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V6 Chapter 3: Power Is Limitless
🕑 Added 2025-06-27 13:46:29 +0000 UTC"This shop... how about I leave it to you?"
Those words, vague in meaning, came from the silver-haired woman before him, her eyes curved in a smile. She gently lifted the cup of coffee from the table and took a small sip, eyes closing in contentment as if savoring the taste.
"Aunt Shiki… what do you mean, leave it to me?"
Come to think of it, wasn't he basically already running the place?
Aside from occasionally stepping in for coffee bean procurement, Aunt Shiki, who technically held the title of store manager, left just about everything else to him. Whether it was restocking coffee cups or handling the books, Kazami Haru had taken care of it all as the "acting manager."
"I mean it literally, of course. I plan to hand the place over to you from now on."
Manager Shiki gave him a meaningful smile. Then, as if to show she wasn't joking, she casually grabbed a stack of documents from the side and placed them on the table.
"What's this?"
Even Haru immediately caught on. His expression shifted as he picked up the contracts and began to inspect them closely.
It was a fairly standard ownership transfer agreement.
The item being transferred was, naturally, this traditional café known as "Rabbit House." As the transferee, Haru wouldn't be allowed to sell or transfer the shop to someone else (minor restrictions like that) but otherwise, there were no real strings attached.
Put simply, signing this would be a net win with no downsides.
But Haru didn't seem particularly swayed by this windfall landing in his lap. He simply lifted his deep black eyes and asked, puzzled, "Aunt Shiki… why are you suddenly handing the store over to me?"
Could it be that his charm had finally reached that kind of level?
He always figured he was thirty percent looks, seventy percent personality. Maybe the manager had originally fallen for the thirty percent… and now, she'd finally been won over by the rest?
"I'm leaving the country soon. Planning to settle down in London."
The silver-haired manager gave a cheerful wave, flashing the passport in her hand like it was a badge of honor.
"I won't have the time or means to run Rabbit House anymore. But I also don't want to sell it off to some stranger who might wreck the place. So I thought, why not leave it in your hands?"
"After all, you've been filling in as manager for ages now, haven't you? Might as well use this chance to make it official."
Kazami Haru raised an eyebrow and gave a thoughtful nod. After managing the store for so long, he and the owner had certainly grown close.
The café Rabbit House was Manager Shiki's pride and joy. She cared for it as if it were her own child. The idea of selling it off when she could no longer run it was unthinkable to her, especially since money was never the issue.
"I've actually wanted to go abroad for a long time," she said, "but I just couldn't bring myself to leave the shop. The fact that it's done so well is all thanks to you, Haru. That's why I think you're the most fitting person to take it over."
Manager Shiki cast a meaningful glance toward Togawa Sakiko, who kept sneaking peeks in their direction. With her life experience, the older woman easily read the thoughts behind those glances. Smiling, she tapped her fingers lightly against the table.
To a barista, the best way to reveal someone's true nature is through the "soul" infused in their coffee.
And after spending so much time together, there was no way she couldn't see what kind of person Kazami Haru was.
"You understand now, don't you?"
"If you're willing to run this place properly, Haru, then I'm leaving the shop to you."
Her cheerful voice lingered in his ears. This café, a fusion of tradition and innovation, held real meaning for Haru as well. He nodded quietly, his feelings for the place evident.
Seeing his reaction, Manager Shiki looked entirely unsurprised.
"Even if you hadn't said it, Aunt Shiki, I would've taken care of the shop properly."
"Hehe... well then, from now on, Rabbit House is yours."
Watching Haru sign the contract with a serious expression, the manager, visibly relieved, playfully chopped the top of his head with her hand before grabbing her passport and striding out the door.
Left behind, Haru sat still with the contract in hand, staring after the manager as she disappeared. His eyes returned to the papers, now filled with an odd expression.
What just happened? How did a part-time job turn into being the owner?
Aunt Shiki had already handed him the keys and all the operations long ago. Haru had figured she just didn't want to deal with the work. Turns out, all that delegation had been a test.
And now, just like that, this childish, unpredictable woman had handed him the entire store?
Maybe it was because the manager had finally left that Togawa Sakiko crept closer, having watched from a distance. When she saw the rare seriousness on Haru's face, a wave of unease stirred in her chest.
She gently bit her lip and spoke cautiously.
"Haru… what did the manager say to you?"
