tsukuharuko

[tsukuharuko]

Despite her best efforts, Haruko did doze off. The wild ride from earlier, along with the warm shower and the nice scent of clean bed sheets, made her drowsy in a second. So, when Yusuke walked in, she woke up with a start and a couple of blinks of her lids, taking a moment to realise what had happened.

"Ah...!" She cleared her throat. "I wasn't sleeping...!"

Only once she managed to focus, her eyes fell back on Yusuke with a clear view of his state. And more specifically, of what he wasn't wearing.

"What the--!" She jumped up and scooted on the opposite side of the bed from where he was, face beet red. "I... You... W-Why aren't you wearing anything?? I-I thought you said we were going to sleep now, and... I-I'm too tired for a second round!" She confessed with a mortified squeal.

Well, maybe the whole 'relationship status' had been officialised, but clearly she was going to need some time to get accustomed...

━━   ❝   𝐂𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐈 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐢𝐧' 𝐚𝐭 𝐲𝐚.   ❞    Yusuke response with a smile as he stepped into the bathroom and as he’s bathing he could not help but think about how much different things would be now between them. Well, maybe not all that different but it would feel different because now he can actally call her his girlfriend, now he could say i love you and there wouldn’t be any doubt to how much he loves her and just how deep that love goes, far beyond just platonic.

Hmmm, he wonder if giving her bentos for lunch at her school would mean so much more to her now that he’s her boyfriend and not her friend? Clearly his mind revolved around just her as he cleans his body, eventually he exits the bathroom after drying his skin however, left the towel around his frame because the need to get dressed wasn’t felt..especially after what transpired between them. 

Though once he stepped out he was faced with the sight of her in his best and his boxers as well, just lying there as if she was waiting for him. She didn’t look bad dressed in his things, in fact, he welcomed it, further cementing the fact that she’s his now, and that also had the power that caused him to grin at her. “Look at you, yer lookin’ good.” Yusuke exclaims with a smile on his face before sitting on top of the bed, looking down at Taijiri, who remains asleep, then towards her. “See ya changed the seats too, too bad I never got t’ nab a pic of the stain. Honestly think ya got wetter here than the first time we did it at yer place few months back.”

[tsukuharuko]

PROMPTS FOR THE MORNING AFTER *  adjust as necessary, nsfw implied

this... isn't my bed.

i'll make us breakfast.

wait, how long have you been here?

did you stay the night?

you're so beautiful like this.

did i give you that hickey?

don't get up. stay right here.

kiss me again.

nice bedhead.

are you... wearing anything?

this was a bad idea.

i've wanted to do that forever.

did you enjoy it?

i did a number on your back. sorry about that.

is this your shirt?

maybe you should go.

i had a great time.

if you stay, i'll make us coffee.

i shouldn't have stayed over.

come back here. please?

i've never been like that with anyone before.

there's a bra on the ceiling fan.

did we... actually...?

we could do it again, if you want.

you made me feel... incredible.

was it... okay?

you look beautiful in my bed.

what do you remember?

was i too loud?

you can borrow my shirt.

i guess this makes us more than friends.

this can't be happening.

i could spend the day just like this, right here with you.

is that a hickey?

this was just for fun. it doesn't mean we're together.

this wasn't supposed to happen.

should we talk about it?

what time is it? i'm late for work.

how long have you been awake?

i remember... everything.

we should do that again sometime.

i think we cuddled.

that was the best night of my life.

what parts do you remember?

why don't you stay for breakfast?

was it good for you?

the sex was great.

how do you like your eggs?

are we still friends?

sorry, i've got morning breath.

i'd really like to keep seeing you.

i'm glad i invited you in.

finally... fucking finally.

please don't leave the bed.

don't make fun of me if i walk funny.

this doesn't mean anything.

my friends are never going to believe this.

i don't even know who i was last night.

no one's ever taken care of me like that.

let me help you clean up.

maybe we should forget this even happened.

i'm just going to... leave.

you said some wild things last night.

you're wearing my shirt.

maybe we could make this a regular thing.

am i blushing? i'm blushing, aren't i.

where did i put my glasses?

your clothes are in the living room.

i need a shower.

your hair's a mess.

you make a great pillow.

i thought we agreed this would ruin our relationship.

did i do something wrong?

we were pretty loud.

do you want me to leave?

i asked you to stay the night.

i bet your neighbors hate us.

stay like this.

well, that's one way to bounce back.

what about round two?

don't let go of me.

why don't you join me in the shower?

we can't keep doing this.

we're fucked, aren't we.

how long have i been asleep?

i tried to keep feelings out of this. i really did.

