It's in the Coffee
Fandom: Persona 4 x Persona 5 Royal
Rating: Teen and Up Audiences
Pairing: Ryotaro Dojima/Takuto Maruki
Characters: Nanako Dojima, Ryotaro Dojima, and Takuto Maruki.
Summary: In her defense, Nanako just wanted her dad to be upfront with her about the real reason why he had started to frequent that small coffee shop near his new workplace. After all, the coffee was nice, but Dojima’s attention seemed to be on Maruki instead...
// Read on AO3 //
For @personararepairweek day 2: Angel/Demon / Coffee Shop AU
A belated entry, but an entry nonetheless.
#
It was a quaint little coffee shop by the side of the street. Small, cozy, warm, and not very frequented. It was near the station, so it was convenient for Dojima, the prices were reasonable, and the coffee was great, from what Nanako had heard.
It was the twelve-year-old’s first time here, so she was very excited -- and a little apprehensive -- about meeting the barista that her father wouldn’t stop talking about since they met. At first, he had been confined to broadcasting the quality of his coffee (“I’m just glad I don’t have to drink Adachi’s sad excuse of a coffee anymore”), but Nanako didn’t miss the shift when he began commenting on the barista himself (“he said he’s learning a new recipe -- some kind of soup, I think?”) and how much he wished they would meet (“you know, I think you two would get along”). And it was finally happening; Nanako was going to meet the man who’d managed to capture her dad’s attention like no one else could.
“Welcome!” A cheery voice said, in tandem with the sound of the bells chiming as Dojima walked in, followed by Nanako. “Please, come in and make yourselves at home.”
Her first impression of the barista was that he looked exactly like the sort of person she had imagined based on Dojima’s descriptions. He was a middle-aged man with wavy hair, thick-rimmed glasses, and a small smile, who looked polite and responsible, but also gentle and easy-going. But he was a lot taller than expected, she would give him that.
“‘Morning.” Dojima said.
“Good morning, Dojima. It’s great to see you again.” When the barista spotted Nanako, he tilted his head towards her. “Oh, and who do we have here?”
Dojima gestured towards her. “This is my daughter, Nanako. Nanako, this is Maruki.”
“Nice to meet you!” She said, offering him a handshake.
“The pleasure’s all mine.”
Dojima already had his eyes set on one of the tables, probably the one he usually sat at, so they both headed towards it and made themselves comfortable. Maruki swiftly handed them the menu, which listed snacks on the front and different types of beverages, mostly coffee, on the back. He made casual conversation with Dojima, asking him about work and life in general, before turning to Nanako, asking for her opinion, and giving her a few recommendations based on her tastes. He seemed very dedicated to customer service, as he was not only sociable, but also knew each of the items in the menu like the back of his hand.
Nanako keenly observed Maruki’s actions, took note of his words, and gauged his personality, trying to discern how this guy had managed to break through her dad’s barriers and become his friend, when Dojima was usually withdrawn and skeptical of other people’s intentions (you could blame that last part on Adachi). However, while Maruki was really kind, he didn’t seem very remarkable... Not to mention that Dojima wasn’t one to bend just because someone had a modicum of manners.
When Maruki was out of earshot, Nanako bent over the table, lowering his voice to prevent other customers from overhearing.
“So…” She said, conspiratorially. “What’s so special about him?”
“What?” Dojima gave her a questioning look, a smile tugging at his lips. “Nothing about him needs to be special. He’s just kinda nice, I guess. You wouldn’t think he’s from the city.”
His eyes drifted back to the menu, even though there was no way he didn’t already know what he wanted to order. Nanako was unsatisfied with the answer, but she didn’t want to press further, instead choosing to avert her eyes with a sigh. The move to Tokyo really had been tough on Dojima...
Well, no, to be honest, it had been tough on both of them. Inaba was the place where they had spent all of their lives, where they had built their most precious memories, and where most of their friends lived… leaving that behind wasn’t easy. Inaba was everything that Nanako had ever known, and it would always be home in her heart, no matter how far away she was.
Still, she felt like the sudden change had been harder on her father than on her. While she had made an effort to view things from an optimistic standpoint, recognizing that they were better off now than they would’ve been if they had stayed in the town, Dojima had adopted a cynical attitude towards the city. He constantly compared the way things were here to how they used to be in Inaba, complained about the crowded streets and the rushing passersby, and reminisced about the past, not without adding a few unflattering remarks about their present situation here and there.
