Scenario:Sandalphon - Why We Return

Why We Return

An elderly customer visits the seaside food stall where Sandalphon and company are working. Sandalphon is surprised when the woman orders coffee, and she explains that she used to run a cafe with her husband, who was known for talking with his customers. After a pleasant conversation, the woman heads on her way with a smile.

---

Sandalphon: Sorry for the wait. Here's your snow cone.

Sandalphon: That'll be one melon juice, correct? The dolphin cakes are very popular, so they're limited to two per customer.

Sandalphon: Vyrn, I'll let you prepare the melon. Lyria, please wrap the cakes. And (Captain), you can continue waiting on the customers.

The food stall operates smoothly with Sandalphon fulfilling his role as manager.

Since the addition of benches and a wind-producing device, business at the food stall has been growing steadily.

Sandalphon: Whew... It's especially warm today. (Captain), everyone, I can tell you're all exhausted.

Sandalphon: This is a busy time of day for us, but why don't you take an early break—

Sandalphon: Oh? A customer?

Elderly Customer: Pardon me. I'd like to order a cup of coffee.

Sandalphon: Of course. Please have a seat and wait for—

Sandalphon: ...!

Sandalphon: Did you say coffee?

Elderly Customer: Oh, are you sold out?

Sandalphon: N-no, ma'am! I'll prepare it right away!

Sandalphon: My first coffee order... The time has finally come!

Sandalphon: But I mustn't get ahead of myself... I need to stay calm, just like during practice...

Sandalphon: Apologies for the wait. This is our house blend.

Elderly Customer: Thank you. I can't wait to try it.

The elderly woman brings the coffee cup beneath her nose to appreciate the aroma before taking a sip.

Elderly Customer: Hehe. Coffee really is a wonderful thing. It's so soothing.

Sandalphon: ...

Sandalphon: Um... Excuse me. If you wouldn't mind, could I ask for your feedback?

Sandalphon: I'm still learning, so I'd like to know if it suits your tastes...

Elderly Customer: Hehe. It's wonderful. It has a strong fragrance, a deep richness, and a uniform concentration... I can tell it was prepared with great care.

Sandalphon: Y-you can?

Elderly Customer: You minimized frictional heat when grinding the beans, the grounds are evenly sized, and every bit of residue has been removed...

Elderly Customer: Those aren't things you could learn to do in a day.

Sandalphon: ...!

Sandalphon: I'm amazed you could tell so much from one taste... Just who are you? You don't seem to be a vacationing tourist.

Elderly Customer: There's no need to be so surprised. I may not look it now, but I used to manage a cafe of my own on this very beach.

Sandalphon: Ah, so that's why you know so much about coffee.

Elderly Customer: But my husband, the shop owner, passed away from an illness a few years ago, so the cafe was forced to close.

Sandalphon: I see...

Elderly Customer: Hehe. You don't have to worry about me. This all happened years ago.

Elderly Customer: My husband was known for talking with his customers. I truly respected him for that—it was always a joy to be by his side.

Sandalphon: ...

Elderly Customer: Oh dear, I'm sorry for subjecting you to the ramblings of an old woman.

Sandalphon: No need to apologize.

Elderly Customer: The coffee was delicious. Would it be all right for me to stop by again tomorrow?

Sandalphon: Yes, of course.

As the woman smiles and heads on her way, Sandalphon watches her go with a peaceful expression on his face.

Why We Return: Scene 2

The following day an argument breaks out between a couple at the food stall, and Sandalphon decides to speak with them, remembering the elderly woman's words from the day before. The couple makes up thanks to Sandalphon's intervention, prompting him to talk with his customers more. Soon afterward, a pair of suspicious men approach him, asking to have a word.

---

The following day, Sandalphon once again dedicates himself to managing the food stall.

Lyria: Hehe! We have a large crowd again today!

Sandalphon: Yes. But make sure to keep tabs on your health. And we need to monitor our patrons as well—

Girlfriend: Ugh, I can't believe you!

Boyfriend: I'm telling you, you've got it all wrong!

Vyrn: What's goin' on? Are they havin' a fight?

Sandalphon: Honestly, could they be any louder? They're bothering the other customers.

Vyrn: What should we do about 'em? They're just gettin' more and more riled up.

Sandalphon: At this rate, they're going to disturb everyone around them, so I'll just have to send them on their way...

Sandalphon: ...

Elderly Customer: My husband was known for talking with his customers. I truly respected him for that—it was always a joy to be by his side.

