It began with an order.

Order One: Black Tea, Earl Grey

A sister fic to "It began with a question."

~Start!~

The stacked plates, cups and silverware in my hands rattle as I clear my third table before heading back into the kitchen to drop them off. From the corner of my eyes I can see my supervisor fidget nervously across the café.

I'm not going to drop them, I'm not going to drop them, don't worry, Mizumi-san! Keep your surprised looks to yourself, please! I'm not struggling, I'm just trying not to laugh right now, I swear!

It's just that, I mean, this kind of situation brought this saying I heard the other day to my mind, is all, and I'm trying not to lose it over here!

To work is to lose.

Pfft!

Ahaha, just thinking about that makes me want break out into a laugh! Like, who even says things like that, right? Isn't that something strange to say? Isn't that something weird to think? Isn't that something funny to hear?

I smile, placing the trays of plates, cups and silverware down onto the counter in front of the kitchen. I stretch my arms as far as my uniform allows and get back to it.

I think so.

It's like, such a negative thing to say, you know?

To work is to lose.

I chuckle to myself before asking again:

Who even says things like that?

Hm… who indeed…?

Oh, wait.

I know who!

My boyfriend~ does, that's who!

He's hilarious! I mean, some of the things he says just get to me, you know?

I take a look around the café and I relax, seeing as how it's pretty much empty right now since that small party of four just left. There are other people in here, but they've either already finished with their food and are just talking or the ones sitting by themselves are busying themselves with the paper or their cellphones.

I'm at work, by the way, as if that wasn't obvious enough.

Today marks my third day as a waitress in this café, and unfortunately for me, today just so happened to land on a Friday, of all days! I want to sigh, but I don't because it'll look bad on my part, considering my supervisor has been keeping a close eye on me since my shift started two hours ago. I'm doing fine, Mizumi-san, please go keep an eye on someone else, sheesh!

Hmph… What was I going on about before this…? Something funny, something funny… oh, yeah! My boyfriend, that's what I was going on about. Speaking of which…

My eyes scan the inside of the café until they reach a familiar booth in the farthest corner of the lobby. I shouldn't be disappointed, but I am anyways when I see that it's empty. Mou… I know you said you'd visit every now and then, but why not today…?

Neh, Hachiman, why don't you spoil me? You came my first day on the job and you were my first customer I serviced too, so why not become a regular…? I pouted for a second before I realized what I was doing.

I turn my attention back to my supervisor and I see her shoot me a confused look. Mizumi-san, can't you see I'm just thinking about something when the shore [1] is clear of customers? Please lower your eyebrow! Ah, geez, Hachiman! You're not even here and you're making me all distracted! I'm trying to work, you know?!

I let out an amused breath instead of a laugh as I do another round through the lobby, simply checking to make sure if the tables need anything.

If he were here, he'd probably have me rolling on the floor laughing with one of his commentaries on life or something… Oh! Isn't there some kind of internet slang for that kind of thing? I think it's "rofl" or something like that. How weird, honestly! Would Hachiman be the type to use that kind of slang?

Just the thought of that alone makes me want to giggle.

Oh, maybe I should just clear things up before I forget; not everything he says is funny, no! Hachiman is actually really smart, I'll let you know that right now, and some of the things he says actually hold up pretty well, you know?

His words are, uh, hmm, deep – yeah, that's it, they're deep! Or at least, some of them are meant to be deep, but if they fall flat or if they don't make any sense, I can't help but laugh!

To work is to lose, for example, is one of those sayings of his that doesn't make sense to me. I mean, like, why is working considered to be something bad, anyways? Isn't that weird to say?

I think so.

I mean, like, you aren't forced to work, right? So, that means if you choose to work, wouldn't that be because, I don't know, you like, want something by doing so? Well, money, duh, obviously, but like, you work to get money so you can get something you want, right? Wouldn't you be winning if you're working for something you want?

That's what I think, at least.

Like right now, for example. I'm working at this café because I want money, money that I will use to pay for things I want, like clothes, dates and presents. Nothing wrong with that, right?

Right!

I remember having this conversation with him through the phone a while back before we officially became a couple, and I think his exact reply to my thoughts was: "No, you're missing the point, Orimoto."

I think he was just being a downer when he said that, honestly. I mean, why look at the world through grey-tinted glasses like that when you have the choice to look at it through a better angle, right?

Oh-ho! That sounded so smart! I bet that would've caught him by surprise, huh?

"Are we all finished here?" I ask the couple sitting at the table center of the lobby. They had finished eating their orders a while back, but had insisted on taking it easy with their coffee – black, but heavy with the creamer and sugar.

Yuck…

I've refilled their cups about three times already, if I recall correctly.

The guy is the one who answers my question with a polite smile. "Ah, yes, we are."