"I'm not an employee here anymore."
Sakiko: …What?
Fired?
But he'd been acting manager forever, handling logistics, operations, and inventory. Why would that airheaded manager suddenly fire the most important staff member?
That's like slashing the café's main artery!
Sakiko's mind spiraled as she furrowed her brows. Her hand trembled as she smacked it against the table, wincing slightly from the sting, but her face stayed firm with defiance.
"Th-this is outrageous!"
"Doing something like this out of nowhere… I'm going to talk to her right now!"
She turned to leave but was stopped by Haru, who gently caught her wrist. Seeing her so flustered made him smile a little; he shrugged lightly and explained:
"She already left for London. Before that, she handed the whole shop over to me."
"Eh? So that means…"
Only then did Sakiko notice the contract in Haru's hand. Her amber eyes widened like priceless gemstones as the realization dawned on her face.
Haru saw it too, and with a teasing grin said, "Which means, starting today, I'm officially your boss, Sakiko."
Now he could have her make coffee on demand… serve pastries when he pleased!
After all, the manager's authority is absolute!
…
Tsukinomori Academy
Clear water flowed from a watering can shaped like an elephant, beads of moisture trickling down the cucumber stalks and soaking into the earth. A cool mist hung in the air, scattered by the splashing droplets.
A girl with soft green hair and an expressionless face slowly raised her cold golden eyes. She carefully returned the watering can to its rack, and once her task was complete, she opened her phone and checked the screen.
After reading a message from Takamatsu Tomori on LINE, Wakaba Mutsumi tilted her head slightly in thought.
Since CRYCHIC's breakup, she'd lost all regular contact with Tomori. Still, they'd kept each other on LINE and other platforms.
Mutsumi hadn't expected to hear from her again, until today.
"Hey Nagasaki~ aren't you going to band practice today?"
The familiar voice reached her ears as if carried on the wind. Almost instantly, Mutsumi lifted her gaze toward the source.
A brown-haired beauty in a Tsukinomori uniform strolled along the academy's gravel path, smiling with that flawless, gentle expression she always wore.
"Looks like nobody's planning to train today~"
"Eh?! Then Nagasaki-san, want to come with us to club?"
Hearing Nagae's cheerful suggestion, Nagasaki Soyo's eyes flickered with a hint of something. She instinctively furrowed her delicate brows, her soft, beautiful face showing a faint, apologetic smile.
"Sorry, Nagae. I've got something important to take care of today…"
"Eh? Don't tell me Nagasaki, you've got another date… with a boy?"
The teasing in the question made Nagasaki Soyo's composed and graceful demeanor falter. She reached up and gently tucked a strand of her smooth brown hair behind her ear, eyes darting away as she replied with a vague, flustered tone.
That tiny, telling movement didn't escape the sharp gaze of Wakaba Mutsumi watching from a distance.
"…"
Mutsumi lowered her head, her thoughts elsewhere, wisely choosing not to approach or call out.
The doll-like girl lifted her slender, pale left arm and stared at the faint glow of the cheap glass bead bracelet wrapped around her wrist. Its soft green shimmer caught the light as she delicately brushed her fingers over the polished surface.
After zoning out, staring at the bracelet for a full two minutes, she finally resumed walking.
Before long, she arrived at a familiar park.
There, seated on a bench tucked in the corner, was a gray-haired girl in a Haneoka uniform. Her small frame was curled up like a timid little animal.
The moment Mutsumi noticed her, the girl (who'd been fiddling nervously with a box of band-aids) looked up and spotted her too. She stood up at once, voice tight with nerves.
"M-Mutsumi, you came…"
"Yeah."
Mutsumi gave a slight nod, her pale gold eyes fixed calmly on the little penguin before her.
"Please, sit!"
Takamatsu Tomori fumbled to gather the scattered band-aids and quickly shuffled to the side, making space on the bench.
She had mentally prepared herself before coming, but the moment she saw those unfathomable golden eyes, all the courage she'd mustered began to slip away.
W-what do I do?
She was the one who invited Mutsumi here to talk, yet now she had no idea how to start.
Still, since Mutsumi had shown up, she had to summon her courage, no matter what.
"U-Um… thank you for agreeing to meet me today, Mutsumi…"
"It's fine."
Mutsumi shook her head softly, her expression still as unreadable as ever.
The simplicity of her response only made it harder for Tomori to speak.
