late-night talks and a bowl of crab and corn soup - Isara Mao/Reader
Summary: Mao just wanted to heat up some leftover soup, not wake you up after a long day of work for you both.
A/N: rising from the dead for mao day to finally post this WIP i had stored in my files for the longest time. i've always wondered how sharing a place with mao would feel like. hope you enjoyed reading as i enjoyed writing this! happy birthday mao <3
A soft sound of a door unlocking echoes through the empty hallway. Mao lets out another big yawn before stuffing the key inside his jacket pocket and opening the door. The inside of the apartment room is dark, with only the night sky through the window giving Mao enough visibility to locate the light switch. Well, even with the curtains shut, he can easily feel for it on the wall though.
He makes a quick trip to the kitchen for a glass of water, not bothering to wash the glass after and leaving it on the sink. He can wash it in the morning. Right now, what he needs is some well-deserved rest. He had a full day doing idol work, after all.
Once he enters his room, he dumps his bag on the floor, changes into his hoodie and sweatpants and plops onto his bed. He’s glad tomorrow’s an off day for Trickstar. He can finally laze around the apartment for once and maybe go out and see if there are any new manga releases in the bookstore. Having some sort of plan for tomorrow, he finally lets sleep take over.
With another big yawn, Mao gets up and heads again to the kitchen. He passes by your door and notices the light from inside is off. It was turned on when he arrived earlier, so you must’ve gone to bed. He carefully passes by so as to not wake you.
-
Mao wakes up in the middle of the night with a rumbling belly. He realizes now that he hasn’t eaten a single bite since lunchtime with Subaru and the others, and the afternoon lessons practically burned all that energy he got from that last meal.
He opens the fridge to retrieve a bowl of crab and corn soup he spotted on the top row. After confirming that it hasn’t gone bad by taking a quick whiff, he heats it up in the microwave.
What Mao realized a little too late was how annoying the microwave can be when it starts beeping. It was an old one he bought from a second-hand store when you two moved in. The microwave itself wasn’t broken or anything, just left behind the times, and it still does a good job heating any type of food. The only problem is the piercing sound it makes when the timer ends.
And that sound is now echoing loudly around the kitchen, in the middle of the night– to Mao’s absolute horror.
Flustered, he tries to push the ‘cancel’ button a few times to try and make the sound stop.
It didn’t.
The microwave gives five more long beeps before finally stopping. Spamming the cancel button did nothing to cut off the sound and Mao had a split-second thought to start looking for a replacement for the annoying device. He quickly reaches for the bowl, afraid that the device might start making noise again.
– And he curses a little too loudly when his hand recoils from the hot bowl and drops it on the glass turntable. Of course it would be hot. Why had he not used the mitts sitting on the counter?
He checks the bowl once again while he rubs his sore fingers on his shirt. Thank god he didn’t spill the soup.
Suddenly realizing that he’s been making too much noise at the dead of night, he quickly snaps his head towards your door and to his relief, you don’t seem to be woken up from all the racket. He relaxes.
He finally takes out the bowl– using the mitts this time–and scoops up a portion of the soup onto a smaller bowl. He goes back to the fridge to grab a pitcher of water and then back to the sink to get his glass back.
“What’cha doing there?”
Mao yelps at the sudden voice to his ear and instantly turns his head behind him. And there you are, wide-eyed and looking a little amused by his reaction. You wear a playful smile as he moves his face away from yours.
“You– You were awake?!” Mao stammers as he takes a step back. You took the chance to peek over his shoulder to see what he’s making. Ah, the soup you made the other day. You purposely made more of it in case Mao comes home without dinner, like tonight, you assume.
“With all the ruckus you’ve been making? I thought the smoke detector went off and we’re on fire!” You say, though the last part was meant as a joke. With how long you two have been living in the apartment, you’ve at least known how to differentiate the sounds from your appliances. And you’d never mistake the sound of the microwave for any other, given how distinctly painful it is for the ears.
Mao calms down and chuckles weakly. He then spoke with an apologetic tone. “Sorry about that. I didn’t get to eat dinner today so I’m making a snack. Ah, but I ended up heating all of it..” He gestures to the bigger bowl on the side with the rest of the soup, the savory scent wafting through the air.
The aroma made your stomach rumble as well. You didn’t get to eat anything for dinner either because you were working on a report due soon. That makes two of you, then.
Mao must’ve noticed you staring at the soup, and he grabs another empty bowl from the cupboard. “Want some?” He offers it to you, smiling.
“Yeah. I’m starving too.”
You two took the opportunity to catch up with each other while you ate. The conversation mostly consists of what you’ve been doing in your jobs as of late, with some stories involving your friends from Yumenosaki.
-
Nights like these don’t happen pretty often anymore now that you’re both fully-pledged to your work. The rise of Trickstar’s popularity has landed the unit in various jobs that helped them broaden their experience and expertise. You, on the other hand, are also working hard on your dream job. Most people don’t get to pursue their dreams due to differing circumstances, so you’re happy that you got the support of your family and friends on the career path you want to take. Especially from Mao.
Small laughters, interesting stories, and the scent of the crab and corn soup filled the usually-lonely apartment room, and with the single kitchen light illuminating the whole apartment and the busy sounds of the city heard from afar, you both try to make the most of these rare late-night talks.
-
as always, this fic is also up on AO3 @lightspeedrobin
Summary: Chiaki can vaguely remember that time in kindergarten when he saved a girl during a school field trip but he knows that it was the first time he became someone’s hero. With only a dolphin plush and a worn-out handkerchief to remind him of that memory, he finally meets her again.
A/N: ending the year right! it took a while but we've finally reached the end, and just in time for the current event~
thank you to all the wonderful people who have stay tuned and supported me for the past four months. i enjoyed writing chiaki because he's such a pure and honest boy and i love him TT^TT
wishing everyone a fruitful new year and the best of luck for those grinding for 5star chiaki!until next time~
Chapter 4 - Found
-
The familiar store chimes make a gentle ring as Chiaki enters the cafe. It has been two days since he’d last been there and the quiet and relaxing atmosphere greets him once more. No children running around and the stress of meeting their needs is thankfully gone for the next few days. The kid’s section is almost empty, save for a couple of young adults who chose to sit by the area. It’s a perfect day to talk to the owner without much distractions.
Speaking of the owner, he takes a look around the cafe in search of the person in question, and there she was, engaging in an idle chatter with the barista while putting some final touches on a dish. He quickly looks away when she turns around to deliver the order, setting his eyes on a table at the back. As much as he wanted to stay in the kids section, he didn’t want to draw attention to himself today.
He settles down on his seat and sets the paper bag he’s been carrying beside him. He didn’t bother putting the plush on a different bag, but in hindsight, the owner might recognize the bag when sees it so he keeps it hidden for now. His mind drifts to the conversation he had with Kanata and Kaoru the other day.
‘I think you should just tell her. I’m sure she’ll be happy to know you two are meeting again like this.’
‘Oh but don’t just tell her. Be smooth about it. Hmm… I know a few techniques you can do to–’
‘Kaoru, he’s not trying to hit on her, you know.’
‘I know, I know. But what if…’
In the end, both Ryuseitai members listened to Kaoru’s so-called-techniques over coffee at the ES Cafeteria. It wouldn’t hurt to hear him out and the blonde looked enthusiastic sharing his ideas, not that Chiaki would be able to pull any of it off.
On her way back to the counter, the owner spots him seated at the far back, waving at her. Smiling brighter at the sight of her newly-formed friend, she makes her way to his table. He instinctively pushes the paper bag further towards the back of his seat to hide it from view.
“Hey! You’re back!” She greets enthusiastically, handing him a menu. “On a break from work?”
She speaks in a more casual tone to him now that they’re more familiar with each other. He’s glad that she’s able to relax around him.
“Nah, I’m actually done for the day and wanted to come here.” He replies as he takes the booklet. He only had a small errand at ES today so he has the rest of the day to himself.
She nods and her eyes lit up with interest. “Oh I see. If you’re already finished this early then you must’ve been working hard the past few days.”
“Yup! Ryuseitai’s been getting a lot of jobs lately and I’m glad we get to work together more often now.” He says in genuine pride. Ryuseitai has grown so much from when they were first starting out and all those job requests they’ve been getting are proof that they’re reaching the hearts of more people as idols and allies of justice.
“That’s great to hear!” She beams at the news but then puts a hand on her chin as if remembering something. “Ah, so that time I saw you by the cafe, were you perhaps supposed to meet your friends here?”
Chiaki almost chokes on air. “What?”
“The other day, you were hanging outside the cafe, right?” She explains. “Or did I mistook you for someone else?”
He panics for a brief second but he didn’t want to lie that he hasn’t been in the area that day. Or at least, he couldn’t bring himself to lie. “A-Ah yes, that was me.”
“Well, It’s a shame you didn’t come in. We were testing out some new flavors for the parfaits that day. You and your friends could’ve tried them.” She says, her voice mixed with a little disappointment. Chiaki starts to feel bad for not at least saying ‘hi’ before leaving. But he was supposed to be hiding that day. The owner must’ve had a good eye for spotting him, or he just sucks at stealth.
“O-Oh, um… Yeah, I needed to talk to someone so I had to head back to the agency.” He stammers. He’s not a good liar but it technically wasn’t a lie. He had no plans on giving more context to why he was at the store front in the first place and he hopes she doesn’t ask.
