Black Dog

The cafe door jingled as I stepped inside. It was quiet, the kind of place where people came to relax, not make noise.

A few women were scattered around, sipping coffee and chatting in jogging clothes. 

I pulled down my hood and ran a hand through my hair, which was a bit messy from the wind. 

My platinum blonde hair and violet eyes caught a few glances. 

Nothing dramatic, just quick looks. 

In this part of Tokyo, I probably looked like a foreigner. Well, I am not here to blend in exactly.

Walking up to the counter, I took a seat. The faint sound of the coffee grinder hummed in the background as I glanced around. 

I turned to the waitress behind the counter, one of the forgotten characters in this world, 

Kaya Irimi

She was wiping down a mug. 

Her look is that of an ordinary everyday café worker, plain apron, and tied-back hair.

But her sharp eyes and steady movements were visible, out of practice but still noticeable to an extent.

"Can I get a strong coffee, lovely miss?" I asked with a smile.

Irimi glanced at me, her eyes narrowing just a fraction, more out of curiosity than anything else.

She wasn't the type to be easily flustered, which is part of what made her so attractive. But she noticed me, all right. 

In a world with immature brats, entitled morons, and delusional Mfs.

She is one of the few who can think straight with a clear idea of what she is doing and what must be done.

Her end is truly a Shame, getting Off-screened.

As she went to prepare the coffee, I caught the briefest of glances from the other women in the cafe. They were subtle, but to my enhanced draconic senses, they stood out as clear as day.

'Black Dobers,' I thought with a smirk. 

They were here too, dressed casually, blending in as civilians. But I knew better. 

These weren't just regular women enjoying their morning coffee—they were ghouls, members of Irimi's pack, keeping an eye on things even in their downtime. 

The brief flickers of recognition between them were impossible to miss.

'I guess the whole pack's in here today,' I mused, 

feeling the tension in the air shift just slightly. 

No doubt they were assessing me, wondering who this foreigner with striking looks and a bold attitude was. Perfect. Just the kind of attention I wanted to draw.

As Irimi returned with the coffee, setting it down in front of me, I met her eyes, my smile never wavering. 

"Thanks. I have to say, you're a lot more beautiful in person than I imagined."

Her expression didn't change much, but there was a flicker of amusement in her eyes. 

"Enjoy your coffee," she said, her voice calm, and professional, but with a hidden edge.

As Irimi set the coffee down in front of me, her eyes briefly locked with mine. She didn't smile, but there was a hint of curiosity behind her calm expression.

Lifting the hot cup and taking a sip. It was strong, just as I asked. "You make a good cup of coffee."

Irimi crossed her arms, leaning slightly against the counter. 

"Glad you like it," she replied, her tone neutral. Her posture was casual, but she was observing me with a quiet intensity.

I took another sip, setting the cup down. 

"This place—Anteiku. It's peaceful. Seems like a good spot to start your day."

She tilted her head slightly, acknowledging the compliment without fully engaging. 

"It's a quiet neighborhood. We like to keep it that way."

I nodded, sensing the underlying message. 

Anteiku was more than just a coffee shop, and the peace here was carefully maintained. 

"Quiet is good. It's a nice change of pace." I replied with a slow sip.

She didn't respond immediately, her gaze flicking to the side, toward her pack members scattered around the café. 

I could feel the weight of her leadership, and her protective nature for those under her care. She was always watching, always calculating.

"You're not from around here," she finally said, her voice soft but steady, cutting through the silence that had settled between us.

I chuckled lightly, resting my hands on the counter. 

"No, I'm not. Just passing through. But now I think I'll stick around for a bit."

Irimi's eyes narrowed slightly as if she were weighing my words. "You seem comfortable for someone who's just passing through."

I shrugged, meeting her gaze with ease. "Let's just say, I'm good at adapting."

A faint smile tugged at the corner of her lips. 

"That's an important skill to have, especially around here," she replied.

I leaned back slightly, maintaining the casual flow 

"And what about you? You seem like someone who's seen enough to know when to adapt...and when not to."

For the first time, I saw a flicker of something deeper in her eyes. It was gone as quickly as it appeared, replaced by her usual calm. "I guess you could say that."

We sat in silence for a moment, the unspoken understanding hanging between us. 

Neither of us needed to reveal more than we wanted to, but there was a quiet acknowledgment of each other's presence.

As I took another sip of my coffee, I noticed the café around us gradually returning to its usual quiet rhythm. 

Whatever curiosity I had sparked in the pack had settled, and now it was just Irimi and me, each poking the other.

"So," I said, breaking the silence, "what's a guy have to do to get a refill around here?"

Irimi chuckled softly, the sound low and almost surprising. 

"Ask nicely, and maybe I'll consider it."

I smirked, sliding my cup slowly across the counter. "Please, milady"

"Yes, mister," she said with a light smile, a small but noticeable shift in her demeanor. 

Progress, maybe? 

She moved back to the counter and made another cup, setting it down in front of me. 

This time, she leaned slightly against the counter, her arms resting casually.

"So," she began, her tone measured but tinged with curiosity, "will this be a 'one-time thing' or should I expect to see more of you?"

It was a tricky question, one I understood wasn't as casual as it sounded. 

In any other setting, with any other person, it might've felt like inviting. 

But this wasn't a normal world, and she wasn't an ordinary woman. 

