AN: Has anyone ever listened to the Working! character songs? I love Satou's Sugar and Spice! I like to think that the sugar he talks about adding into his life is Popura~ hehehe

Halloween approached near and Wagnaria was preparing. Cold blustering winds outside drew families in as they tracked in crumpled leaves. The restaurant seemed to be even more inviting with its cheerful decorations hanging. Tables now featured a small pumpkin to store sugars. Hanging from about the ceiling were small tissue-paper ghosts featuring an assortment of faces made by Yachiyo and Kyoko. The salt and pepper shakers now wore small capes. Even the "Welcome" sign was replaced with a "Trick or Treat!" one.

In the back of the restaurant, standing on a stool in casual clothes was Popura, struggling to pin long lines of orange and black tissue paper to the walls.

"Be careful Popura-chan!" Inami cried, shifting her weight from foot to foot in nervousness. The girl on the stool stuck out her tongue as she concentrated.

"Almost….there!" she cheered happily and hopped down from the stool. Taneshima stood back and admired her work with a prideful gaze. "I feel like I just placed in the short-person Olympics!" she placed both hands on her hips. "Hey! Do you think I grew from stretching my arms up so much?"

"Doubt it," Satou said as he walked by, holding a new menu. "Oi, Manager. This new menu item has pumpkin in it but you haven't ordered any yet." Kyoko looked up from her magazine, a spoon dangling from her lips.

"Doesn't Otoo-san do that stuff?"

"If you place new ingredients on the menu then it's your job to order them," he sighed.

"Wasn't my idea," the woman pointed the silver utensil to Yachiyo, who stood dutifully behind her. The waitress suddenly became distressed at the conversation.

"W-Was I supposed to order it? I'm sorry Satou! Please forgive me!" she gripped the serving tray in her hands tightly.

"It's fine," Jun sighed "I'll go out and get enough to get us through today." He entered the dining hall again and grabbed his coat. "Shorty," he called sternly.

"Yeah?" Popura looked up "I-I mean! Don't call me 'shorty'!" she quickly corrected herself.

"Did you know that pumpkin helps you grow?"

"Really!?" her eyes shone as she inched closer to him.

"Yeah, I'm picking up some right now. Want to join me?" Taneshima's face broke into a grin as she scrambled to collect her jacket and follow after him. The pair climbed into the familiar car.

"Can I play the radio?" she looked up at him expectantly, delicate hand poised near the dashboard radio. He could do no more than glance at her before nodding and looking back to the road. As expected, she turned the radio to a popular station and the newest all-girl idol song came on. From the corner of his eye, he could see her nodding her head and quietly humming along happily. He took a drag of his cigarette to hide the smirk on his lips.

They arrived at the super market shortly. Popura hurried inside without waiting for her slower counterpart. Satou entered to find the neighborhood store crowded with middle aged women clamoring for sale items. They all whispered and glared up at him in a very conspicuous manner. He couldn't say he wasn't bothered by it. But what seemed to alarm him more was that within this sea of mothers was an unidentifiable Popura. His eyes scanned the area for her familiar brown ponytail. When it didn't appear, he felt anxiety begin to build. No doubt the small girl was squished between two desperate shoppers. Satou began to push his way through the throngs of women urgently.

"Taneshima?...Taneshima!" he called her name hopelessly.

"Satou-san?" her voice rung like a bell behind him. Jun let out a small sigh of relief and turned to see her holding a pumpkin in her pale arms.

"Don't wander off like that," he said sternly. The girl nodded, eyes wide with confusion. "Let's go, and stay close by me." Satou rubbed his eyes, sometimes she seemed like more trouble than she was worth. The pair eventually escaped the hordes of supermarket shoppers and returned to Wagnaria.

"Satou, did you buy the pumpkin?" Soma greeted the returning staff in his chef uniform. He responded by holding up the bag of pumpkins in his hand. "Popura-chan, I think Kyoko has something in the office for the waiters and waitresses," the chef winked and she smiled before skipping off. "I think you might like the surprise Kyoko has for them.~" he elbowed Satou softly.

"Shut up and prepare the ingredients," he muttered.

It wasn't even 10 minutes before the four waitresses and lone waiter exited the dressing rooms with excited flourish.

"Satou-san! Satou-san! Satou-san look!" Popura and Yamada cheered as they stumbled out of the dressing rooms with the rest of the staff following close behind.

"For Halloween, Kyoko-san is letting us dress up in costumes!" Yachiyo explained before twirling in her witches outfit.

"Yamada is a black cat!" the girl hurried forward and began to nuzzle Soma "Meow.~" The chef attempted to pry her off of him with no avail. Takanashi eventually exited the dressing room as well in a dark cape.

"Kyoko-san, it's hard to talk in these. Can I take them out?" he said as he pulled a pair of white, plastic vampire teeth from his mouth with a discontented sigh. The manager shook her head.

"Otoo-san said that we need to make the restaurant look more 'kid-friendly'."

"Well of course it'll look kid-friendly with senpai dressed in that." the waiter gestured towards Popura. She pouted and adjusted the halo on her angel costume. The fabric was embellished with small hints of rhinestones that reflected well in the restaurant's lighting. At the hem of the above-the-knee length dress was a line of puffed cotton. Added to the uniform of the day was angel wings, white boots and body glitter.

"Inami-chan…do I really look like a little kid?" she asked her friend tearfully.

"N-No! You look a lot more grown-up that me…" Mahiru looked down at her fairy costume with a frown.

"I think you all look very cute.~" Yachiyo remarked as she drew whiskers and a nose onto Yamada's face.

"Yamada wants body glitter too!" Takanashi flicked the girl's forehead in response.

"Everyone get ready. Wagnaria opens in ten minutes," Kyoko said before disappearing into her office. Popura shuffled up to Satou.

"Do I look like a little kid, Satou-san?"

"Yes," he answered instantly. "Stop worrying about it though and get to work." The chef laid a reassuring hand on her head. She smiled up at him.

The work day began with demure, elderly couples that soon became workers on lunch break and finally families looking for a kid-friendly dinner. The children would stare up in wonder at the various costumes. Their grubby hands frequently attempted to grab at a piece of glittering fabric. After the dinner rush and the few remaining customers left, the staff changed out of their costumes and began to depart. Satou zipped up his jacket and stepped outside for a smoke when he noticed the small brunette standing in her angel's uniform under the flickers back light.

"Yes, Mama…I'm getting off of work now…I know…Do you think you'll be able to come home tomorrow?...Sorry…Bye bye," she hung up and looked down at the phone solemnly for a moment before tucking it away.

"Do your parents work or something?" Satou asked. He surprised himself. Normally he would never attempt to go into someone else's personal life but the question just flowed from his lips instinctively. Popura jumped and turned to face him, eyes wide.

"My mom works...Sometimes she isn't able to come home for a couple weeks…" she explained softly, clouds of her breath filling the chilly October air.

"Do you want me to drive you home?" Once again he couldn't stop himself from asking. From wanting to take care of her. The girl gave a small nod. This time Satou opened the car door for her without realizing it. He would glance back at her occasionally as they drove, even turning up the heat to make sure she was warm enough. When they reached her house, Popura looked up at him with worried eyes.

"Can you please not tell anyone about me living alone?" she asked, hands gripping her skirt tightly.

"Yeah…I promise," he nodded.