From the outside, the café looked like it had been hijacked by a film crew or a pop-up idol meet. Fans pressed curiously against the windows, phones up, whispering excitedly. The vibe? Complete chaos.
Edward stood at the curb in a clean-cut suit, immaculate as always, a take-out coffee in hand and an exasperated sigh escaping his lips.
He had only wanted to stop by quietly to deliver a rare tea Madam Mu requested and maybe spend a calm fifteen minutes listening to her ramble about antique jade. But now?
He saw the mob of fangirls, heard the overlapping noise of hushed giggles, gasps, and the hum of energy from something.
"This can only mean one thing," he muttered dryly. "She's stirring the pot again."
Tucking his coat tighter around him and sliding his glasses up his nose, Edward entered through the side entrance with practiced stealth.
Inside, he was met with—
Emilio Omnia, wearing a smug look while sipping tea, leaning lazily across the table from—
Leroy, jaw taut and barely hiding the tension under his polite smile, absently stroking Mikan who now sat curled in his lap like a queen receiving tribute.
Across from both men, sipping his tea with unshakable elegance, sat Emmerich Arklight, expression unreadable but exuding authority like he was the gravity well of the room.
And there, sweeping calmly between tables, taking orders like she hadn't just dropped a live grenade into a tight space full of dynamite—
Luna.
Edward blinked once. Then again.
So this is where the vortex formed.
He was just about to turn and slip back out when a soft chime announced his betrayal.
Baozi, Madam Mu's favorite overweight white cat, had waddled across the café floor and now stood by Edward's shoes, purring and headbutting him.
Several heads turned.
"Ah! My sweet Baozi found you!" Madam Mu cooed with delight, waving dramatically. "Eddie! Come, come!"
There was no escape now.
Edward sighed, adjusted his glasses, and made his way over to her. "Great Aunt, I see you've been busy orchestrating a small war."
Madam Mu grinned, utterly unrepentant. "Isn't it wonderful? Like watching three lions posture in a glass house. Add you, and we might just hit ratings gold."
"I'm not here to compete," Edward said, dry as dust. "Just brought your tea."
"Oh, but you are so very eligible, my dear. Imagine the plot twist!" she whispered conspiratorially, while waving him to sit beside her.
Ken, noticing the arrival of another very handsome man, audibly groaned from the counter, dropping a cup. Again.
"Ken!" Luna barked from across the room, already carrying a tray of pastries.
Ken jumped like a startled kitten. "Y-Yes!?"
"Get it together, or you'll be on litter box duty for a week!"
"Yes, ma'am!"
Luna sighed and turned to deliver the treats to another table, muttering, "This café's going to make me retire early at this rate."
As Edward finally sat down beside Madam Mu, his calm gaze scanned the café again—this time more carefully. Emilio and Leroy seemed to be in the middle of a silent cold war, Emmerich was clearly evaluating everyone with a father's scrutiny, and Luna was pretending none of them existed.
Edward gave her a long look.
She really has no idea the storm she's at the center of, does she?
Leroy looked up and spotted Edward. Their eyes met for a fraction of a second. Tension shifted. Edward gave a faint, civil nod.
Emilio raised an eyebrow, then leaned toward Madam Mu. "Another challenger?" he teased.
Edward replied smoothly without looking at him, "Not a challenger. Just the cleanup crew."
That made Madam Mu giggle like a schoolgirl.
And as the crowd outside thickened and the cats remained blissfully indifferent to the emotional battlefield playing out above them, Luna carried on with her shift like a soldier in the trenches—graceful, tired, and wholly unimpressed by the circus forming around her.
The crowd outside had grown thicker, with more phones raised and hopeful voices buzzing as if a full-on press might spontaneously materialize. The café had never seen so many gawking faces pressed to the glass.
Some patrons inside pretended to be casual, but were clearly stalling their exits in hopes of another glance at one of the three dazzling men—Emilio, Leroy, or Edward—or the commanding aura of Emmerich, who hadn't said much but had thoroughly captivated half the room just by sitting still.
Ken was on the verge of collapsing behind the counter, a towel slung over his shoulder like a white flag of surrender.
Luna, balancing three plates and a tray of cat-shaped shortbread cookies, was moving with the mechanical precision of someone on the edge of losing it. She caught Ken's expression, then shot a look at Madam Mu—still sipping tea with the serene joy of a queen presiding over a live drama special.
That was when the front bell chimed again.
"Please, no more," Ken muttered in terror.
Enter Kana, in her signature long boots, chic oversized hoodie, and a pair of statement sunglasses despite it being well past sunset.
She paused in the doorway, looking around, and instantly spotted the lineup of absurdly good-looking men, the tense atmosphere, and Luna in café apron mode. Kana blinked. Then sighed.
"…She wasn't joking."
Luna caught her friend's eye and instantly darted toward her, grabbing her by the arm like a lifeline.
"Kana, you're just in time."
Kana raised an eyebrow. "For the gladiator pit?"
"Nope," Luna said sweetly. "For the solution."
Kana opened her mouth—but Luna had already turned to the crowd and, in the loudest, brightest, most PR-perfect voice she had ever used, declared:
"Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for your patience! This evening's private event will now begin! Miss Kana Alvares has officially booked the café for a VIP autograph session with these incredible guests!"
The café went dead silent for a beat. Then—
"OH MY GOD IT'S KANA!"
