I was only fifteen. A third-year middle school student like me typically wasn’t allowed to work, but given our family’s circumstances, I’d been granted special permission to work part-time at my cousin’s café. I stood at the crosswalk just outside the Plaza Sakurabana department store, with the café located on the top floor, rubbing my hands together to ward off the biting December chill.
As I waited for the signal to change, an exceptionally well-dressed girl caught my eye. Her long, blonde hair wasn’t exactly uncommon in this neck of the woods, but her attire was anything but. She wore a flowing, high-waisted skirt topped with a luxuriously warm-looking fluffy coat and clutched the straps of an elegant handbag. Her ensemble felt like high fashion, so distinct and opulent that I hesitated to even call them clothes if only to avoid associating them with the plainness that I wore.
Would I be cute in that same getup? I wondered before the horrid continuation, if only Shizuku wasn’t sick… popped up in my mind for a second before I shook it from my head, utterly disgusted at my own indecency.
What could be more important to you than Shizuku? I was in the middle of admonishing myself when I suddenly noticed a man approaching the well-dressed girl. She seemed preoccupied, perhaps searching for someone, completely oblivious to the man inching closer. His movements were furtive, almost calculated, but I hesitated to jump to conclusions—he could just be a friend planning a surprise.
That assumption crumbled in an instant when, in a swift, unexpected move, he snatched her handbag and bolted—straight to me. Instinctively, my hand shot out, guided by some inner reflex, and I somehow managed to firmly grasp one of the bag’s straps.
“Wh-What are you…?!” the thief stammered. “Let go!”
“You let go! That’s not your bag!” I yelled.
“I said let go!” He shoved, and I fell hard on the pavement. Despite the tumble, I felt the bag secure in my possession. Thwarted, the would-be thief clicked his tongue in frustration and fled into the crowd.
As I gathered myself, a new voice, poised and unmistakably refined, reached me from above. “Excuse me, are you okay?” I lifted my eyes to see the girl whose bag had been targeted looking down at me in concern. She was awfully pretty, around my age or perhaps a bit older, with a figure straight from a fashion magazine—slender, elegant, with impeccably balanced curves. Her blonde hair framed striking violet eyes. An elegant nose sat atop a pair of glossy pink lips. Despite her mature appearance, there was a hint of youthful charm in her expression. What is she, a model?
“Oh, dear. You didn’t hit your head, did you? Shall I have you taken to the hospital?” she continued.
Crap, I was staring. “No, I’m fine, thank you,” I replied. “Oh um, your bag, miss, here you—” I gasped as I rushed to my feet. Extending her handbag toward her, I suddenly noticed one of the straps was nearly torn off. “I’m so, so sorry!” I exclaimed, bowing deeply in apology. This is name brand, isn’t it? What’ll I do if she asks for compensation? I can’t afford this!
“Sorry? For what?” Her response was a mix of curiosity and nonchalance.
I hesitantly raised my head to look at her; she took the damaged bag from my hands.
“Thank you for your brave intervention. Had it not been for you, my predicament would be far worse. I am not so ungracious as to seek damages from someone who acted so selflessly. That responsibility lies with him.” Her amethyst eyes narrowed, glancing beyond me. Following her direction, I saw a group of men in black and a woman in a maid’s costume approach. They had the thief in their custody.
“Your instructions, milady?” the woman asked.
“Interrogate him,” the girl replied promptly. “Determine if this was a mere act of opportunism by a pickpocket who didn’t know any better or a targeted attempt against me. Inform the police they may have him once we have what we need.”
Wow. Her presence was commanding, her demeanor like that of a true aristocrat talking down to her servants. I was so caught up in her imposing aura that I almost missed her turning back to me. “Thank you again for rescuing my handbag.”
“Oh, I…I didn’t really do much,” I offered. In my mind, her bodyguards seemed more than capable of handling the situation. They could’ve probably detained the thief and retrieved the bag without my help, sans destroyed strap and all.
Dismissing my doubts with a graceful shake of her head, she smiled at me with poise and magnanimity. “But you did. Your actions prevented his escape. It’s the intention that matters, and for that, I am grateful.” Her eyes closed softly in a gesture resembling a contented feline. “I would like to thank you properly. Do you have a moment?”
“Time!” I gasped, whipping out my phone. My face paled. “So sorry, I’m going to be late for my shift, maybe another time!”
Luckily, the signal was green. I didn’t even wait for her reply, just made a mad dash across the street and into the plaza. I bolted into the elevator, rode it to the top floor where the restaurants were and continued to run, not stopping until I reached the café. Glancing at my phone, I had just five minutes to spare. “Kaede, sorry, I’m late!” I panted, trying to catch my breath.
“Oh, there you are. You didn’t have to sprint, you know, you’re still early.” Kaede, my older cousin and proprietor of the café, smiled at me kindly. She poured me a glass of water, which I gratefully accepted and downed in a single gulp.
“Thanks. But I should aim to be early to start my shift on time,” I replied, catching my breath.
Kaede giggled. “Well, look at you. Who would’ve thought the girl who once stuttered in front of customers would become my most dependable employee.”
“K-Kaede, can you not!” Hiding my heating cheeks with my hands, I pushed past her and into the back area to change. As I slipped out of my school uniform, the doctor’s words from earlier swept back into my mind, the grim news pulling my chest tight. Forcing those thoughts aside, I changed into my work uniform—a neat, ribboned blouse and a pair of slacks while the other waitresses here wore skirts. I was the odd one out, Kaede’s exception for the lone middle schooler on her team to ensure I stayed comfortable and out of any potential trouble.
My early days working here had been rough. Being constantly pulled aside for an earful, being terrible at handling customer issues—my performance had been far from stellar. But a year later, I could almost call myself proficient. Kaede still didn’t trust me with the register, but I could handle pretty much everything else besides that—taking orders, running food, bussing tables, and assisting the rest of the waitstaff.
A little while later into my shift when the flow of customers began to ebb, a party of two waltzed through the door: a silver-haired woman in around her mid-twenties and a blonde-haired girl in her late teens. From their apparent ages, they could almost be sisters, but not them—they were the same individuals I’d encountered earlier at the intersection just outside. The recollection of the afternoon’s events sent a jolt through me.
What are they doing here? I thought, only a little panicked, when suddenly, Kaede’s hushed voice brushed past my ear. “What are you doing? Go greet them.”
Shaken from my reverie, I quickly composed myself and approached the two ladies.