“Ah, I see.” Her expression seemed like she wouldn’t press any further, so he mentally sighs in relief. “Well, we still have them available today. If you like, I could put down an order for you now.” She says, pen and notepad at the ready.
Chiaki checks his watch. An hour before lunch. He could probably use a light meal to go with the parfait.
His order arrives shortly after, with the owner grinning as she sets them down on his table. He can clearly see the excitement in her eyes as she sets the parfait on the table, looking just as mouth-watering as ones he had served the other day. She’s in high spirits today and Chiaki hopes he’ll get to see more of her smile later.
As the last of his order is set down, he catches her attention by clearing his throat. “I also actually came today to talk to you.”
She raises a curious eyebrow at him. “Oh...”
“It’s really nothing important, just–”
“This isn’t about that other day, right? The ‘i-made-a-famous-idol-work-at-my-cafe’ thing?” She hugs the empty tray closer as she speaks, voice clearly in panic. It must’ve still been bothering her since then.
Chiaki quickly shakes his head, letting out an awkward laugh for not giving more context right away. “No, no, no. There really wasn’t any issue with that. This one’s actually unrelated so no need to worry. But this might take a while so...” He trails off, unsure what to say next. He’s well aware that she’s still in the middle of work but this might be the only chance he can get, and the conversation might take long considering how this would concern her largely.
“Ah...” She relaxes and now it was her turn to give an awkward chuckle. “Sorry, I tend to think ahead of things so I kind of panicked.”
He knows. At least for the times he visited, he assumed as such. But that didn’t bother Chiaki at all. The way she starts to break her upbeat demeanor in panic, fidgeting and cheeks flushing was adorable in a way.
She takes a deep breath again to compose herself, looking at the clock by the counter before speaking again. “Well, I’ll be having my break soon so if you want we can talk then.”
“Alright, I can wait until then.”
Chiaki slowly eats his meal as the lunch rush passes and soon enough it dies down, resuming into its calmer atmosphere. A good time for a break.
She asks him if he would like to wait in the staff room for a bit while she gives some instructions to her staff and he takes the suggestion. It is more preferable to have some privacy.
-
The owner steps in the staff room after a few minutes, leaving a few more words to the other staff outside before closing the door. Chiaki patiently waits as she writes down an entry on the time sheet hung on the wall before finally sitting across him on the table. Something catches his eye though: a small stain on her apron.
“Thanks for waiting.” She says. “I had to leave a few things to them before I take my break.
Chiaki feels the nervousness building up but despite that, he was able to keep calm and answer with a cheery tone. “It’s no problem at all. I am the one who wanted to talk to you.”
“Oh um… Before that, you have a little stain on your apron.” He pats his lap to indicate where it is and she makes a surprised ‘oh’ before looking down on the same area on her apron. The brown spot looks small enough to be unnoticable from afar but Chiaki was able to spot it when she sat down.
“Shoot. There is.” She confirms, and starts to rub it off with her thumb.
Just then, an idea popped into Chiaki’s head. Even after all these years, he never really practiced the habit of bringing his own handkerchief, but this day, he had one. And this particular piece of cloth holds a certain value that would bring up the subject that Chiaki had been nervous about for days.
Nervousness, however, was just part of the things he was feeling at the moment. More than that, he was feeling hopeful. Hopeful that things will stay the same between them, if not, improve. And he has Kanata and Kaoru to thank for that.
So with the usual sunny smile on his face, he reaches into his pocket for the handkerchief and presents it to her, who’s still focused on the stain. He makes sure to get that particular corner exposed so she would immediately see it.
“You can use this, if you like.”
She looks up at the handkerchief offered to her, then at him. She makes a bashful smile before reaching out to take it
“Thank you for–” She stopped mid-sentence as soon as she laid eyes on the name on the handkerchief. Surprise and disbelief spread across her face as it finally dawns in on her what the familiar piece of cloth conveys.
She slowly looks up at him and Chiaki nods, as if confirming whatever thoughts have been swimming in her head right now. Yes, it was the handkerchief she gave him a long time ago. Yes, he was the boy who stood next to her on stage in the aquatic show. And yes, he was the boy, who despite not knowing how to swim, still jumped in the water to save her.
“I-I can’t believe it...” She takes a closer look at the cloth, tracing her fingers on the neatly embroidered name and the sunflowers decorating the corners.
“I didn’t realize it right away but that boy who tried to pull you out of the water years ago… was most probably me.” Chiaki finally puts in words. “And I wanted to give that back to you… with this.” He reaches out into the bag and takes out the pink dolphin plush. He did his best to clean it up but the accumulated dust over the years faded out the bright pink color it had from what Chiaki remembered.
She gasps and slowly touches the stuffed animal, as if handling something fragile. Her lips appear to be tugging into a smile as she looks over it. “It’s–!”
“This is yours, right? It all happened so fast at the souvenir shop that even I didn’t realize we switched bags back then.” He explains. He anxiously studies her expression as he places the plush down on the table.
Her eyes lit up at the memory. “I remember! I was so shocked that I got the wrong one.” She then claps her mouth, looking both happy and embarrassed. “That was my bad, I rushed out so suddenly that I forgot to check.”
“No, that’s okay. Really. But i’m glad that you still treasured mine despite all that.” At this point, it didn’t really matter who caused the switch. It was just an honest and clumsy mistake they made, which was natural for children their age. What matters now is this moment, where the exchanged dolphins allowed them to meet again.
“It is from my hero, after all.” She says a little softly. Instead of having that distant look from the first time she talked about her hero, she’s now looking directly at him, and Chiaki can feel the warmth and gratitude of her gaze, along with a strange ecstatic feeling inside him.
“You saved my life back then. And we both wouldn’t be meeting here again if it weren’t for that.” For some reason, he couldn’t tear his eyes away from her as she spoke. Her words seem to bear more weight to him now that there is someone to receive the admiration she has. Now that he is the one receiving it.
She smiles, the same twinkle reflected in her eyes, and this time, that smile was for him. “Thank you.”
“I...” Chiaki is left dumbstruck at those two words, trailing off from what he was supposed to day. Back in the aquarium, they didn’t mean anything big. It just made him happy before because even though they both almost drowned, she still thanked him. Even though he almost failed, she still looked up to him.
'But why does hearing them again now feel different?‘ , he wonders.
She was still looking at him, probably waiting for him to finish his thought. Still unable to think of a proper response, Chiaki lets out the first words that come to his mind.
“A hero never hesitates when there are people in need, after all.”
And she laughs.
“You said the same thing back then too.” She points out, and only then did Chiaki realize it. It wasn’t really his intention to say the same thing but maybe he never really changed all that much from when she met him.
“Now I’m sure it really is you.”
Chiaki pauses in his thoughts, the nostalgic atmosphere instantly disappearing. “W-Wait, were you actually doubting me earlier?”
“No, not at all.” She calmly says, waving her hand vigorously in denial. “It’s just too good to be true that I thought this was just a dream.” And he awkwardly laughs in return with her, having been worried for nothing.
“A-Anyway, here is your dolphin back if you still need it. Ah, but I feel bad for returning this after learning how you took care of mine well so you can keep both.” He gestures to the said animal on the table, smiling all the while. It was the solution he came up with after mulling over it a few days ago. By letting her keep both, she wouldn’t have to let go of the one she took care of all these years while still getting her original one back.
She, however, seems to be against it. “What? I can’t possibly do that. I mean, you’ve also kept mine all this time and that’ll make me feel equally bad for taking it.” And she pushes the dolphin towards him.
Chiaki shakes his head before pushing it back to her. “It’s totally fine, really.”
At the back of his mind, he was anticipating her to insist on giving him the plush and the funny exchange would go on until one finally gave in. He can feel a sense of deja vu as he preps himself for her response. He was determined to not budge this time.
Unexpectedly, however, she pauses for a moment in deep thought before sighing. “Alright. I’ll take my dolphin back… Thanks.” She pulls the dolphin towards her, and for some reason, he felt a little dismayed that it didn’t go the way he imagined.
She then taps a finger to her chin, humming in thought. “But I don’t really have any more space to keep another one sooo–” She stands up, circling around the table to stand beside Chiaki, and places the dolphin on his hands. “I’m giving this one to you.” She states, smiling while Chiaki stares at her in confusion. Only one word escaped his mouth.
“What?”
“I’m giving you my extra dolphin to keep. So now you can take care of him while I continue looking after yours.” She elaborates, having solved the dilemma he had in just a few minutes. By accepting the returned plush and giving it to him after, it catered both their intentions. Chiaki definitely didn’t expect this response.
She looks at him with such a cool and smug expression that he gives a defeated sigh. She definitely wins this time.
“Well then, I guess this one will be in my care.” He gives the pink dolphin a pat, now formally his, and he can only feel warm and happy seeing her smile widening.
She then walks over to a row of lockers on the other side of the room and opens what he assumes is her locker. Inside was her own dolphin in it’s fading blue color. She takes it out and places it on the table, right in front of Chiaki’s. “I’ll be looking forward to more playdates then.” She says in a higher tone, as if giving the animal plush its own voice, and waves its fin. It was playful and silly, but it was cute.
He gives a small chuckle as he plays along, waving his dolphin’s fin back at hers. “Yeah. I’ll come visit some time.” And they both broke into a hearty laughter.
When she looked up at him again, her eyes showed a gentle glow and her cheeks turned the lightest shade of pink as she beams at him. For a moment there, he can only stare in awe at the sight.
“I hope we can get to know each other more too.”
