The Saturday morning sun filtered through the windows of the small shop "Strawberry Dream," tinting the display cases and tables with a warm glow. The aroma of freshly baked dough, roasted coffee, and homemade jam filled the air.
It was a perfect day to work… or at least, that's what Haruna thought.
Jake, on the other hand, considered it hell itself—or rather, heaven, since he was the demon king.
—Are you telling me we have to work? —he asked with a huge yawn, leaning on the counter.
—Exactly what I'm telling you—Haruna replied in a dry tone, pouring coffee without looking at him—. If you're going to stay under this roof, you're going to earn your breakfast. And lunch. And dinner.
—But wasn't today the day we were going to the mountain? —asked Jake, scratching his hair as if he still hadn't fully woken up.
—That was the plan —Haruna replied with absolute calm—, but I had to take the truck to the repair shop this morning. I won't get it back until tomorrow.
Jake sighed, letting his shoulders drop.
—Then I'm going back to sleep. I can't transform into a dog, and the kennel's too small.
Just then, Kairus appeared from the kitchen wearing a black apron embroidered with strawberries and holding a rolling pin aloft like a legendary sword.
—Hands to work, everyone! The boss has spoken!
Haruna didn't even lift her eyes from the notebook where she was writing.
—Put the rolling pin down before you poke a hole in my ceiling, hero.
Jake turned his head toward Hikari, seeking moral support.
—And you? Aren't you going to say something?
—Yes —she replied with a smile as sweet as a time bomb—. Get to work too, damn it!
Jake crossed his arms, indignant.
—This is magical discrimination. In Nocturne, mages use their minds, not their hands.
—Ah, so —interrupted Kairus—, mages are like poets or philosophers.
Jake looked at him suspiciously.
—What do poets or philosophers do?
Kairus smiled mischievously.
—Absolutely nothing.
Jake let out a theatrical sigh.
—This is a historical humiliation for mages.
Haruna appeared right then with a tray of dishes giving off thick smoke and an aura worthy of a forbidden ritual.
—No complaining, this is a proper breakfast —she announced proudly.
Kairus took a step back.
—What… what is that slime?
—What are you talking about? It's my special breakfast —Haruna said, placing the dishes on the table with a satisfied smile.
Hikari paled.
—Ha… Haruna? You cooked today?
—Yes, why do you ask? —her sister replied with total innocence—. I can cook every now and then too!
Hikari froze for a second. Then, without warning, she shouted in a commanding voice:
—EVERYONE TAKE COVER!
Jake barely had time to dive under the table with her.
Kairus picked up the plate that emitted a black, viscous substance and said:
—Come on guys, it can't be that bad, she made it with love.
—You don't understand —murmured Hikari, face pale—. I don't know what seasoning she uses, but all her dishes…
Before she could finish, the plate in front of Kairus began to shake and emit a neon green glow.
—What the hell…? —he managed to say.
—THEY EXPLODE! —Hikari screamed, covering her ears.
BOOOOM!
A small explosion shook the place, leaving the air filled with the smell of coal and strawberries. Kairus's hair was standing on end and his face was blackened, as if he had tried to kiss a boiler.
—That's terrorism! —he shouted, eyes wide—. What would've happened if I'd swallowed that!?
Hikari slowly crawled out from under the table, coughing.
—Well… I don't recommend turning off the lights when you go to the bathroom, or you'll find out the hard way.
Jake, examining the charred plate with a spatula, frowned thoughtfully.
—I don't know about you guys, but this has potential.
Haruna glanced sideways at him.
—Potential for what?
—To use as a magic weapon —Jake replied seriously—. Throw this at someone and you'll either kill them or make them radioactive.
—Hey, do you want me to fire you?— said Haruna, pointing at him.
Kairus, still smoking, pointed at the plate.
—I swear… if that breakfast moves again, I'll hit it, I'll hit it and I won't care who's in the way.
The plate made a small bubble and let out a "glup."
Everyone stepped back.
°°°
Half an hour later, the kitchen of Strawberry Dream was a mix between chaos and a culinary miracle.