The best comparison that Nanako could think of were those scenes in Hollywood movies where the protagonist moves to New York and absolutely hates it because of how busy the big city is. She had never been to New York herself, but she imagined that was similar to how Dojima felt.
All in all, saying that Maruki passed for an out-of-towner was one of the highest compliments Dojima could pay him in his current state… There had to be something about him that reminded Dojima of home.
“Are you two ready to order?” Maruki said once he came back. “If you have any questions, please, don’t hesitate to ask.”
They had made up their minds already, so they simply placed their orders, as Maruki jotted them now on a tiny notepad, nodding and pursing his lips. About Dojima’s order, he just said “the usual, eh?”, but he commented that Nanako had made a good choice and that he thought she would like it.
“By the way, Dojima,” Maruki said, “If you don’t mind me asking, have you gotten your coffee maker fixed?”
Right. The coffee maker. The coffee maker that had broken down weeks ago. The coffee maker that Dojima used as an excuse to stop by the coffee shop everyday before work, because he couldn’t use the coffee maker at home but couldn’t be bothered to drink instant coffee like he did back in Inaba, for some reason. Very suspicious...
“Hmm?” Dojima glanced up from his menu, which he had no reason to be staring at right now. “Ah, the coffee maker. No, I, uh. I’ve…” He cleared his throat. “I’ve had no time.”
“I see.” Maruki scratched his head, looking away. “Um, I can volunteer to fix it, if that makes things easier for you.”
“Uh, you would?” Dojima stared at him, his eyes narrowing. “You don’t have to do that.”
“W-Well, I don’t, but it’s no trouble for me,” Maruki quickly added. “All I want is to lift a weight off your shoulders.”
“It’s fine, really--” Dojima started, but he cut himself off at the sight of Maruki’s overeager expression, as his own expression softened and his eyes widened, like he had been put on the spot and forced to reconsider. Almost as if struck by the barista’s beauty...
“I-I’m not exactly great at fixing stuff, but I can try to help.” Maruki said. “And if I only make it worse, I promise I’ll pay for it. What do you say?”
“Oh, no, I wouldn’t want to… you know...” Dojima trailed off, as if trying to find yet another excuse as to why he couldn’t just get the machine fixed. “I wouldn’t want to burden you with my own problems.”
“Oh, no, no!” Maruki insisted. “There’s no need to decline for my sake. It really isn’t a bother. B-but, well, I wouldn’t want to be pry, so it’s up to you--”
“It’s fine, you aren’t prying. The coffee maker is the reason why I’m coming here every day and pushing more work onto you, so it kinda is your business...” He sighed.
“I don’t mind you giving me more work!” Maruki said, a little too excitedly, before correcting himself. “I-I mean... It doesn’t feel like work if I’m doing it for you.”
Dojima gaped at him in shock. “W-What?”
“A-Ah, sorry, what I’m trying to say is…” Maruki breathed in, composing himself while he fiddled with his apron. “It’s fine if you don’t want me to fix your coffee maker. I have no right to barge in and fix it for you. I apologize for overstepping my boundaries.”
“It’s okay, you’re not overstepping anything.” Dojima cleared his throat again. “Thanks for the offer.”
Welp. If that awkward exchange didn’t confirm Nanako’s hypothesis, she didn’t know what would.
Geez... she never expected to see her dad crushing on someone like a lovestruck teenager before she did.
As soon as Maruki had left, Dojima lost any semblance of coolness he still had and buried his face into his hand, letting out a groan. “Damn, that was embarrassing as hell...” He then realized he was swearing in front of Nanako and looked up in shame. “Uh, sorry.”
“No problem.” She said, swinging her legs under the table. Boy, was that awkward. “Anyways… Maruki-san’s the one who always makes your coffee, right?”
“Always.” Dojima nodded. “The others aren’t as good. Or as quick.”
“Oh.” She paused, her legs coming to a stop. “No other reason?”
“No, of course not.” Dojima frowned. “Why would there be any other reason?”
“Hmm, I dunno. I was curious.”
Nanako couldn’t help but wonder what things would be like if the coffee maker hadn’t suddenly broken down right before Dojima headed to work on that one morning a few weeks ago. Maybe he would’ve never learned of the coffee shop’s existence… or maybe he would’ve met Maruki some other way. No one could tell, but, still, it did feel like fate had somehow brought those two together, so who knew?
