All of These Lights
Lunchtime April 3rd...
Natsuo walked into L'Amant, pausing to let his eyes adjust to the lighting difference before looking around. When he didn't find the person he was looking for he thought to himself, "I guess I managed to get here before Fumiya..."
"Oh! Natsuo-chan! Welcome!" Kobayashi called as he waved in welcome while coming out from the back area behind the bar. Once Natsuo came closer he asked, "To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit today?"
Natsuo sat at one of the counter stools as he replied, "Meeting up with Fumiya for lunch... I'm surprised I beat him here though."
"Well while you wait, can I get you your usual drink or are you feeling adventurous today?" Kobayashi asked as he started to get a glass out.
Natsuo nodded as he said, "I'll stick with the usual for now Boss."
Kobayashi nodded in reply as he started preparing the beverage, after a moment asking, "So did something good happen recently?"
"What do you mean?" Natsuo asked in turn, confusion written on his face.
As Kobayashi placed the drink in front of him he clarified, "With Fumiya I mean, he was all smiles when he came in yesterday to confirm his schedule, but I didn't get a chance to ask him."
"Ah that," Natsuo grinned before taking a sip of his drink and continuing, "I introduced him to this girl I know, my next door neighbor, a couple days ago. They seem to have hit it off – at least from what he's told me. I haven't actually had a chance to talk to her."
"Isn't she the one obsessed with money that you told me about?" Kobayashi asked with a chuckle.
Natsuo also chuckled as he replied, "That's her, though she apparently she managed to reign herself in after the first few questions."
"I'm glad to hear that, from what you've told me she sounds like a nice girl otherwise; and it'll be good to see Fumiya stop moping about not having a girlfriend... Ah, speak of the devil!" Kobayashi stated with a smile as the bell above the door chimed, signaling someone had entered the cafe.
"What? You two gossiping about me of all people?" Fumiya asked with a laugh as he took a seat beside Natsuo at the counter.
"I wouldn't say gossiping, Boss was asking about why you were 'all smiles' yesterday. I told him that I introduced you and Hazuki-san," Natsuo replied before taking another sip of his drink.
Kobayashi nodded as he added, "I'm glad to hear that it went well. If it works out you'll definitely have to bring her by at some point."
Fumiya smiled before saying, "I mean, so far so good. She seems great, and yes bringing her here is definitely on the list."
"Well then: what can I get you two today?" Kobayashi asked as he whipped out his order pad and pen. The two having long since memorized the lunchtime menu gave him their orders, to which he replied, "Got it, since it's just you two here right now this won't take long to prepare."
"Thanks Boss," Fumiya said before turning to Natsuo and adding, "Now you need to elaborate on this Misaki situation – the short version you gave me on the phone won't cut it."
Natsuo groaned as he looked up towards the ceiling, but this was ignored as Kobayashi chimed in, "Misaki situation? What's this now Natsuo-chan, popular with the ladies again?"
"I guess you could call it that..." Natsuo muttered in response, he had been hoping to avoid this topic entirely.
"Say no more, I want to hear all about this. So you two talk about something else until I get back with your food," Kobayashi all but ordered before he went into the kitchen.
Natsuo sighed in relief for the temporary reprieve as he said to Fumiya, "Well you heard Boss, that's gonna have to wait..." The two moved on to talking about a movie that Fumiya had recently seen, which managed to kill the time until their lunch was brought out.
"Alright then. So the 'Misaki situation', let me hear it. Who's Misaki?" Kobayashi asked eagerly.
"The girl that followed Natsuo home from the mixer and is staying at his apartment," Fumiya replied in a deadpan tone before taking a bite of his food, meanwhile Natsuo nearly choked on his.
"Wait! Mixer?! Staying at your apartment?! How could you do this to Rui-Rui Natsuo-chan?!" Kobayashi exclaimed in shock.
Natsuo took a large gulp of his drink in order to clear his throat before frantically replying, "It's not like that at all Boss! Let me explain from the beginning!"
