The Warmth of the Cafe [3]

Looking at Xiao, who was slightly drenched with water, Isaac let out a wry smile. He then gestured, "Need a towel?"

"...no need." Upon realizing the inconvenience he brought, Xiao snapped his fingers. In just a moment, the wind started to envelop his body, drying him of any liquid. "Elements like this... are easily removable."

'How convenient.' Isaac maintained a courteous smile while secretly being envious. He then uttered, "The usual?"

"The usual." Xiao nodded as he sat down on one of the stools in front of the counter.

"Alright, just wait a moment." Nodding his head, Isaac left to fetch Xiao's usual order, which consisted of lavender tea with a squeeze of lemon and almond tofu.

Watching Isaac leave for his order, Xiao moved his eyes and looked at the other people present in the cafe.

"Good afternoon, Conqueror of Demons." The one who greeted him, Yae, said with a smile. "Have you been well?"

"I'm fine." Xiao gave a direct answer. He cared little for small talk and liked to get straight to the point.

"That's quite good to hear." Yae Miko nodded her head with a satisfied smile. She then walked over and sat on the stool next to Xiao.

She then lowered her voice and glanced over at him. With a soft voice, she uttered, "Regarding that matter we spoke of..."

"...I won't say a single word." Xiao closed his eyes before letting out a faint sigh. From his expression, it seemed that he had no interest in what Yae Miko was mentioning. "Such meaningless things... I care little for them. Rest assured that I will not disclose it to anyone."

"Thank you." Upon hearing his words, Yae Miko's face brightened as she felt a sense of relief. "Other than you, no one else knows that we can still access the cafe at night... so for now, it's best to keep it for ourselves."

The two have reached a mutual understanding regarding this matter. As long as the other doesn't expose this to the children, then it would be fine.

"Still," Just then, Xiao glanced over to Yae Miko. He then continued with the same disinterested voice, "I don't think even Isaac knows of this."

Hearing this, Yae Miko paused for a moment before letting out a soft chuckle. She then rested her hand on her face and looked back at him with an amused look. "That's why we should keep it a secret."

"..." Xiao took his gaze off Yae Miko and closed them. He then let out a faint sigh. "As long as you do not harm anyone..."

"I'm glad we both have a good mutual understanding." She replied with a satisfied smile.

Ding~

Just then, the doorbell chimed and a familiar figure walked through. It was none other than Nahida.

"Good afternoon, everyone." The familiar soothing voice of the silver-haired child chimed in.

"Good afternoon, Nahida!" Klee waved back at her friend with a joyous smile. She then ran up to her. "Did you find what I was looking for?"

"Hehe, I did, but I'm afraid it won't be easy for me to take it out." Nahida smiled at Klee as she lightly shook her head. "Although... I did manage to learn its blueprints. I can give it to you if you want?"

Upon hearing this, Klee nodded her head in excitement. She then immediately shook Nahida's hands with both of her hands. "Really? Thanks!"

"Hm? And what is it that made my dear little Klee so excited today?" Yae Miko's curious words then drifted over to the two children.

"It's—" Klee was just about to respond when she suddenly stopped. She then looked around and saw that Isaac was nowhere to be seen.

After making sure that Isaac wasn't around, she continued. "It's a surprise gift for Mister Isaac."

"A gift? What's the sudden occasion?" Still curious, Yae Miko continued to ask. This too, was a fork of entertainment for her.

"Since Klee had given Mister Isaac quite a few headaches in the past already... I suggested this as compensation." At this moment, Nahida joined the conversation and answered Klee. "Isaac is a pragmatic materialist, as such, I figured that giving him a functional gift as a form of compensation would relieve Klee of her previous wrongdoings... to some extent."

"Hm? Now I'm curious..." Intrigued by the secret being held by the two children, Yae Miko hummed. "Well, there's no trouble waiting. Patience, too, is one of my virtues."

"Uhm. Let's keep it a secret from Mister Isaac until then." Nahida nodded her head in agreement.

She then turned her head and noticed another person present. Looking at him, Nahida was the first to speak. "Oh... It's you! You're... Xiao, right? Miko told me that you were the latest person invited by Isaac."

"Hello." Hearing Nahida talk to him, Xiao glanced over to her and lightly nodded his head. "Yes, you're right. You must be... Nahida."

