"Welcome!"
On the afternoon of the second day of the holiday, Nero greeted Aine with a bright smile as she stepped into Hanezawa Coffee Shop. Aine had already pinged Nero on social media, letting them know she'd swing by today and that Nero would be on shift. No surprise there—she was right on schedule.
"Nerolo! We meet again!"
Aine flashed a grin, waving enthusiastically. "We're expecting three today!"
After last night's chaotic, inconclusive brawl, Aine had messaged Sosei to vouch for her identity, smoothly snagging Hikari's dropped notebook to take home. The next morning, Rikishi lit up their newly made group chat, practically demanding to see the notebook ASAP. So, the trio set a meetup for this afternoon at the coffee shop.
Aine and Sosei had already linked up, but Rikishi said she'd be a few minutes late.
"Three, huh? How about this table?"
Sosei, trailing behind Aine into the shop, eyed her curiously, like she couldn't quite figure out how Aine and Nero had gotten so chummy in just two days. They followed Nero to a table, and Aine, back in her extrovert glory, didn't miss a beat. "Nerolo! Got any menu recs?"
She'd shed yesterday's baggage, her tone loud and carefree, like she owned the place.
"You bet." Nero pulled out a menu, pointing to the top item in bold. "Can't go wrong with our signature Hanezawa Blend Coffee. It's the star of the show."
Sosei settled into her seat with poise, smiling quietly as she watched Aine.
"Hmm…" Aine hesitated, scrunching her nose. "Coffee? I'm not big on sour stuff…"
Fair point—some coffees had a slight acidic kick, though most people barely noticed.
Sosei chimed in, "Tea might be more your speed, then?"
Aine gave the menu's lower half a longing glance but sighed and stuck with the top pick. "Nah, I'll try it. Hanezawa Blend it is!"
"Got it. Hanezawa Blend. Iced or hot?"
"Iced, please!"
"One iced Hanezawa Blend—"
As Nero jotted it down, Sosei spoke up, slow and deliberate. "Since we're doing coffee, I'll take a mocha. And for Rikishi…"
She tilted her head, like she was digging through memories of Rikishi's old drink orders. After a beat, she added, "Two Hanezawa Blends. Thanks."
"You got it!"
Nero headed to the back with the order just as the bell above the door jingled. A girl with long, straight black hair and a tear-shaped mole under her left eye stepped in.
Spotting Sosei and Aine together, she let out a faint "tch" but walked over anyway.
"Rikishi, been a while," Sosei said, turning at the sound of the bell but waiting until Rikishi sat to greet her. Aine, meanwhile, skipped the pleasantries and stuck out her tongue, making a goofy face.
Sosei ignored Aine's antics, locking eyes with Rikishi like she was steering the conversation. "I ordered you a Hanezawa Blend. Cool with that?"
"Whatever," Rikishi said, brushing off Aine's existence. "Doesn't matter what I drink. I'm here to talk about Hikari."
"Not the best topic for a coffee shop," Sosei said with a light smile, nudging Aine. "Aine, you said you've got Hikari's notebook? You and her are in the same class now, right?"
"Yeah…" Aine reached into her bag, parked by her chair, and pulled out Hikari's lost notebook, setting it on the table. "I just transferred, though. From what I hear, she doesn't talk to anyone in class. Ignores greetings, keeps to herself. Feels like she's kinda… isolated."
Rikishi's brow furrowed, her tone sharp. "How'd it get like that?"
"Isn't that why we're here? To figure it out?" Sosei said, glancing at Aine. "Aine, you looked at the notebook, right?"
Aine nodded. "A little. It's… hard to make sense of. And kinda creepy."
Rikishi reached for the notebook, but Sosei stopped her with a look, subtly nodding toward the other customers. "Why'd it feel creepy, Aine?"
Nero was already heading back from the counter, tray in hand.
"It's hard to explain," Aine said. "Just… heavy. Like it's suffocating."
"Here's your order!" Nero slid the drinks onto the table, their gaze catching on the notebook. "Wait, that notebook… I think I've seen it before."
Rikishi tensed instantly. Sosei, knowing Nero was in the same class as Aine and Hikari, stayed calm, glancing at Aine to see how she'd handle it.
Aine blinked, then lit up as it clicked—she and Nero had both seen Hikari with the notebook yesterday. "Oh, you're right, Nerolo! It's Hikari's. She must've dropped it at the station last night, and I just happened to pick it up."
"Gotcha." Nero didn't seem to question the white lie, and Aine let out a quiet breath. But Nero's next words made Sosei and Rikishi stiffen. "Hey, Aine, I heard something at school. They call Hikari the 'girl who brings death.' That's why I asked her that question yesterday."
That question? Aine thought back, then remembered. "Oh, the 'why'd you say it'll kill you' thing? So she really said that herself?"
Nero nodded. "Yeah. Said it was her fault. Kinda worrying, right? You planning to give her the notebook back at school?"
"Yup, that's the plan!"
"Cool." Nero's smile softened, like they were relieved. "I'll let you guys get to it, then."
Sosei, ever polite, replied, "No trouble at all. Thanks."
But as Nero turned away, the vibe at the table grew heavy. Aine's eyes flicked between the other two. Rikishi was staring at the table, lost in thought. Sosei propped her chin on her hands, gazing into her coffee.
"Aine," Sosei said after a moment, looking up. "Is that true? What she said?"
"…I think so?" Aine replied, pausing to think. To avoid any mix-ups, she recounted Nero and Hikari's exchange at the observatory entrance as best she could.
"'Anyone who becomes my friend… I'll end up killing'?" Rikishi repeated, stunned, pressing a hand to her forehead as she slumped. "No wonder… no wonder she cut us off…"
Sosei stayed still, hands on the table, her thumbs pressed tightly together.