Kobayashi narrowed his eyes menacingly as he said, "Okay, fair enough. But there better be a good explanation Natsuo-chan."
Natsuo took a deep breath before beginning his explanation, wondering how many times he'd be forced to explain this situation. He started with his initial promise to introduce Fumiya to Kasumi, then to Fumiya's idea of a mixer, convincing Rui to allow him in assisting Fumiya, the mixer itself, Misaki following him home and finally how Hina had agreed to stay at the apartment with her. During the explanation both Kobayashi and Fumiya were silent, making sure to take all the information in. Once he had completed the story Natsuo sighed and said, "And that brings us to now. She said if she doesn't find anything promising within the week she'll start making arrangements with her family in Kyoto."
"So that's the whole story... again man, sorry for getting you into this..." Fumiya apologized in a serious tone.
Kobayashi nodded once before saying, "Okay, that makes sense. Sorry for shouting before Natsuo-chan."
Natsuo shook his head as he replied, "Don't worry about it Boss. Honestly that reaction is pretty much par for the course."
"I imagine Rui-Rui was not pleased," Kobayashi said with a knowing grin.
"Fumiya will be receiving a punch as punishment when she comes home," Natsuo replied simply, to which Fumiya hung his head while making a grunt of agreement, causing both of the others to laugh at his future punishment.
After a moment Fumiya straightened up and said, "Oh right, I almost forgot Natsuo, there's something I wanted to let you know about."
Natsuo turned towards him with a curious expression and asked, "Huh? What is it?"
"Well Kasumi texted me on her break at work, apparently she saw Misaki on her way to work meeting up with some guy who gave her a bunch of money. She didn't see the whole thing so she wasn't sure what was going on. She wanted to me to let you know," Fumiya explained as he pulled up the text to make sure he wasn't missing anything.
"She met up with someone who gave her money? That's weird..." Natsuo trailed off as his mind starting going from one possibility to the other.
"Hmm... it could be a lot of things, so let's not jump to any conclusions just yet. I'd say keep an eye out for anything else strange though Natsuo-chan," Kobayashi spoke up when both of the others had been silent for a moment.
Natsuo nodded as he replied, "You're right Boss, for all we know she lent a friend money and he was paying her back. I won't bring it up with her unless anything else stands out."
Kobayashi smiled at him before saying, "You're a good person Natsuo-chan, truly a heart of gold. But a word of caution..." he paused to make sure Natsuo was listening before continuing, "Helping people out is all well and good, but be careful not to be too sympathetic... otherwise you might find yourself getting in over your head."
"Thanks Boss," Natsuo said after a moment of thought, pausing to finish his drink, "I'll keep that in mind."
That evening...
"That smells delicious!" Hina cheered from the kotatsu as she watched one of her shows and slowly drank one of her beers.
Misaki giggled slightly at Hina's demeanor as she replied, "I'm glad you think so Hina-san, it'll be ready soon." She had taken Natsuo's warning to heart and refused to let Hina help with the cooking when she had offered. She had felt bad that Hina had spent her entire day off keeping an eye on the apartment, when this feeling came up again she thought, "I get Natsuo-kun wanting someone here though, they do barely no me... and besides..." she shook her head to clear those thoughts away, there was no point in dwelling on it.
"It's a shame Natsuo-kun said he wouldn't be stopping by tonight, he's missing out on whatever it is you're making," Hina added after another gulp of her beverage.
"Oh it's nothing special, it's just pork shoga-yaki. When Natsuo-kun restocked the kitchen he got some good cuts of pork loin, and the vegetables his neighbor... Kuawba-san dropped off were so fresh," Misaki explained as she made the final adjustments to the cooking food.
Hina turned towards her with a bright smile as she said, "Pork shoga-yaki huh? Well if it's as good as it smells we'll have to save some so Natsuo-kun can try it."
"Oh? Is it a favorite of his?" Misaki asked as she started plating the food.