Chiaki feels a rush of joy welling up in him. All the pleasant emotions are mixing up inside him from her words that it was natural for his face to lift into a smile. “Me too.”
They were silent for a few more seconds, and almost instantly, an awkward atmosphere started to build up. Rubbing a hesitant hand on the back of his head, Chiaki breaks the silence. “So… I was wondering if we can, you know, chat a little more?”
He had a lot of things he wanted to talk about with her. Somehow, after all that has happened today, he feels refreshed and eager to learn more about her. But all those thoughts were flushed down the drain at her immediate response.
“We can’t."
And Chiaki is again thrown into a spiral of surprise and confusion. Her brows were slightly furrowed so he couldn’t tell what they meant. A swarm of questions started to fill his head, unable to determine whether everything had really worked out. He might have gotten carried away with his request.
“–At least not now when my break’s about to be over.” She follows right after, peering at the wall clock by the time sheet with a guilty look. He snaps his head towards the clock as well. It’s been almost an hour since her break started. He terribly lost track of time.
“Right… Totally forgot about that.” His sigh came out as a stammered laugh so she chuckled in amusement. It really did end well. She may have just been teasing him a bit.
“Why don’t we take a walk around the city later after we close shop for the day?”
“That... sounds great.”
Chiaki never expected to meet again someone from his childhood memory, not to mention, one that admired him all this time for saving her. The thought that he was able to be someone’s hero at such a young age, gives him a new-found determination to grow more as a proud member of Ryuseitai.
While he doesn’t know what their friendship would become in the future, what he does know is that spending time with her gives him an unusually pleasant and light feeling. And he’s looking forward to that walk later, and, of course, the other meetings to come.
-
this fic is also up on my ao3, @lightspeedrobin , feel free to give a follow~
Summary: Chiaki can vaguely remember that time in kindergarten when he saved a girl during a school field trip but he knows that it was the first time he became someone’s hero. With only a dolphin plush and a worn-out handkerchief to remind him of that memory, he finally meets her again.
A/N: A lot of IRL stuff happened which caused the delay of this update but here it is~ Hope you enjoy and please look forward to the next and final chapter~!
Chapter 3: A Snippet of the Past
-
It seems like today is his lucky day as Chiaki is called up on stage by the emcee, his smile couldn’t be any wider as he joins the other kid next to the sea lion. The next bit of the show was to have volunteers from the audience play some tricks with the aquatic animal.
He was waving excitedly to his mom from the audience seats when he heard a scream followed by a splash of water.
The crowd was in panic as the girl was pulled underwater, the emcee calling for a lifeguard through the microphone and the girl’s classmates shouting at her. Chiaki is stunned as well. One second she was just standing next to him and the next she’s gone.
But he was moving before he even registered what he’s about to do and jumped into the water, the worried voice of the emcee fading as he tried to swim deeper into the water to reach the drowning girl.
‘Heroes have these kinds of moments too, huh? Suddenly rushing in to help without giving it any thought.’, he thinks to himself, stretching his arm long enough to grab hold of the girl. With the sudden charge into the water, however, Chiaki didn’t have a chance to take a deep breath so he was struggling to pull themselves above water before he ran out of breath.
But he couldn’t hold it any longer. He lets out air from his mouth, bubbles escaping and making their way upwards, and started to inhale water. It was painful. Despite that, he kept a firm hold of the girl’s arm. Judging by the ease of pulling her towards him, the animal must’ve let her go.
However it was too late, as Chiaki’s senses were fading and his grip started to loosen.
It was the aquarium staff who ultimately saved both children, pulling them out as quickly as they could. Thankfully, they were able to regain consciousness after receiving first aid, and their worried parents rushed in.
As his mother was patting his head in relief, Chiaki looked over to the girl who was fighting the tears in her eyes, telling her mom how scared she was and the older woman comforting her. She seemed okay physically, at least.
They were led to the infirmary for a quick check-up, and after confirming that both didn’t sustain any injuries were taken to the souvenir shop to get some dry clothes.
--
Chiaki feels a tug on his shirt and turns around to see the girl in a fresh new set of clothes bought from the shop. She was fidgeting with her fingers before shyly meeting his eyes.
“Mommy said I should always thank people who help me… so… thank you very much for saving me!” She bows her head and Chiaki is at a loss for words.
“No, no. It wasn’t really me who saved you.” The young boy quickly denies despite the warm feeling her words brought him. He felt like he didn’t deserve the gratitude. He did almost drown with her after recklessly jumping in after her.
She shakes her head. “I already thanked the nice adults earlier. But you were the one who tried to save me first, right? So, thank you!” She insists and bows her head again. The sincerity of her voice made the young boy give up any more argument and accept her gratitude. He smiles in reply.
“A hero never hesitates when there are people in need, after all.”
Chiaki then notices a paper bag beside the girl. It was the same size as the one he has after purchasing a souvenir from the shop. “Did you also buy one?” And the girl tilts her head to the side in confusion.
He points to the bag. “A souvenir, I mean.” He clarifies. She turns her attention to the bag and nods.
“Yes. The dolphins from the show were cute”, she reaches inside the bag and reveals a pink stuffed dolphin, “so I want to keep one too!”
Chiaki’s eyes grow wide and opens his own bag. “I also liked the show so I got one too!” A blue stuffed dolphin peeks from inside, the same kind the girl has. The girl gasps in awe and giggles before speaking again. “We match!”
“We do!” And he matches her laughter with one of his own before being interrupted by a sudden sneeze, surprising the both of them.
“Are you okay?” The girl worriedly asks, and Chiaki quickly wipes his nose with his sleeve.
“Y-Yeah, I’m fine! This usually happens when I get a little chilly but it should be fine when we get outside.” He explains. He was never good with changing temperatures to begin with and the air conditioning of the shop was doing more harm than good. They did both just came from the outside stage earlier and that summer heat was no joke. Not to mention them being dripping wet not too long ago.
The girl gives him one more concerned look before patting on the pockets of her skirt. She pulls out a handkerchief. “Here, you can use this. Mommy always makes me carry one.”
Chiaki was hesitant but gave an awkward laugh before taking it. “Thanks! It’s a little embarrassing you had to see that.” He can already feel his cheeks turning red. He should really start bringing a towel of his own in the future. But the girl pays it no mind and says that it didn’t bother her at all.
Before they could start another conversation, a voice calls out and the girl turns around to see her mother waving at her from the entrance. It must be their time to leave.
“Mommy is calling me... I guess it’s time to go home.” She says, a hint of sadness in her voice. The girl didn’t move from her spot and looked down on the floor with a frown. It must be hard to say goodbye to a new friend so early.
A cheerful ‘Well, take care!’ should at least break the silence, Chiaki thought. Though he too didn’t want to part too soon, he knows his mom would be calling for him too. So he puts on a brave smile and steps forward. But just as he was about to open his mouth the girl lifts her head.
“It was nice meeting you! Thank you again for rescuing me!” She spoke with all the appreciation she felt at that moment. “... And I hope we can meet again.” She quickly grabs her paper bag and runs away before Chiaki can even utter a reply. She takes her mother’s waiting hand but before the two exit the shop, she turns around.
“Bye bye, Mr. Hero!”
--
Chiaki lies awake on his bed, his mind still reminiscing the incident from long ago. How could he have forgotten?
He remembers having a field trip when he was younger. A troubled expression of his mother when she realized Chiaki picked up the wrong paper bag from the aquarium shop. And the panic he felt after realizing he and the girl had accidentally swapped bags. He remembers coming down with a fever on that same night.
So that memory wasn’t a fever dream after all?
He sits back up on the bed and reaches for the old paper bag he left by his bedside. A pink dolphin, a handkerchief, and a name. No matter how many times he opens it, nothing changes. He closes his eyes to let it sink in once more.
He was the one who saved her. He was her first hero.
--
After dropping by the ES building for work, Chiaki spends the rest of his free time roaming around ES. He still can’t believe it. Remembering what happened is one thing, but meeting the girl he had saved back then was almost too coincidental that the brunette wonders if there really is some divine being at work here. Or it could also be fate trying to tie them together. Not every person you meet will cross paths with you again, after all.
Maybe this is the universe giving Chiaki an opportunity to give her back her handkerchief. He didn’t really intend to keep it back then, just wipe his nose quickly and then hand it back, but she was gone too soon. The pink dolphin was hers too, so he can give that back as well. But that could mean her giving him the blue one, which was supposed to be his. She had treasured his dolphin for so long and for her to just return it like that, in exchange for a pink dolphin that he didn’t really paid attention to all these years, would be a really disappointing trade.
All he’s thinking right now is if their current relationship would change if he tells her. And if that change would be for the better or for the worse.
Right now, he’s assuming the worst.
He thought a walk would clear his mind of these thoughts, but it only made him think about them more. He needs to find another way to distract himself.
But somehow in his wandering around, he ends up at the front of the cafe. He must’ve navigated there by instinct, though he wasn’t sure if he would call it that considering he was only able to go there twice. Well thrice, if he counted today.
He steps a little to the far side of the road to let the other people walk past. It would look a little suspicious if people saw him just staring at the shop so he takes out his phone and pretends to be texting someone.
He subtly looks up from his phone to see inside the cafe and spots the owner by the counter, picking up the orders to serve. Another female joins her with a tray in hand. That must be the other employee who was sick for the last few days. Well, he’s glad the owner didn’t have to wait tables alone today. Yesterday was a hectic day indeed but today’s atmosphere looks a little calmer, with a manageable amount of customers.
