128 128. Looking for the Janitor

Clara’s face heated up as she remembered how embarrassing that night had been. She, who can’t drink, got drunk illegally at a bakery cafe, making the manager ask a janitor to kick her out of the almost-closed cafe.

“Gosh, I forgot! I think he paid the fifty-dollar taxi fare to my apartment, didn’t he?” Who else paid if not the handsome janitor?

“Why did I completely forget about it? I need to pay him back.”

Determined to pay off the debt, Clara then stepped her tired feet to Sakura bakery. When she got inside, she found a long line because many customers were aiming for a fifty percent discount when the cafe was almost closed.

Reluctantly, Clara joined the queue because she was going to buy a cake at the same time. Unfortunately, she was now in sixth place.

Instead of waiting for a long time, Clara’s eyes traced every corner of the cafe. There was a janitor who cleaned the tables. The man turned his back to Clara, looking so serious about his work.

Clara smiled. She didn’t care about the queue anymore and ran straight to the janitor who was now bent over to clean up the crumbled cheese pie crumbs littering under the table. Clara waited patiently for the man who was cleaning the crumbs.

When the man stood up, that’s when Clara said, “Sorry, excuse me! Do you have a minute?”

Clara’s heart was pounding with hope. Her face flushed for no apparent reason. She forgot for a moment the sadness in her heart that night.

.....

The janitor turned and smiled kindly. “What can I help you with, miss?”

The hopeful smile on Clara’s face disappeared in an instant. As it turned out, the man wasn’t the man she remembered, but an old man who was around fifty years old.

The woman rubbed her forehead, daydreaming, trying to observe the man in front of her. However, she was sure that night she kissed a handsome and dashing man. Not the old man before her.

“Are you the janitor who works at this cafe?” Clara asked awkwardly. She felt like she was about to faint when she saw the old man’s face. Was that because she was so drunk that night, Clara had hallucinations and thought the old man was a dashing and handsome young man?

The old man nodded. “That’s right.” The old man smiled again at Clara.

“Are you new here?” Clara asked again. “Do you know the man who was the janitor before?” continued Clara. She tried to ask as politely as possible.

The old man shook his head again. “I’ve been working here since this cafe first opened.”

Clara nodded awkwardly. “Are there any other janitors who are younger than you? His eyes are clear green. His skin is tanned and sunburnt. His face is sweet but masculine,” Clara asked again, trying to give a detailed description. However, she instead sounded like a perverted woman on the prowl.

The man pondered, then chuckled. “No, I’m the only one working here.”

Clara nodded disappointedly. He was then sure that he did not visit the bakery cafe that night. Maybe another branch. Or other stores similar to this store.

“Ah, maybe I have the wrong person. I’m sorry,” Clara said awkwardly. She turned around, about to head back to the cashier. However, the old janitor called her again.

“Miss!” he cried, calling Clara.

Clara turned and found the old janitor walking towards her. The man seemed to remember something.

“When did you come here and meet the young janitor?” asked the old janitor curiously.

“About three months ago,” Clara answered confusedly. “What’s the matter, sir?”

“Ah, three months ago, there was indeed a young man who replaced me for a few days here.” The janitor said kindly. He laughed again gleefully, explaining that he had suddenly been asked to take time off because someone was replacing him.

Clara’s face brightened. “Now where is he?” Clara asked again. Her hope suddenly rose again.

historical

“Sorry, I don’t know either. But.. come here often because he usually likes to buy apple pie here,” said the old man, showing off one of his teeth that had begun to fall out. Clara’s hopes dwindled again. However, she tried to stay polite.

Clara smiled briefly. “Thank you for the information, sir. Too bad I’ve been busy. So it seems I can’t come here anymore.”

The old man nodded. “He usually comes with a girl to buy apple pies.”

A hint of disappointment crossed Clara’s heart. Such a handsome man must have had a girlfriend. Maybe not just one.

Clara then smiled realizing the disappointment in her heart was unreasonable. It didn’t matter, the important thing was, that night, she kissed a young man. Not hallucinating. Not mistaking the old janitor as a handsome knight.

The woman then gave some money to the old man and turned around, walking languidly toward the line again. When it was her turn, she took the tray and entered the cake and bakery rack area.

Her eyes roamed to several types of cakes and bread. She was about to take the melon pan. However, on the tray across from the melon pan, she saw a medium-sized apple pie. She drooled when she finally found the only apple pie left.

Clara hurriedly moved the tongs towards the tray on the other side, about to take the apple pie. However, somehow the apple pie felt very heavy to take. When Clara saw another hand holding a tong on the opposite side of the shelf, she understood that at this moment someone was trying to pull the apple pie.

Clara, who felt that she was the first to take the apple pie, did not want to give up. She just kept pulling the cake.

On the other side of the shelf, Clara’s opponent also didn’t want to give up, he or she didn’t want to let go of the cake that was in his or her tongs. He or she had to get that one piece of pie left or he or she would get scolded all night.

In the end, because of the strong pressure and pull, the poor apple pie shattered and split into pieces, making Clara and her opponent’s eyes widen in disbelief.

Spontaneously, both of them straightened their backs up and shouted simultaneously, “You ruined my apple pie!”, then pointed their hands at each other.

It was then, an unexpected miracle happened.