A/N: Hey everyone! First off, SO SORRY this is late! You see, there's this distraction called life, and in life, one sometimes has to take tests, and sometimes, two tests are scheduled on the same day... but I was victorious ^_^ I've decided that I don't want this story to drawl on longer than it needs to, so I'll be making the chapters as short and sweet as possible. Also, I'll be sticking to the biweekly update, so no new chapter next week :( But please still look forward to the next one! And THANK YOU to everyone who has alerted this or reviewed so far! You have admirable patience ^_^ Enjoy!


Chapter Two: Date

Takaishi Natsuko tapped the glass nervously while the phone rang on the other end of the line. She had trouble concealing her jitteriness when a female voice answered.

"Michiru, where are you?" she practically yelled into the receiver. "You said we'd meet up fifteen minutes ago!"

"Oh, uh, sorry, Natsuko," Michiru apologized. Her speech was spattered with coughs. "I, uh… cough… seem to have… cough cough… gotten sick… COUGH! Tell… cough… tell Jean-san and Hiroaki-san… COUGH… sorry, COUGH! Have fun, okay? COUGH! Bye!"

With a click, Michiru's voice disappeared, leaving Natsuko much more antsy than she had been all week. She could call it off, postpone this coffee date on a day when Michiru wasn't ill, but she willed herself against instinct. She had been waiting for this day for months! She refused to wait any longer!

Stepping out of the phone booth, she saw the two guys just arriving and gave a friendly wave; they did likewise. Hiroaki was wearing a simple polo shirt that was tucked into his rather slimming jeans; Jean was more flamboyant in his fashion, donning a brown vest with fringes, matching cowboy boots, and a hand-woven headband of clay beads. Natsuko chuckled to herself, thinking of how much of their personalities was revealed through their outfits. Jean was certainly more outgoing and conversational, but despite Hiroaki's generally reserved and quiet nature, she found him equally as interesting - if not more so - than Jean. There was just something about him that made him, well, memorable. Maybe it was the way he stared into space whenever the record shop was empty. Maybe it was the way he seemed to lose his composure whenever she approached. Or maybe - just maybe - it was the simple fact that she had run into the shop that stormy day because she saw him first.

"Good afternoon!" she greeted with her natural charm. "I'm afraid Michiru's in bed sick, so she won't be joining us."

"Really?" the guys exclaimed simultaneously.

"Y-yeah. I don't want to be pushy, and if you guys want to do this later-"

"No!" they responded simultaneously again. Natsuko laughed.

"Okay then." And with that, the threesome proceeded into the coffee shop.

Seated in their booth by the wall, Jean was the loudest and most talkative, of course, practically quizzing the other two on their likes and dislikes and personal interests and disinterests. Natsuko willingly complied, all the while eyeing Hiroaki across from her, who remained as stiff and abrupt in his responses as ever. The conversation was lacking in conversation, to say the least.

In spite of such bland topics, Hiroaki and Natsuko did in fact discover things about the other that they thought were worth noting. He found out that she was a student of Tokyo Gakugei University, where she studied journalism. She found out that he was in his second year of community college but hoped to transfer soon to a university to pursue a career in television production. He found out that she was three-quarters French and a quarter Japanese - hence her Japanese name - and lived most of her life in Paris, only moving to Tokyo within the last two years. She found out that he moved to Tokyo after elementary school and used to play bass guitar in a band he formed with some friends from junior high. He discovered that she was very much like the café au lait that she ordered. She was surprised at his order of espresso, wondering how he could remain so calm with such a strong beverage.

Soon enough, the man and the woman were completely entranced with the other, desiring to discover more about this new acquaintance. What he had yet to discover was that she was a third-year high school student at Tokyo Gakugei's elevator school. What she had yet to discover was that his band had attempted to make it big right after high school - the members choosing to delay college, if at all - and that his next birthday would mark 23 years. But these revelations could wait; all the two individuals wanted was to enjoy this moment while it lasted.

"Well would you look at the time!" Jean declared boisterously. "I just remembered that I have to help a friend with something important. Don't mind me, you two, just stay here as long as you'd like!"

And without another word, Jean dashed through the front doors, leaving Hiroaki and Natsuko completely dumbfounded, dumbfounded that the opportunity to be alone had come so quickly! The moment felt so unreal, it almost seemed planned…

"S-so," Hiroaki said first without making eye contact, "you must be really busy, being a university student and all."

