Hanging out in Inokashira Park was like a breath of fresh air.

As Fuyuki is quite a diverse city, Akira was used to the sight of foreign houses and large fields of greenery and forests in the city's edges. Tokyo, however, had little to show for that. While there are indeed such cultural landmarks, many of them are simply used as tourist attractions.

Inokashira looked quite similar like the lake near Ryuudou Temple, in which the lake had undergone quite a few design changes over the years. Through Yu, Akira was able to meet and became friends with Ryuudou Issei, the current head priest, who apparently had taken a liking to him because he cooks just as good as Yu. Whenever he does errands for the temple, he would often pass the lake, which soon served as his favorite relaxation spot whenever he wants to get away from the blinding lights and mass of people for a moment.

Speaking of mess, things have calm down this past week. The twins, Yoshizawa Kasumi and Sumire, have begun to make Leblanc as their hangout spot to go to after gymnastics practice. It was a good thing honestly.

Because it meant that Akira can keep an eye on Sumire.

Being in a company of a gentleman thief who is capable of psychoanalyzing someone in mere seconds taught Akira many skills not even a normal Magus should have. As a result, Akira became more sensitive and perceptive with reading people and dealing with hushed whispers of information, such as rumors or supposed urban legends.

And it was extremely obvious to Akira that Yoshizawa Sumire has many issues.

The younger twin practically wore her guilt on her face. Akira could easily tell that Sumire still has not gotten over the incident. She was nearly always tense and it was also clear that she may also have some inner problems in regards to her older sister by her longing glances towards her before they were quickly replaced with guilt. It was also clear that Kasumi had noticed her sister's current state as well.

Through eye contact, he and Kasumi got into a silent agreement. So, in order to get her to relax, even just a little bit to distract her from her thoughts, Akira would often call her name when striking a conversation with her and Kasumi would follow along. It seemed to work, as Sumire seemed to slowly relax as time passed. It's a slow progress, but much needed for someone as timid as Sumire.

"Thinking about them, Akira?" Akira turned to the side to glance at Assassin, who is currently in a completely different disguise than the other day. Right now, he has the appearance most would describe as a "aristocrat", even looking somewhat older than his other disguise, but still looked young enough to be assumed by most to be in his early twenties.

This is, in fact, one of his original disguises used to pose as Akira's relative from France.

"Oui. I'm really glad you taught me how to psychoanalyze people." Akira told him as he smiled gratefully, "Otherwise, I'm not sure if I can say the right words to help her calm down."

Chuckling, Assassin ruffled his Master's fluffy hair, in which the latter leaned into the touch like cat wanting attention, "You did learn from the best, after all."

Akira's warm smile grew into a smirk as he pulled away, "That, I did. By the way, I doubt that you were wandering Tokyo without a purpose for the past week. So what were you up to?"

Assassin's smirk mirrored his Master's, "Ah, I am simply looking into the possible connection he might have. I found out that he is heavily involved in quite the conspiracy. Even the director of the SIU is involved."

The teen slightly widened his eyes as he quickly processed the information.

Ah, to think that the one who placed him under probation would be such a player in politics. Goes to show just how corrupted even a government of modernity is, although they are hardly as worse as the Mage's Association.

He decided to change the subject for the time being, preferring to have this kind of conversation in a private place or in a mental conversation.

"Still, though. Have you found a place to stay here?" Akira asks. Even if Assassin is a Servant, he is still among the many that still does human activities for recreational purposes. Well, he did come from the era of modern literature.

"Indeed. I picked a simple apartment near your cafe. I plan on visiting sometime, especially after hearing about their curry and coffee from you."

Assassin may have high standards most of the time, but he also appreciates the simplicity of a cozy home.

Planning to visit more places in Tokyo, the two decide to exit the park. However, just as the Master and Servant were about to leave, a deep voice rang out, calling for their attention.

"Excuse me! Please remain still there!"

