Persona BLEACHED 5: Chapter 6

Persona BLEACHED 5
Chapter 6: Het Begin
August 8, 2036
Yoyogi, Shibuya. Morning.
"Hmmhmmhmm...~" Natalia hummed as she entered her kitchen. "Did Kenny leave already?"
She noticed something on the fridge, a piece of paper held by a heart-shaped magnet bearing the colors of the Belgian flag. She took the note off and read it.
"'Had to leave to catch earlier train. Should be home later tonight. Good luck with final preparations. With love, Kenneth'"
"...awww. Was hoping we could at least have breakfast."
"Mrawr?" CiCi pawed at her leg.
"Oh, don't worry about me, little puff. We can have breakfast together." Natalia picked her up. "Today's gonna be super important. Tomorrow's the day your Mama's been working towards forever. First it's making sure everything's perfect at the store, then it's meeting with Barb to talk business. Oh gosh, is this what they call 'adulting'?" She giggled.
She made her breakfast, gave the cat some food, and sat down to eat. "Oh, the butterflies are going nuts today...maybe this is how Ibuki was feeling last week. 'Join the club, sister.'" She mimicked Ibuki's voice, to her own amusement. CiCi looked up at her. "Oh, don't give me that look."
Her phone started ringing. She picked it up. "Huh? What are they calling about? It's gotta be the middle of the night back home..."
She answered, and a video feed began. So, too, did the griping.
"'Yannick! I can't see anything, will you turn the light on?!'" shouted a woman with a French accent.
"'Quit yelling at me, I'm not the one that forgot to set the alarm!'" retorted a man with a Dutch accent, somewhat nasally.
"Uhhh..." Natalia wasn't sure how to respond.
"'YOW! That was my foot!'" the man griped.
"'Well I didn't step on it! You probably just hit a chair or the table!'" the woman responded.
"'Chairs and tables don't have that kind of lift! That felt an awful lot like our wedding night to me!'"
"'Oh, will you get over that, it's been almost thirty years!'"
"'So should I bring up the hundreds of other times you've stepped on--'"
"WEES STIL!" Natalia finally interjected.
The bickering ceased. "'Sorry, danish.'" they both uttered. The lights turned on. The woman had long, poofy blonde hair, and greatly resembled Natalia. The man had short brown hair, wore glasses and had a five-o-clock shadow. Both were in pajamas, and both were very clearly tired.
They were Sophia and Yannick Van Damme, Natalia's parents. "'Good morning, our brilliant businesswoman!'" her father greeted.
"Um, good morning, Papa, Mama...or, late. Why aren't you guys asleep?" Natalia asked.
"'We wanted to be the first ones to wish you good luck on the biggest of big days, sweetie!'" her mother replied.
"'Sleep's overrated, anyway.'" her father added.
"That's really not a healthy outlook to have, Papa." Natalia corrected.
"'Ah, it's alright, I've never done anything crazy while I was exhausted. Just ask your mom.'" Yannick pointed to his right.
"She's on the other side."
"'Right, I knew that.'"
Natalia sighed. "I appreciate you two waiting up to call me, but...you do know that the store opens *tomorrow*, right?"
Both parents blinked. Sophia bonked Yannick on the head. "'YOW!'"
"'CRÉTIN! You circled the wrong date on the calendar! I've missed at least two hours of beauty sleep for this!'"
"'Owww...like you need it...'"
"'Kissing up to me now won't help you! First thing in the morning you're going to be writing down 'I'm sorry, Sophie' a hundred times!'"
"'A HUNDRED TIMES?!'"
"ARRÉTE DE CRIER!" Natalia ordered.
Both parents seemed to shrink. "'Sorry, danish.'" both repeated.
She shook her head. "I love when you two call me, but not if it costs you sleep, and especially if it gets you two arguing. Please get some rest. You can call me again in the morning. And no bickering before then! I'll know from the looks in your eyes."
"'Yes ma'am, sorry ma'am.'" Yannick saluted.
"'Put that hand down, you're not in the--'" Sophia started up.
"BED, BOTH OF YOU!" ordered a frustrated Natalia.
"'Right, right, to bed, Yannick!'" her mother relented.
"'Good night-slash-morning, danish!'" Yannick tried hanging up, only to drop the phone. "'This is not my night, dude.'"
Sophia went onto her knees, giving the phone screen a half-hearted smile. "'Sorry you couldn't have more organized parents, sweetie.'"
"Oh, Mama. My parents are wonderful. I only want them to calm down and get some rest." Natalia replied.
"'We'll be doing just that.'" Her mother blew her a kiss. "'Love you lots, Natalia. Have a good day getting ready. We'll talk once we're less cranky.'"
"'Hope your day goes better than ours, danish.'" her father chimed in.
"Love you to the moon and back. See you when you come back from dream land." Natalia bid, and the call ended.
CiCi looked up inquisitively. Natalia patted her. "They can be so cooky, but tomorrow wouldn't be happening if they didn't support me 200%. Out of all the little miracles they could've had, I'm glad it was me~."
Finishing her breakfast, Natalia got dressed, grabbed her bag, refilled CiCi's food bowl, and left for the day. She made her way to Omotesandō, passing through the upscale stores and rows of zelkova trees. Most people she passed by kept to themselves, though she could hear the sounds of guitar and singing coming from an alley. She could see someone standing against the wall out of the corner of her eye.
