AN: I apologize for the long wait between the previous chapter and now. I had not intended to for there to be a two month wait, but life has a way of getting in the way and the time flew by before I realized it. I hope everyone is doing well and you enjoy this chapter.
And The Winner Is...
Early Afternoon of August 4th – L'Amant
The air in the cafe was filled with the usual sounds of idle chatter and the soft, lingering scent of coffee as the lunch rush faded into the calmer afternoon. A handful of tables were occupied, mostly by those who purposely came by later in order to avoid the midday crowd that was common on weekends. For these customers it was business as usual while Fumiya made his rounds to check on them, not noticing the glances the staff would give the back corner of the dining area occasionally.
Seated at the corner booth were two young women and a young man who were in the middle of a serious and visibly uncomfortable conversation. Natsuo and Rui sat beside each other, their backs to the wall and holding each other's hand out of sight under the table while Hina sat across from them with her back to the rest of the cafe. Their food and drinks relatively untouched, the three appeared to be oblivious to anything around them.
Misaki glanced their way from the bar, for what felt like the tenth time in as many minutes, and sighed to herself as she returned her attention to her cleaning. As Fumiya returned from his rounds he deposited a few glasses beside her before he too glanced at the group in the corner and quietly asked, "So far so good huh?"
"Well... there were some tears from Hina at one point but... so far no shouting or the like so... maybe?" Misaki offered weakly in response. She and Hina had moved into the apartment just a few days ago but she'd already seen exactly how much anxiety and dread she'd had leading up to today.
Nodding solemnly Fumiya said, "I think that's about as well as we could have hoped. This has been a long time coming, and there was no way to avoid it being difficult for them."
"She still hasn't told me the full story – about how all this happened, but you're right. This is a conversation that should have happened long before now," Misaki agreed as she quickly glanced between them and her work again.
At the corner booth Hina took a breath as she wiped a few tears from her eyes before she said with finality, "And now... now you know everything. I'm sure Rui already told you a lot of it but... thank you for letting me say it myself. I'm so sorry Natsuo-kun." As she finished she lowered her head to the table in a bow.
Rui gripped Natsuo's hand tightly, as she had the entire time, as she took several breaths to calm herself; despite having heard most of this already her emotions were still stirred up by Hina's story. Her heart skipped a beat when she felt Natsuo squeeze her hand reassuringly in return and she glanced at him to see a calm smile before he turned his attention back to Hina.
"Hina-nee... please don't bow. Thank you for telling me the truth, and I'm sorry for not noticing how you felt... I can be pretty clueless it seems," Natsuo stated calmly, pausing while Hina raised her head to look at them again. Once she had she added, "And I'm sorry for not being able to return those feelings. What happened between you and I will always be part of me, an important part, but I only think of you as a sister now. I love Rui, and nothing is going to change that. It would mean everything to have your blessing on that, your genuine blessing."
Hina choked back another, small, sob before she replied, "Of course! I know my feelings are only my own, I accepted that already. I want you two, the two most important people in the world to me, to be happy... more than anything. I know it won't be quick, but I hope that someday I can fully regain your trust."
"I hope so too," Rui chimed in, the edge in her voice present but softer than Hina expected, "You're my sister and I love you. I want to rebuild that, but it's going to take time."
"I understand Rui... I just... thank you for giving me this chance," Hina replied, a small smile forming.
Rui smiled softly in response before she took a deep breath and said, "Right then. I'll be over at the counter, you're still okay with doing the interview now?" She looked between the two of them as she asked the last part. Hina took a few deep breaths and used her napkin to dry her eyes before she nodded, while Natsuo gave her hand another squeeze and smiled before he moved to get out his notepad and pen from his bag.
Satisfied with their response Rui grabbed her glass and made her way over to the bar and took a seat where she could still see them as Natsuo began to interview Hina for his book. As she sat she looked at her drink and frowned: her iced tea was now room temperature and watered down. Turning to see Misaki coming her way she asked, "Sorry, could I get a fresh one of these?"
"No need to apologize Rui-chan, coming right up," Misaki replied, pausing before she turned to Fumiya and said, "You should probably check to see if Natsuo and Hina need new drinks too."
Giving a mock salute Fumiya responded, "On it," before heading over to the booth.
