Chapter 5: The Overtures Of A Second Date
Akihiko forced himself to take a deep breath. And hoped that he wasn't about to make a massive mistake as he and outlined his plan to Mitsuru.
"A… You want a what?" Her response didn't fill him with confidence.
"A-A second date, between the two of us." He tried to put a little more certainty into his voice. "I… I was wondering if you wanted to go for another date. It's been a little while, and we're supposed to be a couple, right?"
She was clearly taken aback by that, almost dropping her pen in the process. He hoped it was just his imagination that the office had turned a few degrees colder.
"I-I suppose." Mitsuru said. "But… I haven't made any plans for another public appearance. I'd need to figure out a plan for our operations-?"
Akihiko shook his head back and forth, not sure whether to frown or grin.
"We don't have to do all that. I… I sort of had a place in mind already. If you feel up for trying something new." That got her to pause from over planning, and she gave Akihiko a startled blink. But that surprised look quickly faded out, in favor of something more piercing and scrutinizing.
"I take it… It's a favorite place of yours? I couldn't image us going into unfamiliar territory for the both of us."
"You know me a little too well." He admitted. "But yeah. I think it's a place you'll like too. If you want to go."
"I'm curious, I admit. Though this sounds a bit unorthodox… You're also right. We're overdue for another appointment." She stood up slowly, looking more decisive by the moment. "So we might as well. And I… May as well try something new."
She glanced down at herself. Her business attire had a sharp cut to it, designed to be both stark and imposing; all black and white on her suit and dress, with the splash of red being the one flair of color she was allowed.
Akihiko still didn't have the nerve to tell her that was his favorite color. Instead he looked to himself and took stock of his outfit; the suit was a little less stifling this time around. A little less formal and consisting of a buttoned black shirt and white jacket. At least he didn't look too shabby compared to her.
"You meant right now, correct?" Mitsuru interrupted his thoughts. "And… I suppose now is as good a time as any. Otherwise I'll keep working-"
"All the way to closing time, or when everyone else is sleeping." Akihiko finished for her. "Right; we're going now."
It had one other benefit, that it kept Mitsuru from getting anchored to the desk. She was looking too close to gaunt for his liking. Thankfully, he had a cure for that.
-o-o-o-
Mitsuru froze as she looked at the store interior. Steam hung in the air, and she could almost taste something like beef broth with each breath she took. The entire area was barely the size of a bedroom, and lined with threadbare seats.
…Though none of that seemed to matter to her stomach, with how it gave an unseemly growl. Reminding her that she'd skipped breakfast to review those Nanjo files… And that it wasn't happy with her, and wanted something filling her stomach immediately. Mitsuru still paused in the doorway, trying to take in everything.
"Never thought I'd see you uncertain about beef bowls." Akihiko told her, which spurred Mitsuru to hurry through the entrance, and take the first seats she could find. Straight at the counter and on a barstool. Akihiko took a seat as well, balancing with the ease of practice, one knee propped up.
"How does one balance-?" Mitsuru asked, wondering if she was going to wobble or fall straight off. In answer, Akihiko put a reassuring hand on her shoulder to help brace her, and his foot tapped a cross bar at foot level.
"You can lean into the bar counter a little, too."
She all but fell onto the counter, resting on her arms and her elbows.
"Hey, you almost look like a natural there." She gave Akihiko a look that could have been a glare and an eyeroll… But she couldn't fully commit to it without falling out of her seat. Her body was still tensed. And Akihiko must have noticed that, with how he frowned over her.
"Mitsuru? You okay?"
"…It's embarrassing to be so utterly out of my element when it comes to everyday things." She admitted. "Is this… How you feel, on all of our excursions?"
"Well…" Something about her gaze pulled words out of him, along with some honesty. "M-maybe a little. But it isn't so bad, since I'm with you. Th-that is, you're always willing to help me out, and show me the ropes…"
He trailed off, as the owner took notice of them.
"Speaking of… Can you trust me on this? I think I know what you'll like."
"I'm still trying to get my balance on this… I'll put myself in your hands." She was trying for a joke, and Akihiko picked up on it. The smile he gave her was a little hesitant, but still warm.
"You going with the usual?" The cook asked, giving Mitsuru a curious glance.
"For two." Akihiko confirmed. "With extra special sauce on the side."
The two beef bowls rolled out in record time, sliding across the counter and coming to a rest next to Mitsuru and Akihiko. For her part, Mitsuru stared between the cook and the bowls.
"Trust me. He's had a lot of time to practice that, and get the landing just right." Akihiko told her. "But the best response is to start eating."
