"You keep saying stuff like that and I'll eat all of these pancakes by myself," she retaliated. They both laughed, not paying attention to the girl still sat in the booth. She had her phone out, taking pictures of her drink and of the workers.
After a bit, An's phone buzzed. The notification read 'New Suggested Post From: BADD0G_F4N22'. She shut off the burner and washed her hands before tapping the Instagram notification.
~~~~~
Pictures of Akito, Toya, and An were paired with the coffee the girl was drinking. The caption read:
BADD0G_F4N22 got to meet an from vivids today! and who knew the mysterious blue haired boy was so good at making coffee?! apparently it's his first day working here at weekend garage and he served me a mocha he made (which is what BAD DOG likes to get!). i almost got to know his name, and not only did i get to meet him, BUT BAD DOG WAS HERE AND THEY WENT IN THE BACK TOGETHER. i wonder what they did ;) #BADDOG #bluehairedboy #weekendgaragecafe
Akito was peering over An's shoulder as she scrolled through the comments. So many of them said pretty much the same thing: "you're so lucky" and "i hope we get to know who he is soon!" and "he's so hot".
Akito rolled his eyes as the other put her phone back in her pocket. He about had it with people for the day. When he looked at the girl sitting at the table, she was happily tapping away on her phone as she replied to comments on her post. He leaned on the counter and muttered to An, "Should I kick her out or should you?"
An murmured back, "I think you got it."
He swerved as he made his way from behind the counter up to the girl. She looked up from her phone as he approached, trying not to freak out as her favorite celebrity was coming to talk to her.
"You need to leave," he commands flatly. "We have a strict policy of not taking pictures or videos of the staff while they work, which you clearly violated, so I'm going to have to ask you to get out of our store."
Her face fell. "I-I'm sorry, I won't do it again. Please let me stay, I'm not doing anything wrong. Everyone is wondering about your coworker and-" Akito cut her off. "My coworker has nothing to do with you. He served you coffee and you've drank it. You're free to leave."
Her face held the same exasperation as when he had taken Toya to the breakroom earlier. She went to protest but knew there was no way around it. Dejectedly, she stood and walked out of the cafe.
~~~~~
Akito knocked on the door to the break room. Peeking his head in, he saw Toya still sitting and on his phone. "She's gone now, come on back. I'm taking a shift so I can deal with any weirdos that end up coming. Plus, you'll have two mentors instead of just one." Toya stayed quiet as he got up and came to the door. He looked out of it.
"I'm really sorry about all of this. It's my fault. I should have been more careful."
Aoyagi shook his head. "You shouldn't blame yourself. I should have just gone home after my interview."
They appeared back behind the counter where Shiraishi busied herself with the orders of customers that had walked in while Shinonome and Aoyagi talked. "Welcome back, losers," she called in attempt to lighten the air between them. A fetal attempt, but an attempt nonetheless.
Akito clapped Toya on the back. He spoke softly. "Don't let that shit bug you, alright? I'm sure over time, the buzz will pass and you won't have to worry about it. And honestly, I think it helped with our publicity. Look at how many customers we have."
"Yeah it's a lot. It would help if you got back to work," An stated loudly over the sound of the steamer.
Akito grabbed one of the receipts An had on the counter and read the drinks requested. "How about we use this rush to help you practice pouring? It took me a whole shift to learn how to make a Rosetta and I think it'll be a good start."
~~~~~
The sun started to set in the sky as it always did. The afternoon went by quickly, just as Toya had gotten the hang of all the skills he needed to make all sorts of espresso drinks. After handling the one customer that morning, Akito could spot any stans from a mile away and handled them before they even had the chance to do anything weird.
An older crowd of customers started to file in as the bar opened, and Ken came along with them. "How was your first day, Toya? Hope these two didn't give you too much trouble."
Toya smiled softly as he wiped the inside of a small mug. "No sir, they have been amazing teachers. Shiraishi said I make a latte better than she does."
Ken chuckled in response. "I'm glad you've found your way here. I'll be in my office if any of you need me. An, why don't you get the stage set up for karaoke night?"
"Right away, Dad!"
The whole cafe bustled about as regulars and new customers alike chattered and drank their coffee and alcohol. Old and young, students and workers, everyone belonged.
"I've been meaning to ask you," Toya began as he swished espresso around in his cup. "Why do you even work here? I would have thought your music would get you enough money, no?"
They swapped where they stood: Toya tapping the metal cup of steamed milk on the counter, Akito tamping a new pod of espresso. "I worked here way before I ever made it as big as I am now. I didn't want to leave." He turned to Toya and smiled as he spoke. "I was just a customer for a long time, always sitting in that booth right there," he pointed to his seat, "and ordered a mocha. Every now and then, I'd get a slice of cheesecake or a couple pancakes, and I got to know An and Ken." He turned the nob of the espresso and put a cup underneath to catch the freshly pressed coffee. "An was the reason I ever got into music. Her and Kohane would practice for hours on the stage of this cafe. I had started working then, and every karaoke night, they would sing their hearts out."
They walked together as Toya brought a drink to one of the regulars, expressing a quick "enjoy" before continuing their conversations.
"I never really properly resigned when I went on tour earlier this year. Ken was a performer when he was about our age so he understood when I left, but it was funny that my cafe job was back home waiting for me." He finished preparing a large cappuccino. "It feels like home when I'm here, when I'm anywhere on Vivid Street, really. It's where it all started. I told you all that yesterday."
Toya nodded.
"I'm now realizing that I don't remember when Kohane became a part of the picture. I never got very close with her but she's a really talented singer. You should totally stay for karaoke tonight! An was telling me her and Kohane will sing a song or two." He took the cup of warm espresso and poured in hot water for one of the guest's americano.
"I'd love to, but my dad wants me to come home after my shift is done. He doesn't want me staying out longer than I need to," Toya frowned, letting his hands rest on the counter for a moment. He lost himself in his thoughts for a moment before continuing, "Anyways, I should take these drinks really quick." He said, grabbing the drinks Shinonome had made while they talked.
Akito waited for him to return. "Did you tell your dad when your shift was done?" Toya thought for a second but eventually shook his head. Akito smirked.
"Stay for karaoke. You don't have to stay the whole time, just for a little while. Employees sing free."
~~~~~
February 3, 2024
I never realized how much I knew about coffee until writing this. I think it's why I like VBS as much as I do. As promised, the second chapter of today is posted! I'm coming up with what I want the next chapter to be like already so maybe I'll write a third because I'm in a creative mood. It's either coming out today or sometime within the week- we'll see!
Anyways, I hope you enjoyed reading as much as I enjoyed writing this chapter. I like to think that Weekend Garage is warm and welcoming and that Akito and Toya work so smoothly with one another, hence their perfect partnership when they sing. Another thank you to all you readers because you really do mean a lot to me :3
Also, because I finished editing the first few chapters, I'm announcing the playlist I have started for this fic. I don't think links work on here so I'll link it in my profile (or you can search it with the same title as this story teehee)
-Cyrus
YOU ARE READING
Make The Most Of It - Akitoya
Fanfiction> He leaned against the cushion of the booth, allowing his head to lol back and rest on the top of it. As he did, the bell to the cafe rang. The group all turned to see who it was out of curiosity. A tall boy stalked to the counter where Ken was...