Placing the fresh drink down in front of Rui, Misaki hesitantly said, "I'm sorry Rui-chan."
Looking up at her in confusion, Rui tried to figure out what she could possibly be apologizing for before she asked, "Why are you sorry?"
"I knew how Hina felt about Natsuo, for a while before now," Misaki answered quietly with a small frown.
Rui's eyes widened at this before she managed to ask, "Natsuo mentioned that you knew, but he didn't go into detail. Did... did she tell you?"
Shaking her head Misaki replied, "No she didn't tell me. I figured it out on my own, I just kind of pieced it together based on things I'd seen her say and do. She didn't even know I knew until the day of the festival. I didn't tell Natsuo I knew until I caught him about to rush off when you and Hina were having your talk. Again: I'm sorry I didn't say anything sooner; you're all my friends, the first I've had in a long time and I didn't want to stick my nose where it didn't belong."
Rui took a moment to take a sip of her cold drink, savoring the soothing affect it had before she responded, "It's okay Misaki. Our situation is... messy to say the least. I can't blame you for not wanting to be the one to light that spark. And thank you for stopping him that night... emotions were high – for both me and Hina-nee, if he'd barged in on that conversation I don't think it would have ended well."
"I'm sure you know this better than anyone: Natsuo has a heart of gold and means well... but he can be surprisingly dense or get carried away," Misaki teased as she noted the drink order Fumiya had handed her and started working on it.
"That's for sure," Fumiya and Rui replied simultaneously, both pausing before sharing a laugh.
It was then that Kobayashi entered the cafe, the bell over the door signaling his arrival. As he made his way to the bar Fumiya asked, "Get everything done that you needed to Boss?"
Kobayashi took quick note of Natsuo interviewing Hina at the booth while Rui waited at the bar before he replied, "That I did! I even stopped for lunch at this lovely little cafe in Yongen, tucked away in one of the alleys. Who would've thought that coffee and curry paired so well together? Owner refused to tell me his secret for the recipe though, not that I can blame him," he paused as he donned his own apron before adding, "Now then, you two manned the fort long enough: take your breaks before it gets busy again."
"You got it Boss," Fumiya and Misaki replied as they made their way away from the bar and into the back where their things were kept in the employee lockers.
Kobayashi turned to Rui and said, "Now Rui-Rui, I'm gonna run these drinks over to those two. When I get back let's see about getting you something to eat."
Rui made to protest, but felt the gnawing sensation in her stomach at the mention of food. So instead she smiled and said, "Thanks, didn't have much of an appetite earlier."
"So what will it be today?" he asked with his usual smile as he returned to the bar a moment later.
Having taken the moment to consider, Rui answered, "I think I'll just have a salad with chicken. I'm still a bit on edge so best to stick to something light."
Giving a firm nod he responded, "Understandable given the situation. For what it's worth: I'm glad that you and Natsuo-chan are giving her this chance; hopefully this is the first step to getting her on track to move forward."
"I hope so too Boss... I hope so too," she replied quietly as he went into the kitchen to prepare her food, Misaki exiting as he opened the door and slid by him while ordering her own lunch and sat beside Rui at the counter.
The two were silent for a moment while Rui watched Natsuo interview Hina before Misaki asked, "So how are you doing? Fumiya and I were keeping on eye on the three of you and it looked like it went as well as could be expected..."
Turning to look her in the eye Rui answered, "That's a good way to put it: it went as well as could be expected. I'd already told Natsuo about what Hina-nee wanted to say, and we had an entire week to digest that and prepare but... We'll be okay. For now we're going to trust her and do what we can to help her move forward. The rest is up to her."
Misaki put her hand on Rui's shoulder and gave a reassuring squeeze as she smiled and said, "I'll do what I can too. If I see any signs from her that she's getting hung up on it again I'll be sure to tell her so."
Rui smiled in return before chuckling slightly at an intrusive thought before she teased, "On top of making sure she doesn't burn the apartment down? Sounds like a full time job to me."
Laughing at the taunt Misaki replied, "Oh that one's easy! Hina's not allowed to use the stove or oven... or microwave... or toaster for that matter. I handle any food that requires cooking, solves the problem completely. If I catch her trying I have a water bottle to spray her with."
Nearly choking on the sip of her drink she'd taken just as Misaki added the last bit, Rui spluttered before laughing, "What is she? Your cat?"