He broke apart his chopsticks as he spoke, and reached over to do the same for Mitsuru's. She was still staring at the beef bowl, almost mesmerized by the broth and the noodles swirling about.
"You know it's okay to slurp the noodles, right?"
"I… I'm still trying to wrap my head around that. But I'll do what I can."
-o-o-o-
Mitsuru's eating style was more like delicate sipping… But he didn't miss the way her eyes lit up as she tasted the broth. She didn't get another word out, eagerly taking in the noodles and meat, at a speed Akihiko was hard pressed to match.
'It's going to be nice to take her to this place, more often.' He paused, almost burning his tongue; he was already thinking about second and third dates to this place… Provided Mitsuru agreed.
"S-so. What do you think?" He cautiously asked.
"That was honestly one of the best meals I've had in recent memory." Mitsuru sighed out, gazing at the broth with an almost entranced look. "What does the chef use for seasonings?"
"That's a trade secret, miss-?" The man behind the counter started to say, only to trail off when he got a clear look at Mitsuru, and the quality of her clothing. "Sanada, who is this? She looks familiar?"
Then it was Akihiko's turn to go stunned.
"She's, ah… She's my…"
"Fiancé." Mitsuru finished for him, and his face went red… From the spices, Akihiko tried to tell himself.
"Y-yeah. That's… That's right. Sh-she's-"
"Okay, Sanada. Don't strain yourself." The cook was still staring at Akihiko in disbelief. "You've been going to my shop how many years… And now you've gone and got yourself hitched! But if that's the case… Guess we'd better break out the good stuff."
The owner signaled to another cook behind the bar, and put a tall bottle of sake down on the counter.
"Two drinks for each of you, from the special stuff… On the house, to celebrate." Akihiko didn't even get a chance to protest before they'd uncorked the bottle and poured glasses.
By the end of his drinks, and a surprise dessert brought out by the staff, Akihiko felt a pleasant buzz gathering along the back of his head. He gave the sake a second glance, wondering over how potent the stuff was.
Mitsuru, he noticed, was also going pleasantly red in the face. She murmured her gratitude to the staff. Her dessert had been thoroughly devoured, and she was looking content and relaxed in equal measure.
"Well… I wasn't expecting such treatment. Or stumbling around my comfort zone so much." She said, wobbling a little off her bar stool and towards the exit. Akihiko winced at those words. He quickly followed after her.
"H-hey. I didn't ask you to step out because I wanted to make you feel uncomfortable. Y-you know that, right?"
Mitsuru glanced back to him, giving a gentle smile; if she'd been outside of her comfort zone before, she certainly wasn't showing it now. Though there was also a touch of sadness in her eyes.
"Ah yes, the obligations of public appearances. That outing would count towards that."
"Th-that wasn't what I meant. It's just that… I like spending time with you, Mitsuru. Either formally or just like this." He motioned to their surroundings, smiling at them… And with a jolt he realized Mitsuru was smiling back.
-o-o-o-
This was almost too perfect of an outing. Mitsuru was half worried something would go wrong… But instead she found herself walking close to Akihiko. Maybe it was the sake, but she was growing more bold as they called in the limo, and rode back to the Kirijo estate. By the end of the evening, she felt brave enough to face an army of Shadows… Or even speak plainly with the person sitting across from her.
"Ah… Is there something on your mind?" Akihiko preempted her before she could speak, leaning up from his place in the limo seat. "It's just that you're staring at your hands again… And it always seems like you're worrying over something, whenever you do that."
This part of town cast different lights on his face; squares of warm orange washing over him, instead of the colder blue and violet lights from the finer points of Port Island.
'For a certain definition of 'finer.' I can't help but notice I enjoyed that beef bowl hole-in-the-wall a lot more than I expected. Perhaps because no Shadows tried to jump us, but-'
"Mitsuru?" Akihiko prompted an answer out of her.
"…That's the downside of you knowing me so well. I wanted a little more time to think over this before broaching it to you, but…"
"But what?" Akihiko tilted his head, and the night lights of the city sweeping past formed an oddly hypnotic pattern across his face. Orange and black, warmth and shadow.
"I did have a good night, but… That reminds me of something." Akihiko stilled at the tone in her voice, and Mitsuru forced herself to take a deep breath so she wouldn't falter.
