[OC Story] The Cup I Won't Take

When, all comes to end, such that is, this trip.

I took a glance at her, sitting beside me.

"You've gotten darker, Katya..."

"Heh. You're just the same as me, no?"

I replied, "At least I'm still brighter than you!!"

"*yawns* We're just the same, Parker... deal with it...."

"Are you... tired?"

"You're gonna drive all of us, you know?"

"..."

Originally, we weren't about to take more people on our car, but seeing that she allowed both of them to go back with us, we decided to take them in. Currently, they're inside the cabin, probably getting some much needed sleep—unlike Katya and me.

"Parker...."

"Can you drive...?"

"....No?!?”

My dad never taught me how to drive, and mom took public transport to get to her workplace everyday. I can only use a bike and sometimes a motorcycle when my mom allows it...

"Oh god...."

".... Okay. I'll teach you how to drive, but not now. The roads a little dangerous."

"If you see me starting to sleep on the road, wake me up, okay?”

She was looking pretty sun-burnt—now also tired from the countless beach trips we were doing, almost every other day. I wore sunscreen to try and block off some of the burning but then I managed to forget to use them on the longest trip we had (it's the one with the hotel!) and now I'm also quite burned as well.

It's not much, just enough that we can recover from, but still dark for people to notice... While I and Katya did, Lillith and Raphael couldn't tell at all. Maybe Raphael was just a little behind, or both of them did know and hid it for respect, whichever works for them.

At the moment, I'm using the same ferry we used to get there as last time! They're a sleeper one, though the beds are too short for me and for Katya, a little cold? (But, isn't she from a country which is known for the cold climate??) It's called the Dharma Kartika VIII or the 8th one... and for the same price you'll get for the other ferries, this one is full-featured! You can even get hot water for free!! Not many do that, and I'm broke, so that's whatever I'll get.

There's just me, alone with her on the ship's deck, on the third floor. Everyone else had already gotten asleep and the kids are busy watching movies on the TVs inside the sleeper cabins. Like last time, the sun's scorching every little exposed skin I have and cooking me alive. The cabins are too loud, and the deck is pretty hot.

Then, I saw Raphael coming out from the entrance door.

"Why... here...?"

"I'm just looking at the ocean."

"Katya here needs some sleep, or coffee.”

I turned to Katya, "You need some coffee?”

"...Maybe."

Back to Raphael, she was already getting prepared to setting up her arms to make them, "Parker, some for you as well?”

"Katya will get some latte."

She turned to me, looking slightly frustrated.

"I still don't know for Parker."

"You never told me."

Begrudgingly, "I don't like coffee, Raphael..."

Katya said from the back,

"Haah.... Just try them, Parker.... You'll love it..."

"..."

"Raphael, just give her the sweetest you have... or make her like mine—and oh yeah, make mine less sugar-y, alright?”

"Order taken."

Soon, she got to work on making the coffee. There's grinding noises everywhere, yet it wasn't as annoying as when I was at the café where she worked.

Yet somehow, she managed to fit a press, a drip machine, and some liquid storage compartments for what I assume would be of course, coffee and milk...on her arm. Is that why she took so long to the convenience store a while back...?

Eh. Anyway, she'd gotten two cups from whichever compartment when I was thinking earlier, and gave us our coffee. Katya went on drinking straight away, then telling me to drink as well, "Hm....?"

"Are you not gonna drink that...?"

She caught me lacking, perhaps. I looked at this presumably hot, cream-coloured liquid. It's full of foam, and a cute art of a heart. I asked myself, "How did she do all of this?!"

Raphael, seemingly reading my mind, said "I have more things on arm... They do many things." Then she unfolded something from the armature, "There's this stir... thing." ”It mixes coffee." "There's also this, which I would give you."

The word "Schaum" is written on it. After she opened the valve, foam came out. I assume that it's what's on my coffee.

"Try it. It has no taste, from what I remember."

She let out a sigh, "Please."

Katya butted in as well, "You'll like it, Parker~"

The glass she gave us has no handles, so I've been holding it by the middle. I brought the cup up to my lips, and started taking little sips. First, I only tasted the foam. They're pretty tasteless, like she said.

I said, "They have no taste"

"Sip deeper. They're not that hot." Raphael replied.

Another sip, I can taste some of this 'coffee' that she's been begging for me to try these past 2 months since I met her. It's a little bitter, but then gets pretty sweet at the end.

...It's delightful! There's just enough of them to keep me drinking, and I ended up drinking the whole cup empty.

"See...?" "It's good." Katya said with a smug face, satisfied with my initial review of the coffee, judging from my face after I drank it.

Raphael's face lit up, "Finally... It's taking me lot of time. You tried some of my coffee!!"

"I..."

"Hehe..."

"Thank you, Parker...."

"It's—" My voice as cut short from her hugging me.

I can't see it clearly, yet she's sobbing with tears in her eyes, dripping to my shoulder.

"Don't worry, "*huff* it's no drug I'm giving you...."

"But you can't sleep for probably... 6 hours."

"I have *huff huff* fulfilled my wish..."

"Katya, you're okay, right...?"

"Eh, go on. I'm fine with it."

"Wait, you two are friends, right?”

"..."

"Hey, hey hey hey—"

"Raphael!! This coffee is great!!!!"

"Let me join in!!!”

Soon, Katya joined Raphael in hugging me as well. They're all warm, also quite sweaty from the heat, as afternoon turned sunset, we're all soaked from earlier, even though the winds were blowing on us to no end, it didn't do nearly enough to keep us dry.