Zume yawned and coasted down the street. The air was so clean and fresh today. It felt almost humid, the tangible taste of rain coasting along with them on the lazy breeze.

They rubbed their eyes, trying to stay awake. It wasn't far now, and they had to open up early. Suga, ever the early bird, agreed to meet up at Tanji around 5am, so at least Zume had that to look forward to. Early shift was the worst.

The sun had already began to peek over the horizon, painting the sky with beautiful colors. Zume squealed to a stop at a crosswalk, almost running into someone out on a morning jog. They yelled an apology and kept pedaling. There was a lot of work to be done before they opened the cafe. The cats needed food and their litter boxes cleaned, all the prep work for the food and drink stuff had to be done, and it was probably a good idea to clean the dining area.

Ugh. So much work. But someone had to do it, and no one else would do it right, so Zume took it upon themself.

They took off their helmet and shook out their hair, parking and locking their bike in the rest at the storefront. After a second of fiddling-- perhaps a little more than necessary, the sweet warm air was a nice change from the cool air inside-- they opened the doors.

Sakura and Suika immediately came to greet them, purring in greeting. A smile cracked their face as they bent down to pet the cats. A few others trotted over, tails waving.

"Alright, who's hungry? Zume's got breakfast for you!" They laughed a little and filled the bowls with food, the loud plinking of pellets in ceramic almost eery in the empty shop. A few came over right away, crunching obnoxiously. Zume wrinkled their nose and went to wash their hands.

"Suzume! I'm assuming that's you anyway, and not some burglar." Suga's voice rang through the cafe like a bell; one jingled as he opened the door.

"Yeah, just a sec!" They threw a towel over their shoulder and fetched an apron off its hook. Time to start prep work. "What can I get for you this fine morning?"

"Just a chai tea please, with chocolate boba."

"Mixing it up, I see." Zume smiled over the counter at Suga, who tucked a hand behind his head.

"Yeah, figured I'd try it out since you like it so much."

"Alright, one chai boba coming right up. Any food?"

"Ah, I'm good. I ate before I came."

"Mm, Mom again?"

"Yeah. You know she doesn't like me leaving the house without five pounds of food in me." He chuckled, and the sound lightened Zume's spirits.

"Alright, here you go." They handed him the drink, and for a second, their hands brushed. Zume ran their teeth over their bottom lip, starting to prep some food for the morning rush.

Suga smiled as Yunosuke climbed into his lap and pushed his head against his chest. It was his way of asking for scratches. Suga obliged, rubbing the base of the grey tabby's ears.

"I can hear him purring from here."

"It's like a mini massager." They smiled at each other again. "Hey, do you want me to help? I feel weird just sitting here."

"You're a blessing, Koshi," Zume sighed, chopping cabbage. "Are you sure you don't mind?"

"Of course not!" He gently set Yuno back on the ground. "What do you need me to do?"

Zume nudged their chin toward the break room. "There's a broom in the supply closet if you would sweep the eat-in area."

Suga nodded and began sweeping, Yuno trailing at his heels and lazily batting at dust bunnies. Patches watched from her tower in the corner, chirruping quietly, her eyes locked on the floating balls of cat hair.

"Oh!" The knife slipped in Zume's grasp, drawing a gasp from them. It clattered to the ground. A new small cut welled up angrily.

"Zume! Are you ok?!" Suga leaned the broom aside and rushed over. He took their hand in his, bending down to inspect it. A hot flush bloomed across their face.

"Good, it's not that deep. Wait here." He ducked out from behind the counter and rummaged through his bag, fishing out a band-aid.

"Do you carry those on you?"

"Well, yeah." He grinned sheepishly. "I mean, you never know when you need them, and you fall down a lot, so it just makes sense."

He returned to Zume's hand, wrapping the band-aid around the cut. "You know I can take care of myself, Koshi."

"Yeah, well, you know me, Tanjiminero." He flashed a toothy grin at them. "Hey, this tea isn't so bad!"

The two friends chatted as they cleaned. Once Zume finished prepping food, they began wiping down the tables.

"Oh, hi there." Suga bumped into them and looked over his shoulder.

"Ah, my bad! Didn't see you there." Zume turned to find him directly behind them. They swallowed a bit, trying not to focus on just how close they were. It made them a little nervous, but also apprehensive.

"It's fine." They moved on to the last table and threw away the wipes. With a flick, they checked their wristwatch. Almost time to open.

Zume stood in the middle of the cafe and looked around, going through a mental checklist. Right, atmosphere. Gotta set the mood.

"What should we play today?"

"Hmm." Suga tapped his chin. "Maybe just some simple lofi? That feels like the mood about now."

"I was thinking the same thing." They turned on a playlist, turning the volume down so the music dawdled softly in the background. Next, they filled the diffusers with water and set them on low. Today it was orange and cloves, one of their favorites.

"How's that finger holding up?" Zume glanced down.

"It's alright." A heaviness suddenly washed over them. With a big yawn, they stumbled over and crashed on the couch in the cat area, their feet dangling over the side.

Suga smiled and sat cross-legged on the ground in front of them, Yunosuke crawling into his lap. He sighed softly and patiently waited for Suzume to wake up, a warm look on his face.

There's a small teaser for you :) also, I write short chapters so expect that akjdkskdsk-