I wasn’t expecting to write another post about Megami no Café Terrace this soon, but here I am after finishing volume 11. Remember how I mentioned Ouka leaving the house to study in France? Well… she is already back working at the cafè. 

Turns out she got rejected rather quickly and returned home to rethink her approach to pursuing a career in fashion. I figured she would come back eventually, but I definitely didn’t expect it to happen in the very next volume.

She is understandably depressed and embarrassed about the whole situation, especially when it comes to talking about it with the others. With Hayato’s help, though, she manages to calm down and return to her usual self. I’m curious about what her new plan will be. Staying at the café is a temporary option, but long-term she needs a clear path.

On the other hand, we also get a bit of progress with Shiragiku Ono. While sorting through the café’s finances, they discover a debt Hayato’s grandmother owed to Shiragiku’s father, so Hayato and Shiragiku visit him to settle it. He refuses the money, of course, but during the visit they talk about the past, and Hayato finally remembers that he and Shiragiku knew each other as children. She was actually his first crush.

Will this affect the race for Hayato’s heart? Hard to say. It is a meaningful moment that clearly boosts Shiragiku’s chances, but as we all know, childhood friends are often cursed to lose in these kinds of stories… so who knows if it is actually a good thing for her.

We also get a small bit of development with Riho, who takes Hayato to a love hotel as part of a mock date. Nothing happens between them, but Riho at least manages to confirm that Hayato does see her as a woman, which is progress for her route.

And then, of course, the volume ends with a big cliffhanger. The group wins a trip to an island resort at a local raffle (three pair tickets, what a coincidence ahah), and every girl has her own plan for how to use this vacation to push things further. 

The three who already confessed (Akane, Shiragiku, and Riho) want to get a clear answer from Hayato, but there might be outside interference. Both Ouka and Ami are starting to realize their own feelings for him, so the battlefield is getting even more crowded.

Either way, I’m really looking forward to seeing what happens in the next volume, and I hope I’ll be back here soon talking about it again.