment, then sighed. “I see. Well, on the other hand, at least it’s good to know you have some friends.”

I smiled and typed. “I may have more friends now, but none of them were like you.”

Upon reading that, Yuuka blushed a little, her cheeks turning pink and warm. She turned away and gently touched her face. “I-Is that so? W-Well, I am your best friend after all! Of course they were nothing like me! I’m the best!” she said, smiling and puffing out her chest proudly. I looked at her, awkwardly sighing.

*****

I arrived at Ringo Cafe and entered. It was small, with a few tables and chairs decorated with designs of apples and apple trees everywhere. The cafe was warm and cozy, and there was an aromatic apple cinnamon smell wafting through the air.

I saw two of my coworkers, Suzuki Yume and Hashimoto Maya, at the front desk, preparing everything for the day.

Suzuki had long blonde hair and hazel eyes, wearing a white uniform with a dark green apron that had a red apple design on it. Hashimoto had long red hair and hazel eyes, wearing the same uniform as Suzuki. The two were senior students who went to Shinjuku High School, working part-time here like I was.

“Oh, you’re here!” said Suzuki.

“Good morning, Himitsume-kun,” Hashimoto greeted me with a smile and wave.

“Good morning, Suzuki-senpai, Hashimoto-senpai,” I greeted them both back.

“We’re just starting to open up, so change quick and come help us.” I nodded.

I walked past them and headed to the locker room in the back with Yuuka following close behind me. On the way there, I passed by Shiba Rie’s office, the manager of the cafe.

“Good morning, Himitsume,” she greeted me.

“Good morning.”

Shiba had long brown hair and brown eyes with glasses, wearing a white shirt and black jacket with blue pants. She was holding a few papers in her hands, scanning through them.

“Hey Himitsume, wait,” she said.

I stopped and stepped back, poking my head into her office. “Hm?”

“Are you free to work on Monday?” she asked me, taking off her glasses and wiping them.

“Monday? Yeah, I’m free. Why?”

“Katsuragi called in saying he’s going to be busy that day, so he’s not going to make it. I need someone else to fill that job. I’m sorry, but do you mind taking it?”

“Yeah, it’s fine. I can come in later that day,” I replied.

“Thank you,” she said, putting back on her glasses.

“By the way, is it just the three of us working today?” I asked.

“No. I have Yamada coming in today. She’ll also be here on Monday with you as well.” I nodded in understanding, then left and continued on my way to the locker room.

“Who are those three?” Yuuka asked.

“Suzuki-senpai and Hashimoto-senpai are my senior coworkers. Shiba-san is my manager,” I replied. “Suzuki-senpai actually helped me when I came in for the first day of work.”

“Hmph…” she grumbled, a hint of irritation in her voice. “So, what are they like?”

“Shiba-san’s a little strict, but she can sometimes be casual and calm. Hashimoto-senpai’s usually quiet, but she can be very talkative and funny when she’s comfortable. Yume-senpai’s kind and understanding, but she’s kind of like a prankster like you, Yuuka.”

“Is that so?”

While Yuuka turned away, I grabbed my uniform from my locker and changed into it. Once I had it on, I headed back to the front where Suzuki and Hashimoto were.

I took a quick glance around the cafe. “Hey, is Yamada-san coming yet?” I asked, wondering where she was.

Suzuki nodded. “She’s supposed to be, but she seems to be a little late.”

“Hopefully not too late.”

Yamada Kei was another one of my coworkers. From what I knew about her, she was a bit clumsy and slow. Still, I wouldn’t pressure her too much. She was new to Ringo Cafe, and I knew her as one of my classmates from school.

Just then, the doors opened, and the three of us turned to see Yamada standing in front of the cafe, grabbing her knees and panting from exhaustion.

“S-S-Sorry I’m late…” she nervously stuttered, bowing to us.

Yamada had short gray hair and purple eyes. She was wearing a purple jacket with black pants and shoes, and there were headphones over her neck.

Suzuki sighed. “It’s fine. Go change and come out as soon as possible. We’re going to have customers soon.”

“Y-Yes!” Yamada walked past us and headed to the locker room.

I walked to the back and entered the kitchen. I prepared the coffee machines and made sure we had everything we needed for the day. As I did so, Yuuka floated and looked around in awe.

“Wow~! So this is what a cafe looks like on the inside! It looks so cool~! Everything’s so neat and pretty. I can’t smell anything, but I can just imagine the coffee smell in the air!” she said excitedly, like a small child during a field trip.

“Hey Yuuka, try not to fool around, alright?” I kindly advised her.

Yuuka pouted and crossed her arms. “Ehhhh? It’s fine, right? I’m just a ghost, I’m not going to harm anyone,” she said, annoyed at me.

“You don’t know that. If you can make the lights flicker, who knows what you can do. You may accidentally cause our machines to malfunction or something,” I explained.

