The inside of the restaurant was an amazing blend of western and eastern culture. Everything from the menu's, the booths, tables, VIP rooms, and even the paintings and plants and color scheme was dazzling to Hanna as she stood in the doorway looking the place over when a waiter noticed Akisame and ran over immediately to greet him.

"Akisame-san! We didn't expect you today." The man said in an unexpectedly happy tone as he and her date shook hands like they were old friends.

Akisame smiled at him. "I know you weren't expecting me but do you think you can work me in. I'm here with a date." Akisame leaned in and explained in a low tone before motioning to Hanna, who was still so dazzled by the place that she seemed to have become rooted in place several feet from him. The man peeked around him to get a better look at her and quickly clapped his hands together.

"You never mentioned any desire to date the last time you were here." The man said in a chastising tone as he gave Akisame a look.

Akisame looked away for a moment knowing that his friend was right, but to be honest the last time he'd been here had been over three months ago. He'd been trying to unwind while doing a little excess work from the clinic. Of course, he had also had a lot more free time on his hands- what with Yomi not being anywhere in the picture then.

"Some things have happened, my friend. Some things that could get many a good people injured or worse. And as such I've suddenly found myself in the precarious position of needing a wife with connections to the military, government...and so on. The young lady over there may very well wind up being my wife. If so then I want to make the best of the situation and do as right by her as possible. She deserves that much." Akisame said somberly as his friend listened, his expression suddenly becoming concerned.

"Will you be okay?" The man asked and sighed when Akisame didn't answer then asked him where he would like to sit for his date. A table? A booth? Or the VIP room Akisame usually used when he came by?

Akisame chose the VIP room for several reasons. 1) Privacy. 2) He and Hanna could discuss things that they wouldn't be able to discuss out in the open. 3) It was a closed in and rather nice area that was easy to defend. Just in case they were attacked or something. This way he'd be better able to protect Hanna and himself.

Once the choice was made, then man nodded his head grabbed two menu's and waved Hanna over and smiled at her before turning to lead the way. The VIP dining rooms were located in a secluded area of the restaurant where each room was built to look like lounges in really posh dance clubs. A person could do anything from conduct business deals or drug deals, to have sex while in such private rooms. Which is why many people liked the VIP area so much.

However since the rooms were located in a restaurant some things (like drugs and having sex) were prohibited for sanitation reasons. And anyone who broke the rules were barred from the restaurant. Akisame, of course knew this. Which was why it was one of the ideal places to bring Hanna for their first date. And it of course helped that the room he would be given was the one that the owner, his friend- had redecorated to fit Akisame's tastes.

The room itself had been wonderful enough before the changes, but now that it had been redecorated- well, Akisame was rather pleased with how it had turned out. His friend stopped in front of his VIP room and handed him the menu's and told him to ring for him once they were ready to place their orders then quickly asked if they wanted anything to drink while they settled in.

Akisame looked at Hanna, deciding to follow her lead and cocked his head a bit when she asked if his friend served orange juice. He had expected her to ask for tea or perhaps even soda. But orange juice... What in the world was behind that? He wondered as his friend nodded and scampered off as Akisame opened the door to the room and stood back so that Hanna could enter before him and asked, "Orange juice?"

Hanna turned her head to give him a little glare and asked in a defensive tone, "What? What about it?"

He shrugged and stepped into the room behind her and closed the door a bit without closing it completely. His way of being chivalrous, he supposed as he replied. "Nothing. It's just a weird thing to ask for unless it's breakfast time."

"So I have a paranoid fear of developing scurvy. So sue me." She said as she paused just a few steps away to look around the room.

The room itself was done in traditional Japanese style, complete with screens inlayed with mother of pearl in the shape of sakura blossoms and peonies, a small indoor waterfall and pond with some lotus flowers and koi- and across the room from those were a window, a small table with a pile of cushions, and up against the very back of the room was a bar with several different types of sake.

Akisame laughed at her answer, not believing her in the least and watched her make her way over to the pond and stick her fingers in the cool water and play with it a bit. Teasing the fish for a moment before turning to him and rubbing the nape of her neck with one hand as she asked, "Okay, so we're here. What now?"

"You've not gone on many dates before have you?" Akisame said, his comment was meant to be teasing. But actually came out a little less than teasing. Hurtful is more like it. Perhaps even a tad bit condescending.

Of course he didn't really realize this until he caught the brief flash of pain in her expression before she carefully masked it. "Yeah... You got me there. I don't really like going around with guys much."

Akisame, quickly realizing his mistake- backtracked. "Oh. I suppose it was rather insensitive of me to say that in such a way. Especially since Niijima hinted that some things have happened in your past to make you a bit wary of such endeavors."

Hanna didn't acknowledge him for a moment before shrugging her shoulders and pretending indifference. "S'okay. It's not like you meant too."

Akisame felt a peculiar twinge of pain in his chest as he stared at her for a moment before sighing and saying, "Even if you don't believe me right now, I am sorry if I hurt your feelings. Now please, lets sit down and talk a bit more."