in the midst of his busy schedule, he was able to take out some time to make his second visit. he tries not to let his excitement show, but the spring in his step and his glowing face are telltale signs that he's far more excited than he can control.

he's in a feverish state of anticipation, perspiring excessively because he can't help but feel nervous. being unable to wait any longer to find out if she remembers him, he enters the cafe, and joins the snaking queue to get his order.

"kelp," he says when it's his turn. the girl in the apron smiles, "what can i get for you?"

and his heart drops.

she doesn't seem to remember him, much as he tried to leave a strong impression on her. the scenario that he spent last night dreaming of isn't going to happen anymore. "oh, aren't you the one who ordered hot chocolate with boba pearls?" is what he thought she would say, and he'd reply with a "salmon!" and they start to be friends.

he frowns, pouting. panda lied. making up fake scenarios to sleep does not make you happy.

"tuna," he says softly as he points to the hot chocolate, his voice disappointed, his face sunken. he looks down at the ground and the pink hue on his ear remains ever so slightly, but he doesn't seem so happy to be there anymore, and it makes y/n feel a little bad.

"alright, sure," she says, smiling, "would you like boba pearls to go with it again?"

and suddenly his ears perk up, his eyes widening as he tears his them off the ground to look at her, surprised. she remembers me! "salmon!" he says, and she looks at him in confusion.

"is that a yes or a no?"

he nods his head yes rapidly, the sparkle in his eyes returning once more as he smiles under the collar of his uniform. his eyes soften as he beams, crescent moons that stand out on his face.

she places the boba pearls into the cup of hot chocolate, laughing to herself at the unique combination again before handing it to him. she states the price and he hands the money to her.

his eyes are wide and bright as he watches her work—he's lucky there's no one queueing behind him—and she eventually glances up at him, asking, "do you need anything else?"

he shakes his head, but he continues staring at her, eyes sparkling with a mix of excitement and mischief.

"why are you still here?" she asks, facing him fully now. she's stopped working her hands, and is facing him, waiting for an answer. he looks at her for a moment, then begins to write.

with his finger, on the counter.

he traces the letters. f, r, i, e, n, d, s and when he's done, he looks up at her, eyes gleaming.

"friends? you want to be friends with me?" she asks, tilting her head.

he beams, and she's sure he's lit up the whole cafe. his eyebrows rise and his fists clench as his ears turn red, and he nods.

he doesn't like speaking, but she's special to him, and he wants to show it, at least to himself. he parts his lips and hesitates, unused to speaking, but when he sees her friendly smile he's gained back all the courage again.

"...friends." he does his happy sink, a little shy about what he just said. did my voice sound weird? im sure it cracked...

"okay," she smiles, still kind of confused, and thinks, he's weird, as she watches the squirming boy in front of her. "we can be friends," she says, and his whole body relaxes, tense shoulders drooping and features softening into a contented grin.

she's about to ask for his name, but he's long gone.

and since they're friends, he tries his best not to run out of the cafe, instead speed-walking and hoping he can get out of there and get his heart sorted out. quickly.