I nod back in return. "All righty, then! Mind if I take these from you?" I motion to their cups with my hands. They nod and say their thanks as I take their cups off of the table.

I don't get a couple of feet past their table when I hear the customer to the table adjacent to theirs call for me.

"Over here too, miss!" This time, it was one of our customers who had come in by himself. He motions his empty cup into the air as if to signal me.

"On my way!" I say with a smile on my face before heading there.

My smile begins to gradually fade away when it happens two more times before I'm even able to deposit the cups with the rest of the dishware, however. That saying comes across my head once more.

To work is to lose.

And suddenly it's not as funny anymore.

This isn't heavy or tiring work, honestly. I want to make that clear. But it's getting harder to smile when I'm one of three available waitresses here at this café today. The lack of staff should be ridiculous for a café, right? Well, not according to my supervisor it isn't. I shouldn't be surprised, really, considering that most of the lobby staff happens to be students around my age. No student in their right mind would want to work on a Friday afternoon! That doesn't make this kind of situation right, though!

As for me? Well, I didn't have much of a choice, since I'm new and all. Asking for a planned schedule so soon would look bad on my part, apparently. Tomorrow they're handing out the work schedules for next week, but I'm not keeping my hopes up on a free weekend.

The lack of staff on hand also explains why my supervisor is here, as she wasn't present yesterday or the day before that.

After depositing all the dishware from the various tables that decided to leave together in the appropriate spot, I turn around and look outside through the large windows this café had and I could see the sun begin to set.

His club should have ended about an hour ago.

Ah, well.

I catch my reflection on one of those obtuse mirrors hanging on the wall across the café and notice a hair of mine sticking out of place. I fix it, and get back to work.

…

"Two espressos." I place their order on their table.

That's one.

"Mont Blac and canelé, over here." Their desserts are placed on the table.

That's two.

"I'll get these glasses out of your way, excuse me." I grab the two glasses of water from their table and haul it back with me towards the kitchen counter in the back.

That's… five.

I glance back at the lobby and notice how a majority of the tables had all been filled since the rush hour came. It was quiet before this, but now there's overlapping chatter filling the café.

I'm not sure which I prefer.

I mean, it's good for business, but not for the staff!

Especially since we're drastically understaffed right now!

Ugh… I take a look at the clock and wince when I notice that only an hour had passed since a large rush of dine-in customers had hit the café.

O-only an hour…? Give me a break!

"Blended coffee and mocha frappe." I hear the barista call out the order for one of us to pick up. I scan the café and I see the other waitresses currently busy with a table near the entrance and the other one with a different table in the center of the lobby.

I still haven't learned their names yet…

"I got it." I walked up to the barista and picked up the order before heading to the table it belonged to as described in the receipt. I haven't even gotten a chance to talk to him either…

"Table twenty-four… table twenty-four…" I mutter under my breath as I make my way around the somewhat full café until I get to the table and deliver their order. "Blended coffee and a mocha frappe, right?" I ask.

They nod.

"Enjoy." My reply is tight, despite it being my go-to response for the past couple of hours. I hear them say their thanks, but at this point it all sounds the same to me. You would think all these customers would help pass the time, but honestly, it's not the time that I'm concerned about.

I don't mind working, I truly don't, but it's just that…

The couple before me had taken their drinks and just left them there on the table untouched. They were too preoccupied with their conversation going on to care, apparently.

It's just that…

I take a look around me and I noticed those who are sitting in groups of two or more are busy chatting it up with one another to even enjoy their orders.

It's just that… I'm bored!

I'm so bored!

Like, what the hell?!

Don't people usually talk with the waitresses in cafés? Don't they try and start conversations before and after their orders are taken? Don't they?

I mean, I do! Don't other people do that?

Ahh, it wasn't like this during my first two days of work, either! The customers had been all chatty-chatty with me then! I wasn't bored then like how I am now! I've been here for three hours and I've only gotten as far as the menu goes!

Gah! This wasn't what I had in mind when I decided to work here! Just greeting, taking orders and delivering orders over and over is starting to get dull, you know?

I begin to move away from the table, but I don't get too far when one of my fellow waitresses walks towards me.

"Can you take care of the girl who just came in? Booth thirteen, thank you~!" She squeezes all of that as quickly as she can before she passes me, making her way to the back of the café.

Eh?! What just happened? Did she just dump a customer on me?!

Tch… What the hell, honestly…

I frown in irritation for a good second and a half before I remember where I'm at and let it go. I gotta calm down, no point in getting upset over something like that, right? I'm at work! I'm at work, after all.

I let out a sigh before making my way to the kitchen past the lobby.

I push the doors open.

They close behind me.

Fifteen seconds go by.

I push the doors open, a glass of cold water in my right hand.

The doors close behind me.