"Well," Natsuko began, "I doubt it's any different from community college."

Hiroaki didn't reply, not knowing what else to say. Natsuko kept silent as well, unsure if he'd remain interested if she continued. In spite of such things, it would be incorrect to say that they sat in awkward silence, however, because unknown to the other, each secretly wanted to stay like this - together, undisturbed, and so close.


"What do you mean you left!" Jean shouted angrily. "You didn't even offer to walk her home? Pay her tab? Help her cross the street? ANYTHING?"

Hiroaki kept silent as he placed records on the shelves. When the two returned to work that Sunday, Jean immediately demanded details of the coffee date. Unfortunately, Hiroaki had none to give, because, as stated previously, he "left."

"For goodness sake, Hiro! I set you up perfectly for the perfect first date with your dream girl, and you just LEFT?"

"I didn't just leave," the slightly annoyed employee finally retorted. "She said her father expected her home by 3, and she wasn't sure about the train schedule."

"So you left!" Jean continued. "Just because she had to be home. Bull crap, man! Total bull! How can a successful university student like Na-chan still live at home with her parents!"

"They just moved here, after all…"

"That was two years ago!"

"Will you just knock it off!" Hiroaki screamed, dropping the box of records onto the carpeted floor. "Don't you think I knew it was the perfect opportunity? Don't you think I wanted to spend more time with her? Don't you think I feel like a bigger idiot than you're making me out to be?"

"Fine, okay! Cool down, man!" the intimidator - now somewhat intimidated himself - replied. "I'm just saying, it's frustrating when your buddy undoes all your hard work so easily."

"Trust me, it wasn't easy…"

The room that had been filled with screams only a moment ago now seemed eerily quiet as the two men sighed deeply. The only other sound was the faint melody of a demo playing over the speakers.

"I'm going out," Hiroaki said as he headed for the back door.

"Need a smoke?" Jean called after him, holding out his pack and lighter. Without a word, the defeated man swiped the items out of his hand and resumed his trek to the back alley. The heavy door slammed behind him with extra force. All alone in the moderate-size space, Jean scratched his head, a look of concern on his face.

"Those two aren't getting anywhere," he observed with another sigh. "Maybe I should help them out."

Jean then headed for the phone behind the counter. Flipping through the phonebook, he found what he needed and dialed the accompanying number. He tapped the glass furiously as it rang multiple times until a woman's voice answered.

"Yumi? … Sorry, Aki. Is Lucy there? … What do you mean there's no Lucy! I just saw her there last- … oh, she goes by Monica now? … Well then, is Monica there? … Can I speak with her? … Yeah, I'll hold… Man, what a fickle girl! I mean, what kind of person changes names every few months!"


"So, you go by Charles now?"

"Yeah, I saw a news report on the royal family and decided it was high time for a name change," Jean - now called Charles - explained to Monica, formerly known as Lucy.

"Whatever," the booth manager replied with sarcasm. "So anyway, whom am I setting up with Madoki?"

"Hiroaki!" Charles corrected. "Don't you dare screw up something as insignificant as a name!"

"Insignificant?" Monica raised an eyebrow.

"That doesn't matter!" retorted Charles. "What does matter is that my boy gets the girl by the time the fireworks start! And her name is Natsuko. Don't mess that up either!"

"Sure, the only way that'll happen is if she decided to change her name since last week."

"Just stick to the plan!"

"Fine, fine, I will, don't get your panties in a bunch," she assured him, holding her hands in the air.

At that moment, Charles spotted Hiroaki and Natsuko approaching the park entrance; Hiroaki's hands were shoved far into his pockets, and Natsuko's gripped her purse strap delicately. The observer slapped his forehead with a scowl.

"Is that them?"

"Yeah…"

"Aww, they look adorable!"

"Well that's not the point of this date, now is it?"

"I know," Monica said with a smile of mischief. "Operation Perfect Second Date, commence!"


A/N: I'm not a coffee person and know nothing about coffee. What I was trying to say was that Natsuko's sweet and Hiroaki drinks a lot of sugar/caffeine for being a reserved guy. Hope that clears up things ^_^'