Clutching the folds of her skirt tightly in both hands, she sat there with rising panic. Ever since CRYCHIC broke up, they hadn't spoken at all. Meeting again out of the blue had inevitably led to this painfully awkward silence.
Neither of them was especially good at talking or expressing themselves. This was basically like throwing Hitori Gotoh and Komi-san into a conversation together, pure suffering.
Perhaps sensing Tomori's struggle, Mutsumi calmly reached into her pocket and pulled out a fresh, green cucumber.
She handed it over without ceremony, placing it into Tomori's hands. Her voice was cool and steady as ever.
"A gift. Haru likes these."
"U-Um… thank you."
Tomori stared at the cucumber like it held divine significance. Then she suddenly remembered something, and quickly pulled out a few penguin-themed band-aids from her pocket, handing them over with a timid smile.
"This… this is for you, Mutsumi. Haru said he really liked this kind."
Holding each other's gifts, they felt the stifling atmosphere around them lighten just a little.
Still a bit nervous, Tomori looked at Mutsumi's blank expression. But the faint flicker in her eyes seemed to affirm something. Breathing deep, she finally spoke up in a hushed voice.
"I actually asked to meet today… because I wanted to ask you something about Haru."
Mutsumi simply nodded, her face giving away nothing.
"I—I saw you and Haru together at the Tokyo amusement park. You were… probably on a date, right? I-I don't mean anything bad by that!"
"I just… I felt like you might have feelings for him too… just like I do, so…"
Maybe they were "the same."
Tomori desperately wanted to say it plainly, but her fear of overstepping made her hedge her words. She could only speak in soft, roundabout terms, watching Mutsumi for any sign of rejection.
But Mutsumi didn't seem the least bit surprised. She calmly turned her head and looked directly at her.
"Tomori, do you love Haru too?"
Boom.sfx
Like a low, resounding chime ringing in her ears, Tomori froze. She'd been so wrapped up in finding the right moment to confess, only to be caught off guard by Mutsumi's directness. Yet in her shock, she realized something important.
"You said 'too'… so that means… you like him too, Mutsumi?"
Mutsumi didn't deny it. She simply nodded.
Despite being potential "rivals," neither showed any hostility. Maybe that shared emotion gave rise to a quiet sense of camaraderie between them.
Tomori loosened her tightly clenched fists, then looked up at Mutsumi with a determined expression.
"It's not just me and you. Soyo and Anon… they all have feelings for Haru."
"If we keep fighting over him, someone's going to end up hurt. That's why… I want Haru to date all of us. That might be the only way everyone can be happy."
She paused briefly, her voice dipping.
"But I can't do this on my own…"
Tomori's small hands rested quietly on her knees. Her soft lips pressed into a faint line as the sunlight caught her amber eyes, now filled with conviction and hope.
She knew full well how absurd this idea was, how unreasonable, childish, and naïvely idealistic. Mutsumi could very well reject her outright. But still, she refused to let go of this chance.
Because no matter what, she wanted everyone to stay together.
"I thought… maybe you of all people would understand."
"So—"
The simple, sincere words reached Mutsumi's ears. Her stoic face wavered just slightly, golden eyes lifting gently to meet Tomori's.
She'd never wanted to "have him all to herself."
Whether it was Soyo or Sakiko, she knew they had special feelings for Haru too. And for Mutsumi, all of them including Haru were precious.
"I love Haru. That's why I want him to be happy."
"As long as I can be by his side, that's enough for me. If Haru makes a choice, I won't stand in the way."
Tomori's eyes widened at the quiet conviction in Mutsumi's voice. Then, unable to hold back her joy, she reached out and gently took Mutsumi's hand.
"Mutsumi… thank you."
"…"
Mutsumi gave a small, awkward nod. Then her eyes drifted down to the band-aids in her palm, a faint shift flickering in her pale golden gaze.
"Tomori, let's trade."
"Eh?"
"Trade? Mutsumi, what do you mean by… trade?"
The puzzled penguin blinked as Mutsumi pointed at the cucumber in her hand, then at the band-aids she now held.
Her face was calm, as always, but just for a fleeting second, Tomori thought she saw the subtlest smile in Mutsumi's eyes.
"I want to know everything about Haru."
Her eyes gleamed with quiet purpose, and Tomori finally understood.
So that's what she meant by "trade", they were trading information.
