"What would be the preferable age gap for your partner?" the consultant asked. "I don't have a problem with age actually. Maybe about 2 – 3 years difference?" replied the smartly dressed client. The consultant nodded her head and proceeded to ask the next question.
Kyoraku Shunsui had taken the day off just to attend this session which he considered a life-or-death situation. He had to postpone the previous sessions with the dating agency because of his busy work schedule.
If it wasn't for his mother who nagged at him to find a partner every month she came to visit him, he would have left the matter alone and continued to live life his way. But he was tired of hearing the same words over and over again from his mother and had no choice but to take the first step.
"Alright, that will be all for today. Thank you for taking your time to answer the questionnaire. We will contact you in a week's time to make another appointment with you after we have the results. Have a good day." The consultant bowed and showed him the way out.
"Thank you." He said and stepped out of the building, to be greeted by the last rays of sunlight shining down on him. Just then his hand phone rang, he took one look at the caller id and pressed the disconnect button. Even though he had said he would not take any calls today, his secretary apparently didn't understand.
"Come on, give the man his break! Work is the last thing on my mind today. I want to enjoy the rest of my day. Damn technology these days." He thought and decided to head to his favourite bar and get a few drinks.
As the door creaked open the tinkling sound of the bell alerted the bartender and his gaze shifted from the glass he was cleaning to the figure standing at the door. "Come in, come in. Don't block the entrance." He smiled and beckoned the bespectacled girl to enter.
"I saw the sign outside looking for extra staff." She said. "Ah, yes! Here, take this. After you have decided you can fill up the form below and drop it in the box outside the shop." He told her and handed her a form with the company's details.
"Thanks." She replied, placed the form in her bag and walked towards the door. She was about to place her hand on the door handle when it pulled open. "I'm sorry! Did I startle you?" asked the man who opened the door. "No… I'm fine. Thank you." She said and made a quick escape from the shop.
"Hey, it's been a long time since I saw you, Shunsui!" exclaimed the bartender when he saw his old friend entering the bar. "Hey, Jushiro! How are you?" Shunsui reached over the counter and gave his friend a bear hug.
"I'm good, real good. What have you been up to these years?" asked Jushiro. "Here, this is my business card." Deciding to cut short his story, Shunsui handed him his card and was offered the other's card in return. "Wow! You're the MD of Kinreite company? That's great news." Jushiro said as he read his friend's professional status. "You are not bad either. At least you are your own boss." Shunsui replied and smiled.
"It's been almost a decade since I saw you. Do you still remember when we were in University?" asked Jushiro as he prepared a drink for Shunsui. "Yeah, we were really wild. All those drinking parties and skipping classes." Shunsui laughed as the memories flooded his mind. Jushiro smiled and he placed a cocktail glass on the table top, "Have a drink. It's on the house." "Margarita is not enough for me, you know. I want sake."
"Ok, but that is not on the house. You have to pay for it." Said Jushiro and he took out a bottle of sake. As more customers started filling in during the next few hours, the two buddies continued to update each other about their current life.