Though, on second thought... it might not have been fate as much as it was Dojima seeking comfort and stability by clinging to the company of the first person from the city who he could tolerate…
In any case, Dojima had praised Maruki’s coffee so much (in his own downplayed, nonchalant way, of course) that Nanako feared that her expectations were too high and that she would be disappointed in the final product. However, when Maruki came back with the two cups, she found that the coffee wasn’t half bad. It was hot and sweet, but not too much, just the way she liked it.
Maruki was pleased to hear that she was enjoying it, and Dojima also seemed kinda proud. It was obvious that he desperately wanted Nanako to get along with Maruki…
He then left the two on their own again, which left an opening for Nanako to speak up.
“It’s actually pretty good.” She assured Dojima, to let him know that she hadn’t complimented the coffee just to save face in front of Maruki. “Especially for a new barista like him.”
“Well, he’s a scientist.” Dojima took a sip, but paused to correct himself. “Or something like that. Of course he makes good coffee.”
“Huh? A… scientist?” She repeated, forcing out a nervous laugh. “How f-fun!”
Hopefully he wasn’t experimenting on the coffee...?
Dear god… Nanako wasn’t sure if she wanted to know that information… She had definitely watched way too many sci-fi horror movies on TV.
Hypotheticals aside, the fact that Maruki was a scientist opened a whole can of worms. On one hand, she wasn’t sure how being a scientist was related to making good coffee, but okay. On the other hand, she didn’t understand why a scientist with a degree and everything would be working at a coffee shop, of all places...
Nanako blinked. “Wait, didn’t you tell me that he’s a doctor?”
“Yeah, he’s both.” Dojima said, smiling. “Impressive, huh?”
“Sure, but. Why is he working here?”
Dojima’s expression soured as he put the cup down, clicking his tongue. “I don’t know the full story, but he said he caused some ethical violations, and--”
Nanako had to clamp her hand over her mouth to avoid having a visceral reaction to the coffee she was drinking, but that made him choke on said coffee, and the ensuing coughing fit effectively cut Dojima off, as well as a bunch of customers and some staffers.
Yep, Nanako was living inside a sci-fi horror show and either something horrible was about to happen or she was an extra. Either way, she didn’t want to find out.
“Really?!” She cried, holding onto the back of her chair to avoid falling down in her state of alarm. “He made a medical mistake, so he was kicked out? And now he’s working here?! That’s like something out of a movie!”
“Hmm… I guess so.” Dojima began to stir his coffee, as his gaze wandered to another table, where Maruki was tending to other customers. He stared at the bartender with a dreamy glint in his eyes, like he was about to blurt out a cheesy line like ‘maybe he’s something out of a movie himself…’
But Dojima remained quiet, with that stupid smile on his face, not noticing how painfully obvious he was being. If Maruki had turned around at that precise moment, he would’ve caught Dojima red-handed and the resulting scene would have been hilarious, but he was too engrossed in his task of explaining the process of coffee preparation to the group of customers in front of him to see his not-so-secret admirer.
Nanako put her cup down on the table with a thump to snap her father out of his fantasies. “Dad.” She deadpanned. “What’s going on with Maruki-san?”
Dojima looked at her quizzically, surprised by her sudden mood change. “What do you mean, what’s going on with him?”
She raised a brow. “Do you think I’m stupid?”
“No, of course not.” He frowned. “Where did this come from?”
“You really thought I wouldn’t notice…?” She sighed, shaking her head in disappointment. “You should’ve just told me you have feelings for Maruki-san...”
“F-Feelings?” He sputtered out. His dumbfounded expression quickly turned into a scowl. “Me, feelings for Maruki? What in the world are you talking about? I’d never-- I don’t -- Look, that’s not --”
“I know, it’s fine.” Nanako gave him what she hoped was a comforting smile. “I know men can like men too. And that some people can like men and women. I’m okay with it.”
“What? No!” Dojima snapped, but he quickly realized his mistake and corrected himself, flustered. “Well -- yes, but that’s not what’s going on here! Where did you even get that idea?”
“Dad.” She shot him a glare. “The coffee maker. You had time to fix it, you just didn’t want to.”
“I forgot.”
“Uh huh, right.” She said. Nanako wasn’t usually one for sarcasm, but, gosh, her dad could really, really be thick-headed sometimes. “I reminded you to fix it multiple times, but then you conveniently forgot.”
“I didn’t conveniently forget,” Dojima spat. “It’s not like I did it on purpose.”
