Chapter 87: Ayane wants to order Noah.
Noah finished serving another group, so he turned and his eyes swept across the room.
Ayane felt her body tense as Noah walked toward them.
’He’s coming, he’s coming!’
Ayane took a breath.
’It’s just a normal conversation, nothing more.’
Noah stopped beside the table.
"Good afternoon."
Reina raised a hand immediately.
"Me first."
Noah opened his notepad.
"All right."
"I want a large coffee, a slice of chocolate cake, and..."
Reina looked straight at him.
"...you to be the one who brings it."
Noah blinked.
"If I’m available, yes."
"You’d better be available."
"I’ll do my best."
Reina smiled, satisfied, while Misaki spoke up.
"Is the coffee freshly ground beans?"
"Yes."
"When was it roasted?"
Noah fell silent.
"Well... I don’t know."
"What temperature is the water?"
"I don’t know the exact temperature."
"What percentage of cacao does the cake have?"
"I’m not sure."
"Does the cream contain stabilizers?"
Noah slowly lowered the notepad.
"I can ask the manager."
Misaki kept studying the menu.
"Are the strawberries fresh?"
"I think so."
"Thinking isn’t knowing."
Reina looked at her.
"Just order something."
"I’m trying to choose correctly."
Noah breathed.
"Would you like me to come back in a few minutes?"
"No."
Misaki pointed to a drink.
"This tea."
"Perfect."
"No sugar."
"Got it."
"No lemon."
"Got it."
"And I want another empty cup."
Noah looked up.
"What for?"
Misaki stayed silent, so Reina answered for her.
"She likes having options."
Misaki shot her an annoyed look, so Noah decided not to ask any more questions and then turned to Ayane.
"And what would you like?"
Ayane short-circuited.
Noah was waiting with his pen ready, so she opened her mouth, but no words came out.
"Miss?"
Ayane felt her face starting to heat up.
’Say something!’
Noah tilted his head slightly.
"Do you need more time?"
Ayane tried to speak.
"I-I..."
Reina started smiling and Misaki lowered the menu.
Ayane looked at Noah, who was waiting patiently, which only made everything worse.
"I-I want..."
Noah waited, and Ayane immediately looked at the menu, but she didn’t recognize a single word.
’What was I even reading!?’
Reina decided to help.
"She wants the same as you."
Ayane spun around sharply.
"What!?"
Noah blinked.
"The same as me?"
Reina rested her elbow on the table.
"Yes."
"I’m not eating anything."
"Then bring her whatever you’d eat."
Ayane almost stood up.
"No!"
Several people looked their way, so Ayane lowered her voice.
"No."
Noah looked confused.
"Would you like me to recommend something?"
Ayane felt that was even worse, because he was going to choose something for her.
’Don’t think weird things!’
"Yes."
The answer slipped out before she could stop it, so Noah checked the menu.
"The strawberry cake is good, since I tried it yesterday on my break."
Ayane looked at the photo.
"Th-Then I want that."
Reina covered her mouth with one hand to keep from laughing while Noah wrote down the order.
"And to drink?"
Ayane looked at Noah again.
"Whatever you want..."
She stopped.
Misaki closed her eyes while Reina was already shaking with laughter.
Ayane corrected quickly.
"Whatever you recommend!"
"Well, black tea could work."
"Yes."
Noah finished writing.
"So that’ll be one strawberry cake and black tea."
Ayane nodded.
"Yes."
"Right away."
Noah walked off and Ayane dropped her forehead onto the table, at which Reina started laughing.
"Whatever you want!"
"Shut up."
"Want him to pick your dinner too?"
"Shut up."
"And your clothes?"
"Reina."
"And the names of your kids?"
Ayane lifted her head.
"Shut up!"
Misaki drank some water.
"Technically, that last question could be relevant in the long run."
Ayane looked at her.
"Don’t help."
Reina was still laughing when something fell out of the inside pocket of Ayane’s jacket.
It was a photograph, and Reina picked it up before Ayane could react.
"What’s this?"
Ayane went pale.
"Give it back!"
Reina looked at the photograph and saw it was of Noah, an image taken from a security camera.
Reina slowly raised her eyes and then looked at the photograph again, while Misaki leaned in.
"Interesting."
"Please give it back!"
Reina raised her arm while Ayane tried to snatch it.
"Why do you have a photograph of Noah in your pocket?"
"Identification reasons."
"You already know what he looks like."
"To confirm targets."
"We saw him two minutes ago."
"Give it back!"
Misaki analyzed the image.
"It’s cropped."
Ayane froze and Reina looked at her.
"You cropped the photograph?"
"No."
"Well, it sure looks like it."
"It came that way."
Misaki pointed to an edge.
"You can see the cut mark."
Ayane snatched the photograph and put it away.
"It’s mission material."
Reina smiled.
"Sure."
"It is."
"Then I guess you also sleep with mission material under your pillow."
Ayane went still, at which Reina’s eyes widened.
"No way, are you in love with him?"
"I didn’t say anything."
"That just confirms it."
"I didn’t say anything."
Misaki picked up her cup when Noah returned with the tray.
"Suspicious behavior detected."
Ayane looked at her.
"Are you talking about me?"
"No, about her."
Misaki discreetly pointed toward the counter.
Luna was there, watching them, so Ayane turned serious.
Luna narrowed her eyes and, even though the perception barrier made it hard to recognize them easily, something seemed to bother her.
Noah set down the orders.
"Your coffee."
Reina smiled.
"Thanks."
"The tea."
Misaki checked the cup.
"And the empty one?"
Noah placed another, so Misaki nodded.
"Correct."
Finally, he set the cake and the tea in front of Ayane.
"Hope you like it."
Ayane froze again.
"Th-Thanks."
Noah smiled slightly.
"If you need anything else, just let me know."
Ayane nodded too quickly and Noah left.
Reina watched Ayane.
"You haven’t touched the cake."
"I will."
"You’re smiling."
"No."
"Yes."
"I said no."
Misaki looked toward Luna.
"The black-haired employee is still watching us."
Ayane discreetly raised her eyes and saw that Luna was approaching, so the three of them tensed up.
Luna stopped beside the table.
"Everything all right?"
Reina answered.
"Perfect."
Luna looked at Reina, then at Misaki, and finally at Ayane.
Ayane tried to look normal, but Luna stayed silent for a few seconds.
"Do we know each other?"
Ayane felt a chill, knowing that if they slipped up, they would be discovered.