‘There was a festival nearby which would explain why there were a lot more children in the area’, was what the owner told him.
At the thought of what happened the previous day, Chiaki remembers a funny exchange he had with her. He had tried to pay for his order but she insisted it’s on the house, saying that she might still get in trouble for making him work so it’s the least she could do.
“Haha! I told you, you won’t. So it’s okay, really. Let me pay for it.” Chiaki was already reaching for his wallet, taking out some L$ and placing them on the table in front of her
She pushed the money back at him, shaking her head. “Well, then just consider it as payment for helping out. It’s the least I can do.”
“No, no. Just take it. I’m still a customer after all!”
“Usually when someone’s offered something for free they’d gladly take it, you know?”
“And I’m not one who just takes advantage of that and not compensate you properly for your hard work.”
Their exchange went on for a few more minutes until both started laughing at how silly they both are for just a parfait. In the end, they decided to just meet halfway and pay the dessert on a discount.
A small laugh escapes Chiaki’s lips after looking back at the memory and he finally tucks his phone back to his pocket. Maybe he really is just overthinking it all and she’d actually be happy when he tells her. Maybe. He should probably at least tell Kanata or Kaoru about this whole situation. Knowing their thoughts about it would also help him get out of his pessimistic tunnel vision.
Chiaki nods to himself and takes one last glance at the cafe before heading back to the office, now with an objective in mind.
--
this fic is also up on my ao3, @lightspeedrobin , do give me a follow there too if you can~
Summary: Chiaki can vaguely remember that time in kindergarten when he saved a girl during a school field trip but he knows that it was the first time he became someone’s hero. With only a dolphin plush and a worn-out handkerchief to remind him of that memory, he finally meets her again.
A/N: This chapter took longer than i expected but hopefully the length is worth the wait~ Hope you enjoy this chapter!
Chapter 2: Lending A Hand
-
“She’s what?”
“Hmm? She’s the cafe’s owner. Kaoru told me last time we went there with Souma.”
Chiaki didn’t realize the fact until after they left the cafe, and the first thing that concerned him was if he was at any point rude to her while they were talking the other day. Judging by her reactions, she probably wasn’t but he’s really not the type who can read people’s emotions accurately. Plus, that was just the first time they met, so he wouldn’t really know. Kanata should’ve really told him. But Chiaki can’t really blame him since Kanata must've thought the brunette already knew.
Chiaki shakes the thought off as he rounds the corner to the street where the cafe is located.
Visiting the cafe in the morning would probably be a bad idea since the children might recognize him and cause a commotion. He recalls a lot of Ryuseitai meet and greet events where the children would just gather around and cling onto him in adoration. Not that he dislikes it one bit, but he might cause too much ruckus in the cafe that it disrupts the rest of the customers. So he decides a late afternoon visit would be better, where the crowd would be thinner.
Or so he thought.
The moment he enters the cafe, a pair of children run past him, almost bumping into his legs if he hadn’t moved away in time.The children’s area is completely full and the quiet, relaxing atmosphere from two days ago was gone.
He spots the owner by the display case, reaching for a stuffed bear to lend to a waiting girl by her feet. “Alright now. Take good care of her while we get your Ranger Pink parfait ready, okay?” She says, her voice in a gentle and soothing tone.
The girl sniffles and rubs her eyes before taking the bear. “...Okay. Thank you, Onee-san!” She gives her new friend a pat before trotting back to her mother. The mother mouths a small ‘thank you’ as her daughter approaches and the owner waves in reply.
Chiaki walks over just as the owner turns to the door. “Oh, you really came!” She says, a hint of excitement in her voice. However, as soon as she realizes this her cheeks turn a light shade of pink and she clears her throat to hide her embarrassment. “–I mean, welcome! Please have a seat and we’ll get back to you for your order.” The change of her tone to a more business-like one didn’t go unnoticed by Chiaki, but he passes the observation as simply being courteous.
“Thanks. I’ll be over there, then.” Chiaki points to an empty table near the children’s area and she nods before getting back to work. Now’s probably a good time to go over the script for another job while he waits, and so he opens the folder he brought with him and starts skimming over the lines.
He didn’t know how much time had passed when a glass of water was placed on the table in front of him and was greeted again by the owner, just like the first time he visited the cafe. The only difference is that this time, she is looking more troubled than cheerful.
“I am so very sorry!” She suddenly blurts out, bowing her head. “We haven’t had this many customers at this time of the day and… well our other staff is still sick so–Ah! Sorry! I shouldn’t be blabbering all this to a customer!” She says and apologizes once more. He’s never seen her this flustered before.
“Ah, no it’s fine really. I didn’t even notice how long it has been since I started reading through this.” Chiaki quickly replies, trying to ease her worries. He had a habit of getting too engrossed in whatever he’s reading and losing track of time, after all, so a few minutes of waiting shouldn’t bother him too much.
“But it’s already been an hour since you arrived and we haven’t attended to you yet,” she regretfully explains, “so please let me take your order now and I'll get started on it immediately!” She takes out a notepad and waits for his reply.
An hour, huh? Chiaki thinks and peeks over behind her to the children section. It’s still packed, with the most children holding stuffed animals from the display case. They must already be waiting for their orders too. The barista counter has several parfaits on it, ready to be served. There are also a few new customers who are looking around and probably waiting for a staff to attend to them. It’s one heck of a war she’ll be returning to once she takes his order.
“Umm… Sir?” She hesitantly calls, clearly still anticipating his response, and Chiaki looks back at her.
“You have a lot of people today, huh?”
“Y-Yes. I’m really sorry for–”
“Would you mind me helping out?”
“What?” Her tense shoulders drop in confusion as Chiaki stands up and takes a quick view of the cafe once more.
“I can go wait tables and entertain the kids to free you some tasks.” He offers, hands now on his hips and wearing a confident smile on his face. She was surprised by the offer but she quickly shakes her head.
“But that’s– We can’t possibly let a customer do that and not to mention an i–”
“It’s fine, really. A hero would never pass up any chance of helping others!”
But despite her best efforts to dissuade him from taking the place of their sick employee, she eventually gives in. Partly because she had a long queue of orders that needed preparing and she no more time to waste arguing, but mostly because of Chiaki’s persistent convincing. He had good intentions, after all.
-
Chiaki is a natural at this, being an idol and all, and is able to settle down the waiting customers, especially the children. It was only a matter of time before the chaotic atmosphere died down.
He stops for a moment to look back at the counter to see how they’re doing with the orders, and he sees her trying her best to calm an upset boy, who was stomping his feet in front of the display case.
“I want to play with the dolphin!” The boy cries, pointing his finger on the worn out dolphin plush at the top shelf.
“I’m really sorry. That one’s only for display.” She gently replies, crouching down to meet the boy’s eyes.
“But I want to see what it looks like up close! Mommy and I went to an aquarium yesterday and I didn’t see the real one because I was scared. So I want to play with the blue dolphin!” The boy raises his voice, already on the verge of tears. She bites her lip, not knowing what to do.
“...Mr. Dolphin up there is really old, you see? If we suddenly take him outside, he’ll… um… he might get hurt.” She tries her best to explain it to him in a way he can understand but the boy was not budging, still holding that disappointed frown on his face. “A-Anyway, I can’t really take Mr. Dolphin out. You can play with the other animals, if you like–”
“It’s just for a few minutes until Mommy comes back. Why won’t you let me play with him?!” The boy shouts and stands on his tiptoes, pressing his little hands on the glass screen and attempting to slide it open.
“W-Wait! It’s dangerous, don’t–”
Chiaki is quick to rush over, reaching out for the boy to lift him up and away from the display case. The boy was stunned by the sudden action, with eyes staring wide at Chiaki as he put him down.
“Now, now. Good boys should listen to the grown-ups. It’ll be hard for you to be a hero if you keep causing trouble.” Chiaki then says.
“But the dolphin...” The boy looks back up at the dolphin, frowning even more.
Chiaki places a hand on the boy’s shoulder. “You said you went to an aquarium, yeah?”
The boy nods and wipes little beads of tears forming on his eyes. “...Yeah.”
“What was it like seeing the other fish up close?” Chiaki asks, and almost instantly the small tantrum is forgotten as the boy looks at him with excited eyes.
“There were so many colorful fish and they were swimming together!” He spreads his arms wide as he tells the brunette. “There was this one fish with… um...”, the boy looks at his hands and tries to count on his fingers, “... eight legs!”
“Wow! That looks cool! How does a fish with eight legs swim, I wonder?” Chiaki exclaims and the boy looks happy to have someone listen to his stories.
The boy's face lights up at an idea. “Oh! I can show you what it looks like!” And he starts tugging at Chiaki’s hand. “Let me draw it for you.”
Before Chiaki is dragged away, he turns to her, who was still surprised at how easily he handled the situation. “I’ll take care of the boy here, you go and tend to the other customers.” He reassures her, giving her a quick wink to ease her worries and she gives a relieved smile.
“Alright, thank you.” She nods before heading back to the counter to retrieve the next batch of orders to serve. Chiaki continues to listen to the child as he draws with the crayons and sheets of paper on the table. The eight-legged fish the boy was talking about was actually an octopus. The boy then starts to tell Chiaki about the other creatures he saw on his aquarium visit and the brunette listens patiently.
From behind the child, Chiaki sees the owner slowly making her way to the display case, careful not to alert the boy of her presence. He and the boy were seated at a table with the boy having his back turned from the shelf, so when she opened the glass door and reached for the dolphin, the boy didn’t notice.
