Fate's Game ~HARULAS

It had been three days since Nicholas's behavior had taken a turn, and Harua still hadn't quite figured out what to make of it. The man who had once waltzed into Café Étoile like he owned it, demanding ridiculous drinks and making Harua's life a little more miserable with every visit, now seemed... nice? A little too nice. It was confusing, almost unsettling.

Today was no different. Harua was rushing between tables, trying to keep up with the never-ending orders. Mai had already assigned him more tasks than usual, and he was struggling to keep his cool. A slow sigh escaped his lips as he approached Nicholas's usual corner. Sure enough, there he was, casually lounging as if he had nowhere else to be, like a king in his throne, except now... he was smiling. Smiling at Harua.

"Good morning, Harua," Nicholas greeted, lifting his sunglasses slightly to look at him with those piercing, all-too-pleasant eyes. The lack of annoyance in his voice was what threw Harua off the most.

"Good morning." Harua didn't trust himself to sound friendly. He had learned the hard way that being cordial with Nicholas was a dangerous game.

Harua quickly jotted down Nicholas's order—an iced latte with extra caramel, as usual—and turned to head toward the counter, but Nicholas stopped him with an unexpected request.

"Hey, can I help you out today?" Nicholas asked, leaning forward with his elbows on the table.

Harua froze, not entirely sure if he had heard that correctly. "Help me out?" He repeated, raising an eyebrow. "What do you mean, help me out?"

"I mean," Nicholas started, his tone unusually calm, "you look like you're drowning in orders. Maybe I can take a few to other tables?"

Harua blinked, trying to process what he was hearing. Nicholas? Helping? It felt like the world was spinning backward.

"You want to help me?" Harua asked incredulously. "What, you trying to be my assistant now?"

Nicholas chuckled, a sound that was far less smug than usual. "I'm just offering to lighten your load. I've got nothing to do anyway, and I'm sure you'd appreciate the help."

Harua stared at him, suspicious. "Yeah, sure. But why?"

Nicholas shrugged casually, the kind of shrug that made it clear he didn't feel the need to explain himself. "Why not? I'm not exactly busy. And honestly, it's kind of fun watching you scramble around here. You're entertaining."

Harua rolled his eyes. "I'm entertaining, huh? Yeah, I'm sure you're just here for the show."

Despite himself, Harua found himself smiling a little. It wasn't like he didn't appreciate the offer—he was getting overwhelmed. But something about Nicholas wanting to help felt... wrong. They didn't do things like this. They were enemies, or at least, they were supposed to be. He couldn't let his guard down just because the guy had decided to throw him a bone.

Still, he sighed, trying to push his reservations aside. "Fine," Harua relented, still unsure. "You can take table five's order to the back. The one with the iced cappuccino. Don't screw it up."

Nicholas grinned, clearly pleased with himself. "You've got it."

As Harua handed over the tray and Nicholas walked off to the back, a strange feeling settled in his chest. Was it gratitude? Or just confusion? Harua shook his head, pushing those thoughts away. It was just one nice gesture. Probably part of some new weird mood Nicholas was in. He had to stay cautious.

By the time Nicholas returned, Harua had already delivered another batch of orders. When he glanced back toward the counter, he saw Nicholas coming toward him again, this time with a confident, slightly proud expression on his face.

"I did it," Nicholas said, his voice full of self-assurance.

Harua raised an eyebrow. "I didn't think you'd be so proud of yourself for running errands."

"Oh, please," Nicholas said, rolling his eyes. "It's not just errands. You've got to be quick on your feet to deliver drinks and avoid making a mess. You know, I've got some skill, despite what you might think."

Harua couldn't help but chuckle, a sound that surprised even him. He hadn't expected Nicholas to be... decent at this.

"Yeah, well," Harua shrugged, "thanks for the help. But don't expect a gold star or anything."

"I'm not here for the recognition," Nicholas replied, his grin widening. "I just want to see if you can survive without a meltdown today."

"I'm going to survive just fine, thank you," Harua muttered. He quickly turned away, pretending to be busy with another order, though he was actually kind of impressed that Nicholas had managed to pull off the task without making a scene.

Over the next few days, the pattern continued. Nicholas showed up more often, sometimes staying longer than usual. And every time, he offered to help Harua in some way—whether it was delivering an order, wiping down a table, or just holding the door open. Each time, Harua was taken aback, unable to comprehend why this sudden shift in behavior was happening.

But as the days passed, something strange happened. Harua began to notice that Nicholas wasn't so insufferable anymore. Sure, he still had that air of arrogance about him, but there was a softness there too, something that Harua hadn't expected to find beneath the surface. A humor that wasn't always aimed at Harua. They began to talk more, sharing little stories about their lives outside the café. And with each conversation, Harua started to feel... more comfortable around him.

It was a gradual thing, this shift. And Harua couldn't figure out if it was Nicholas changing, or if he was just starting to let his guard down.

One afternoon, as the café buzzed with the usual rush of customers, Harua found himself sitting with Nicholas during his break. They had just finished a surprisingly easy shift—thanks to Nicholas's occasional "help," of course. Harua was nursing a coffee, and Nicholas had a cappuccino in front of him.

"So," Nicholas began, breaking the silence between them. "How's life outside of this place?"

Harua took a sip of his drink, staring down at it as if the coffee would answer for him. "Same old. Work. Eat. Sleep. Rinse and repeat."

"That's it?" Nicholas sounded genuinely surprised. "You've got to have more excitement than that."

Harua snorted. "In this economy? I'm lucky to have a job."

"Fair point," Nicholas agreed, leaning back in his chair. "I get it. But don't you want more than just... surviving?"

Harua met his gaze, unsure of what to say. "I don't know. Maybe. I just haven't had time to think about it."

Nicholas's eyes softened, and for the first time, he didn't look like he was about to criticize or make fun of Harua. "I get it," he said quietly. "Sometimes it's easier not to think about things. But you've got to have dreams, Harua. Otherwise, what's the point?"

Harua didn't know how to respond to that. For a moment, all he could do was stare at Nicholas. Maybe the guy wasn't as insufferable as he once thought. Maybe there was more to him than the smug smile and the constant requests for complicated coffee orders.

Before Harua could process the sudden shift in the air between them, Nicholas grinned mischievously. "So, when are we going to go out for a drink?"

Harua raised an eyebrow. "You're asking me to go out with you? What, is this some kind of weird pity invite?"

Nicholas laughed. "No. I'm asking because it would be fun. And you, my friend, could use a change of scenery."

Harua blinked, still stunned by the offer. "I'm not sure what I think about this new, 'nice' version of you, Nico."

"Oh, it's still me," Nicholas said, his grin growing wider. "Just... a better version of me."

Harua couldn't help but laugh.