One of the first things that had confused me when I began working here was the tradition of bringing customers glasses of water once they took a seat. The various times Hachiman and I had come here to this specific café we too had been given water, but I don't remember ever drinking any of it. I mean, I can understand the gesture, but don't people come to cafés to get something to drink anyway? Why drink water when you came in for something else, am I right?

But still…

Hmph… carrying full glasses of water to and from tables all day can get pretty annoying, you know? I don't think people understand the extra effort we put in to bring them water before they even order anything…

I guess I just never appreciated this kind of thing before, huh?

Isn't that irony…? Am I using the word correctly? I'm not sure.

I push the thought aside.

I've stalled long enough, haven't I?

I felt a frown threaten to grow.

She had said booth thirteen, right? I didn't hear her wrong when she said that, right?

No, no I'm sure I didn't.

It's just that…

At the farthest corner of this café, is a booth.

It's just that, like…

It's very familiar.

And, it's just that…

My eyes have been glued to that booth since I had left the kitchen.

…I wish I had heard her wrong.

They've been glued to the girl sitting there, in his booth.

That's his booth, is all.

…Our booth.

Long black hair.

Something like this, it's nothing to feel weird about.

Light blue eyes.

It's just a booth, right?

That familiar uniform.

Right. Just a booth.

Pale skin.

Then…

Flawless pale skin.

…this weird feeling…

Neutral expression.

…has nothing to do with the booth…

I remember her.

…except for the girl sitting in it.

She turns to look at me right before I place the glass of water on the table in front of her. Her eyes move slightly, but they remained planted on my face, almost like if they were scanning me to the very last detail. She had been surprised by my arrival, but it quickly wore off.

I can see the moment she recognizes who I am. It happened in a split second, but I saw it! There was a tiny shift on her face, where her eyes had narrowed, her lips trembled and her brow twitched.

She had stopped a frown from forming. She had barely stopped a frown from forming.

Yet, despite this slip-up, she didn't look away from me. Her eyes meet with mine and then and there I noticed the intensity they had.

Uwah! This is so awkward! What do I even say in this situation?!

H-here goes nothing, I guess!

"H-Hello!" Guh! I can feel my smile almost crumble at that. Am I greeting her as someone I know, or as a customer?! "W-Welcome! How are we doing this evening?" I corrected myself, but the damage is still there.

She doesn't reply to my question, instead she stares at me with those intense eyes of hers. We share a moment of silence between us.

It's not supposed to be this quiet, I note nervously. Not in a café.

It's during these tense couple of seconds of silence that her expression softens considerably. Her eyes seem to have been extinguished during the short pause when she blinked, because when she opens them, the intensity they had just moments ago is gone.

"Good evening." She responds, tone neutral but polite. "Everything is going well," She's facing me, but her eyes are avoiding mine "…thank you for asking." A civil smile comes across her face, small and fragile.

I can feel my smile begin to wither down at the sight of hers being constructed. I think she notices that as she takes a small breath, her eyes closing as she does so. Her back is upright, her arms at her sides, relaxed, the tips of her fingers against the fabric of the seat she's on. If her eyes were open she'd be looking at the wooden frame of the seat across the booth opposite to her, as she had turned away from me when she noticed my expression begin to change.

She really is beautiful, I remind myself.

I suddenly remember I'm a waitress and she had answered my routine question. "Good to know..." I go along with her words, even if her body is saying something else completely. I clutch the menu I had picked up on my way over here against my chest with my right hand, almost not wanting to let it go, but I do so anyway after a second or two. It doesn't make it halfway to her when I realize I'm saying something. "My name is Orimoto Kaori."

"…?"

I stop right after I finished introducing myself. Why did I do that? Why did I do that?! That's so weird! She knows who you are, Kaori!

My eyes had been glued on the menu I had somewhat placed on the table space before her when I said that, so when I look up, we're looking at one another once again. There's a spark of contained annoyance in her eyes, but it was quickly dowsed by the look of confusion her face had. She might be asking the same thing in her head.

"…it's just that…" I start again, already working on a way to fix this mistake. "…I don't think I've introduced myself yet, is all." That much is true. I've come across Hachiman's club more than several times in the past, but I couldn't bring myself to do this kind of thing since our first encounter was probably the worst first impression we could have had.

As much as I don't like thinking about how that double date went, I owe all of this to the way it ended, so I bear with the memory of it. I'm sure she does too, now. I almost cringe at the thought of that from her perspective.

…I really don't like thinking about that double date all that time ago. I really don't.

She didn't even spare me a glance back then, even as I walked past her. Her eyes didn't leave him for a second, not even to glare at the girl he had been with at the moment.

I had originally thought that she was his girlfriend then and there, or at least, that either one of them were, her or that other girl she was with, but I later found out by his own words that that wasn't the case.

There was no way I could have introduced myself to them there and then, not during something that… awkward. And, yeah, this situation is pretty awkward too, but I don't think it's as bad as that time.

