"Another day, another dollar." Alice mused as she washes the dishes inside the kitchen, along with Mr. Styles baking some of his new pastries and the usual signature cakes of Cup of Cafe.

"Well someone's been watching Spongebob lately." Mr. Styles commented on Alice's phrase she spoke earlier.

"This is Ireland, I'm aware that no one here uses dollars." I told Alice as I yawn and stretch my limbs, I am currently sitting at one table waiting for customers to arrive so I can serve them but it seems that the early birds that would normally visit the cafe everyday isn't showing up lately, it's probably a busy week since pay day is just around the corner. Marian is outside the cold streets of Dublin, advertising the shop and greeting people politely probably to also make them come in and have some coffee inside this cozy coffee shop in this very cold day. The weather is attacking Ireland with a very cold front lately that I've been constantly wearing Niall's coats everyday, the Christmas season is about to come so it's natural to have a cold weather.

"You don't have to spoil that to me, Mari, I am also highly aware of that since I'm the one who's Irish here." Alice addressed me and I also noticed that she called me by my maid name. Mahamari is really long so Alice kind of made a nickname for it and she eventually calls me Mari now, because of her calling me Mari, some customers also have did the same thing. Marian is pressed with everyone calling me Mari for unknown reason, saying that Mari is different from Mahamari and no one should be feeling comfortable to call me that, basically, she's the only one who calls me Mahamari until now. She's probably pressed because that might be her nickname for Marian but I have no idea, she should make a nickname for Minalinsky as well since it's really long, maybe "Ina" would do, but no one seems to be bothered calling her with that long name, I find myself enjoying when I pronounce her name because it's really cute.

Some customers have arrived and I soon needed to get my bum off the chair and get to work, my work isn't really that tiring and I'm also glad that the customers here aren't even hot headed, they're all nice and I'm so impressed with that, because of their kind attitude towards us, our jobs were made to be less difficult.

As the day goes on and on, I continued to serve customers until it was already afternoon then the coming of customers ceased because everyone has probably went to their work right now, I got to sit on the chairs once again, Alice is washing the dishes and Marian's cleaning up some tables whilst Harry's inside his kitchen. A thought soon then popped into my mind that if it's noon, then the band would probably come down to have lunch, but then I remembered that they didn't even bother to come down yesterday, last night, Niall told me that the band were already rehearsing for their performance which made them busier than usual and followed by a lot more clients to teach since they're also planning to have an assembly for the kids they taught before Christmas.

My thoughts drifted by and then I realised something, I'm not even thinking about Niall anymore all the time unlike yesterday, which means... He already left, I don't fancy him and it's really just a phase, it makes me want to laugh because it was actually just a 2 day phase, I'm that pathetic to even confuse my care and concern and if I actually d have a crush on him. I sighed in relief and leaned on my chair, I can finally think in peace, it was all just a phase, I probably experienced that kind of feeling with Zayn too but it's nothing and what do I even know about it? Maybe I just have over appreciated Niall.

Marian sat down on the opposite chair of the one I'm sitting at, I flashed her a grin but she replied with an expressionless face.

"Guess what."

"You realised something." Marian replied and then looked away from me but I just squealed at her and slapped her arm.

"It was all just a phase, I don't even think about him anymore." I told her and she still wasn't paying attention to me instead, she's looking outside, just observing some leaves being blown by the wind. Since winter is coming, the breeze of the wind became colder than it is and stronger than ever, some trees don't even dance with the wind anymore instead, they get pushed by the strong force, some trees even fall to the ground while some remain to stand firm and strong in spite of all the wind that has impacted and tried to destroy them.

"You really don't know anything about it, don't you?" Marian mumbled, she ignored my last statement earlier, I thought she is gonna be happy with it because I finally found my answer but I didn't expected her to reply those words to me with that cold tone of voice, as cold as the wind outside. "You easily conclude things, you're a smart girl and you sometimes conclude correctly, but if you don't want the result of your conclusion, you conclude another thing which makes your conclusion wrong, it's sad." I frowned at her, I can't deny on what she said, I guess it's true but this time, I know that I don't fancy Niall and all of it was just a phase, I already proved it to myself because repeating his name again and again on my head isn't bothering me anymore, but just like what I always say to myself... What do I know about having a crush? Maybe it leaves for today then comes back tomorrow, I feel sad about it because I didn't even experienced it earlier when kids these days already know how it feels like.

