He hesitates outside the entrance. Well, this must be the place. Sure has been a while. It's like any another izakaya restaurant; all angles and inviting aroma's. However Bossun can't seem to shake the wave of unease and tension that creeps up his spine. It's just everyone. What's there to be worried about? He wonders irritably.
Oh I don't know. Maybe you're worried about seeing a certain someone? A certain barbaric, strong-willed, blonde perhaps? A voice snickers inside his head. One that funnily enough resembles the sarcastic, computerised tone of Switch.
"No way that could be it!" Bossun declares. Announcing it unnecessarily loud in the seemingly empty street, while letting loose a series of nervous laughter.
"Were you hoping to make a reservation sir, or to be seated for an existing one?" the attendant asks, drawing her lips back into a welcoming smile. Bossun agrees to the second part and the woman nods.
"Very well sir, now if you'd just tell me your name."
Bossun clears his throat and answers, "Fujisaki Yuusuke."
The attendant proceeds to mark a tick next to, what he assumes must be his name, off a reservation list. After a moment she moves from behind the booth, replaced easily by another attendant, and motions for him to follow.
"Right this way Mr Fujisaki" she says. Bossun barely manages to cover a snort at the mature title, a blush working its way up his neck. Crap, so uncool he thinks.
Trying to distract himself from his own momentary embarrassment, he asks, "Um, excuse me, but has anyone else arrived yet?"
The attendant stops just outside a tall sliding door. Pausing with her hand on the door she tilts her head slightly in Bossun's direction. With another warm smile she says "Yes Mr Fujisaki. I believable nearly all of your party is already waiting inside."
So I'm late then Bossun decides.
"Thanks" he says, grinning appreciatively. The attendant beams in response, bobs her head and knocks softly on the door. A familiar voice comes out muffled from within the walls.
"Well then, please let me know if you need anything else" the lady finishes.
"Will do" Bossun replies softly. As soon as she's around the corner he scans himself from head to toe in one of the long windows opposite the private room. After an hour of hunting through his bags for something decent to wear he'd convinced himself 'casual' was safest. Wouldn't want to embarrass myself by dressing up all fancy he'd concluded. Now he reassesses himself, checking off his clothes like the items on a shopping list.
1 plain, black, short-sleeved top
1 grey hooded jumper, sleeves rolled back
1 red, faded pair of shorts stopping just above the knees
Here we go he thinks, reaching a hand out from within the safety of his jumper and pulling the sliding door wide open.