"'Neon lights, Nobel Prize, when a mirror speaks, the reflection lies...~'"
"(A bit loud for this time of the morning, huh? You do you, buddy.)" she thought.
She arrived at the shop. Freshly painted a reddish-violet color, it now bore a circular sign with an italicized 'VD' in the center, and 'Comfort Wear' written on the bottom. A tiny witch's hat topped the image.
She entered. The inside was the same color, and the walls and clothing racks were now filled with the comforting wearables that she had dedicated her life to making. "Gooood morning~. Anyone home?"
Behind the counter was Layla. "Good morning, Natty! How's it going?"
"Lovely as usual~. I got a call from the parents."
"Oh boy, how'd that go?"
"They stayed up past midnight so they could be the first to call me before the opening. They thought it was today instead of tomorrow."
"Yeah...yeah, that tracks. I mean it's cool that they stayed up that late, but they wouldn't be your folks if things didn't go a little crooked."
"They care that extra bit, and that's what matters to me."
"Don't I know it." Layla rubbed her cheek. 
From the backroom, Cindy stepped out. "Okay, security's working smoothly...oh, hi, Natty."
"Hiya, Cindy. You look more perky this morning." Natalia pointed out.
"Chalk it up to having the girls for the last week. It's hard not to laugh when they're around. Even if they made it so that every time I opened the fridge, it'd start playing free-form jazz. I dunno how Emmy does it."
"Superhuman patience, probably. They'll be dutiful little witches sooner or later with her being their mom." Layla said.
"I can see it with Gracie, she's definitely picked up more of my sister's traits. Jazz is the bigger prankster of the two. Ms. Natalie probably got her hands on her at some point."
"That wouldn't surprise me. So how's everything running?" Natalia asked.
"All the security cameras are working perfectly. Timeclock's all good, and the website's up and running. I just have Gerry double-checking everything in the back."
"Gerry?"
"You called for me, Mistress Cynthia?" The robotic canine stepped out from the backroom.
"Oh, hi, puppy! Is this your new robo-companion?"
"Yep. I built him a few months ago. I thought enough time had passed where I could have another assistant." Cindy bent down and patted Gerry on the head. "He's not Hugo, and he doesn't have to be. He's my good boy."
"That is what I am here for, Mistress Cynthia." the canine responded.
"It's a bit risky walking around with a cyberdoggo, isn't it? He's gotta be way more advanced than anything we've got here." Layla asked.
"I thought of that. He's definitely not as inconspicuous as Hugo was. So I came up with a solution. Gerry, activate Good Boy Mode." Cindy ordered.
"Yes, Mistress Cynthia." The wolf stood still, as his appearance changed to that of an ordinary Siberian Husky with black-and-white coat and blue eyes.
"What the what?! He can just turn himself into a normal dog?" Layla questioned.
"Well, kind of. It's done with holographic tech. And I programmed him so that whenever this mode's active, his speech is replaced with regular dog sounds, so there's no chance of him slipping up." Cindy explained.
"Ruff!" Gerry barked to confirm as much.
"The only thing I'm stuck on is trying to simulate real fur. If you pet him now, it'll still feel like metal. And if you're like me, when you see a doggo your first instinct is to pet them and boop their snoot. Right now I've gotta lie and tell people that his fur is naturally hard because he comes from a cold place. Or that he's got a plate in his back."
"Not sure how you'd fix that problem. I mean, you could have him wear a fur coat, but outside of the hologram it'd look kinda silly." Natalia pondered.
The hologram peeled back enough to reveal Gerry's head. "May I resume my prior duties, Mistress Cynthia?"
"Yeah, go ahead. I'm gonna be out here for a bit longer." Cindy replied.
"Affirmative." The canine returned to the backroom.
"So is it just us three today, or...is she coming?" Layla asked.
"She should be here any minute. I can see her taking a while to get ready." Natalia answered.
"Is this the other girl you hired?" Cindy asked.
"Mmhmm. Her name's Nanami. She's...well, you'll see."
"Is that a bad 'you'll see'?"
"No, it's not. I think you'll get along good with her. She's a VTuber like how you used to be. She's also--"
The door swung open. "Moshi moshi~, hi hi hiiiiiii~!"
The young woman standing there would be the center of attention anywhere. She had long, blonde hair tied into pigtails, and blue contacts over her eyes. She had long, pink nails, a neon pink jacket and skirt, along with pink platform sneakers.
"(Oh, boy.)" Cindy thought.
"Good morning boss lady and assistant boss lady and silver-haired cutie-patootie!"
"Good morning, crazy one." Layla responded.
The new arrival ran up to Cindy. "Hiya! You've gotta be Cindy. I'm Nanami Shirozawa. But the interwebs know me as the irresistible Oki-Loki!" She winked and gave a peace sign.
"Um, hi, nice to--Oh, hang on. I think I've watched your streams before. Your avatar has green hair, right?" Cindy asked.
"Yep yep! That's totally me!"
"I thought so. You were playing the Miku boxing game, weren't you? I'm...something of a Vocaloid fangirl myself."
"Ooooh, I could tell we had a lot in common! How big's your figure collection? *Every* Miku maniac has at least five--"
"You called it, Natty." Layla whispered.
"I've got a good read on people." Natalia replied. "Okay, ladies, I'd love to chat for the rest of the day, but we do have some business to attend to."
"Boooooo." Nanami uttered.
