Nanami undressed carefully and ran a bath, wincing as she slid in, the soapy water reminding her of all the nicks and bruises she'd accumulated that night. Exhaling for what felt like the first time in hours, she leaned her head back against the rim of the tub and felt a tear roll down her cheek. Before she could register the action, the emotional dam burst open and tears continued to fall one after the other as she tried to stifle a whimper. It had all come to a head and the pain she'd been suppressing bubbled upwards and down her flushed face. She had an inkling of what to expect when she got involved with his world. She knew there would be consequences, but the confirmation and reality of said consequences were another story entirely. This is... a lot. Even for me. She thought almost laughing to herself again at the predicament, attempting to steady her breath, But I can—I will handle it. We're gonna accept this feeling and then let it go. If I let this take over, then what was all this for? I'm gonna keep going. I have to… But for just a little while longer, I'm going to rest.
She sighed, healing her wounds and scrubbing herself gently with her favorite lavender scrub. If she was going to rest, she was going to do it right. I'll finish up here, light some candles, put on my favorite pj's, play some music in the living roo—just then she remembered she wasn't alone and sank down into the tub, suddenly feeling very exposed. As nervous as she was, there was also a strange sense of comfort. If he's still there, that is.
Accepting she couldn't hide in her bubble fortress forever, she exited the tub, toweling off and going to her room through the adjoining door in the bathroom. She was still committed to the favorite p.j.'s idea, putting on a matching black and white short sleeve shirt and shorts. Before the thought of "what's Overhaul gonna think?" could rear its head, she cut it off. It's my house, I wear what I want. Why would I care what he thinks anyways? She thought, trying to convince herself, rolling her eyes at the notion while also giving herself a once over in the mirror before exiting the room.
Her confidence waning with every step she took down the hallway to her living room, she sheepishly peeked from around the corner to see if he was still there. He was on her couch, focused on whatever was on his phone. He hadn't moved from the spot where she'd left him.
"If you need something, feel free to come and get it. There's no need to sneak around your own house."
"Wha—I was not 'sneaking around'. Just… checking to see if you were still here is all." She sputtered, holding her arm, avoiding eye contact as he'd turned to address her.
"Like I said, I'll be here." The look he was giving her made her shift nervously.
She simply nodded, briskly making her way to the kitchen to make her nightly cup of tea. Realizing she should probably be a decent host, she decided to offer him some. He'll probably say no, but what the hell.
"I'm making some tea, you want some?" Yup. Nailed it. Host of the year, here I come.
"No, thank you." Knew it. Why'd I even ask. She chastised herself inwardly.
Accepting defeat, she filled the kettle with water and placed it on the stove to warm as she gathered the rest of her ingredients. The water now hot, she poured a bit into the bowl, discarding it after she swished it around. She opened the cannister, taking a small scoop of the powder to press through the sieve. An equally small amount of water was carefully poured into the bowl before she began whisking, now calmed by the familiar routine. As she lost herself in the task, a small voice cut through her thoughts.
"… is that Sei-un?"
She paused, turning to look at him, pleasantly surprised. "You can smell that through your mask?"
"Yes… it's my favorite."
"Mine too! I mean, I enjoy it. A little." She said pulling back her excitement. "Would you like some tea now?" she tempted, raising a brow. It was nice to meet a fellow matcha enthusiast, though the circumstances may not have been ideal.
"… Yes. But I need to see you make it, so you do it properly."
"Oh, so you don't trust my expertise?" she asked, slightly offended, but used to his fussiness by now.
"I trust your taste, but no I do not trust this alleged 'expertise' when it comes to preparation." He began as he walked into the kitchen to stand next to her at the counter.
"Pssh. Nothing 'alleged' about these moves. Watch and learn." Nanami expertly sifted the powder and whisked until a layer of foam formed at the top, letting her know it was ready to be served. She took a teacup and gracefully poured the mixture, sliding it over to him triumphantly. He picked up the cup, bringing it up to his nose to take in the aroma before Nanami realized he would have to take off his mask to enjoy her concoction. "Oop! Sorry," She said covering her eyes with one hand as she motioned him to drink with the other.
"You know you don't have to… Nevermind." He said before pulling his mask down to take an appraising sip.
She heard a content sigh and rustling as she spread her fingers to peek through, catching a glimpse of his now-serene gaze, "…So?" She asked eager for his response.
"This… is good." He responded sincerely and Nanami found herself beaming at the confirmation of her expert moves. "But let me show you how it's really done."
He went through similar steps, his movements precise and measured as though he'd done it a million times before. There was a peacefulness in him she'd only seen glimpses of in the lab as he carefully prepared the cup for her. She found herself wishing she could see this side of him more often.