She meets Chiaki’s eyes for a moment, and signals him to stay quiet and continue distracting the boy. He nods and she quickly ducks behind the counter and into the staff room with the dolphin. She is probably hiding it so the boy would forget about it.
The rest of the afternoon went smoothly thanks to Chiaki’s help and they were able to reach closing time without incident. That was probably the busiest day they’ve had, and it would’ve brought them a bad reputation if there were too many unsatisfied customers due to being understaffed. Chiaki was glad he could help.
–
“Here’s your Ranger Red Parfait!” Chiaki eagerly watches as his red parfait is placed in front of him. The dessert looked more appetizing now that he can finally have his own. It would be a lie to say he was not thinking about finally tasting it while he was serving them to the children earlier. The glass is tall and wide, containing a generous amount of whipped cream over the red velvet cake and cream cheese icing. It’s also decorated with walnuts, strawberries, blueberries and a chocolate wafer on top. It really makes one excited to just dip their spoon onto the dessert.
“Ah, I can’t wait to try it! Thank you!” Chiaki replies a little too enthusiastically, earning a small laugh from her. The cafe has already closed for the day and it’s just the two of them left. Chiaki decided to sit by the children’s area and he invited her to sit across him.
“You sure are as excited as those children earlier.” She comments, placing her arms on the table as she watches him.
“Well, I really am excited to try them out ever since I saw it on the flyer.” He explains in reply. He was looking forward to visiting the cafe again with Ryuseitai too but unfortunately, their schedules didn’t match up so he ended up going alone.
A small chuckle escaped her lips. “Yeah, I can see you practically drooling over the other parfaits you were serving earlier.” And Chiaki’s eyes grew wide at her statement. Was he really that obvious?
“Just kidding~” She then says, giggling again at his reaction. Chiaki can feel his cheeks getting red in embarrassment but he tries to hide it with a loud laugh.
“You got me there.”
She watches expectantly as he finally takes a careful scoop of the parfait, making sure to get a part of all the elements so he can taste how well they would all combine. He places the spoonful on his mouth and as the wonderful flavours fill his taste buds, he notices the nameplate on her uniform, a defining gold plate with her name and the title “Manager” under it. She really does run the cafe, huh?
“Um… Is something the matter? Did it... not live up to your tastes?” She nervously asks. He was lost again in his thoughts so she must’ve interpreted his silence as dissatisfaction.
“Uh, no. It actually tastes amazing! I can see how well they all come together.” He quickly replies and she lets a breath she’s been holding. Ah, he made her worry again.
“It’s just that I didn’t realize you were the owner until a friend told me when we left last time.” He says sheepishly and she responds with a small “oh ” before laughing.
She leans slightly on the table. “Well, I didn’t realize you were an idol until our barista showed me one of your concerts. The children were all fawning over you earlier too! I’m surprised you were able to handle them.”
“Well, being in the job gives you more experience in learning how to calm them down.” Chiaki somehow feels a sense of pride as he speaks and he gives another of his confident laughs. She has a thoughtful look before nodding in understanding.
“I see. So I guess we’re even.” She grins and Chiaki takes another spoonful to his mouth before continuing.
“I hope I wasn’t rude to you in any way.”
“No, not at all! You were actually a big help today.”
As if remembering something important, she lets out a horrified gasp. “Oh god, I can’t believe I let an idol wait tables in my cafe! I’m gonna get in trouble with your managers, aren’t I?” Her hands are on her cheeks in panic as she spoke.
Chiaki quickly shakes his head at the question. “What? No! I already told you before but it’s totally fine! It’s not like we’re bound to just do whatever job our agency gives us.”
“Oh, well that’s a relief.” She breathes out, chuckling a bit at her own reaction. If Chiaki was being honest, though, seeing her get flustered again like this, he can’t help but find her a little cute. He grins at the thought.
She excuses herself as Chiaki is finishing his parfait and disappears into the staff room. She comes back out with the dolphin plush from earlier and begins inspecting it for any dirt or tears. She had a small sewing kit with her as well just in case. Chiaki starts to think back to what happened earlier with the boy and wonders if the old plush holds some kind of significance to her, with how adamant she was on not letting the boy touch it.
“This actually holds great sentimental value. And you can’t find it anywhere anymore because the shop I bought it from closed down.” To his surprise, she answered so easily when he asked her about it.
It was from a field trip when she was young, she narrated. Her class went to an aquarium and in one of the animal shows they had, she was chosen to come up and play with the sea lion. The creature, however, got a little too playful and pulled the young girl into the water by her dress and was dragging her to the bottom of the pool.
“I thought I was gonna die, you know. I didn’t know how to swim and I was panicking so hard I took in a lot of water.” She ghosted a hand to her throat, as if remembering the sensation she felt when she was drowning. Chiaki listens intently as she continues.
“But then there’s this boy who was also chosen to come up on stage with me. He jumped in after I was pulled underwater and was pulling me upwards by the arm. I don’t remember much of what happened then but the aquarium staff were the ones who eventually rescued the both of us. That was one heck of a near-death experience, huh?” She then chuckles, all the heavy feelings from earlier forgotten.
He wonders then what happened after the incident. Was she still haunted by the experience of almost dying? What happened to the boy who saved her? All these questions and more were lying unsaid in his mind but he was hesitant to ask.
She lifts the dolphin from her lap. “This dolphin’s from that aquarium’s souvenir shop. I may not have remembered the boy’s face, but that boy, probably the same age as me, bravely saved my life and this right here is my constant reminder of that fact.” She fondly runs a hand onto the plush’s soft fur, her eyes giving off a soft twinkle which for some reason makes her entire face glow like the early morning sun. Chiaki almost got lost in them, until she breaks the silence.
“That’s why I don’t want this out of my sight, nor on somebody else’s hands.” She says sheepishly, as if it was a silly reaction. But Chiaki didn’t think of it as silly at all, in fact–
“It’s a precious memory of your first hero, huh?” Chiaki smiles at her, not showing any sign of ridicule. How could he laugh at something like that? He was glad that someone was able to become a hero for her and it wouldn’t be silly to cherish a memento of that time.
Her eyes widened for a moment at his reaction, surprised he hasn’t laughed it off like the others did, but then softens into a small smile as she looks down again on the plush.
“...Yeah.”
She has told him a story of her childhood, and not just any story too. It was a memory that she kept and treasured for so long. It might not have been a story she tells to just anyone, either. It was like she was sharing a part of her to Chiaki, a complete stranger she just met a few days ago, and for that Chiaki felt honored.
“Thanks for sharing all this to me.”
–
The two stayed for about an hour more talking, the conversation mostly led by Chiaki with his numerous stories about his unit and his high school days. After hearing a story as personal as hers, he couldn’t help but also share something he holds dear to his heart too: all the friends he made in Yumenosaki and most especially, Ryuseitai. She was eager to listen to each one, sharing a few more stories of her own when a similar experience happened to her too.
Night falls too soon, though, and she really had to close shop for the day. It would be another war again tomorrow so she needed the time to rest and unwind. The two part ways after helping her lock up, with her inviting him to come visit again
Chiaki finally arrives home, happy to have made a new friend and goes to the kitchen for a glass of water. He passes by his storage room, door ajar from when he rummaged some old stuff the night before. It’s in need of a little re-organizing, with all the boxes left open and some with its contents spilling out. He’s finished reading through the script this afternoon anyway so he decides to clean it up.
As he begins to take out the boxes from their shelves, an old paper bag tumbles off from the top shelf. Curious to know what’s inside, Chiaki takes out its contents and to his surprise it’s a dolphin plush, covered in dust and its pink color starting to fade away. Chiaki was racking his brain on where on earth he got this from when he saw the tag on the plush. An aquarium theme park, from a school trip back back in kindergarten., he now recalls. But did he actually buy a pink dolphin before?
Another interesting thing that was inside the bag was a small white handkerchief. It was decorated with sunflowers at the corners and Chiaki can already tell this wasn’t his. It was only after he unfolds it that he notices a name embroidered at the bottom.
The same name as the cafe owner.
-
hey, heyyy~! this fic is also up on my ao3, @lightspeedrobin ~
Summary: Chiaki can vaguely remember that time in kindergarten when he saved a girl during a school field trip but he knows that it was the first time he became someone’s hero. With only a dolphin plush and a worn-out handkerchief to remind him of that memory, he finally meets her again.
A/N: It’s Chiaki’s birthday and I want to write something for him uwuHappy birthday, Ryusei Red! Love ya~!
Chapter 1: Cafe Visit
-
The wind chimes give a gentle ring as another customer enters the shop. The man looks around before setting his eyes on an empty table near the window. The cafe didn’t have many customers at this time of day, given that it’s a weekday and most people should be at work or in school.
Chiaki finds the place comfortable. With piano music playing in the background, windows tinted just enough to let some sunlight in but not too bright for the eyes, the waft of coffee in the air, and the occasional klink of mugs and glasses made by the barista from the counter, Chiaki is able to relax easily and forget all things related to work for a moment. He definitely needs to thank Kaoru for the recommendation.
Today is a special occasion for him. Ryuseitai has received a job involving everyone in the unit, and rather than meeting up at the ES building and discussing the particulars of the job, Chiaki suggested they’d eat out first before going into business mode. ‘It’s been a while since we’ve all joined up together. Why don’t we go and catch up first?,’ was what he insisted on in their group SNS.
