The charming blond barista

Chapter 1: The charming blond barista

Ai Hoshino was exhausted. Who would have thought that dancing and singing could be so tiring? If she had known that being an idol would be like this, she would never have signed with Ichino.

What was his name again? She was really bad at remembering names, something that always seemed to annoy her manager.

Her phone vibrated in her pocket, causing her entire coat to do the same. She considered answering, knowing that Ichido would be furious with her for disappearing after the concert. The man cared too much about her well-being.

Now she just craved something sweet to eat. She only hoped her "disguise" would make her unrecognizable to the public. Today's concert had drained her sugar levels quite a bit. Finding a café would be like child's play; the stage wasn't far from the center of Tokyo. What would complicate things was finding one that wasn't too crowded at this time of day.

She continued walking through the bustling streets of Tokyo. Some fans she could recognize by their faces were passing by, commenting on the concert they had just attended. She would be lying if she said she didn't get nervous; it would be pretty bad if any of them recognized her. She couldn't escape the hordes of fans that would gather around her.

Her train of thought stopped when a bright orange building caught her attention. It was too eye-catching not to stare.

"Kurama no Kakurega (Kurama's Hideout)," Ai read the sign hanging in the center of the store. It seemed she wasn't the only one who saw the sign. A few people were sitting at the tables inside, laughing and chatting.

It looked like a nice place to hang out. There were no fans in sight, or at least no one who seemed like one. Most were just passing by. They were probably heading home to display the concert memories in their showcases.

Ai smiled beneath the sunglasses she stole from Ichigo. He must also be mad about the theft, she suddenly realized. Before she knew it, she was approaching the colorful orange store.

Upon entering, she felt a comforting warmth, a warmth she had never felt before, along with the scent of baked goods. It was like entering a new world full of colors and rainbows. No one was at the counter. Ai approached the counter. You knew a place was good when you craved something just by entering. The different desserts under the counter caught her attention the most; being out of reach made them even more desirable.

She leaned down slightly to get a better look at the different products that were tempting her.

"Oh, a new customer!"

A male voice caught her attention. She looked down to see a young blond-haired, blue-eyed boy with three marks on his cheeks waving from behind the counter. He wore an unbuttoned white shirt at the neck and black pants, along with a small orange apron to complete the look. He seemed to be around her age (about 14 years old). Possibly here after school.

Ai quickly straightened up; that did surprise her.

"See anything you like?" the boy tilted his head, a playful smile appearing on his face.

"Everything looks delicious, I don't know what to choose! I think I'll keep looking! Hehehe!" Ai pretended to laugh to hide her embarrassment, something she always did in such situations.

"In that case, take this," the blond boy handed her a small menu with some basic food and drink items.

Ai took the menu with a slight nod of gratitude and began looking at the different desserts and drinks the place had to offer, nothing out of the ordinary.

"I want this and this!"

"A strawberry cake and a chocolate milkshake coming up!" The boy noted the order in his notebook. "You can take a seat; your order will be ready in a moment."