"I know, I know, but if we don't cross our T's and all that good stuff, it'll make things tougher before it even starts. Let's go over procedures one more time before we finalize everyone's schedules..."
Suddenly, the color drained from Nanami's face as she looked mortified. "Ah...ah...ah..."
"Hey, are you okay? Scheduling isn't *that* terrifying." Layla asked.
Nanami slowly shook her head. Cindy looked where she was staring, and quickly realized what was frightening her. "Ummm...guys?" She pointed to the window.
Looking inside was what appeared to be a black-and-green, cuboid figure with ape-like features. It raised its hand to wave.
"AH! WHAT IS THAT?!" Natalia exclaimed.
"I DON'T WANNA BE ITS LUNCH! I'M ALL SKIN AND BONES!" Nanami panicked.
Unlike the others, Layla remained calm, more annoyed than anything. "Oh, for..." She made for the door.
"Layla, wait, what if it's got rabies?!" Natalia questioned.
"Guess I'll just have to lock him up." Layla looked outside. "Get in here, dummkopf!"
She yanked the strange creature in, and it was clear that this was someone in a mascot costume. "Ow, watch it, you'll tear the fabric!" The voice coming from inside was of a young man, with a German accent.
"Ah, wait, that voice...Sven?" Natalia asked.
The man in the suit poked his head out from the top of the costume. He had a shaved head of dirty blonde hair, and wore a backwards cap. "Hi, Natty."
"Um...so you know this guy?" Cindy asked.
"This big doofus is Sven. My boyfriend." Layla clarified.
"You're dating a square monkey man?" Nanami asked.
"I know it looks super realistic, but it's actually a costume." Sven said.
"A costume I said to leave at home or toss out! You nearly gave everyone a heart attack!" Layla chastised.
"I'm probably gonna regret asking...why are you wearing that?" Natalia questioned.
"Elementary, mein freund! You've done 99% of the work already to get the store perfect, but I thought to myself, 'Self, what might she be missing? What would add that extra percent?'" Sven began.
"And your answer was...a monkey shaped like SpongeBob SquarePants." Cindy uttered.
"Every good business needs a mascot! Just think of how marketable it would be! You could put this on shirts or make plushes, it'd practically print money!"
"No one other than me would want your face on a shirt." Layla smirked.
"Okay, Sven, I'm...flattered that you wanted to help out. And if I'm being honest, a mascot isn't the worst idea in the world." Natalia said.
"Please don't enable him!"
"But it would need to be something cute and huggable. No offense, but if our reaction is anything to go by, then that suit would be more likely to scare customers away than get them to come inside."
"...if you do make one, can I still be it?" Sven asked.
"Absolutely! You've got the disposition for it. It'd just have to be something less scary. Layla, you think you could come up with some concepts?"
"I can't believe I'm going along with this...yeah, I can do that." Layla relented.
"Score one for me! And you say I never have any good ideas." Sven said.
"This was the skeleton of a good idea. Now please get out of that cube thing."
"Um, about that..."
Layla groaned. "You're not wearing anything else under there, are you?"
"Yes I am!" He paused. "...my boxers."
"Go home and put some clothes on, please."
"Right, on it. Enjoy your meetings, ladies." Sven walked out, bumping into the door on the way, as passersby glanced in confusion.
"Your BF is a bit...out there." Nanami chimed.
"His heart's in the right place. And he makes me laugh. What more can a girl ask for?" Layla responded.
"Where'd he even get that thing from?" Cindy asked.
"Some questions, Cindy...are better left unanswered."
---
A couple of hours later, with orientation finished, Natalia remained in the store to finish organizing everything. With summer coming to an end, the cold weather wear--including the hoodies she specialized in--was at the forefront.
She looked out at everything--what she had spent her entire life building towards. Her cheeks turned rosy. She could barely contain her excitement. She ran in place for a bit, stopping short of jumping up and down.
Her elated display was cut short by a knock at the front door. She looked to see Barbara waving at her, and opened the door for her. "Someone's in a good mood, I see." Barbara said.
"Maybe just a little bit, ahehe." Natalia giggled. "Come in and make yourself comfy."
"Easy enough if it's a place you made." Barbara entered, setting her bag down. "Oh, wow, it turned out great! I'd be happy to spend a few hours scanning the shelves."
"Aww, you're just saying that."
"I don't exaggerate when it comes to shopping."
"I should probably know that by now. Have you heard from your brother and his new bride lately? How's their honeymoon gone?"
"By all accounts, lovely. I'm sure Ibuki'll be gushing about it when they swing by tomorrow. They come back in tonight, and Max already let me know that they're stopping by to see you."
"Aren't they gonna need some rest? Vacations are enough work by themselves, and then there's the long flight home..."
"You should know by now why, Natty. It's the same reason everyone was here for the wedding last week. We celebrate the big moments together as one crazy family. And I think your dream coming true counts as a big moment, don't you?"
Natalia turned rosy again. "Why do you gotta make everything sound so whimsical?"
"I'm a theater girl, it's my job." Barbara winked. "Alright, let's get to the work stuff." She reached into her bag and took out some papers. "Here's my dress notes."
"Oh...wow. That's, uh..." Natalia looked them over. "You've got...a lot of ideas, Barb."
"Think of them more like suggestions. I still want you to take the reigns like you did with Ibuki. I just wanted every potential question to have an answer since, well...I'm gonna be gone for a couple of months."
"A couple of months? Oh...is it for a show?"