Misaki paused to consider it for a moment before replying, "I did want to get a cat... I guess this is good practice now that I think about it."
The two women shared a heartfelt laugh until Kobayashi returned with their food, Misaki also keeping it simple with a BLT sandwich. As the two started eating Rui said, "You know, I was surprised when our mother told me you and Hina-nee were going to be roommates."
"Oh? Why's that?" Misaki asked, pausing mid-bite.
"No real reason, I just never considered it I guess," Rui answered, pausing to take a sip of her drink to wash the last bite down, "But I'm glad you are."
The two resumed their silence while continuing to eat, both hungrier than they had realized. It was when they finished that Rui spoke again, "So, there's something I wanted to ask you."
Turning to look at her quizzically Misaki asked, "Ask me what?"
"When do you want to settle the matter of whose pork shoga-yaki is better?" Rui asked with a smirk forming.
Misaki's eyes widened in surprise before she answered, "Well now with Hina back we can do it whenever works for everyone... but I was going to wait to bring it up until things had settled down a bit more. But I'm not opposed to sooner if you'd prefer."
"I just think it would be a good way to ease some of the discomfort and awkwardness, if that makes sense," Rui explained succinctly, glancing over at the interview again.
"It does... how about we expand the original idea though?" Misaki asked after thinking for a moment.
Turning back towards her Rui asked, "What do you mean?"
"Instead of just Natsuo and Hina as judges why don't we bring in a few more? That way it won't just be the four of us. Less of a chance for something awkward to come up that way," Misaki explained.
"I think that's a great idea," Kobayashi chimed in from across the counter, "If you let me know in advance when you want to do this I can give Fumiya time off so he can be there."
Rui thought for a moment before muttering, "If we get Fumiya then we can probably assume Kasumi will want to be there too... and at that point we should invite Miyabi too."
"What about that friend of yours you work with? Having another professional as a judge might be a good idea," Misaki suggested after a moment of considering.
"Kajita?" Rui asked, a confused look on her face. She was quiet until she imagined Kajita having to interact with the group and started laughing.
A look of alarm spread across Misaki's face as she asked, "That's a no I take it?"
Taking a minute to compose herself again Rui answered, "Sorry, I was trying to imagine how he'd get along with everyone. I wouldn't count on him being able to participate, but I'll run it by him."
"Judging by that reaction I have a feeling it would be quite the show," Kobayashi laughed as he moved to take their now empty plates, "It's too bad I won't be able to see it for myself."
Rui managed to suppress the laugh that threatened to erupt as she responded, "No offense Boss but... I think you'd be a bit too much for him to handle. Baby steps."
Evening of August 11th
"I still can't believe how big this place is," Kasumi muttered as she walked back to the sitting room from the restroom, taking her seat beside Fumiya.
Looking around again Fumiya responded, "It's a nice place... but I don't think it's that big."
"What?!" Kasumi asked incredulously. "This place is at least twice the size of my apartment!" she paused to leaned forward to see Natsuo who was sitting on Fumiya's other side, before asking, "You're with me on this right Natsuo-kun? Our apartments are tiny compared to this place."
Laughing nervously Natsuo answered, "Well... I mean this is place is a two bedroom and ours are budget ones mostly used by students..."
Sitting across from the three Hina laughed quietly to herself, enjoying having guests over to the apartment. Looking up and behind them she could see the kitchen where Rui and Misaki were figuring out the logistics of them both using the area at the same time without getting in each other's way, and could tell that Rui was slightly flustered by something Misaki had said, her telltale smirk on display. Her attention was grabbed by the sound of knocking on the apartment door; she stood up declaring, "I'll get that," before any one else could move.
Having made her way to the door and opening it she saw a young woman with long dark hair and asked, "You must be Miyabi-chan?"
Surprised at the familiarity but smiling and giving a quick bow Miyabi replied, "That's right, it's nice to meet you Tachibana-san."
Ushering her in Hina insisted, "You don't need to be so formal with me. You're a friend of the family after all!"
Removing her shoes as she entered Miyabi responded, "In that case how about 'Hina-san'?" Seeing Hina give her an affirmative nod and smile she then asked, "I'm not the last one here am I?"
