Author's Note: So Chapters 11, 12, and 13 were supposed to be one chapter, but I got a little wordy. And 6,000-word chapters are nice and all, but it's probably better broken up. That length is almost a novella, haha. Plus, you get updates faster this way. :)
Thank you to all my wonderful readers (yes, you), and hugs to everyone who leaves reviews. Those email notifications make my day.
Yunoki's driver pulled up to the curb, got out of the car, and opened the door for Kahoko. He held out his gloved hand to assist her, and she accepted gratefully. The restriction of the dress made it harder to move than usual, and Kahoko had been worrying how she'd manage to get out of the car without falling on her face. As she turned to thank the driver, another man approached, bowing as he came to a stop beside her. "Miss Hino?" he asked.
Kahoko nodded. "Yes?"
"I am to show you inside."
"Oh." She was surprised by how formal this all seemed. "Okay."
He offered his arm, and she took it to steady herself as she wobbled in her high-heeled shoes. It took complete focus just to manage walking in a somewhat elegant manner, so Kahoko barely noticed the elegant furnishings of the hotel lobby. As they approached the entrance of the restaurant, the man released her arm, gave another bow, and walked away.
Before Kahoko had time to worry, yet another man approached. "I will show you to your table, Miss Hino."
Kahoko nodded and followed him into the dimly lit restaurant. She could hear the music of a string quartet performing, the buzz of conversation from other customers, and the clink of cutlery. It took Kahoko's eyes a few moments to adjust, and she walked slowly to avoid tripping or bumping into anyone.
Yunoki rose from his chair when he saw Kahoko approach. She stepped into the soft glow of candlelight surrounding their table and offered a shy smile in his direction, blushing as he stared at her, his lips parted slightly as if he'd forgotten what he was about to say.
She had to admit that Yunoki looked . . . well . . . nice. Where she felt like she was only playing dress-up in some other, more sophisticated woman's clothes, Yunoki looked like he actually belonged in his suit. It was a dark charcoal gray, perfectly tailored to fit his slim build. His hair was gathered back into a low ponytail. He always looked handsome, but the way he was attired only served to remind Kahoko of the difference in their social classes. Everything about his looks, his poise, said I am out of your league, don't even think about it.
Well, everything except for the way he was staring at her.
A waiter pulled out her chair and gestured for Kahoko to be seated. She thanked him, and the sound of her voice seemed to snap Yunoki back to the present. He took his seat, his face returning to its usual amused expression.
Another waiter came by and asked Kahoko what she would like to drink.
"Whatever you'd like, my dear," Yunoki purred. He gestured to his empty wineglass and the waiter nodded his acknowledgement.
"Um," Kahoko hesitated. What were you supposed to drink at a fancy place like this? "Um, I'll just have water, if that's okay?"
The waiter nodded and left.
"Are you sure you don't want anything else?"
Kahoko frowned. "Aren't we a bit too young—ˮ
Yunoki waved his hand dismissively. "Don't worry about that sort of thing here. It wouldn't be any trouble."
She shook her head. "No. I'll be fine with just water."
"Suit yourself."
The waiter returned with Kahoko's water. He refilled Yunoki's wineglass and left the bottle on the table. Yunoki saw Kahoko's startled expression and laughed. "Don't worry, I'm not going to do anything stupid or irresponsible. I have excellent self-control. You should know better than to doubt me."
Kahoko ducked her head. "Sorry. I didn't mean . . . "
Yunoki leaned forward, resting his chin on the palm of his hand. "Although, you do seem to have a rather detrimental effect on my self-control, Kahoko. Who knows what may happen tonight?"
Kahoko shivered, and hoped that Yunoki would read it as an expression of desire rather than one of fear. The truth was, she felt uneasy sitting here at a table with him. In a fancy restaurant. In public. She didn't know how to act.
"Nervous?" Yunoki asked.
"A little," Kahoko admitted.
"About the restaurant, or about being here with me?"
She hesitated. There really wasn't any reason that she should lie to him. "A little bit of both," she finally said.
"Well, if it'll help to calm your nerves," Yunoki reached across the table, took her hand, and raised it to his lips, "you look beautiful."
Kahoko blushed and jerked her hand away, glancing around at the other diners.
Yunoki chuckled. "Don't worry, I wouldn't try anything in front of an audience."
Kahoko rolled her eyes. "Somehow I don't believe you."
"See? There you go again, testing me." His gaze met hers and Kahoko looked away quickly. "If I was less of a gentleman, I'd let you call my bluff."
Kahoko bit her lip and Yunoki grinned.
