He had asked her out.

The Composer of Shibuya had asked her out.

Well, not technically. Joshua had just invited her to join him for a cup of coffee at WildKat Café after she was done with school on Friday.

His eyes had held yearning, a desire to know more about her. She saw something in him that made her regret ever snubbing him or ignoring him. Joshua was missing something. Literaly. There was a disconnect...a handicap. What it was she didn't know, but she wanted very much to find out.

So she had said yes.

Now she was making her way to Cat Street with butterflies in her stomach. She doubted that the Composer would approve of her being late, even by three minutes. But late by three minutes she happened to be, thanks to having to take the long way to avoid her brother.

As she burst through the door of the café, her nervous gaze searched until she spotted the ash-blonde at the bar, conversing with the cheery shop owner. The two were close, and apparently, they'd known each other since Joshua was alive, and it was no secret between the barista and the four friends , that Hanekoma thought of the Composer as his surrogate son.

He was also apparently, the only person who could get away with purposefully pissing the Composer off, or reprimanding him when he needed a good kick in the ass. So Rhyme felt a high degree of respect for Mister H.

"Raimu!"

Joshua's cheery voice broke her thoughts.

"You made it!"

He pat the seat next to him encouragingly "Have a seat. Anything you order, I'll pay for, so don't trouble yourself."

Timidly, the girl sat down. "H...how generous of you, Joshua. Thanks!"

"Uh, say J...you mind getting the ice out of the basement...I kinda need more in the freezer." Mister H said, eyeing the young Bito.

The Coomposer snorted and hopped off his stool "Don't play coy with me, Sanae. If you wanted me to take five, you could just ask."

"Someone wants a giant pot of minestrone tonight..."

"I'm going!"

Rhyme styfled a giggle until she noticed that Mister H was eying her. She gave him her full attention, and he sighed

"What do you think you're doing?"

"I don't understand" the girl said honestly "I'm just...being kind to him. He seems...so lonely sometimes, especially after our meetings at Hachiko."

Sanae shook his head "Look, I just don't want you getting your hopes up for no reason. Whatever you think you feel for him...just know that he can't return affection like that."

Her face turned red and she looked away "Of course not. He's the Composer."

"That's...not quite what the problem is, Little Skulls. It's more like...he physically can't feel that particular affection."

"I'm back with your stupid ice!" Joshua huffed, dumping said ice into the freezer and scowling suddenly "And what have you been gossiping about in my absence?"

"Oh nothing much." The Barista said nonchalantly.

"You did not just tell her the story about your coffee grinder. Sanae, the menace is dead. It's ashes. I destroyed it. Let it go."

"It was innocent and so was my ceiling!"

"It tried to murder me! Brutally! It made me bleed, Sanae! I swear afterwords it was laughing at me. So yes, I toasted it with fiery destruction from above!"

Rhyme played along and giggled behind her hand, while contemplating the baristas words. She had been right. Joshua was missing something...a very vital something that she was determined to get back for him.

Because no one deserved to live life without it, especially not someone with a lifespan of basically forever.

"Now shoo! I have pleasure to attend to." The Composer finished, waving Mister H off.

After the man laughed and went to help Neku and Shiki, who'd just arrived, Joshua turned his full attention to the young Bito. This both pleased her and made her extremely nervous. He drank from his mug and gently pushed over an orange smoothie.

"Forgive Sanae, he has a cruel sense of timing. Here, I know how much you enjoy orange juice, so I ordered this for you."

Rhyme accepted the drink with a grin and said chjeerily "I don't mind." She took a sip and Joshua saw her eyes light up. He grinned as her delight spread across her entire face.

"It's good! Thanks Joshua."

He felt his insides churn a bit at her smile, his confusion reached new heights as she giggled. He...he liked her. But he was unable to express himself to her, like he saw his Proxy express to Shiki. He was...empty...in that way. He had no words to convey what he was feeling to the girl whose Music soothed him so beautifly.

Music...

He looked around, searcxhing for the poster he'd seen earlier. Coyly, as if he were simply starting a conversation casually, he asked,

"Raimu, what kind of music do you enjoy?"

The girl looked at him curiously "Well, Beat insists on skater rock, but I'm more of a classical, techno, rap type of girl, you know?"

He giggled gently, "A connoisseur, and quite a beautiful one at that."

She blushed.

He mentally slapped himself Smooth, Kiryu...real smooth. What are you even doing? This feeling...

"I'm not pretty." She said softly.

Joshua looked at her, indignation on his face "My dear Raimu! Who ever told you such tripe?"

She hung her head "No one specifically." She mumbled, not wanting him to obliterate anyone on her behalf. "Just...people at school, mostly."

"They are Noise Food. Pay no attention to them. In fact..." He pointed to the poster "Why don't you show them their gross error...by occumpanying me to the Concerto on Tuesday?"

Rhyme stared at him. Another date? So soon? And how..."How would that show them? They don't know what you are."

Joshua smirked, curling his hair around a finger "They don't know what I am, this is true. However I am very, very good at reminding people who I am. With a bit of imprinting, and a lot of hard, complicated work on my part...I will make things work exactly how I want them."

He took her hand and kissed it chivalrously "All you have to do, Raimu...is trust me."

He got up and walked her to the door like a gentleman, taking her cup and tossing the styrophome into the garbage without breaking his stride.

"I'll pick you up at six." He said in parting, letting her hand go fancily.

It only took her ten steps before what he had just said finally dawned on her...

Pick her up...in what?!