Chapter Text
Ochako yawned widely as she opened the front door to The Midnight Cafe. A warm rush of air greeted her, filling her lungs with the scent of freshly baked pastries and slow brewing coffee. The sun hadn't quite risen yet in the early hour, and Ochako’s eyes were still heavy with sleep. Still, she was excited to finally be at her new job, and sincerely hoped she’d do well.
She walked into the cafe, a small bell on the door signaling her arrival, and she looked around. It was quite cozy inside, with a spread of wooden tables and chairs sitting before the front counter, while an area of couches and beanbags took up the other end of the room. The walls were painted a muted purple, to go with the theme of the cafe, and the wide windows showed off the gorgeous trees and downtown view.
Ochako had loved the place when she’d first visited, with the fairy lights strung up on the ceiling and the low music playing. She’d used their free Wi-Fi to check their website to see if they were hiring.
A week or so after she’d applied, the owner of the cafe, Nemuri Kayama, reached out for an interview. She’d loved Ochako’s vibe and hired her on the spot, and now today was her first day, training on an opening shift. She couldn’t wait.
There was nobody behind the counter so Ochako walked to the backroom, where she’d been told to clock in after her interview. She clocked in with the old machine on the wall, ten minutes early exactly. Not a bad impression for her first day.
Her heart jumped when someone opened a door behind her, from a small office she hadn’t seen before. A young man with curly hair greeted her with a wide smile. Though he was fairly short, he was still a little taller than Ochako and his arms and shoulders were corded with muscle, like he worked out a lot. It contrasted his wholesome smile and bright eyes, with soft cheeks covered in freckles.
Oh wow he’s cute! Ochako thought. A cute face with a little bit of edge, exactly her type.
“Hi there! You’re Uraraka right? The new hire?”
“Yep, that's me!” Ochako played with the hair on the back of her neck sheepishly. “I probably should have waited to introduce myself before just walking into the back huh?”
“Oh don’t worry, It’s no trouble at all! I’m Izuku Midoriya, the assistant manager here, I'll be the one training you! At least, when Midnight’s not here, that is!” His green eyes were wide and expressive, matching his friendly smile.
Ochako smiled back despite her nerves, “That’s awesome!”
Midoriya ran a hand through his messy hair and laughed. “I guess I should show you around huh? Give you a tour of the place first before we just throw you on the bar right?” His arm flexed as it moved, and his curls sprung back into place in a perfectly disheveled manner, framing his face in such a charming way.
Ochako just nodded, mesmerized.
Midoriya showed her around the back rooms and handed her a dark purple apron. She tied it behind her waist while he made her a name tag. She pinned it on and noticed as Midoriya tied his own, the front of his apron was covered in pins. Most of them were from that old All Might cartoon, but some of them were different. A frog pin, a smiley face pin, a pin with a pink purple and blue stripe, and then one with a Cherry Oakweald University logo on it, the same school Ochako had just enrolled in.
Once she saw the general layout of things Midoriya took Ochako behind the counter and showed her the basics; where everything was, when everything usually got done, pull lists and coffee timers and dish soap faucets and all the things that were sure to escape her mind the minute after she’d heard them.
Midoriya signed into the register’s computer and then pointed at all the different buttons on the screen, explaining the functions of each one. Ochako was so busy focusing on nodding and looking like she was listening, she'd actually forgotten to pay attention.
Ochako was getting distracted by the soft spray of freckles Midoriya had on his face and arms, and she silently wondered if they went everywhere, when he turned to ask her a question. She blanked.
“Hmm? I’m sorry, what was the question again?”
Midoriya smiled and waved her off “Don’t worry, I can already see your brain overloading from all the new information. I get it, I was that way too when I first started working here. I was just asking whether you’d been a barista before?”
“Oh! No I haven’t, other than helping out at my parent’s construction company sometimes, this is my first job. I’m new to town and while I’ve gotten a pretty good scholarship my roommate and I still thought it was smart to try and get some jobs. This cafe was so cute I just had to apply!”
“That’s awesome! so I’m assuming you go to OWU too? What are you studying?” Midoriya asked her enthusiastically.
Ochako put her fist up impellingly. “I want to be a nurse!"
“That’s so cool!” Midoriya’s eyes shone with admiration. “I bet that’s a ton of work!”
Ochako nodded. “It is, but I want to help people. What about you?”
Midoriya leaned against the counter. “‘I’m gonna be a teacher.”