[tsukuharuko]

Haruko took the shirt and slipped it over her head while sticking her tongue at Yusuke. It was quite large and definitely revealing, and she knew he had chosen it on purpose the moment she looked down at the cleveage.

"Yeah?" She asked, raising a brow at him. "Then why did you chose a shirt that leaves little place to imagination?" She slipped down the bed and headed to the set of drawers, opening one and peeking inside. "Go wash yourself, perv. I'll take care of changing the bed."

Underwear could wait a bit -- she still felt a bit swollen down there. While Yusuke left, Haruko managed to find the drawer with the clean bed linen. She chose a blue set, and after ripping the dirty blankets from the mattress, she proceeded to put on the new ones, careful to step around the bed in light steps to not disturb Taijiri.

Once done, she went back to the underwear drawer, trying to choose what to wear. Eventually, just to mess with Yusuke further, she chose a pair of his boxer briefs and put it on, laughing at her own silly joke. She climbed back on the bed, leaning face-down on it with a sigh at the pleasant scent of clean linen, folded her arms and rested her head on them, turning at the door with a cheeky smile and determined to fight sleep back only to witness Yusuke's reaction upon his return.

━━   ❝   𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐭'𝐬 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐛𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐬𝐭.   ❞    He said as he then walked toward his closet and began looking for a shirt for her to wear, and he had for the perfect substitute for her which was in the form of a white vest. Sleeveless and a little bit for her it would supply him with nice views while they lay together. “Ya still have work and school, so we don’t need ya gettin’ t’ those places in crutches because we spent the entire night fuckin’ as boyfriend and girlfriend for the first time.” There’s a grin on his face after such a shameless remark.

Then he gently drops the vest over her body as a blanket. It should stretch down past her thighs. “You’ve got panties with my boxers. I moved ‘em there since when ya come over…it’s not like yer touchin’ the guest room anyway.” Considering how active they’ve gotten after that first little experiment, coupled with how close they’ve gotten. “Now t’ get myself cleaned up..I’ll wake up early with ya tomorrow t’ drive you back t’ Tokyo, we can go with Taijiri.”

[tsukuharuko]

The blue hue surrounding Yusuke stole Haruko a squeal of surprise; she pulled back just to admire the show, laughing amused at it. It was yet another one of Yusuke's special oddities that made him a constant surprise. But she was well past being afraid of anything about him by now; she simply took each unusual aspect of his the same way one would look at a new firework in the sky and gasping of marvel about it.

"Well," she chuckled, "if I had to stick to your way of talking... I'd say I definitely turned you on." She giggled at her own silly joke, going in for another kiss before pulling away again. "Wait a second."

She slipped down Yusuke's lap and walked towards the wall. Once there, she turned off the light switch and turned back at Yusuke, whose blue halo was glowing peacefully in the dark. Haruko let out another giggle as she walked back to him, climbing onto his lap.

"You know," she said, wrapping her arms around his neck, "you really make the nicest night light I've ever seen."

Calloused fingertips continued to glide along the skin of her thighs as she sat on top of him. It was exciting knowing that she’ll come to his place now that it’s finished, though it felt as though something was missing, and in his own way he thinks he might have remedied that. ❝   𝐁𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐲𝐚 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐡𝐮𝐡.   ❞    She definitely has been hanging out with him too much at this point, now he’s wondering if she ever made a naughty remark around her friends? Raunchy advice to get closer to someone they like…something like that..hmmm probably not. Haruko was still a good girl at heart and it’s probably why he’s falling..or already fell for her.

“Well be sure t’ pack some underwear so ya can leave it there, that way you’d always be prepared if ya ever wanted a break from the flat and want a little extra space.” A little too much space, he’s beginning to think having that big house and no one to share it with is what makes that place feel so lonely in the first place. “Ya would also love my neighbors..”