He was the first to arrive as usual and while he waits for the others, he takes the opportunity to look around the cafe. Smooth, birch flooring, tall glass windows, potted plants on every table and a couple by the door, and a small display case near the counter, where a single barista is busy brewing a fresh pot of coffee.
Chiaki takes a better look at the display case. Apart from the rest of the cafe which gives off a sort of mature style, the display case and the even tables near it, he now notices, are made to look a little playful and childish. Colorful paper flowers replace the small succulents on the tables plus an addition of a small container of crayons and a stack of paper. The display case has several stuffed toys in it like a stuffed bear, a panda, a dog, and even a crocodile. Clearly the area was meant for children, but do kids even go to cafes?
One display catches Chiaki’s eye: a blue stuffed dolphin, clearly older than the other stuffed animals given its fading colors, at the topmost shelf. He feels a wave of nostalgia looking at it but before thinking any further, a glass of water is placed in front of him. Chiaki looks up from the glass and is greeted with a smile from a cafe staff.
“Sorry for the wait. We’re kind of understaffed today.” She says with an apologetic tone. “Are you ready to order?”
“Ah no, it’s okay. I’m still waiting for some people,” Chiaki replies, and the woman nods in understanding.
“Alrighty then.” she speaks in a casual tone, “ Thought you might’ve been confused on how to order since you’re new here.”
Chiaki blinks in surprise. She knows? “Ah yes, It’s my first time here. A friend recommended the place to me. I’m surprised you can tell.”
“Well we have a number of regulars who visit at this time of day so I can spot the newcomers. Plus, I see you looking around the place when you entered.” Oh, right. Chiaki chuckles at the comment, feeling slightly embarrassed for his earlier actions. He was staring too long at the ‘kids’ section, after all.
“You have an interesting place here. Is that area meant for kids?” He points to the area near the display shelf, and she shifts her attention to it as well.
“Ah yes, we get a lot of children here on the weekends. Our ice cream desserts are popular with them.” She explains as she picks one flyer from the stack of menus she’s been holding and shows it to Chiaki. Various desserts are featured on it from ice cream parfaits to frozen yogurts. They even have animal-themed cakes on the menu.
Chiaki’s eyes sparkle at the desserts as well. “The children would definitely enjoy these!” They all look very appetizing and he can already imagine what they could taste like. He can also think of a number of people from Yumenosaki who would definitely like to try them.
He flips the flyer to the other side and his eyes grew wider at their most featured dessert: a lineup of superhero-themed parfaits. All were in different flavors representing a color, with different toppings and syrups to match. Chiaki could name a few tokusatsu shows the desserts may have been based on but there are too many colors to pinpoint it to a specific one, which would mean whoever made these must’ve taken into consideration a lot of references. He gapes at the amount of details.
She notices Chiaki’s expression change and chimes in. “Ah, those parfaits were just launched a month ago and they quickly became a bestseller among the kids.”
“These look amazing!” Chiaki exclaims, extending his arms while holding the flyer. He looks up at her. “I can see that these were made with a lot of passion.”
The sudden cry surprises her but she meekly smiles at the praise. “Thank you very much!”
“I bet Sengoku would enjoy this yellow parfait. The stars look like those shuriken he carries around.” Chiaki then starts to ramble. “Kanata would like this blue one with the fish shaped biscuits, and these bear-shaped sugar candies would definitely be perfect for Takamine, and Nagumo– Ah what’s keeping them so long? I want to try this with everyone!” Unable to hold in his excitement, he takes out his phone and scans his messages for new updates. Sadly, the last message was from him, saying that he’s entering the cafe.
The woman clears her throat to catch Chiaki’s attention, her brows knitted together. “I’m really sorry, sir. But the parfaits from that flyer would only be available on weekends since that’s when most of the children visit and it takes some time to make them.” There was regret in her voice as she spoke. After their desserts were praised like that, she felt a little guilty that he wouldn’t be able to try it today.
“Oh is that so? No worries there! There’s always a next time.” Chiaki immediately replies with no hint of disappointment in his voice. “Maybe i’ll drop by again when they’re available. This red parfait really calls out to me!” He says, eyeing the red dessert before nodding with a satisfied hum. “Thanks for showing me this. Can I keep this flyer?”
He sees relief spreading on her face when he looks at her again, her expression lighting up as she replies. “Yup. We actually give these out to our customers for promotion so we have plenty.” She points to the counter where a stack of similar fliers were displayed.
“Oh! Well then, I’ll hold on to this.” He waves the flyer before setting it down on the table. She nods in return.
The chimes ring again as a group enters the shop, and instinctively, Chiaki stands up and turns his head towards the door. Sure enough, it’s finally the rest of his unit approaching.
“Chiaki, we’re here~” Kanata greets, with Midori, Tetora and Shinobu in tow. While Kanata looks refreshed as ever, the other three look out of breath.
“We’re sorry for being late. Tetora-dono and I were helping out Midori-dono with deliveries.” Sengoku bows his head low. Midori also mutters a quick apology. “I told them to go ahead but they’re so persistent on lending a hand.”
Nagumo chimes in. “If we hadn’t helped you you would’ve missed the meeting. We just rushed here as soon as we’re done with the last box.”
“And I bumped into the children on the way here.” Kanata adds.
“No need to worry. I was just admiring these desserts they have while I wait.” Chiaki then holds up the flyer for everyone to see. “I was thinking we could all go and try them next time. Apparently these are only available on the weekends.”
“Ah! They’re like Ryueitai parfaits!” Tetora says with excitement. The rest steps closer to take a look at the other desserts in the flyer. Just as Chiaki thought, his unitmates would also be interested in them.
The cafe staff, who had scooted to the side when the new customers came in, steps forward. “Why don’t I get you all settled in? We don’t have the parfaits for today but we do have other items in the menu you might like.” She raises her arm with the menus as she speaks.
Chiaki realizes they must have been bothering the other customers by standing around and talking. “Ah, sorry. We’ll get seated then.”
She hands out the menu, inserting the dessert flyer in them as well before heading back to the kitchen to get glasses water for the rest of the members. After browsing for a few minutes, the group decides to try out a variety of dishes from the menu at Chiaki’s suggestion.
They start to chat while they wait, and Chiaki is happy they all managed to get together like this again. It reminds him of their time in Yumenosaki, where he would bond with everyone before and after a job, took trips together, done lives with everyone, and many more fond memories. And today’s another memory he’ll be making with them.
The discussion for their new job goes on smoothly, with everyone already experienced enough to make valid suggestions on how they’d tackle the requests from the client. They are able to finish their meeting a few hours before sunset, which would give the group some free time to stroll around the rest of the district. A change of pace would also be nice. With that idea in place, Chiaki asks for the bill.
Before joining the others to the door, Chiaki walks up to her, who already has a tray in hand to clear up their table. “I’ll definitely be back on the weekend. Now I really can’t wait to try those superhero parfaits!”
“Then I’ll be looking forward to your next visit!” The woman smiles and gives him a curt nod before Chiaki waves and finally exits the cafe. As Chiaki approaches his unitmates, he notes that Kanata has been smiling at him since leaving the cafe. The brunette raises a brow in curiosity.
“You and the owner are already well acquainted, I see.” Kanata says, head tilting to the side to look at her inside. She’s telling something to the barista before the young man smiles and curtly bows his head before stepping out of the counter. A switch in shifts, probably?
The sudden information, though, seems to process for a second for Chiaki, and his eyes widened at the realization.
“She’s what?”
-
heya! this fic is also up on my ao3, @lightspeedrobin
A/N: Finally back again with a fic on the 1st year anniv of this blog (not that this has been active most of the year lol).
Have some Ritsu fluff and a bit of Sakuma bros bonding!
P.S. This happens after the Scout Story: Tea Party, but you can read this one without reading the scout story.
Title: Dormouse
Characters: Sakuma Ritsu, Sakuma Rei, Reader
Pairing: Sakuma Ritsu/Reader
Genre: Fluff
Word Count: 2512 words
-
“Maa-kun’s busy again today…” You hear Ritsu complain as you two enter town on your way home. With Mao busy with his unit practice and squeezing in the Student Council work that came up today, you two are left to walk home by yourselves.
You cross your arms over your chest and turn to Ritsu, who’s walking listlessly with a faraway look. “Well, we can’t help it if he’s still practicing with Trickstar. I hear they’re getting more jobs lately too since they’re becoming more popular now.”
He lets out a long sigh. “I drank a lot of tea today too during club so I’m beat. I wish Maa-kun would give me a piggyback-ride...”
“Oh, you had club activities today too, huh? No wonder Mao texted me to come pick you up. I had some stuff to do after class too.” You reply, remembering the sudden message you received from Mao at lunch. Sorry, I might stay longer in school today. You and Ritsu should go on ahead without me, it says.
“Yeah, we got caught up in playing those characters from Alice in Wonderland that I didn’t notice how much tea I had.”
“Oh, which character did you play as?”
“The Cheshire Cat.”
You place a hand under your chin and try to imagine it. Oh, that actually suits him, you think. “Well you do seem like a cat sometimes. Wanting to be spoiled, napping in unusual places and all. Plus you can get a little mischievous sometimes...”
“But if we’re talking about napping, wouldn’t the Dormouse be a better character? I just need to lie down and do nothing else. Easy, easy...” He says, bobbing his head up and down as if to satisfy himself of his own reasoning.
“I guess”, you reply. The two of you make your way through town, occasionally engaging in some small talk. Ritsu talks about his clubmates and unitmates and you talk about a big play your class is preparing for.