“Helping the next generation! You’ve totally got the mind for that, I can tell!”
Midoriya laughed.
They talked some more while the sun rose, poking over the treeline and shining into the windows, lighting up the cafe. Midoriya did some opening tasks, explaining everything to Ochako as he went, serving the occasional customer as people slowly trickled in.
“So when do you get the morning rush?” Ochako asked.
“Usually around six or seven, depending on whether it’s a school day or not, obviously most of our customers are students.” Midoriya answered as he made two lattes at once. Ochako admired the way his arms flexed and the confident way he moved about the bar, sleeving cups and wiping down the counter like he’d done it a million times. He probably had.
“How long have you worked here?” She was curious.
Midoriya rinsed a pitcher out in the sink, looking up and doing some quick math in his head. “Uhh about 3 years now? Maybe four? It gets blurry sometimes. I’ve been coming here even before I was hired. I’m actually from here.”
“Really?” Ochako raised her eyebrows in surprise. “Cherry Oakweald?”
Midoriya nodded. “Yup! born and raised.”
“Oh wow. Do you like it?”
Midoriya shrugged. “I guess it would be hard to know if I didn't, I’ve spent my whole life living here, so I wouldn’t have anything else to compare it to. Most of the people I grew up with moved away, but I still feel like I know pretty much everyone in town. There are a few people from back then that are still here though. Like I have this one friend-”
Midoriya was interrupted by the bell on the door ringing, and a very grumpy blonde man walked up to the counter. Both Midoriya and Ochako greeted him with a smile, but the man just glared at them. He was dressed in a black hoodie with a skull on it and darkwash jeans.
Ochako could see the small red gems in his pierced ears (they matched his eyes of course they did) and the shiny, expensive phone he was holding in his hand. A heavy watch lay on his wrist and his sneer was gruesome, a sharp addition to his perfect skin and sleek blonde hair. Geez. Rich asshole coming right up!
“Deku.” He spoke, addressing Midoriya. His voice was low and gruff. ”You already know what I want. Who’s this loser?”
He looked Ochako up and down critically. She tried not to look upset, but this man held himself so smugly it was irritating.
“Kacchan be nice.” Midoriya scolded him gently but firmly. He gestured to Ochako with a smile, “This is Uraraka, our newest hire, she’s already doing really well if you ask me!”
Ochako blushed and waved his words away. “Please, I've barely done anything but listen to your instructions!”
“Yeah the nerd does that.” ‘Kacchan’ spoke again. “He never shuts the fuck up. It’s fucking annoying.”
“How can you be so rude to him!? Midoriya has been nice ever since you walked through that door when all you’ve had to say were horrible things!” Ochako puffed up in anger.
‘Kacchan’ scoffed. “Damn you’re blushing a whole lot for some loser like Deku.”
“Excuse you! He is not a loser!” Ochako defended her coworker, ignoring the jab at her blushing face. She was not going to be humiliated on her first day, but she couldn’t let Midoriya stand there and let this guy be a jerk!
Midoriya glanced at her, and then typed some buttons into the cash register’s monitor and pointed to the pin pad. He kept his tone casual, even as he was warning his friend. “Kacchan really, be nice or I'll make your drink wrong.”
“You wouldn't dare.” the blonde growled.
“Try me.” Midoriya's eyes gleamed over the register. He wasn’t smiling, but it didn’t seem like he was upset, instead he looked almost eager. For what, Ochako didn’t know.
There was a tense moment of silence where the two boys stared each other down, then ‘Kacchan’ scoffed, tapping his nice new phone to pay and slipping a five dollar bill into the tip jar. “Don’t think I’m gonna tip you more now just ‘cause you've got pink cheeks back there helping you.”
“Pink cheeks!?” Ochako squawked in outrage.
Midoriya sighed and shook his head.
The blonde flipped them both off before going to sit in one of the cushy chairs at the front of the cafe, scrolling on his phone while he waited.
“Holy cow Midoriya, he was so rude!” Ochako wrung her hands, looking back at the blonde to make sure he was out of earshot. She turned back to Midoriya. “Is he a regular? Is that why you already know his order? Why do you let him treat you like that? Is it because you tipped you a lot?”
Midoriya grabbed a cup and giggled at Ochako’s onslaught of questions. He started making the drink automatically, queuing the shots and steaming the milk before he explained. “That’s Kacchan for you. He’s actually the person I know the best after all these years living here. We grew up together.”
