Chapter Text
Kronii was not happy, not at all.
First, she had a rough morning where she got forcefully woken up from her slumber at 07.00 AM because her dad decides to give her a call, telling her to go to the office so they can discuss some work and when Kronii pointed out that today is a freaking weekend, his only answer is ‘Come now before I forget this brilliant idea’ and hang up, leaving Kronii with no choice but to follow his order and leave her warm bed along with her cute cuddly girlfriend.
Second, just when she thought that she finally had alone time with Mumei after a long day being trapped inside the office and debating with her dad, their friend – Baelz – decide that it was a good time to come and interrupted them.
Don’t get her wrong, she loves Baelz but did she really have to come and interrupt her time with Mumei? Wasn’t it an unspoken rule to never ever interrupt people on their weekend – especially the one who has a lover – without prior notice?
So really, no one can blame Kronii if she wants to spend the rest of her day to be alone with Mumei and slam the door closed.
In fact, she thinks that is how most people will react.
She didn’t do it though.
Contradicting with popular belief, she was not that cruel.
Instead, she steps aside – allowing Baelz to come in.
It was not what she had planned but well she can adjust. She won’t get mad just because her time with Mumei gets interrupted.
She was not that childish.
However, it seems that Baelz really wants to test her patience right now because she just had to open her mouth and said that stupid request right in front of Kronii.
“Mumei, can you please pretend to be my girlfriend?”
“Excuse me, what?” Kronii asked in a cold tone of voice while glaring at Baelz with a glare that she usually only throws at her employer when they make a dire mistake or towards rude people while beside her Mumei looked at Baelz with her mouth forming an ‘o’.
“Uh-uhm…” Baelz looked at Kronii and then towards Mumei before meekly repeating, “Mumei, can you please pretend to be my girlfriend?”
“You-“ Kronii started but before she can unleash her raging emotions towards her smaller friend, Mumei put her hand on Kronii’s – stopping her.
Giving a gentle smile along with that successfully calming Kronii down, Mumei then turns to look at Baelz.
“Bae,” Mumei said, calling Baelz with her nickname, “Can you please tell us the reason? There must be a reason why you ask me to do that.”
“And not to mention in front of me,” Kronii grumbled.
“I know that this request sounds so absurd-“
Kronii scoffed which made Baelz turn and give Kronii desperate pleading eyes while beside her, Mumei gave her a slightly stern looked.
“Kronii,” Mumei warned.
“Okay, sorry. Go on,” Kronii said with a shrug before taking another sip of her tasteless tea because Mumei forget to buy some sugar on their last shopping trip.
“I-“ Baelz sighed, “My mom called this morning, telling me that my cousin will have their wedding by the end of this month and they expected me to come back home at least a week before the big day so we can have the much needed big family reunion.” Baelz started to explain and from how her shoulder slumps, Kronii could see how this is really weighted her mind which now makes her feel kinda bad.
“You don’t like the reunion? Is that why you want Mumei to pretend to be your girlfriend? So, she can bail you out or something?” Kronii asked, trying to understand Baelz point.
Baelz shook her head, “I wish it was that simple.” Baelz sighed, “Look, I love my family and all but the problem is they can be a little pushy. Months ago, my cousin called me and bragged about his wedding and he told me that if I don’t have someone with me or he will ‘generously’ help me to be with one of his fiancée's family members or friends and let me tell you that thought only already makes me shivers.”
“So to escape from that, you lied to him that you have a lover?”
“I technically didn’t lie that time; I am dating someone.”
“Who-“ Kronii was about to ask but then a certain girl came into her mind, “Oh you mean that birch who cheats on you?” Kronii said, refusing to use a bad word around Mumei even though she really wants to.
Baelz nodded solemnly, “Yeah, her.”
“Yikes.”
“You can say that again.”
“Why you didn’t tell your mom the truth?” Mumei asked.
“Well before I can tell her, she already went on and on about how happy she is that I finally will bring someone back home and how everyone in my family can’t wait for me and my ‘partner’.” Baelz said with a sigh, “And to make it worse, my sister Calli will also bring her girlfriend along which makes my mom more excited about it. I don’t have the heart to tell her that I already break up with mine.”
“I can see why you are so desperate and asking such an absurd request now,” Kronii said.
Baelz perked up, hope glinting in her big baby blue eyes, “Is that mean-“
“The answer is still no,” Kronii sternly said, “I will not let Mumei become anyone's girlfriend aside from me. Pretending or not.”
Baelz looked down dejectedly.
“I am sorry, Bae,” Mumei started, “But as much as I want to help you, I don’t think I can pretend to be your lover. Not only because Kronii won’t let me, but also I don’t think I can act that well to trick your family.”
