_________________
                                    I wanna
                                Live with you
                            Even when we're
                                     Ghosts.
                           James Arthur
                     _________________

I tightened the small red cape around my six-year-old body. I placed my hands at my hips proudly and puffed my chest out in triumph. Today, I will play superheroes.

My hands spread out and I zoomed across my room to the downstairs. Not forgetting to create sound effects. Those are the best parts. I stomped my blue galoshes around in the shop.

"Oh goodness. (Y/n) dear, what are you wearing?" My mother asked me from behind the counter. She had paused her transaction with another customer to talk to me. My hands fell to my sides as I pouted. She had crushed my fantasy.

"My superhero costume! You like it?" I spun around for my mother to see. I didn't notice the slight cringe on her face.

"Eh...yes. Sure. You looked wonderful... Cash or credit?" She asked her customer. I smiled happily at my mother. She was never too fond of my playing around in the shop. She must've been in a good mood today.

I continued to fantasize. I was in a world where aliens invaded our planet and our only hope to save the human population was to provide the secret formula for the Krabby Patty.

"Mr. Krabs! Not you too!" I yelled while I dramatically fell on the store's couch. He was one of the aliens. Oh, the betrayal!

My tiny feet ran into the kitchen where all of the sweets were made. My father was pouring out another batch of hard candy out onto the cooling table, while the mixings for our famous candied donuts lie on the table beside it.

My fantasy world stopped. The candy drops slowly from the pan. Perfectly made. Basically clear. My eyes shifted to the flavors that were on my father's belt.

"Lemon?" I asked.

"Yes! I'll call them lemon drops. Everyone likes sour things right?" My father grinned at me. It was quite evident I got my wild side more from him than my mother.

My face fell sour. "Definitely not." My head shook side to side in disagreement.

"While this cools, why don't you mix the dough for the donuts?" My father suggested. My eyes lit up. It was rare when my parents would let me help out in the kitchen.

"Yes!" My small red cape fell off of my shoulders and onto the floor as I changed into a new outfit. The chef hat that my father had bought me recently, found its home on top of my head.

I stepped onto my stepping stool at the counter. I wasn't that tall yet so I had to take it around with me wherever I went. Only my head could see over the counter. But I was getting there.

My parents were sure to take precautions when I started to help them out in the kitchen. It was only last year when I began. They taped on all of the recipes on the wall at the specific stations where that candy was made. Hard candy, toffee, chocolate, donuts, Brittle, it was everywhere. We even had candied fruits. As well as caramelized ones.

The whisk started to move ferociously in the large bowl as I turned the machine on. It was satisfying to watch all of the powders and liquids mix together. But every so often I would scrape the sides to make sure everything was mixing correctly. Finally, the dough was tough enough for shaping.

By now, my father used the wall peg to allow air bubbles to fill in the candy. Helping it cool faster. The color of yellow was shown brightly on the sweet. A happy, yet sour color. I walked up to him and pulled slightly at his shirt.

"Ah, it's already time?" He asked me. My head nodded and he set the candy back on the cooling table. My father patted my head before he went over to the donuts. "Good job (Y/n). You really are improving fast. You might be able to take over the shop right away when you come of age."

"Uh-huh! I'll be the best sweet maker in all of Japan!" I cheered. My father laughed at me while he put the donuts in the oil to fry.

"Is the candy covering ready?" I asked him. But I didn't dare to go near such hot liquids.

"Yes of course. It's been simmering over there. I've been waiting for you to come downstairs." He said. He took the rings of dough and flipped them over.

"Thank you! Have a nice day!" I heard my mother yell from the other room. The customers must've stayed and chatted.

Finally. The donuts were done. My father pointed over the candy glaze and we only waited for five minutes for them to dry.

I didn't understand this concept. Why add candy glaze to doughnuts when they tasted good with nothing? My little feet wandered back into the storefront.

"Ahh, the Yugi's! Nice to see you all again. Same order as last week?" My mother asked.

"Yes please (L/n). These little monsters can't seem to get enough of those donut's of yours." A tall woman with black hair loomed over the counter that I hid behind. I heard the noise of laughing from the two boys at her side. 

"You're in luck. My daughter here helped prepare this mornings batch." My mother smiled and patted my head after she took off my chef's hat.

"daughter?" The woman asked. She leaned over the counter to get a closer look at me. The boys at her side had stopped laughing. "Hello there. My name is Yugi Akari. What's yours?" She smiled.

"Ah. Um. (L/n) (Y/n). Nice to meet you Yugi." I mumbled quietly. She seemed to hear it clearly and laughed at my shyness.

"Who's that momma?" One of the boys had asked. He gripped onto his mother's shirt tightly and tried to peek over the tall counter.

"Ya ya! Who?" It was the same voice. But I could tell there was a difference in personality. This one was more outgoing. This boy clung onto his brother's hand with his own.

