The burn wasn't that bad, really. Hanayo made it through lunch before she thought to get the aloe vera. Lunch rush had kept her running from one end of the counter to the other; mixing smoothies and making sandwiches for the steady stream of customers that filled the Akihabara café. It was only when Hanayo was making the usual for the blonde woman who haunted post-rush in the back that she felt the first unpleasant sting; pouring the delicate leaves of the foam fern into the floral cup when suddenly her hand was searing. She stopped for a second, breathing deep, hoping no one could see the tears that were threatening to overfill.

The blonde woman seemed to notice her pain. "Are you okay?" Blazer, scarf, a tight ponytail. A business woman?

"Uh. Yes! I am fine!" Hanayo's voice was a squeak.

"Don't hurt yourself over a coffee, okay?"

"No, really, I'm fine! A-anyways, your coffee is done. I missed up the leaves a little, sorry!" With her good hand, she pushed the cups towards the customer. (Or "adoring public", as her assistant manager Yazawa liked to insist the lowly workers refer to the customers as.) Her adoring singular public shook her head and smiled.

"I used to be a barista too. Really, It's okay," With a sad sort of smile, she dropped some bills into the tip jar. "I promise," She took her mug of coffee. "And it's a very beautiful design. Thank you, Hanayo."

Hanayo watched as she walked away. How did she know her name? Was she a former classmate? (Hanayo had forgotten her name tag.) Her manager made eye contact. Hanayo instinctually grabbed a rag, least she be accused of slacking off. The tiny woman was scowling, almost disgusted-looking. Narrowed red eyes followed the blonde as well, glare boring deep into her swishing shiny hair.

"So you met Ayase, huh?"

"O-oh, is that who that was?"

Her manager sighed. "Yeah. Used to work here. Back when we were freshman."

"Oh."

Yazawa's face was flustered. "Watch out for that one."

Hanayo did not allow herself to think of the woman until her shift was over and she was safely away from accidental eye contact. She had studiously avoided the woman's area of vision, running to the back more often than interacting with their "fans." So elegant! So graceful! Surely Hanayo must have bumbled more today than any other day, knowing that lady was in the shop. At times she felt the gaze of the woman rest on her back, received a quick gentle smile from her. Theoretically, she knew this was called flirting. That did not mean she knew what to do with it. She sat down in the back, head on the table.

"You need a Xanax, Koizumi?" Yazawa's chipper voice was grating on her building headache.

"No! Maybe. Yes! Ugh."

"Those pretty girls, they'll kill you, huh?"

"It's nothing like that!" Why was she getting so flustered? "I'm going home. See you tomorrow."

It could be, she supposed, as she walked through the chilly streets of Akihabara, that she had not dated in a while. Freshman year she'd dated a girl named Rin. She still wasn't properly over it. (First love takes time, she told herself.) Classroom crushes had come and gone, but nothing occupied her thoughts the way Rin had. Rin had been her goddess, her reason to show up to class early, the woman who pushed her forward into the world.

Hanayo watched a lady being carried down the street by her energetic oversized golden retriever. Yes, she thought, exactly like that. Rin had found each rabbit and pole to sniff out.

The blonde lady, no matter how pretty she was, was never going to be that to Hanayo.

"Do you have the butter beer lattes?"

The pretty blonde lady looked sheepish, as if she knew this was not on the real menu. "Er, you know. I think it's got caramel and toffee? Nico used to make them."

So she remembered Nico too. Hanayo tried to imagine them working together: a cool leader in her customer, Yazawa spazzing out at every mishap. "I… I can try! W-what kind of design do you want?"

Seconds hung between them as the woman looked directly into her eyes. They were light blue, the color of the clear midday sky; tastefully made up in neutral colors that only a careful eye would notice eyeshadow was there in the first place. Why did they look so sad? What burdens were held in her beige briefcase? "Give me a swan."

"C-can do! That's… uh, pretty cool." Hanayo tried to give a quirky smile. "What should I put you down as?"

"Eli. You can call me Eli."

"I'm, um, Hanayo! Er. I guess you already knew that?"

Eli smiled. "It's right on your apron."

"Oh! Oh my goodness, I wondered if I knew you from somewhere or something!"

"I wish I knew someone as talented as you." Did she compliment everyone? It seemed to flow off her tongue so naturally.

"I-I-I'm just good at drawing! I'll go get started on your latte."

Hanayo came back with a foamy swan in a mug. "Here you go, Eli." It was weird calling her by her first name.

"Thank you very much, Hanayo." Eli took a sip of the butter beer latte. "It's wonderful tasting, it feels like a shame to ruin the design."

"Oh, no, it's no big deal…"

"You really do make wonderful art, don't put it down, okay?"

Hanayo was at a loss for words. "U-um. Okay."

"That's better."

"Thank you very much, Eli." Eli. Eli. She was saying her name, rolling those syllables around on her tongue. "You're very kind."

"Well, you are my favorite barista."