A Night to Remember

The afternoon sun cast a warm glow over the café, the soft chime of the doorbell signaling the arrival of Mr. Sakamoto from the back room. He clapped his hands together, gathering everyone's attention.

"Alright, listen up, you two!" he said with a broad grin. "Tonight's a special event — we're hosting a private evening party for some of our regular customers. It's a chance to show our appreciation, and I want everything to go perfectly."

May's eyes sparkled with excitement. "That sounds amazing! What do we need to do, Mr. Sakamoto?"

"Well," he began, ticking off on his fingers, "First, we'll need the café looking its absolute best — decorations, candles, the works. Second, I want you both to help prepare a few special dishes in the kitchen. And third…" He paused for dramatic effect. "You two will be serving as the hosts for the evening. You'll greet the guests and make sure they're having a wonderful time."

Isagi's heart gave an unexpected leap at the idea of spending the evening working alongside May in such an important role. "Got it. We'll make sure everything's perfect."

"Good man!" Mr. Sakamoto beamed. "We start setting up in an hour — let's get to work!"

As they began preparing the decorations, May hummed a cheerful tune while hanging delicate string lights. Every now and then, their hands would brush as they passed decorations back and forth, sending little jolts through Isagi's skin. The warm atmosphere of the café seemed to mirror the growing closeness between them.

"Isagi, do you think tonight will be really special?" May asked softly, her eyes reflecting the twinkling lights she was putting up.

"I… I think it will," he replied, his voice gentle. And he hoped it would be — because tonight, he wanted to finally tell her how he felt.

As the evening approached and the café transformed into a cozy wonderland, Isagi took a deep breath. The stage was set — for the event and maybe… for his confession.