"Oh! No you're not, we're expecting at least one more person. He should be here soon though, but Rui and Misaki are still getting set up so the food won't be done for a while still," Hina explained as they made their way back to sitting area.
As they rounded the corner Rui and Misaki waved in greeting to Miyabi as they saw her, with Natsuo and Fumiya following suit as she entered their field of vision. As she sat down beside Hina, Kasumi suddenly asked her, "Miyabi this place is huge right?"
"W-what? I don't... I mean," Miyabi floundered as she looked around at the apartment while processing the abrupt question.
"Come on Kasumi-chan, don't put her on the spot like that," Misaki called from the kitchen with a laugh as she finished her set up.
As Kasumi grumbled quietly from being admonished Miyabi formed a hesitant response, "I mean... it seems like a fairly normal size for a two bedroom?"
The conversation continued, occasionally circling back to the size of the apartment, for another few minutes before Natsuo excused himself to use the restroom. As he finished washing his hands and exited he heard someone knock at the door and called out, "I'll get the door Hina-nee!"
"Thank you!" Hina called back from the other room.
Opening the door to the apartment Natsuo began his greeting, "Hey, was wondering when -" but was cut off as he processed the sight before him.
"Nat-chan! Look who I ran into downstairs!" Al cheered from the other side of the open doorway, huge smile beaming while one of his arms was draped around Tokiya who looked like he wanted to melt into the floor.
"Good evening Fuji-san, apologies for not giving a definite response and then running late," Tokiya added once Al had released him and they both made their way inside.
Shaking his head slightly Natsuo replied, "No apology needed Kajita-san. Rui and Misaki only finished their prep a few minutes ago, so the food is still going to be a bit."
"That's a relief then. I admit I was surprised when Tachibana asked me to be a 'judge' for this competition," Tokiya added as they followed Natsuo towards the sitting area with everyone else.
Waving excitedly to Rui as they passed the kitchen, Al chimed in, "Same here when Nat-chan asked me. Not that I need one, but I'll never pass up on an excuse to have Rui-chan's cooking; and if Misaki-san is even half as good we're eating good tonight!"
Laughing at his friend's excitement Natsuo replied, "Well all of this started because Hina-nee said that Misaki could give Rui a run for her money. So we're all here to put it to the test."
"Interesting... I wonder what kind of culinary history she has to receive that level of praise..." Tokiya pondered aloud as they took their seats.
Natsuo, opting not to speculate on Tokiya's thought, proceeded to introduce the two men to everyone else who was seated.
"It's great to finally meet you Kajita-san! I've heard a lot about you from Rui and our dad!" Hina enthusiastically exclaimed as she shook Tokiya's hand.
"Likewise, though I'm surprised you're not participating as well," Tokiya responded.
"What do you mean?" Hina asked in genuine confusion, neither noticing Natsuo's fearful expression at the thought.
"With both your father and sister's skills I'd have thought you'd want to throw your hat into the ring in this competition," Tokiya explained succinctly.
Hina's eyes widened in understanding before she answered, "Oh! I'm not allowed to use the stove."
Tokiya stared at her silently for brief moment before simply asking, "Pardon?"
"The last time I even tried boiling water I somehow started a small fire," Hina responded nonchalantly.
"I see..." Tokiya trailed off as he glanced at Natsuo for confirmation, receiving it by means of a quick nod.
From there the conversation drifted from topic to topic, Al and Tokiya being the ones introduced having several questions asked of them: where they went to school, hobbies, goals and the like. When Natsuo had asked how Al and Tokiya knew each other both were surprised that Rui hadn't told him and Al eagerly launched into a dramatic retelling of the day in question, with the occasional one or two word corroboration from Tokiya.
"So then we both realized we'd been about throw punches at each other for the same reason! But before we could talk it out Rui-chan runs in and I make up an excuse about this giant spider landing on my face and we start looking all over for it! Right To-kun?!" Al paused to get Tokiya to weigh in.
Sighing at his apparent new nickname, Tokiya responded, "Indeed. I was surprised Tachibana believed that excuse."
As the two, mostly Al, finished the story the assembled guests were all in vary states of laughter at the absurdity of it. Natsuo on the other hand just grumbled at them, "Really? You two almost got into a fist fight because you both thought the other was trying to steal Rui from me?"
Al gave a thumbs up.