That was in the past though, right? Things are different now, right?

At least, I like to think I am.

"I'm kind of late, but yeah." I let out an awkward laugh at that because there isn't much I can do at this point. "It's nice to meet you."

That was in the past. Things are different now.

Things should be different now.

But, just like in the past, you don't even pay attention to me, your eyes focus on the menu you had taken from my hands. My right hand grasps the material of my uniform from the base of my shirt before I let it go.

I touch the base of my right arm with my left hand, awkwardly waiting for a response from you that hopefully isn't part of the menu because this doesn't seem right.

This isn't something we should skim over, don't you think? I'm not sure how much you know, but there has to be something you want to ask.

Something you want to know.

Something you want to say.

Anything.

I'm right here, you know? The perfect opportunity for you to ask whatever you want to ask, to find out whatever you want to know, to say whatever you want to say, is right now.

She turns the page on the menu and I almost frown.

And you decide to stay quiet?

Why?

Hasn't this been eating at you? Huh? Hasn't this been bothering you since that day so many months ago?

I know the answer to all of these questions.

Of course, it has.

Of course, it's been bothering you.

Of course, it's been eating at you.

How couldn't it?

Then why?

Your eyes… they haven't even moved at all and this is the second time you've turned the page.

I sigh.

I didn't think you were someone who acted this way. I thought you were more like him, at least. I think he'd ask questions during something like this, if anything just to understand things better, but you? I don't know anymore.

I take a look around and I can see my supervisor helping us waitresses out by taking a table's order. Thank you, Mizumi-san, at least with that I'll have some more time here.

I turn back to look at her and I notice the fake smile she had on a moment ago return.

…this has been bothering him too, don't you know that? It isn't a secret that he's close to you and the other girl in the club; I know that much after spending so much time with him. I know enough to understand that he cares about the club he's in. That's how I know that it's bothering you, eating at you.

If I were to tell you that this has been bothering him too, will you speak to me? Will you ask me something? Will you say anything?

I could tell you, right here right now. I could tell you everything. He's never told me not to confront you.

Her head stays still, but her eyes finally move towards me.

He has no right to tell me not to confront you.

You deserve it. You really do. You deserve to know. I can tell you.

She closes her eyes for a second, and when they open, she lets the menu fall back on the table.

I can tell you everything.

I have the right to.

She takes a small breath.

But, of course, I won't.

I won't tell you for the same reason I'm willing to put up with all of this. For the same reason why I stopped texting him during your club. The same reason I'm okay with him not telling his family about me.

All of this is my fault.

"Surely, you've had enough already, haven't you?" She nearly whispers. She's not looking at me anymore; instead, she's facing ahead at the seat in front of her, where the booth meets the wall. "You know all too well who I am, so if we could perhaps skip the formalities, I would very much appreciate it, if anything just to keep my pride intact." Her words are soft, her tone distant.

I open my mouth to say something, but the words fail to come out. I close it, my lips coming together before I try again a moment. "I-I…" She had turned to look at me as I had prepared to talk, and whatever it was that I had to say died then and there. "…right." What made this different than before, though, was that it felt as if it had been the first time she's ever laid her eyes on mine, not just on my face. They were… dull.

Her words were meant to be strong, but not with that tone she was using.

That fake smile looks…

…pathetic on someone like her.

Her smile grows tight before she shakes her head, slowly. "I just… I just don't understand why or how… he… and you…" Her wrists land on the table, but her fingers come together, interlocked for now.

This, ha… this isn't… it doesn't feel right. This isn't how I expected her to be.

"How much do you know?" I ask, arms around my waist.

If my question confused her, she did a pretty good job at hiding it. "Enough…" She nods her head once after her soft response. "Enough to know that it's perhaps… better… this way."

That kind of response… ugh, why does it feel so… wrong?

"…What do you mean?" Her expression softens up at that, her "smile" slowly winding down until a fraction of it remains. She doesn't say anything for a couple of seconds, making me doubt whether or not she was going to tell me what she meant, but it didn't last too long when her lips part and then come back together as she tries to come up with the words. Were you always like this?

She sighs. "…Maybe it was just wishful thinking on my part, but, I had thought, that just maybe he and I… could have…" She trails off, but I don't need to hear the rest to know what she was going to say. "…but, if I could see that it wouldn't have worked out, then he definitely did too…" Seeing her smile after saying something like that bothers me more than I'd like to admit. "Maybe that's why the neither of us tried as hard as we should have to pursue one another… it would also explain why he would go with you-"

Oh, just stop it already!

"So you gave up then?" The words left my mouth before I realized what they were, but I'm not exactly sorry enough to try and correct myself. This is… pissing me off to be honest. Who acts like this, like, seriously? This isn't right.