"Mmhmm. It's a cross-country tour, and it starts in a couple of weeks." Barbara took a pamphlet out from her bag, showing that she was to perform in the 'Wizard of Oz' stage play, 'Wicked'.
"Ooooh, now this has 'you' written all over it. Let me guess...Glinda the Good Witch?"
"Actually, no. I'll be playing Elphaba, the 'Wicked' witch."
"How do you keep getting the 'villain'-y roles? You're the kindest girl in the world, but every time I see that you're in something, you're the bad guy."
"I like the challenge. Casting directors love versatility. Plus the villains tend to have a lot more wiggle room with what you can do. And besides, Elphaba isn't really the 'villain' of the play, per se. But anyway, I want you to hold onto that. The last couple stops are in and around Tokyo, and I'd be really happy if everyone could catch at least one showing. Especially since I'm gonna be away and not see anyone for so long."
"You don't sound too happy about leaving."
"It's...really hard. I just got engaged, and I'm still trying to find a permanent place for my mom. Now I'm gonna be gone for two months. I've dreamed of this kind of life for so long, but with everything going on, it feels like I'm running away."
"Adult life comes with sacrifices, Barb. I'm sure your mom wouldn't be happy if you put your dreams on hold for her. Besides, Keeb and your brother are gonna take care of her while you're gone, I'm sure of it."
"Don't let her hear you word it like that. 'I don't need taking care of, Moonbeam, I'm a grown lady, but not an old one.'"
"Hehe, that's a mom phrase if I've ever heard one. But I'm sure she'll be alright, same with Keeb. I know what it's like being at home while the person you love is away for a while. Sure, I miss Kenny a ton, but I know he's doing what he loves, and when he does come home, it feels a lot more special."
"It does sound a lot better when you put it like--um, Natty?"
Natalia, blushing once more, had a mesmerized look on her face. "It's special because..."
In her mind, she pictured herself sitting in a flower field, with a white dress and a floral crown, posing as Kenneth sketched her. 
Back in reality, her face was even redder than before. "...he makes me feel special..."
"Natty, Earth to Natty!" Barbara snapped her fingers.
"Huh?" Natalia came to her senses. "O-Oh, sorry. I was...daydreaming."
Barbara giggled. "Hon, you don't have to hide how you're feeling from me, especially when it's lovey-dovey like that. You've earned every second of bliss that you get. I know things are gonna be okay while I'm away, I'm just...gonna miss everyone."
"We're gonna miss you too, Barb. I already see a stop in Kyoto on here, so you know you'll be seeing a certain..." Natalia put her hands together like paws, then made a tiny 'meow' sound. "...sitting in the front row."
"Knowing her, she'll be buying up every ticket just to have me for herself."
"Yeah, I can totally see that. But you'll definitely see us at your shows if we have the chance to go. And in the meantime, I'll go through your...suggestions, see what I can come up with, and we'll go over it in detail when you get back."
"Perfect~. Thank you so much, Natty." Barbara hugged her. "I'll be by here tomorrow." She glanced at the shelves. "Maybe with my credit card."
"Don't think I didn't see you eyeing some stuff, hehe. See you soon!"
Barbara started for the door, but paused. "Oh yeah, one other thing...do you know why there's a monkey shaped like a box walking around and pointing over here?"
Natalia looked outside. Sure enough, Sven, still in costume, was across the street, gesturing towards the store. "D'oh. Layla's not gonna be happy."
"Kind of a weird mascot, isn't it? Looks a little...yeah." Barbara uttered.
Natalia sighed. "He means well."
---
Later that night, Natalia, back in her apartment, sat on the couch and watched TV. Her legs were covered by a blanket, and she held a mug filled with hot cocoa. CiCi laid down in her little bed, fast asleep.
The door opened, and Kenneth entered. "Sanctuary, at last."
"Hey, you. How'd it go today?" Natalia asked.
"Exhausting. Bloody exhausting. The One-Eyed Dragon is as stern a taskmaster as you would assume. He is a man who does not hear 'no' very often. At least the ground has been broken. I'll be returning to Osaka in a few days to check and make sure the place hasn't cratered into the earth."
"So I've got you all to myself until then, yay me~."
"You'll have me all to yourself as soon as I'm done with the shower, of which I am in *desperate* need. I'll be finished in a moment."
"More time for me to build up my huggy energy~."
A short while later, Kenneth returned. "Right. Now for the other thing I'm in desperate need of: a seat."
"Wheeeee~." Natalia hummed. Kenneth sat down next to her, and she immediately hugged his arm.
"That bright and cheery demeanor tells me today went fairly well, I take it?"
"Yep, yep. Store's all prepped for tomorrow, everyone's up to speed on schedules and procedures, everything's totally good. Oh, and Sven wants to be the mascot."
"Oh...does he, now."
Natalia tried suppressing her laughter. "He showed up today in this...I don't know any other way to describe it other than, 'box monkey' costume."
"I shudder to imagine what that could possibly entail."
"Oh, Layla was so annoyed. She made him go home to take it off...which clearly he didn't, since later on I caught him walking around in it, directing people to the store."
"At...at least he's trying to help?"
"That's how I'm thinking about it. Like, I actually really like the idea of having a mascot. But it's gotta be something cuddly, and not...whatever he was doing. But everything else went great today. Mama and Papa called me earlier...thinking that I was opening today."
"I imagine your mother let your father hear about that."