“Besides, did you forget that your big sister Calliope is a good friend with my cousin, Amelia?” Kronii added, “If Mumei pretends to be your lover and Calliope tells Amelia, it will be a disaster.”
“Oh.”
“Yes, oh.”
“I totally forget about that,” Baelz let out a groan as she buried her face in her hands.
“I can see that,” Kronii simply said before taking another sip of her tea.
“Have you asked Fauna and Sana?” Mumei asked, directing both girls’ attention towards her.
Baelz nodded, “I have but they also decline. Sana can’t afford to skip work while Fauna will be busy with her plants' research.”
“I am so sorry to hear that,” Mumei said as she reaches her hand and gave a small pat on Baelz’s hand who in return gave a small grateful smile to Mumei.
“Well, I guess that means I have to either come clean or make up some excuse to not come to the wedding.” Baelz sighed.
“Can you do that?”
“No, but I can try. I mean how hard it is to make my family believe that my date was abducted by aliens or got lost in the forest at Amazon?” Baelz answered with a smirk which made Mumei laugh.
Baelz grinned, well at least she was successful in making someone laugh. Feeling accomplished, she then turned to look at Kronii – wanting to see if she also laughed at her answer. However, Kronii attention was not on the conversation, instead, she was looking down with a frown on her face like she was in deep thought.
“Kronii?”
Kronii looked up, “I think I have an idea to solve your problem.”
“Really?!” Baelz shouted happily.
“Yeah,” Kronii nodded, “But the question is how desperate are you?”
“Really desperate! So desperate that I can even sell my kidney!”
Kronii smirked, “Well if you are that desperate, I think you can handle it.”
XXX
Baelz took back what she said.
She was not that desperate.
Nu-uh.
Sure, she is desperate enough to sell her kidney, steal something or burn a building.
But she is not that desperate for this stupid idea Kronii had!
“I must be losing my mind for even considering it,” Baelz whispered as she looked at her phone. She was staring at the screen, unblinking for a few seconds when a voice called her – startling her.
“Bae,” her co-worker slashes her friend, Sana called, poking her head out from the front door of their locker room, “I need your help in the counter.”
“Sorry, I’ll be out in a second!” Baelz quickly answered as lock up her phone and it in her jeans pocket. This is not the time for her to think about the absurd idea Kronii had. She had work to do! The coffee won’t make itself.
Tightening her apron, Baelz was about to walk out of the locker room when her phone suddenly rang, alerting her to a new message. Curious, Baelz pulled out her phone from her pocket and opened the new message she got.
It was a short message from Kronii.
You’re welcome.
Frowning, Baelz re-read the message a few more times – thinking that maybe it was some of a riddle or had a hidden message in it – before finally deciding that Kronii was just being weird and shrugged the message away.
After making sure that she put her phone back safely, Baelz quickly walked out to the counter – giving an apologetic smile to Sana, “I’m sorry, Sana! I-“
Before Baelz could make any excuse, the front doorbell make a jingling noise, signaling a new customer that had just walked in and suddenly the whole atmosphere in the café shifted. A surprise gasp and excitement murmurs can be heard around the café signaling that whoever it is that just come in must be someone important or famous for the customers to react like that.
Dread came to Baelz.
“Oh no, she did not!” Baelz internally screamed as she remembered the last message that Kronii send to her. There is no way that Kronii just did what she was afraid of.
“Uhm, Bae?” Sana called.
Baelz shook her head as she pleadingly looked at Sana, “Please don’t tell me that it was her who just come in,” Baelz whispered in a panicked voice as her eyes stared straightly at Sana’s. Refusing to look at the newcomer and face her nightmare.
Yes, what is the chance that it was her.
It can be anyone famous.
Sana however could only offer a small apologetic smile towards Baelz which is enough to confirm Baelz’s suspicion.
It is her.
Baelz eyes quickly diverted around – trying to find the best route to run away when the soft melodic voice that she knows so well and also used to send butterflies in her stomach went crazy (she refuses to admit that it still is) called her out.
“Hey, Bae.”
Baelz closed her eyes, cursing at her bad luck and bad friend before counting to three to calm herself down to face the music and turn around.
Bad decision.
Her heart was not ready yet, proven from how her heart felt like she just finished running one kilometer of a marathon and the butterflies in her stomach flies around wildly when she saw the girl's face.
IRyS has no right to look as beautiful as she is right now. Not when it’s been like two years since they last meet like this. Sure, Baelz saw IRyS in the magazine or on TV (it is hard not to when IRyS is everywhere), and she looks beautiful in those but Baelz thought that it was just from the make-up glow up and she will look different without it just like some of the other celebrities.