"Poor Niall, he doesn't deserve all of the things that happened to him back then, and knowing that someone might ruin his future is saddening as well." Marian spoke, she is once again talking randomly, I don't even know what she's talking about. She turned her head to me then smiled. "You see... A couple months ago, he lost them both, he lost the woman he values a lot and the other woman he secondly values a lot." I looked at Marian confusedly, trying to make eye contact with her but it is impossible if her eyes kept on looking at different directions, observing the cafe.

"He two timed?" I asked boldly then her eyes drifted to find mine and she made a funny face and laughed at me.

"Silly, he didn't, he's a decent guy and he would never do that." Marian spoke in between her giggles, I got more confused by the second as to what she's pertaining to then. "Couple of months back then, Niall was at his happiest, he has his girlfriend that he loves and values a lot, he would do anything for her just to make her happy and he would always support her no matter what happens." Marian narrated with her serious tone of voice, I felt my hands clench into a fist and sweat form on my hands and forehead, I feel uncomfortable of the fact that there was a girl lucky enough to have Niall as hers, I looked down at the ground and then fiddled with my fingers, I can feel this pain inside of me as if my heart is being ripped apart. But then I wondered why Marian was telling this to me, is she planning on making me like Niall again to the point that I confuse myself if I fancy him or not? Right now, it's probably a test for me on how I'll react, Marian loves mind twisted games but as what she said earlier, I know I'm kind of smart, I won't play along with her.

"And then he also have that woman whom he loves more than anyone else, even if he loves his girlfriend, he would never ever replace this woman to any other woman. Niall loves her so much to the bottom of his heart and if he can do anything for his girlfriend, he would probably do much more for this woman. It's his mother that I'm talking about, he promised to himself that he would do everything just for her." Marian continued on, I was actually getting to know of Niall's past and maybe if I try to connect all what Marian, Louis and Niall says, maybe everything will make sense and all, as to why he's always been a moth to a bulb. "Niall always dreamed of being in the limelight, being a successful singer and sell out arenas. It's been his dream, not only because his mother wants him to but also because he wants to achieve those goals to, his mother taught him about music and now, it has became his passion." I intently listen to everything she has to say. Now I know who's the person behind Niall's inspiration in music.

"He proposed to his mother that he wanted to become a singer one day and sell out arenas, and his mother supported him with that, she always supported him with everything. When Niall grew up, he has always wanted to audition for a singing contest in hopes to win and actually make music of his own, but it was a little too difficult for him to be a step closer to his dreams if the place he's about to audition is a country away, particularly UK. His family isn't really that wealthy and all he ever does for a living is teach his clients how to play string instruments, so his mother decided to save up some money for her son to be able to go to UK because she knows how much her son wants to achieve his dream." My clenched fists produced a lot more swear, my heart started to feel something but it's different to the way I feel whenever the thought of fancying Niall pops, it's a different feeling and I can feel my eyes start to water and a lump forming on my throat. It reminds me so much of what my parents did to me, they risked theirselves to make their daughter live a normal and happy life and hearing that Niall's mum did something similar but not actually the same makes me tear up, all they ever want is to make their children happy, these kind of parents are too good for this world, I don't ever think that I deserved to have such wonderful parents.

"Niall's girlfriend on the other hand didn't liked the idea of him auditioning to become a singer and be fed up with the limelight, I guess she's worried that her boyfriend might find somebody else since it's the limelight we're talking about, so she was really against Niall's dream, she kind of didn't liked Niall's family and friends for encouraging him to follow his dreams." I frowned and the water on my eyes didn't fell, I know that I know nothing about love and relationships and all but why would you discourage the person you love to do what they want to do and what they always dreamt of, if you love somebody, you'd do anything to make them happy and smile but I guess she was a little jealous by the thought but even though, she needed to trust Niall with that, I believe he wouldn't actually do that.

"And that's when everything went downhill, he wanted to consider how his girlfriend and how his mother felt but in the end... He lost them both, he blames himself so much for that, if he actually didn't followed his dreams, he could have lost his mother but he would still have his girlfriend, but he lost both. That's the explanation why he is metaphorically named as a moth to a bulb." Marian looked at me and lifted her shoulders and let it down when she finished saying her words, I believe she isn't gonna tell me anything more when she stood up.

"Hey, don't just leave me on a cliffhanger, what happened? I can't quite understand how he lost them both." It was true, I am quite confused on that part.