"Oh, did she. Probably kept it up after they hung up, even when I told them not to. But I just got done talking with them again. They wished me luck, and told me they wanted to be here more than anything and..." Natalia started to get emotional.
Kenneth got up and fetched a tissue box, handing it to her.
"Thanks, Kenny." She wiped her eyes. "They told me that they were so happy I was their 1.7%. Those are the odds they gave my mom of how likely she was to carry a child to term. And then they said that all the struggle up to now was worth it, just to see me happy."
Kenneth patter her shoulder. "You have the best parents you could've ever hoped for."
"Yeah. I couldn't have picked better ones if I got to choose."
CiCi got up from her bed, and hopped up next to Natalia, rubbing her head against her side.
"Thanks, little puff." She brushed the cat's back. "I love everything about my life. My family, my friends, getting to live my dream all while living with the most adorable kitty ever, and..." She looked to Kenneth. "Someone who makes me feel beautiful."
"Because you are beautiful, Natty. Every part of you is. Always has been. I only wish the world had treated you with more kindness." Kenneth replied.
"That makes two of us. I wish you could've had a better situation growing up."
"I don't dwell on that so much anymore. My mother is away somewhere she can't hurt me. Father is slowly improving to where I feel we can get him on an airplane for a few hours without him panicking. It's not what I would call ideal, but it's the hand I was dealt. And of course, that hand eventually led me here. To my muse."
"Mraaawr?" CiCi piped up.
"Right, how poor-mannered of me. And to her furry daughter."
The cat eased back into her seat, to Natalia's amusement.
The atmosphere was broken up by a knock at the door. "Who could that be at this hour?" Natalia questioned.
"Let me go look." Kenneth got up, and opened the door.
"Peace out, neighbor!" There was a man standing there, wearing a red crab mascot suit, a peace sign on its belly. He flashed his claws at Kenneth.
"LOUSE!" The architect promptly punched him in the gut.
"Ooooooh..." The crab man clutched his stomach, then collapsed to the floor.
"What the heck?!" Natalia ran over. "Hang on, I know that voice. Oh for--Sven!"
"Oooh that's gonna bruise...I'm gonna be a blue crab now..." Sure enough, it was a German accent coming out of the costume.
"What kind of bloody nonsense..." Kenneth uttered.
"I tried to stop him." Arriving was Layla, wearing sandals and a nightgown, with curlers in her hair. "He found another costume and wanted to run it by you."
"Where does he keep finding these things...?" Natalia pondered.
"...still not the right fit?" Sven asked.
"Well it's not as scary as the last one, but I'm trying to make sense of it. Why the peace sign?" 
"Well when you think about it, crabs only have two fingers, so they can only make peace signs!"
"...I hate that he's kind of right." Kenneth mumbled.
Sven got up. "I caused more trouble, didn't I?"
"I know you mean well, dummy. Just give me some time and I'll come up with something. And you just...stop scaring people." Layla replied.
"And quit giving business to whoever keeps giving you those outfits." Kenneth added.
"Noted. I'll, uh...go to bed now." Sven walked to the left.
"Our apartment's that way." Layla pointed go the right.
"I knew that." Sven turned around and kept walking.
"Watch the claws, I'm not paying if you knock something over!" Layla shook her head. "I'm so sorry, Natty. Last thing you should be dealing with tonight is...that."
"I'm not upset. He's got good intentions." Natalia replied.
"Promise he won't show up tomorrow in one of those getups." Kenneth requested.
"I won't let him out if he does." Layla assured. "Alright, enough standing around in my curlers. Get some shuteye, bosslady. You're gonna need it."
"Thanks, bestie~. Nighty night." Natalia replied. Layla walked back to her apartment, and Kenneth shut the door.
"Never a dull moment, eh?" he asked.
"Nope. Fingers crossed that tomorrow's the good kind of excitement."
---
August 9, 2036
First thing in the morning.
Already dressed for the day, Kenneth was sitting and having breakfast. Then, a knock. He got up to answer, hesitating at first, hoping that it would not be another crab costume waiting for him.
"It's only me, Kenny, no crustaceans." Instead, it was Layla, hair curled and wearing a green hoodie with the store's logo on it.
"Thank all that is decent. Please come in." Kenneth urged.
"The bosslady still prettying herself up?"
"Has been since before I woke up. She wants every single thing to be perfect. Not a string of fabric nor a strand of hair out of place. I question if she slept at all last night."
"She's gonna be running on adrenaline all day, I'd imagine. I'm already getting goosebumps, so who knows how she's gotta be feeling."
"A dream coming to fruition can have that sort of effect. Just sit for a minute, I'll see how she's coming along." Kenneth knocked on the bedroom door. "Natty, are you almost done? Layla's here."
"Just a few more minutes!" Natalia called out in response.
"She'll be out in a few." Kenneth told Layla.
"I won't rush a fashionista trying to get ready." she replied.
"Since I have a moment, I wanted to thank you for all the help you've given her. Both in regards to the store and in general. Your sound advice is highly appreciated. Especially given how much she values your point of view."
"Aww, it's nothing. She's done way more for me. And you planned out most of the store, so you should be getting way more credit. I mean look at you, Mr. Supportive Boyfriend." Layla pointed to Kenneth's sweater vest, noting Natalia's knitted signature near the bottom.