Her mouth goes wide for just a moment before she reacts in a way that makes sense for once.

"What?" The frown she had hid from me earlier is now on display. If this booth wasn't in the far corner of the café I don't think I'd have been able to have this kind of talk with her, and thankfully, the few tables nearby this one haven't been filled up yet. We're by ourselves right now.

"Isn't that what you're basically saying? That you gave up?" Ugh… I don't like being this way.

The intensity that her eyes had comes back at that, but her expression is trying to go back to the one she had on before. "I…" She's trying really hard to keep doing whatever the hell she was doing this entire time. "…did not give up." She pauses. "I didn't… I… lost."

To me. You lost to me. Doesn't that make you mad? Why are you acting like it doesn't matter? Why are you acting so… so… so pathetic?

"Has he said anything?" I ask her, but I already know the answer. Of course he hasn't. He wouldn't dare say anything about our relationship to anyone because he's afraid of you two finding out.

So why? Why are you acting so pathetic right now? Why have you given up when all you have to go by is an assumption? I can't see Hachiman respecting someone like that to the extent that he does with you.

"No." She replies, tone more stable than before. "But he does not need to say anything, it's obvious that something-"

"Is it really?" What am I even doing? "Is it really that obvious, even if he hasn't said anything?" I smile at her, but I don't know why.

She meets my smile with narrow eyes. Her patience is running out.

I take out the tablet from one of the pouches of my uniform but all I do is hold it in my hands. "What if I told you I was just his friend, nothing more?" No, seriously… what am I doing?

Her eyes widen for just a second, surprised by the question. She takes a moment to think before her eyes sharpen towards me. "You must take me for a fool, if you expect me to believe that."

I balance the tablet on my right palm as my left one rests at my side. I smile at her once more. "Isn't it better to believe in something than in nothing?" The look she shoots me with almost makes me cringe.

…almost.

"You don't have to believe me." I tell her. "It might be better if you don't, honestly, but…" Her expression begins to soften as my words reached her. "…isn't this all you have to go by now?"

A lie.

A lie only I know about.

That's all she has to go on right now.

Despite it all, she looks ready to deny it. Tch…

I won't let her.

"Like I said, you don't have to believe me, but it's just that… I didn't expect you were the type of person who decides things based on assumptions, you know?" I give her an honest, pitiful look, one deserving of her. "At least, I don't think he expects you to be that way either."

I don't think I can describe the look her face melts into.

I guess that'll do.

"Have you decided on your order or do you need a couple of more minutes with the menu?"

…

I'm walking away from the booth, her order already sent to the barista via the tablet in my hand. This place sure is modern, huh?

I fit the tablet back into the center pouch of my uniform before heading towards the center of the lobby where the barista is stationed at after I asked the nearby customers if they needed anything. I wait behind the counter next to the line of stools customers could sit on if they wanted to, kind of like a bar, I guess.

The barista is several years older than I am, has black hair, brown eyes and is tall as hell. I haven't really gotten the chance to talk to him since I began working here despite it being my third day, but right now, making friends is probably the last thing on my mind.

"You were there for a while." He has his back turned towards me as he works on the order but I can hear him loud and clear.

"Hm, yeah." I reply. "She didn't know what she wanted."

I see the back of his head bob once as he nodded. "Ah, one of those, huh?" He's got an amused tone to his voice. "Did you recommend anything?"

"You could say that, I guess." I see my supervisor hauling several cups and plates from the lobby towards the kitchen. Thank you, Mizumi-san, you're being such a big help today.

"Did she go with any of your recommendations?" He asks. Small talk like this, heh, it's not so bad. "What I mean is, did you recommend this to her and she went along with it?"

I shake my head, but of course he couldn't see it. "Nah, she chose this on her own."

I see him shrug before he turns around and puts the order on the counter in front of me. "She's got good taste, in that case. Black tea, Earl Grey." He motions the cup of hot tea towards me before going back to work.

"She sure does." I sigh before taking the cup by the small plate it stands on and make my way towards the booth it was ordered from. I could faintly smell the scent of citrus coming from the tea in my hands as I walked down the lobby, careful not to spill any of it onto the ground below.

It smelled great, and if it weren't for the fact that I hate black tea I would consider ordering this next time I'm on break.

I guess this is just another one of our differences, huh?

For the sake of my job I have to make sure I look the part of the establishment, and that part involves for every staff member on lobby to have a smile as they make their way through it. As far as it goes, I'm doing great in that regard, but I feel terrible inside.

Thing is, I remember her.

Back when Sōbu and Kaihin's student councils worked together to organize the Christmas event, she had spoken up against the flaws of the planning committee just as Hachiman had been doing. I knew that the planning committee hadn't been going anywhere, but I didn't say anything about it.

Hachiman did.

And so did she.