“Really? then how come he was so mean?”
“Aww he's just like that, especially with me. We’re sort of academic rivals, and the competition gets us both riled up. He’s always been very spirited. The Midnight Cafe is popular with students for several reasons, mostly because it’s close to uni and it’s open late. He’s no exception. Ever since I started working here he’s come in everyday. He always orders the same drink and he always tips five dollars, every single time. I think it’s mostly to show off in front of me, but hey, I’m reaping the benefits, so I can’t really complain. Mostly I just find it funny.”
“What does he order?” Ochako asked.
“Kacchan gets a medium hot chai with oatmilk, one pump of vanilla syrup and two shots of espresso. It’s called a dirty chai when you do that- by the way. And then he wants two ice cubes in it to cool it down. No more, no less. If it’s even a little off he sends it back. It took me years to perfect it.”
“That’s a lot of pressure!” Ochako could see him being the kind of asshole to do that sort of thing.
“Don't worry, he shouldn’t be too hard on you since you’re new, if he is then you can tell me, I’ll get him sorted out.” There was that gleam in Midoriya’s eyes again, that almost scared Ochako. What the hell did these guys have going on?
Midoriya wrote ‘Kacchan’ on the cup before he set it out on the counter. He didn’t even have to call out the name before the blonde came to pick it up.
“Have a good day!” Midoriya said cheerfully.
“Yeah, have a good one Kacchan!” Ochako shouted after him.
The blonde stopped in his tracks, turning to stare at her in bewildered shock.
Ochako’s confidence faltered. “What?”
Midoriya burst out laughing.
The asshole stared at Ochako like she was from another planet. Like she’d turned pink and started floating. Like he couldn’t believe what she’d just said.
“I-” He started, “Just- nobody ever calls me that, except for this stupid fucking nerd.”
He pointed vaguely to where Midoriya was hunched over laughing, gripping the counter with one hand and muffling his laughter with another.
“Oh! Uh, I’m sorry about that.” She still couldn’t figure out what was so funny.
“My name isn’t Kacchan.” He snorted a little, explaining it. “It’s Bakugo. Katsuki Bakugo.”
“Ohhh so Midoriya gave you a nickname!” Ochako’s mind finally connected the dots.
“I guess, it's been so long I kind of forget about it. He just calls me that. Whether I like it or not. But you can just call me Bakugo.”
“Okay, well in that case, you can call me Uraraka. Because my name isn't pink cheeks.”
Bakugo narrowed his eyes but she stood her ground, not unlike the way Midoriya had earlier.
“Fair enough.” Bakugo relented with a huff, before turning around again and leaving the cafe.
Midoriya was still doubled over laughing, his shoulders shaking with silent laughter.
Ochako poked him in the side. “Hey, what's so funny?”
Midoriya gasped for air and waved her away, “No it’s nothing really, I've just never seen Kacchan look so confused before. Nobody’s ever called him Kacchan other than me, you really threw him for a loop.”
“Geez, sorry, I didn't mean to cause a scene.” Ochako scratched the back of her neck.
Midoriya coughed and stood upright, recovering other than some slight giggles. “No your- its fine, it's my fault, I should've explained better. It’s just that we both called each other nicknames growing up and we’ve gotten so used to it now that sometimes we forget.”
“You both? Oh wait! is that why he called you that name earlier!? Declan? Dylan?”
“Deku. He calls me Deku.” Midoriya smiled, his eyes twinkling with nostalgia.
“Deku? Like- useless? That's… really mean!” Ochako exclaimed.
Midoriya shrugged, “It kinda was at first, Kacchan used to pick on me a lot when we were little kids, but it’s sort of grown into its own thing now. I’ve really started to like it.”
“Oh yeah? Can I call you that too then? That way it's not just from Bakugo being mean!" Ochako huffed indignantly.
“Oh! Uh, sure, if you want, haha!” Midoriya agreed. Another customer walked in and he hurried to take their order.
The morning rush hit, and by that time Kayama had clocked in. Ochako felt a little useless as the most she could do was watch Midoriya and Kayama find their rhythm together, chatting at the register and preparing multiple orders at a time. Ochako wished she already knew how to do everything, but the most helpful she could be at the moment was by staying out of the way.
Eventually the crowd lessened, and the clock showed 11:03 a.m.
Kayama finished helping the last customer in line and then turned to check in with her employees. “What a rush huh my lovelies? Moon boy! How did she do?”