"It's only fitting. Our entire group is going to be there today, and everyone I've spoken to has said they're wearing clothes Natty made for them. It speaks volumes of the love they all have for her. And between you and me, I've also arranged for a bit of a surprise for her today."
"Ooh, do tell."
Inside her bedroom, Natalia finished applying her lipstick. She giggled softly. On her way out the door, she patted her cat, seated on top of the bed. "Wish me luck, little puff."
She exited the room. She wore a red, long-sleeved button-down dress shirt, with the store logo on the left-hand side. She had on a white skirt, red heels, and long white socks. "Hello, my favorite people~."
"Hi, beautiful. Ready to face the day?" Layla asked.
Natalia blushed. "I think I am. Do you think...people are gonna show up?"
"I wouldn't worry about that. We've been marketing as loudly as we can for weeks. Today is going to be perfect." Kenneth assured.
Layla grabbed her hand. "Let's go see how your hard work's paid off."
Natalia nodded. "Alright. Here we go..."
The three departed the apartment complex, and started towards Omotesandō.
Once they arrived at the store, it became clear to Natalia that the ad campaign had worked. A good-sized crowd had gathered in front. A banner that read 'GRAND OPENING' in big bold letters was draped above the door, and there were red and yellow balloons perched above the windows.
"Is...is this...all for me?" Natalia questioned.
"There she is!" called out a familiar voice. Kat, along with the rest of the Artisans, were by the door, all of them in assorted summer wear, all with Natalia's signature sewn into them.
"Guys!" Natalia hugged everyone she could. "You all really came...even you, Tabby?"
"Of course! Wouldn't have missed it for the world!" Tabby replied. "Not even a long flight could've kept me away."
"I don't want to think about long flights right now..." Max uttered, him and Ibuki both clearly exhausted.
"No one said you had to honeymoon in the Smokies." Barbara said.
"But it was so prettyyyyyy." Ibuki replied.
"And you, Saku...aren't you missing work?" Natalia asked.
"I told them that it was a family event." Sakuya replied.
"She's postponing seal time to be here. Let that sink in. This is a momentous occasion." Sahir teased.
"Long travel times make no difference, love. Families make time for each other. I would travel the length of the cosmos to be here with you." Carrie said.
"Oh, Care..." Natalia's eyes started to water.
"Wow. Now this is a stunning scene." Rin arrived, accompanied by Rose. As with the Artisans, both wore Natalia originals.
"Professor, Dr. Rose! You came this way, too?" Natalia questioned.
"We wouldn't wish to be anywhere else. It's a celebration of how far you've come, Ms. Van Damme." Rose replied.
"And we're in the market for some more cute clothes." Rin winked.
"So...no Shizuka today?" Kat asked.
"She was in one of her moods, so we asked Ms. Hana to look after her." Rose rubbed her eyes. 
"Not to bring down the mood. The store looks incredible, Natty." Rin said.
"Just wait til you see the inside. Kenny and Co. did a crazy amazing job." Kat replied.
"I should hardly take the lead credit. The team did the bulk of the work. I was more supervisor than anything." Kenneth insisted.
"Were you sitting in a lawnchair, sipping tea while they worked?" Kibō questioned.
"Heeeeey, bosslady!" Nanami suddenly popped up. "I think your adoring fans wanna hear from you!"
"F-From me? Oh, I don't know what to say..." Natalia uttered.
"Just let your heart do the talking." Cindy replied.
Natalia composed herself. "Okay. Everyone, can I have your attention, please?"
The gathered crowd came in closer, giving her their undivided attention.
"Wow, there...really are a lot of you. That...really makes me happy. So, for anyone who doesn't know, my name's Natalia, and I'm the owner of VD Comfort Wear. Oh, just saying that gives me goosebumps. First thing is, I wanted to thank you all for coming this early to our grand opening. It means a lot, and I do mean *a lot*. I come from the beautiful city of Bruges, in Belgium. I came to Japan eight years ago for high school, and I loved it so much that I decided to come back and open my store here."
"My parents own the original store back home. This opening today is the culmination of years of hard work, and is my personal 'thank you' for everything they did to give me the best life possible. The ethos that I live by, is that the most powerful emotional medicine is a hug. Those feelings of warmth, of connection that only a hug can bring, are what I've instilled in every fiber of my clothing. When you wear a VD original, I want you to feel like you're always wrapped in a hug."
"There were so many moments in my life where I was so, so low, and I thought that it would never get better. And every time where I felt alone, someone was there to hold me tight, and tell me that it would be okay. My parents, my friends--many of whom are here with me today--gave me the strength to keep going. I'm here because of them." Natalia turned to her friends. "Thank you for being here for me. I love you all."
Carrie rubbed her shoulder. Kat wiped her own eyes.
"I'm so fortunate to have the support system I do. That includes this handsome man standing to my left, and the beautiful lass to my right. My boyfriend Kenny, who helped put the store together, and my assistant manager slash best friend Layla, whose designs adorn most of the clothes you'll find inside. None of this would've been possible if you both didn't guide me and help me every step of the way."
Layla put her arms around her shoulders.
"May I say something?" Kenneth asked.
"Of course." Natalia affirmed, before putting herself up against him.
"Hello, everybody. My name is Kenneth. And I have the privilege of being this lovely woman's partner in life. This store is her life's work, and everything inside of it is a labor of her love. I am in constant awe of her strength and capacity to love others. The girl she was when I first met her, and the woman she is now, may as well be two different people. She deserves every bit of joy that this day, and every day that follows it, can give to her. So with that in mind, I actually have a surprise for her."
