The café was smaller than Kai expected.
Warm lights. Wooden tables. The smell of roasted beans and something sweet baking in the back. People talked quietly, their voices blending into a soft hum that made Kai's shoulders tense.
Too many sounds. Too many movements. Too many things he didn't understand.
Leon pushed open the door and waved him inside. "Welcome to Bean & Brew. Try not to look like you're about to pass out."
Kai wasn't sure he could promise that.
A bell chimed as they entered. A few customers glanced up, then went back to their drinks. Kai exhaled slowly. No one was staring. No one was suspicious. No one was trying to kill him.
That was… new.
Leon clapped him on the back. "Boss is in the back. I'll introduce you in a sec. First—" He pointed toward the counter. "That's Aika. She works mornings and afternoons."
Kai followed his gaze.
A girl stood behind the counter, tying her apron with slow, distracted movements. Dark hair pulled into a loose ponytail. Eyes distant, unfocused, as if she were somewhere far away. She didn't notice them enter.
Leon lowered his voice. "She's been… off lately. Her grandfather passed away last week."
Kai's chest tightened.
Loss. Grief. He knew those too well.
Aika finally looked up.
Her eyes met Kai's.
For a moment, neither of them moved.
Her gaze wasn't sharp or curious — just tired, as if she'd been awake for days, a weight pressing on her chest.
He'd seen it in the mirror.
Leon waved. "Morning, Aika!"
She blinked, as if pulled from a dream. "Oh. Hey, Leon." Her voice was soft, almost fragile. She glanced at Kai again. "Who's…?"
"This is Kai," Leon said. "New hire. Starting today."
Aika nodded politely. "Welcome."
Kai opened his mouth to respond, but the words stuck. He managed a small nod instead.
Aika didn't seem bothered. She turned back to the register, fingers moving automatically, but her mind clearly somewhere else.
Leon leaned closer to Kai. "She's usually more talkative. Just… give her time."
Kai wasn't sure if Leon meant her or him.
—
Aika wiped the counter for the third time, even though it was already clean.
Her thoughts kept drifting back to the journal.
"When the time comes, the truth will reveal itself."
That was the only sentence written inside.
The rest of the pages were blank.
Completely blank.
No ink. No impressions. No faded writing.
Just empty white.
She didn't know what it meant. She didn't know why her grandmother wrote it. She didn't know why her grandfather kept it hidden.
But the words wouldn't leave her alone.
When the time comes…
She pressed a hand to her forehead.
She hadn't slept well since the funeral. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw her grandfather's empty chair. His quiet smile. His gentle voice telling her stories she never realized were strange until now.
Aika exhaled shakily.
She needed a distraction.
She turned — and nearly bumped into Kai.
He froze.
She froze.
For a moment, they just stared at each other.
Kai looked… lost. Not confused — lost. Like someone who didn't know where he belonged. Like someone who had been dropped into a world that wasn't his.
Aika swallowed. "Um… do you need something?"
Kai hesitated. "Leon said… I should learn the menu."
"Oh." She nodded. "Right. Sure."
She handed him a laminated sheet.
Their fingers brushed.
Kai flinched — not violently, just a tiny, startled twitch. Aika pretended not to notice.
She stepped back, giving him space. "It's simple. Mostly coffee, tea, pastries. Nothing complicated."
Kai stared at the menu like it was written in another language.
Aika watched him for a moment.
He wasn't just shy. He wasn't just new. He was… hurting.
She recognized that too.
"Don't worry," she said quietly. "You'll get used to it."
Kai looked up.
For the first time, she saw something in his eyes.
Not fear. Not confusion. Something else.
Something fragile.
"…Thank you," he said.
Aika nodded and turned away, but her heart felt strange — lighter and heavier at the same time.
She didn't know why.
She didn't know that the boy standing in front of her had fallen from another world.
She didn't know that the journal in her room was connected to him.
She didn't know that the blank pages were waiting for something — or someone — to awaken them.
All she knew was that today felt different.
And she wasn't sure if that scared her… or comforted her.CHAPTER 4 — The Girl Behind the Counter
The Clock of Eternity
The café was smaller than Kai expected.
