Stirring in his sleep as an unknown outside influence began to coax him awake, Kist slowly peeled open his eyes, allowing him to witness his bedroom door being thrown open.

The loud crash echoed as the wooden door slammed against the wall, the frame holding it in place shaking with the same fear that struck Kist’s heart and snapped him out of his stupor.

Now, with wide eyes, he watched in horror as Skyler leaped from the edge of the room onto his bed, dropping a sharp elbow directly into his stomach.

Yelling out in pain, Kist fought for his life as he was dragged out of his bed and onto the floor, “Okay I’m up! I’m wide awake, so stop!”

While pleading for peace, Kist grabbed the end of his bedframe, the only thing stopping him from sliding across the room.

Skyler, laughing through an evil grin spread across her face, dropped her brother before calling out, “Good! Today’s going to be a busy day and we can’t have you sleeping in.”

Clambering to his feet, using his bed to support him, Kist turned his head to glare at his sister before speaking, “You don’t always have to be so violent!”

“I knocked.” Speaking with feigned innocence, Skyler pretended to appear apologetic before turning and walking out of the room, waving her brother on.

“Yeah, alright.” Sighed out a response, Kist slowly stood tall before moving through his room to his closet to get his shop uniform.

Getting dressed, Kist walked out of his room and into the bathroom.

Taking care of his morning routine, Kist motioned to exit the room, only to stop once he’d thought about the long, curly strands of hair hovering over his face. Taking a moment to grab a rubber band, Kist used it to hold his hair back in a simple ponytail.

Looking over himself in the mirror, Kist was caught admiring his reflection,

“Hey, you know you got somewhere to be right?” Speaking in his usual gravely monotone way, Dorian raised an eyebrow as he peered through the open door.

“Don’t be jealous,” Deciding to test his luck, Kist joked through a mischievous grin. “We can’t all be blessed with hair.”

Seeing the usual controlled rage, which always flashed to life at the mention of his shiny scalp, brighten his grandfather’s eyes, Kist nervously laughed as he stepped back.

“Oh, you think you’re funny!” Raising his massive fist as he stepped forward, Dorian gritted his teeth through a smile concealed by his bear as he stomped forward.

Jokingly screaming as his grandfather walked him down, Kist threw up his hands only to be saved by his confused sister.

“What are you two doing?” Glaring at the two of them, Skyler called out suspiciously.

Quickly dropping his hand, Dorian hid his murderous intent before daring to face his granddaughter, “Nothing, just bonding.”

Slamming a heavy hand on Kist’s shoulders, Dorian forcefully pulled his grandson into him. Simultaneously, he disarming his granddaughter while crushing his grandson.

Seeing her brother’s pleas for help, Skyler smiled, choosing to ignore the both of them, “Right, you can him kill later. We still have to open the shop and prep for today’s rushes.”

Grumbling, Dorian pushed Kist out of the bathroom, “Take ’em!”

Stumbling behind Skyler, Kist hid behind her playfully as she waved her thanks to her grandfather while he stuck out his tongue like the young brat his grandfather believed him to be.

Threatening to chase after him, Dorian quickly scared him away.

Catching up to his sister, Kist placed his hands behind his head before speaking, “So what prep do I need to start on?”

“Huh? Oh, there isn’t any for you.”

Tilting his head in confusion, Kist questioned Skyler, “What do you mean? I always do the prep.”

“I know… that’s why today your opening the shop.” Skyler answered.

“You don’t mean-”

“You left me to cater to every single customer yester and now you get the chance to do the same.”

Groaning his discontent, Kist dropped his hands.

“Yeah, exactly. Dosen’t sound to easy does it!”

Descending the steps, the two siblings began their work opening the shop. Skyler cut various fruits and vegetables and preheated the ovens and stoves.

At the same time, her brother began setting up tables and raising curtains.

As time passed and task after task was completed, Kist tied his apron strings as his grandfather finally appeared, calling out to his grandchildren.

“Alright, let’s make sure today is a good one.” Grabbing hold of his apron, the gruff old man secured the protective piece before applying his beard net, which drew a laugh from Kist.

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“Don’t be jealous, we all can’t be blessed with a full beard.” Dorian joked.

Dropping the grin that had spread across his face, Kist glared daggers at the man while Skyler burst out in a fit of laughter.

As he walked toward the door to unlock the shop, murmuring swears under his breath, Kist smiled as all the anxiety he’d been holding onto faded from him; the lingering suspense from his evaluation results and the tension from his alliance with Nue all but disappeared from his mind.

As the hours passed, and the coffee shop began to fill with the usual and new patrons, Kist, who had been given the short end of the stick, took and tended to each and every one of them.

“Is there anything else I could get for you?” Kist asked for what felt like the millionth time.

“No, that will be all thank you.” A man replied, answering for himself and the woman sitting before him.

Dotting the edge of his notepad in a dramatic display, Kist smiled at the couple as he nodded and walked towards the counter, where his sister fulfilled a different order.

“Here you go sis.” Handing off the ticket, Kist sneered playfully at Skyler as she took the order from him.

“See, things aren’t so bad-”

Cut off by a sudden crash and shattering of porcelain from behind her brother, Skyler pierced over her brother, whose face had begun to contort with anger at the group of howling youths who’d just dropped several dishes.

