Disclaimer: KHR! belongs to Amano Akira. This story and concept belong to me, though. Enjoy!

[chapter 01 : tea]

Ruddy.

It was a good word. It didn't fit in with other adjectives like azure, vermillion, or onyx. Those words rolled off of your tongue like a secret spell. They were fragile-sounding and almost intangible.

Thinking of her boss's ruddy complexion, and carrying a cup of tea that was almost as ruddy as the solitary customer's tie, Uni wondered why the color meant so much to her. She couldn't remember when she had started to find solace in the hue.

"Here you are." She set the steaming cup on the table, turning the handle to face the man. His eyes looked appreciative as he mumbled his thanks. After checking his watch, the man resumed observing the people that walked past the café on that busy day. He didn't touch the tea. He never touched the tea. He'd drink the coffee, he'd eat the pastry, anything else in the café he ordered. But he never gave the tea another glance. Not even after the steam stopped trailing in the air, not even after it became unappealing to drink.

Uni returned to the counter and thought about the people being watched by the tea man. Did they care that he watched them? Would they care if she watched them, too? The people walking down the streets, past the café, until she couldn't see them anymore; they made her wish she could keep strolling until she couldn't see where the roads began.

She didn't like that, though. No, she'd rather be near the beginning.

The clock of the café struck 1pm. The jazzy chime aroused the tea man from his people-watching, and he started to feel for his wallet. Uni kept her eyes on the cup as the man set a couple of dollars on the table and ran his fingers quickly through his blond hair. When he began to stand up to leave, she left the counter to collect the money and lock the doors for the afternoon; the busy evening shift wasn't hers, and Uni was almost relieved at that.

The man stopped at the door and thanked her again, a habit he had. For some reason, Uni felt a bit guilty.

"Did you enjoy the tea?" she asked, departing from her usual response consisting of a nod and a "Come again, sir."

Taken aback at her question, the man smile crookedly and glanced at the lonely cup. "You always make the best tea." He opened the door and walked out.

Uni took a few steps after him, thinking she should have said "thank you." Instead she called after him, "I like your tie." Her voice was just a little too quiet for her to sound bold, but he heard her anyway. The man smiled kindly again and thanked her, again. And then he joined the people he found so interesting, becoming part of a stream of figures that ended and began continuously.

She waited until she couldn't see him anymore. With a slow and deliberate movement, Uni shut and locked the door. Pocketing the tip and feeding the rest of the money into the register, she emptied the cup of cold ruddiness down the sink, the liquid sloshing all over until it reached a common end.

Uni found comfort in the color, but in the end it always made her feel empty.

A/N: Sorry for the short first chapter! I have more planned out for the next one. If you have comments or constructive criticism, please let me know. Thanks for reading!