Chapter 8

# Chapter Eight - "Lunation Bakery"

### Junko

    Not twenty minutes after leaving Lina's office, we arrived at the destination Chiyo and Megumi had been so excited to show us. We stood in front of an adorable little bakery, its storefront made almost entirely of large windows arrayed in a grid around the door, giving passers by a view of the cute interior and the treats it contained. An electronic sign in the window displayed the name "Lunation Bakery", but most of the rest of the restaurant had a more classic, rustic look to it where it was practical. It didn't conform to any single aesthetic I was familiar with. Instead it seemed to be a mishmash of Japanese, European, and even some influences that left me puzzled - though the overall atmosphere it created was very cozy and altogether quite pleasant. Even though we were still outside, the air had a sweetness to it, further hinting at the nature of the business within.

    Chiyo and Megumi each grasped one of the handles of the shop's double doors and opened them wide, gesturing for the rest of us to enter. Stepping onto the wood flooring, a warm gust of delicious smelling air hit me from above, simultaneously melting away some of the chill from our walk and making my mouth start watering. It was an ingenious idea - using the hot air from the ovens to lure customers inside the building - and one which I'm sure paid off quite well. The layout was very tidy, neat, and organized. On the left was a large selection of baked goods - as diverse as the bakery's decor - ranging from small fruit pastries to French baguettes to more common finds like curry bread and sweet buns. Cute, mismatched little wooden baskets were stacked as neatly as possible, and you could select all the breads and pastries you wanted yourself before taking them to the cashier. Next to those there were a selection of smaller treats - cookies, petits fours, and chocolates - which were prepackaged in large and small servings, as well as a large, refrigerated display case full of cakes, pies, and other confections sold by the slice that you ordered at the register. A sign hanging on the back wall listed all manner of treats for order which would be made fresh on the spot, including boba, milkshakes, and ice cream sundaes in a staggering number of varieties.

    The girls had made an excellent discovery, and I feared for our waistlines if the food tasted even a fraction as wonderful as it smelled.

    To the right of the cashier was the seating area which filled up a bit less than half of the restaurant's space. There were a few large tables in the center of the floor, but it was predominantly made up of cozy, in-the-wall booths. The booths were especially nice, padded and upholstered with reddish leather and offering a view of the street outside - and no doubt giving those outside a lovely view of the treats being enjoyed within. None of us wasted any time jumping straight in, scattering all along the baked goods and excitedly speculating on which treats would be the best options in which to indulge. In no time at all we joined Kanon at a large booth - she had been the first to sit down, for reasons that soon became obvious - joined on her side by Chiyo and Megumi who had come in knowing exactly what they'd already wanted, a large serving of kakigori which they intended to share. Dam-Bi was the next to file in on the other side of the table, having nearly immediately chosen to order a boba milk tea - one of her favorite treats - and then Rinko, who slid in with a generous assortment of the flavored breads. After a bout of agonizing indecision, I decided against a slice of the positively lovely fruit tart from the display case and picked up a package of a dozen macarons, as well as a green tea macaron ice cream sandwich from the refrigerated case next to the counter. As I took a seat next to Rinko, happy that it had worked out like that, something was obviously amiss, and I wasn't the only one to notice.

    "I wasn't really expecting to go out, so…" Kanon patted her pockets with both hands, which sounded essentially empty and drew attention to the fact that she didn't have a bag with her - just her jacket and hat. It was obvious now that she didn't have any money on her, so she had simply sat down at the table empty handed and waited for the rest of us. And since our destination was a surprise, there's no way she could have known. I felt awful at this turn of events, and it was readily apparent that everyone else did too. Thankfully, we had enough treats for at least six people between us, and team spirit was running high for Interlunium.

    "Kanon, here, I got way too many macarons. I can't possibly eat a dozen. Take whatever ones you want! Food always tastes better when you share it, anyway." Kanon looked me in the eyes and I noticed that hers are nearly the exact same color as Rinko's. I admired them for a moment too long, causing us both to blush just a tiny bit.

    "Ah... Thank you, that's so kind of you." A slightly sheepish look overcame her as she reached out and took one of the macarons from the small cardboard package. Seeing her cute reaction to generosity, the rest of the girls couldn't wait to share as well.

   "Kanon, I have an extra straw! Take a sip of my boba tea!"

