On our way home, I noticed that Ryu-chan was quieter than usual and his smile wasn't as natural as it usually seemed. I know I wasn't an authority in discerning people's emotions or intentions, but he was as transparent as water when it came to expressing exactly what he felt. I didn't have to guess that something was weighing on his mind, and I was sure that something was a someone called Prosecutor Reiji Mitsurugi.
"I'm sure there will be another time to meet him," I told him out of the blue. "When you become a certified lawyer, you'll probably run into him since he's a prosecutor."
Ryu-chan scratched his head.
"I guess I couldn't hide my disappointment. Thanks for trying to cheer me up, Chii-chan. I appreciate it."
"I-it was nothing."
"I saw him glance at me for a split second right at the start of the trial," he said. "But that was it. Not a smile, not a frown, nothing. I guess I shouldn't be surprised that he didn't remember me, since we only knew each other for less than a year, in elementary school."
Ryu-chan let out such a long sigh that I imagined I could see his soul escaping from his mouth. I'd never seen him so defeated. Right, I said to myself after some thought. That's because it's usually me who gets depressed and he's the one to cheer me up.
Then, there was only one thing to do. It was time for us to exchange positions for once.
"I'm sure he recognized you," I said. "He probably wasn't sure how to react to seeing you there."
"I don't know. Is it so hard to at least nod to acknowledge me being there? Instead of making me feel like I was invisible."
That was a good point, but I knew very little about Prosecutor Mitsurugi to argue in favor of his behavior. The only things I knew from our conversation, aside from how scary he could be when he thinks you're his enemy, was that he knew exactly who the person Ryuichi Naruhodo was, and that he cared enough about him to try to correct a wrong involving him, namely that I was role-playing Chinami.
"I saw him glance at you," I lied, but in good faith. "That was an expression of recognition. I'm sure I saw it."
"Just in that split second?"
I nodded with confidence. Even though it wasn't through the glance, the conclusion I drew from meeting the prosecutor was the same: he remembers Ryu-chan and their friendship.
"He acted coldly, but it's probably because he has reason to do so. He showed us a couple hours full of his intelligence and timeliness; I'm sure he doesn't act without carefully weighing his options."
"I wonder what the reason could be," Ryu-chan said, but his expression looked much more peaceful than before.
"Maybe ask him when you meet," I suggested, then shrugged. "Even though he might push you away as soon as you try to get close. He seemed like a cryptic person, who doesn't want to share more than face value."
Ryu-chan raised an eyebrow at my comment, and I felt a chill down my spine as I stared into his dark grey eyes. I must've overkilled it.
"Do you know Mitsurugi, Chii-chan?" he asked. "He did look at you an awful lot, and you speak of him almost as if you've met him."
I got lucky a few times in the past, when I slipped up and hinted that I wasn't Chinami to Ryu-chan. However, he caught me red-handed this time.
"I have never met him," I said, hoping I could somehow scoop the spilt milk. "But I got that much about his character from observing him a couple of hours."
For two seconds, he looked incredulous but then his face brightened up.
"Wow, Chii-chan. You're really amazing at decoding a person's character," he applauded. "Now I'm scared to know what you've decoded about me."
I grinned, perhaps unnaturally, but I was just relieved that I could salvage some of the spilt milk with my bare hands. Ryu-chan was surely kind and social, but one thing I noticed was that he was rather gullible. I didn't dislike that side of him, however. After all, it was that disposition of his that had maintained our relationship going, despite my colossal slip-ups.
"You're exaggerating, but that's how I know that Prosecutor Mitsurugi is that kind of person," I said. "So don't be let down by his apparent coldness."
"Thanks. He was an awkward kid, silent and distant unless you befriended him. Perhaps he's just uneasy seeing an old friend pop up suddenly."
I nodded with large movement of my head.
"That might just be it, too."
"Alright. I'll make him get over his uneasiness when we eventually meet in court," Ryu-chan said, completely back to his usual self. "Oh yeah, before I forget. Have these."
He handed me the paper bag with the sweets. I took them out to check them closely.
"It says it has six daifuku-mochi* with mango paste inside," I read.
"Yeah, the sweets shop near my house specializes in mochi. Their mango-paste daifuku are trendy in the summer."