Midoriya smiled at Kayama and casually shrugged off the arm she’d thrown around his shoulders. “Hi Midnight, Ochako’s doing great! She’s catching on fast!”
“I mean I haven't really done much today.” Ochako said with embarrassment.
“Don’t fret dear, you’ll find your rhythm. It’s always good to watch before you try it yourself, if you know what I mean, hmm?” Kayama winked and Midoryia cringed.
Ochako did not know what she meant but she had a feeling that she didn’t want to know. She changed the subject, asking about something she’d heard earlier.
“How many nicknames do you have deku? I mean where does moon boy even come from? And Midnight?”
Kayama laughed, looking over her glasses menacingly. “Well, I’ve been going by Midnight for decades hun, ever since I opened this little joint! And moon boy is just something I call this little cutie, since he’s always mooning over his little blonde friend.”
Midoriya hid his face in his hands to hide his blush, “Midnight!! You know it's not like that!”
Ochako felt her heart sink a little. “Who, Bakugo?”
“You’ve got a sharp eye.” Midnight remarked.
“Well he's the only blonde customer I talked to today, and he certainly made an impression.”
“I’m sure. Those two have such good chemistry, the absolute sexual tension between them is just invigorating!’” Midnight squeezed herself in a hug, thrilled by her own words.
Midoriya’s ears were beginning to steam in embarrassment. “Ohmygod please stop talking. Kacchan and I are just friends.”
“That's how every great romance starts!” Midnight exclaimed. “And your childhood friend only started coming in regularly once you started working here, don’t you think that's a sign?”
“No Midnight, I don't.” Midoriya rolled his eyes but he was smiling. He busied himself with straightening out some cups. Ochako could see his face was still red.
“Kacchan isn't interested in me like that. I don't think he knew the cafe even existed before he got into uni, that's all.”
“Mhm. See what I have to deal with here?” Midnight turned to Ochako, shaking her head in disappointment.
Ochako nodded politely but inside her heart ached a little. Her dreams of a cozy workplace meet-cute were being dashed to pieces by an overly sexual manager and an incredibly rude blonde.
. . .
The next day was equally overwhelming. She worked a mid-shift with Midnight and two other employees she hadn’t met yet; Ashido, the definition of energy, and Tokoyami, the very antithesis of it.
Ashido was a bubbly girl with a high pitched voice. She chatted with her customers with an unmatched ease, from the weather to the new music she listened to. Her appearance matched her personality, with bouncy pink curls and long fluttery eyelashes. Her wrists were covered in beaded bracelets and her ears were decked out in piercings. She’d gasped the minute she saw Ochako walk in, and gave her a hug before she could even say hello.
“Ohmygod you are just the cutest! Ochako, right? Midnight told me everything, I’m so excited to work with you!!”
Ochako blinked, processing the sudden greeting. “Um yeah- who are you again?”
“Oh! I’m sorry I got ahead of myself! I’m Mina Ashido!” The girl spun around and lifted her hands up in a dramatic presentation, giving Ochako a peace sign and sticking her tongue out.
“Oh wow!” Ochako laughed. She couldn’t believe anyone had that much energy at ten in the morning. “Well it’s nice to meet you!”
She followed Ashido into the backroom, doing her best to answer all her questions about where she was from while she clocked in.
She tied her apron and they went out onto the floor, where the morning rush was dying down.
“This is Fumikage Tokoyami!” Ashido exclaimed, throwing her arms around a short young man working the espresso bar, who gave a strangled shout and tried to push her off.
“Must you, Ashido? I’m clearly trying to work right now," said Tokoyami. He had a low, quiet voice, and his black hair was slicked back in the front, until it turned into some crazier spikes at the back. His earrings were silver crosses, and he wore heavy eyeshadow and a red choker. A black mask covered the lower half of his face, giving him an intimidating look with his dead stare.
Mina let him go with a laugh and elbowed him gently as he turned back to the bar. “He’s such a grump honestly, normally he’s a Closer but he’s got an extra band practice later today, so he’s working early.”
“A band? That sounds cool! What kind of music do you play?” Ochako asked with a smile.
Tokoyami shrugged, clearly more interested in working than making conversation.
Ashido spoke for him, “He’s in this super cool emo rock band with his friends, my girl Jirou’s in it too, they’re really good! Tokoyami plays bass guitar and he totally rocks it!” She pumped her fist in the air.
Tokoyami shook his head, embarrassed, but before Ochako could give him some encouragement she was interrupted by Midnight.
