After Alex closed the door of the closet in Azurath, he opened the door in the middle of the light and appeared in his room on Earth. Sakamo quickly changed clothes and made his braid on the back of his head, going down the stairs in a hurry, straight to the outside.
As he was walking to the restaurant, he couldn’t stop smiling. The day was better than he expected at School, and in Azurath, seeing the crazy Mermaid getting a scare by the jealous Shinatobe, put him in an excellent mood.
Upon arriving at the restaurant door, Sakamo noticed through the glass that there were many people inside, and mumbled as he entered, “Grandma Takechi-san wasn’t joking, the food seems to be superb if there are so many people at this hour. So, I need to find an empty table for…”
Sakamo immediately froze when he saw Hangaku Mae and Tomiko Hari waving at him from a table at the left corner of the restaurant. He approached them and asked, looking puzzled, “What are you doing here? I thought you two were at home by now.”
Hangaku nodded while tapping the empty chair near her. “I saved a spot for you, you cutie! We went home, but I was worried because you would have to eat all alone and go to an empty house. I thought we could hang out with you some more, considering you don’t know many people around here.”
Sakamo asked while glancing over the menu, “You two live far from here? Because going home then returning… I didn’t take too long to arrive after we departed.”
“I live near, Tomiko-chan is the one that lives a little far. That’s why most of the time she slept at my house when we were in Middle School. Now she has another train stop before arriving home because our High School is even farther for her. Lucky for you, because if we weren’t here, you would be all alone, feeling lonely.”
“What do you mean by that? Takechi-sama is here, somewhere…”
Sakamo looked around, trying to find his friend, and noticed that Tomiko had a slight smile and some redness on her cheeks. That made him wonder what happened in his absence. Then, an old lady’s voice called for him, as he felt a squeeze on his shoulder, “Sakamo-kun, I have a lot to thank you for. You helped my grandson in School and you even introduced to him these beautiful ladies. I knew you were special, but I didn’t imagine you would be such a good friend of my cute Hito.”
“That was nothing special, Grandma Takechi-san. I like Takechi-sama a lot, he is very funny. I know I only met him today, but I feel like I know him for a very long time. The way he smiles and how he listens so attentively makes me want to speak to him forever, and that’s not something that happens to me frequently. More often than it should, I get annoyed by talking with people because few people are good listeners.”
Grandma Takechi raised one eyebrow. “Hito mentioned it, but why do you keep calling him Takechi-sama? He is not that important…”
“Ahahah! Yes, I know it’s weird, but it started as a joke he made this morning, and I played along. Our classmates were calling him like that when we went to a coffee-house after School, so I guess it is now his nickname. It suits him, actually, Takechi-sama, the Great One. It’s not a mocking joke because he is shorter than me, it’s just because he acts like if he was really important sometimes. He even waves at people as he walks.”
“That’s nice, I saw how happy he looked when he was telling me about his day. And… I guess this pretty lady is the purple Goddess he mentioned. He has good taste, you are indeed a beauty.”
Tomiko turned bright red and made a slight bow. “It is an honour to meet you. I am Tomiko Hari… did he… talked about me?”
“Yes, he did. I hope you don’t abuse his kindness. He may not look like it, but Hito is very sensible, and he already got hurt a lot by girls.”
Tomiko vigorously shook her head, and she almost shouted, making some people at other tables stare at her, “I would never do that! I promise I won’t hurt him! I like him a lot!”
Tomiko Hari covered her mouth with both hands and spoke in a low voice, “No way… I said it aloud… Please don’t tell him I said this… I would die of shame… I don’t even know if he likes me… and I shouted something like this…”
Sakamo and Hangaku were looking at her, surprised by the sudden explosion, and Grandma Takechi smiled. “Don’t worry, I won’t say a thing. Young people have every right to take care of their life and relationships as they deem fit, as long as they don’t cause trouble for others. By the way, did you all chose what you want to eat, or should I choose for you?”
Sakamo looked at the girls and saw them indecisive, looking at the menu and at the other tables.
“I guess we will trust on your judgement, Grandma Takechi-san. What do you suggest?”
“What about small plates with a few samples, Sakamo-kun? That way you can try a lot of dishes, so on your next visit, you will know exactly what to eat. I go tell Hito to cook your food and I will come back with the first plates.”
Sakamo asked, a little puzzled, “Takechi-sama will cook for us? I didn’t know he cooked!”
“Of course he does. What do you think, that I would have a useless grandson when I have a restaurant? He learned with me as soon as he was able to walk, and he always helps when we are full of customers, like now. I don’t like to brag, but he turned out to be a splendid cook. The woman that marries him will be very lucky!”
Grandma Takechi left after winking one eye at the bright red Tomiko Hari. Hangaku smiled and spoke while looking at the menu, “I wonder what your lover will cook for us, Tomiko-chan. Maybe he makes something tasty for us and something amazing for you, with a romantic poem as a side dish.”
Tomiko stared at her hands that were on top of the table and asked, “You… will mock me forever, right? I know Takechi-sama is not like most guys that are always after you, but… I like him… at least try not to tease him.”
“Tomiko-chan, you know me better than that. I will tease you a lot, but it will be mostly because I like to see you so happy. You were almost glowing when Sakamo-kun talked about Takechi-sama. I thought you were going to have a heart attack with so much nervousness when you were talking with his grandma! It will probably be better if you lowered a bit your enthusiasm around him. Takechi-sama seemed rather shy. You could scare him if you are too open about your feelings, right from the beginning.”