"Sounds delicious," I said. "But you know what? I'd like to share them with you. Or maybe with everyone. Let's see."
I counted the people who were relatively close to me. There was Ryu-chan, of course, but also Yahari-san, Tomoko, Hitomi and Nanako. Those were five, and then there would be one left over for me. Perfect.
I tore the paper wrapping and opened the box inside. I gave one packet of mochi to Ryu-chan.
"Let's pass by Yahari-san's cafe. I'll give the rest to my friends since we are meeting tomorrow."
We exited the train and headed to the café. Now that my face was plastered all over it, it had become unmissable even from a distance.
"The café was cute-looking before, but it's become even cuter now that you're their poster girl," Ryu-chan commented.
"Don't say that," I sighed. "I'm a bit regretful that I agreed to have my pictures taken."
"Why? I think you helped them garner interest, especially from the guys," he said and winked. "Wonder if they'd give me a copy of their posters, for my room."
I pushed Ryu-chan's shoulder jestingly.
We entered the cafe, and were welcomed by Yahari-san's loud voice.
"Welcome, welcome, to this beautiful café, Chinami-chan and Ryu-chan," he said.
"R-Ryu-chan?" Ryu-chan stuttered. "Please don't call me that. When you say it, it takes away the cute from the nickname."
"Jeez, discrimination! Sexism! I can be cute too, you know," Yahari-san winked and pointed his lips as if air-kissing. "But fine... I take it you want it to be a couples-only thing. Way to rub it on my lonely single face."
"Now, now, no need to be so melodramatic. Look, Chii-chan brought you a mango-paste daifuku mochi."
I took that as a cue to hand the wrapped treat to Yahari-san. His face instantly lit up and then there was no remnants of his pouting. However, when he was about to open the plastic wrapping to eat it, the café manager popped out of nowhere and scolded him.
"No eating during working hours. Wait until lunch," he said, and went back to circulating the café.
"Tch, a man can't enjoy wearing skirts or eating sweets in labor hours? I think it's time to qui-"
"I thought this job was perfect for you," Ryu-chan interrupted. "Given how most of the clients are young ladies."
I looked around the café I noticed that it was almost filled to capacity, and about 70% were girls my age sitting in groups with their friends. There were more guys, though, compared to the other times we had come.
"That's a fair point you make there, Naruhodo," Yahari-san said and scratched his head. "Maybe I'll reconsider staying."
Then, Yahari-san asked us if we were going to sit down so that he could prepare a table for us. We weren't really planning to stay, and besides it was past 1 o'clock- time to look for lunch, not dessert. Thus we declined, but told him we'd be back soon.
"Chii-chan has to make good use of that free dessert ticket," Ryu-chan said.
I had totally forgotten about it, but it was true that I was still carrying the ticket I received in exchange for becoming the café's poster girl.
"Alright, see you around, then," said Yahari-san and waved.
However, before we left the café, we had the misfortune to be spotted by a familiar face. It was none other than Nonda-san! What he was doing alone in a café that Ryu-chan hesitated to go into, was a question I probably wouldn't get to ask.
He approached us, but, surprisingly, he appeared to be in a good mood. He was even smiling.
"Hi there, Chinami. Hi there, Naruhodo-kun," he greeted us. "Nice meeting you here. Do you come here often?"
I was taken aback by his sudden change of attitude toward us, so Ryu-chan did the talking for me.
"Not as frequently as to call it 'often', but yeah, it's not our first time here," he said. I glanced up to Ryu-chan's face, and I found that I wasn't the only one perplexed.
"It's my first time here," he said. "I noticed you became a sort of poster girl for the place."
That comment was directed at me, but I couldn't think of a proper reply, so I just nodded. Nonda-san stared at me directly into my eyes, and his smile was distorted for a moment before composing itself back up. Something about that... it felt as though there was some meaning behind it, other than to make me sweat buckets. He broke eye contact with me and focused on Yahari-san instead.
"Yeah, Chinami-chan is our poster girl," Yahari-san answered proudly in my stead.
"Well then. I hope you enjoy the rest of your day," he said and left the café while waving at us.
There was a moment of awkward silence once the doors shut behind Nonda-san. Even Yahari-san was silent, probably because he was confused as to why our eyes were nailed to the café's exit.