Tokiya gave a non-committal shrug of his shoulders.
As the conversation moved towards Natsuo and Miyabi answering questions about Forester's next performance they were interrupted by Misaki calling out, "Sorry to interrupt, but the food is plated and ready for judging! Wouldn't want it to cool too much after all."
The sounds of chatter died down as the assembled group made their way to the table where places had been set for the seven judges, each with two plates of pork shoga-yaki, a side bowl of rice and vegetables and a glass of water. Next to each plate was a colored index card: one red and one green. As Natsuo took his spot, closest to a proudly smiling Rui, he examined the plates of food; he could tell at a glance which was Rui's, having had it many times before, but asked for everyone's sake, "How do we know which is whose?"
"You don't," Rui declared, "That's what the cards are for. Misaki and I obviously know which color corresponds to ours, all you need to do when you've decided is to hold up the card for the one you like the most."
"Seems straight forward enough, let's dig in everyone!" Hina cheered excitedly from her seat at the far end of the table from Natsuo and Rui, closest to where Misaki had stood.
The group dove into the meal before them, some more energetically while others took their time to fully examine each as they ate them. Natsuo had started with the one he'd identified based on how it looked to be Misaki's. Knowing that he had an inherent bias he wanted to give hers a fair try before having Rui's. As he took the first bite his eyes widened in surprise and he thought, "Hina-nee was right. This is almost, if not as good as Rui's recipe!" It amazed him how even with the same ingredients Misaki had managed to capture a unique flavor compared to what he was used to, but ultimately when he then had Rui's the familiarity of her cooking washed over him and sealed his decision.
Once everyone had finished and confirmed they'd made their choices on their favorite of the two they went around the table in order and revealed their choice and voiced their reasoning. As Tokiya's turn came up the score was two for red and two for green, with Natsuo and Miyabi still to cast their votes.
Tokiya closed his eyes as he contemplated his wording before he spoke, "As far as quality of the dishes go they were equal in my opinion. The pork was marinated, seasoned and cook perfectly; a nice crisp sear while preserving its tenderness. For me it comes down to the seasoning itself in this case. The green dish's seasoning was more mellow, safe even; you could easily classify it as a 'comfort dish'. The red on the other hand has more spiciness to it, I was worried it would be too much but with the rice and vegetables it balanced out. My choice in this is the red dish."
"That makes it three to two in favor of the red," Hina announced as she marked another tally on her magnetic whiteboard on the refrigerator.
Clearing his throat, Natsuo took his turn to announce his choice, "I have to agree with Kajita-san when comes to the quality of both. I have to admit that when I heard Hina-nee said Misaki could give Rui a run for her money I had my doubts – no offense Misaki."
"None taken," Misaki dismissed his comment with a wave.
Natsuo continued, "That being said I disagree on which is overall better. While the spiciness in the red dish was just the right amount, I prefer the comfort food feeling of the green. Green is my choice."
The sound of dry erase marker on whiteboard followed Natsuo's declaration before Hina announced, "And it's all tied up! Miyabi-chan is the tie breaker!"
Miyabi groaned quietly at her luck of having the pressure of being the one to decide the winner. She took a breath to compose herself before she spoke, "Both were amazing, something I'd expect from a good restaurant. And while I can definitely see times when I'd want one over the other... Green is the winner for me, it reminds me of my grandmother's cooking."
"We have our winner! Four to three in favor of green!" Hina cheered as she marked the final tally. As she capped her marker she added, "Okay everyone who voted red please stand there, and everyone who voted green stand over there." As she spoke she indicated either end of the table and all the judges, herself included, moved to their designated spots. On the red side were Hina, Al and Tokiya while the green side was Natsuo, Miyabi, Fumiya and Kasumi.
Seeing they were all in place Hina turned to Rui and Misaki and said, "If you'd stand with those who voted for you." The two women nodded silently as they moved to join the others: Misaki joining the red voters, while Rui the green. "And the winner is Rui!" Hina cheered as she rushed over to embrace her sister, leaving a seemingly distraught Al and dumbfounded Tokiya in her wake.
"Hina-nee! Too tight! Can't breath!" Rui gasped as she tried to escape her sister's death grip, the others around her laughing and congratulating her in equal measure.