“Uraraka! Hello sweetheart, you’re right on time! I just love when a girl knows how to do things right, don’t you?”
Ochako shrugged, a little lost as she always was when Midnight spoke. “I guess, yeah.”
Midnight’s shirt was incredibly low-cut, her boobs pressed together enticingly and were nearly spilling out of her apron. It was quite distracting, Ochako tried to avert her eyes, her face heating up with embarrassment.
Midnight fluffed up Ochako’s hair and lifted her chin with her hands, inspecting her face carefully. Ochako squeaked and tried not to panic. Key word tried.
“You’ve just got the cutest face dear, all chubby cheeks and bright eyes, and you're blushing something marvellous right now. Keep it up, customers are gonna want to eat you up, I just know it!”
A strangled noise of confusion escaped Ochako’s throat.
Midnight’s hands were soft on her skin and her jasmine perfume was quite intoxicating. She straightened out Ochako’s bangs and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. Ochako’s whole body felt hot.
Midnight continued, “I really hope you lay on the charm today, business has been a bit slow lately, and a fresh young thing like you is the perfect thing to wet people’s appetites!”
Ochako managed to ask, “What do you mean?”
“Flirt with the customers of course! It’s really what most people come in here for anyway, and just imagine a spark of connection over a coffee, where that might lead…” Midnight finally let go of Ochako to clasp her hands together, looking off into the distance with a smile.
“I don't know if I’m completely comfortable with that…” Ochako scratched the back of her neck apologetically.
“It’s the only way to do business!” Midnight assured her.
The bell on the door rang, interrupting them. Midnight perked up and turned to greet the customer, tightening the strings on her apron to accentuate her cleavage. “Look sharp now!”
The rest of the shift passed quickly, and Ochako learned more about the drinks and the register. Ashido chatted with her by the register and Tokoyami sat next to her in the break room at lunch, drawing elaborate swords in his notebook and saying slightly creepy things like, “It's nice and dark back here. yes. to revel in the dark is to find yourself within the shadows.”
Ochako figured it was his way of being friendly, but it still creeped her out a little. She’d hoped Midoriya might come in today, but no such luck.
Ochako served all sorts of people, pretentious customers with complicated drinks who complained and didn't tip, regulars that waved Midnight over to chat (or flirt). There were students ordering drinks with a concerning amount of espresso shots, tired mothers with kids hanging off of their arms demanding cake pops, creepy old men who leered at Midnight and eyed Ochako like she was fresh meat, and one incredibly short old woman, who gave Ochako a lollipop.
Ochako thanked the old lady and then turned to the next customers she had, an older couple with a little girl reaching for the counter. The little girl had big eyes and light blue hair, and she looked nothing like the men she was with. One of them was dressed head to toe in leather and spikes, his blonde hair gelled up to the ceiling, while the other man looked like he hadn’t seen a hairbrush in years. He wore black sweatpants and a black hoodie, with a soft grey scarf hanging around his neck. His unshaven face and the bags under his eyes suggested his perpetual exhaustion.
Ochako recognized one of them, and she smiled widely. “Mr. Aizawa! What are you doing here?”
“Hello Uraraka.” Her advisor greeted her with a bored tone.
“Heyheyhey! Whoah there little listener! Are you saying you know my man Shouta!?” The blonde man standing next to Aizawa spoke loudly, almost shouting, and he lifted his sunglasses to peer at Ochako with bright green eyes.
Mr. Aizawa rolled his eyes and Ochako laughed shyly, scratching the back of her neck. “Yeah I'm new in town here and I go to OWU, Mr. Aizawa is my school advisor. I didn't think I’d see him here though!”
“Sweeeeet!” The man in leather wrapped an arm around Aizawa and gave him a loud ‘smack’ of a kiss on his cheek. “That is so! superb! Isn’t it Shouta!?”
Aizawa grunted and the man turned back to Ochako. He held out his arm over the little girl’s head with a dramatic flair. “I am the one, the only, Hizashi Yamada! Pleased to meet ya!!”
Ochako shook his hand apprehensively and he beamed at her.
Yamada continued, “See I host my own radio show, you might've heard of it- On The Mic With Present Mic! - and Shouta here! He is my dazzling husband!! Yo yo! It’s always nice to meet his students out and about, and seeing you here working a job and helping the community, it just brings an old man to tears ya know??”
“Hizashi.” Aizawa warned.