“It’s been broken for over a month! And I’ve told you, time and time again.” Nanako said, pointing at him accusingly. “Even Maruki-san offered to fix it, but you told him not to so that you could keep coming here to see his face!”
“His face?” Dojima grimaced, fidgeting in his seat. “What’s with his--? No, I don’t come here to see Maruki, why would I do something like that?”
“Because you like him?” Nanako said, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. “Why else would you always come here, to this coffee shop, at times that coincide with Maruki-san’s schedule, instead of just having instant coffee or going to some other coffee shop?”
“I don’t feel anything towards Maruki! He makes good coffee, okay?” Dojima was getting more altered by the second. “And getting it to go isn’t the same.”
“Oh, yes, of course, sure.” Nanako nodded mockingly. “The coffee just tastes better when he’s around!”
“Don’t get sassy with me.” Dojima said, gesturing with his hand sternly. “I’m your father and you have to treat me with respect.”
“Hey.” Maruki called from where he was standing. “Is… everything okay over there?”
Nanako and Dojima whipped their heads towards him and unanimously replied, “yes!” before the latter added, “don’t worry about it.”
“Alright, then.” Maruki said. “If you need anything, you know where to find me.”
Nanako and Dojima’s eyes returned to the cups in front of them, avoiding each other’s gaze. Their table then fell into a tense silence, as neither of them wanted to pick the discussion back up, while, at the same time, neither was willing to yield or admit defeat.
Nanako sighed at her cup of coffee, vaguely listening to the background music flowing across the coffee shop. She didn’t feel like drinking anymore… But it would’ve been more awkward to quietly sit there, with her hands stiffly folded over her lap, so she continued to take small sips of the coffee, which was now lukewarm. A bit of anxiety simmered inside her due to the knowledge that it had been made by a mad scientist, but she tried to ignore that fact as much as possible while she slurped the last drop of coffee.
By the time she looked up, Dojima had finished his cup as well and was placing it aside. He seemed apologetic as he rubbed at his face with one hand and let out another sigh.
“I’m sorry, Nanako.” He said. “I really didn’t think this through.”
“It’s alright.” Nanako pushed her own empty cup towards Dojima’s and propped her head up on her hands. “I’m sorry for pressuring you like that. I should’ve stopped pushing when I realized I was upsetting you.”
“It’s fine. You’re my daughter and you’re allowed to ask questions.” Dojima leaned back on his seat, bracing himself for a difficult conversation. “It’s just that… I still don’t know what I want. And I’m not completely sure of how I feel about Maruki. Do you really think…?”
Dojima caught a glimpse of Maruki, who was now talking to one of his coworkers while he served some coffee. Apparently, the coworker said something funny, because Maruki stopped what he was doing to let out a sweet laugh that made Dojima’s breath visibly catch in his throat.
Dojima teared his eyes away from Maruki as he hung his head with a groan, burying his reddened face into his hands. “Goddammit, I’m too old for this crap.”
Nanako giggled, while Maruki’s coworker discreetly gestured towards Dojima. The barista’s reaction was a poem in its own right, as his eyes widened and his cheeks turned pink. He stuttered something to his coworker, who gave him an encouraging pat on the shoulder, and then headed towards the table.
“I-I see you two are, uh, finished with your coffee?” He said, with an awkward smile on his face.
“Yeah.” Dojima said, his tone raspy, before he cleared his throat. “We’re -- We’re done here, bring the check.”
Maruki’s eyes never left Dojima as he absently picked up the empty cups. “Uh… Is everything okay, Dojima? You look sick... Can I get you some tea?”
Dojima cleared his throat yet again, avoiding Maruki’s gaze with a frown. “Ah, no, I’m… I’m fine.”
“I-I’ll pay for it, if you’re worried about the price.”
“No, no, I’m fine.” Dojima shook his head in an attempt to pull himself together. “The coffee was great, by the way.”
“Is that so?” Maruki’s smile widened, but he turned his head away in embarrassment. “Thanks. I’m really glad that you enjoyed it.”
He was gone as quickly as he had arrived. It seemed like Dojima’s mind was still in overdrive, though, as he had turned halfway around on his seat, like he was ready to bolt out of this place, and he kept his hand firmly sprawled over the table, sneaking glances towards Maruki. He was clearly struggling to come to terms with the sudden realization that he had caught feelings for his favorite barista, before he even had the chance to get completely settled in his new home.
Eventually, Dojima took in a deep breath, and looked at Nanako with tired eyes. “Are you sure you’re okay with this?”