"A surprise? For me?"
"Turn around, Natty."
She did so. And could scarcely believe what she saw.
"SURPRISE!" There, in their own VD wear, were Sophia and Yannick.
"AAAAAAH!" Natalia tightly embraced them both. "How?! Is...is this real?!"
"Ladies and gentlemen, I'd like to introduce you to the founders of the VD kingdom. Yannick and Sophia Van Damme, Natalia's parents." Kenneth said.
"You...you two were in Belgium just yesterday! How?!"
"Your boy Kenny got us on the first flight here." Yannick replied.
"It was the first thing after our video call. When we called you last night, we were already in Japan." Sophia continued.
"I knew that more than anything else, you wanted them here to experience it with you. So I found the fastest flight that I could." Kenneth explained.
Tears in her eyes, Natalia gave Kenneth a kiss, and embraced him. The crowd applauded.
"Hello, everybody!" Sophia began. "I'm this wonderfully ambitious little entrepreneur's mother. And I couldn't be luckier to call myself that. Not just because she's the best daughter I could've prayed for, but because every doctor I visited told me that I'd never be able to have her. I was in a horrific accident as a child, and as a result, I was told that I'd never be able to carry a child to term. 1.7% was the chance they gave me. But me and my husband tried anyway. Our first four attempts didn't make it to a month. Our fifth...she's made it to twenty-three years. And she is *fabulous*."
"We couldn't be prouder of where she is now. All the problems we had trying to have her, and every setback after, it was all worth it to see her like this. Happy and confident and as beautiful as her mother." Yannick continued.
"Listen to this suck-up." Sophia playfully elbowed him.
Natalia stepped forward. "I'm going to do something, because I'm seriously about to start bawling from all this love I'm feeling. So before anything like that happens, let me do the honors..."
She unlocked the front door, and opened it. "Ladies and gentlemen...we are officially open!"
The crowd started to file in. "Single-file, please! There's plenty for everyone!" Layla directed. "Ladies, come with me before it turns into anarchy."
"Aye-aye!" Nanami saluted.
"Roger that." Cindy followed, and the three went inside.
"Something on your mind?" Kenneth asked Natalia.
"You had this planned all along, didn't you?" she questioned.
"Guilty as charged. I knew today wouldn't have been as complete for you if they weren't here in person. Things ended up being cut a bit close with some cancelations and delays, but they got here all the same. And at a discounted rate given all the problems."
"Your boy managed to get us first-class seats! So no bratty kids kicking your old man's chair for eight hours while their parents pretend not to see it!" Yannick chimed in.
"Come on, sweetie, let's go in. I've been dying to see how it turned out." Sophia grabbed her daughter's hand.
"Okay, Mama." Natalia went in with her parents, mouthing 'thank you' to Kenneth.
"And that, my man, is how you earn a lifetime supply of brownie points." Sahir spoke.
"It was a truly lovely gesture, Kenneth. You might've just made her whole month." Carrie said.
"Seriously, you boys should take some notes." Kat added.
"I literally just got back from my honeymoon, dude." Max uttered.
"I *just* put a ring on her finger." Kibō added.
"I can do the same thing with a giant seal plushie." Sahir responded.
"They're totally jealous, Kenny." Kat joked.
"Shit-stirrer." Max responded.
"Eight years on, and they still banter the same way." Rin said to Rose.
"Things rarely change so much. Other than you aging so gracefully." Rose replied.
"Stoooooop."
The group followed inside, all splitting up to look around while Natalia attended to customers. 
"Ms. Van Damme, do you have a moment?" Rose approached her.
"Sure! You wanted to know how I was doing?" Natalia asked.
"I don't need to ask to know. You're as bright and positive as I've ever seen you. There was actually something else I wanted to ask."
"Sure, what's up?"
"I, ah...was wondering if you carried any bathing suits."
Natalia paused to take in the request. "Uh...you want a bathing suit? *You*, Dr. Rose?"
"Is that really so unusual?"
"Yes, very unusual! It's rare that I ever see you wearing something that shows any skin. It's not what I'd expect coming from you, especially with summer almost over."
"It is a rarity, yes, but I have my reasons. Rin and I agreed to a family beach trip next weekend with Tan, Kirumi, GoGo, Ms. Hana and the children. With school starting tomorrow, we thought it would be a perfect way to unwind after a busy week. But in the midst of planning, I came to the realization that...I actually don't have any bathing suits. And since being this covered up doesn't make for a pleasant beach experience..."
Natalia giggled. "I've got you. The swimwear's over this way, but since we're late in the season, it's a little limited. I've got more stock in the back if you wanted to look..."
Elsewhere in the store, Sakuya and Tabby were looking through the shelves. "Oooh, this one's cute! I'm so lucky that Natty's a cat person, there's no shortage of kitty wear..." the latter said.
"As I would expect from someone working with big cats. How has Taronga been treating you?" Sakuya asked.
"It's been so lovely! Our tigress just had a litter of three. They've been such a handful, but they're as playful as any kitty."
"I can understand that, one of our fur seals just had a pup. He has the most adorable little nose that I take every opportunity to boop."
"No surprises there, hehe. Every time I pass by our colony, I think of you. You work with seals and sea lions both, right?"
"Correct."
"What are the differences, if you've noticed any?"
