It was just a mutter. A small, sighing utterance, somber in itâs intonations that unintentionally reached his ears, telling the boy of the importance of todayâs date. Tatsumi, being just the sort of warm-hearted fellow he was, promptly vacated the apartment later that day under the ruse of needing to attend to some forgotten business of his. In all honesty his excuse was hastily thought up and shaky at best even to him, but it did at the very least allow him to get out on his own for awhile. Tatsumi did note the inkling of suspicion that lingered in the girlâs expression and voice before she reluctantly allowed him to attend to his âbusinessâ.
 It was stupid, impulsive, and a little irrational of him, but he had already decided to go through with this. Psyching himself up a bit, he takes a moment to count up all the money in his wallet, sighs, and sighs once more just for good measure. What was left of the savings and meager monthly allowance he initially entered the city with were running despairingly low but it should cover whatever giftâhopefully. Either way looking for a job would soon be in order.
A hop, skip, a jump, a train ride, a wacky, exhausting chase around the next district and one use of his mystic eye to escape a gaggle of cutthroats and lowlifes and a bit more running the boy finally reached his destination without much issue; the shopping center, which as expected was overflowing with the energetic hustle and bustle of swarms and swarms of shoppers. "There really are a lot of people hereâŠâ Was there a sale going on possibly? "Sure looks like it..â Looking around the majority of the shops were modern and had an urban youth sort of feel to them and didnât seem to hold any potential gifts likely to fit Akihaâs tastesâŠbut then again Tatsumi was, admittedly, hopelessly clueless when it came to girls his own age. The fact that Akiha wasnât exactly like girls his own age in the first placeâas he had become painfully aware ofâcertainly didnât help either. Not to mention the hecticness of such monstrous metropolis made him extremely nervous on top of all the cool-looking people wandering about, arms laden with a myriad of designer clothes,electronics, and other gaudy items of extravagance brought down his confidence severely, but he wouldnât allow himself to go back to his new home tired,defeated, AND empty-handed.
'Maybe⊠Maybe I should try another district thoughâ, he thought just before spotting a shop he had f
ailed to notice out of the corner of his eye. Settled in-between two much larger, more imposing buildings, was a modest little antique store that looked a little on the shady side. yet itâs window displaying all sorts of little knick-knacks and items practically dripping anachronism, one item in particular catches his eye immediately. The goddess of fortune must have been smiling on him, it was perfect. Fancy, too. And, as for the price? âAhh-â He feels his heart sag a bit seeing the pricetag attached to the desired item. This was going to wound him, deeply⊠Counting up his money, remembering the words his grandmother had told him about having regrets, and gathering it within his free hand, he enters the modest-looking shop, itâs door playing an annoying little jingle as the boy stepped inside. "Um, excuse meâŠ?â
Back to the present scene, Tatsumi had just slid the box containing Akihaâs gift in front as she sat at her desk idly reading something. "Um, T-Tohno-san⊠Happy Birthday. I got this for you when I went out. I hope you like it." Expectantly, he watched her open the box with a pretty nervous face.
 Upon itâs opening she would find a elegant set of porcelain saucers, teacups, a cream holder, a sugar container, and a long white teapot: An entire tea set. Every object making of the set decorated at the rim with gold Victorian patterning perfectly contrasting but also complimenting the eggshell white of the porcelain glassâa design simple yet elegant; practical yet refined. "ErmâŠ" Tatsumi scratched at his cheek with a sinking feeling in his gut, as she seemed to study her gift intently. "M-Maybe it was a bad idea after all. I, can take it back if you donât like itâŠâ
âAh...â The gift was unexpected. The design reminded her, oddly, of the set she had back at her mansion, and it brought up a nostalgic feeling in her. Never mind the fact that it was probably fake, she was touched that this boy had taken the time- and money- to get her such a thing.
âTatsumi-chan, would you like some tea?âÂ
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