A Simple Smile
Nanami slumped in her seat with a satisfied sigh, relishing the remaining taste of the warm udon she just finished eating. She wasn't normally a big eater, but this time around, she finished her entire bowl of noodles in record time.
"So, I take it coming here was a good idea." Across from her, Motoharu sat with his head resting in his hands, a bright smile adorning his face as he watched intently.
Pursing her lips, Nanami hesitated before finally responding. "I'll give it to you," she admitted. "I don't know how you know about this place, but that was some of the best udon I had in a long time."
"See! You can't judge a book by its cover," he proclaimed, triumphantly giving her a thumbs up.
Although the couple would go out to eat from time to time, it was usually to a local restaurant, maybe a family diner that was in the vicinity of their places of work. Their busy jobs generally didn't allow them much leeway in terms of free time during the week, be it dates or simply grabbing some quick lunch. So, when Motoharu proposed trying something different for dinner earlier in the day, Nanami was naturally curious as to what he had in mind.
Thoughts of a romantic meal with her boyfriend in a fancy, though not overly expensive locale danced in her imagination. She would wear heals and a nice dress, he would come pick her up from work in a crisp suit, and they would enjoy a fulfilling foreign cuisine over wine and candlelight. The food would be delicious, and they would return home to spend the rest of the evening together.
That wasn't the case.
Instead, Motoharu showed up outside her office later that day, wearing his usual work attire. After an unceremonious bus ride through rush hour traffic, he then proceeded to take her through the winding streets of Tokyo, navigating crowds of people and narrow side streets in a seemingly random direction. What waited for her at the end of this adventure was not a glossy five-star dining experience, but a shabby, hole-in-the-wall ramen shop in an alleyway. It wasn't what she was expecting, but after some initial convincing, Nanami finally relented and decided to give the place a fair chance.
"Still, I thought we'd go somewhere more upscale," she pouted, only half serious as she moved her now empty bowl aside.
Motoharu simply reached out and rustled her hair. "Don't worry, consider this a change of pace," he reassured, standing up to inspect the unusually long line of customers waiting to be seated. "Looks like it's gonna take a while to get out of here. I'll go pay, wait outside for me and I'll be there in a bit."
Nodding, Nanami left her seat and squeezed her way outside into the fresh, early spring air. Looking around, Nanami noted that there were several boutiques and small-time street vendors selling a variety of random goods. Judging by the amount of people packed in this alley, her curiosity got the better of her and she decided to investigate. Feeling guilty about giving Motoharu a hard time earlier, this might be a good opportunity to buy him something to make up it.
After wandering from store to store, Nanami eventually found a shop that sold a variety of headwear. Even though he hasn't worn one in a very long time, Nanami picked out a cap that reminded her of the one he used to adorn all those years ago. Giggling to herself, she looked forward to seeing his reaction as the clerk handed her the merchandise, which she carefully placed in her purse.
As if on cue, her cellphone rang.
"Hey, I'm outside. Where are you?"
"Be right there," Nanami responded, with a hint of mischief in her voice. "I bought you something!"
"Now I'm curious. What is it?"
"You'll see," she laughed, stepping back outside of the store. "I'm on my way, hang on."
After she disconnected, Nanami retraced her steps through the winding alleys, or at least she thought she did. The amount of people had increased, most likely due to the dinner hour, and the sun had started to set, making the already unfamiliar side streets seem even more foreign to her. Several minutes of fruitless venturing left her thoroughly disoriented, and it was at this point she decided to call it quits.
Taking refuge in a small alcove between buildings, Nanami reached into her purse for her phone, when she felt a hand on her shoulder.
"You lookin' lost there."
Her body tensed up; that wasn't the voice she was expecting. Turning her head, she saw the hand belonged to an older, balding man who she did not recognize. Beside him, two other equally shady individuals stood chuckling, giving her looks that she did not appreciate. The stench of alcohol was impossible to miss.
Shaking him off, Nanami tried to sound curt. "No, I'm just waiting for someone."
One of the other unscrupulous men stepped forward. He was significantly taller, and judging by the way he swayed back and forth, most likely significantly drunker as well. "Doesn' look that way," he slurred, leaning down to get a closer look at her. "I bet you'd haf' more fun wit' us, right, guys?"