"It's a pleasure to meet you."

'The conqueror of demons...' Looking at Xiao, who was sitting down on the stool, Nahida's ever-so-active mind wandered. 'I heard that he's the last of the Yaksha... Looking at his current state, he looks to be suffering from some kind of curse... likely the lingering resentments of fallen demons and gods...'

'However, despite that...' As Nahida continued to observe Xiao, her verdant green eyes shined with a curious glimmer. 'Isaac still managed to offer peace to him... How magical.'

The four of them then started chatting amongst themselves, with Xiao being relatively silent most of the time.

Occasionally, some Fontanian customers would look their way and notice their attire, but would soon turn their heads away when looking at the short person that was Xiao sitting near the counter.

A few minutes passed by, and soon, Isaac came out of the kitchen carrying Xiao's orders.

"One lavender tea with a squeeze of lemon, and almond tofu..." Isaac, with the same jovial smile and attitude, served the dishes in front of Xiao. "Order up!"

"You seem particularly lively today?" Noticing Isaac's joyful attitude, Yae Miko raised her eyebrow in suspicion. "Did something good happen?"

"Yeah, your smile is even brighter today!" Soon after, Klee ran up to Isaac and pointed out his smile, supporting Yae's claim.

"Was it that obvious?" Lowering his head in embarrassment, Isaac chuckled lightly. He then closed his eyes before exhaling a soft sigh. "Well, it's nothing special, really. It's just that..."

Then, slowly, Isaac opened his warm amber eyes to see the four people gathered around him looking at his expression with interest.

The warm, cozy atmosphere of the cafe and the tranquil environment he had created for troubled souls had, to some extent, also affected him.

Looking at everyone, whose eyes were looking at him, Isaac's eyes softened as he felt a sense of belonging here. The warmth of the cafe enveloped him, giving him a cozy experience.

"Seeing you guys harmonize here... brings me a lot of joy. Really."

It was a genuine statement. After a troubled episode of him collapsing and rethinking his decisions, a sense of belonging behind the warm counter was all he needed.

Yes, he had caused a bit of trouble for the fate of this world, but he had also set up the stage where these people could meet and greet each other, bringing a tad bit more harmony. To him, that holds a more special place in his heart.

"Well, it seems that I've grown a lot on you, huh?" Upon hearing Isaac's reply, Yae Miko's expression also softened as she conjured a satisfied smile. "That makes me delighted. Indeed."

"Isn't that right, Xiao?" Yae Miko then turned over to the person next to her and passed the conversation.

"I... won't object to the notion." Holding his cup of tea, Xiao responded with a calm tone. "Although I prefer solitude most of the time..."

"But socializing is important, Mister Xiao." Just then, Nahida joined the conversation. "I believe that a decent amount of socializing is good for the mind."

"As for me... Talking to Klee is... indeed great." Nahida, who was beside Klee, nodded her head as she agreed with Isaac's notion. "Guiding her like a teacher makes me feel joy too. It's a profound feeling, even."

"And learning from Nahida is the best!" Klee, beside her, giggled joyously. She then continued and pointed at everyone. "And Yae Miko is the best! And the scary Xiao is the best!"

"And Mister Isaac is the best!"

Klee pointed at Isaac lastly with her same innocent smile and childish wonder present in her lively eyes.

"..." Isaac, who heard Klee's compliments, was momentarily taken aback. For a moment, he fell into silence.

"Pft... haha..."

However, his silence was soon broken by a laugh that escaped his mouth which gradually got more energetic. "Haha!"

"Yeah? Is that right? Maybe you're right! I'm glad everyone here feels the same!" Realizing that his plan of serenity had taken effect and everyone was comfortable with each other, an innate sense of joy formed in Isaac.

Finishing his laugh, Isaac calmed himself down and once more looked at everyone around him.

Then, with a satisfied smile, he uttered softly, "I'm glad."

'Hanging on to this fragile thread of hope I created... Isn't so bad.' He thought with a light smile. 'Maybe... I should postpone that plan of mine at a much later date.'

'I still have a lot of time, after all.'

In this little world he created, the serenity he finds was everything. Thus comes forth the warmth of the cafe.

Unbeknownst to Isaac, however, is that a certain Harbinger was now planning to head to his café.

There truly is no rest for the wicked.