He gives her lips a sweet kiss, but now shuts up for the rest of the smaller kisses he received from her along his jaw. To amplify the story of her kisses recharging his batteries he would allow his azure aura to be visible around his body, the energy dances like a flame around them and yet it produces no heat…only comfort. “Definitely workin’.”

[tsukuharuko]

"G-Growing a what...?"

Haruko had no time to process the information. She hesitantly followed Yusuke to her room, Puu still held tightly against her chest. Once Yusuke walked into her closed, she opened her mouth, trying to warn him -- but he started kicking the bag in there without a hesitation.

An enseble of horrible sounds came from it; Haruko's face went wane, her legs grew weak. She stared at the horrible show without a word, feeling her head spinning. Once it was over, her face had turned from pale to grey.

"I..." She stammered, trying to swallow. "I need the toilet for a moment..."

She was quick to put Puu on the bed before rushing to the bathroom, falling on her knees in front of the toilet and bending over him; a fit of retchings followed, along with the sour taste and scent of bile filling her nose and throat. Once it was over, Haruko stood on her shaking legs. She flushed, washed her mouth and gurgled some water before spitting it, and finally walked back to her bedroom, letting herself fall on the mattress before her legs gave in for good.

"Please..." She panted, eyes closed and eyebrows knitted. "Please, tell me I don't have to throw it away myself..."

━━   ❝   𝐂𝐚𝐧'𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐈'𝐦 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐝.   ❞  Yusuke said as he rushed inside and quickly rushes into her room after she mentioned that the thing was actually moving around in her closet. “Sounds about right, the pieces I buried near me started growing bodies independently. It looks like whenever it can’t reattach itself it just start growing a new friggin’ body.” This is one of the newest form of yokai he’s ever met.

It looked like the client might actually know about the thing, considering they specifically told Yusuke to bring it back alive if all possible. No freaking way now. “Still glad t’ see Puu kept ya safe.” Yusuke spoke up as Puu chirped rather happily. Even in that form, Yusuke at the very list is confident the demon wouldn’t have much of a chance against Puu, so the princess is indeed safe..all things considered.

Now once he saw the bag his eyes spots its form beginning to stretch out, and there were also little grunts which could be heard. “The person who gave me this job is gonna have t’ give me one hell of an explanation..but as far as this little guy goes.” Yusuke raises his foot and begins violently stomping at the bag. The sound of its whales, cries and squeals of agony echoes from within the back, followed by the crunching of bones with the entire building shaking as the green liquid began to pool over her floor. “There…dead.”

[tsukuharuko]

"It's official, my rep? Gone, I'm gonna be known as Urameshi The Sucker in this town." Yusuke said as he had brought home another puppy from his travels (2 months after Taijiri's full recover) The puppy was a little brown dog of the Tosa breed. "Headed through a shortcut while on a job and heard him naggin'..apparently his owners left him tied up. Was pretty hungry cause he ate the bento i took with me for myself..then the little punk pretty much followed me wherever I went. Either way, meet Shinsuke." He offered the pup towards her to take over, here's another son for ya." (And with that..we've got all of Yusuke's doggies.)

From the stove where she was busy preparing dinner for Yusuke's return, Haruko stared down at the little pup as Yusuke handed it to her. Taijiri didn't seem to take the newcomer too well; he protectively stood in front of Haruko, taking suspicious sniffs in the air. She smiled and turned the hob off before cleaning her hands on the apron she was wearing.

"Oh, a bento thief!" She laughed, taking the small puppy in her arms. "Wow, look at these paws," she said, tickling one. "You'll become a big one, huh? Bigger than Taijiri, maybe," she smiled.

Taijiri didn't like the idea, and commented with a bark that made the new puppy -- Shinsuke -- quiver in Haruko's arms. Haruko shushed them both.

"Taijiri, be nice." She squatted and gently allowed Taijiri to get closer to Shinsuke. "You have to be a good big brother!"

Once offered with the chance of studying him closer, Taijiri took a few careful sniffs of Shinsuke before deciding he was alright enough to give him a small lick on the nose. Haruko chuckled, then glanced back up at Yusuke.