As Al rushed over, pleading Rui for forgiveness, Tokiya turned to Misaki and said, "Your recipe was great Ogura-san. Like Fuji-san I was surprised how it compared with Tachibana's."
"Coming from someone as exacting as you are that's quite the compliment. Thank you Kajita-kun," Misaki replied, flashing him a bright smile.
"I have to ask, what kind of culinary training have you had?" Tokiya asked.
Misaki tilted her head slightly with a laugh and answered, "None at all. I used to be a model, now I work at a cafe but don't do much of the food preparation there. I've taught myself through trial and error mostly... after following recipes of course."
"I see, you're a natural talent then. If you ever want any tips or suggestions and Tachibana isn't able to help I'd be glad to," Tokiya stated after the initial surprise of her having no formal culinary education.
"I might just take you up on that," Misaki replied before starting to move towards the others and adding, "Now, let's congratulate the winner."
Having been freed from Hina's embrace Rui noted Misaki approach and smiled while saying, "Hina-nee was right. You almost beat me."
"I have to admit I'm surprised it was as close as it was. Congratulations Rui-chan, you won fair and square," Misaki responded as she held her hand out to Rui who took hold of it and gave a friendly but firm shake. As their hands parted Misaki gave her a smirk and added, "But I'll win next time."
Surprise flitted across Rui's face, but was quickly replaced with her own smirk as she responded, "You're on."
As the evening continued the group broke apart into smaller conversations scattered between the sitting room and the kitchen; Al regaling Fumiya with stories about his time overseas, Kasumi and Miyabi discussing the latter's next role, Misaki and Hina explaining to a mortified Tokiya all the reasons why Hina was not allowed to cook and then Natsuo and Rui sitting quietly together on the couch – Rui leaning tiredly against him.
"You knew didn't you?" Rui asked quietly.
Looking down to her he asked just as quietly, "Knew what?"
"You knew which was mine right away didn't you?"
"Well... yeah I did but -"
"You better not have voted for green just because it was mine."
"I didn't. I gave Misaki's a fair shot by trying it first, if it had been better I'd have voted for it. Like Kajita-san and I both said: it came down to personal preference in the end."
Rui was silent for a moment before she moved her hand to lace her fingers together with his as she simply said, "Good."
He gave her hand a soft squeeze as he leaned back into the couch, Rui snuggling closer as he did and they watched their friends interact with content smiles. A moment passed before Natsuo spoke again, "Better stay on your game though, who knows who'll win next time."
She lightly smacked his thigh with her free hand as she muttered, "Shush."
Across town...
Tougen groaned as he stretched his arms and back, sitting up from his slightly hunched position and checked the time on the clock on the nearby wall. A sigh escaped him as he mumbled, "It's already that late? I should at least eat something before getting ready for bed."
He closed his writing pad and put his pen down before standing up and making his way towards the kitchen, nearly tripping over something he'd neglected to tidy up earlier that day. With a small chuckle he said to himself, "I better clean up a bit before Natsuo and Rui-chan give me another lecture."
Looking in his refrigerator for a few moments he managed to find one of the lighter meals Rui had prepared for him in case his appetite was lowered by his medication, but figured that losing track of time and needing to get to bed was a valid reason too. He stood watching the plate rotate while the hum of the microwave droned across the room, when suddenly a sharp pain in his chest and a wave of light headedness washed over him causing him to stagger back and brace himself against the wall.
The beeping of the microwave indicating the food was heated was ignored for several minutes until the pain passed. Taking several deep breaths Tougen pushed himself from the wall to get to his table and sat down heavily. Wiping the sweat from his brow he mumbled, "Dammit... I need to talk to the doctor again..."
AN: This brings us to the end of this "mini-arc". In terms of the canon manga equivalent these last five chapters replaced chapters 237 - 253. Obviously it's not a one to one replacement as a lot of the events from the canon simply don't happen in this version, but as far as the in series timeline goes I matched it up as best I could given the vagueness of when certain things happen.
I was recently asked in a PM if I had an estimate for how many chapters A Retelling will have, I'll share my response here as well. While I don't have an estimate on chapter count I can confirm as of now there will be three more major sections to the story: Autumn, Winter and Spring and then an Epilogue chapter. Looking at my notes it's crazy to think that all of that is crammed in to the remaining twenty four canon chapters.