"Something like that; Rui makes a really good one, you could say it's one her specialties when it comes to Japanese food. It would be interesting to see what he thinks of yours in comparison," Hina answered as she watched Misaki place the meal on the kotatsu before taking a seat herself.
Misaki laughed nervously before remarking, "Well that wouldn't be fair, I don't think I could compete with an actual chef in terms of quality," she paused for a moment before asking, "Now that I think about it, what kind of chef is Rui-chan? Just now you said 'when it comes to Japanese food'."
"Ah! We didn't actually say did we? Our father owns an Italian restaurant, Tempo Felice, and Rui works in the kitchen there. She specializes in Italian dishes as a result, but give her the recipe and ingredients and I'm sure there's nothing she couldn't handle," Hina explained in a proud tone.
"I see, and she's overseas training to improve on those skills... I can't help but be impressed by that every time I think about it. A chef and a writer... she and Natsuo-kun are quite the pair," Misaki said with a smile.
Hina smiled in response, though Misaki noticed the small twitch that came before it, and replied, "They certainly are. Our families are so proud of both of them... Now Natsuo-kun just needs to figure out a way through the writer's block he's stuck in."
"I didn't want to pry, but I gather he's been in a slump since his book was published back in autumn?" Misaki asked before she took the first bite of her meal.
Hina nodded as she also took a bite before answering, "Yeah... there was a lot of stuff going on around then that we all think compounded and caused the block."
"I'll be honest... I initially bought and read his book because of the story that was used to promote it: about the author protecting his "sister" from a stalker and being hospitalized as a result. That sister was you I take it?" Misaki asked cautiously.
Hina laughed nervously as she answered, "Yeah... that was me. We're so used to referring to each other as siblings that we did it without realizing and by the time we did the media had already started spreading the story. By then we all figured it would be too much hassle to correct them, we were more concerned with Natsuo-kun's recovery anyway."
"That's understandable... I never imagined I'd end up meeting and being indebted to that author and sister, I'm glad I ended up liking his book in the end!" Misaki said with a boisterous laugh.
Hina shared this laugh before she chimed in, "Oh and by the way: this is just as delicious as it smelled. It might actually give Rui's a run for its money." As she spoke she indicated the food on her plate, which she'd already eaten half of much to Misaki's surprise.
"Oh really? Well then like you said: we'll have to save some for Natsuo-kun so we can get his opinion," Misaki replied with a proud smile.
Hina nodded before her eyes widened and she exclaimed, "Oh! I have an even better idea! When Rui comes home you could both make it and then we can do a blind taste test, Natsuo-kun and I could be the judges!"
Misaki couldn't help but laugh again seeing how excited Hina was by the idea and replied, "That does sound like fun... and I certainly would like to meet Rui-chan..."
"Then it's settled! Misaki vs Rui to determine whose pork shoga-yaki is the best!" Hina cheered happily.
Misaki glanced between Hina's flushed face and the empty glass on the table and asked, "Hina-san... how many beers did you end up having?"
Hina looked at her glass, her expression dropping slightly when she realized it was empty and answered, "I think it was just five... maybe six?"
The two shared a comfortable silence for a few moments as they returned to eating their dinner before Misaki spoke again, "Hina-san, before I forget: I got my last pay from previous job today while I was out. It isn't enough to rent a place, so I was thinking maybe I should give it to Natsuo-kun to at least pay him back for the groceries he bought?"
Hina shook her head as she replied, "I wouldn't bother. Knowing Natsuo-kun he'll refuse it and tell you to either save it or use it on something you need."
Misaki thought to herself for a moment before she grinned and said, "Something I need huh... I know what we could both use: a girl's night not cooped up in here. How about we go out for dinner tomorrow Hina-san?"
"Are you sure?" Hina asked in a surprised tone.
"Yeah, it's one thing to hang out here together and another going out and enjoying ourselves. And I get the feeling you need it just as much as a I do," Misaki replied confidently.
Hina contemplated for a moment before smiling and saying, "It does sound like fun... okay I'm in. But if Natsuo-kun asks I paid for it."