“Right, sorry yo, I'm rambling aren't I?” The little girl tried to peek over the counter again with curious eyes and Yamada put a gentle hand on her head. “And thissssss little pocket full of sunshine is our truly darling angel of a daughter, Eri!! What what??”
Ochako was a little overwhelmed. Old people sure loved to talk. Eri was super cute though. She wondered how she came to be with them, and why Aizawa neglected to bring up any mention of even having a family at all. She knew this place was a lot more accepting than her hometown, but it was kinda jarring to see so many people living different lives than her and being so open about it.
Aizawa hid his face in his scarf and Yamada continued to order. “Well enough with the chit-chat then huh? For Shouta- he's a crazy man, but he’ll get one medium black coffee- the strongest you got- and as for me, I will get the strawberry milkshake supreme!! Extra whip yo? And of course, whatever Eri wants, ya dig?”
Eri poked her head over the counter once more to look at the display case and pointed a finger at the closest option. “Cake pop.”
Ochako hurried to write it all down on the cups, nodding along, and then managed to get the last cake pop out for Eri. She rang them up and they walked over to wait for their order. She could hear Yamada tell Aizawa, “I like her! Groovy energy huh?”
Aizawa just gave him another grunt.
Ashido got started on the drinks and leaned over to whisper loudly to Ochako.
“Aren’t they cute!? I love seeing old gay people out and about, it warms my heart! And Eri is just the sweetest! They have a son too, he’s a student here and he’s a total dreamboat. He’s in Jirou’s band, mostly for techy stuff but he plays the keyboard too when they need it, super synthy and spooky. He’s got that tall and dark and mysterious vibe you know? He’s usually at school but his parents bring Eri with them at least! They always come in on the weekends and say hi to Midnight. They’ve all been friends since high school, how cool is that!?”
Ochako just nodded, taking all the information in. She thought she only had to learn the technical stuff, but it seemed that customer service and coworker relations were also a whole new frontier.
. . .
Ochako’s next shift was a closing one, and the only other person she was going to work with was Kyouka Jirou, who Ochako knew a lot about, thanks to Ashido.
Jirou was almost the exact opposite to her friend Ashido, quiet and shy, she barely spoke to Ochako other than to explain a certain closing duty. She was nice, though Ochako couldn’t really tell whether she actually liked her or not.
Jirou wore heavy alternative makeup that made her face look scarier than it actually was. She had big gauges in her ears, stretching them out. She often fiddled with them while she spoke, looking down at the ground rather than making eye contact. Both her rings and her combat boots were big and clunky and her jeans were ripped below her apron. Ochako made a note to go through her closet, all these college kids were way more cool and fashionable than she had ever been.
The cafe was dim with the fairy lights, the only lightsource now that the sun had set, and Ochako set to wiping down the tables while Jirou did some dishes in the back. As nice as closing was, she was kinda hoping she could work more shifts with Midoriya. Her heart fluttered a little at the thought of him.
She tried to focus on her task but really, the boy with the green hair had been the only thing occupying her mind lately. According to Midnight, he worked any shift he could pick up outside of school, and his schedule was all over the place, so there wasn’t really any way that she could work with him consistently. Midnight had, of course, teased her about it when she’d asked, going on about a cafe romance already being set in motion before the school year had even gotten started.
Ochako finished wiping down the tables and then went to take out the trash, heaving the big bags onto a small cart and pushing the doors open to walk outside.
The late summer air barely stirred in the night, but it wasn’t sweltering hot- more of a full warmth that had baked in the sun all day. The cart rumbled along the gravel as Ochako pushed it down the road, following the path to the back of the building where the big trashcan was. She’d only ever taken it out during the day, it was kind of scary back here in the dark. The nearest streetlight was on the far corner, its dim glow only adding to the eerie atmosphere.
Ochako noticed a faint buzzing noise, and she slowed the cart’s roll to a stop, straining her ears. The buzzing continued, low and frantic, it set Ochako’s teeth on edge, and a chill crept up her spine.
She looked around in the dark, searching for the source of the noise. Shadows seemed to jump out at her everywhere, and she felt her heartbeat quicken. It was silly to get scared outside when it wasn’t even that late at night, but no matter what she said to herself to calm her pulse, she couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong.
There was a loud ‘thump’ and Ochako froze. It was probably just an animal, maybe a bear digging through the trash. She listened again, every sense on high alert, but she didn’t hear any snuffles or scrapes. Instead she heard a groan. A person. Someone was there.