Noticing Kist’s head turning toward the group, Skyler quickly grabbed him by the arm, demanding his attention, “I see that look on your face, Kist, don’t, just be nice and tell them again to be more careful, It’s just a few plates!”

Staring at his concerned sister, Kist took a deep breath and smiled at her, “Of course...just let me go clean up the trash.”

“I don’t like how you said that, but yeah we gotta get that cleaned up and fast,” Letting go of her brother, Skyler watched as Kist began to walk toward the group.

“Please, don’t do anything stupid!” Clenching her fists in anxious anticipation, Skyler watched as her brother approached the table, only to have her attention be split as a new customer entered and headed directly for her. “Welcome in…”

“Excuse me,” Standing less than an inch away from the table, Kist loomed over the five children who’d frozen in his presence, “Don’t you know it’s bad manners to be loud in a coffee shop.”

“Dude, just pick up the glass and leave us alone.” One of the teens replied.

“Yeah, he already paid for everything! Plus it’s not our fault you left empty plates on the table… isn’t it your job to clear them as were finished?” Laughed another.

Feeling his jaw flex and the veins in his arms and forehead begin to squirm with frustration, Kist attempted to stifle his emotion. However, his attempt was in vain as one of the teens quickly spoke up.

“We’re sorry about the plates, honest. We’ll leave soon!”

“Good.” Speaking out much more aggressively than he intended, Kist lowered himself as he picked up the shards.

“Juno, what the hell?”

“Leave it, Bruno, we got alot more to worry about than some plates.”

“Juno’s right. You know how hard it was to get mom to agree for us to go to the shadow puppet festival, I’m not letting your clumsiness ruin everything for the rest of us.”

“Whatever, Angie, let’s get out of here!”

Having finished picking up the shards, Kist stood to his feet just as the group began to leave.

“Have a great day,” Putting on the kind face he could muster, Kist waved away the children as they walked out the front door. “Brats.”

Turning to address the mess he held in his apron, Kist walked toward one of the trash cans but not before responding to the suspicious glare from Skyler, who had been burning a hole in the back of his head, with a simple nod.

“Shadow puppet festival, huh? Guess people are working fast to capitalize on that damn star…” Thinking to himself as he’d begun discarding the broken plates, he finished quickly, preparing to return to work, only to notice Skyler waving him forward.

“What did I do now?” Kist inwardly questioned.

Returning to his sister’s side, Kist looked at her expectantly, “Yes?”

“Everything go well with them?”

“Yeah, they apologized.”

“Good, now what about him?” Pointing toward a distant table, Skyler questioned her brother.

Following where her hand guided him, Kist’s eyes widened as he saw Nue sitting crisscross in his seat, sipping a cup of iced coffee.

Turning back to his sister, Kist asked, “What about him?”

“He said he was a friend of yours…told me to tell you hi.”

“He can me that himself.” Kist uttered.

Walking toward Nue, the kind and open energy Kist had been enveloped in quickly melted away, completely dissolving as he stood before the man.

“What’s with the indifference,” Swirling his drink with the paper straw that’d been stabbed through the lid of the cup, Nue spoke with a wide grin. “Aren’t you glad to see me?”

Letting out a small laugh, Kist sneered at the man as he answered his question with another, “Are we being honest?”

“Always.” Nue answered.

“Then, no,” Kist jokingly replied. “How did you find this place?”

Tilting his head in confusion, Nue spoke with a confused tone, “I’ve always come here… you’ve just never had a reason to notice.”

Shrugging his shoulders, Kist waved off Nue’s comment, “I guess, anyway, this isn’t the best place to talk about plans.”

“I figured,” Motioning behind Kist with a slight shift in his eyes, Nue gestured toward Skyler. “She’s very curious.”

“She’s the eyes and ears of this whole building, honestly, it’s no surprise everyone thinks she owns the place.”

Laughing softly at the comment, Nue raised the cup to his lips before continuing, “We’ve fifty hours left, we have to discuss the plan soon.”

Downing the rest of his coffee in a matter of seconds, Nue placed the dish back on the table before standing and holding out his hand for Kist to take.

“You know you could just give me your number instead of whatever this way.” Laughed Kist as he took Nue’s hand.

“True, though I assumed the message would be easier to send in person.” Nue said.

“Anyway, I’ll see you in a few hours, I have some things to bring to your attention as well.” Kist said.

“Then I’ll be at the arcade in say five hours?” Nue asked.

“Make it three, I’m making it out of here early.” Kist said as a troublesome grin thinned his lips.

“If you say so,” Placing his hands in his pockets, Nue turned to leave but not before calling out with one last comment. “Nice apron by the way.”

Completely blindsided by the slight, Kist responded in kind, “Fuck you.”

Exiting the building, Nue left Kist to his thoughts, which were quickly redirected as a voice yelled out to him, “KIST! The orders!”

Snapping out of his trance, Kist spun on his heels and rushed back to work, “I here you, I here you, so stop yelling!”

Returning to his duties, though no longer entirely focused on them, as the thoughts that’d all but faded returned in droves, the calmed storm that carried them raging within his mind.