"You're going to turn this house into a zoo," she said with a smile, then quirked a brow at him and smirked. "Or maybe you were hoping for the same evening treatment as when you found Taijiri?"

[tsukuharuko]

The moment she saw Inosuke's eyes filling with tears, Haruko felt her heart crack. A thick knot pressed against her throat, and seeing him like that, knowing she was the cause of it, pushed to the verge of brusting into tears in turn. In fact, she already felt tears starting to stream down her face in turn, but before they invaded her cheeks, she threw her arms ahead and wrapped Inosuke in a tight hug.

"You're such a brave guy," she said, pressing her face against his sleeve in a poor attempt to repress her tears. "And it's just unfair how little time we had together... But..." She sniffled, tigheting her embrace around him. "Nevertheless. I'm so happy I got to meet you. Even if you always get my name wrong," she said, chocking a laugh at the memory of it. "It's a special mistake of yours to me."

She held him tightly, taking a moment to calm herself, and even just enjoying the closeness for a bit -- the feeling of holding him before she'd have to let go, sooner or later. Likely, the next day. Once she felt strong enough to hold back her tears, she pulled back and took Inosuke's hands in hers once more.

"For now... Let's just enjoy this evening together," she said. "Let's eat all the delicious food the old lady made for us."

With that, she reached for a shrimp and offered to Inosuke with a tired smile.

"And then, you can sleep here, if you wish," she offered with a timid look. "So you can guard me one last night. What do you say?"

Something broke inside his chest. He felt it crack and split into piece, like it had been struck with a hammer. A storm of feelings wreaked havoc under his ribs, his throat tightening, the air struggling to find its way to his lungs.

His very first heartbreak.

"Your... family..."

He had seen but glimpses of it, back when he had followed her through the well. That bustling, intimidating world was where she belonged. There were people there waiting for her, an entire life that she was supposed to be living. A life that she could not abandon for the sake of one wild boar child.

He didn't immediately notice when the tears started streaming down his face. Their warm touch had him twitch, his eyes shooting upwards to check the roof for a leak. Why was his vision so blurry all of a sudden? Why did his nose itch like he had caught a cold?

"I... I like all those people, but... they're not you..."

He knew nothing else but to be candid. To speak the entire truth, to voice the few feelings that he could identify inside the whirling storm.

He could have tried to reason her. To bargain with her, to plead her to stay, to cry some more until her heart broke for him as well - yet none of these options even brushed his mind. He understood her better than he'd even understood a human being. She had made her decision, and he would respect it.

As much as it tore him apart.

"You... you watch out for big yokai, alright? You know how to kill them now. If anyone ever bothers you, or doesn't show you any respect, you know what to do! You show 'em who's boss! Remember that, alright?"

His voice broke along the end of his sentence. His frame shook with heavy sobs, tears running down her palm as she reached to touch his cheek. He leaned into her caress as would a cat, a wide smile curling at his lips.

"I'm gonna be fine. The old granny's tempura will give me all the strength I need. I'll be strong... and brave... so my underling will respect me! And I bet I can find even more! So you can go home... and not worry about me!"

[tsukuharuko]

Haruko took the notepad and the pen with a grateful smile and a little bow as a thank-you.

"My name is Tsukushima Haruko," she answered. "And no worried, your secret is safe with me," she added with a chuckle.

She then looked down at the notepad and the quick, swift signature on it. She tilted her head a bit, a curious pout on her lips.

"I totally get it, though" she said. "It must be boring, signing off authographs all the time. I mean, I don't get it much," she murmured, glancing down at the notepad, "it's just a scribble--"

Oh shoot, that maybe sounded wrong! She coughed a bit, embarrassed, offering an apologetic smile.

"I-I mean, I'm sure they're very meaningful to your fans! And they appreciate the patience to put up with it," she stammered. "I guess... It's maybe just because I'm not a big fan of... Anyone in particular..."

Why did that sound even worse...?

"A-Anywho, I'll be back to my duties... B-But call me if you need anything please!"

And with that, and one last bow, she quickly hurried back to the counter, where Momoi was waiting for her with an eager grin. Haruko ripped the page from the notepad and handed it to her with a huff.

"Here," she said, only to pull back the autograph before Momoi could seize it to give her a firm look. "But you must promise not to tell anyone he comes here. I don't want this place to become a crazy mess of fans, and I'm sure my boss would like it even less."