"What was that about, huh?" Ryu-chan asked, breaking the ice.
"No idea," I shook my head. "Maybe he was in a sour mood the first time we met him, and he's actually an amiable person?"
"Chii-chan? You should know him, since he was your ex-boyfriend," Ryu-chan laughed, but it sounded a little forced.
"I-I mean, yes. He's usually friendly. He just has mood swings, like you saw," I said, smiling even more forcefully than him.
"Or maybe he was faking friendliness," Yahari-san whispered in our ears. "Don't let down your guard, Naruhodo. He might still be after Chinami-chan."
"Wha- that's not a possibility," I said. However, Ryu-chan was silent.
"Well, I can't speak from experience yet, but you see that stuff all over TV. A common trope is the triangle relationship involving the heroine and two handsome guys, and usually she dates one before settling for the other."
"TV and real life are different, Yahari-san," I pointed out.
"Hmm. But! Even without any of that... One thing I know is this: never underestimate a scientist, because they're definitely smarter than you," he shrugged.
"A scientist... He's a pharmacology student in our college," I said, though I had a feeling Yahari-san already knew.
"Yup, I talked to him earlier, when I was serving him an espresso," he said. "He said he was a third year in college, as well. Oh, and he also said he was waiting for someone, but I guess that someone didn't show up, huh? That's probably why he left without trying any of our mind-blowingly delicious sweets."
I wondered whether the person he was waiting for was Yasui-san, since they appeared to be close.
"But that's beside the point," he said and placed both of his hands on Ryu-chan's shoulders. The sudden contact made Ryu-chan snap out of deep thought.
"W-what?"
"Scientists are sure smart, but lawyers are also smart," he said. "At least, anyone who's going to college right now is smarter than I am."
"... And where are you going with this?"
Yahari-san slid his hands off Ryu-chan's shoulders and laughed awkwardly.
"That's actually a good question, you know? I think I got side-tracked and lost track of my point."
"Classic Yahari move," Ryu-chan shook his head while giggling. "Don't worry, I think I roughly understood your point."
"That's my Naruhodo. I knew you weren't studying law for nothing," he said and stuck a thumbs up for us.
"Should we go now?" Ryu-chan said to me, and we left the café after saying goodbye to his friend.
Just outside, when we had already passed the white round tables and the flowery arch that adorned the entrance to the place, I suddenly stopped in my tracks.
"What is it, Chii-chan?" he asked when his hand was pulled.
"Um, about what Yahari-san said..." I started, but Ryu-chan chuckled.
"Don't worry about him. Drama is his birthmark, and yet I don't think he'll ever learn not to stick his nose in its source."
It would have been easier for me to take the hint and drop the subject just like that, but I felt like I wanted to have Ryu-chan on the same page I was on.
"I just wanted you to know that this will never be a triangle relationship," I said.
It would've been cooler if I had said it looking directly into his eyes, but alas, I had to look straight down to my feet. Else I felt like I might go full-swing dizzy; I was already holding Ryu-chan's hand too tightly to keep balance.
"Even if Yahari-san raised that possibility... T-there will never be anything between Nonda-san and I... regardless of whatever Nonda-san's thoughts are."
I was almost too afraid to look up to Ryu-chan's face, so I glanced at it for a brief second. I thought I saw him smiling, so I slowly raised my gaze again. He was smiling, indeed, but it was more peaceful than any smile he had shown me before.
"I never doubted that," he said, then he bent over a little and kissed my forehead.
"But thanks for putting it in words. I appreciate it."
*Daifuku-mochi is a traditional Japanese treat which usually has red bean paste inside a wrap of sweetened sticky rice. It is most commonly consumed in the winter; however variations of this in which the red bean paste is exchanged for fruity pastes are also eaten in summer. Also, these kind of gift-wrapped sweets usually come with individual wraps, which is why Ayame could hand one to each person easily.
- Characters -
Ryuichi Naruhodo = Phoenix Wright
Ayame Hazakurain = Iris
Masashi Yahari = Larry Butz
Reiji Mitsurugi = Miles Edgeworth
Chinami Miyanagi = Dahlia Hawthorne
Kikuzou Nonda = Doug Swallow