My head looked around the corner of the counter in curiosity. Two identical boys were trying to peek over to get a look, but they noticed my small head looking at them from the side. My eyes widened in surprise. I quickly shuffled back from their view and tugged at my mother's shirt so that she could see.

"Look, mom! It's a clone! Isn't that cool?!" I asked. My finger pointed at the two and she lowered my hand and laughed. The two boys looked at my figure knowingly. Both of them smiled at each other before diverting their attention to myself once more.

"No dear, they're twins." Yugi laughed out. Her hands rested on her son's heads and they smiled.

"Twins?" I questioned. My head tilted to the side in confusion. One of the boys came up real close to me. His eyes were lively and filled with excitement.

"It means that we both have the same birthdays! I'm Tsukasa," The hyper boy said. He started to tug on his brother's hands and he led him over to us with his hands placed on his brother's shoulders. "And this is Amane!"

"H-hello." He said. He was shy.

"Two dozen donuts packed up and ready!" My father came in from the kitchen with two boxes of donuts in hand. My eyes widen in realization.

"You're the ones who've been eating all of the donuts?" I asked. My father looked at the three of us and practically glared at the two boys. Amane shrunk behind his brother while Tsukasa waved.

"It's mostly Amane," Tsukasa said.

"Oh Yugi, these are your boys?" I heard my father's questions. The adults continued to talk while us children questioned each other.

"What's your name?" Yugi asked me. The one with the softer eyes other than his Brother.

"Oh, I'm sorry! My name is (L/n) (Y/n). Nice to meet you Yugi's." I said with a slight bow in respect. The two boys looked at me while I bowed, and laughed softly.

"You can just call us by our first names. It might be hard to tell us apart at first, but I'm sure you'll get used to it." Tsukasa recommended.

"Not really. They're small differences, but I can differentiate them. You have sharper teeth and your eyes are playful. While uhm, Amane was it? Well, his eyes are soft. And his personality seems shyer than yours is." I list off.

The two boys looked at me in shock. "I thought it was your first time seeing twins!" Tsukasa mentioned.

I laughed and waved off his comment with the flick of my hand. "Of course it is! But I have sharp eyes. I need them to tell if candy is ready or not."

Amane pushed his brother aside. He hadn't talked much. But the sparkle in his eyes gave him away. I had piqued his interest.

"You work here too (L/n)?!" Amane smiled excitedly. He's a fan for sweet things I see?

Amane wasn't as bold as his brother was. He didn't see any need to talk to someone he probably was never going to see again. Sure, my standing figure was intriguing, but he wasn't sure where my place was in all of this. When I had said that last sentence, he just had to know if he was going to see me again. He needed his precious donuts after all. And what better to have a friend who could make them?

I giggled at Amane's eagerness and backed away slightly from his sudden yelling. "Yes? The owners are my parents. I'm surprised that I haven't met you yet. How long have you guys been customers?" I asked the twins. I started to mess with my shirt. This conversation was longer than I was used to.

Tsukasa put his finger to his chin in contemplation. "A month maybe?" He said.

"That's just weird." I sigh and shake my head. I was happy that I was having more mature talk compared to what some other kids and I have talked with .

"I remember your mom mentioning you at times. Things about tripping over your own two feet?" Amane teased.

My eyes widened and I looked over to my mother and father who had been talking to Yugi. My face felt warm and I raised my hands to my cheeks in embarrassment. "I'm a bit clumsy," I admitted.

"Amane, Tsukasa, it's time to head home," Yugi called out to her boys. Their heads fell down in slight disappointment. My hands started to play with each other again as my sign of sadness. I wish I got to talk to them more.

"You guys can talk to (Y/n) next week. I have to go home to make lunch. Didn't you say you were hungry Tsukasa?" Tsukasa headed over to his mother and tugged at her sleeves asking for food. Like he had forgotten he was hungry while he was talking to me. But Amane was still a bit hesitant to go. "Amane, (Y/n) made these donuts. You don't want to waste them do you?" Yugi smiled. She knew just how to grab her boy's attention.

"You made them?" Amane asked me. His amber eyes peered into mine. It was hard to look away.

"Yes! Well, I helped." I laughed out. Right then, the world seemed more colorful. It was like sunset was taking place, I though it was still noon. It must've been his eyes. It had to be.

Amane slipped over to his family. The three of them waved bye to us as they exited the shop. I hopped onto the couch and pressed my fingers into the glass to watch them walk down the street until they turned.

My mother approached me from behind. She was untying her apron. "They were nice weren't they, (Y/n)?" She beamed. Her hand found its way onto my head and she patted it ever so slightly.

The light from the outside made my eyes glow when I looked up at her.

"Can I see them again?"
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Original release date: May 5 2020
Most recent Edited release date: November 18th 2020