Warm lights. Wooden tables. The smell of roasted beans and something sweet baking in the back. People talked quietly, their voices blending into a soft hum that made Kai's shoulders tense.
Too many sounds. Too many movements. Too many things he didn't understand.
Leon pushed open the door and waved him inside. "Welcome to Bean & Brew. Try not to look like you're about to pass out."
Kai wasn't sure he could promise that.
A bell chimed as they entered. A few customers glanced up, then went back to their drinks. Kai exhaled slowly. No one was staring. No one was suspicious. No one was trying to kill him.
That was… new.
Leon clapped him on the back. "Boss is in the back. I'll introduce you in a sec. First—" He pointed toward the counter. "That's Aika. She works mornings and afternoons."
Kai followed his gaze.
A girl stood behind the counter, tying her apron with slow, distracted movements. Dark hair pulled into a loose ponytail. Eyes distant, unfocused, as if she were somewhere far away. She didn't notice them enter.
Leon lowered his voice. "She's been… off lately. Her grandfather passed away last week."
Kai's chest tightened.
Loss. Grief. He knew those too well.
Aika finally looked up.
Her eyes met Kai's.
For a moment, neither of them moved.
Her gaze wasn't sharp or curious — just tired. Like she'd been awake for days. Like something heavy was sitting on her chest. Kai recognized that look.
He'd seen it in the mirror.
Leon waved. "Morning, Aika!"
She blinked, as if pulled from a dream. "Oh. Hey, Leon." Her voice was soft, almost fragile. She glanced at Kai again. "Who's…?"
"This is Kai," Leon said. "New hire. Starting today."
Aika nodded politely. "Welcome."
Kai opened his mouth to respond, but the words stuck. He managed a small nod instead.
Aika didn't seem bothered. She turned back to the register, fingers moving automatically, but her mind clearly somewhere else.
Leon leaned closer to Kai. "She's usually more talkative. Just… give her time."
Kai wasn't sure if Leon meant her or him.
—
Aika wiped the counter for the third time, even though it was already clean.
Her thoughts kept drifting back to the journal.
"When the time comes, the truth will reveal itself."
That was the only sentence written inside.
The rest of the pages were blank.
Completely blank.
No ink. No impressions. No faded writing.
Just empty white.
She didn't know what it meant. She didn't know why her grandmother wrote it. She didn't know why her grandfather kept it hidden.
But the words wouldn't leave her alone.
When the time comes…
She pressed a hand to her forehead.
She hadn't slept well since the funeral. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw her grandfather's empty chair. His quiet smile. His gentle voice telling her stories she never realized were strange until now.
Aika exhaled shakily.
She needed a distraction.
She turned — and nearly bumped into Kai.
He froze.
She froze.
For a moment, they just stared at each other.
Kai looked… lost. Not confused — lost. Like someone who didn't know where he belonged. Like someone who had been dropped into a world that wasn't his.
Aika swallowed. "Um… do you need something?"
Kai hesitated. "Leon said… I should learn the menu."
"Oh." She nodded. "Right. Sure."
She handed him a laminated sheet.
Their fingers brushed.
Kai flinched — not violently, just a tiny, startled twitch. Aika pretended not to notice.
She stepped back, giving him space. "It's simple. Mostly coffee, tea, pastries. Nothing complicated."
Kai stared at the menu like it was written in another language.
Aika watched him for a moment.
He wasn't just shy. He wasn't just new. He was… hurting.
She recognized that too.
"Don't worry," she said quietly. "You'll get used to it."
Kai looked up.
For the first time, she saw something in his eyes.
Not fear. Not confusion. Something else.
Something fragile.
"…Thank you," he said.
Aika nodded and turned away, but her heart felt strange — lighter and heavier at the same time.
She didn't know why.
She didn't know that the boy standing in front of her had fallen from another world.
She didn't know that the journal in her room was connected to him.
She didn't know that the blank pages were waiting for something — or someone — to awaken them.
All she knew was that today felt different.
And she wasn't sure if that scared her… or comforted her.