"You got it, I know just the place!" Misaki exclaimed cheerfully before the two launched into planning the following evenings outing while finishing their meal and cleaning up.
Evening of April 3rd – NYC...
Rui sighed as she and Daniella entered the apartment before she made her way over to the couch and flopped down on it face first. Daniella laughed at this before saying, "You know... you should wash up and change before doing that. Don't want to have to clean the couch too do you?"
Rui groaned as she turned her head so she could before replying, "I just need a minute... my legs feel like jelly..."
"Today was pretty insane, because of those call outs they had you running all over..." Daniella trailed off as she remembered something Rui had shared with her, grinned and then added with a teasing tone, "I bet you wish Natsuo was here so he could give you one of those massages huh?"
Rui's face turned red at both Daniella bringing that up and at the thoughts it provoked before she exclaimed, "I never should have told you about that!"
Daniella burst into laughter at Rui's response to her teasing, though it was expected it didn't amuse her any less. Once she had collected herself she said, "Oh you don't need to be embarrassed, you were practically giddy when you told me about how he pampered you."
Rui was silent for a moment before she averted her eyes and mumbled, "I do want one of his massages..."
"See? No shame in admitting you like your boyfriend pampering you like that... and then there's what it could lead –" Daniella began to tease again but was cut off by Rui throwing one of the small pillows at her. This only caused her to laugh again before she managed to ask, "If you're going to rest for a bit do you mind if I use the shower first?"
"No, go ahead. I have a call to make anyway," Rui replied as she rolled onto her back and fished her phone out of her bag which she had dropped beside the couch.
"Tell Natsuo I say hi!" Daniella quipped as she made her way towards the bathroom.
After a moment of silent glaring in the bathroom's direction she opened the messenger app on her phone and typed out her message.
Rui: Good morning! I hope you slept well, do you have time for a quick call?
Instead of receiving a message in response her phone began vibrating and the display showed an incoming call from Natsuo. With a giddy smile Rui answered the call and said, "I guess that's a yes."
"Well of course, like I'd pass up the chance to start the day by hearing your voice," Natsuo replied smugly.
Rui's smile grew at this, and a slight giggle escaped before she asked, "Any updates on the Misaki situation?"
"Not really – she's getting along with Hina-nee and seems to be making on honest effort to find work and a more permanent living situation. I'm heading over to the apartment soon to swap out with Hina-nee since she has work today – they apparently are having a 'girl's night out' tonight, whatever that means," Natsuo explained while suppressing a yawn.
"Hmm... well I suppose Hina-nee making a new friend is a silver lining in all of this," Rui said after a moment of thought.
"That and the fact that it seems things went well with Fumiya and Hazuki-san... though I guess if they're gonna be together I should start calling her by her first name; we're good enough friends I think..." Natsuo trailed off before adding, "Oh! Apparently Hina-nee decided that once you're back you and Misaki both have to cook pork shoga-yaki... and then she and I have to judge which is better."
Rui was silent for a moment as she processed this before asking, "Well that came out of nowhere... did she say why?"
Natsuo laughed as he answered, "Misaki apparently made that for dinner last night, and Hina-nee says it could give yours 'a run for its money'. Her texts were a little garbled though, so she'd probably had a few beers by then."
"Well then, I don't mind the idea of testing my culinary skills against her, it sounds fun. If she's managed to make friends with Hina-nee this quickly that honestly makes me want to meet her and see what she's like," Rui replied happily.
"Sounds good to me, I get to have your pork shoga-yaki," Natsuo stated, the smile evident in his voice.
"I promise it's the first thing I'll make once I'm back... but only if you make tiramisu," Rui said, her voice taking on a sheepish tone.
Natsuo laughed at her tone before replying, "It will be cooling in the refrigerator by the time your flight lands. Promise."
"Good," Rui said simply, but with a warmth in her voice. After a moment she heard the faint sound of the shower stop and said, "I should let you go; you've got to get to the apartment and I need to get cleaned up and changed."
"Yeah... talk to you before you go to bed?" Natsuo asked.