However, IRyS sure like to prove Baelz wrong because instead of looking uglier, she looks much more beautiful than Baelz could ever remember. The magazine and TV couldn’t even capture her beauty and charisma perfectly.
Soft slightly tanned skin that resembled the sand color in the summertime, her messy long maroon hair that she never bothered to tie up (Baelz still wonders how she didn’t find it disturbing) and even though she wears a mask and cap to cover her face, Baelz somehow can still see the stunning mismatched eyes of blue and purple along with the gentle smile. She doesn’t even wear some special make-up or wear anything glamorous (she wears an old black ugly oversized hoodie for goodness’ sake) and yet she here she is, looks glowing.
Oh, she hates this already.
“Hi IRyS,” Baelz said, trying her best to sound smug and confident (she hopes she sound confident, unlike the stuttering in her heart and brain).
IRyS pulled her mask down, showing Baelz the gentle smile (just like Baelz predicted) before asking, “How are you?”
“As you can see, I am fine.” Baelz said, shrugging, “How about you though? How’s work treating you?”
“I’m fine as well,” IRyS answered, “Work’s been…” IRyS tapped her finger against the counter in a rhythm pattern, a small habit that she had when thinking – Baelz almost smiled at the knowledge that she still hasn’t fixed that old habit of her – before finally answering, “Good.”
“That’s nice.” Baelz offered.
“Thank you,”
They stay in somewhat awkward silence for a few seconds before IRyS cleared her throat and leaned down on the counter, making sure that she had the same eye level as Baelz before asking, “Kronii told me that you need my help?”
“Oh, I am so gonna kill that girl,” Baelz thought angrily before starting, “Look IRyS, I-“
“Uhm, I’m sorry to interrupt you two,” Sana called out making the two girls quickly turn their attention away from each other and towards the taller girl, “But uhm… can you guys please take it at another place? You two are drawing too much attention.” Sana said apologetically while gesturing towards the customers who haven’t been looking away ever since IRyS came.
Baelz groaned while IRyS quickly straightened herself and apologize, “I am so sorry!”
Of course, how can Baelz forget? IRyS was not the same girl she met in their university days anymore. She is now a popular singer that has millions of fans. It is a miracle that no one mob her yet, especially with the lousy disguise she had and how the other customers were looking at her.
“It’s okay,” Sana said, smiling reassuringly, “You guys can go to the locker room to finish your conversation.”
Baelz frowned, “But don’t you need some help?”
Sana waved off, “It is nothing that I can’t handle.”
“No no no,” IRyS quickly interjected, “Please don’t mind me, I can wait. It is my fault, after all, to come here when you guys still working.”
“Don’t you have a schedule or something?” this time the frowning directed to IRyS.
IRyS smiled reassuringly at Baelz, “I had some time off today, don’t worry,” she said before turning to look at Sana, “I’ll wait until you guys finished”
“But-“ Sana started.
“Please, don’t mind me,” IRyS replied quickly, “I will just wait at that corner where people can barely see me, and uhm… can I order a glass of cream soda?”
“Sure,” Baelz answered.
IRyS gave a small smile to Baelz before she walked away.
“She didn’t change at all, huh?” Sana said as soon as IRyS was out of their sight.
“I guess,” Baelz shrugged as she turned around and start making IRyS order.
“Oh come on Bae, I can see how you look at her,” Sana said, nudging Baelz who quickly swatted her hand with a frown.
“I don’t know what are you talking about,” she said plainly.
“Don’t even try to lie to me about this. You still have that look you know?”
“What look?”
“The look of someone still in love,”
Baelz glared at Sana, “Don’t be silly, IRyS and I are over a long time ago. There is no love there, what you see is just an illusion that your mind created.”
Sana shook her head before she ruffled Baelz hair, making the small girl let out an angry yelp, and said, “Whatever you said Bae,” and walk away leaving Baelz alone grumbling as she tried her best to fix her hair.
Sana doesn’t know what she talking about. There are no lingering feelings there, IRyS and her are over, as simple as that. She even dates many other people for the past two years! If she still has feelings for IRyS, there is no way she will be able to do that.
Baelz scoffed before deciding that yeah, Sana is just being stupid and over-reading stuff and started doing her job.
So what if Baelz spends a few extra minutes to make the cream soda looks perfect? She just doesn’t want to give a reason for IRyS to complain or tease her.
And if Sana caught her stealing a look at where IRyS table at, she was just worried that the girl is getting mobbed by the other customer.
That doesn’t mean anything.