[Lys]

Years of hard manual labor at the ranch made carrying the heavy wooden crates, filled with clanking bottles filled to the brim with milk a matter of muscle memory for Cremia. Unfortunately for the rancher, this fact didn't make the long descent from the front door of Clock Town's Milk Bar down the straight staircase that lead to the actual bar any easier. That said, she always managed. Tonight, however, her legs felt they were close to giving out... Her arms felt shaky underneath the crate's weight... She could feel her face turning red. However, it wasn't because of the strain of her load. Rather, it was because HE was here. Kafei. The object of her unrequited affections. At least, that's how it seemed. After all, the strapping young man was engaged. Under normal circumstances, Cremia could chalk up her affections as a lost cause and move on, but the fact that he happened to be engaged to Cremia's best friend, Anju.

Cremia was trying his best to be happy for her friend, however, she was dealing with a constant war in doing so... Jealousy, anger, loneliness and despair all combated her desire to be loyal to her friends. The best thing she could do at this point was try to give them their space. Out of sight, out of mind, right? Doing some work around the ranch would keep her mind off it, right? Nope. She simply couldn't keep her mind from wandering. Doing so was going to be even harder now, when her work and social life overlapped like this... Well, perhaps Kafei simply wouldn't notice her?

She stepped off the staircase, where she was greeted by the bartender, a short, smartly dressed man with long, balding hair and a magnificent mustache.

"Good evening, Cremia," he said in his soft, gravelly voice as he helped lift the heavy crate from her arms.

So much for going unnoticed.

"Hello, Mr. Barten," Cremia said, brushing a curtain of her red hair out of her face. "How's business tonight?" she asked, making sure to avoid glancing at the young man sitting at the bar.

The bartender gave her a knowing, sympathetic look. Seeing as he had contact with Cremia and continued patronage from Kafei and his fiancee, he could put two and two together to figure out what was going on.

"The usual," he answered. "Listen... You don't look so well tonight. Why don't you have a drink? It's on the house. And there's an open seat down there." Mr. Barten gave a nod towards the seat furthest away from Kafei. Obviously, he wanted to speak with her.

"I-I don't know if I should," Cremia stammered. She had time to, of course, but with Kafei here, she wasn't terribly keen on sticking around. Still, she knew Mr. Barten well enough to know that he obviously had a reason of keeping her here beyond a friendly chat. Pair this with the fact that he was possibly the closest thing she had to a father figure in her life, and... "But maybe I need it."

The rancher girl crossed the bar, and took a seat in the corner, glumly looking into the reflective surface of the counter. Mr. Barten was right; she DIDN'T look very good tonight... She wore the look of a weary woman. Mr. Barten, now behind the bar, moved in front of her, placing a cold, glass bottle in front of her.

"Thanks," she murmured, not daring to sneak a glance at Kafei. She knew she had been noticed, but she sincerely hoped he wouldn't come over here... Sometimes, she wondered if he was oblivious to the fact that she harbored feelings for him. She knew Anju was...