After finishing, he confidently, slid the cup over to her waiting to gauge her reaction. She grasped it with both hands, taking in the scent before sipping. She closed her eyes, relaxing for what felt like the first time today. There was nothing like having a hot cup of tea after a long day but having someone else make it for you made it that much better. "I can't lie, this is great. Nice and smooth." She replied earnestly. Their eyes met and there was a contentment in his gaze she was happy to see. Realizing they were once again too close, she broke the eye contact, to her dismay finding it was getting harder with each time. She walked over to the couch to sit and enjoy the rest of it, hopeful she could shake off the growing tension before they had another repeat of whatever had happened earlier in the lab.
She heard footsteps from behind her as he returned to sit on the couch, leaving a safe amount of space between them.
"So… have you ever tried using a milk frother?" She began.
He turned to her, an incredulous look in his eyes, "Are you trying to insult me?"
"What? No, I just had a friend recommend it since it's faster, but it kinda defeats the purpose to me. Making it is half the fun, so why rush?"
He regarded her, pleasantly surprised, "I couldn't agree more…"
They continued trading tips and tricks for the next hour, Nanami going on a tangent rather passionately, as he listened intently to her speech about the best tea snacks and why they weren't pickled plums. Overhaul himself becoming rather animated as he rated and critique how adequately (Kurono) or terribly (Rappa) each of the Precepts prepared tea, unsurprisingly rating himself the highest. The caffeine began to wear off and she tried to stifle a yawn. "I think I'm going to try and get some sleep."
"That would be wise." He confirmed, politely shooing her off.
Rubbing her eyes, she took her cup to the sink to rinse it off, swearing she'd clean the rest in the morning. Before she made it down the hallway, she had an epiphany and turned back to the living room.
"I'm so sorry, there's a guest room here you can use. It's right down the—"
"No need. I won't be sleeping." He responded, cutting her off as he glanced out her window.
"Oh. Well, in case you change your mind or doze off," she said, her voice trailing off as she went into the spare room, coming back with blankets and pillows placing them on the sofa, "these babies are freshly laundered." She began walking towards her room before turning again, "Thank you for coming by…Goodnight." It was almost a whisper as she found herself too nervous to raise her voice further.
Before she closed her bedroom door, a voice called back, "You're welcome, goodnight."
Saturday morning came and Nanami awoke, feeling surprisingly well-rested considering what happened the night before. Stretching, she rolled out of bed, checking her phone for texts while making a b-line to the kitchen to make some breakfast. Walking into the living room, she saw him perched by the window, checking his phone. Hearing footsteps, he glanced towards her, doing a double-take before assessing the visage fully.
Her eyes were heavy-lidded, her chestnut skin smooth and glowing from a good night's rest. The skylight in her apartment let in a stream of sunlight that made her silver hair shimmer as it cascaded down her shoulders. She stood in the doorway, relaxed, looking every bit an angel with bed head and silly house shoes. Slowly pocketing his phone to give her his full attention, he cleared his throat, now reassured that staying the night had been the right decision.
Judging by his stunned silence, Nanami was sure she must have looked like a hot mess. I knew I should've changed first, but no I just had to listen to my stomach and waltz out here. Who even wears bunny slippers anymore? She cringed inwardly knowing he would never forget this sight, though she had thoroughly misjudged why. Quickly brushing her hair into a more socially acceptable state with her fingers, she fidgeted under his gaze, wishing he would say something—anything—and put her out of her misery. She decided to strike first, unable to stand the silence any longer. "G-good morning! I'm gonna put on some coffee," she spluttered, "I was also going to make some breakfast too—nothing crazy, of course—would you want any?" She sincerely hoped he would throw her a lifeline and respond, but his eyes were glued to her.
After letting her squirm a bit longer, he rose "There's no need. I have to head back as there's an interrogation to conduct. Keep your phone on your person this time. I'll be in touch… Thank you for your hospitality." He gave a subtle bow, leaving before she could form a response. Nanami watched him go, a part of her wishing he'd stayed a bit longer.
Brushing off his abrupt departure, she began texting Hitomi to coordinate their joint errand run. Remembering she still had a normal life to get back to.
H: You ready?
N: Yeah, just gonna throw on some clothes real quick
H: Cool. Be there in 15 😊
N: Like... actual 15 or "I just rolled outta bed" 15?
H: … Be there in 30
N: Mmhm~
Deciding it would be more fun to pick up breakfast treats with her friend, Nanami went back into her room to change. She picked out one of her favorite old band tees, some loose ripped jeans, and her favorite chunky sneakers, putting her hair into a ponytail with a fluffy scrunchy. It had been about 20 minutes since Overhaul left when she heard her other phone buzz on her nightstand. Pretending she wasn't eager to answer, she casually walked over to the phone answering on the third ring.