"Of course, I'll message you once I've bathed and eaten dinner. I love you," Rui replied warmly.
"I love you too, talk to you then," Natsuo returned with the same warmth before ending the call.
Rui let her arm flop down, still holding the phone as she sighed before mumbling to herself, "I just want to be able to come home from work and be with him..."
A moment later Daniella entered the room, and upon seeing Rui's expression said, "I know that look, you're really missing him right now huh?"
"I am..." Rui replied, pausing to sit up before adding, "It's been nine months since I came here, and I know I still can improve more but I'm starting to go crazy... especially after his visit for Valentine's Day."
Daniella nodded as she said, "I get that; there's only so much messaging, phone and video calls can do after all." When Rui didn't reply right away, seeming to be lost in thought Daniella asked, "Did you tell him about that rumor we heard – about the cooking competition?"
"Where if a trainee from Japan wins one of the top spots they'll get to go back early? No, I didn't mention it since we don't know for sure it'll happen... I don't want to get our hopes up in case it either doesn't happen or if I'm not good enough to win," Rui replied with a heavy sighed before adding, "Besides, we got caught up talking about the Misaki situation."
"Ah that... when you first told me I almost booked a flight for us to Tokyo just so you could kick his ass; good thing you calmed me down and explained fully. So how is that going?"
Rui chuckled remembering how Daniella had flown off the handle initially before she answered, "It's going well. Misaki is making a real effort to find work and somewhere else to live, she's also apparently become friends with my older sister already."
"That's good to hear, and I'm glad your sister was able to help Natsuo with this whole mess," Daniella said with a sigh of relief.
"So am I, Hina-nee was a real life saver this time... I don't know what we would've done without her," Rui agreed as she finally made herself get up off the couch.
"She sounds like a great older sister," Daniella said simply as she made her way to kitchen to figure out something simple to make.
As Rui started making her way to the bathroom she paused to think back on everything before replying, "Yeah... she is."
Evening of April 4th - Tokyo...
"That was so good! Coming here was definitely worth it," Hina said happily as she finished her meal. After getting off of work she had met Misaki at the restaurant she had told her about the previous evening.
"I'm glad you think so, I've only been here once before but it's just as good as I remembered," Misaki replied with a reflective smile. After a moment she asked, "So think about whether you want dessert or not?"
Hina took on a sheepish expression as she answered, "But this was already expensive enough as it was... I wouldn't want you to have to pay even more... I'll pay for our dessert."
"Are you sure? You don't have to," Misaki asked with a surprised expression.
"I insist! You're already paying for the meal so I'll pay for dessert," Hina declared while crossing her arms to indicate she wasn't going to budge on this.
Seeing this Misaki sighed as she relented, "Okay you win Hina-san... but let's get the dessert to go, there's something else I want to do while we're here."
"Something else?" Hina asked simply as she looked up from the dessert menu.
Misaki grinned as she asked in turn, "You know the main reason this restaurant is well known right?"
Hina stopped to think for a moment before her eyes lit up in realization and excitedly answered, "The observation deck!"
"Exactly!" Misaki said as her grin grew into a huge smile and she watched Hina excitedly wave over their server so they could order their dessert and get the check.
Within fifteen minutes they'd gotten their desserts, paid the split check and made their way up to the observation deck. As they approached the window Hina excitedly hurried up and exclaimed "Wow! It's so gorgeous!"
Misaki quickly joined her in overlooking the city lights from their high vantage point and said in a somber tone, "It certainly is... just like before..."
Noticing her companion's shift in tone, Hina turned towards her and hesitantly asked, "Misaki-san...?"
"Sorry... I was remembering when I came here before. It was right after I moved to Tokyo to pursue modeling. I remember thinking that all of these lights looked like stars... and that I could become one of them, but now that I've had to give up on modeling..." Misaki trailed off in her response as she continued to look out over the city.
"There's no need to apologize... having to give up on something that meant the world to you, to have to give up on a dream like that... it's not something you just get over," Hina said sympathetically as she placed a hand on Misaki's shoulder.