On the way, you see Ritsu yawn for the nth time since you two started walking home and you begin to wonder if he’s been sleeping his usual amount lately. Knights must be slumped with idol work recently, as expected from one of the top idol groups in the school.
Ritsu has been silent for a while now and you wonder if he’s starting to get sleepy. Just when you are about to ask him, he collapses on your back and his hands fall on your shoulders, half of his weight shifting towards you. He gives a satisfied hum. “Ritsu, come on. You know I can’t carry you all the way home like this.”
“Nnn...” He only groans in response and nuzzles his head on your shoulder. You put a foot forward to accommodate the sudden weight and to prevent the both of you from tumbling down the sidewalk.
“Is this how Mao carries you home everyday? You’re too heavy, Ritsu!”
“How rude. I’m not even eating too much.”
“Well, you’re taller than me so that’s more body mass!”
“...Nnnn...”
“Ritsuuuu….”
With all the strength you can muster, you manage to drag Ritsu to a nearby bench. He curls up as soon as you lay him down. “Okay now you’re acting like a cat who just found a nice napping spot.”
“...I told you… I’m a mouse… a dormouse...” He mumbles, sleep clearly taking over from his tone. He must’ve been tired from his club activity if he’s being extra sluggish on the way home. But then again, the sun’s already way down the horizon that you assume he should be getting more active by now. Either way, without Mao, you two aren’t going anywhere.
You turn to him. “Ritsu do you need to rest a little? I really can’t carry you the whole way.”
“Mmhh...” He mumbles something you can’t make out as you sit down on the other end of the bench. The next second, he wiggles over your lap to use as his pillow. “You’re so warm… I think I might stay here foreeeveeeeeer...”
Seeing a content smile on his face as he once again drifts off to sleep, you lean back on the bench and look up at the sky. As expected from being in the city, there are fewer stars visible and he only bright object you can see is the moon as it begins to rise.
Ritsu shifts a little on your lap and makes a little noise. You can feel his steady breathing, the sight of him sleeping peacefully almost lulls you to sleep but you quickly turn your attention elsewhere so as to not nod off too.
You don’t know how much time has passed since then when you feel your phone vibrating from your pocket. You quickly fish it out, careful not to move too much to wake Ritsu.
A message from your mom. Saying that she’ll be a little late for dinner. Wait. Dinner?
“Oh no!” You nearly jump in your seat but the sudden cry wakes the sleeping idol on your lap. Ritsu starts to groan. “...You’re too loud… Don’t shout...”
“We need to get home! Now!” you exclaim, hastily tapping his shoulder.
“Whaaaat? Let me rest a bit more… It’s not like I need to be home early today. ”
“But I need to be home right away. I need to make dinner!” you spell out. You still need to take out the meat you planned to use from the freezer to defrost it, and the other ingredients would also take time to prepare. You were excited to try out a new recipe today, too.
“You know, it’s not bad to have takeout every once in a while.” Ritsu comments, not moving an inch on your lap.
“Yes, and we already had that the other day. Now would you please sit up so I can get my stuff?”
Ritsu doesn’t move. “...Five more minutes.”
“Ritsu...” you call one more time.
“...”
After giving up trying to wake him, you consider carrying him again so you two can get moving, but carrying a sleeping Ritsu would feel much heavier than a half-awake one from a while ago. And you’re already struggling to stand up the first time.
“That’s it. I’m calling him.” Pulling out your phone from your blazer jacket, you easily find the number you’re looking for and tap on the dial button.
Shifting from your lap, you feel Ritsu’s head perk up. “Him. You mean Maa-kun?” You didn’t get to reply though, as you hear the voice from the other line picking up.
“O-Oh, um… sorry for suddenly calling. I was wondering if you’re around the park by the convenience store… Yes, the one on the way home.” Ritsu sits up and leans closer to try and listen. He doesn’t hear much though except for your voice humming in response to whoever’s on the phone.
“I have Ritsu here with me but he’s too tired to walk and I can’t carry him all the way back and— Oh you’re coming over? That’s a great help, thanks!” Ritsu strains to filter out the noise so he can hear his beloved Maa-kun even for just a few seconds.
However, to his absolute horror, he hears a familiar giggle, the unmistakable deep voice sending warning signals through his entire system that finally jolted him awake.
“Just you wait, my adorable Ritsu! Onii-chan’s on the way to get you~.”
And the call drops.
You return your phone to your pocket as he watches you in shock. “You called my idiot brother?!”
“Well, who else am I supposed to call? Mao’s probably still practicing with Trisckstar.” You retort, expecting that reaction from him. His eyebrows knit together in displeasure.
“No one. We could’ve gone home by ourselves.”
“No, we couldn’t. You’re heavy and we still have halfway to go before we even get to our neighborhood. You didn’t even want to get up.”
“Tell that bug to go back.”
“No can do. And even if I tell him to, there’s no stopping him now from any opportunity to spend time with his cute little brother.”
“Ughhh....” He falls again onto your lap. Happy that he’s finally given up, you exhale a relieved sigh. You don’t notice, though, the sneaky hands crawling to your sides until they began tickling you.
“As punishment, I’m gonna torture you until you send him away.”
You try to push him off you but you’re too distracted from all the tickling that you can only jolt from side to side. “Ritsu—! Stop!” You try to say in between laughs.
“No can do.”
You attempt again to swat his hands away and throw him off your lap. You raise your knees alternately to force him to sit up and he does, and you immediately edge yourself away from him on the bench.
Ritsu slides from his seat to follow you, though. “Oh no, you’re not getting away.” He says in a clearly playful tone.
You reach the end of the bench and almost fall off when your hands landed on nothing beside you, and you know you’re doomed to another tickling. Your reaction didn’t go unnoticed by Ritsu and he lets out a mischievous laugh.
“Got you~.”
But just as he got close enough for his hands to reach you again, a sing-song voice grabbed his attention.
“Oi~! Ritsu~!” Ritsu snaps his head at the distant voice approaching. He clicks his tongue in annoyance. “Oh great. He’s here.”
Recovering from the tickling session, you wipe a tear on your eye as you see Rei come into view. You stand up to greet him. “Rei-san. Good evening!”
“Good evening, little lady. Thanks for calling.” Rei flashes you a grateful smile before turning to Ritsu. “Now, is my precious little brother too tired to walk home? Come here to Onii-chan and I’ll carry you~” And, without waiting for a response, Rei easily scoops him up.
Ritsu pushes away as he’s forcefully made to lean against his brother’s chest. “Put me down, stupid brother! I didn’t ask for you to come! Let go of me!” He kicks his legs up and tries to wriggle off him.
Rei pouts at his little brother’s rejection. “Aw, but you used to love me carrying you like this home.”
“Can you please not talk about that embarrassing past? It’s disgusting!” Ritsu spats, feeling Rei’s hold on him loosening. “How are you here already anyway?”
“Whenever my dear brother’s in need, I’ll always arrive at the speed of light.” Rei proudly says, obviously not the answer anyone is looking for. After seeing the irritated look from Ritsu and the nervous laugh from you, he finally explains. “I just finished a job with Undead in the area and we’re staying at a cafe nearby at Kaoru’s suggestion.”
“Oh, you were with your unit mates, then?” you say, beginning to feel guilty. “Sorry for calling you so suddenly when you had a prior appointment.”
“Oh so you apologize to him but not me?” Ritsu grumbles, still holding on to the small grudge from earlier. You pretend to not hear him.
Rei adjusts his hands under Ritsu before he replies. “It’s quite alright, little lady. It’s just a detour we made before we part ways and go home.”
You hesitate but with how Rei is close to rubbing his cheek against Ritsu’s, who is still trying to push him away, you think that he was glad he got the call too. You giggle at the rare sight of these two brothers.
“Hey! Don’t just laugh at me, help me get off of this idiot.” Ritsu calls out.
You try to hold another laughter in but it spills out when Rei starts rocking Ritsu to maybe try and get him to fall asleep. “I’m sorry, Ritsu. It’s impossible to not watch this!”
Ritsu pouts at you in betrayal. Oh, how you wish to take out your phone and quickly snap a photo of his face.
“Now, now. Come on, Ritsu. Onii-chan will carry you home so you can sleep here in my arms~” Rei smiles wide, another rare sight. Ritsu continues to struggle in his brother’s hold, but then suddenly stops and drops his head down, his bangs covering his eyes.
Rei stops as well. Did Ritsu give up resisting? “Ritsu?” Rei hesitantly tries to meet his eyes, and then you see him flinch.
“Put. Me. Down.” Ritsu shoots Rei with a murderous glare. His tone clearly shows he’s had enough of this. “Or I’ll report you.”
Rei, taken aback by this brother’s warning, frowns but still moves to set him down. Ritsu dusts himself off and glares at Rei.
Seeing the clear rejection from his younger brother, Rei starts to sniffle, rubbing the corners of eyes in fake tears. “Oh Ritsu, you’re so mean to your dear big brother!”
Almost immediately, Ritsu snaps back. “My only family here is Maa-kun and...” He steps closer to you and, without warning, latches onto your arm.
You were surprised by the sudden gesture, not sure how to react. You hesitantly call his name but he’s busy sending death glares to his brother, who now wears a distinct pout.
Finally, Rei gives a defeated sigh. “Well, it seems i’ve been rejected yet again today. I’ll head back to the cafe. You two be careful on your way home.”
