Fate's Game ~HARULAS

The days started to blend together in the best possible way. Harua had almost forgotten what it felt like to work through an entire shift without wanting to scream. That was mostly thanks to one person—Nicholas.

It had been a week since he started showing up more often and offering to help out, and in that time, Harua had gotten used to the peculiar mix of frustration and gratitude that came with having Nicholas as an unwilling coworker. Not that Harua would ever admit that out loud.

Today was no different. The morning rush had come in full force, and Café Étoile was packed. Harua was running around like a chicken with its head cut off, taking orders, refilling drinks, and trying not to break anything. Nicholas, of course, was sitting at his usual spot, casually watching him hustle while sipping his coffee like he had nowhere else to be.

"You're seriously just going to sit there and watch me work?" Harua called from behind the counter as he handed a latte to a customer. "Not even going to help today?"

Nicholas looked up, feigning innocence. "What? I'm just trying to enjoy my coffee." He grinned and shrugged. "Besides, I'm giving you a little space to breathe. You don't want me hovering over you while you work, do you?"

"Maybe a little hovering wouldn't hurt," Harua muttered, wiping down the counter with unnecessary force.

Nicholas chuckled, clearly entertained. "Fair enough. But don't get too used to me being nice. I've got a reputation to uphold."

Harua shot him a sideways glance. "You? Nice? Please, I think I'd rather go through the rush without any help than see you try to play the good guy."

"Aw, come on," Nicholas said with a playful pout. "I'm really not that bad."

Harua scoffed. "You're literally the worst."

Nicholas's eyes sparkled with amusement as he leaned back in his chair. "If I'm the worst, then why do you keep letting me help you?"

That stopped Harua in his tracks. He hadn't really thought about it. It was true. Nicholas had been helping out, and he'd even managed to do it without making things worse, which—considering the mess that was Harua's life—was a pretty big deal.

"I don't know," Harua said after a beat, shaking his head as he tried to suppress a smile. "Maybe I'm just getting soft."

Nicholas's grin widened. "I knew it. You're a big softie."

Harua rolled his eyes. "If you say that again, I'll throw you out on your ass."

"Whoa, no need for threats," Nicholas said with a laugh. "I'm just stating the obvious here."

Harua was about to retort when his phone buzzed in his pocket. He pulled it out to check the message.

It was from Mai. "We need to talk after your shift. Come to the back, 5 minutes early."

Harua frowned, shoving his phone back into his pocket. "Great. Just what I needed. Mai wants to have a 'talk.'"

Nicholas raised an eyebrow. "What's the big deal? Did you spill something on her receipts again?"

"No," Harua said, grimacing. "But she always wants to talk about something after the rush. I swear, she's the queen of vague notes."

"Well, if she fires you, I'll be here to offer you a drink," Nicholas said, voice dripping with mock sympathy. "It's the least I can do."

Harua rolled his eyes. "Yeah, thanks for that."

The rest of the shift went by in a blur of orders, spilled coffee, and near-meltdowns. By the time the last customer left, Harua was exhausted. He barely had the energy to move, but the message from Mai weighed on his mind. He grabbed his apron and tossed it over his shoulder as he made his way to the back room.

Nicholas, who had stayed until the very end of the shift—mostly to watch Harua sweat, no doubt—stood up as Harua passed by.

"You going to be okay?" Nicholas asked, his tone a little more serious than usual.

Harua shot him a look, trying to keep his voice light. "I'm sure I'll survive. It's just Mai. She probably wants to talk about something boring, like inventory."

Nicholas didn't say anything for a moment. His gaze lingered on Harua, his expression unreadable for once. "If you need to talk later, I'm around," he said, his voice softer than usual.

Harua raised an eyebrow, confused by the sudden change in Nicholas's tone. "I'll keep that in mind," he muttered, turning toward the back room before Nicholas could say anything else.

When he entered the back, Mai was sitting at the small table in the corner, fiddling with her phone. She looked up as Harua walked in.

"Hey, you," she said, her tone light but knowing. "Take a seat."

Harua did as he was told, though he couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. Mai didn't look particularly upset, but the way she was avoiding eye contact made him nervous.

"What's this about?" he asked, trying to keep his voice casual.

Mai leaned back in her chair and sighed. "It's not a big deal, really," she started. "I just wanted to let you know that the higher-ups are thinking about promoting you."

Harua blinked, surprised. "Wait, what? Promote me?"

"Yeah, they've been keeping an eye on your work, and they think you're a good fit for a manager position," Mai explained, tapping her fingers on the table.

Harua's jaw dropped. "You're messing with me, right?"

Mai raised an eyebrow, clearly enjoying the reaction. "I'm serious. You've been handling things well, and I guess they're thinking you could handle more responsibility. But of course, that means more work."

Harua sat back in his chair, stunned. "I... I don't know if I'm ready for that. I can barely handle the stress here as it is."

"I get that," Mai said, her voice softening. "But this could be a good opportunity for you. It's more money, more control, and you'd get to work with people like Nicholas—"

Harua cut her off with a snort. "Yeah, I think I'll pass on that last part."

Mai laughed. "Fair enough. But think about it. You're capable, Harua. I wouldn't recommend it if I didn't think you could handle it."

Harua stared at her, still processing the news. Promoted? Manager? The idea felt like a whole new world to him. Could he really handle it? He wasn't sure. But then, when he thought about how far he'd come—how much he'd changed since Nicholas started showing up—maybe it wasn't such a crazy idea.

"Alright," he said, after a long pause. "I'll think about it. Thanks for letting me know."

Mai smiled and stood up. "Of course. Just don't take too long to decide. The offer might not last forever."

Harua nodded, then walked out of the back room, his mind racing. He didn't know what to expect anymore, but he had a feeling his life was about to take a turn he wasn't quite prepared for.

As he stepped back into the main area, he spotted Nicholas leaning against the counter, casually scrolling through his phone.

"Everything okay?" Nicholas asked, noticing Harua's pensive look.

"Yeah," Harua said, running a hand through his hair. "I think I've just got a lot to think about."

Nicholas didn't push him further. Instead, he gave Harua a knowing look and said, "You'll figure it out. You always do."