The way she had spoken during that time was intimidating, but effective. She saw that something was wrong and she pointed it out against both sides, something I didn't care about doing.

That same girl from back then, the one from the collaboration event is not the same girl sitting in his booth. The one here was quiet, sad and… pathetic. Really, really pathetic.

She had given up.

Which is perfect for me, you know? One less girl to worry about trying to take my boyfriend away from me is something I'll happily accept any day of the week.

Even on a Friday.

I hold back a sigh.

And yet… I drove her on. I lied to her, told her there's a chance that she's wrong about the relationship between Hachiman and me, that I'm only his friend and nothing else.

I was mean.

I was mad.

Pissed off at the way she was acting. As if losing to me was not a big deal at all, can you believe that? She isn't above me and… she's not below me either, not when she was after the same guy I ended up claiming before her.

She should have been mean.

She should have acted the way she felt.

She shouldn't have acted so pathetic or noble if she didn't know the whole truth about us.

Even now, she still doesn't know the truth.

Seeing her act the way she did…after I know how she could be… it was insulting.

She was insulting me by acting that way, insulting the girl she lost to.

She was insulting Hachiman by acting that way, insulting the guy she lost.

She was insulting herself by acting that way, insulting the girl who didn't stay quiet when she saw something that wasn't right.

It pissed me off more than I'd like to admit, because…

She turns to look at me as I'm walking down the lobby towards her.

…if things had been only slightly different…I could see myself bringing them their order to this very booth.

"Black tea, Earl Grey here." I announce the order to her before I set it on the table in the space in front of her. She looks at the cup I placed before her before looking back at me.

Our eyes meet for a brief second, but that's all I need to know that something is different.

I smile at her. "If you need anything, just let me know. Enjoy."

As I turn away from her I hear her voice. "Excuse me."

I turn around, surprised that she spoke to me after what happened, and I find that she's holding the glass of water I had placed on the table before I took her order.

It was empty.

"A-ah, I'll get that for you."

And so I did.

…

She had finished and paid for her order only half an hour later and left without saying a single word to anyone other than the cashier next to the entrance of the café. That was an hour and a half ago, meaning that my shift has just come to an end.

Not much has happened since she left and right now, well, nothing worth mentioning, anyway. Now that the moon was out and the night was upon us, things began to slightly slow down.

The conversation between us was still fresh on my mind despite that it happened just about two hours ago, but that's fine, I think. A lot had been said by the both of us, and even now I'm questioning the things I told her, questioning why I lied to her.

I had given her hope.

Hope for something that is already lost for her. Hope for something that only I know is lost for her. She believed that she had already lost to me, and yeah, she was right, but even then…

…I lied to her.

I challenged her to a battle I had already won, one that she was a part of but gave up before she ever finished.

Does that make me a bad person?

Thinking back on the face she had made after I told her off…

…Yeah, yeah I think it does.

The night air feels nice, I note with a smile as the doors to the café close behind me. I had already punched out for the night and said goodbye to my coworkers, and all that's left of me is the walk home.

I take out my cellphone and send a quick text to my okaasan, telling her that I'm already out and on the way home before starting the same message to send to Hachiman. I'm about halfway done with the message when I hear a familiar voice call out ahead of me.

"Yo." The deep voice I've grown accustomed to gets my full attention as I look away from my phone and my eyes meet with his. He's standing underneath the streetlight next to the sidewalk just a couple of feet away from me.

It's my boyfriend. Hm, that feels nice to say, you know?

I feel a smile begin to grow at the mere sight of him and I let it grow even further when I noticed that he brought his bike with him.

"You're a little late, you know?" I'm making my way to him, arms at my side.

He waits for me to get closer before responding. "We could go back in if you want." He grins.

The thought of going back in after all that just happened is enough for me to groan into a small laugh at his joke. "…That's not funny." I wrap my arms around him into a hug that he returns with one arm due to his bike.

"Hm, long day?" He asks, his tone curious.

You have no idea, Hachiman. I rest my head against his chest for a second longer before responding.

"Eh, it was nothing special." I sigh into the material of his shirt before taking a small step back off of him. He raises an eyebrow at my words but he leaves it at that as he tilted his head to his bike in his hand.

"If you say so. Ready to go?" He asks as he readies his bike.

"Mhm," I nod my head "let's go."

…

There's something about going through the streets of central Chiba during the hours of the night that somehow relaxes me. During the day, the streets are crowded with cars and the sidewalks filled with people, but during these hours, it's very different. There's the occasional car, sure, and the rare pedestrians on the sidewalks, but the night isn't about that, I think.

The lights are bright out here, that's what I like the most of these hours in Chiba. The signs are colorful over each restaurant, club, convenience store and whatever else is open during this time, and if I could have it my way, I'd prefer it if it were this way all the time.