"I-I think that… Considering how often we've been seen together, and our progress… Would you consider moving in?" She wasn't quite certain if she wanted to see Akihiko's response, with how his breathing faltered. She dropped her eyes to her hands. "We've spent a few nights together already. And I'd like to… That is, I think it would be advantageous. I also don't think we're moving too quickly, considering everything, and-"
She couldn't hear a word from him, as she valiantly tried to outline the perks of this plan. It was only when her voice started to falter that Akihiko finally spoke.
"I… I wouldn't mind. We've been in a dorm together, after all." Akihiko's voice was soft… And almost sounded relieved. Enough that Mitsuru found herself staring at him.
"O-obviously we wouldn't be sharing a room, but… Considering the missions we might need to go on, it would be better to be close together."
"I'm not arguing that. If it means you won't be facing things alone." He still worried about her, and she didn't know whether or not to be vexed about that. But at least he wasn't arguing anything.
That was when the limo left the neighborhood, slipping back into the harsh, cool lights. Back into her world, all varying hues of blue. All cold.
'I'm surprised he agreed to it. Considering what he's giving up.'
It would be improper to look over her shoulder at the old neighborhood, Mitsuru knew. No point in dwelling in impossibilities.
'Which impossibility do you mean? Fitting into each other's lives? Or imagining that you could have more evenings like this, all your life?'
This wasn't going to last. It wasn't meant to last; only until the Kirijo Group were satisfied with her leadership, trusted her competency, then she could release Akihiko from this contract.
She'd have to pray that the Kirijo estate wouldn't feel empty when that happened. But as they pulled up to the doors, Mitsuru already doubted that prayer would be answered.
-o-o-o-
"Just like old times." Akihiko tried to tell himself as he stepped into his rooms.
His rooms now; not a guest suite. But it was taking time for them to feel like a home. Or even like the dorm rooms; he'd tried to make it feel more like his own space by draping his jacket over one of the chairs. He was already pretty sure he wouldn't be allowed to move any of his furniture in. The Kirijo stylists would probably have a fit if he tried it-
His eyes fell on a set of cardboard boxes that looked even more out of place than himself. He approached them, almost worried there was a trap within… Up until he saw a note stuck to the box.
"Akihiko, it will take another day to move your possessions from the apartment. In the meantime, I thought you might want to search the contents of these boxes. I was uncertain if you wished to hold onto any of these mementos, and had no wish to throw them away without consulting you.
Please make your decisions however you wish; I will have the rest of the Group abide by those choices.'
Mitsuru's signature took up the bottom corner. As though he couldn't already tell from her handwriting. Akihiko folded the note up and set it aside, looking into the boxes.
A collection of old trophies gleamed back at him. Junior League Boxing, Regional Champion… All of the titles were still clearly engraved in the metal. His old 'Road of Champion' magazines were folded in as well, along with his other books… Even that stupid date advice book he'd left thrown under his bed.
He stared at all of it, hardly believing that Mitsuru had held onto it.
'Because you left it all behind without a second thought.' His thoughts gave him a sharp reminder; he'd almost ran out of the dorm when it all was done. Just a few goodbyes between friends, a promise that he'd be back eventually… But beyond all that was a need for distance. A chance for all the loss to dull.
And of course he'd decided his best chance was in wandering the world, picking whatever fights he could find.
'Shinji would probably punch you, if he could.' He shook his head, still looking over the trophies. Still stunned that Mitsuru had held onto his past for him, waiting for him to come back and decide if he wanted to keep any of it.
In the end, a lot of it went into the wardrobe. He'd been unable to decide what he wanted to do with most of it. But he held onto three trophies, and carefully placed them on a shelf. One from the competition during the height of SEES. Back when Arisato was leader and things were different. One that was the last trophy he'd won, before the need to drift had pulled him away.
The last one was oddly small compared to those others; just a simple metal on a fading fabric band.
But tracing his fingers over it, he could easily remember the details.
It had been the medal he'd won from an early bout. The same one where he'd met Mitsuru after the match, and she'd handed him an Evoker.
'Guess there's some things I want to remember. Some things I'm okay with coming back to.'
-o-o-o-
Mitsuru tried to tell herself that nothing had changed, and that she could rest easily. But she felt like a liar, even as she bid Akihiko a good night and retired to her rooms.
Her sleep had been troubled, as of late. Even with a queen sized bed, she couldn't seem to find a comfortable place to rest in it. Most of Mitsuru's night consisted of tossing, turning, and wondering what had changed to leave her so restless.
This had been a particularly bad case, until in the small hours of the morning Mitsuru threw her bedsheets aside, and found herself restlessly wandering the estate. There was something different about the hallways of the mansion. Maybe it was just knowing that Akihiko had been here, and would soon turn this into a home.