You feel bad now for calling him out here. He must’ve been looking forward to spending some time with Ritsu. But Rei must’ve sensed your growing guilt and smiled at you, as if assuring you that it was no problem at all. He did get to carry Ritsu, after all, even if it was for a short time.
You smile back at him. “Thank you and sorry for the trouble! Please be careful as well!” And you give a small bow before he turns and walks back the direction he came.
“Finally he’s gone.” Ritsu speaks, voice starting to tone down. “Now I can rest in peace.” He lets go of your arm and sits back down on the bench. He pats the spot you were sitting on earlier. “Come on.”
But you don’t move and as he looks at you in confusion, you smugly grin at him. Calling Rei might’ve been a good move after all. “Oh good, you’re wide awake. Now you can get home by yourself, right?” You say and turn on your heel to start walking.
You hear Ritsu make a surprised noise from behind you. “What? Noooo… don’t leave me heeeeereee...” He quickly rises from his seat and reluctantly trails after you. You can’t see his face but you’re sure he’s sulking right now. Just that image of him in your head is enough to make you giggle. You slow your pace down though so he can catch up, but as soon as he does he hooks an arm around yours.
“Ritsu, if you’re thinking of having me carry you again—”
“This is fine as long as I’m walking, right?”
You sigh. This one really is a handful, but he can be cute sometimes.
“Okay, fine.”
—
Heya! I’ve also started uploading my fics on AO3. You can follow me @lightspeedrobin !
Summary: Mousse visited Seth’s Bar and Seth prepared a 1000-question questionnaire for Mousse.
In the world of Wonderland called Cradle, there is a midnight secret bar at a street corner for whimsical people. That night, a stray lamb knocked on the door.
Mousse: Good evening.
Seth: Oh welcome customer, may I ask who you are?
Mousse: Seth Hyde, this isn’t the first time you met me …
Seth: It’s the first time I’ve seen you here. Please introduce yourself!
Mousse: Mousse Atlas. Profession, diplomat.
Seth: Eh… That’s it?
Mousse: That’s all … Fuuu … I’m getting sleepy ….
Seth: Heyyyy, don’t lean on my shoulder! And don’t you think that was an unacceptable self-introduction. I’m glad I prepared a questionnaire for you.
Mousse: Questionnaire?
Seth: Yes, there are 1000 questions in total!
Mousse: zzzz
Seth: If you answer all of them, Alice will be very happy, you know.
Mousse: …. Alice?
Seth: Are you head over heels in love with her?
Mousse: Yes
Seth: Well then, let’s go
Mousse: If this makes her happy, I can answer as many questions as you want.
Seth: Question 1, what is your favourite food?
Mousse: Cheese
Seth: Question 2, what food do you dislike?
Mousse: Nothing in particular
Seth: Question 3, hobby?
Mousse: Nap and looking for pillows
Seth: Question 4, what do you hate?
Mousse: Cats
Seth: Question 5, where are you from?
Mousse: Red Territory
Seth: Question 6, what was your previous job?
Mousse: Ace of Hearts
Seth: Question 7, what type of women do you like?
Mousse: Alice
Seth: Question 8, how about marriage?
Mousse: Alice
Seth: Question 9, what is the cutest thing in the world?
Mousse: Alice
Seth: Question 10, what is your favourite food?
Mousse: Alice
Seth: Heyyyy, Alice is not food!
Mousse: I didn’t answer it wrong though. Anyway, it’s probably time to eat
Seth: What are you talking about?
Mousse: More importantly…. I’m sleepy ….
Seth: You have only answered 10 questions!
Mousse: I have already answered 10 questions. If continues, I want to be with Alice, just the two of us.
Seth: No wayyy. I will not let Alice be alone with a beast man like you. (I guess Seth means “All men are beasts" huehue )
Mousse: Beast? I’m just a single-minded person.
Seth: Single-minded … ?
Mousse: Zzzzz
Seth: Wake up!
Mousse: Impossible
Seth: I’m tired too, I wonder if I can ask the other 990 questions :( Well then, question 1000th, what do you want to tell Alice the most?
Mousse: Alice, because I’m interested in you, I cannot rest until I have full knowledge about you.
Mousse: What you like, what you dislike, what interests you, why you smile …
Mousse: Because I am already extremely interested in you … From now on, I really look forward to spending lots of time with you, just the two of us.
Seth: I can sense a formidable opponent, but I have had a loooong relationship with Alice. I cannot lose to a mouse that only sleeps. From now on, I’ll shower Alice with love!
Seth: Well, lastly, whatever happened at this bar tonight …
Mousse: … they remained here as our secret tales, just between you and me.
Please look forward to your love story with the sleeping mouse in Wonderland. We are waiting for you to visit.
A/N: I kinda disappeared after that first fic (lol). I had a bunch of fics lined up that’s supposed to follow the first one but I just couldn’t get them completed and I get distracted easily that I start on a new idea while leaving the current ones on hold. Anyhow, this is the first one among the batch that I managed to finish so enjoyyyy!! Happy Valentine’s day to everyone, now enjoy some Mousse fluff~ uwu
P.S. We need more Mousse content!!
Title: Nap Date
Characters: Mousse Atlas, MC (Alice)
Pairing: Mousse Atlas/Reader
Genre: Fluff
Word Count: 964 words
–
You stand in front of a familiar door carrying a neatly-tied box, excitement spread across your face as your cheerful humming quiets down. The cake you made this morning turned out perfect that even Luka gave his approval. Now you’re sure he’ll love it too. You knock once on the door. Twice. No response.
“Mousse?” You knock a third time. Still no signs of the door opening. You sigh as you reach for the handle and, as expected, the door is unlocked. You sometimes wonder how a former red army soldier is this careless.
Propping the box on one arm, you open the door to come inside. The room is dimly lit by the sunset and can vaguely see some stacks of paper on his work table through the window behind it. Stepping further inside without bothering to turn the lights on, you place the cake down the coffee table and walked to his bed. The lump under the blanket and the mop of brown hair lighted by the setting sun reveals the man you are looking for, quietly snoring.
“Mousse?”, you call, gently poking the giant lump under the sheets. You feel him shift but heard no response. “Moooouuuuuuussseeeeee”, you call again. This time reaching for the end of the sheet before yanking it off him. You hear him groan at the light shunned on his closed eyelids. “Mmm… Turn that thing off”
You giggle, sitting on the bed. “Mousse, I can’t just turn off the sun.” You nudge his shoulders just as he’s drifting off to sleep again. “Come on, Mousse. You’re the one who invited me to hang out today. Don’t just doze off on me.”
You see his head burying further onto the pillow. “...Then…here…with me...,” you couldn’t make out what he was saying so you lean closer. “What was that?” And instead of repeating his words, he grabs your arm and pulls you towards his chest. You feel his steady heartbeat and his hand giving your head a gentle pat. “….I said, then come here… and nap with me…” He places his other arm on your stomach in attempts to keep you locked in place.
“Come on. You don’t get a day off often and you choose to spend it by sleeping all day?” You frown when he hums yes. “You’re always sneaking some naps during work. Aren’t there any other things you could enjoy doing off-work?” You shift your body to slip out of the bed but he tightens his hold on you with another arm. You hear him groan.
“But napping at work and napping with you are two different things.” he says. He loosens his hold on you and instead of getting out of the bed, you move to lie on your side beside him, curious about what he meant by those words. You gaze at his face as he finally opens his turquoise eyes to meet yours.
“Sure, I tend to take naps in work,” and he takes your hand, gently caressing the back of your palm with his thumb, before he continues. “But naps with you are a special occasion because I get to spend it with you.” Mousse wore a serious expression but his words contain a certain fondness that got your heart skipping a beat. He gently smiles at you and all you can do at the moment is to look at him in awe and surprise.
He always catches you off-guard when he says things like that. Like how he introduced himself for the first time and followed with a bold statement that he’s very interested in you. Like how on your third time meeting him, he expressed how he liked you and asking you for a date.
This made you suspicious of him at first, with how cautious you are now of strangers following the events with the magic tower. Over time, however, you found out that’s just really how he is-- straightforward and honest. And that eventually charmed you to become interested in him as well.
His hand on yours feels warm and he takes this opportunity to snake his free arm around your waist and pull you closer. “So Alice, would you like to have a nap date with me?”
You giggle at his modest request. “I brought us some cake though,” you say, gesturing to the almost forgotten blue box on the coffee table. “Then we can eat later when we wake up.” He squeezes you hand in what you think as an attempt to convince you.
You finally give in with a sigh, “All right then, that’s yes for me!”
“It’s a date, then!” Mousse smiles wide at your response-- a dashing, boyish smile that he doesn’t show to most people. You feel your heart flutter at the rare sight. His arm momentarily leaves your side as he reaches out and pulls the blanket over the both of you.
He then rolls you over so your back is against his chest. You then realize that the exhaustion from making the cake earlier is finally taking its hit on you as he scoots closer to you that you can feel his warm breath tickling your neck, a sensation that was more comforting than stimulating. Maybe you do need the nap, after all.
With the steady rise and fall of his chest as Mousse begins to once again fall into slumber, you have come to the conclusion that this is the place where you want to be. By his side, under the warmth of his embrace.
And once you both wake up refreshed and well-rested, you would then spend the night catching up with each other and chatting away with the most trivial and random things over some wine and the cheesecake you made just for him.
Can you imagine being fuckin being lost in the desert for a couple days and out of nowhere hearing Africa by Toto?? I would lose my fuckin shit that would be the moment id be like damn im actually losing it and gonna die out here, what a banger tho.