"Okay, okay," Momoi huffed, "though you'd have many more customers like this..."

"We're happy as we are." Haruko handed her friend the autograph with a sigh. "Plus, between university and working here, I'm busy as I am already. I couldn't imagine the stress of handling a whole crowd."

Shit! It was for someone else! That almost guaranteed he'd have to make it out to someone. Well, she hadn't asked him to write anything else, so maybe he could get away with just the autograph. That was the safest option. He'd try that and just hope and pray she didn't ask for more. There was no way to turn that request down without looking suspicious.

So for now he just gracefully accepted the pen and notepad, keeping an even expression while he tried to convince himself that even if the waitress did ask for a dedication, it was unlikely that she or Momoi had studied Enji Mizu's handwriting.

As he bent down to sign the paper, he was grateful his hair brushed down over his eye, temporarily obscuring her from his sight and hiding his face. Good. Less of a chance for any noticeable hesitation to slip through. One quick movement of the pen, and it was over. Hopefully. He offered both the notepad and pen to her, smile back in place.

"I appreciate you keeping it quiet that I'm here." And equally appreciated the option to change the subject to distract her before she could ask him to write something else. "I don't mind signing an autograph now and then, but this place is too relaxing for that kind of commotion. I'd like to be able to come back here some time. Maybe it could even become a more regular spot," he added with a shrug.

"Though if I start coming more often, that means I'll be seeing more of you, too. What's your name? So I can greet you properly next time."

[tsukuharuko]

"Oh."

Now she felt bad for teasing him. Haruko let her hand drop and lowered her head with an embarrassed grimace. Second gaffe of the morning; first a physical burnt, and now a moral one. Great job, Haruko, she thought with a pout.

"Well... You'welcome to stay over whenever you want," she offered, hoping to make up for the shortcoming. "There's enough space for two people here, I think."

She nervously played with the edge of her skirt, mulling over Yusuke's words. Finally, she found the courage to glance at him, studying his expression with a shy look.

"I... I'm sorry," she muttered. "I didn't know about your childhood. That was a stupid comment. But I think it's nice that you're willing to live close to your mother," she said. "Most guys would think it's uncool or something... I think it's kind of sweet, actually."

━━   ❝   𝐘𝐞𝐚𝐡 𝐬𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐱, 𝐈'𝐦 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐫.   ❞    Not directly above her but a floor above at the very least, though the fact that she called him a ‘mama’s boy’ brought a rather sour expression on his face, as to be expected from Yusuke either way. “Most guys my age usually have a childhood with their parents.” His eye closes after feeling her grab his cheek. Yusuke is really the only family his mother has, considering everyone she’s ever known had cast her aside the moment her pregnancy was announced.

Considering how annoying that was to think about, he’d just clear his mind. “Either way there are bigger rooms at the complex, but they’re at the bottom floors, but if ya don’t have the money t’ live that extravagantly, then yer screwed.”

[tsukuharuko]

"Middle class...?"

Haruko blinked, confused. Were houses that much different in Tokyo? She had only seen her flat and her dorm so far after all... And she wouldn't call her family upper class. But for sure, houses were much smaller in the big city compared to the countryside, so maybe that played a role in the perception of their size.

"I didn't know you lived close to your mom," she laughed, amused at the idea. "Most boys your age would rather keep distance from their parents." She smiled and reached out to give Yusuke's cheek a light pinch. "So you're a mama boy. That's cute."

Haruko sighed at the headpat, not sure whether of relief or embarrassment. The awkwardness of the accident was still very much burning on her cheeks, but there was that odd, soothing effect Yusuke had on her that made her feel better somehow.

"Only a year and a half?" She quickly glanced at him. "Huh... You seem to have lived a lot of adventures in such a short time. I wonder how you manage. I'm busy as I am with studying and my part-time job..." She sighed. "I gotta say it's admirable."

She let her eyes wander around for a moment. Odd how Yusuke's presence had taken over her apartment so qucikly. It wasn't like he was messy, but wherever she looked, there would be small traces of his presence. His clothes, his bag... The jacket he gifted to her.