'You're being ridiculous. Nothing much has changed-' That thought lasted until she found herself in the kitchen. She'd intended to chase away her nerves and fatigue with a cup of coffee.
Instead, she found Akihiko in the kitchen. He was filling a water bottle, restlessly shifting from foot to foot… And wearing workout shorts that showed FAR too much leg for Mitsuru's liking. Her brain was threatening to short circuit, if she didn't say something.
"What are you doing?" She had to settle for that; at least she put some curiosity into her words instead of a demand for information, and Akihiko didn't take any offense.
"Jogging." Akihiko offered that. "Morning jog. I do this every day, remember?"
"Oh." The truth was, she'd been something of a late riser during their time in the dorm. Even now, she felt like no one should be up at such an early hour; least of all to go out jogging.
"You… Want to come with?" She stilled at Akihiko's next words. "I figured it'd be a good way for you to let off some steam. You still look a little bit tense."
She could have easily said no. That she was tired. Or didn't know how to jog. Both of those things were true… But they wilted as Akihiko gave her an expectant, almost hopeful look.
"Give me a moment." Mitsuru said instead. She then spent more than a moment digging through her wardrobe, until finally locating a set of barely used sweatpants and hoodie; she didn't even remember when they'd been bought, or for what purpose.
Compared to what Akihiko was wearing, she still felt entirely overdressed… But still found herself walking back to him, intrigued by whatever was going to happen next. Akihiko didn't comment on her wardrobe, simply ready to be out the door.
Mitsuru was convinced they'd stick to the main streets, or even the mansion grounds… But even there, Akihiko seemed determined to surprise her. He led her well past the grounds, and onto the side streets, into the places where the morning sunlight hadn't yet reached. The air was still cool on her skin and in her lungs, and Mitsuru found herself stretching her legs, easily keeping stride with Akihiko.
And when she finally felt herself getting winded, the streets opened up to a large shrine, drenched in morning sunlight and glowing a red to match her hair. Akihiko barely slowed, tackling the stairs two at a time. Mitsuru grit her teeth against those first twinges of fatigue, and forced herself along the steps, telling herself that she'd keep up-
She stumbled on the final step, and knew that she was going to crash face first into the ground. It was going to be hard to explain that at the evening meeting… At least until something caught her by the shoulder, holding her suspended.
Mitsuru raised her eyes, and found herself looking up at Akihiko. He was finally looking winded, lips parted and panting a little as he looked down at her.
"…Okay?" It took her head a moment to register what he was saying.
"I… My ego feels a bit bruised. Other than that, I'm well enough." She scrambled to get her feet under her as she spoke. Her cheeks were still flushed, with a shock of embarrassment and close proximity. But Akihiko still looked cheered, somehow.
"If you can keep up that well, I need to have you jog with me more often." Akihiko said, his voice earnest. He looked genuinely excited by the prospect.
Mitsuru's feelings were a lot more mixed.
"I almost collapsed on the stairs." She felt compelled to point out.
"Well, you did better than me. I crashed face first into the floor, my first time up." Akihiko was undeterred. "Come on, enjoy the view a little."
He directed her to the edge of the shrine, looking over the city. The buildings had taken on a rosy tinge, and the sky almost glowed with pastel colors. It was enough to take away the rest of Mitsuru's breath.
"Do you… See this every day?" She found herself asking.
"As often as I can." Akihiko told her. "I guess you'd call it a reward… Maybe a little bit of a secret, too."
"A secret-?" He shifted against her, and Mitsuru pulled her eyes from the sky to see there was a faint dusting of pink on his face.
"I never had a workout partner. Shinji, he… Back when he was around he'd always throw his pillow in my face whenever I suggested it. Junpei wasn't too interested, either. And Koromaru always preferred evening walks to morning jogs. I gave up trying to ask anyone in the dorms, and it was too much of a hassle to work things out with the boxing club. So I'd always see this by myself."
Mitsuru's tried to say something in response to that. But her voice had gone oddly muted.
'He WANTED to share this with someone. And of all people, he opted to share it with you.'
"Why-?" She only managed one word, but it stilled Akihiko.
"I… Guess I just hoped that you'd like it." His own voice was little more than a mumble. "I've always wanted someone else to see it, but… Never really had the chance, until now. Never had someone who could keep up with me."
"I… Thank you." She desperately wished there was a more elegant way to put that. Akihiko frowned over her choice of words, confusion scrunching his eyebrows together. "What I mean is… Thank you for sharing such a thing with me."