The group laughed obnoxiously, and Nanami was starting to feel a sense of dread. If she tried to call Motoharu now, the drunks would probably pounce on her. She could try screaming for help, or maybe running into the crowd and hoping that the men would be too drunk to chase after her. Weighing her options, she turned around and was about to make a run for it. However, the balding man grabbed her by the arm, more forcefully than before.
Letting her instincts take over, Nanami grabbed her purse and swung it as hard as she could. The bag connected with her assailant's jaw, throwing him to the ground in a daze.
The other two men blinked in surprise, as did she. That was a pretty good shot, Nanami thought to herself, proud of her handiwork.
However, It didn't take long for his two associates to regroup and turn their attention back to her. "Why you little…" one of them lunged at her with surprising speed, moving faster than she anticipated.
Stunned, Nanami braced herself for the eventual impact, but it never came. Instead, she felt herself get pulled backwards by a pair of arms that wrapped around her stomach. She already knew who they belonged to.
"Y-Yano?!" She called his name in relief, looking over her shoulder to see the familiar sight of her boyfriend's concerned face.
"Takahashi! Let's go!" He released her and instead took her by the hand, intertwining his fingers with hers. Knowing the area already, he guided her away from the group of men as they worked their way through the crowd in a brisk walk.
Several minutes later, they emerged on a busy main street, not too far from the bus stop where they originally arrived. Feeling the adrenaline fading, Nanami was finally able to catch her breath and let the situation fully register in her head. Looking down, she noted that she still maintained a white-knuckle grip on Motoharu's hand.
"Are you all right? Did they do anything to you?" he asked gently, glancing her over for any obvious signs of foul play.
Nanami shook her head. "I'm okay," she whispered, allowing Motoharu to use his other arm to pull her into a tight, safe embrace. "I wanted to buy you something, and I got lost, and then I before I knew it, those guys just came out of nowhere—"
"It's okay," he whispered in turn, burying his face in her hair. "As long as you're safe, that's all that matters to me."
They remained like that for what felt like hours. Eventually, the bus they were waiting for arrived, and the two silently made their way on board. As they sat down, Nanami noticed that she was still holding his hand, albeit more relaxed this time.
Motoharu sighed, scratching his head with his free hand. "So much for a romantic dinner," he said, flashing his girlfriend a warm grin. "Sorry I took you all the way out here."
Nanami shook her head, giving his hand a quick squeeze as reassurance. "It wasn't your fault," she responded, leaning her head against his shoulder. "I should have known better than to wander around a place I'm not familiar with. It all worked out, anyway, and I got to spend time with you, too."
Her words made him feel better about the events of the evening, though he still felt a pang of guilty for what could have happened. "Speaking of," he turned to her, looking as she rested calmly against him. "What did you actually buy?"
Hiding her face in his shoulder, Nanami mumbled reluctantly. "You'll laugh at me."
"No, I won't! Unless it's something really cheesy."
"It is cheesy."
"Prove me wrong, then."
Sighing, Nanami reached into her purse, and pulled out the cap she purchased earlier. Before he could react, she expertly placed it on his head, turning it backwards to mimic the way he used to wear caps in the past. Finally peeling her face away from his shoulder, Nanami glanced at her boyfriend, a tinge of crimson on her cheeks.
"It looks nice on you," she mumbled, noting how well the fashion item seemed to fit his character, even now.
Motoharu simply laughed, melting away her tension with that trademark smile of his that she so adored. "I think grew out of this style, to be honest," he chuckled, watching as his girlfriend's face turned a darker shade of red. He expression quickly softened, however, as he rested his hand on the cap. "But thank you, Takahashi. I'm sure it will make for a great memory when we look back at this day," he responded, still sporting that bright smile. "I love it."
Her embarrassment erased in an instant, Nanami simply leaned over and gave him a peck on the lips. "I'm glad you like it," she murmured, touched by his simple, yet overwhelmingly loving reaction.
"In fact, I'll wear it to all of our dates in the future!
Nanami pinched his shoulder, chuckling to herself.
All things considered, she was glad their date turned out the way it did. Even if it wasn't the romantic outing she initially envisioned, Nanami was still glad that she got to experience another day with the one person she loved most. Above all, being able to embed another one of his smiles as a cherished memory was something that should wouldn't trade for the world.
I hope you enjoyed! I went a bit off the beaten path here and used the characters' given names; hopefully it wasn't too jarring! It's also a shame that we never got another anime adaptation for the later parts of the manga. I certainly think it would have drawn more attention to this gem of a series. Who knows, maybe it will happen one day? ;)
Till next time, cheers!