She wasn't asking for 'fun', rather she was gauging whether I was an unpredictable element in the delicate balance of her territory.

I took a sip of the freshly made coffee, letting the question hang in the air for just a moment longer than necessary. 

Then, I smiled, meeting her gaze evenly. "Well, you can expect to see my face every morning," I said confidently.

Irimi raised an eyebrow, "Is that so?" she replied, her tone casual. 

I nodded, "Yeah, I like the atmosphere and....the people. Quiet, but not too quiet. Feels like a place you can find some...inner peace."

She watched me for a moment, "Peace you say isn't always easy to come by," her voice soft but layered with meaning. 

I leaned back slightly, meeting her gaze. 

"That's true. But I've learned it's more about who you're around than where you are. Don't you agree?"

Her eyes flickered with something, a recognition, perhaps. 

As she straightened up, she no longer leaning on the counter. "Yes, I think I do."

"I'll keep that in mind," Irimi said finally, giving me a small nod before turning her attention to another customer who had just walked in.

I glanced at the clock on the wall and realized it was almost 8. 

Time to head back before I left Ryouko and Hinami worrying.

Reaching into my pocket, I froze for a second. Money. The currency of this world wasn't something I had thought.

'Fuck!!'

I pulled out a silver Liang 

"Say...would you happen to accept silver?" I asked my tone light but carrying a hint of embarrassment.

Irimi glanced at the silver liang in my hand, her eyes narrowing slightly with amusement before looking back at me. 

There was a slight curve to her lips, almost a smirk. 

"Silver, huh?" she said, leaning a little closer, "Not exactly the kind of currency we take here."

I rubbed the back of my neck, feeling the slightest bit awkward. "Yeah... figured as much." 

I gave a small, sheepish chuckle, realizing how absurd it must look to be flashing old-world silver in a modern cafe.

Irimi looked at me for a moment, the corner of her mouth twitching as if suppressing a laugh. "Silver's nice and all, but this isn't the feudal era."

She pushed the silver liang back towards me. "Tell you what," she said, "you can pay me back tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?" I asked, a bit surprised.

She nodded, straightening up again and folding her arms,

"We will be seeing each other tomorrow right? So pay me tomorrow, ok?"

"Yes Ma'am! I'll visit you tomorrow and settle the tab next time with interest. Scout's honor!"

Irimi rolled her eyes but seemed more amused "Fine, but don't make a habit of it. And don't think this means you're off the hook."

"I wouldn't dare," I said with a mock salute, standing up from the counter. 

"Thanks for the coffee, Miss Irimi. See ya" I smiled and dipped.

'I'll have to figure out how to get some yen soon', I thought as I exited the cafe and went back home.

In the Cafe,

Kaya's POV:

As the door closed behind him, I stood there for a moment, watching the stranger disappear into the street. 

There was something off about him. not in a dangerous way, at least not immediately. 

The way he carried himself, the way he spoke, even that ridiculous silver stuff...

"Silver," I muttered to myself, shaking my head as I cleared the empty cup from the counter.

'Who even carries silver like that in this day and age?'

Yet, he didn't seem like someone trying to play a game or act naive. 

His confidence wasn't the arrogant kind; it felt....natural, almost practiced. 

People like that don't just wander into places like Anteiku by chance. 

"Boss, who was that?" one of my pack whispered from a nearby table, clearly curious but not daring to be too obvious about it.

"Just a customer," I replied, my tone neutral, as I continued cleaning the counter. No need to set off any alarms, not yet.

As I was about to ask them to take it lightly, an old voice interrupted, "An Interesting customer indeed"

"Manager?" I turned to see Yoshimura-san cleaning the shelf,

"Good morning Manager. I didn't notice your arrival, I am sorry." I bowed,

'how did I not see him before?!'

He chuckled, "No need to apologize, Kaya. It's okay; I didn't want to disturb you. It looked like you were happy chatting with that kid."

"what?!...no I was just-" I tried to explain to him,

"Fine, Fine let's focus on today's sales shall we, I was just messing with you," he said as I sighed,

"...Or am I?"

he added before going inside laughing.

'urghhhh!!'

As Yoshimura-san disappeared into the back with a chuckle, I clenched the cleaning cloth in my hand tightly. My face burned, and I felt a mix of irritation and embarrassment wash over me.

"Old man and his jokes..." I muttered beneath my breath, glancing toward the empty counter to distract myself.

I could still picture the stranger's easy smile and the way he sat there so casually.

That silver liang he had pulled out kept replaying in my mind like a ridiculous highlight reel.

'Who was He?'

One of my pack smirked knowingly from their seat, barely suppressing a laugh.

"What are you grinning at?" I shot them a glare, and they quickly looked away, pretending to focus on their drink.

Taking a deep breath, I composed myself. That guy was definitely odd, but I couldn't quite place my finger on why. 

People like him weren't uncommon in this part of the country, yet there was something....unique about him.

"Stop overthinking it, Kaya," I muttered to myself, scrubbing the counter with a little more force than necessary. 

He was just another customer, maybe an unusual one, but still just a customer.

But deep down, I couldn't shake the thought that maybe, just maybe, Yoshimura-san was right.

'He was interesting.'

A small smile crept onto my lips.

But I'd never admit it.

...Right?

End of Kaya's POV.