Jake had gone from grumbling to moving with the precision of a watchmaker. He beat, mixed, and decorated with almost artistic skill. With each movement, the air filled with sweet, buttery, and fruity aromas.
Kairus peeked from the dining room, jaw dropped.
—By the gods… where did that power come from?
—From how starving I am —Jake replied without looking up—. Poverty really does inspire great things.
Hikari watched him in fascination while serving coffee at the tables.
—I never thought you could cook like that.
—There are many things you don't know about me —Jake said, resting an elbow on the counter with a mysterious air—. Like, for example, my favorite color.
—It's not that we don't know —Kairus replied—, it's that we don't care.
Jake glared at him.
—I'm going to make a fondant out of your head, Kairus.
—Fondant sounds like the word "woman" to you —the knight said with a smile—. You see it, but you don't know what it means.
—…You know what? There's no argument a fight can't solve.
Before the discussion escalated, an elderly voice rose from one of the tables.
—Excuse me, young men. May we place an order?
—At your service! —Kairus said, approaching with a shining smile.
A few seconds later, he came running back to the counter with a trembling tray and wide eyes.
—Jake… I need reinforcements.
—What happened, did the old lady bite you or something?
—Worse. She asked for a "mocha with oat milk, no foam, extra cream."
Jake stared in silence for a few seconds.
—…Blessed be capitalism.
°°°
Within a few hours, the place was much busier than the previous week.
Customers entered as conversations filled the air; it seemed the bakery was starting to get livelier.
Jake moved between the oven and the counter with ease, handling timing, ingredients, and fire like a professional chef. Meanwhile, Kairus and Hikari attended customers with huge smiles drawn on their faces.
—Strawberry cake for number five, served! —Jake announced proudly, placing the plate on the counter.
He rang the bell once.
Then again.
And again.
Until the metallic sound echoed through the whole shop.
Ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding—
Kairus turned sharply from the tables, frowning, and walked toward Jake. He placed a hand on his shoulder and leaned to his ear.
—Ding ding ding ding ding! Stop ringing my nerves!— Kairus shouted into Jake's ear.
Haruna looked up from the register, eyes deadly.
—Jake… if you ring that bell one more time, the next thing ringing will be your funeral bell.
—U-understood!— Jake said, sweating.
Haruna watched him in silence— That's better— Then she took a spoonful of the dessert he'd made and tasted it.
Her eyes widened slightly, though she kept her composure.
—It's… actually pretty good.
Jake smiled with exaggerated modesty. —Well, what can I say, talent is just—
Haruna crossed her arms. —Good job, but don't get excited, you still have to wash the dishes.
Kairus raised a tray with a mountain of dirty glasses. —Don't worry, I tried washing them, but for some reason the plate you used for breakfast spoke to me. "Kill me please," it whispered.
Hikari burst out laughing. —The new urban legend of the bakery.
Haruna grumbled. —Tch, you're all going to end up drowning in a dish.
The day went on with a parade of satisfied customers, positive comments, and of course… a little chaos.
An old woman patted Haruna's hand before leaving.
—You have good helpers, dear. I hope they stay a long time.
Haruna smiled serenely.
—I hope so too, ma'am.
Behind her, Kairus stepped out from the counter. —This is definitely a victory! I've never seen so many customers in here.
Haruna looked at them all and, for the first time, allowed herself a genuine smile.
—Not bad. Looks like Hikari spent well the money I gave her to hire staff—she admitted.
Jake raised an eyebrow. —You, giving a compliment? Mark the date, quick!
As the afternoon faded, the sun began to paint the sky in shades of pink.
The shop was almost empty, except for a couple of late customers.
Hikari wiped down the tables while Kairus finished storing the utensils.
Jake slept sitting in a corner, still wearing the apron and covered in flour.
—You know? —said Hikari, watching him tenderly—. I didn't think you'd adapt so fast.
Kairus shrugged. —Well, when you're taken out of your world and the mountain lunatic runs out of mana, you've got to find meaning somewhere. Working here is… pretty fun, I'll admit.
