By 9:34 AM, she had finally opened up the cafe shop. Here at the Carousel Suite Sweets, desserts and pastries are served and given out. Though on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays are the days where they serve breakfast and lunch.

Hidemi opens up the control panel, clicking the first, second, and fourth switch. Instantly, the yellow string lights on the walls glowed up. Even the lights in the kitchen and backroom lit up. Walking over to the windows, she pulled up the blinds.

"Ahh!!" she jumps back, holding herself.

KNOCK KNOCK

"Hurry up, Hidemi..." they demanded. Two Ginger-headed Japanese Twins stood in front of the glass window.

'Shit, it's just those two...'

Hidemi quickly grabbed her keys from her back pocket, inserting in the lock and twisting it. Opening the doors for the two gentlemen. Or boys in contexts.

The door rings the bell as the two entered in. Hidemi frowns in confusion.

"Are you two scheduled to work today?" Hidemi leans her head against the door. "Shishi, Shisha, I thought you two were off today..."

The twins looked at each other, having the same thoughts as each other, they both kept walking into the store and sitting down at the tables.

Shisha smiles at Hidemi, "I'm just here to help in case there isn't enough help around here."

Hidemi pouts slightly and shuts the door, "I can take care of this place..."

"Then where's Hidemo?" Shishi leans against the chair, "why are you the only one here?"

To get some contexts, Shishi and Shisha are the owners of Carousel Suite Sweets. After graduating high school, the twins were given by their late grandmother's inheritance after she passed. Though to no one's surprise, their grandmother also bought the property as a graduation gift. That becoming to be the Carousel Suite Sweets today.

Although Hidemi knew the twins since high school, it wouldn't be a case for Hidemo.

"Look," Shisha interrupts his older brother, "don't be harsh on Hidemi. She's not the cause for Hidemo's stupid activities."

"I'm not blaming her," Shishi answered back, "I'm asking...a simple question. Why...are you the only one here?" He looked back at her for the answer.

As he expected, her eyes would be staring at their feet. Shisha looks back at Shishi, crossing his arms and slightly kicking Shishi's feet.

"Idiot, don't do scare her like that..." Shisha glares at his brother.

Shishi exhales quietly and stood up, walking over to Hidemi and leaning his head down to her eyes. Hidemi's eyes met with his and with a few seconds of passing, Shishi pokes her nose.

"Ah...!" surprised, Hidemi steps back and rubs her nose. "Why do you always do that?"

Shishi smiled and knowing him, he hardly smiles. "You need to smile."

And knowing her, her smile can only become true if others smiled too.

Shisha sighs in relief, standing up and joining the two idiots. "Well, now that the tension is out of the air," he hugs the two and joined in on the smiles, "where is Hidemo? Where is that cousin of ours, huh?"

The trigger of name cuts her smile short, the two noticed. Hidemi side-eyes the floor once again, she puffs out air and pulls her hair back.

"...your cousin went off on a date. He told me not to tell you guys..." her voice fades softly, "don't be mad at me, please..."

"Why would we be mad at you?" Shisha chuckles, "we're mad at him."

Shishi pulls away from their hug and groans annoyingly. "What is this? The fifth time we let him off the hook of work?"

Hidemi holds her arm, sighing and speaking softly at the two. "I don't really know what to do honestly. He knows I've been telling you two since...apparently, he's been getting threats from Shisha..."

Shishi and Hidemi turn their heads, staring point-blank at Shisha. Shisha rolls his eyes and walked towards the counter.

"He deserves it! He shouldn't be asking money from us if he doesn't know what hard work looks like."

"Didn't he say crap about grandma?" Shishi asks Shisha.

"Mhmm!" Shisha nods, walking behind the counter and into the kitchen. "I'm going to start prepping the cupcakes!"

"Okay...!" Hidemi hollered back, only to be only with Shishi. Both looked at each other.

"Hidemi," Shishi poked her nose once more, "smile, it's fine."

"But you're mad at me..." she looked away and held herself tighter around the arms. "I am trying to tell Hidemo to stop doing this to me...but he keeps getting mad at me and keeps saying I'm not helping him like I said I would..."

The two stay quiet for a bit, not knowing what else to say to each other. Only to break the ice with his sigh of relief. Hidemi looked up at him.

"You know," he cleared his voice, "your older friend, Hona...she told Shisha and me about your comic."

Shishi knew what he was doing at this point. Her eyes shot in the light of the sunlight coming from the windows. "She did?! Wait, did you read it, Shishi?" she jumped slightly in excitement.

Shishi shrugs, "I haven't read it yet, but Shisha tells me it's great. So, I have to read it for the sake of being a twin."

"Awesome!!" Hidemi clapped her hands, "support the shit out of me, please! Ahh!! Hahaha!!"

Unknown to her, she had grabbed Shishi's hands and started jumping. He also wanted to join along, sometimes her child-like nature gets to everybody.

Shishi smiled along, "when did you get accepted as a comic artist?"

"I got accepted a few weeks ago, but it's going to take two months since I need to change and fix up my panels and fix the lines," Hidemi nervously laughs, calming down though couldn't contain her smile of the excitement of a friend finding out about her comic. "I can't believe Hona told you! Ahh! I'm so happy!"

"Good," Shishi pats her head, "you should go help Shisha. He's going to cover Hidemo's spot."

"Where are you going then?" Hidemi cocks her head to the side.

Shishi, keeping up with her smile, pokes her nose. "Unlike Hidemo, I'm going on a date on my day off."

