Every other part of Vivid Street is dark and quiet tonight... except for the infamous café Weekend Garage down the street, blaring music and flashing all sorts of colors and lights through the windows. You can feel the bass booming in your heart as you keep walking closer and closer, eventually opening the polished wooden doors and entering. If it wasn't for the sheer volume in the building drowning out every other noise, maybe you would've hear the bell over the door jingle.
You lean on a wall near the door, watching the young street performers sing their hearts out from afar. Vivid BAD SQUAD... They certainly know how to electrify the air. Their voices blend and harmonize together well, not to mention they're totally in-sync with one another. Vivid BAD SQUAD is objectively nothing short of impressive, especially when taken into account how young they are.
And in the center of the Thunderdome is Ken's daughter, with the ever burning dream and possible potential to pass RAD WEEKEND: An Shiraishi, an absolute ball of sunshine who is never seen without an optimistic smile.
As the show ends and the crowd, as well as the performers, disperses back to their tables, you approach the one where Vivid BAD SQUAD is sat.
"That was an amazing show, everybody." You hand out four cold, slightly condensated water bottles to the group, who are all more than glad to take one.
"Oh, hey! I didn't know you'd be coming to see us. Maybe then I would've put in 110- no, 200 percent juusst for you, on the house!" An winks and finger guns at you. Akito, clearly repulsed, groans.
"You should be putting 200% in all our shows, not just the ones that they show up to."
An rolls her eyes and huffs. "Yea, but they just give me that extra burst of energy! You're just jealous that you don't have anybody like that."
"Tch, you always talk about how Kohane can rely on you and such, but once they swing around it's like you roll on your back and act all bratty." Akito scowls at the girl, clearly very unpleased with her behavior.
Before An can snap back, you intervene in an attempt to mediate. "C'mon, let's settle down... You can fight after all the customers leave."
"I-I agree, I... Wait-.... H-Huh?!" Kohane looks at you frantically, just now registering what you had said.
As the table erupts into laughter and lively conversation, you leave and make your way to an empty one. You begin grabbing the empty glasses and dishes from the table and placing them on a tray, cool condensed water accumulating and dripping from your fingers. Once the tray couldn't fit any more, you walk to the kitchen and put the dishes into the sink. The same is done for the rest of the empty tables, customers leaving throughout your trips to the kitchen and back. Eventually, all the tables except for the one that Vivid BAD SQUAD (who are still happily chatting away) inhabited were wiped down and clear of glasses and platters.
You turn on the faucet, take a sponge, soak it under the running water, and pour soap onto it. Then, you begin to wash the dishes. Take a dish, scrub off any remaining food with the sponge, run it under the water until it's clean of soap, and place it in the dish rack. You rinse and repeat, in a literal sense too, till all the dishes are done and cleaned.
As you exit the kitchen, you hear An speak.
"Alright, time to clean up and... huh?" The girl surveys the vicinity of Weekend Garage, expecting every table to be messy and in need of cleaning. And yet... they weren't. It looked as if the cafe wasn't even opened today.
"Oh, An-chan! I already took care of the tables for you. Let me put your guys' equipment away really quickly." You wave to the girl and flash a quick smile.
"Ah- wait.." An starts, but you're already walking to the mini-stage setup.
"..An-chan? You... look a little sad." Kohane gently places a hand on the girl's shoulder.
"It's just... urgh... I just..! I-I just feel so bad. They're always doing so much and I never get the chance to return the favor... I want to make them feel cared about the same way they make me feel cared about!" The girl stammers. Her voice houses a tone of frustration at herself, as well as a passion for you.
"That's nice of you and all, but looking at the way you two act around each other, I really don't think you have to worry about that." Akito assures in his blunt manner as always, taking a sip of his water bottle right after.
Toya jumps into the conversation as well with his own thoughts. "I agree. They never expect a reward for their work. Instead, I think they just like to do things for you." Akito nods in agreement, likely thinking the same thing.
"Oh... B-But still... I really, really want to do something for them!" An stubbornly persists. Watching you do thankless work... An Shiraishi just won't have it for as long as she breathes!
Kohane smiles, touched by the girl's raw determination. "Hehe, when An-chan gets like this, she's unstoppable. Well... I think that the best way to show your appreciation is to..."
Tomorrow comes, and the sunlight is cozy and warm on your skin. Every part of Vivid Street looks more colorful in the sun today, the light highlighting the brightly colored graffiti painted on most every wall. Even when situated in such a saturated area, the infamous café Weekend Garage still stands out. Contrary to the night before, it's much more peaceful. You can hear the lively chatter going in and out of your ears as you keep walking closer and closer, eventually opening the polished wooden doors and entering. As you enter the building, you can hear the bell above the door ring as you enter.
Your eyes scan the area until they find Vivid BAD SQUAD's table, immediately walking to it upon spotting the group. As you walk however, you notice An running towards you with her arms spread out wide for a massive hug, the distance between you two rapidly closing. She practically jumps onto you, almost toppling you over with pure force.
"Wo-ah! Careful there, what's this about?" Of course, the sudden action confuses you. It's not like you minded the affection, after all, being with An braces you for her overbearing gestures of love. It was just.. very out of the blue, is all.
The girl nervously stammers out, "IjustwannasaythankyousomuchyoudoalotandmaybeyouthinknobodynoticesbutIwantedtoletyouknowthatIappreciateitsomuchthankyouyou'rethebest!!"
Snickering, Akito sees this as an opportunity to make a jab. "We should make you rap in our next song. Though, maybe you'd only be able to do it if they're there."
Before An can start yelling at him, you speak. "An... I don't know what to say.. that means so much, especially coming from you! Oh, you're such a sweetheart!" You pick her up off the ground to envelop her in a big bear hug.
"Ack-! H-Hold on, you-you're really strong! I'm kinda suffocating! Hey! HEEYY!!" An cries out. You're squeezing her awfully tight, so much so that the girl swears one of her ribs cracked. The interaction causes such a commotion in the café, customers chuckling at the scene and An's fellow group members getting a laugh out of it as well. But it's alright. She wouldn't have it any other way.
An wonders if this is her getting a taste of her medicine, but either way, she's convinced that she's found her match.