They stop in their tracks and looked behind them to see a tall and slim young man with dark-blue hair wearing a white long-sleeved uniform. He is standing in a slight distance away with a sketch pad in his arms and a paintbrush in his hand, seemingly using it to find the correct angle of his work.

Akira and Assassin were silent, both of whom looked slightly surprised at the sudden appearance of the artist (Assassin less so as he had already sensed someone nearby), but decided to comply to his request by remaining still until the teen finished his work.

A few minutes later, he finally did.

"I thank you for your cooperation." The blue-haired young man approached, bowing in gratitude, "Thanks to the two of you, it seems I have acquired a new-found inspiration for my next line of artworks!"

Nodding his head in response, both Akira and Assassin became curious as to what he painted, as they both appreciate artistic crafts and artworks, "If it is alright with you, may we see what you painted? We're quite interested, as you seem to be an already experienced artist."

The artist's eyes widened at his request, and he nodded all too eagerly as he presented them his latest work, "Of course, you have a sharp eye. I have been an artist for years now."

The first thing that popped into Akira's mind when he saw the painting was how this was clearly the work of a professional. There was no doubt that the artist was incredibly talented. He then took the next few seconds to fully appreciate the artwork. If he were to describe the meaning of this painting, he would say just one word:

Contrast.

He and Assassin were in the painting of course. However, compared to the clear reflection of the lake and the greenery of the trees, the two of them were the complete opposite, their black outfits completely contrasting the light atmosphere of the rest of the painting.

What surprised Akira however, was that the artist had painted Assassin petting him on the head, like he did earlier.

Assassin gave the painting a calculating gaze, looking quite impressed himself, "Truly impressive. The colors blend each other very well together, nearly every scope of the painting was given with clear detail. The lighting of the cloudy sky, the leaves on the trees, even the reflection of the lake."

Akira nodded at his Servant's insight, deciding to give his own thoughts of it with a small smile, "It is almost as if you took a picture of the scenery itself. You even managed to paint our faces and hands with great detail despite having such a small space in your sketchbook."

Once they have finished reviewing the beautiful painting, they see the artist looking quite surprised, "Those were very thought-provoking critiques! To think I have found a pair of connoisseurs!"

"Ah..." Akira waved his hands, "Connoisseurs might be a bit much. We have only been in many museums, that is all."

"Regardless, you still have a fine eye for art." The artist told him, giving away a pleased smile before remembering something, "Ah, apologies for my lack of manners. My name is Kitagawa Yusuke. I attend an art course at Kosei High School. I will become a second-year at the beginning of the term."

"Oh, likewise. My name is Kurusu Akira." The half-Japanese gave his trademark bow that was not going away anytime soon, he then gestured to his Servant, "And this is François De la Rue, a relative of mine from France."

'François' gave Kitagawa the same bow, "It is a pleasure to meet you, un jeune homme."

Like most people he met, Kitagawa was surprised by the uncustomary greeting but quickly shook it off, "I see. It is an honor to—"

Growl...

The Master and Servant blinked several times at the sudden sound coming from Kitagawa's stomach. However, the artist himself seemed to be completely unbothered, almost as if he did not even hear his own stomach growling.

Akira coughed into his fist, "Excuse me... What was that sound?"

Kitagawa looked confused for moment until he realized what he was referring to, "Oh, apologies. That was only my stomach. It is of no concern. It happens a few times a day."

Assassin raised a eyebrow at the artist while Akira's eye twitched.

"If I may ask, Kitagawa-san..." Akira added slowly, careful not to show what he currently feels about someone thinking that it was normal to have a stomach growling a few times a day, "When and what was the last time you ate?"

"The last time...?" The currently and obviously hungry teen artist looked confused for a moment before placing a finger on his chin, trying to remember, "I believe that it was yesterday noon..." Akira's eye twitched again, "Hm... I seem to remember having beansprouts..." Another twitch, "Oh! I also found some mushrooms at the back of the shack." And another twitch.

Looking at his side at the corner of his eye, Assassin sees his Master tremble ever so slightly for a moment, his eye twitching uncontrollably as he continued to remain smiling as he tried to process what had just been revealed to him.