She tilted her head. “Huh?”
“You seem way too calm about this…” He straightened his back and began gesturing with his hand. “You know, I get it if you’re upset. It’s normal to feel that way. Hell, I don’t even know how I feel, so, if any of this bothers you, just tell me. Okay?”
“Why would it bother me?” Nanako said. “It’s your private life, I can’t tell you what to do.”
“Nanako, you are my daughter.” Dojima repeated, slowly, staring at her intently. “My private life affects you. I know I make a lot of mistakes and it’s hard for me to talk about this kind of stuff, but I always try to do what’s best for our family. So, if anything makes you uncomfortable, I want you to tell me, okay?”
Uncomfortable…?
Was she uncomfortable?
Sure, being a witness to Dojima and Maruki’s awkward pining like some kind of third wheel was a bit painful, but… did the whole idea of her dad having feelings for some random barista in Tokyo make her feel uncomfortable?
Nanako slumped in her chair, suddenly unsure of herself. She had been so focused on getting Dojima to admit his feelings that she hadn’t stopped to think about the part she played in this little love story...
She had just been playing along, going with the flow. But now that Dojima was asking her to weigh in with her opinion, it made everything feel much more real. This was truly happening, this wasn’t a dream or some dumb game with no consequences. She wasn’t just some sort of bystander who could play matchmaker without any strings attached, and this wasn’t anything like classmates teasing each other over having a crush. This was her dad she was talking about. And whatever he did directly affected her own life -- her whole future.
She hadn’t fully processed what it meant for her that her dad… well, that her dad had a crush on someone. That her dad might begin dating again. That her dad might, in time, fall in love with someone who wasn’t her mom.
Did that make her uncomfortable…?
Nanako nodded blandly, her thousand yard stare fixed on the table in front of her. “... huh.”
Dojima let out a sigh, before choosing to tackle the conversation from a different angle. “Look, If this bothers you, we can just leave. Heck, just say the word and I’ll never come by this place ever again.”
“Really?” Nanako blinked. “You would do that for me?”
Dojima smiled. “Of course. Your feelings always come first.”
Well, it wasn’t like she wanted to veto Dojima from coming here, especially not when this cafe brought him so much joy and helped him relax both before heading to work and during his lunch breaks. He might’ve been willing to do anything for her, but she had no right to ask him to give up something that meant so much to him. It wasn’t hurting anyone, after all.
However, even though she knew for sure that she didn’t want to go to the extremes and force Dojima to either make a move or to stop seeing Maruki altogether, she didn’t know how she felt about this whole ordeal. She hadn’t even formed an opinion on Maruki yet, much less on whether or not she’d be comfortable with the idea of her dad dating him, or dating anyone at all. Hell, Dojima had never shown interest in returning to the dating scene, so she had never even thought about the possibility before and had no idea how to react or what to do next.
To be honest, she felt kinda… numb. As if her brain hadn’t yet caught up to the reality of the situation.
Maruki brought the check, left it on the table politely, and walked away as quickly as he had arrived. While Dojima grabbed his wallet and searched through it, he spoke up again.
“So, what do you make of him?” He said, without making eye contact, as he placed the notes inside the checkbook. “Does he make you uncomfortable?”
“Huh? No. No, of course not!” Nanako shook her head. “He doesn’t. I’m… no… I’m happy for you, actually! I mean, it’s unexpected, and it’s a bit shocking, a-and it’s a big change, but moving here was a big change too and I handled it well, so.” Nanako shrugged. “I can handle this too.”
“Big change?” Dojima grimaced, as if that idea hadn’t occurred to him yet. “You’re getting ahead of yourself. It’s not like I’m thinking of… doing anything.”
“No, no, that’s not what I was implying!” Nanako said. “Well, maybe a little. But sure, take your time. You said you still need to sort out your feelings, right?”
“Yeah.” Dojima nodded, more to himself than to Nanako. “I need to sort out my feelings, what I want, and… what’s best for our family…”
Maybe it was a good idea for Dojima to make a move on Maruki. Maybe it wasn’t. There was no way to know for sure, especially not when Nanako had no clue about what romance was like, other than what she’d seen on TV and the few things she’d heard from Yu. This was unexplored territory and it was honestly kinda scary… But, as long as their small but tight-knit family stuck together, Nanako had faith that everything would turn out fine, as it always had.
“It’s okay, dad.” She smiled. “We’ll figure it out.”