“That’s not true!” At that moment, the lights in the cafe flickered and the machines beeped.

“Strange,” Yume said, noticing it. “What was that just now?”

“See?!” I sharply whispered at her.

“S-Sorry…I’ll stay back. I won’t bother you anymore…” she whimpered, floating to a corner of the kitchen with her back turned towards me and covering her face.

I sighed, placing my hand over my face. “I’m going to have to say sorry later…” I muttered.

“U-Um…H-Himitsume-kun?”

I turned around to see Yamada in her uniform, standing behind me, staring at me with a puzzled face. I didn’t realize she was there.

“Ahem. I-Is there something you need, Yamada-san?” I asked, slightly embarrassed.

“Y-Yes. U-Um…Sh-Shiba-san told me you can teach me the basics, seeing you work back-of-house,” she stuttered.

“Ah, right. I’ll give you a quick tour of the kitchen.”

I took Yamada around, showing her all the machines and how to use them. I explained to her our cafe menu and the ingredients used to make them.

“We usually focus on the popular items, but there will be a few times where we’ll make something else, so keep an open mind.”

Yamada nervously nodded. “Y-Yes.”

The door opened and Maya came in. “Hey, I need two medium caffe lattes. One with soy milk,” she told us the order.

“Alright. Let’s get started.”

“Y-Yes!”

While Yamada was watching me, I taught her step by step how to make a caffe latte. Using the espresso machine, I prepared some ground coffee and brewed some espresso. Next, I poured it in a cup with some steamed milk, leaving foam at the top.

After my demonstration, I allowed Yamada to give it a try. Yamada followed my steps, preparing the espresso and the steamed milk. During the process, she fumbled a little here and there, adding in a little too much espresso and milk.

“H-Himitsume-kun, p-please don’t tell this to Shiba-san. I-I don’t want to get fired~!” she whimpered, begging me while her body shook anxiously.

“It’s fine. With experience, you’ll learn,” I reassured her.

I continued to watch Yamada as she made the caffe latte. After three failed attempts, with my guidance, she finally made it perfectly. I brought the two drinks up to the front, which Suzuki and Hashimoto gave to the two customers. Just as they both left, another came in, and I was surprised to see who it was.

“Shinjai-san?” I muttered.

“Welcome to Ringo Cafe!” Suzuki greeted her.

“Hello~!” Hanabi greeted them back. She happened to notice me behind them and waved at me. “Oh, Hikaru-kun! Good morning, it’s nice to see you~!” she greeted me, giving a wide and warm smile.

“G-Good morning, Shinjai-san…” I awkwardly greeted her back, waving at her.

Shinjai had short pink hair and red eyes, wearing a tan leather jacket over a white shirt, a brown purse hanging over her shoulder, and a black skirt with black leggings and shoes.

“Do you two know each other?” Suzuki asked.

“Y-Yeah. We’re friends from school,” I answered. “But what are you doing here, Shinjai-san?” I asked her.

“Remember how I asked you earlier if you wanted to go to the mall? Well~, since you were so busy~, I scrapped all those plans and decided to go shopping around Tokyo by my little own self! That’s when I saw the cafe on my way, so I thought I’d stop by and give some support~!”

“Support?” I repeated, confused.

“Yeah. You know, your own personal cheerleader! Good luck and do your best~!”

I don’t know what she meant by that, but whatever she says. “So, is there something you like to order?” I asked.

Shinjai looked up at the menu and placed her finger to her mouth. “Hm…what do you recommend, Hikaru-kun?”

“A recommendation? Well…I usually get passion fruit juice with some honey…”

“Lame~!” Suzuki and Hashimoto both said at the same time.

“Shut up,” I jokingly responded.

Shinjai chuckled. “In that case, I’ll order that.”

“Are you sure? You may not like it.”

“No. If you recommend it, then it must be good. I’ll have one medium size please~! Ooh, and a small box of macarons! Matcha, chocolate, and strawberry.”

She paid for her order, then I started preparing it. I filled a medium plastic cup up with some passion fruit juice, adding a drop of honey and garnishing with mint. Then, from our display case, I grabbed three of each flavored macaron using some tongs and packed it in a small box.

“Here you go,” I said, handing over her juice and macarons.

“Thank you, Hikaru-kun!” she said, taking it.

Shinjai walked over to one of the tables and sat down. She took a sip of juice through her straw and smiled, looking at me with her eyes.

Suzuki and Hashimoto came up to me. “Hey hey, are you two really just friends?” they asked.

“Yeah, we are,” I replied.

“Really? She calls you by your first name. You two seem often flirty with each other,” said Suzuki.

“Right?” Hashimoto agreed.

I sighed. “You two are delusional. She just calls me by my name because she wants to. Nothing else.”

