"Wow…"

I looked around at the cafe. It wasn’t decorated yet, and the tables and seats weren’t set yet. But that’s why we’re here. To make this place look nice.

Nagisa pulled back her hair in a ponytail and smiled.

"Alrighty, gals. Let’s make this place the best cafe in this side o’ Akihabara~!"

Jumpsuits with our image colors, bandanas wrapped around our heads, aprons on our waists.

We look like regular housecleaners.

Nagisa rolled up her sleeves and shouted, *”Osu!”

"OSU!"

All of us pulled out our mops, brooms, towels, and dusters. Within a good thirty minutes, we made this place look sparkling clean.

"Now, how should we decorate?" I took a good look at the nearly empty cafe, trying to decide how we could make it look more bright and colorful.

"We need ribbons!" Miki said happily. "Lots of pink sparkly ribbons!"

"Yeah! And we can have REALLY~ long streamers stretch across the walls!" Meru said, hugging the older girl.

"Our cafe is called the Ladybug cafe. Let’s have ladybugs," Nana said, looking around.

"And how about butterflies, too?" Ryouha said, smiling a bit. She even drew a picture of a cute butterfly in her notebook.

"And bees?" Nagisa suggested. "Bees are cute, right?"

"I think they’re cute." Mio said, giggling after.

"Yeah… I can see that." I backed up a few steps, picturing the image in my head. "We can have flowers, everywhere. Around the stage, some in little vases on the tables."

"That’d be cute."

"And we can have little toy ladybugs and butterflies, and perhaps even fake grass to put inside them."

"Fancy~"

"And cake! If we wanna make this a great café, we gotta have desserts. Ice cream and cupcakes, even for little kids. Chocolate! With green icing, and edible ladybug candies and confetti sprinkles!"

I felt someone hold my shoulder. I saw Nana smiling at me.

"You have quite an imagination."

"Ah…" I suddenly realized what had happened and blushed. "I’m sorry! I.. when I get excited, my imagination goes into overdrive…"

"It’s okay," Miki said, hugging my arm. "I do that a lot, too, when I read manga. I imagine myself in those scenarios."

"I just thought about little kids coming, and it made me remember going to this café with my parents."

"It must’ve been fun."

"It was. I wanted everyone who came here, kids and adults, to be able to have fun while they enjoy the café. I also want them to watch our performances, so we can make them happy."

Nagisa patted my head.

"No wonder Mariko-san chose you as ‘love’."

Eh?
…..

As we were cleaning off more of the tables and setting up decorations, we heard the small bell ring as the door opened.

"Hey, girls!" Yuko walked in with the pink box again. "We got a few more entries."

She opened up the box and when we looked, we saw all the white papers once again filling up the box.

But, I looked closely and noticed there was a tinge of pink paper somewhere. I ruffled through and picked out the pink paper.

I wonder what it says…

Slowly, I open up the paper and we all look at it.

"…Wow…"

"That’s a… really good name."

"Who wrote this?"

"I don’t know. It doesn’t say."

"Whoever thought of this, is a genius."

"It’s perfect…"

"Well I guess that means we’ve got our group name."

Just then, Mariko came in and saw how everything looked so clean. Ayaka was right behind her.

"Hey, girls. Have you come up with any design ideas for the café?"

"Yes."

"And, even more good news. We have our group name."

"Someone put this pink paper with their entry. It’s really good."

"Really?" She looked at the piece of paper, her eyes widening a bit when she saw the title. Then, she looked at me and smiled. "You made a good choice."

"You like it?"

"I do."

Yuko looked back and forth at Mariko and the paper, raising her eyebrow. Then, her eyes widened as if she realized something.

"Ohhhh…"

"Oh" what?

"Well, anyways, me and Umechan got some more decorations."

"Yup." Ayaka laid out a few bags that had the decorations we needed. "Are these what you’re looking for?"

"Yeah! Thanks, Umeda-san."

"You can just call me Umechan if you want. Everyone else does."

"Ah, okay. Umechan."

…..

The next day…

After the girls had finished decorating, Mariko sat outside the café, hanging up the sign that read closed.

In just a few short seconds, she would be able to flip it and say the store was open.

As she leaned against the wall, sipping some of her coffee, she heard the ring of the small doorbell. She looked and saw Yuko standing beside her, a sly grin on her face.

"What’s that look for?"

"You know what it’s for, you troll~."

"Again with that, squirrel." She rubbed the girl’s head, ruffling her hair a bit.

"You wrote that entry, didn’t you?"

Mariko rolled her eyes, grinning slightly. “Maybe.”

"You did! You TOTTALY did!"

The two laughed as they stared at the sun, just about to rise over the horizon.

"Why’d you submit an entry anyways?"

"I had to repay them."

"For what?"

Mariko looked at her, and when she saw her eyes, Yuko knew what she had meant.

"Oh, right…"

"I still feel bad… I didn’t get to protect her."

"Don’t worry, Mariko. Now is your second chance."

"Yes, but… she doesn’t remember me. She doesn’t remember anything."

Yuko patted the taller woman’s shoulder. “When she awakens, she will. And then, I’m sure she’ll forgive you.”

"I hope you’re right…"

…..

"Guys, it’s almost 8:00!" I scream out as we all wait inside. We looked out the window and saw everyone anxiously awaiting outside.

"Mariko-san, how do we look?"

We all checked to make sure our uniforms were straight. We looked like maids, but the uniforms had polka dots to make us look like ladybugs.

"You all look perfect."

"Mariko-san," I walked up to her, adjusting my ribbon so that it would stay in.

"There’s my girl. Ready to do the honors?"

She handed me a small pair of silver scissors, tied with a pink ribbon.

"Hai!"

"Alright, let’s go."

We headed outside and heard the audience getting excited as we stepped out.

I untied the ribbon and stepped in front of the pink banner in front of the entrance door. I smiled at Mariko one more time before turning to face the audience again.

"I hearby declare the Ladybug café officially open!" Mariko said, and then I cut the ribbon.

The crowd roared in excitement, and a wave of happiness ran over me hearing their cheers.

Mariko turned over the sign to read “OPEN” and opened the door to let everyone in.

"Now then, girls…"

I walked up to the stage and lined up with the others.

"Everyone, welcome to the Ladybug café."

"We are… Tentomu chu!!"

=======================

Footnotes

*1. “Osu!” - A chant usually used in karate. It is used to “press” one’s spirit into fighting on when the going gets tough.