"How is your apartment?" She asked. "Is it that much smaller than this?"

[tsukuharuko]

Once she was done showering, Haruko grabbed one of the clean towels hung next to the bath tub and wrapped it around her body. She stepped out, picking the blanket she had abandoned on the floor and leaving it on top of the washing machine as she walked her way back to the bedroom. Once there, she found two sweet boys waiting for her return.

"Oh! You moved Taijiri here!" She walked up to the puppy, who was miraculously still snoring peacefully. She rubbed his tiny head with a finger and chuckled before giving Yusuke an eloquent look. "You know what having him here means, right? No more action for tonight."

She stood up and let herself fall back on the bed with a sigh. Between the warm water and the action from earlier, she felt exhausted. Happy but exhausted. She turned at Yusuke with a smile as her hand reached for his.

"Can I borrow one of your shirts for tonight?" She asked. "I didn't pack much, I came here in a bit of a hurry."

Good thing they had taken the habit of leaving some pieces of clean underwear at each other's place in the last months.

━━   ❝   𝐘𝐚 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐈'𝐦 𝐛𝐥𝐮𝐧𝐭.   ❞    That was Yusuke’s rebuttal as the smile remained on his face…God he’s not sure if the expression was going to leave his face for the remainder of the day. As she’s leaving to get herself cleaned up Yusuke is left by his lonesome heading into the kitchen, thinking of a way that would surprise her the next day. He couldn’t just give her breakfast in bed. He’s been doing that…even before they were dating…though the content of the breakfast can be different. Hrmmm but after a night of grunts and sounds, she’d probably want to wake up WITH HIM in bed..he’s seen that’s quite a big deal within dramas.

Thinking about it now, while this might not be their first rodeo it was still the first time they’ve been with one another as a couple…so waking up with her is really the greatest idea he could come up with, it’d be great for himas well knowing that he has someone at his side, someone he can trust and confide in, someone who wouldn’t leave. “God, what’d she do t’ me?” He asked as he grabbed two bottles of water from the fridge for the two of them, and then picked up the little puppy and heads back towards the room, gentl setting the sleeping dog down.

Now the former detective sat upon the mattress, no covers on it yet as he looked into the box at the poor defenseless animal who slept in it..comfortably so, wondering if it knows its safe…wondering if it’d grow to trust Yusuke and not just act out because of what it went through. “I really hope I don’t screw the pooch.”

[tsukuharuko]

What Oddly Specific Colour Palette are You?

"I gotta say, it's a really cute one! I like it!"

Tagging @ervaurem @whirling-fangs @experimentalfma @asmaticbomb @wild-pineapple-butt

[tsukuharuko]

"Happy Nashi no Hi!"

"Today the Coffee Bean will offer special pear-flavoured drinks and desserts! Feel free to pop by!"

[tsukuharuko]

As Yusuke entered the cafe, Haruko's boss heaved a groan at his request, giving Haruko a stern frown. She answered him an embarrassed smile before turning back at her favourite customer.

"Nu-uh. Regular price. In fact, boyfriends pay an extra fee." She leaned over the counter with a grin. "One kiss for the order. Two for a double pump of pear syrup in your drink."

━━   ❝   𝐈𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐚 𝐛𝐨𝐲𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭?   ❞   Yusuke said as he stepped into the vicinity, probably for the thousandth time in his life. It’s never a bad idea to come for a snack before leaving town.

[tsukuharuko]

"Happy Nashi no Hi!"

"Today the Coffee Bean will offer special pear-flavoured drinks and desserts! Feel free to pop by!"

[tsukuharuko]

The offer of help came as a blessing. Haruko stared at the boy with shiny eyes, much as if she was a starved person who had just been offered a decent meal.

"Help?" She echoed with a stammer. "Really?" She added an eager nod at that. "Please! I'd be... Grateful!"

Finally a word she knew she used properly.

With that, she went back to her lunch with a much happier mood, even somewhat enjoying its odd taste. Alfons' question, however, distracted her for a moment more.

"Different?" She blinked, swallowing the mouthful. "Oh. Yes. Very." She offered a nod. "We have... Sando? Sandwich. But often is... Homemade. Bento." She drew a box on her notebook, scribbling something inside it. "Rice. Vegetables. Fish. Very healthy." Then she glanced at the bag of crisps in the tray with a confused look. "No crisps in Japanese lunch."

