Once the café was finally emptied of the lovestruck customers, a collective sigh of relief swept through the staff.
Several servers leaned against the walls or counters, exchanging exhausted glances.
"That was insane."
One of them muttered.
"She really cleared them out like that."
Another said, nodding toward Nina.
"Thank you. We've been dealing with that crowd for weeks now. No one ever had the guts to do what you just did."
The shift lead added, offering a tired but genuine smile.
Nina gave a lazy shrug and waved them off.
"It wasn't that big a deal."
[They're right to thank you. You handled that with admirable restraint. Though I still think you should've flipped a table or two for effect.]
Her Patron said with amusement.
"I'm not trying to get fired on the first day."
Nina muttered under her breath.
As she made her way toward the staff room, most eyes followed her with a mix of admiration and relief—except for one.
The front desk beauty, the clear source of today's chaos, remained glued to her seat. She focused on filing her nails, not sparing Nina even a full glance.
Just a single side-eye as Nina walked past. Cold, dismissive.
Nina didn't pay it much mind.
She had already pegged the girl as the sort of person who attracted trouble without lifting a finger.
Since Nina had joined in the early afternoon, the rest of the shift passed in a blur.
The rush died down after that initial purge, and the evening crowd was far more manageable.
She wiped tables, helped serve drinks, and even ran a few orders to the kitchen. It wasn't glamorous work, but it wasn't hard either.
Still, by the time the clock hit 8 PM and the café began closing down, her feet ached and her back protested with every step.
"You worked hard today."
The manager said as she helped Nina untie her apron.
"I have a question about the schedule. I won't be able to do full days. I'm preparing for my college exams, so I can only come after 3 and work until closing on weekdays. Weekends are more flexible."
Nina said.
The manager's face fell slightly, as if she'd been hoping to squeeze a full-time savior out of her new hire. But she nodded.
"That's understandable. We'll make it work."
"I can start tomorrow if you want."
Nina added.
The manager brightened at that.
"That would be great. Thank you, really."
With that, Nina grabbed her things and stepped out into the cooling evening air. The moment she crossed the street, her Patron's voice echoed again in her mind.
[Check your phone.]
Nina blinked.
"Huh?"
[You've been ignoring it since you signed that ridiculous contract.]
Her stomach sank. She reached into her hoodie pocket and pulled out her phone.
The screen lit up with a wave of missed notifications—texts, calls, alerts. She hadn't looked at it once since she started work.
"Oh no."
She muttered.
She scrolled through the messages, wincing at the sheer number of missed calls.
Most were from her mother. A few from her siblings. And one particular message from her younger brother stood out.
[Leo: Mom's fuming. She's ready to head out and find you herself. Come home before she explodes.]
"Of course."
Nina groaned.
"Run while you still can. Or, you can always accept your fate and become your true self, the king. That way, you won't have to worry about your mother's scolding."
Her Patron advised.
Nina debated her options.
She could stall.
Find a quiet spot to hang around in until her mother cooled off. Maybe crash at a friend's place. Or grab dinner somewhere and wait until her mother fell asleep.
But then she imagined her mother pacing by the front door, muttering curses under her breath and rallying the entire neighborhood to find her "useless eldest daughter."
"…I don't have the energy to deal with that drama."
Nina muttered, shoving her phone back into her pocket.
She turned toward the nearest station, adjusting the strap of her bag.
"I'm heading home."
[You're braver than I thought.]
Her Patron said with a chuckle. He seemed entirely too happy at her demise.
______
Nina stood in front of her house, staring at the door like it was the entrance to a lion's den.
She shifted her weight from one foot to the other, debating her options.
Go inside and face her mother's wrath? Or maybe turn around and spend the night on a park bench?
Her aching legs and empty stomach voted for going in.
But her nerves? They were ready to sprint in the other direction.
[Just go in. You've fought off hunters and cleared out a café full of idiots. Surely your mortal mother can't be worse than that.]
Her Patron muttered.
"You clearly haven't met her."
Nina whispered back.
She sighed and reached for the doorknob—just as the door behind her creaked open.
Nina spun around to see her younger sister, Luna, standing there with a smug smile on her face.
"Oh, you're in trouble. Mom's been pacing around the house like a madwoman. You're in for it."
Luna said in a sing-song tone.
Nina groaned and dropped her shoulders.
"Luna, please. Just don't tell her I'm back yet. Let me sneak in through the side door or something. I'm too tired to deal with her right now."
Luna hummed as if thinking about it, then nodded.
"Okay, I won't say anything."
Relieved, Nina followed behind her younger sister, cautiously stepping onto the front porch.
Maybe, just maybe, she could slip into her room unnoticed. She'd think of an excuse tomorrow—say she lost her phone, maybe pretend she was doing group study.
Anything but the full wrath of her mother right now.
But the moment Luna opened the door, she turned her head and yelled into the house,
"Mom! Nina's home! You can talk to her now!"
Nina froze in place.
"You little traitor."
She muttered.
Luna skipped inside like she'd done nothing wrong, a devilish smile on her lips. Nina turned to bolt, but it was already too late.
Her mother's voice rang out from the kitchen like a guillotine being released.
"Nina. Kitchen. Now."
"I'll get you back for this."
Nina hissed at Luna as she trudged inside.
"Would you? I bet you'll feel to lazy to do that."
Luna replied with a grin.
Dragging her feet like she was on death row, Nina entered the kitchen and stood in the doorway. Her mother stood at the counter, arms crossed, eyes sharp and furious.
"Where have you been?"
She asked, voice low and dangerous.
"I—"
Nina started.
"No phone, no messages. You're just gone all day like you've got no responsibilities—"
"I got a job."
Nina said quickly.
That made her mother pause. She raised a brow, clearly skeptical.
"A job?"
Nina nodded.
"Part-time. I started today. That's why I was out so long."
From the living room, she heard twin gasps.
Luna and Leo, her younger siblings, peeked into the kitchen like they were watching the final scene of a drama.
"You? Working?"
Leo asked, shocked.
"Wait, you actually got hired somewhere?"
Luna added, equally incredulous.
Nina shot them both a smug look.
"Yeah. Surprised?"
They both nodded slowly, and for a moment, Nina felt triumphant. It was rare for her to do something that actually impressed—or at least shocked—her siblings.
Her mother's expression was unreadable for a long moment. Then, slowly, her arms uncrossed.
"Where?"
"A café near the station. Not the chain store. The one beside that. They were short-staffed, so I got hired on the spot."
Nina said.
Her mother didn't respond immediately. Instead, she turned to the stove and stirred the pot on it.
"Are they paying you decently?"
Nina blinked.
"Uh… yeah. Pretty good, actually."
"And this won't interfere with your studies?"
"I'll only work after three on weekdays. Weekends are flexible. I already told them."
Nina said quickly.
Her mother was quiet for a moment more, then finally said.
"Good. At least you're trying to be responsible for once."
That was the closest thing to praise Nina had heard from her mother in months. It almost made her forget how tired she was.
"Now go get changed. You smell like sugar and sweat."
Nina sighed but obeyed, heading for her room. As she passed by Leo and Luna, she could hear her brother mutter something.
"Oh god! She got a job? Is the world ending?"