Misaki turned to face her and said, "You sound like you're speaking from experience Hina-san."
"You could say that..." Hina replied hesitantly.
When Misaki saw the hesitation on her face she added, "You don't have to tell me about it if you don't want to. But I've found that sharing things like that do actually help, even if only a little. So if you want to, I'm here."
Hina was silent for another moment before she spoke up, "It's not the same as you having to give up your modeling... I was in a relationship that was completely unexpected, but it was the happiest I'd ever been in my life. Things got... complicated to put it shortly, and I had to end the relationship... even had to lie to him about not loving him anymore."
"I won't pry into what made it complicated... but it must have been serious if it made you end the relationship and lie to him about your feelings," Misaki replied softly. She then asked, "How long ago was this?"
Hina was surprised by the specific question and took a moment to think before she answered, "Let's see... it was winter of 2014, so two and half years ago now."
"Wow, he must really be something special if you're still hurting about it even now..." Misaki trailed off as she realized how blunt what she was saying was and then frantically added, "I'm sorry! That was insensitive of me!"
Hina managed a small laugh at this as she said reassuringly, "It's okay. And yeah, he really is amazing."
Misaki was silent for a moment before asking, "Do you still love him?"
"Lately I've been thinking about it... I've been trying to put what happened behind me and move on. But I'm starting to think that I might not be able to let those feelings go after all..." Hina responded with a sad smile and slowly trailing off as she looked out over the city again.
"Then why not tell him how you feel? Or are you not able to because of those complications you mentioned?" Misaki asked cautiously as she also looked out over the city.
Hina shook her head slightly before responding, "I can't. He's completely moved on from me and is happy, I don't want to put any strain on that. I'm sure that eventually I'll be able to be happy just knowing that he is happy... and then I should be able to move on myself. I thought I was getting there, but I'm realizing that I'm not quite there yet."
Misaki was quiet for a brief moment before she said, "You're a good person Hina. I'm sure you'll be able to find your own happiness sooner or later."
Hina looked at Misaki in surprise when she dropped the honorific, but once what she said sunk in she smiled and replied, "Thank you Misaki, so are you. We may have both had to give up on one of our dreams... but we can't let that stop us right?"
"That's right!" Misaki stated with a wide smile before adding, "Now then, how about we head back to the apartment and enjoy these desserts over a drink?"
"Yes! Great idea!" Hina excitedly agreed before they started making their way towards the elevator.
As they rode the elevator down, Hina hummed to herself happily and Misaki thought to herself, "You'd never think she's got that kind of pain hidden under all that cheer... Hina and I are a more alike than I originally thought... I'm glad I met you and Natsuo-kun."
Morning of April 5th – Tokyo...
Natsuo walked from the station towards the apartment at a brisk pace, he was running slightly behind as he'd missed the first train. While he walked he thought out loud, "I hope Misaki has breakfast covered, Hina-nee will have to leave for her shift soon."
He slowed his pace when he entered the building's parking lot, seeing a man walking around that he did not recognize who looked like he was looking for something – or someone. As the man noticed Natsuo he approached and asked, "Hey, by any chance do you live in this building?"
Natsuo was slightly taken aback by the question, but maintained a neutral expression as he replied, "I do. Is there something I can help you with?"
"I was wondering if you'd seen a woman around here, long silver colored hair and has a scar on her face that she hides," the main explained as he pointed to the left side of his face.
"What the hell is this..." Natsuo thought to himself, still keep his face neutral before he answered, "That sounds like someone who would stand out. Got a name for this woman?"
The man was silent for a moment, seeming to debate something internally before he replied, "Her name is Misaki Ogura. I heard from a mutual friend that she was living around here now. I tried calling her but her phone is out of service."
"Sorry, can't say I've seen someone like that... but if I see her I'll let her know a friend was looking for her – sorry, what did you say your name was?" Natsuo asked as he kept his eyes fixed on the man's face, trying to memorize as much as he could. While doing this he thought to himself, "Something about this guy feels... wrong. I don't want to tell him about Misaki without running it by her first."