“Funny hearing you say that about enthusiasm, considering the way you are acting since you first saw Sakamo-kun… You were always daring, but today you went too far, you were almost annoying! If I was Sakamo-kun, I would have already told you to slow down.”
Hangaku lost her smile, and she seemed worried. “Yeah, I know what you are saying. I am surprised as well. I guess… I got a little carried away. Maybe it was because of all the girls in our class, and in School. There were a lot of them hovering around my dear Sakamo-kun and I might have thought I would lose him if I wasn’t so… aggressive…”
Sakamo spoke while taking a sip of the juice that Grandma Takechi placed on the table, before running to the kitchen again, “It doesn’t bother me now as it did in the morning, the way Hangaku-san flirts with me. I like the way she is so direct, but I also think that it’s some kind of defensive manoeuvre of her, to give people the wrong idea so that no one finds out how she really is.”
Hangaku asked, a little puzzled, “Since you saw right through me like that, how do you think I am, in reality?”
“Someone that really cares about her friends, that is funny and kind, and has probably a good bunch of qualities that any guy would like to know.”
“And… you are a guy that would want to know more about me?”
Sakamo stared at Hangaku and saw her playing with a curl of her hair, with that little tick of her, putting the curl behind her ear, taking it out, and putting behind again.
“Surprisingly… I think I am. You would need to have some patience with me. I am probably too slow compared to you, concerning this kind of thing. Remember that I was raised in a Shrine by a big group of Monks that made a vow of chastity. I am not innocent, but I might need some time to adjust to your speed.”
Hangaku caressed his cheek with the tip of her fingers. “I have all the patience in the World, and I think you are worth the wait. I might tempt and provoke you a lot, but if I am going too far, tell me, because I want to make you fall for me, I don’t want to make you hate me.”
Tomiko rolled up her eyes at the mushy couple. “Oh, come on, people are eating here! Go find a room, will you?”
She then felt a slight touch on her shoulder and faced a smiling Takechi Hito. “You probably need some company, because those two are in their World, now.”
“Yeah… They are getting on my nerves… What are you doing here? Weren’t you supposed to be in the kitchen, cooking?”
“I was, but my grandma told me you were here. I had to come and see you. Watching you from the small window of the kitchen doesn’t make you justice. You were made to be admired up close.”
Tomiko smiled back and said with her eyes also glowing, “I don’t know if anyone ever told you, but you say the prettiest things. It makes wonders to my ego, hearing you talk like that about me.”
“Well… I wouldn’t mind saying things like this every day. In fact, I would love to do it.”
“I… wouldn’t mind if you did.”
They both went silent, smiling awkwardly at each other. Sakamo blinked a few times, trying to get rid of the hypnotizing smile from Hangaku and saw the new couple. “Oh, Takechi-sama, so nice of you to grant us with your presence! Are you going to join us, or you already ate?”
“I didn’t eat yet. I was going to join you, but then the restaurant turned like this, and these two pretty ladies arrived, saying that they would join you, and my grandma called me to help in the kitchen. She took my place and told me to come here because there was a purple Goddess in dire need of company. I have a few dishes ready, and my grandma is going to bring those and a few more. I hope you like my cooking…”
Tomiko slowly nodded, completely mesmerized by how cool he looked at that moment. Sakamo asked when he saw a new dish arriving at another table, “By the way, when is the last train to your house, Hangaku-san? Because if we take too long to eat, you could…”
“I am not that worried if we lose the last train or not. I know a certain pretty boy that lives all alone nearby, and I am sure he will invite us to have a cup of tea while watching a movie and will offer a nice and comfy bed for us to sleep in. Or in my case, not to sleep at all, because I will have a lot of fun things to do with him!”
Sakamo tried to sound casual as he was eating a slice of bread. “That boy could do that, but your parents wouldn’t be worried if you didn’t go home? What about School tomorrow? You don’t have your bag.”
“Who told you we don’t have our bags? I thought about this plan really carefully. After we left you, we went to buy new underwear and socks, pyjamas, and slippers. We brought those things and our School bags and they are on the floor near Tomiko-chan, against the wall behind her. My parents aren’t at home because they are travelling and Tomiko’s parents know she will sleep with me.”
“You schemy woman… Your only flaw was not counting on my denial.”
Hangaku nodded while taking a tip from his bread and eating seductively, by munching slowly and staring into his eyes. “I am counting on your kindness that won’t allow you to send home two pretty girls like us by train, in the middle of the night. If it makes you feel better, I promise I won’t attack you or try anything. It’s just… don’t think badly of me, but I am worried about you. You are all alone in this big City, you don’t know anyone, and I bet you are a little homesick. I saw the way you looked at that couple on that table on our right, the one with the little kid. I… thought you could use some company tonight. You disguise it very well, but I think you are sad.”
Tomiko and Takechi looked at him, and Sakamo was silent for a while, looking into Hangaku’s eyes. He then caressed her forehead and made a slight smile. “I suspected, but now I am sure… you are indeed dangerous, Hangaku-san. You are a natural seductress, and you are also very intuitive. That makes a powerful combination. I was, in fact, a little sad when everyone went home because I remembered I was the only one without a family to go to. You are also mistaken by thinking that I don’t know anyone in this City. The first time I came to Tokyo was two years ago. I am coming and going from Tokyo to Nakanojo on a weekly basis for these past two years, but I always stayed in hotels, and this is really the first time that I am living alone since my mother died.”