"What?! Wait, does Shisha know about this?"

Hollering from the back of the kitchen, the two turned around to Shisha's voice. "Yes, I do!! And no, this time I did not set him up!"

Hidemi turned back, looking at Shishi with a big smile. Grabbing his shoulders and suddenly smirking, "protection?"

He rolled his eyes. "It's our first date. I'm not like that." He smirked back at her and poking her nose, "you know me better than that."

"Haha, okay, okay," Hidemi giggled and letting go of his arms, "well, when is the date? Is it soon?"

Shishi nods, "yes, it's soon. I'll be picking her up after I finish my talk with Shisha."

Hidemi exhales, looking off outside where the sun was shining bright. "I hope today will be a good day..." she lost her smile again with that hope of hers.

Hope. As soon as she spoke of the word 'hope', Shishi knew. Trying his best to not sigh once again, he picked up his bag from the table and pushed the chair in. He tried at least to make her smile.

"I'm going to talk to Shisha," he said, turning and walking away from the girl hoping for a good day. Not even agreeing with you or wishing her one. "I'll be back in the afternoon to help with prepping. See ya."

Hidemi waves slightly, "see ya..."

Standing there, amazed by the sunlight shining through the windows, Hidemi exhales once more and looked out. A few girls with dresses and businessmen passing by. Other shopowners waved at Hidemi as they spot her through the window.

She catches their smile and waves back, bowing with a smile. "She looks so cute today..." she murmurs under her breath.

Distracted, the doorbell rings as a regular Monday customer comes in, smiling at Hidemi.

"Good morning," he spoke softly, "...good morning..."

Hidemi waves, "good morning, King. Lemon pudding cake?"

"Yeah..." he nodded.

Hidemi chuckled, "just let me get your order in and you can pay for it afterward. Shisha! A small lemon pudding cake with whip cream!"

"Coming up!!" he yelled back from the kitchen. He had a smile in his voice, suddenly changing his tone as soon as he looked back, staring at by his older brother. Shisha sighs and walks over to the fridge.

He whispers to Shishi, "firing Hidemo? What are you crazy? I mean, I know he's our cousin but I wasn't so serious about how I don't care if he's our cousin."

Shishi shook his head, leaning against the island counter. "It's just an idea. He's in college and now he's got a girlfriend. Do you think he'll even have time for his friends, family, and now a job?"

"I mean, aren't you doing the same thing?" Shisha glared, "besides, I don't think Hidemi would agree with you doing that to Hidemo. Is that why you kept making sure she was happy out there? Hearing you try to smile is so weird."

"Oh, so you were eavesdropping as usual."

Shisha shakes his head and brings out the pan of lemon pudding cake. "We've always been like that, and you know what - you know what?!"

"What, Shisha?" Shishi rolling his eyes, glaring back at him.

"Have you've been noticing how Hidemi has been clingy to Hidemo lately? Have you?"

'Ah...so I wasn't the only one who thought so.' he nodded, agreeing with his younger brother. Shishi sighs again, walking over and grabbing the pan from Shisha's hands.

"Hidemo told me about it. Ever since he got a girlfriend-"

"What is her name?? Do you know?" Shisha scoffs, "for all we know, he could be just dating this girl to fuck around."

Shaking his head in disagreement, Shishi sets the pan down on the counter. He looks back at Shisha, holding his hand out. "Knife, please."

"I'll cut it," he quickly grabs one from the holders, walking over to Shishi and cutting a small size.

Shishi reaches over, opening up the cabinets and grabbing a small white plate. "Whatever he's doing with that girl, he's affecting all of us. His job, school, and us."

"Mostly Hidemi," Shisha plops down the cake on the plate, "I know those two live in the same apartment building and I'm glad they're just neighbors than roommates. Who knows what would've happened."

Everyone could guess what would happen. Everyone except Hidemi.

His older brother shrugged and walked behind him. "...whatever. Don't tell Hidemi about our thoughts on firing Hidemo."

Shisha freezes, "you mean your thoughts? I don't agree with it."

"Shisha, he does not respect you or me anymore. Do you get that? He's making Hidemi lie to us and he's even asking us for money. Even disrespecting Grandma's name. How many times have you threatened him to make him understand he's being irresponsible and stupid?"

Shisha bites his lip and exhales through his nose. Turning to his brother, he shakes his head.

"Let's just wait for a bit more..." he spoke softly, knowing Shishi was speaking the truth about Hidemo. "Let me talk to Hidemi, I'm sure we can...all fix this and make peace."

The twins stayed silent. Of course, Shisha knew as much as Shishi knew, too. Maybe the best thing is to do it.

"Lemon pudding cake!"

The twins turned, Hidemi popped out from the door frame of the kitchen with her adorable light pink apron.

She pouts and switches to English, "our regular is here for his lemon cake. Ya'll better add some extra whip cream on it. It don't take that long to cut a cake and to add whip to it."

"...why the hell are you speaking with an American cowboy accent?" both said, stunned (or done) by her quirky behavior.

"Cause ya'll are too slow!" Hidemi exits, switching back to Japanese to the regular. "King! It'll be ready soon, I'm so sorry for the wait."

The twin brothers turned and looked at each other.

Shisha exhales softly and smiles up at Shishi, "you should go. You got a date."

"Yeah," Shishi caught his smile and hugged his brother, "I'll be back in the afternoon."

Smiling back, Shisha pats his back. "Thanks."