She smiled, leaning against the counter. —Hey. I'm glad you stayed.
Kairus looked up, a bit surprised. —Eh? Why?
—Because, even if you're weird… —she said, glancing at Jake— you make the place feel much more alive. You'd get along great with our grandparents.
Kairus looked down at an upside-down glass, smiling. —I guess so… I think they'd be very proud of you right now.
The sound of footsteps interrupted the moment.
Haruna appeared, taking off her apron with a more relaxed expression.
—Good work, guys. We're closing for today.
Jake, half-asleep, raised an arm. —I'm… gonna sleep like this, turn off the lights…
—Yeah, yeah, sleep, but shower first —Haruna said, turning off the lights.
That night, the shop was silent.
The clock struck midnight when Kairus stepped out into the back alley.
The cool air greeted him like a balm.
The distant noise of the city mixed with the song of a few crickets.
He closed his eyes for a few seconds. For the first time, the idea of returning didn't feel as urgent as before.
The sound of the door opening pulled him from his thoughts.
Hikari came out with a blanket over her shoulder and two cups of hot tea.
—I knew I'd find you here —she said, sitting beside him—. Can't sleep, right?
Kairus smiled weakly. —Not with so much on my mind.
She handed him a cup. —Jasmine tea. The only cure for insomnia and silly thoughts.
Kairus held it with both hands, enjoying the warmth. —Thanks.
The silence between them was comfortable.
Only the whisper of the wind and the clinking of the cups accompanied them.
—Do you regret coming here? —Hikari finally asked.
Kairus looked at her thoughtfully. —I don't know. I guess… part of me wants to go back, but another part feels like… I haven't finished something yet.
—What thing?
Kairus let out a soft laugh. —Even I don't know.
She chuckled softly, leaning her head back against the wall. —My sister won't say it, but she likes you guys. Even if she pretends to hate you.
Kairus raised an eyebrow. —Really? Because I swear she plans to kill me in my sleep.
—Yeah, but with love —she said, laughing.
The wind blew again, lifting both their hair.
Kairus watched the steam rise from his tea, forming gentle spirals.
For a moment, he thought it looked like magic.
—Hikari —he said quietly—. Thanks for… all this.
For the place, the food, the job… and for not thinking I'm crazy.
She smiled sweetly. —I thought that the first three times, but I got used to it.
He laughed, relaxed.
—You know? —Kairus said, breaking the silence as he looked at the empty alley—. Before becoming a knight, I lived in places like this… among shadows, noise, and cold. Just like Jake. In my world, that was pretty common.
Hikari turned toward him, curious.
—And what kept you going?
Kairus smiled faintly, eyes lost in the sky.
—There was only one thing that made me feel like… it was still worth breathing. Something that doesn't change, no matter what world you're in.
—And what's that? —she asked softly.
He looked up.
—The stars… they still light the night.
For a moment, neither said anything.
Above them, the sky was filled with shining points, like thousands of fireflies suspended high above.
—Wow… —Hikari whispered—. It's beautiful.
Kairus nodded.
—It is. I suppose up there it doesn't matter if you're a knight or a baker. The stars will always be there to guide our way.
At that moment, a fleeting streak of light crossed the sky.
—Oh, a shooting star! —said Hikari, closing her eyes—. Quick, make a wish.
Kairus looked at her, smiling.
—Already did.
She glanced sideways at him, curious.
—And what did you wish for?
—That we all be happy —he replied, leaning against the wall.
From the upper floor of the shop, Haruna peeked through the window.
She saw them laughing in the alley, illuminated by the dim light of the "Strawberry Dream" sign and the reflection of the stars.
For a second, the stern expression she usually wore melted away, replaced by a tired but genuine smile.
—Idiots… —she murmured—. But… good idiots.
She closed the window and turned off the light.
Below, Hikari yawned.
—We should sleep. Tomorrow we're going to the mountain.
—Yeah —Kairus replied, looking one last time at the sky—.
Tomorrow… will be another day.
End of Chapter 14