“Whatever you say~”

While Shinjai stayed in the cafe, more customers continued to come. I went back and forth between the front and the kitchen, helping Yamada make their orders, and helping Suzuki and Hashimoto serve them. Yuuka, who everyone else couldn’t see, still quietly whimpered in the corner.

A busy hour later, Shinjai finished her macarons and her drink, throwing them in the trash. She came back up to the front and met with me.

“Bye, Hikaru-kun! I’ll see you next time!”

“Yeah. See you next time.”

I watched as Shinjai left the cafe through the doors. I let out a sigh of relief, and Suzuki placed her hand on my shoulder.

“Good job handling those orders, Himitsume-kun!” she said, puffing out her chest proudly.

“Yeah…”

Just then, Yamada came up to the front with a nervous look on her face. “U-Um…I-I may have accidentally dropped some ground coffee on the floor…”

Suzuki smiled and pushed me towards her. “Go on! Help the newbie out!” I sighed again.

More work for me I guess…

*****

It was now the afternoon, and my day had finally come to an end. Yamada and I finished making the final orders, and Suzuki and Hashimoto gave them out to our last customers. Once they left, we put out the closed sign and started cleaning everything up.

As Yamada mopped the floor in the front, she sniffled and tears came down her face. “I-I’m so sorry, Himitsume-kun…! I-I messed up so much today…!”

“Hahaha. It’s fine,” I said, reassuring her. “It’s your first day here on the job. You’ll get used to it.”

“B-But, wh-what if I mess up more? Wh-What if I get fired?” she said, anxiously.

“None of that’s going to happen, Yamada-san. Don’t worry about it. If you do, it’s only going to make you more stressed out in life. Just take a deep breath and relax whenever you feel nervous.”

“O-Okay…” Kei followed my advice and took a deep breath, calmly letting it out. “T-Thank you, Himitsume-kun. I-I think I feel better now…” I nodded, glad to hear that.

As I was cleaning the tables and booths, I suddenly heard a knock at the front doors. I turned and saw a girl with long purple hair and blue eyes, standing outside and waving at us, having a nervous look on her face. She appears to be a student like me.

I went over to the doors and opened it. “Sorry, but we’re closed,” I told her.

“U-Um…is it alright if I come in for a moment?” she asked, nervously stuttering.

Confused, I tilted my head. “Why?”

“I…think I lost my wallet here during the day,” she answered.

“Your wallet?” She nodded, then I stepped outside. “What’s your name?”

“Takahashi. Takahashi Reina,” she replied.

“Takahashi-san, do you remember when you first noticed your wallet was missing?” I asked.

“During karaoke with my friends,” she said. “A few hours after I left here.”

“And when did you come here?”

“Around morning time. Maybe around eleven or twelve? I stayed for half an hour before leaving with my friends.”

I jotted everything she told me in my head. “Have you been to more places besides Ringo Cafe and karaoke?”

She nodded. “A park in Shinjuku and the mall.”

“Have you already checked those places?”

“Yes. I checked every spot I remember we went to. This is the only place left.”

“I see,” I said, finally understanding everything. “Alright. Come inside. We’ll give you a free drink while we figure out where to find your wallet.”

“Really? You’d do that?” she said, surprised to hear my offer.

“Yeah.”

The two of us entered the cafe and Suzuki noticed us. “Hey, why did you bring her in here, Himitsume-kun? We’re closed!”

“Takahashi-san said that she may have lost her wallet around here, so she wants to look for it,” I explained.

“Really? If that’s the case, let us help you!” she said, eagerly. “Yamada-san, Hashimoto-san~!” she called out their names.

Hashimoto calmly came over to us. Yamada, on the other hand, quickly came over, accidentally tripping and falling in front of us. The four of us stared at her on the floor, then she quickly stood back up.

“S-Sorry…”

Suzuki sighed, then turned to Takahashi. “So, what does this wallet look like?” she asked.

“It’s dark purple in color, and…it has a little rabbit keychain connected to it,” she said, describing it.

Suzuki nodded in understanding. “Alright. Let’s go look for this wallet!”

I started going around the cafe to look for Takahashi’s wallet with Suzuki, Yamada, and Hashimoto. While we did so, Takahashi was given a mocha for her trouble and patiently waited as we searched.

As I looked around the booths, checking the tables and chairs, I saw a glimpse of Yuuka floating close behind me, watching me.

“What are you doing?” she asked, curious.

“The girl over there, Takahashi-san, lost her wallet in the cafe. We’re all looking for it,” I replied quietly, making sure the others didn’t hear me.

“Ooh, a lost item?! Let me help, let me help!” she said eagerly.

“Help? In what ways?” I quietly said.

“I don’t know,” she said with a shrug. “Maybe I can look around and try to help you find it. A ghost like me can go to places you can’t.”