The man was silent for another moment before he answered, "Hojo. If you see her let her know Hojo is looking for her."
"No last name?" Natsuo pressed, feigning confusion as best he could.
"She'll know it's me. Thanks in advance, see you around," Hojo replied as he walked around Natsuo and out of the parking lot. As he was walking away Natsuo managed to hear him mutter, "The hell... she ain't here? I was fed some bad info."
Natsuo waited a few moments to make sure that Hojo was gone before he started back towards the apartment again, quickly climbing the stairs to the door but stopping to look and see if he was being watched before he entered.
"Oh! Natsuo-kun I was just about to call and see if there was an issue, I'm about to head out," Hina said in relief as she saw Natsuo enter the apartment.
Natsuo scratched the back of his head and chuckled as he replied, "Sorry about that Hina-nee, overslept a bit and missed the first train."
"Ugh.. I've done that a few times. But that just means you're not getting enough sleep, you better work on that; you wouldn't want to worry Rui after all," Hina teased as she got her shoes and coat on the head out. Before opening the door to leave she called out, "See you later Misaki, thanks for the breakfast!"
"Bye Hina!" Misaki replied from the kitchen where she was cleaning up.
Before Natsuo could say anything Hina was out the door and gone, so he took his coat and shoes off and entered to kitchen to ask, "Just first names now huh?"
Misaki giggled in response before answering, "Our girl's night out last night went very well. We ended up talking about a lot of personal stuff, so it just felt natural to drop the honorifics."
"I see... what kind of stuff?" Natsuo asked in morbid curiosity.
Misaki shook her as she said, "Oh you know: girl stuff. Told in confidence and not to be shared."
Natsuo laughed at this and replied, "Duly noted." As he moved towards the sitting room he noticed a full plate of food on the kotatsu and asked, "Did you not eat yet Misaki-san?"
"That's actually for you if you want it, I didn't know if you'd have time for breakfast before coming over. From the sound of it though I guess it was a good idea!" Misaki answered with a warm smile.
Natsuo was actually rendered speechless for a moment from her consideration towards him, but managed to say, "Thank you, I ended up having to rush over and didn't grab anything." As he sat down at the kotatsu he spoke again, "Hey... Misaki-san, there was a guy outside looking for you. He seemed a bit off so I didn't say I knew where you were. I figured I'd let you know first in case he's something to worry about."
The water from the faucet abruptly stopped and Misaki entered the sitting room with a concerned expression. After taking a breath she asked, "Did you get his name?"
Natsuo nodded as he answered, "He said his name was Hojo, he didn't give his surname. He said you'd know it was him."
"I see... thank you for letting me... and for not telling him I'm here," Misaki said as she slowly sat down at the kotatsu as well.
"Is he someone we should worry about?" Natsuo asked after a moment.
Misaki hung her head and let out a groan before she replied, "He's a former coworker... from my last job actually. He was always kind of creepy towards me, I'd always catch him 'just hanging out' in the neighborhood I lived in up until now. I was hoping I wouldn't have to deal with him anymore."
"If he's stalking you then you should tell the police," Natsuo stated simply.
Misaki shook her head and said, "Right now he doesn't know for sure I'm here, hopefully he'll just give up and look somewhere else. But... if he does become an issue I'll go to the police... I promise."
Natsuo nodded in acceptance of this, then fished his phone out of his pocket as he said, "In that case I'll message Hina-nee and let her know if some guy asks about you to not tell him anything, I'll tell the neighbors too. You can explain it to Hina when she gets back from work."
"Thank you Natsuo-kun!" Misaki exclaimed in relief as her smile returned.
As he typed out his message to Hina, Natsuo thought to himself, "Something about this really doesn't feel right. There was something... aggressive about that Hojo guy. And also..." he paused in his thoughts as he glanced up at Misaki before continuing, "There's something that Misaki isn't telling me or Hina-nee..."