"Answer on the first ring next time."
"Wow, well hello to you too, sunshine." A sigh could be heard on the other line and she would bet money he was already massaging his temples, "What's so urgent?"
"Have you heard the name Dr. M?"
"Hm… no, doesn't ring a bell. Why do you ask?" in the background she heard distinct cracking and whimpers. "… Overhaul, why are you asking me this and what is going on in the background?"
"If this interrogation goes well, then soon we'll both know. Until then, keep your phone on you." The line clicked. Having to set broken bones before, the cracking noises she'd heard in the background weren't much of a mystery.
Before she could let her mind wander about the "interrogation", her doorbell rang. Putting both phones in her bag, she went to the door, seeing through the peephole that it was Hitomi. She opened the door, giving her friend a warm embrace.
"Ready to go?"
"Actually, need to use your bathroom first, if you don't mind. My bladder and I have not been on the same page lately."
Chuckling, she let her friend through, "No problem, have at it."
As Hitomi stepped through the door, her face dropped. "Something's different."
Thankfully Hitomi had her back turned to her or else she would have seen Nanami's dodgy glances as she prayed her friend didn't investigate further. Getting her involved was dead last on a very long list of things she wanted to do. "What are you talking about? Nothing's changed," she laughed nervously.
Hitomi began eyeing the place suspiciously before taking in a big whiff. Nanami watched the scene unfold in slow motion as she was powerless to stop it. Her eyes fell on the pillows and blankets on the couch, then the genkan where her shoes had been displaced by another pair, then—the final nail in the coffin—the set of tea cups that had been cleaned and neatly placed on the counter. Before she could appreciate that he'd cleaned up for her, Hitomi spoke, "… Who is he."
"N-no one! I mean what are you talking about?"
"I smell…" she inhaled and paused for dramatic effect, "a man."
"That's me. I ran through the men's section of a department store earlier. Got bombarded with samples."
"The stores aren't even open yet, you have your best linens folded neatly on the couch, and you have not one—but two—cups out that you only drink your special matcha tea in. Spill. The. Beans."
"You can't make me as there is nothing to spill." Nanami deadpanned, as her phone rang. Judging by the ringtone, she knew it was the one she only used for Overhaul. Shit.
"… You gonna answer that?"
She knew she had no choice as she reluctantly retrieved the offending object, answering the call. She looked down, refusing to make eye contact with Hitomi who was already thinking of a million questions to ask. "Hello?"
"Ok. I know you're intelligent. So why after I ask you to answer on the first ring do you then wait an additional three rings the next time I call?"
"Oh hey, Mrs. Ito! How are you?"
"Wait, what?"
"Oh, I'm so glad to hear that! I'm doing great as well, thank you for asking."
"Ok, I'm taking back my intelligent comment."
"Well aren't you a hoot n' a half! But can I call you back later? I'm about to go out on a girl's day with my friend here."
"… You're really bad at this."
"Oh, thank you! You're too kind!"
"Text me when you can talk freely. Until then, get acting lessons." She could hear a slight chuckle under his breath.
"Well that sounds great, I'll talk to you soon! Oh, and I'll be sure to put a big ol' mark in my planner for you, ok? Buh-bye!"
"Wait, that didn't even cou—" he began to protest as she hung up.
As she was already writing her Oscar acceptance speech for the performance in her head, she confidently pocketed her phone. Though when she glanced back up, Hitomi gave her a pitiful look, "He's right, you are really bad at this."
"Ok look, I can explain, I—"
"Hey, if you're going this far to try and hide him, then I'll take the hint and wait until you're ready to tell me. I know you're not very experienced with dating and all so I'll give you a break for now… though judging by your glow this morning I'd say someone already came to give you a break, or should I say to 'break you off'." She said wiggling her brows.
Nanami narrowed her eyes in confusion for a beat, before she caught on, "What do you—OH NO. NONONO. Nu uh. None of that happened—or ever will happen."
"Calm down, I'm just teasing. But when it does happen, just let me know if you need any tips. No need to make your first time your last, amiright?" Hitomi said much too suggestively for her liking as she tried to get his voice out of her head.
"Let's… let's just go."
"Anything you want sweetcheeks," she winked as she went to the restroom before they left.
As they got into the car, Hitomi listed off where they needed to go and decided it'd be best if she went to the post office first. While Nanami waited in the car, she texted Overhaul she had a moment. Almost instantly the phone rang.
"Well aren't yo—"
"We need to talk."