"Our seals tend to be quieter. The sea lions, on the other hand..."
In her mind, Sakuya envisioned a brown sea lion, vocalizing directly at her face.
"...they have more personality. But speaking of felines, Tabby-chan, how is your little one doing?"
"Khukki's fabulous and regal as usual. She's staying over at Chris' apartment while I'm here, so that's going to be an adjustment."
"Cats do tend to take a while to get used to new--" Sakuya paused, realizing there was a name she didn't recognize. "Hold on. Who's Chris?"
"Oh hohohohooooo. Saku doesn't know." Kat, listening in, teased.
"Heehee...there's been a new development in dear Tabitha's personal life." Carrie added.
"Yeaaaaah, hehe..." Tabby looked bashful. "I'm...actually seeing someone now."
"Oh, goodness, Tabby-chan, congratulations! That's wonderful. How long has it been?" Sakuya asked.
"About a month now. He works security at the zoo. He'd been asking me out for longer than that, but it took me a while to say yes. It's my first real relationship since, well..."
"He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named." Kat interjected.
"I was so nervous going into it, given how it ended last time. But Chris is so sweet and charming, and it's been fun so far." Tabby blushed. "I'm...honestly really happy."
"God, I popped off so hard when she told us. I think I might've done a backflip." 
"She actually did two." Carrie clarified. "It's only fair. One horrible relationship shouldn't hang over you forever. You deserve to be happy."
"I promise I'll try to bring him over next time I make the trip. He's a bit of a combat sports fanatic, so I think he'll get on good with Keeb and Ibuki." Tabby said.
"Fingers crossed he meets Kat-chan's steely expectations." Sakuya replied.
"Homeboy's got his work cut out for him." Kat playfully stuck our her tongue.
In another spot, Ibuki was showing Barbara pictures on her phone. "Here's us when we got to the cabin...here's the first night with all the fireflies..."
"So pretty..." Barbara said.
"This was the most relaxing time I've had in a while. Sitting on a swing, looking at the night lit up, all with my special guy next to me. Maybe I'm still on Cloud Nine from the wedding, but it was *heaven*."
"Show her your new friend, babe." Max suggested.
"Oh right, I met this lug..." Ibuki brought up an image of her standing with her elbow on the shoulder of what appeared to be a brown bear standing upright, wearing blue pants and a forest ranger's cap with 'Smokey' written on it, and holding a shovel.
"It was a riot filling her in on the bear's popularity."
"I had no idea the dude was an institution! I just thought 'Oh hey, this shop's got a silly bear mascot, that's neat'. Then Maxie tells me he's over ninety years old? And that he's actually famous everywhere in America?"
"I don't think there's a person living in America who hasn't heard of Smokey Bear. He's cute and memorable, yeah, but he also comes with a good message about preventing fires." Barbara replied.
"He's Mickey Mouse without the raging greed." Max added.
Layla, meanwhile, spoke with a small gathering of people. "Yep, I did the designs for most of these...I've got cards with my socials if you're interested...I do cons too, if you're into that sort of thing."
Natalia's parents had stepped to the side to speak with Rin. "Thank you so much for everything you've done for our Natty, Professor. Sending her here was the best decision we could've made." Sophia said.
"Oh, I hardly deserve any credit. It was her classmates that lifted her up." Rin replied.
"Well the kiddos all seem to take after you. Seriously, if we didn't have her come here when she was at her lowest...yeesh, I don't even want to think about it." Yannick said.
"Thankfully, you don't have to think about it. She's a beacon of love and goodwill. Between you and me, I consider her the greatest success story of my teaching career, purely based on where she was when she came her compared to where she is now. And none of it would have been possible if you two weren't as dedicated as you are."
"Mama, Papa?" Natalia approached. "Sorry I've been busy. I can show you both around now."
"Don't apologize for being busy, danish. That's like, the opposite of what you'd want to happen." Yannick replied.
"Oh, this is so exciting! Can we take a few pictures, sweetie?" Sophia asked.
"Of course! Hey, Professor, can you grab everyone and tell them to meet us outside for some pics?" Natalia asked.
"Your wish is my command. This should be fun." Rin agreed.
Minutes later, everyone had gathered in front of the store. "I feel like we just took a bunch of group shots recently." Sahir said.
"What a mystery that is." Max joked.
"Do we have a cameraman?" Barbara asked.
Someone came walking by, and was reading off of a note card. "'Okay, Layla, I'm sorry for scaring people with my costumes, but I've really got some good--' Oh, there you are!" It was Sven.
"Oh thank goodness, no weird suits. Quick intro time, folks, this is my boyfriend Sven, Sven, folks." Layla rushed. "You wanna take some pics at a normal angle?"
"Ooh, photos, neat! I'm a whiz at--" 
Layla handed him her phone. "Thank you. Places, people."
Everyone got into position. "Kenny?" Natalia whispered.
"Yes, Natty?" Kenneth responded.
She took his hand. "Thank you. For everything. I love you."
"It's no less than what you deserve, my beloved muse. All of this is only a preview of what's to come."
"I believe you. Now let's mark the occasion forever."
So they took numerous photos as a group. Four of them would soon be framed and put on display in her apartment. One, of the full group. One of her locking arms with her parents. One of her giving Kenneth a kiss on the cheek. And one of her alone, smiling brightly in front of the store she'd worked her entire life towards.
Images of a dream fulfilled. Now would come the work--and she could not have been more ready for it.