"B-Beansprouts... and mushrooms...?"

"Oh, dear..."

This was not something Akira can tolerate.

Without another word, Akira marched towards Kitagawa and gently grasped his wrist, the artist making a small noise of surprise. He quickly noticed just how there was still room to spare when he fully wrapped his hand around the wrist and quickly feared for the worst. Slightly rolling up the right sleeve of his uniform, Akira quickly took a closer look.

And sure enough, Kitagawa is all skin and bones.

Heaving out a deep sigh, Akira lets go of Kitagawa's very thin wrist as the latter continued to stare at him in confusion. He then turned to Assassin.

"Say, since you wanted to visit Leblanc, why don't we head there today?" Already knowing what this implies, Assassin nodded at Akira, who turned back to Kitagawa with a warm (and very concerned) smile, "Why don't you come with us to a cafe? Think of it as a token of appreciation for letting us becoming your models for your beautiful art."

Kitagawa gaped at his sudden request, before bowing deeply, "I thank you for your kindness! I could not possibly ever give up the chance at the prospect of free food, even if it were beansprouts again!"

Assassin looked at the grateful artist in concern while Akira pinched the bridge of his nose.

Sojiro raised an eyebrow when he saw his charge coming back into the cafe with two new people he had never seen before.

"...Who are they?"

The kid didn't even bat an eye in his direction as he walked past him and marched right into the kitchen, his reply tense and curt, "My guardian from Fuyuki on short notice and a teen artist on the verge of starvation. The curry is on me."

The cafe owner continued to stare at his charge as the latter immediately began to prepare, noting that this is the first time he had ever seen him this tense.

...And wait, what was that second part?

He then took a moment to fully register his two new customers. The clearly foreign man sat on the stool next to the artist, both of whom are appreciating the aesthetic and atmosphere of the cafe.

Huh, now that he took a closer look, he really does see the resemblance with his charge.

"Hm, I can see why Akira spoke so highly of this place. It has a much more homely atmosphere compared to the cafes I have seen in this city. The smell of coffee is quite enticing as well." Sojiro couldn't help but be slightly surprised by how fluent he is at Japanese, even most foreigners he met back when he was a government official had a slight accent.

"Indeed..." The other teen of the cafe surveyed his surroundings, his sight absorbing every detail he could possibly catch, "The relaxing ambience emanating from this cafe creates quite a distinction with the bustling crowds and noises of the outside."

Sojiro couldn't help but be slightly bewildered by how sophisticated they spoke. He wondered just where the heck did Akira find this other kid but decided to ask later when the teen quite down from his commentary, simply continuing to admire the cafe with great interest.

The Frenchman, François De la Rue as he somewhat remembered from Akira's custody papers, clearly had an air of a wealthy man, but clearly isn't one of those snobbish spoiled brats that he usually met.

"So you're the kid's guardian back in Fuyuki? I can see the resemblance, not just in appearance."

De la Rue chuckled, "Indeed, I am. I come from his aunt's side of the family. Unfortunately, despite my years of living in Japan, I am still quite unaccustomed with Japanese etiquette. It seems that Akira had picked that up from me."

The cafe owner snorted, "You tell me. The kid still hasn't gotten used on how to bow properly. He told me it was practically ingrained into his brain. I was wondering what all that butler thing is about?"

"Ah..." De la Rue recalled what Sojiro was talking about and snickered at the memory, "He told you about his friend in France, correct?" At Sojiro's nod, he continued, "His name is Alain and he is quite... a spirited young man when it comes to attempting to charm the ladies, so he wished to get experience from a butler because he believed that it would be 'cool'. He dragged Akira into it when he visited his aunt at the time. This happened just before he became a third-year in middle school."

Sojiro nodded as he listened attentively, this story was getting interesting.