A waiter came by with their soup, and Kahoko realized that she'd hardly thought about having to eat something. You know, without making a mess or staining her dress. Of course the fabric wasn't a dark color, so anything she splattered on it would show. Perfect.
As if he was reading her mind, Yunoki gestured at her with his soup spoon. "I'm glad that the dress fit. I didn't doubt my eye, but you never know with these things."
Kahoko was focused on unfolding her napkin and placing it on her lap. "Thank you." She looked up and gestured to the general vicinity. "For all of this."
Yunoki shrugged. "People go out to dinner all the time. I don't know why we shouldn't."
Kahoko held her tongue and tried to keep her face impassive. Because we aren't exactly dating? Because normal teenagers could never afford something like this? "Well, thanks anyway," she responded lamely.
Dinner went pretty well, all things considered. Kahoko quickly grew to appreciate the dimness of the restaurant. With the candles on the table, it felt like she and Yunoki were in their own little bubble of light. An illusion of privacy.
The food was delicious, of course, and even though she didn't understand the names of some of the dishes, Kahoko tried everything that was placed in front of her. Even when Yunoki uncorked the bottle of wine and splashed a small amount into an empty glass for her after the main entrée was served. "You don't have to drink it if you don't want to," Yunoki said, "but I think it's something you ought to at least try."
Kahoko looked at him skeptically, and he shook his head in response. "Kahoko, really. If I was planning on getting you drunk in order to take advantage of you, I would have done it a long time ago."
He had a point, and she eventually conceded to take a couple small sips. Nothing more. He didn't pressure her into anything, and Kahoko realized how relaxed she was, sitting across the table from Azuma Yunoki of all people, dressed up in a nice gown and heels and jewelry, with her hair and nails and makeup done. It was unbelievable. Besides the setting, though, there was something different about the evening, and it took Kahoko a while to figure out what it was.
Yunoki was actually treating her like a person, not like an object. He sounded sincere and interested when he spoke to her, not condescending. The conversation was casual, and Kahoko realized that she'd never really talked with Yunoki. There hadn't ever been much of a need to.
As the evening progressed, Kahoko couldn't help but wonder what the real reason was for asking her out to dinner. Her growing suspicion was that this was his way of apologizing. She couldn't help but hope that that's what it was, anyway.
Of course, Kahoko would have been fine with (or even preferred) something smaller. A heartfelt apology. Maybe not even heartfelt, just-any apology. Spoken, written, it didn't matter. She was thankful for the "date" (if that was what it was), but this event that cost more money than she wanted to consider . . .
It was ridiculous, but it was Yunoki, after all. She couldn't expect him to do things the usual way.
After the final course was cleared away, Yunoki asked if she wanted to leave. "Only if you're ready," he added.
Kahoko nodded. The "date" had already gone on a lot longer than she'd expected.
They stood, and Yunoki placed a hand on the small of her back, leading her away from the table. "Unless," he added, "you'd like to dance with me?"
The live music was still playing, and Kahoko could make out couples dancing together in the distance. "No," she said. "I don't know how."
"I could teach you," Yunoki offered. "It's pretty simple."
Kahoko shook her head. "No, thank you. I think I'm pretty tired."
"Okay then." Yunoki steered her away from the spinning couples and back out into the hotel lobby. "We'll just head back to the room."
Kahoko had figured that they'd end up back at a hotel room by the end of the night, but she still panicked slightly as Yunoki pressed the call button on the elevator. The doors opened with a ding, and he slipped his arm around her waist as they stepped inside.
This is it, Kahoko thought. He had his time in public to be sweet and romantic, and now he's going to take me somewhere private. Someplace where he can be cruel to me and not have to worry about witnesses or being interrupted. Why else would he have gone through all this effort if he wasn't planning on getting anything out of it?
Kahoko closed her eyes and focused on steadying her breathing. The elevator stopped, and she swallowed nervously. The doors slid open, and they stepped forward, walking down a richly carpeted hallway.
They stopped in front of a door numbered 1532 and Yunoki looked at her curiously. "Are you feeling okay?"
Kahoko nodded, not trusting her voice enough to respond. She tried to smile convincingly. It must not have worked because Yunoki only shrugged in response. He reached inside his coat, pulled out a card key, and swiped it through the reader in the doorknob, which responded with a soft click. Yunoki held the door open and gestured inside the room. "Ladies first."
More Author's Notes:
I realize that there are various titles for people who work in the customer service portion of restaurants, but I'm unfamiliar with the setup and how to differentiate. Basically everyone in this chapter was referred to as a waiter. Sorry if that's completely wrong. :/
If you're wondering wtf is going on and why nothing of substance has happened in the last two chapters, hopefully it'll make sense after the next one. :)