It was true. Yuuka can pass through objects and go through places easier than humans. More than likely, she can find the wallet better than we can.

After a moment’s thought, I nodded. “Alright. If you find it, let me know.”

“Yes~!” she said, saluting and floating away.

We continued our search, checking every place and every corner in the cafe, looking for her wallet. After a while, however, we found nothing. Takahashi, noticing this, walked over to me with a frown on her face.

“If you can’t find it… it’s fine,” she said in a disappointed tone.

I shook my head. “We’ll find it eventually. Just have hope,” I said, assuring her.

“But…your shifts are over, right? I’m just keeping you all here longer.”

“If we left when a customer needed something, we’d get a lecture,” said Suzuki.

“Yep. Even if it’s long, we have to stay to help,” Hashimoto said, agreeing with Suzuki.

“Everyone…” Takahashi looked at all of us, then bowed. “Thank you.”

Yuuka floated back to me and leaned close to my ear. “I found her wallet.”

I slightly moved my hand under the others’ view, gesturing to her to show me where it was. Yuuka floated over to a booth with a dark wooden table and comfy cloth seats connected to a wooden wall. She pointed her finger to the side of the seats and I walked over to her. I took a glance around so as to not draw any suspicion, then looked down, finding the wallet stuck inside a small space.

I reached down and gently pulled it out. “Found it!”

“You’re kidding?!” the others said in unison, surprised.

I handed over the wallet to Takahashi. She took it and placed it close to her chest, overjoyed that she finally has it now. “How did you know where to look for it?” she asked me.

“Well…nobody checked the small spaces at the side of the seats, so I thought I’d look there,” I replied, lying to her.

Takahashi smiled and bowed. “Thank you. I’m grateful to you. All of you.”

“It’s no problem!” Suzuki said, giving a smile.

“Hm,” Hashimoto nodded, giving a smile as well.

Takahashi looked up and took a quick glance at my uniform, then grabbed her cup of mocha and brushed her hair. “Well, I suppose I’ll go now. Again, thank you all for helping me. And thanks for the free mocha.”

“Yeah.”

We waved her goodbye as she walked out of the cafe. Suzuki came and grabbed me by the neck, having a smile on her face.

“Good job on finding the girl’s wallet, Himitsume-kun.”

“Yeah. Thank you, Suzuki-senpai.”

“Well, now that that’s over, we can finally leave!” We all happily cheered, but behind us, I could feel someone’s gaze was burning my back.

*****

I arrived back at my apartment and entered my room. I took off my jacket and put it back in my closet, then laid down in my bed and closed my eyes, exhausted from the day.

I sighed. “I’m sorry, Yuuka. I promised to take you and solve a mystery after work, but I’m so tired right now. I’ll take you and do a mystery next time.” No answer. “Yuuka?” No answer. I sat up and found Yuuka floating in the air, pouting as she glared at me and her arms crossed. “Is something wrong?” I asked.

“Hmph. It must be nice being so popular and having girls all over you,” she said in an irritated voice.

“What are you talking about?” I asked, tilting my head in confusion.

“Let’s see, there’s Shinjai, Suzuki, Yamada, Hashimoto, and Takahashi. Oh, and if you include the manager, that’s plus one,” she said, counting using her fingers.

“It’s just work. They’re friends, nothing more. Besides, why are you so concerned about it? You’re not jealous, are you?”

“Wh-What?! N-No! Of course not!” The lights in the room instantly flickered and a smirk ran across my face.

Time to tease her.

“Oh~? But your face is so red,” I said, pointing at her.

“H-Huh?!” The lights flickered again as Yuuka hastily tried to cover her face. She quickly floated away to the bathroom and looked at herself in the mirror, finding her reflection to show herself completely normal.

“L-Liar!” she angrily shouted at me.

“Hahahaha! You’re so easy to fool, Yuuka.”

Yuuka grunted, then changed her form and became a monster. She darted towards me and placed her face up close to mine, letting out a terrifying screech, startling me.

“O-Okay, okay! Calm down, Yuuka! It was just a joke!”

Yuuka glared at me for a moment, then backed away and turned back to her human form. She sat down on the floor with her legs crossed, pouting and looking away from me.

I sighed. “I’m sorry for messing with you, Yuuka. I’m sorry for yelling at you at the cafe too.”

There was a brief moment of silence. “...Hmph. I guess I forgive you. Idiot…”

I chuckled. “Yes, yes. I’m an idiot,” I said, pleasing her. “Oh, about what you did today. Thanks for helping me find her wallet.”

“Of course. Gotta help everyone, right?” I nodded.

I yawned, then stood up and changed into my pajamas in the bathroom. Once I was in my pajamas, I turned off the lights and laid back in my bed.

“Well, I’ll see you tomorrow. Good night.”

“Good night, Hikaru.”