Haruka groaned as she opened her eyes, slowly sitting up to look around. She looked around, surprised to find herself asleep on the couch. She uncovered herself from the blanket and stood up, stretching her arms and legs, relaxing after she felt the satisfaction come over her. She smiled, looking around for a clock. Unable to find one, she reached out and grabbed the remote, turning on the tv. She hit play, the little bar on the bottom sating 8:33 pm as the evening weather rang on. Haruka stretched again, fixing her bra and pants, which had been turned during a restless sleep.
Haruka, stared at the screen for a moment, watching as long, colored lines stretched across the screen.
"Looks like a heavy storm next week." Haruka yawned, turning off the tv.
"Ah ha!" Haruka squeaked and turned around, finding an exasperated Tomochika in the doorway. "There you are! I've been looking for you for over an hour! You missed diner." Tomochika heaved a sigh, slouching down on the couch. "You hungry?" Tomochika asked, Haruka's stomach growling in response. Tomochika snickered as Haruka blushed and looked down. "Come on, off to the dining room for you." Tomochika said, ushering her down the hall. She pushed Haruka into the dining room and sat her down. "I'll see if there's anything left."
Tomochika walked through the double doors, disappearing as they flapped. Haruka could hear Tomochika begin to speak from inside the kitchen. Someone else must still be in there. Haruka sat up, leaning over towards the door, hoping to hear the conversation better. Tomochika came back into the room soon enough, a big smile on her face.
"Looks like we're lucky- the apprentice chef was still practicing in the kitchen and he's happy to make you something." Tomochika smiled. Soon the doors opened and a young man came out with a plate of spaghetti and meatballs. The man was young, maybe a few years older than Haruka at most. He had short, black hair- spiked around the bottom but still lying mostly flat. He had an intriguing color in his eyes- a steely gray that stood out on his slim face. His uniform sleeves were dotted with red sauces, from not keeping his arms tucked properly. The uniform did not fit him properly, still too loose on him, despite obvious tailoring. He walked with an air of confidence, but moved with haze.
"I hope it's not too dull for you, ma'am." He said, placing the dish on the table. The scent wafted up to her nose, causing a smile to break out on her face.
"It looks delicious!" Haruka gushed, picking up her fork and twirling a roll of spaghetti around it's edges. She carefully brought it inside her lips, trying not to get the red, creamy sauce on her face. She moaned as the flavor spread out on her tongue, leaning back in her chair. "And tastes delicious too!"
"Really?! I'm glad to hear that! And you haven't even tried the meatballs yet." Haruka eagerly picked up her knife, stabbing her fork into the meatball and cutting it down the middle. She smiled in surprise, finding the middle filled with cheese. "Fettuccine." He said, answering her unspoken question. And hummed and placed it in her mouth, closing her eyes in bliss as she chewed. She swallowed and turned to the young chef.
"This is amazing! The best meal I've ever had!" Haruka gushed, causing the man to blush.
"I-It's not that good." He said, turning his head away.
"Don't be modest! I've never had such a good tasting pasta before. And I like that you mixed cheese into the sauce!"
"You can tell?" He asked, turning to her in surprise. She smiled and nodded.
"I think it's great. How come we haven't had it for diner before?" Haruka asked, happily eating the pasta.
"W-well, I guess I just never really tried to suggest a diner choice. B-beside, it's pasta- not fancy enough." He said, turning away.
"What's your name?" Haruka asked, smiling nicely at him.
"Me? I'm Taichi, ma'am." Taichi said with a small bow.
"I'm Haruka Nanami." Haruka said.
"Oh, I am quite well aware of that, ma'am." He smiled.
"I know," Haruka smiled back. "I was inviting you to call me Nanami- instead of ma'am." Haruka giggled. Taichi stared at her for a moment in surprise until bowing his head slightly.
"If that is what you want, ma- N-Nanami-san." Taichi stuttered.
"Hey, where's my pasta?!" Tomochika groaned, practically laying down on the table.
"I'll grab you a plate, Tomochika-san." Taichi chuckled, quickly rushing to the kitchen. The two girls smiled at each other, turning their heads when they hear a tumbling sound. Taich stands up just in time to miss being found on the floor. He rushed into the kitchen, muttering about the pants legs being too long. The girls turned to each other, giggling cutely.
"OMG, he's sooo cute~" Tomochika gushed, giggling. "But still not my type."
"Tomo-chan, why is everything about dating with you?" Haruka asked, sighing.
"Hey, I see a cute boy- you can't not expected to talk about them!" Taichi came back in with another plate of pasta, placing it in front of Tomochika, who began to gobble it down quickly. Taichi watched as they air happily, finding pride in his work. Haruka turned to him.
"If you haven't eaten, you should join us." Haruka smiled. Taichi jumped, shaking his head vigorously.
"N-no, that would be incredibly inappropriate. You are one of the masters of the house and I'm a chef- it wouldn't be right!" He cried, shaking his head. Haruka blinked in surprise from his sudden outburst.
"B-but Tomo-chan is eating with me..." Haruka said, turning to her best friend.
"Well, Tomochika-san's actions are a generally questionable. She would be fired if not for your influence." Taichi sighed.
"Then I'll use my influence to keep you from being fired. Grab a plate." Haruka ordered, holding her head up proudly. Taichi smiled and bowed.
"If it is an order from the madam, I have no choice but to follow." Taichi smiled, taking Haruka's empty plate and walking back into the kitchen. He came out with two plates, Haruka's restocked. Haruka happily accepted the food and began to eat as Taichi sat down next to them. They smiled at each other. Haruka couldn't help but feel a swell of pride. She finally made friends with one of the original employee!
If you guys don't remember (which I doubt you do) Taichi was in fact mentioned in an earlier chapter (chapter 2), where he showed up briefly. It occurred to me earlier today that I had originally mentioned him so that I could use him again later- I thought it would be clever if I did that.
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