On the Ninth day of Christmas Taisho gave to me….
Nine stern glares,
Eight Love Me jobs,
Seven Acting Lessons,
Six Kyoko Demons,
FIVE GENTLEMANLY SMILES,
Four Wax Dolls,
Three Broken Phones,
Two Love Me members,
And a Stalker in a Sakura tree.
12 Showbiz Days of Christmas
December 21st
Thwack.
Swish.
Thud.
Kenichi-san and Toya-san, regulars at the Darumaya, leaned as far away from the counter as they could and still keep their seats. They looked apprehensive about the stern aura radiating from the stoic Taisho and the way he was glaring at the vegetables, cutting with an extra emphasis. Why would Taisho be upset? Normally it was impossible to make Taisho lose his ever present calm demeanor. Toya-san turned over his shoulder and caught the sleeve of Okami-san.
"Okami-san, what's the matter with Taisho-san?"
She glanced over at Taisho-san, a slight nervous smile coming over her.
"Oh, it's nothing Toya-san. Why don't I fill your cup again?"
Toya-san gave her a disbelieving look, but nodded.
"Hai that would be nice Okami-san."
"Taisho should be done with your salmon, soon. It should only be a moment more."
Okami-san went back behind the counter to refill her pitchers. She set down her tray, and went over to the counter to pull out some more fish and vegetables that Taisho would need to cook with. As she put down the vegetables and fish she started to speak.
"Kyoko-chan is a good girl. She told us she wasn't seeing anyone, and I don't see any reason not to believe her."
Taisho continued to stare at his pans, but his stern aura receded a bit. She smiled and went back to making rounds with her tray. No sooner had she left, did Kyoko come through the door rushing past to her room. An extra loud thwack sounded as Taisho picked up his knife to slice the fish. Toya-san and Kenichi-san backed away, but Okami-san came around and filled their cups some more. Another customer who was sitting at the booth came up to the counter, and asked Okami-san,
"Who was that cutie Okami-san?"
Immediately, Okami-san went stiff, and Toya-san and Kenichi-san became stiff leaning back, as Taisho glanced up to glare at the customer who backed away nervously.
"Your daikon fish stew is not finished yet Aruma-san. Please wait until it's finished."
Aruma-san backed away as quickly as possible slowly he slid back into his bench.
"Now Taisho, Aruma-san didn't mean anything."
She laughed sheepishly. Kenichi-san looked between the two.
"Is Kyoko-chan back early today?"
"Ummm. Yeah, she isn't horribly busy at her main job today, so she said she wanted to come help out today."
Both Kenichi-san and Toya-san thawed out of their nervousness, smiling and ignoring Taisho. About the time, they started sipping their sake and joking with each other, Kyoko came out from the back in her Darumaya uniform. She slipped back behind the counter, grabbing up the dishes Taisho had just finished cooking. Taisho gave her a stern look to which she just smiled.
"Hello Taisho-san. No, don't worry, Sawara-san said I didn't have any other tasks to perform today, and I like helping you and Okami-san here."
Chuckling a little a Taisho's head shake, she came out behind the counter and deposited the two dishes in front of Kenichi-san and Toya-san.
"The usual. Is there anything else I could get for you?"
"No, this smells delicious Kyoko-chan."
"Is it really okay for you to be taking the day off Kyoko-chan?"
"Hai. The office will be slower for the next few days, because the President is…preoccupied…with celebrating Christmas."
"So will you be here the next few days then Kyoko-chan?"
"Umm…yes, I had planned on it, though have some work to do in the mornings for a while."
"Good. Toya-san and I will be here every evening then."
She smiled at them, before making the rounds and taking orders from the other customers.
"Hey, when did Kyoko-chan change her outfit?"
Kenichi-san appeared confused.
"What? She changed when she got here."
"No, not that outfit. The one she was wearing earlier this month, the elf costume."
"Oh yeah, I forgot about it. What kind of office does Kyoko work at that she has to wear that kind of outfit? You don't think she works at some shady pl-"
THUD.
The slowly turned their heads to Taisho glaring firmly at them. They both gulped.
"No, Kyoko is a good girl. She would never enter into that kind of business. Her President must be some eccentric foreigner who gets wrapped up in the holiday."
"Yeah."
The both laughed too loudly, firmly not looking up to an appeased Taisho.
"I'm sorry. He's been a little grouchy lately."
Okami-san whispered to both of them, as she refilled their cups a little more. They leaned in a little more to hear her better.
"But what is Taisho grouchy about?"
Kenichi-san asked with trepidation. Okami-san waved it off a bit.
"He is just being over protective of Kyoko-chan. We consider her an adopted daughter. She's been leaving the place at odd times or creating weird things in her room at night talking on the phone, so he's been thinking she might have a boyfriend, but when I asked her she said it was all because of work. Apparently, her employer is more than a little obsessed with the holiday, and insists all the employees are required to celebrate. I've met him before, and I have a feeling she's telling the truth."
Kenichi-san and Toya-san exchanged disbelieving glances.
"Well, we're glad to hear that. We didn't want Kyoko-chan working for a suspicious place. She too sweet for that."
"Oh yes, both Taisho and I know it, but he was still very worried when she was wearing that costume, he was so relieved when she came home with a different one. I was too; he'd been glaring at every male customer that even glanced at her."
They all threw a surreptitious glance at the stoic Taisho who was busy cooking. Unfortunately, behind them they heard Aruma-san speak up.
"Kyoko-chan was that you who came rushing in here several minutes ago?"
They peeked over their shoulders seeing Kyoko waiting on Aruma-san's table. She appeared to be puzzled by his question.
"Ummm, yes, that was me. Do you need anything to drink Aruma-san?"
She obviously had no clue about his ulterior motives.
"Wow, you were so cute. Why don't you dress up more often, the plain girl look doesn't suit you at all."
They watched as Kyoko froze for a second before smiling.
"Why thank you for the compliment Aruma-san, but really is there anything else you need?"
"If you did wear makeup around more, I'm sure you'd have yourself a boyfriend in no time, unless you already have one that you're dressing up for. "
As Kyoko looked lost for words, Taisho appeared behind her. Kenichi-san threw a glance over to the oven that had gone silent a minute previous. The three of them had been so preoccupied with the conversation between Kyoko and Aruma-san; they hadn't paid attention to Taisho. He turned back to the booth in time to see Kyoko stepping off to the side as Taisho went up to the booth and placed a bowl down with a loud THUD. Kenichi-san couldn't see his face, but he had no reason not to believe that Taisho was glaringly menacingly into the depths of Aruma-san's head. Especially, since he noticed that the cleaver Taisho was using to chop vegetables was gone when he'd peeked over there. And the small satisfied grin on Taisho's face as he headed back towards the counter was only affirming that opinion.
Awww, Taisho's so cute, even if he's limited to four facial gestures. I wonder what would happen if he ever met anyone Kyoko attempted to date…. That might be too entertaining. ;-)
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False Sourires