Own nothing.
.
.
Kowaii is taking the train home from work when he sees a woman leaning to the side and staring at something intently. She looks like she's about university age, a bit younger than him. Her large eyes are vacant, but she looks as if she's looking for some unseeable quality. Finally he asks, "Excuse me, miss, I hate to be rude, but what are you looking at?" He expects a dreamy voice, but hears a loud Osakan one.
"You know the crud that get in your eyes?"
"Yeah? You know, you can see it sometimes." She looks awestruck.
"That's- that's what I was gonna say!" Well... weird. The train pulls into his stop, and he picks up his briefcase.
"Sorry, got to go. Nice meeting you, miss." As the shiny doors close behind him, she yells, "How do you change water to ice?"
"Add a dot!" he calls as the train pulls away. What an interesting person. He goes to the supermarket, and it isn't until checkout that he realizes he's bought all the ingredients for curry.
As Yotsuba gobbles up the fragrant curry, she asks, "Is today a speshul occasion?"
"Nope," he grins, "Your old man is just being weird."
It's weeks before he's called back to the office, and on the return trip he sees her, this time with a friend. If possible, the friend is louder than her, with short black hair and the uniform of a junior police officer.
"Hey, it's the riddle man!" the Osaka girl tells her friend, who stares unabashedly.
"Riddle man, hi! I'm Tomo Takino!" She grins, and he bows.
"I'm Kowaii, nice to meet you."
"Kasuga. Ayumu Kasuga."
"What a nice name." He's reminded of Fuka. Stars. Space. A scent on the wind!
"Trivia!" She looks like she's on the verge of collapsing into hysterical laughter. "Tofu originated in China!" There's a long pause as he mulls it over. Then, her infectious smile suddenly creeps across his face.
"That's not trivia... That's-"
"Just trivial!" they yell together. Tomo laughs, then says,"Wait, what? Hehe... But seriously..."
"Would you like to come over for curry?" He tells her his address and the time.
"Okay! Thanks!"
As the four of them eat together, Yotsuba says suspiciously, "It is speshul, isn't it?"
"Nah. Your dad is just being weird."
