Cats and the Camellia Train - Chapter 10

[bakemonoremy]

Location: Cat Café inside the Streetcar

Kuro: W-welcome~... er, is that how you say it?

...Aah, little Miss. Guess the customers are startin’ to flood in.

Whoops. I guess you saw that just now. Now that’s embarrassin’.

I was practicin’ my greeting for the customers, do you think it was amiable enough?

Haha. You’re sticking out your thumb, guess you’re tryna say I did it perfectly. Since I’ve gotten the little Miss’ approval, I’m relieved.

Hm? “People won’t be scared of you since you’re well-liked by the cats”, you say?

These cats are used to people, though. Well, I still don’t get why most of the cats are crowdin’ around me?

Maybe I’m givin’ off a smell that cats like? Little Miss, what do I smell like?

Uh-oh, if we chatter too much, Hasumi is gonna get mad. Speaking of which, is Hasumi doing okay?

Keito: I’m sorry for the wait. Here is your caffè latte.

Fufu. I am glad you’re enjoying yourself. You still have time left. Please take your time relaxing.

Kuro: That bastard. After sayin’ he had no experience servin’ customers he’s doing it so skillfully.

Even though he said people get scared of him as well and that I shouldn’t worry. The customers are all squealin’ about him, they ain’t scared one bit.

Well, people aren’t frightened of him because of his looks but because of his high-handed attitude.

As long as he acts gentle like that, no one’s gonna be scared. Good grief, beauties have it easy.

What is it, little Miss? I’m a beauty too, you say…? Nono, I ain’t never heard of a beauty with a frightening look like me.

But, well, thank you. After talkin’ to the little Miss, I’m not as nervous anymore.

Souma: Eeeerrr…. “Banana Smuujii”, “Afogaato”, “Hanii Kamomiiru Miruku Tii no Aamondozoe”?

Kuro: Oioi, Kanzaki. You’re makin’ it sound like an incantation.

Souma: Ki-Kiryuu-dono! This is bad, I can’t remember the “kafe menyuu” at all!

Kuro: Aah, you’re no good with western words, right.

Hm~, then how about you give the menu to the customers and have them choose by pointing their fingers at what they’d like?

And instead of repeating the order back to them, you can just point your finger at the item in question and put a check next to it.

Souma: Aah, so there was that kind of trick! As expected of Kiryuu-dono!

Kuro: Don’t praise me too much. It’d be better if you could repeat the order back to the customers. This is just like a stop-gap measure for an emergency.

....Oh, Kanzaki. A customer’s callin’. Which one of us should go?

Souma: Yes. Please leave it to me!

Kuro: Ooh, he left, full of motivation. Guess he and Hasumi are both gonna be okay.

Nazuna: Unya? Unyanya?

Kuro: What’s wrong, Nito. I thought you were a rabbit, but you’re a cat now?

Nazuna: Kuro-chun! A cat got cwaught on mwy stwap! Take it dwown~!

Kuro: You’re stutterin’ so much I can’t understand a word you’re sayin’.

Aah, a cat has caught on to your apron strap and you want me to take it down from there? Sheesh, what a naughty cat.

Heave-ho... There ya go, Nito, I got it off ya.

Nazuna: Nnh, you saved me~! I was in trouble because I was carrying coffee so my hands weren’t free.

And you, don’t dangle from the straps anymore, okay? If you fell and got yourself hurt, it’d be a disaster~.

Kuro: Haha, there’s seats around so I think he would’ve just landed on some cushion, though.

Cats love high places after all, so it wouldn’t be a surprise if other cats tried to do that, too. Better keep a watchful eye on ‘em.

Nazuna: Kuro-chin, you sure know your stuff about cat behavior~. Could it be that you studied up on this?

Kuro: Not enough to call it studyin’, I just borrowed a book from the library and flipped through it.

Anyway, Nito, weren’t you in the middle of deliverin’ those coffees?

Nazuna: Whoops, I better get these to the customers fast. Kuro-chin, I’ll see you around~♪

Kuro: Yeah. Do your best, Nito.

Sora: HaHa~♪ Yuu-chan, is this the cat café? There’s lots of cute cats here~♪

Yuuta: Wawah? Harukawa-kun, you can’t just walk inside without waiting for the reception~?

Sora: HiHi~? But there was no one at the reception~? Maybe the staff, just like the cats, are having an afternoon nap?

Yuuta: No way, I think they’re just busy serving customers. There’s a bell here, so someone will probably come if we ring it.

Sora: In that case, Sora will ring it! Chirin, chiri~n...♪

Kuro: (Hm? Seems like a customer is here. Everyone else is busy serving the customers, guess I’ve got no choice but to go.)

(...The little Miss said I did it perfectly, so I guess I’ll try welcoming them with a smile.)