Had he accidentally made her feel stupid being able to answer the question so quickly? It hadn't been his intention, but then again, he didn't know many people who went out of their way to try to find out more about a subject that most people found either boring or too complex and useless in real life to have any real interest in.

He quickly shook his head firmly at her self-assessment. "No, not at all! It's kompliz-" He cut off the word in the wrong language and gestured with one hand while he searched for the right one. "It's complicated," he nodded at the presumably correct word choice, "but I study a lot! I like to. If it would help, we can try to study together," he offered. "I just...need to learn some of the words in English," he admitted. Teaching her German chemistry terms would only make it more confusing and wouldn't be helpful in this situation.

But if she didn't want to dwell on it, he'd let her change the subject. Alfons's gaze followed her finger toward the chips, pausing for a moment at the unfamiliar word. Doitsu? Right, that was what she'd called Germany earlier. He'd have to try to remember that. He glanced back down at his own meal, a greasy-looking hotdog and a salad with some unknown dressing. It was a different kind than the one he'd tried yesterday, but he couldn't identify what either dressing was.

With a shrug, he picked up the hotdog with one hand and gave it a cursory glance. "The lunch there is like it is here. Not very good." He paused for a bite before he continued. "But when you are sixteen, it's okay to leave to buy lunch and come back." It seemed unlikely that that would be allowed here, though. Maybe they didn't trust their students enough. But he wasn't picky about food really; just about anything was fine as long as it was edible. "Is the food in Japan different from here?"

[tsukuharuko]

The answer stole Haruko a sigh of relief. Despite being a VIP, Enji Mizu seemed a rather friendly one after all. He probably deserved the popularity, if he was so nice with fans.

"Thank you! Just a moment, please!"

She rummaged in the pocket of her apron, fishing the notepad she used for orders and the pen she wrote them with. She browsed te pages until she found a clean one, and offered everything to Enji Mizu with a grateful smile.

"It's for my friend Momoi," she said. "I had her promise not to spread the word about you being here, don't worry. My boss is not exactly a fan of loud crowds," she explained with a chuckle. "And she would have to lose a client, or more, because of them."

"Thank you." He nodded his appreciation and turned to look out the window as she returned the the counter. It would be rude to return to his book for such a short wait, and peoplewatching could hold his interest well enough if it wasn't for a long period of time. He didn't pay any mind to the conversation behind him at the counter. Even if he'd been paying attention to what was going on back there, he wasn't close enough to even be able to hear what their hushed tones were saying.

When she set the small plate and steaming mug in front of him, Russell's gaze slowly shifted from the window to the order she'd suggested. Even the warm, sweet scent of the coffee and pastry felt welcoming, just like everything else about the cafe, from the comfortable decor to the friendly service. He raised his head to smile up at her appreciatively, but before he could thank her, she hit him with the question he always dreaded the most. An autograph.

Russell had spent weeks practicing imitating Enji Mizu's signature, repeatedly writing the characters on seemingly endless sheets of paper until his pen moved at a speed that looked convincing enough to be believable that it was his natural handwriting. Even then, it was tireless work to make sure it matched closely enough. Overall, he was relatively satisfied with the result. As far as he could tell, most fans would likely not be able to spot the difference, but there was always that chance that someone more well versed in handwriting analysis would be able to spot something subtle that he hadn't noticed. He hadn't been called on it yet, but there was always that nagging worry in the back of his mind that next time could be the time he was caught.

He tried not to let his smile stiffen, but he managed to recover himself in a few seconds. So he just gave her an agreeable nod, forcing a cool demeanor. "If you have a pen, I can give it to you right now," he offered, praying she wouldn't ask him to make it out to anyone. He wasn't nearly as confident as he seemed about making a personalized note look as believable as a specifically practiced signature. At least if it was just the name, he could drill those specific characters into his head, but a regular note was much harder. So he was never the one to offer and preferred to avoid it if it wasn't a specific request.

Trying to keep the focus off of what she may interpret as reluctance, he quickly gestured to the pastry and added. "This looks delicious, by the way. I appreciate the suggestion."