To Live Again, For the First Time!

7 days later, Emilin and Xander sat across from each other in a cat cafe.

Their table was near a ceiling to floor window on the third floor of this establishment and cats roamed free in the private room.

A ginger cat and a brown cat were on either side of Emilin, rubbing her ankle and feet as if trying to push her with their cute little heads.

After Emilin properly settled down on her seat the rubbing only intensified, as if the cats wanted to bury their heads into Emilin's body, they nudged and rubbed, sitting on the floor beside her in an attentive manner.

"These cats seem to really love you," Xander commented. 

Even after seeing this scene many times in the last week or so, he still couldn't understand it. Why did these cats seem to love Emilin so much more than everyone else?

"Yes, that does seem to be the case." Emilin was rubbing the head of the agouti, black and white cat who rested comfortably on her lap.

The waitress who was to take their order walked up to the two of them with the menu when she saw that they had come. They were pretty much regulars, even though the first time they had come was less than a week ago.

They had come every day since and the two of them drew a lot of attention from all the workers here, most of which were part-timers.

This was especially true for the young lady (Emilin) in front of her. For some reason, the cats and their cat cafe seemed to magnetically attracted to her.

On the first day that Emilin visited this establishment, nearly a quarter of the dozens of cats on the expanse of the second floor somehow moved to surround her table.

The workers didn't know what to do when that occurred, especially when all the other customers were also here for the cats and the food.

There were young women and girls who came together and or alone as well as couples, who were attracted to this place due to its internet fame.

"Hey what's up with that. I also came here for the cats but how come they are all headed that way?"

"Do they have some special cat feed there or something?"

"Hey babe, do something about this, we were supposed to have fun with the cats on this date, but if there are no cats here then what's the point?"

"Hey, waiter, what's up with those cats? How does your establishment even work! We're paying by the hour so why is that table getting so much more attention?"

The ones who sat closer to Emilin's table were interested, but they were also rather happy with the influx of the cats around them, as for those in tables further away, they were pissed.

The workers who were on shift at the time couldn't do much about the movements of the cats. In the end, the boss, a young female, came and took Emilin and Xander both to the third floor where there were separate rooms, each one separated by soundproof glass.

They were pretty much private rooms and so the cats wouldn't be able to go in even if they wanted to. Ever since that first day, Emilin and Xander would simply head straight to the third floor whenever they arrived.

The woman, Margaret (Going by the nickname Margo), who looked like a proper businesswoman, and also the boss of this cat cafe, greeted the two of them every time they came over.

She was at the shop every day and so it was kinda on the way.

Margaret (Margo) Lenin, a 23-year-old entrepreneur, and in 3 words, she was and always will be, an Avid Cat Lover.

"What will you be getting?" The waitress asked, looking down at her notepad, ready to write something down.

Xander looked at Emilin before responding, "the usual."

The waitress, a part-timer who had been off the job for the past few days wasn't sure what exactly 'the usual' was, but seeing as these clients could say it so casually, there were bound to be people downstairs who would know.

Not only that, but the third floor was also for the VIP and so it wasn't good for her to make the people repeat here repeat themselves, she really didn't know what kind of people were here.

In truth, the usual for Xander and Emilin was simply to get whatever the waiter or waitress recommended, after all, the options were in the dozens and the employees here were bound to know which ones were better received, at least much better than Xander and Emilin alike.

"Then I will go see what I can get you," the waitress responded with a shallow bow before excusing herself.

"There will be no need. I've already brought up their refreshments, you can go now Diane."

A brown-haired woman who had her hair in a loose bun wearing comfortable clothing came in with a black serving tray that held cakes and drinks alike.

"Lady Margaret, what do you have there?" Emilin asked, cranking her neck to get a better look.

"Ah, ah, ah. You don't get any of it before you change your form of greeting!" Margaret (Margo) chuckled when looking at how cute this little girl was, Emilin's expectant gaze on the tray she held.

"Lady is too old sounding and Margaret is so old-fashioned. Didn't I already tell you to call me Sister Margo?"

'Your parents would be so sad to hear that.'

Seeing Emilin hesitant, she added while holding her cheek using her free hand, "well as for these cakes, I was going to let the other VIP guests test them out, but seeing as little sister Emilin came here today, and right in time too if I may add, I thought I would bring them to you first. I just don't know if this piece of sincerity from me is rather unwanted."

"Sister Margo," Emilin claimed relations without another second of hesitation as she stared a hole into the rainbow milkshake.

'Me want,' was written on her face in imaginary black ink.

As for Xander, who was watching this whole event unfold, he was rather seriously questioning his manly charms.

'How come when I ask her to call me Brother Xander, she ignores me, but when Margo asks her to call her sister, she claims relations just like that.'

There was really an innate difference between Margo, a businesswoman who knew well the heart of a teenage girl, and Xander, a doctor who had close to no relations or communications with other girls or women other than his patience.

Not only that, but you really couldn't look down on the power of food.

Xander humphed indignantly, biting into the pentachocolate brownie sundae cake, Margo's newest creation, before releasing all the indignation he had previously held in his heart.

The cake was simply divine. The sundae melted in his mouth leaving behind chunks of brownies made of 5 different forms and flavors of chocolate, leaving a superb and fragrant after taste while also shrouding the next bite's flavors in a veil of mystery.

'Now I see why.'

"Sister Margo this is delicious!" Xander didn't hesitate to compliment, kissing up to the owner of the dopamine factory that was this cat cafe.

"How shameless! Who are you to claim relationships so audaciously." Margo hissed at the man 3 years her elder, but there was nothing Xander could do about it.

At least not for as long as he wanted to leech off some more of the national treasures that melted in his mouth and became one with his being, which was really until he was diagnosed with terminal diabetes and was no longer allowed to eat sweets, that or he forever lost his taste buds.

Xander: '...'

Xander: 'If I'm shameless, then what are you?'

He thought while looking at the one who had cornered his little master into sisterhood with just some food.

To be fair, it was some hella delicious food.

"Do you like it?" Margo asked, turning back to Emilin, completely dismissing the fact that there was someone else in the room.

"Mm," Emilin nodded excitedly with both her cheeks full of milkshake, like a chipmunk.

'How adorable, I wish I had a sister like her,' Margo thought.

To her, Emilin was just some perfect sister material.

Emilin is cute, adorable, lovable, pretty, sincere, she eats well and most importantly, she has some crazy affinity with cats!

"I'm glad you like it! I'll make more for you the next time you come, but I'll only bring it to you if you remember to call Sister Margo, okay?" Margo asked.

Margo may be seen as a psycho lady for wanting this little girl to call her big sister, but she didn't care. She had already obtained qualifications to be called psycho cat lady, psycho cat woman, and a whole lot of other titles, what's one more?

[Peanut Gallery: Does this girl have to sound so proud of being called a psycho?]

[Author: If you could get Emilin to call you big sister or big brother, wouldn't you be okay with just that much too? (/￣ー￣)/‥∵:*:☆*゜★.::＊☆]

[Peanut Gallery: …]

[Peanut Gallery: Fair.]

In the end, Emilin just nodded, responding with a simple, "okay."

"Mm, you have to remember, you promised!" Margo's eyes shone brightly as she rubbed Emilin's, who was still slurping on the milkshake, head.

"Then I won't bother you any longer, enjoy the food, it's on the house!" Margo said as she left through the same door from which she came with a bright smile.

After she left, heading for her office, a screech, that of a fangirl, could be heard from that direction by the other employees.