'Thank you for letting me into your life like this. Even after all these years… You're still ready to treat me with such kindness.'
She wondered at the warm feeling in her heart, and the way she stayed close to Akihiko… Even though she knew they were both sweating and would likely look like a mess. But then, there was no one else around to comment on their appearance. No one who noticed when she brushed her hand against his, and squeezed at his fingers.
"I-I suppose we should head back in a few more moments, however. It wouldn't do for you to catch a chill."
"I do this all the time, Mitsuru." He snorted that out. "I know what my limits are; you don't need to worry over me." Yet there was still a shiver moving through his arm, and odd quality to his breathing.
"But… Whenever you're ready, I'll go back with you." He continued. "You think you'd… Want to do this again, sometime?" He sounded so hopeful at that.
"I'll have to work on climbing stairs, but… Yes. I think I would like that."
The rest of the day passed easily enough. And for the first time in a long time, Mitsuru felt ready to sleep, pleasantly exhausted and satisfied.
Or at least, she'd be ready for sleep after a few more items were checked off her list. Chief among them, preparations for another foray; this time not to fine dining or local hole-in-the-wall restaurants. Or even to social events.
'One thing at a time. First you need to figure out travel tickets and the most opportune date to arrive-' She was so busy outlining the steps in her head, that she didn't quite notice Akihiko sunk into one of the chairs in the database room.
He didn't seem to notice her all at once, either; there was a distant quality to his gaze, as his eyes traveled over the monitors taking up the room.
"…Akihiko?" It was her voice that snapped him out of that far off look. He almost fell out of the chair with how he spun around to look at her.
"M-Mitsuru! Sorry… Just thought that I'd show a little initiative. W-with looking over the SEBEC data. Or at least learning a little bit more about their headquarters." He gave her an awkward grin. "It… Almost feels like being back in the dorm, in a way."
Mitsuru could only nod at that, stepping closer to look over the screens. By reflex, her hand stretched out to start making a few adjustments, arrange those next steps-
Instead it brushed against Akihiko's fingers. She hadn't intended for that. Nor to flinch from the sudden contact. A faint jolt lingered on her skin, even while her hand yanked back; maybe a bit of static from the computers… Or maybe a lingering shock from the way their fingers traced together.
'You need to be more careful about that. Risking so much contact in just one day. It's a wonder he hasn't told you to leave him alone.'
Akihiko was just as startled, with how he jolted from the contact. He froze for a moment, staring at her… And seemingly uncertain on what to do. He almost moved towards her, before thinking twice and falling back into his seat.
"Sorry. I… I'm still getting used to things. You'd think that I'd be adjusted, since we spent time together in the dormitory, but…" But there WAS something different. There was an odd, palpable mood when Mitsuru caught Akihiko in the corner of her eye, or was just a few steps within his reach. Almost like he could reach out and brush over her arm, if he so wanted-
'But he wouldn't have any reason to. He might be your fiancé, but he's not-'
Not like her previous suitors. Some of them touching her every chance he got, not waiting for permission; making it clear they didn't NEED permission to be familiar with her. The memory made Mitsuru step back and away, wanting that distance in case he did get any ideas-
'But why would he? He wouldn't treat you like that. You can trust him, remember-?' Her mind whispered.
"That… Reminds me, Akihiko." She latched onto a different matter, so she wouldn't need to answer that question.
"There's been no other signs of distortions. I think this means whatever targeted us has gone lax. Now is the best time to counter, and take up our own initiative."
"You mean… We're going to look into this intel?"
"I plan to do more than looking into it. I hope to go to the source; to Sumaru City." Mitsuru looked up, scanning the computers and the displays. She put in a few key strokes, and brought up a map; it looked oddly like a disc of a city, at odds with the sprawling nature of Tatsumi Port Island.
"The Nanjo Group and SEBEC corporation both keep headquarters there. Nanjo… We'll mostly try to avoid. But SEBEC has a pharmaceutical and business center, right towards the heart of the city. It's highly populated, and we might have a good chance of getting lost in the crowd."
"H-How do you know that-?"
"Takashi Saeki never passes up on an opportunity to brag. My plan is to slip in during the evening, and then work my way into the heart of the building." Akihiko paused at that, looking over her… And looking oddly worried.
"Is there enough space for two people to do this?"
'We're partners.' His voice echoed in her ears. And she knew right away that he wouldn't tolerate being shut out of this. And she already knew it wasn't much more expensive to buy tickets and reserve hotels for two.
"I suppose… Yes." Mitsuru found herself saying. And oddly feeling a little more certain about the next steps.