Most of my friends at school always talk about how the stars late at night are "so pretty" and "romantic" but I never really understood what they meant when they say that. I would agree with them when they asked if I knew what they were talking about, but I just didn't want to be the only one left out, I guess.

The stars are so tiny in the sky, you know? And yeah, there are a lot of them, but even then, they never really impressed me. But here, on the streets of Chiba, the lights are different. They're close, they're bright, they're… here, you know?

I can't really explain it, and I just might sound even dumber than I really am if I try, but I prefer these neon lights on the sides of buildings to the ones in the sky. I'm not sure why, but I think that's fine, isn't it?

I'm seated on the baggage rack of Hachiman's bike, arms wrapped around his waist and head against his back for "safety" reasons, but in reality, this is my favorite part of riding on his bike, to be honest. Moments when we can be this close together are rare, so it's only natural that we take full advantage of them, yeah?

It feels… nice.

Today was a long day, I sigh before tightening my grip on him. School and then work immediately right after, I mean, I think it would be fair to say that I needed this.

I hear him clear his throat, making me look up ahead at him. His head is slightly tilted back to the point where he could see me. He doesn't say anything, but he doesn't need to. I give him a smile and shake my head against his back as he turns back around.

He doesn't push the matter anymore than he needs to, and I appreciate that. I know that he's curious about it and I know that he knows something is bothering me, but I think this is something I should deal by myself.

He's got his own thing to deal with, after all.

And I guess so do I.

The lights are just as bright as they were the first time we rode on his bike, before I worked at the café. On that day he had said "You're you" when I was worried about my personality getting in the way of me making friends and when I had asked him if that was a bad thing or not.

He never gave me a yes or no answer, but I think I understood what he meant.

I talk too much, and think too little. I know that much, I know that people are thrown off by the way I am, the way I talk, and that makes it so I lose friends quickly.

To some, I guess I might be a bad person.

He makes a right turn, cutting us off from the lights of central Chiba and onto the roads where the streetlights are the only thing lighting our way. With the speed that he's going, we pass them slowly, one by one.

He had used himself as an example about "being who you are" and why it wouldn't be all that great if you were to change who you are. He had said that if it was friends that I wanted, then I should keep making them until I found the ones that understood who and how I am.

He… he was really cool then, you know? I can feel my heart beating just slightly harder at the memory as I brought myself closer into him. I can hear him grunt at what I did, but I know that he likes it too.

He knows how I am, I think he always knew, and it doesn't bother him when I don't think before I say anything, he's told me that before.

He's my friend.

We had reached that part of the road where there's suddenly less streetlights than usual and are farther spread apart. It's here, where we pass the lights even slower than usual, where it's dark for longer moments at a time, that I don't regret what I had told her.

It was a risk I had taken, one that could backfire if something were to go wrong, but I was never the type to just let things go as they are.

My relationship with my boyfriend is proof of that.

She had given up before she even knew the entire truth between us and that had pissed me off. I had taken a risk to get where I am now, to get with him, and the fact that she was trying to play it off as a mistake on their – his and her – part for not trying enough was like a slap to the face of our relationship.

She didn't try. She didn't take a chance. She didn't take the risk that I did.

She lost without ever being told that she lost.

My relationship with Hachiman started on a risk during that study session we had. I had been fine with the way we were before that study session, I had been fine with being his friend – even if he denied it the entire time – but at some point I felt the need for more out of our relationship together, as something more than just friends.

I can't explain how happy I am that I took that risk back then.

There are a few things I don't ever want to lose, and he's two of them. I don't want to lose him as my boyfriend. Or as my friend. He's something I don't want to risk losing now that I have him, but even then, I took another one because she deserves to know that she lost. If and when she does make her move, I'll be ready to make sure I keep what's mine.

I'm not one for drama, I never was, but like I said before, I was never the type to just let things go as they are.

She deserves to let her feelings be known.

I feel a smile begin to grow in the darkness that is this road right before we reach the stretch of road where the streetlights are packed tightly together.

She deserves to be rejected.

I won him fair and square, you know? I didn't trample on fate or whatever you call it, I just simply took a risk, a chance of failure, and it paid out.

I just hope this one pays out too.

Even so, after today, I know that if things had just turned out a little bit differently… had she taken the risk that I did before I got the chance…

I take a look up at the sky past the bright streetlights and frown at the pathetic dim stars in the distance.

…she'd be the one riding with him on his bike right now.

…

It was only several minutes later when we reached my house. I hopped off of his bike just before he did a second later. We're outside of my house where the light coming from my porch gave us some way to see each other.

"Keep doing this and I'm going to start expecting you outside the café whenever I'm out of work, you know." He raises an eyebrow at my words. I let out a laugh that's wanted out since my shift started.

"Yeah, don't." He puts his hand forward, motioning for me to stop that thought. "It's Friday, so I just, you know, figured…" He's blushing as he tries to explain his reasoning. How cute!

