Toji Suzuhara hadn't known what to expect when he had been told by his custodian that they would be having dinner at a place called
Kanamin Kitchen.
("My younger sister told me it would make a suitable place to discuss your options," said Sae Niijima as she merged into the right lane. "Apparently, this restaurant's parent location is in Hakodate, and opened this branch in Tokyo-3 within the past few years. Makoto's spoken fondly of it, since most of her missions keep her in Hokkaido.")
That had seemed sensible enough...until he had walked in and
instantly realized his school uniform was too underdressed for this place.
Probably had something to do with the live band playing a jazzy instrumental number, with trumpets blaring courtesy of men and women in white coats and black pants. Every part of the place's decor - clean and pristine, without being over the top - just
screamed high class.
He was inwardly grateful for the fact that Niijima was glaring
furiously at a younger woman with short brown hair (
probably her sister; their eyes look similar enough); wearing a teal jacket over a white blouse and black capri pants, the younger woman cut quite the contrast with the sharp image presented by the elder. "Makoto, this place is
far too upscale, even for me. I feel like I should be wearing a fine dress." Mercifully, she didn't call attention to the fact that he was only in a school's summer uniform; it went without saying.
The other woman blinked. "...it is? This attire seemed just fine at the restaurant in Hakodate."
Sae huffed, muttering something unpleasant under breath before looking at the occupant sitting beside her younger sister. "Would you like to explain
him?"
Was wondering when she was going to mention this guy, thought Toji as he looked towards Makoto's right; sitting further into the booth was an older man with a rough expression, with short black hair that seemed to be naturally spiky. Even so, wearing a yellow dress shirt and burgundy jacket and dress pants, the older man looked somewhat...respectable. Cocky grin notwithstanding.
"Oh. Well, given that we were going to discuss Suzuhara-kun's potential entry into the A.T. Task Force, I figured insight from another veteran would help in the decision-making process-"
"And this...
gentleman," said Sae with so much edge that Toji could cut a knife with it, "was your choice because...?"
The older man chuckled at the blatant vitriol, ignoring the woman's barbs. "Sibling protectiveness. I can dig it. Don't worry, my interest ain't nothing but professional; not in the market for dating a lady anyway," he briefly gave an appreciative glance at the faces of both women before adding, "even
though you both are quite lovely."
Makoto slightly flushed at his appreciative comment; Sae seemed unaffected judging by her scoff. Toji, meanwhile, watched the man's casual confidence and couldn't help but marvel.
Dude, who IS this guy?
"Mind telling me exactly
how you became acquainted with my sister?"
"First of all, name's Ryuji Sakamoto. Second, not really much of a grand tale; got acquainted with her during the mission, and saw some crazy sh-" Sakamoto glanced in his direction before correcting himself in mid-sentence. "-stuff. Given how weird it's been, I've been hanging around this city; plus, I've been sharing stories with the little lady here. Always good to find out about another Agent's struggles, even if I haven't been with the Force in a while...and that's how I found out about this little shindig."
Sae narrowed her eyes (ignoring Makoto's protests of "I told you, I'm
not little!"). "So you're a Cognitive Freelancer."
"Got it in one."
"Uh...question. What's a Cognitive Freelancer?" asked Toji, raising his hand.
"Individuals with a Persona who've
chosen to work outside the regulatory boundaries of authorized groups like the Anti-Terror Task Force, NERV, or other government agencies. Normally, this means they're someone who couldn't hack it with
official organizations...or that they tend to work in isolated areas of the cognitive world that are separate from major population centers...or, from the stories
I've heard, that they tend to be nothing more than mercenaries." Sae Niijima's accusations hung in the air, ready to unleash a torrential downpour.
That's when an unfamiliar voice broke the tension. "Hello!" All four turned, staring at a busty woman with long brown hair and dark gray eyes twinkling with delightful joy. Her chef's uniform bore a splash of color that stood out compared to the clean and professional decor, with the pants colored orange and the top colored yellow. "I'm
Kanami Mashita, the Executive Chef of
Kanamin Kitchen! I like to introduce myself to all new customers; your server tonight will be Minoru Inoue. Tonight's special is shaved wagyu with sauteed rice and a seaweed-garlic puree; this pairs well with our house
nama genshu sake! Inoue-san will be out with waters in short order, but I hope you enjoy our meat!" With those peppy words said, Chef Mashita dropped off four menus and promptly skipped away...but not before stopping, turning around, and waving at Makoto. "Oh!
Hi Niijima-san! Sorry I didn't recognize you!" She then continued her retreat to the kitchen.
"...huh. A Hakodate-based restaurant that specializes in meat? Would've figured it'd be about squid or sushi..." murmured Sakamoto, looking at his menu.
"That's partly their draw," explained Makoto. "They stand out compared to most of the high class places still in Hakodate."
"No
kidding...beef, pork, chicken...wait, they've got lamb
and venison? Dude..."
Sae huffed as the Cognitive Freelancer began looking more intently at his menu. "Seems like a rather pricey
place for you to be a regular at, sister," murmured the older Niijima.
The younger Niijima huffed. "The East Hokkaido Cognitive Protection Center has a lot of veterans that like pooling funds to have events there. It's where we celebrate with new Agents that graduate from training."
"A workaholic, then."
Makoto rolled her eyes, a small smile coming to her face. "I don't want to hear that from you, sister."
Toji was silent, his eyes drawing towards the cost of the dishes, which started in the
high four digits in yen.
This...this is a lot of money. I think I could buy at least twenty beef bowls for some of these dishes, he thought with shock.
What the hell am I even doing here...?
"Why the long face?" The comment from the other guy at the table prompted Toji to look up. "What, you think you're paying for your dinner?"
"Ridiculous. I'm his custodian, so of course I'm paying for his meal," retorted Sae.
Ryuji chuckled, a strangely knowing grin in his eyes. "Eh, I bet the kid thinks he owes you enough already. I don't mind footing the bill tonight."
Makoto startled. "Oh no, we couldn't
possibly-"
"Please, I insist! Don't exactly got any other people these days to spend it on as is. It's my treat."
Sae lightly nodded. "Thank you for your generosity."
With those words, Ryuji Sakamoto immediately became Toji Suzuhara's favorite adult male in living memory.