Sandalphon: Talking to customers...

Vyrn: Huh? Whatcha thinkin' about?

Sandalphon: Well... Something a bit out of character, actually.

Sandalphon: But... Maybe this is just another part of being a manager.

Lyria: Wait... Sandalphon?

Sandalphon: Excuse me... You don't seem to have eaten much of your food. Was it not to your liking?

Girlfriend: Oh, are you the manager? Listen to this! This jerk here—

Boyfriend: Whoa, hang on! It's not fair to drag other people into this!

Sandalphon: Fighting on a vacation seems like a waste. Would you mind telling me what caused all this?

The young woman explains that she and her boyfriend are having a fight because she caught him checking out other women.

But the young man retorts, claiming that it was all a misunderstanding. Sandalphon listens patiently as the pair continue to bicker back and forth.

Girlfriend: Feels good to have that out of my system!

Boyfriend: Thanks, shopkeep! I never would've figured she was mad because I didn't compliment her swimsuit.

Sandalphon: Her perception was likely clouded by her pent-up frustration, leading to a misunderstanding.

Sandalphon: Always make sure to consider the feelings of the people around you, even on a vacation.

Thanks to Sandalphon's intervention, the couple leaves hand in hand, having resolved their argument.

Sandalphon: Whew...

Lyria: That was amazing! You really cheered them up, Sandalphon!

1. You're a sweet guy.
2. Nice work!

Choose: You're a sweet guy.

Sandalphon: You overestimate me. I was merely doing my duty as manager of the food stall.

Go to "Continue 1"

Choose: Nice work!

Sandalphon: I didn't do anything. They reached a resolution themselves after expressing their true feelings to each other.

Continue 1

Vyrn: Haha! You oughta to learn to take a compliment once in a while, Grumplephon!

Sandalphon: Hmph...

After the incident with the couple, Sandalphon's demeanor changes slightly.

From time to time, he can be spotted listening to his customers' troubles and offering them advice.

Flashy Customer: And, like, he just wouldn't stop trying to pick me up!

Sandalphon: I see... That sounds like a grave situation. I recommend you speak to the chamber of commerce about it as well.

Flashy Customer: Ahaha, it wasn't that big a deal! Sure it was annoying, but it was just flirting. Nobody got hurt or anything.

Sandalphon: ...?
All right then.

Lyria: Hehe. Sandalphon's started talking to the customers more.

Vyrn: Yeah! He's a serious guy at the core, so I think he's just tryin' out a bunch of strategies.

???: Come on! Go talk to him already!

???: All right, all right! Quit pushing!

Vyrn: Huh? What are those two whisperin' about?

???: Um... Excuse me. Do you have a moment?

Sandalphon: Of course. What would you like to order?

Stall Employee 2: Oh, no... Actually, we work at another food stall...

Stall Employee 2: And, well, we had something we wanted to talk to you about...

Sandalphon: You want to talk to me?

Sandalphon cocks his head to the side in confusion at the pair's odd request.

Why We Return: Scene 3

The two men explain that they work at another food stall and are looking for advice on attracting customers. They convince Sandalphon to follow them out back, where they threaten him to hand over the stall's wind-creating machine. When Sandalphon firmly refuses, the pair resort to force.

---

A pair of young men have come to speak with Sandalphon, claiming to be employees at a food stall on the opposite end of the beach.

According to them, business at their stand has been slow over the past few days.

They explain to Sandalphon that they came to him for advice on how to attract customers, since his food stall is in a similar location.

Sandalphon: Hmm... I see. I think I understand your situation now.

Sandalphon: But I'm afraid I'm still in training myself. I can't guarantee that my advice will be accurate.

Stall Employee 1: Th-that's fine!

Sandalphon: Sigh... I really don't think I'm in a position to provide guidance, but all right.

Sandalphon: In that case, would you mind showing me to your shop? I'll try to use the knowledge I've gained here to see if I can spot any potential problems.

Stall Employee 1: Oh, no, you don't need to go that far...

Stall Employee 2: Y-yeah! You're busy running your own stall, right?

Sandalphon: I wouldn't be away for long. It's not a problem.

Stall Employee 1: B-but we'd be putting you out, you know?

Stall Employee 1: We actually have our own idea, you see. We were hoping to get your opinion on it.

Stall Employee 2: Yeah, we wouldn't want to make someone else do all the hard work for us.

Sandalphon: ...?

