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It was a bright weekday morning when Tachimukai Yuuki entered through the door of his usual neighborhood coffee shop. The door chimes brightly rang as he stepped inside, only to be drowned out by the indistinct din of muffled conversation and background music within the small space.
The shop was busier than usual this morning as students from the nearby university prepared for upcoming midterms, but he could easily pick out fellow faces amongst the crowd of patrons nestled throughout the various tables and window seats. A head of loud pink hair behind the counter alerted Tachimukai to the presence of his roommate, Tsunami, ever upbeat even in the chaos of preparing a myriad of orders at once. On a shared desk to the side, his classmates Rika and Touko chatted happily together in an apparently long study break from their closed textbooks. Henmi sat at another table, clicking away at an online game taking full advantage of the free wifi in sharp contrast to the nearby students that were actually studying for their midterms. Tachimukai always wondered if that guy's grades were really okay, but Henmi never looked worried even during exams.
The line of waiting customers moved faster than Tachimukai had expected, and he hurriedly made his order to the busy cashier while giving a light wave to Tsunami in the back. Done with that, he decided to search for an open seat while waiting. His wandering feet came to a brief halt when he spied a familiar head of navy-blue hair lightly reflecting back the soft ceiling lighting. None other than Otonashi Haruna sat at a table further down, red-framed glasses reflecting the white screen of her laptop. She set down the coffee that stained her soft pink lips, determined eyes returning to the work that spanned the screen. An ordinary sight to anyone that remotely knew her, but even his familiarity hadn't robbed the scene of its beauty.
They had met the previous semester when Tachimukai had started frequenting this coffee shop. It wasn't unusual for regulars to engage in small talk after passing by one another when waiting for an order, and it was doubly so for someone as extroverted as Haruna. She was extremely inquisitive, befitting of her journalism major, yet attracted friends with her warm personality. Before he had known it, Tachimukai had already told her all about his hopes and dreams for the future. It was a little embarrassing, but speaking with Haruna somehow seemed so comfortable and put him at ease.
"Good morning, Tachimukai! Looking for a seat?" A bright voice greeted him as she finally looked up from her screen to meet his widened eyes. She gestured at the empty chair across from her in a show of inviting him over.
Tachimukai. Right. That’s my name.
"O-Otonashi, good morning!" They were friends after all, and they had shared tables multiple times. She'd only read his smile as relief upon finding a seat with a friend, right?
"Thanks for the offer! I'll set my bag here, then!" Tachimukai took the empty seat at the other side of the table, facing Haruna. One of the baristas would call him to pick up his order soon, but for now he'd focus on settling down the insistent pounding in his chest.
"It's a beautiful day, isn't it? It's a shame we have to spend it studying!"
Small talk. He’d pulled off small talk several times before, he could do it again. Mustering up a smile that a good friend would wear, he slightly leaned in towards the table and the two quickly settled into their usual rhythm. Their subjects of conversation flitted here and there, but this chance meeting was a small respite from the troubles of their busy student lives. As they chatted, Haruna lifted her gaze and met Tachimukai's blue eyes, her heart singing at her good fortune. They were friends for now, but she knew why her gaze lingered a little longer when it came to Tachimukai.
In too short of a time, Tsunami’s booming voice enthusiastically called for Tachimukai to pick up his order. A brief interruption, but as he got up to go get the fresh cup, he felt like it was a small price to pay for the chance of coming across the sweet company waiting with a bright smile at the table he’d quickly return to.