"I believe you have to ask him about it, I shouldn't have told you that, I promised Louis not to tell anyone about it." My emotions returned to normal, I wasn't feeling teary eyed nor mad, just disappointed because someone ended talking to me with a lot of things but left me with a lot more questions in my head, I wonder what happened back then, he must have felt confused because he would do anything for his girlfriend and he would also do anything for his mother and the fact that those two girls opposes on a topic makes him confused as to what he's gonna do. A lot of thoughts about Niall roamed around my head, it's not about the fancying him thing again, I'm analysing what his feelings are when he learned that his girlfriend didn't like his idea and what could have possibly be the outcomes to the open ended narration of Marian.

"He's been really sad since the that Louis actually wants me to recommend him to a psychiatrist to help him overcome his sorrow, until someone came to his life. It was indescribable how she actually made him happy after all those months of being sad about his lost, she's simple and nothing's really special about her but she actually made Niall forget about his worries for awhile and came back to his normal self. Maybe because that girl brought him comfort and company when he was filled with loneliness and sadness but it's still magic how she was able to do that." I got startled from my thoughts when I hear Marian's voice again, coming towards me, she is holding a tray with three platters of brownies and she took it down on the table and distributed it on each side. Behind her is Alice who probably finished washing the dishes.

"Ahh, there's nothing more relieving than finishing a pile of dishes." Alice stretched her limbs and sat beside me.

"You know, I feel sorry for you because you're the only one left to do the dishes, I wish you can become a legendary maid too so that Mr. Styles is left to do the dishes." I told Alice, Marian sat beside me as well just like how we are positioned yesterday.

"Oh no! I never wanted to become a legendary maid, if I were to be one, I need to hand out flyers and face more people, and the thought of them turning down my flyers is so embarrassing! I'd rather was the dishes all day than to advertise the shop, I don't want to get embarrassed and all and..."

"You know who that girl is?" Marian leaned over to me and whispered, whilst Alice rambled on and on about why she doesn't want to become a legendary maid. I raised my eyebrow at Marian symbolising that I do want to know who that girl is. "You," she said and I was taken aback, you as in me? Or you as in Yu Minami? I know it's stupid to think that it's Yu Minami but how did I possibly brought a temporary happiness to Niall? That's impossible, Marian is playing with me once again. I rolled my eyes away from her then turned my attention back to Alice who's fake crying about all her non existent problems of being a legendary maid.

Time passed by and we did nothing but chat once again and eat our brownies that Mr. Styles ever so gladly, prepared and baked especially for us. A few customers also came by and Marian didn't bother to serve all the customers while Alice and I just chat about things until we landed on some topic about the performance of the band that would be held in the cafe.

"Ahh, it's really exciting, you're gonna love it so much. What happens in the cafe is that we will be open until midnight, usually the band will always perform some original songs they wrote and Minalinsky will sometimes take place as their vocalist, the performance would start on around 22-ish in the evening. And then the cafe starts serving some pizza and all, maybe some hard drink to have some fun for the night. I can't wait!" Alice exclaimed with her exaggerative gestures, it was evident how excited she is for the performance that would happen on Saturday but while she keeps on talking about the event, my mind didn't stopped on thinking about what Marian told me, it keeps on running on my head and I'm really eager to know what happened after that, I wanted to know how Niall lost them both and it's intriguing me to know more about it but at the same time, I know I should not dip into his business because he respects mine so I should respect his as well, but it's just stuck on my head while I make possible happenings.

The day passed by, feeling a little heavy because of what I'm thinking, I know it's none of my business but I just can't seem to stop thinking about it when suddenly someone bursts into the entrance if the cafe that made me think of a thing that I should be thinking rather than this Niall issue.

"Hello peeps, has anyone missed me?!" He questioned, not bothering the irritated faces of the customers and he just continued to walk inside. Liam Payne has bursted inside the cafe, and thanks to him, I stopped thinking about Niall and started to think about my plans again to prevent myself being exposed.

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A/N is anyone reading this misses Liam in real life as well? Because I do. We haven't heard from him for like a month and I just hope he's doing good 😕. Louis is so savage for posting that pic of Niall on ig 😂😂 but nonetheless, I'm happy that the Horan & Rose event raised £800,000 😊 and as for our baby Hazza, I'm so glad that Harry did a great job on his audition for Dunkirk, and he wasn't accepted just because he's part of the biggest boyband and can bring popularity to the film, but because he did a great job on his audition and he was really willing to take part of the film 😭😭 I'm so proud of all our boys. Anyway, I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter 😊 , we're taking baby steps to reach the rising action of the story and in a blink of an eye, it's already the climax so watch our! Votes and Comments would really be appreciated 😊 have a nice day, everyone.

Twitter: LovingHLLNZ
Next update: 06/04 (it's already June?! 😱)

All the love, "K" 💋💋