   "I got this blueberry cream cheese bread, but looking at everything else I've got, I don't know if I'll have room for it all, so you can have it! Ah, also, take a bite of my strawberry shortcake! It's delicious!"

   "Ms. Mitsuboshi, Chiyo and I were just saying how wonderful our kakigori tastes, would you please try some as well?"

    Chiyo cut straight past the ceremony and just held up her spoonful of shaved ice in front of the blushing girl next to her, pushing it slowly closer until Kanon gave in and accepted her offering. Her face was quite pink for some time after that as we continued to barrage her with morsels of dessert, making her the de facto center of attention for our first group outing.

    "Thank you, everyone... I'll be sure to treat you all to something nice next time." Kanon was absolutely adorable as she tried to shrink away, prompting even more attention in a cycle that took a while to resolve. After we all calmed down, we took some time to get to know each other better while we ate through as much of our desserts as we could manage. This was something I think we all knew would become a luxury if our group were to be successful - both the desserts and time to relax like regular girls. A good while later we finished and walked back to the I MY ME building, agreeing with Dam-Bi's idea that it'd probably be best to check in with Lina before turning in for the night.

    "Megumi, Chiyo... You both did such a great job! That place is awesome, the desserts are great, and ohmygosh I already can't wait to go back there!" Rinko gave them both a big hug from behind, putting her arms around their shoulders and squishing them together slightly before laughing, skipping off, and doing the same to me and Dam-Bi for good measure. Kanon, as the new member, got a hug thrust upon her all by her lonesome.

    It didn't take long to return to Lina's office. She stood up to greet us instead of pretending we weren't there, still seeming oddly energetic when compared to her usual self.

    "Welcome back girls! I hope you all had fun. I just wanted to brag a bit that I, Lina Fujimura, your wonderfully talented manager, have already landed you a gig on a television show! You have a week to prepare, good luck!"

    "Woah, already? That's amazing!" We all echoed similar reactions. Lina's lips upturned into a smirk, having more surprising news to deliver.

    "Oh, and also, Eimi Inagawa is going to be on it with you. Don't lose her this time!" The excitement in the room grew to an even higher level as we all began to crowd around our producer. "I've already had the composers start working on a song for you guys. I'll let you know as soon as it's done!"

    "Hey Lina, could I handle the lyrics? I really want to give them a shot myself!" Rinko made the request confidently, having probably given it a lot of thought over the last couple days. Lina's reaction was, understandably, mixed.

    "I'll let them know, but you had better be ready to do a good job. I'll only give you this one chance before I bring in the professionals, so don't make any mistakes! Now all of you, it's already getting close to lights-out. You all best be getting back to your dorms. It's gonna be a busy day tomorrow!"

    "Yes, Ma'am! By the way, Lina, are you okay?" Rinko leaned in to examine her more closely than is normal. "You seem a little... different today." Lina put on a cheeky expression as she pushed her glasses up. "Ah, well, you see... my oshi in Capsule Girls got an Ultra Rare event yesterday!"

   "Oh, Aimee right?!"

   "Yeah, Aimee! Anyway, I spent all my money and I actually managed to get her!"

   "But... If you spent all your money, is it really a good thing?"

   "Yeah yeah, but the timing was perfect. Today's payday!"

    "Oh! I see! Well, we'll be on our way then. Have fun leveling her up!" Rinko waved goodbye to our producer, who was cackling at her own joke, and ran out the door. I just shook my head, unwilling to believe what I had just heard, and followed after her. I caught up with the group down the hall, who was standing near the elevators, surrounding Chiyo, who was shaking with beads of sweat running down her face.

    "Wa–wait, in a week? L-Like, exactly one week from today?! I need to go talk to Lina… Momo has a checkup next week and I can't cancel it! I'm so sorry guys. Please don't be mad!"

    While it was a little upsetting that our first appearance on TV won't be with all of Interlunium's members, if Rinko had her way we'd already technically be appearing a girl down - even if she would be there in a different capacity - and as we haven't started preparations yet, at least we weren't being put out at all. We also all know that Chiyo prioritizes Momo over anything else - except Kanon, who was learning this as it occurred, and had a very cute confused look at everything happening - and it wouldn't be fair to make her change plans that had been put in place long before Interlunium was even conceptualized. After each of us assured Chiyo that it would be okay and that we understood, she rushed back to the office, leaving the rest of us to head back without her.

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