It was decided we would visit the café for a quick lunch first; our choice of place was pretty obvious, too. I asked my friend if he had a better place in mind, but he assured me it's all fine, even if his smile was a bit crooked around the edges.
"If that's what you want," he said, sounding very cryptic. "It's far too early for students and teachers to come there, so the whole place must be empty."
I see. It's not like I felt uneasy eating in empty places, but his concern for my feelings was nice, even if the way he worded it was kind of roundabout. As we both felt comfortable not talking too much, our road was serene and quiet. I made no attempt at small talk since he looked like the type that hated such things.
Heorot Café, Afternoon.
I found this place somewhat archaic the first time I saw it, but right now, without a single visitor inside, the whole place looked more like a museum than a real eatery. It had a bunch of big, heavy-looking tables made of wood with comfortable couches to seat. I must admit: the whole place looked very classy, and the light music only added to the overall atmosphere of serenity and calmness.
I felt at peace here. I believe so did Shirou. As we entered, a small bell on the door announced our presence. I swear I heard someone grumble from behind the counter, and then a scary-looking man with scars cowering his thuggish fate appeared. I quickly hid behind my friend in fear, a totally subconscious reaction from my part.
"Hmm," said the man, "If it isn't my worker of the month. Kiddo, don't you have lessons to attend or something? If you overslept, this isn't a reason to come to the work earlier, y'know. I mean," the scary man's eyes fell on me, and as if he was a mystical gorgon, I was frozen (with fear).
"Oh, I see how it is," he said, rubbing his chin with a lecherous expression on his face. I saw him smile, but for some reason, this smile didn't make him seem kinder: if anything, he now looked ready to pounce at us any moment. "It's really nice to be young, I guess."
"I don't know what kind of impression you had, old man, but it's wrong. I came her with a friend for lunch; we had some complications with the principal that forced us to skip today's lessons. If you're imagining something else, you're clearly delusional," said Shirou.
"Just friends, huh?" said the man, disappointed for some reason. "If that's what you're saying, kiddo. Name's Daisuke, young lady. Takamiya Daisuke. I'm the owner of the Heorot Café. If you're looking for some cash, we're always in need of new employees. That said, your teacher will probably have my head on her plate, if your grades fail, so think about your education first. For both yours and mine sakes."
I nodded, unsure I'll be able to tell him something but a stretch of meaningless syllables. I'm not good in dealing with delinquent-looking types like this man with bleached hair and ripped physique. I mean, Shirou was pretty muscular and tall as well, but he felt kind of different. If he felt more like a straight and narrow arrow, this man was more like a club – broad, hard and heavy.
Yet, what did he mean by "youth." I mussed over this, as the two of us found a table for two. Instead of waiting for the owner to hand us the menu, my friend picked them himself and gave me one. I wonder what I should try this time. I tried the local club sandwiches and they were quite tasty, but I wasn't so sure about things like pasta and whatnot. In the end, shouldn't Shirou, who works here part-time, know what dishes were better?
It would be fine for me to order the same thing as him, right? I mean, there are no rules against copying your friends' orders. But then, things like trying out each other's dishes would be impossible. I can first wait for him to order first and then ask for recommendations. In such a way, both of us could enjoy tasty food together.
Hmm, together? As in, doing things like that and this? Like, feeding each other? I mean, there's no one here besides us, so it's not embarrassing at all. Hmm, only two of us? As in, only me and another boy? Like, on a… date?!
Eh? E-eh?! E-e-eh!
I looked at Shirou, who already seemed to order something, and by reading his gestures, I noticed that he most likely ordered two sets. As he caught me staring, he just smiled really kindly. Oh…
[] Write-In.