Ochako wanted to turn and run back to the cafe, but her legs wouldn’t listen to her. She had no defense against any kind of threat, and she didn’t want to find out what kind of person hung around trash cans behind buildings at night.
Her eyes searched the darkness, and as they slowly adjusted, she could just make out the figure of someone hunched over a large mass. The buzzing continued, swirling and swarming in a cloud of flies. The slurred sound of muttering joined the buzz, low and desperate.
Ochako managed to take a step backwards but her shoe dislodged some gravel and made a loud scraping noise, making the figure whip its head around. The stranger stood up suddenly and lunged for Ochako and she screamed in terror.
She turned to run but two hands seized her neck from the back, clawing at her skin with sharp nails. Ochako screamed again but it struggled to come out of her throat. Her breath was quick with panic and her hands scrabbled at the ones at her neck. She gasped for air, trying to get any oxygen into her windpipe. Her knees buckled as they were kicked out from under her, and her vision was blurred as the grip on her throat got tighter. The figure forced her to the ground and sat on top of her, lighter than she was expecting.
Ochako wriggled and twisted and pulled the hands away from her neck, and the slim wrists slackened of any tension. Heaving and panting for air, Ochako looked up in confusion. Had they given up?
Her breath caught in her throat.
A girl. It was a girl. Around Ochako’s age, and staring down at her with a terrifying face, with eyes wide and bloodshot and desperate, and her mouth twisted into a snarl, fangs poking out of her top row of teeth.
Ochako registered that the girl’s clothes were soaked in blood, and the flies had followed them to the ground, buzzing around in a manic cloud.
The two girls stared at each other for a long minute, the sharp metallic smell of fresh blood irritating Ochako’s nose. A fly landed on the girl’s face and buzzed away just as quickly. She was wheezing on top of her, like she’d already been out of breath earlier.
Ochako could barely see in the dark, only the shadowed face of the girl, but she could see her hair was light, and pulled into two buns, tangled to hell, one of them was falling out of its hair tie.
Without thinking, Ochako let go of one of the girl’s hands, reaching up to her loose bun with her arm, knowing she had a spare hair tie in her pocket.
“Do you need help with that?”
The girl blinked, the thin layer of dried blood on her face cracking a bit as her eyebrows scrunched together in confusion.
Ochako tugged at the knot of hair gently, letting the hair on one side spill out over her wrist. She couldn’t stop herself from running her hands through it automatically. Her fingers caught on some tangles and she tried to untangle her hand without pulling at the girl’s scalp.
The girl’s expression crumpled and she choked on a sob, tears falling from her eyes onto Ochako’s apron.
“Oh! I’m sorry! I should’ve figured it would be a mess if it was already falling apart.” Ochako apologized in the softest whisper.
She tried to take her hand back but the girl gasped and grabbed her wrist with that tight urgency again. Ochako got the hint and settled for petting her hair, since she couldn’t run her fingers through it.
The girl collapsed onto Ochako then, sobbing into her neck. Ochako wheezed a bit from the impact, but her heart seized with emotion. Poor thing.
Ochako continued to pet the girl’s hair, her rhythm stuttering when the girl finally spoke, her lips brushing against Ochako’s ear.
Her voice was high and trembling, “please… they killed him, my only friend.”
Ochako tucked a lock of hair behind the girl’s ear. She didn’t know what she was talking about but she was too afraid to ask more questions.
“You’ll be my friend, won’t you?” The girl asked.
Ochako wondered for a moment if this was a trap, but she could feel the quiet sobs still wracking the girl's body and she caved. The way she clung to Ochako like a lifeline couldn't be fake.
Ochako couldn't help it, she knew it probably wasn't a wise decision, but her heart reached out anyway.
She nodded and hugged the girl back, letting her cry, feeling her shaky breathing even out. After a while the girl pulled away, considerably calmed down. They stare at each other again, only this time Ochako wasn’t filled with terror, only aching curiosity. Who was this girl? What happened to her? To her friend? How did she end up here? Ochako was scared to ask, but she’d never seen someone in such need of help before, and this girl easily could’ve killed her but she hadn’t.
The girl sniffed, wiping her nose with the back of her sleeve, smearing the blood on her face. She smiled then, down at Ochako, and though her mouth was still spread eerily wide, showing her sharp teeth on display, and her eyes were still wet from tears, she was actually, really… cute.