Everyone was dumbfounded. But Haru was in high spirits.
“How do you like that? Sumo’s cake is pretty good, right? That’s a girl bomb!”
The adventurer licked at the ream grass juice covering his face and said, “It’s surprisingly tasty.”
“Ow!” I got caught with my guard down as the next cake hit me in the face.
Haru was laughing. That pissed me off, so I said, “Sumo, over here too, please!”
“You little—!”
The cake I threw missed completely and exploded on Kiyori’s face. But she didn’t even flinch, so I worried maybe she really was dead. “...Give me a break...no more...fighting...”
Oh, she’s alive. She couldn’t move, but she could talk. Well, that’s fine.
“Maybe you should pay attention!”
A cake came flying at me, but this time I was able to dodge. The guy behind me got covered in it.
I threw a cake. Unfortunately, that one also hit an unrelated man. But what did I care? I was mad. I would cover everyone who approached with frosting! Haru and I continued lobbing cakes at each other.
“I don’t smile all the time either. I get pissed off and want to bad-mouth people sometimes too. I’m just like you, Haru!”
“I know that! You’re the one who doesn’t speak up. You’re always making me vent for you! Well, I want to anyhow, but...”
“I want to vent, too! I do. But if I did that—”
“Vent, then! You’re still Lupe even if you talk shit or complain. And I want to hear it! I’m genuinely interested in what kind of biting comments you’d make. So tell me!”
“But there are lots of other things I want to talk about. I want to talk about fun stuff with you. I want to laugh. That gives me more energy, and I love it!”
“Lupe, that’s exactly it. Your goody-two-shoes-ness is showing. You’re acting like someone’s mom. Be more open! Show me the dark parts of you, even just a little at a time!”
“Then here’s something: Madam is crazy. If she’s going to leave the shop for multiple days, she needs to tell me way further ahead than the day before! The shop and my heart need to prepare!”
“Good—just like that! That’s what I wanted to hear. But wait, Madam isn’t around?! Lupe, that must make things super hard for you!”
“It does! I bawled my eyes out in the shop—my eyes: out. The guildmaster’s lazybones son even sympathized with me! It was the worst!”
“Yikes. He seems like the type to get high on himself encouraging you.”
“And then there’s Kizuha!”
“Figures! Everyone’s favorite gal pal. Did she do something to you, too?!”
“It’s just, everything about her is so scary and obscene. She’s always putting on this weird air. I’ve felt physically threatened by her any number of times.”
“Seriously? I’ll never forgive her. She can’t do that to my Lupe!”
“But she has me beaten on so many levels. I can’t win. She’s really just amazing...”
“Yeah, well...c’mere, Lupe. I’ll there-there you.”
At some point the cakes had sold out (We’ll pay and clean, Mr. Sumo!) and I was in Haru’s arms. When she hugged me, the cake got smooshed all over us. I started crying again. But these tears were different; they felt really good.
I put my arms around her and said, “Don’t ever leave.”
“I won’t. I’ll stay right here.”
I snapped back that that had to be a lie. I just knew she would go off to some weird place and leave me alone again—because this girl is a ball of curiosity and the power to act on it. She makes friends so easily. She doesn’t need me.
“I won’t go anywhere. My house and my world is here. I’m going to be one of you.”
I wailed and hugged her. I tensed my arms to lock her to my chest.
Stay with me, best friend.
So I did all that embarrassing stuff, but I don’t regret it. That’s me. All I did was show a bit of my darkness. There’s still way more.
After that, I told Haru the no-fun story of how I got into this work.
When I finished, Haru laughed and said, “So could it be that you...take after your mom?!”
“Oh, you’re right, huh?” I laughed, too.
Every day was so busy. I put my all into my work and got a little bolder.
The other day I fought with Kizuha and wore her down to the point where she had to finally listen to what I wanted to say. The edges are starting to come off of her personality. I don’t know whose influence that is. I made it a rule not to ask.