"I KNEW THIS WAS A CELEBRITY THING!"
"KANA! CAN YOU SIGN MY CAT SHIRT?!"
Kana's expression twisted slowly into a twitching smile of horror. "Luna—"
Luna forced Kana to do several autographs on the napkins at the counter. Kana deviously looking at Luna, still signed the napkins.
"Play along," Luna whispered behind her teeth, already waving toward two lingering patrons. "Please escort our lovely VIPs outside. The café is closed to the public for the next hour."
As if on cue, Edward stood like a valet and added in his cool, smooth voice, "Please respect our guest's privacy. Those with pre-signed napkins will receive a complimentary treat on their next visit."
Emilio, suddenly catching on, chuckled and accepted a napkin Luna thrust into his hand with Kana's messy signature on it. "Ah, an autographed napkin. Truly priceless."
Emmerich, playing his part with a mild, amused smile, tucked the napkin into his coat pocket like a treasured contract. "Thank you for your generous hospitality, Miss Kana."
Leroy, who looked like he'd bitten into a lemon, grumbled but stood, clutching his own signed napkin like it offended him.
Kana hissed under her breath, "I swear, you owe me a new pair of heels for this."
"You can take it out of my inheritance," Luna deadpanned, ushering the remaining patrons toward the exit.
As the "VIP guests" exited with bemused dignity. The crowd squealed outside at the faux-celebrity setup, Luna gave the last lingering patron a little bow, then locked the door with a definitive click.
Madam Mu stayed like it's only right for her to savor the lingering drama. Edward saw Madam Mu still seated, sighed, and helped Ken to close the blinds of the café's window to block the view of the lingering crowd outside.
Inside, the café fell into an exhausted silence. Cats meowed in relief. Ken leaned back against the wall and dramatically slid to the floor.
"Thank all the gods," he whispered.
Madam Mu, dramatically dabbing her eyes, lamented, "You always end the show at the best part. Tragic."
Edward, who went back to sit next Madam Mu after helping Ken and was now sipping his tea beside her. He gave a faint smile. "Some shows are best left unresolved."
Kana crossed her arms and scowled. "Luna, you made me sign napkins."
"You love me," Luna said smugly, tossing her apron onto the counter.
"No. I tolerate you with expensive snacks and a mild sense of loyalty," Kana muttered, though her smirk betrayed her fondness.
With the café finally calm, Luna leaned back against the wall, letting out a long breath.
"…I'm gonna need hazard pay for this shift."
Finally the last of the faux fans had wandered off, some still clutching their autographed napkins as if they were backstage passes. Inside, the café was finally peacefully preparing to close when the peals of Luna's laughter as she leaned on the counter, wiping tears from her eyes, echoed.
"Oh my god, Ken," she wheezed. "He works here! How did you forget Leroy works here?!"
Ken, pale and trembling, looked like someone who'd just realized he'd misplaced a tiger. He gripped his phone with white knuckles.
"I didn't forget!" he croaked. "I panicked! He was glaring like I was a traitor to the realm, so I pushed him along the rest!"
Kana, perched on a bar stool and sipping the leftover cat-themed cocktail, watched with amused bewilderment. "So the scary guy with the stoic face and the coffee-scented stare is also a barista? And no one's fired him?"
Luna nodded, still laughing. "He's actually really good at making pour-over. Just... don't let him near espresso when he's mad."
Ken finally hit the call button on Leroy's contact.
The phone rang.
And rang.
And then: Voicemail.
Ken nearly dropped the phone. "He didn't pick up. Oh no. He's going to murder me in my sleep."
"Just text him," Luna said through a giggle. "Apologize with a cat sticker."
Kana added, "Or five. The blushing one with the heart is statistically safest."
Just then, Madam Mu stood with the grace of an empress at curtain call. She placed her empty cup gently on the tray, gave Ken a knowing smile—and handed him an envelope. "For the entertainment tonight. You and your adorable chaos deserve it."
Ken blinked at the thick wad of bills and nearly sobbed.
Edward, following behind her, paused near Luna. "Try not to attract a whole love triangle next time. Or if you do, give me advance warning so I can sell tickets."
"Noted," Luna replied dryly, wiping her face. "Thanks for playing along."
Edward gave her a subtle smile and followed Madam Mu out, their departure as elegant as their entrance had been chaotic.
****
The tension in the air between Leroy and Emilio was sharp enough to slice steel.
"You always show up like this," Leroy said flatly, arms crossed. "Smiling like a saint, but you're nothing but a self-serving show pony."
Emilio leaned back on the hood of his car, sunglasses off, expression darker now. "And you act like a loyal mutt, when all you do is circle like a guard dog trying to claim what's not yours."
"Oh, you mean Luna?" Leroy's voice lowered, dangerous. "You think a few flirty lines and your pretty-boy grin will charm her?"
"I think," Emilio said coolly, "that I care about her more than someone who hides behind a job just to stay close."
The air between them crackled.
Then Emilio stepped forward.
"Look, I'm not here to fight you. But I'm not going to walk away just because you got here first."
Leroy's jaw tightened. "You're a complication she doesn't need."
Emilio's grin returned, but it didn't reach his eyes. "And you think you're simple? You're a walking enigma with a hero complex."
Silence. Heavy. Charged.
But neither moved beyond words. Not yet.