Monday – Okamura
He stutteringly asked her if she had time. Well, he was walking her home. It would be rather awkward if she said she didn't. She was considering if it would be scandalous if someone caught her, one on one with person of the opposite gender from her school. It might be, but balanced with the fact that he was willing to walk her home. She would have to compromise. After all, it would be hard for someone looking in from the outside to feel like she was on a romantic date in a café, when the other party was eating an entire kilo of caramel pudding.
Okamura said that he wanted to bring her to his favorite spot, a café whose specialty was the kilo pudding challenge. And true to its name, if the challenger could finish one kilo of pudding within two hours, the pudding was free.
Once Estelle realized he was going to eat an entire kilo of pudding, she wondered if he was enlisting her help to finish the kilo of pudding with her or if she should order her own. Okamura heartily encouraged her to order whatever she wanted, as when (when not if) he finished the pudding, the café would comp whatever else was on the bill. Her heart yearned for the delicacies listed on the menu. How long had it been since she had a good to honest, sinful, delectable cake decorated with all its trimmings and glory? But she stopped herself. She couldn't. She was on an eternal diet, and she contented herself with a milk tea (no sugar, of course).
When the waiter came to take their order, Okamura seemed very familiar with the waiter, and the waiter immediately seemed to know that, today, the café would be one kilo worth of pudding in the red. The waiter kindly asked after his parents, whether they were doing well. Only then did the waiter realize Okamura did not come by himself, when the waiter made eye contact with Estelle.
The effect was immediate. The waiter turned red, and sputtered a greeting. Estelle smiled her idol smile.
Oh? The waiter knew her group? How kind.
He was a big fan? How fortunate for them to meet today.
How did she know Okamura? She was their team manager.
Could he have an autograph and a selfie? But of course.
Once her idol duties were done, Okamura seemed pleased too, that his companion was so well recognized and popular. Other customers in the café were whispering and looking at them too.
As they waited for the monstrosity of pudding to arrive, Estelle took a glance around the café. It seemed like he had frequented this place enough to where his picture was on the dedicated successful challenger corkboard in the corner of the café. There were five polaroids of a significantly younger Okamura pinned to the wall in succession, dated at least five years back. Surprisingly, he looked about the same. Thick eyebrows, already growing into his hulking stature. The only thing different was his lack of sideburns. After five photos, there were no more Okamura polaroids. But Estelle didn't believe for a second Okamura had only completed the challenge five times. More likely, he completed it so many times, the café stopped putting his photo on the wall.
She noticed something else. A flash of purple. Near a photo of a young Okamura, was a photo of a young Murasakibara. The violet hair and half lidded eyes were unmistakable. Though his characteristic air of ennui was replaced by a more excitable, innocent smile. It was no surprise Murasakibara had done the challenge too.
When the monstrosity arrived, Estelle was not above cheating her eternal diet with taking a few bites. The warmth of fresh caramel sauce enveloped her tongue and the soft texture of pudding delightfully slipped down her throat. She couldn't tell if the pudding was that good, or if she was starved from not having sugar in such a long time.
Surprising no one, Okamura finished the pudding, and their order was accordingly comped. Walking home, he was much less awkward after the pudding.
She found out he liked to ski. He liked to find new cafes and try new sweets.
She asked him in passing if he went to cafes with Murasakibara, since he seemed to love sweets too. He huffily replied that he much would've preferred the company of a cute girl. Like Estelle, he added eagerly. But in the absence of such company, they had gone to some cafes together.
She asked what kind of girl he liked.
He immediately answered, girls like Estelle.
She laughed politely. Predictable. But she prodded further.
Someone who wasn't afraid of his height.
While not surprising, it wasn't really what she expected. Maybe he meant, someone who liked him for who he was. His height, the kilo of pudding, and all.
"Why don't you ever practice?"
Estelle was sitting on the risers, as always, watching basketball practice. But what always struck her as strange was that the purple giant would be sitting on the risers too, a little ways off from her. Eating something or other, scrolling on his phone. Sometimes his headphones would be in. Sometimes he would take a nap. But he was never on the court practicing.
Murasakibara turned his head towards her. "Hm?" He plucked his headphone from out of his ear.
"I said, why don't you ever practice."
"It's a hassle."
Estelle was both angry and puzzled. He was on the basketball team, a starter, to her knowledge, no less.
"You're a starter, right?"
"Mm." He made a sound of agreement.
"But you don't practice."
"Mm."
"Because it's a hassle."
"Mm."
She really could not understand what he meant. As an idol, she and her group members had to constantly practice dance routines, singing, exercise, and depending on how serious they were, even study other languages. An idol who did not practice, would not be an idol for long.
"You… don't care if another teammate takes your place as starter?" She was really trying to rationalize why he would sit there throughout practice and not even touch a basketball.
Murasakibara guffawed, "That's not going to happen."
She was getting increasingly angrier. "Why not? You're not practicing and others are. It's possible you might get replaced."
"No one can replace me," he said matter-of-factly.
It was inconceivable to her. Of course he could be replaced. She took a look around the gym. There were at least ten other players, not including starters. She didn't know too much about basketball, but she thought there must be at least two or three who stood out among the bunch that could easily replace him. Even if he was a titan towering over every player, there must be something practice could do against that.
"No one, on a team, is irreplaceable." She narrowed her eyes at him.
It was a truth she knew all too well in her industry, and it was one that transferable to others as well.
The purple titan further narrowed his half lidded eyes at her, "You just haven't met one yet."
"One what?"
"Someone irreplaceable."