"You missed your girlfriend enough to come visit her after she's done with a busy day at work…?" I offer, but he scoffs, a smirk on his face.

"Well, you're half right." Oh?

"What part am I right in, then? Did you miss me? Or just because today was a busy day? Eh? Eh?" I give him a tight hug from the front, but like usual he returns it only after a couple of seconds pass.

"Why are you asking me? Figure it out." He's looking at the night sky like he usually does whenever we hug like this.

The stars are nothing special, I think to myself, but the way he looks at them with that same smile he has when we're like this, probably gives them more credit than they should have.

"I'm just going to assume you're a good boyfriend and say that you came because you missed me, how's that sound?" My head leans against his chest where I can hear his heartbeat slightly rise at my words.

He nods his head twice. "Mhm, that sure is why I came." I laugh into his shirt before looking up at him, my head leaving his chest.

"What a good boyfriend I have…" I reach up and caress his cheek.

"T-the best boyfriend." He corrects me, but he stuttered in the beginning. Oh~ it's so easy to tease you, Hachiman.

"Mhm, the best…" I bring his head closer to mine when he decides to meet me halfway.

The kiss is never long enough, but is always satisfying and always leaves me wanting more. After a couple of seconds he begins to back up, but I don't let him, not tonight. Not after everything I went through today. My arms make their way around his neck where I force him to stay still for a moment longer. He grunts for a moment, but then goes along with it.

My thoughts should be on him, but I end up finding myself thinking about her one last time tonight, wondering if she's ever thought about doing something like this with him and what she would think or say if she were to see us.

Would that make me a bad person?

Heh…

Hachiman had once told me that a person's personality can be matched with the way they take their coffee. As a waitress of a café, I've had little to go by to see if that saying is true or not.

He takes his as sweet as possible and I take it black. What that has to be said about us so far hasn't been very convincing to whether or not it holds up.

I don't actually believe in that saying, to be honest, but Hachiman had been the one to tell me that, so there might be some truth to it. Maybe I just don't see it.

Our lips separate and we're left looking at one another. We're both slightly panting from lack of air, but by the blush on his face I can tell he enjoyed it too.

"I'll… I'll see you tomorrow?" I ask him between short takes of air.

He blinks several times in a row before nodding his head. "U-uh, yeah…" He's still surprised by it. I guess I am too.

"Text me when you get home, kay?"

He nods before getting on his bike. He waves me goodbye and leaves.

I feel my hand lower itself until they're both at my sides. That kiss… still wasn't as long as I wanted it to be. I smile.

Today had been the first time I've had the chance to talk to one of Hachiman's clubmates, the first time I've serviced anyone that knows him too.

I'm not going to bother trying to figure her out using that saying because she had ordered a tea instead of a coffee, but even then I don't believe in it.

That isn't my specialty, anyways. That's his.

I'm better at reading people I interact with anyways.

Today has been a long day, I repeat with a smile. All that's left is to end it, right?

And what better way to finish today than with some words my boyfriend would say?

My understanding of her was always limited to begin with before this. I had thought that she was strong-willed, and confident, but today, I have finally gotten to know her just a little bit better.

Today, I got to know her a little better, and it began with an order.

I feel myself about to laugh, but I'm not done yet!

A cup of black tea, Earl Grey, for the girl who had given up before she even lost.

I laughed under the dimly lit starry night sky before I went inside.

~End!~

[1]: "When the shore is clear of customers…" = Confusion of the saying "Coast is clear"

Happy New Year's!

I hope everyone had a great New Year's Eve! How did 2015 treat you all? Here's to an even better 2016!

Welcome all, to "It began with an order" the sister fic to "It began with a question"! This fic is going to be similar to the style of my other one as it's going to be told in connected one-shots but this one, as you all read, is going to be centered on Orimoto.

Writing Orimoto is… very different than writing Hikigaya but not necessarily hard. But, this is my first attempt at writing from her perspective exclusively so I'm not sure how I did in regards to that. From what I know about her character from the light novels, the anime and my own interpretation of her, she's the type of character that doesn't really think about the words she's going to say before she says them, understands more than just what is pointed out, and she knows where she stands.

I think she's a very different character than most of the girls in Oregairu with the way she acts and I tried to implement that here, more specifically, she's a bold character. At least, that's my take on her.

How did you all like the first chapter of this fic? If you liked it, let me know why with a review! If you didn't, let me know why with a review, too! Feedback is something I strive for as an author, so please, let me know!

Super special thanks to Loner-kun and Judicar Deimos for their much appreciated input on how to write the conversation between Yukinoshita and Orimoto. You two were a gigantic help and I hope I did it some justice in the way I wrote it.

Thank you all for reading, and as always, have a good day!

-TheRedGhillie