But after that incident, Madam started being a bit more considerate of me. They’re a strange mother-child pair.
I’ve started speaking up with my opinion more often, since I have one and all. I want to make changes around the shop, especially with regards to how the girls are treated.
I told Madam I want to hire some of the regulars, if the terms work for them, to stand on guard in the pub and upstairs. Just having them around would make the girls feel safer while they work.
I started having all sorts of discussions with the guildmaster’s son. When I told him I wanted the girls to have private rooms separate from their working rooms, he said he would find me a building nearby. Once I actually tried befriending him, he was a surprisingly nice guy. Although he did give me a weird look and ask why I’m trying so hard.
There are just so many things I need to protect. Haru caused a whole other huge fuss. I need more people I can rely on. I’m busy every day.
I was meeting Chiba for lunch. Haru said, “No way!” so I walked over to Sumo’s on my own.
“Oh, Cake Lady. This week’s new one is tasty as usual. Here, try it!”
“Thanks.”
The bearded adventurer who hurt his leg kept coming to the cafe even after he healed up—because, he said, he wanted to eat cake. But I think he’s gone overboard.
There were a few other guys nibbling cakes. And some girls. While I was looking for a seat, all kinds of people called out to me. “Oh, Cake Lady.”
That was pretty mortifying, to be honest, but I couldn’t say it was too hard to come eat alone anymore. These were our seats. The cake ladies’ spot.
While I waited for Chiba, I picked at my dessert a bit and continued my knitting.
I’m glad I found the perfect yarn. It’s a sunny orange. It reminded me of Shequraso’s pretty hair. So I know it’ll be cute. I’m sure it’ll look great.
Trusting in that, I worked my knitting needles industriously. I was still learning, but I wanted to be able to make all sorts of things. Like my mom.
“Sorry I kept you waiting! Once again Crimson has completed his training in the forest. It’s weird, though. Lately there aren’t any demons. The army even came to survey the place and chased us away. I know what it is. The demon lord must finally be afraid of me. Well, Endless Crimson Rain is a pretty—huh? Did you already eat?” Chiba suddenly asked in the middle of his ramble as he took the seat across from me, his eye on the cake.
I replied that another customer had just given it to me.
He made a grumpy face for some reason. “You let guys besides me treat you...?”
Ever since I cried when I was a bit down the other day, Chiba has sometimes said controlling stuff like his, as if he has claimed me as his lover or something.
“Do you have a problem with that?”
“Uh, no, not at all!”
But I don’t really worry about it because the moment I give him the slightest glare, he looks like a little boy again.
And my only issue is with that attitude. It’s not as if I dislike Chiba, and I don’t actually mind if he assumes we’re together.
Not that I have time to hang around with someone with so much free time; I’ve got things to do. So that’s where I’m at with it.
“But lunch is on me!”
“Thanks. You’re always so nice.”
His heart’s always on his sleeve; it cracks me up. Chiba makes me laugh.
Boys like that are precious. I’m grateful—truly.
“It’s fine. I mean...”
I was still knitting when he looked at me all bashful for some reason.
“You’re knitting some kind of flashy something for me, after all...”
“This? This isn’t for you. It’s a hat I’m going to give to Haru.”
“Huh? To Haru? Hold on, though, isn’t that kind of small for a hat? Did she grow a horn or something?”
He answered so blankly that I was shocked. Are you kidding me? Haru hadn’t told him yet. They’re friends, though! How cold!
“It’s for the baby. Haru’s having a baby. Everyone’s freaking out about it.”
“Hmm.” Chiba relished the scent of the tea Sumo served us before taking a sip, turning to the guy next to us, and spitting it everywhere.
“Whaaaaaaaaat?!”
Then he screamed at the top of his lungs, fell over backwards, clonked his head, and stopped moving.
As Mr. Sumo was hesitating over what resembled the murder scene from that one time, I ordered meat for two. I needed to build some muscle.
I’m sure Haru’s kid will be a naughty little thing. I’ll be even busier.