Sandalphon: Then why don't you go ahead and tell me your idea?

Stall Employee 1: Sure, of course. But we'll be bothering your customers if we keep hanging out in front of the stall like this.

Stall Employee 2: Why don't we go out back? That way we won't be in the way, right?

Sandalphon: Very well. Let's do that then.

Sandalphon asks (Captain) and the crew to watch the food stall for a moment and heads out back with the two men.

Sandalphon: Now then, let's hear your idea.

Stall Employee 1: Right. About that...

The man reaches into his pocket and pulls out a knife.

Stall Employee 1: Hand over that wind machine of yours!

Stall Employee 2: We heard it was a hit with the customers! If we can just get our hands on it...

Sandalphon: Hmph... I see. So that's what you were after all along.

Sandalphon: Things have taken a tedious turn, but at least this will be easier than giving advice.

Stall Employee 1: Huh? What're you muttering about! Hurry up and hand it—

Sandalphon: I think not. We were only able to obtain it ourselves after a lot of planning and hard work.

Sandalphon: And there are customers waiting for me. I don't have time to be dealing with the likes of you.

Stall Employee 2: Oh yeah? What exactly are you gonna do without a weapon?

Stall Employee 1: Get him!

Sandalphon: Don't come crying to me later if you get hurt.

Why We Return: Scene 4

After being taught a harsh lesson, the two men explain that they opened their own food stall to gain experience for running a cafe someday, and Sandalphon responds with a brief lecture. That night, Sandalphon sits outside staring at the ocean, contemplating the conversational skills Lucifer must have needed as supreme primarch.

---

Stall Employees: We're sorry!

After teaching the pair a harsh lesson, Sandalphon brings them back to the shop to hear what they have to say for themselves.

Stall Employee 1: We set up a food stall as practice for when we open our own cafe some day.

Stall Employee 2: But when we didn't get any customers, we panicked and did something stupid...

Sandalphon: A cafe, you say?

Vyrn: That's just like what we're doin'. We've worked a lot harder than these clowns though.

Sandalphon: True.

Sandalphon: I understand your impatience. I was in a similar position myself at first.

Sandalphon: But I've learned something over these past few days.

Stall Employee 1: A-and what's that?

Sandalphon: No need to be so defensive. I'm not trying to be condescending.

Sandalphon: A shop's facilities are definitely important. Not to mention the quality of its products.

Sandalphon: But I've come to realize there are other elements necessary for creating a pleasant cafe.

Stall Employee 2: There are?

Sandalphon: Yes.

Sandalphon glances over at the elderly woman sitting on a bench, having come to visit the food stall once again.

Catching his eye, she smiles warmly and nods in his direction.

Sandalphon: A manager who speaks to their customers, with smiling employees at their side...

Sandalphon: What makes us want to return to a place are the people we want to see again.

Stall Employee 1: What makes us want to return to a place...

Stall Employee 2: Are the people we want to see again...

Lyria: Sandalphon...

Sandalphon: That's all I have to say. Don't ever make me give a lecture like this again.

Seemingly touched by Sandalphon's words, the two men apologize profusely for their actions and return to their own stall.

That night, (Captain) and the crew help clean up after closing time.

Vyrn: Whew... We made it through another day somehow!

Lyria: Things were really busy, but it was a lot of fun!

Vyrn: Haha! Yeah!

Lyria: Oh? By the way, where's Sandalphon?

Vyrn: Now that you mention it, he said he was gonna get some fresh air earlier... I wonder what he's doin'?

Sandalphon: ...

Sandalphon sits on one of the benches outside the food stall, staring out at the ocean.

In his hand is a cup of coffee. And beside him, still steaming slightly, sits another cup of the same brew.

Sandalphon: I wasn't sure how things were going to turn out at first, but I think I just might be able to make it as a manager after all.

Sandalphon: I couldn't have done it by myself though...

Sandalphon: Somehow I even ended up conversing with the customers and giving them guidance.

Sandalphon: Who would have thought I'd be giving people advice? It's absolute nonsense.

Sandalphon: But I suppose... On a much larger scale, this is what you had to do as supreme primarch.

Sandalphon: If that's the case... I want to experience myself what must have been going through your mind.

Sandalphon: Then maybe one day I'll be able to hold my head high...

Sandalphon: Lucifer...

Sandalphon speaks the words softly, setting his own cup next to the one sitting beside him.

As he stares out at the waves, his expression is lit by the stars above—a mixture of peace and sadness.