The scent of warm tea filled the air, mingling with the lingering sweetness of baked goods. Hikari sat curled up on one of the seats near the bakery's counter, a blanket draped over her shoulders. The ceramic mug in her hands radiated gentle heat, grounding her, keeping her from drifting into the numbness that threatened to take over.
Mira sat cross-legged on the chair beside her, sipping her own cup, casting glances at Hikari every few seconds.
Elias stood behind the counter, wordlessly cleaning up the remnants of their discussion from earlier—his version of giving space without abandoning her.
The silence was comfortable, or at least, not uncomfortable.
Hikari stared down at her tea. Her fingers trembled slightly when she lifted it to her lips. She tried to ignore the way her cheek still stung.
Or how her mother's voice still echoed in her head.
"You wouldn't survive without me."
Her grip tightened on the cup.
She didn't know what was worse—the fact that it hurt, or the fact that a part of her still believed it.
Mira finally broke the quiet. "So. Are we gonna talk about the elephant in the room, or are we doing the whole dramatic 'let's pretend nothing happened' thing?"
Hikari flinched slightly.
Elias shot Mira a look. "Give her a minute."
Mira huffed, but didn't push further.
Instead, she reached over and plucked one of the cookies from a nearby plate—Yuzu Honey, the same ones Hikari had bought earlier.
She waved it in front of Hikari's face. "Here. You need sugar."
Hikari blinked at the offering, then hesitated.
"I… still have some," she murmured, reaching for her bag. "I bought a pack earlier."
Mira waved a hand dismissively. "Pfft, doesn't matter. Eat this one."
Hikari frowned slightly. "But I already—"
"It's fine." Mira pushed the cookie closer. "The ones in your bag are yours. These? Free of charge. Consider it an official cheer-up cookie."
Hikari hesitated, glancing between the offered treat and Elias, as if seeking confirmation.
Elias, who had been drying a cup, set it down with a quiet clink and said simply, "Keep the ones in your bag. Eat this one."
Hikari swallowed, the lump in her throat tightening.
She wasn't sure why something as small as this made her chest ache—but it did.
Slowly, carefully, she took the cookie from Mira's hand.
"…Thank you," she whispered.
Mira grinned, ruffling Hikari's hair. "See? That wasn't so hard."
Hikari let out a quiet breath, then took a bite.
The warmth of the honey, the light citrusy tang of the yuzu—it melted on her tongue.
Sweet. Comforting.
Mira leaned back against the chair, nodding in satisfaction. "Alright. Now that we've gotten step one of emotional recovery out of the way, step two is figuring out what you need."
Hikari stared at her hands.
Need.
What did she need?
For so long, her needs hadn't mattered.
She needed to work.She needed to support her mother.She needed to be the responsible one.
But now?
Her throat tightened.
She needed…
Somewhere safe.
Somewhere where she wouldn't have to brace herself for anger at every turn.Somewhere where she wasn't forced to give until she was empty.Somewhere where she didn't have to flinch at the sound of footsteps.
Her fingers curled into the blanket around her shoulders.
She licked her lips, voice barely above a whisper.
"Can I… stay?"
Silence.
Mira and Elias exchanged a glance.
Mira arched an eyebrow, as if to say obviously.
Elias, ever serious, studied Hikari carefully. "For tonight?"
Hikari hesitated. Then, she shook her head.
"I—" Her voice cracked. She swallowed and tried again. "I don't think I can go back. Not yet."
Mira let out a quiet breath.
Elias didn't respond right away. Instead, he carefully set the dishcloth in his hands aside and walked over, taking a seat across from her.
He leaned forward slightly, resting his arms on his knees. "You can stay here for the night. But after that… living in a bakery long-term isn't exactly ideal."
Mira stretched her arms over her head. "Yeah, unless you wanna wake up covered in flour every morning."
Elias shot her a look before turning back to Hikari. "You still have school. You need somewhere stable."
Hikari nodded slowly, gripping the blanket around her shoulders. "I know…"
Mira tilted her head, tapping her fingers against the side of her mug. Then, casually, she shrugged.
"Well, if you need a place, you can just stay with me."
Hikari's head snapped up. "What?"
Mira smirked. "What, you'd rather sleep next to a giant sack of sugar every night?"
Hikari opened her mouth, then closed it.
She hadn't expected that.
Mira waved a hand. "Relax. I live alone, my apartment's got space, and it's like, a five-minute walk from here. If you don't mind putting up with my excellent taste in reality TV, you can crash there for as long as you need."
Hikari's fingers tightened in the fabric of the blanket. "Are… you sure?"
Hikari's fingers tightened in the fabric of the blanket. "Are… you sure?"She shouldn't ask that. It had already been offered. But still… something in her hesitated.
Mira huffed, leaning forward to flick Hikari lightly on the forehead. "Dummy, I wouldn't have offered if I wasn't sure."
Hikari blinked, startled. She hesitated, then rubbed at her forehead, her lips parting slightly.
"I don't want to be a burden…" The words slipped out before she could stop them.
Mira's expression softened, but she didn't give her time to dwell on it. "Nah, don't worry. You'll just owe me unlimited gossip and the occasional coffee run. Totally fair trade."
Hikari exhaled. The tension in her chest loosened, just a little.
"…Thank you," she whispered.
Mira grinned. "You're welcome. Also, be warned—I don't cook. Like, at all. So if you're expecting homemade meals, I will crush those dreams right now."
Elias sighed. "So you're just going to feed her instant ramen for every meal?"
Mira smirked. "Hey, I have takeout menus."
Hikari almost laughed. Almost.
Instead, she just shook her head, a tiny, relieved breath escaping her lips.
Elias leaned back. "Alright, then. That settles it."
And just like that—
It was decided.
—
That night, Hikari slept in the storage room.
It wasn't much—a small cot set up between stacks of flour and sugar, a blanket borrowed from Elias, and a pillow Mira had dramatically thrown at her head.
But it was warm.
It was quiet.
And when she closed her eyes—
For the first time in a long, long time—
She felt safe.