"The butler he found belonged to a family from Finland and they were in the country at the time. They were able to contact them easily because they were one of the clients of Akira's aunt. Unfortunately for him..." De la Rue couldn't help but laugh quietly again, "Only Akira learned from their experience. His clumsiness and lack of patience earned him scoldings and punishments several assignments in a row. He practically begged Akira to protect him from their mentor because he was so strict. According to Akira, Alain once used him as a shield between him and their mentor when he accidentally broke several glasses because he couldn't hold the tray properly."

At the end of the story, Sojiro couldn't help but bark out a hearty laugh. Ah, what a tale...

"So..." Sojiro's laughter soon subsided, now wearing an amused smirk, "Does this mean that Akira was the one who ended up charming the ladies?"

The foreigner's amused expression greatly matched the cafe owner, "Indeed. Although, I felt sorry for those who fell for him."

"Why is that?"

"Akira has many admirers back in his previous school, he still does even now." He chuckled, "He's also quite popular among the male students."

"Heh." Looks like this kid's going to have a lot of work cut out for him.

"He just became even more popular in his third-year. His mentor made sure Akira fully absorbed his teachings. As a result, he earned many names in the school, such as 'The Butler of Homurahara', 'The Chef of the West', his former classmates, including one of his teachers, would even sometimes call him 'Dad' or 'Mom'."

If Sojiro were drinking coffee right now, he would do a spit take from the build up of his laughter and would beat himself up for wasting such a good cup of coffee, "Say what!? A-Are you serious?"

No wait, now that he thought about, he remembered talking to his aunt about how her nephew had tried so hard to fix her eating habits because she was so focused with work, and even forced her to eat "real food" instead of fast-food everyday.

(He wholeheartedly agreed with charge about the fast-food, though.)

"His classmates actually got into a huge argument whether to call him Mom or Dad." De la Rue quickly added, this just caused Sojiro laugh even more.

"Hey, what are you telling Boss!?" The kid yelled from the kitchen, finally focusing on their conversation as he continued to cook.

"Oh, nothing at all, Akira~" Now, it was obvious on who influenced the kid to become the little shit he is today..

"My lord, what is this aroma...?" Sojiro had completely forgotten that there was another customer right now. The other kid was silent throughout his exchange with the foreigner and only just spoke up.

As if on cue, Akira finally emerged from the kitchen holding a plate of curry in each hand with eased proficiency. Sojiro noticed that the curry that he placed in front of the other kid had a much larger portion than his relative. For some reason, De la Rue gave a nod to Akira, which he returned.

(For some reason, there was a warm feeling in him akin to pride when he realized just how fast Akira learned the recipe. Of course, he would never admit that.)

Akira gave a bow that is very befitting of a butler, "Please enjoy your meal."

The kid—apparently named Kitagawa (Sojiro finally asked Akira his name) just stared at the steaming curry as if it were a treasure in a heap of gold. He heard a growling sound and Kitagawa didn't even notice it as he continued to salivate the aroma.

"How hungry is this kid?"

(Meanwhile, Akira fought the urge to bash his head against the counter, no one noticed except Assassin, who was amused.)

Wordlessly, the artist took a bite and his eyes dilated with shock.

"This curry...! It has a common flavor and yet... it has so much dept...!"

"Hm, indeed..." De la Rue added his own commentary as he swallowed his first bite, "The flavor seems to be normal at first, but the flavor truly bursts as you chew it. I even tasted some ingredients that seems strange to put into curry and yet, the combination worked."

Before he knew it, Kitagawa's plate is already empty as if he had inhaled it. Instead of looking full, however, he seemed devastated that it was gone despite having eaten such a portion that is the equivalent to two servings.

They heard another growl and the other three occupants stared at the still hungry artist. After a moment of silence, Akira spoke up.

"Would you like a second serving?"

"Truly...? Yes, please!"

Sojiro is starting to understand how his charge is feeling right now.

Oui = Yes
un jeune homme = young man

If you guys are wondering why I haven't shown Arsène's real appearance, from what I researched about him, he generally dresses pragmatically, mostly appearing in his disguise.

Writing how Yusuke speaks is so hard...

Reviews are greatly appreciated!