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Tarou doesn’t look up as Haruka approaches him. If it were anyone else, she would assume he hadn’t noticed her presence at all. But Tarou is Tarou, and he almost certainly noticed her the moment she stepped through the door.
It’s almost closing time and Donbura is empty. Even the boss wandered away from his post to check on the inventory. Tarou is alone, his plate empty and only dregs left in his cup.
“I’m sorry,” Haruka says once she’s behind him. Her bow is awkward because both of her hands are behind her back, clutching her peace offering.
He turns, expression calm as he meets her eyes. “I didn’t ask for an apology,” he says in his usual monotone before turning back and draining the rest of his tea.
“It doesn’t matter.” Haruka moves around the table, trying to keep the tin behind her back hidden from view as she stands in front of him. “The game, we took it too far.”
“You didn’t,” Tarou answers without looking at her, “If I’d wanted everyone to play fair I would have specified from the beginning. Even if I was mad, it would be my own fault for not being clear on the rules.”
“You can’t lie,” Haruka slams the cookie tin on the table in front of him. He raises an eyebrow but doesn’t say anything, so she continues. “When I gave you the fake tin, you said no one’s ever done that for you before. And you can’t lie. Which means what you said was true.”
“Is true,” Tarou correct her. His eyebrows pull together every so slightly, the only sign that his calm demeanor might be an act. “That gift was a ruse, so I still have never received cookies from a woman.”
“Well now you have,” pushing the tin forward, Haruka bounces on her toes. She hates admitting she's wrong more than almost anything. Unfortunately, one of the few things she hates more is letting a misunderstanding sit without clarification.
Tarou’s frown deepens. “The game is over.” His voice is cold as he stands, pulling his cap over his eyes. “I won’t fall for the same trick twice.”
“It’s not a trick this time!” Haruka grabs the tin, pulling it open. “See! No trick! Just cookies!”
The motion sends one of the cookies flying. Tarou plucks it out of the air and examines it closer. As he does, his expression softens, the corner of his mouth quirking up as he looks down at the real cookies Haruka is brandishing in his face. “Cookies made from guilt aren’t as good as those made from the heart,” his tone is still stiff and cold despite his stance relaxing.
“This is from the heart,” Haruka replies in a mocking tone that she knows undermines her point. But she can’t force her voice to sound sincere when he’s being so infuriating.
Extending his hands, Tarou gestures for the tin. “I’ll take them.” His smile grows and brightens as she hands over the still warm baked goods. It’s sweet, Haruka realizes. His whole face transforms as he smiles down at her gift. His eyes are covered by the brim of his cap, but his mouth is visible as he thanks her, sincerely thanks.
She’s about to walk away triumphantly when she notices something's off with Tarou. As he presses the lid back into place, a tremble runs through his body. Her attention caught, she then notices the way his breath catches as he pulls the tin to his chest.
Stooping low, she cranes her neck to see under the brim of his hat. Tears well in his eyes even as he smiles.
“What are you doing?” he asks, turning away from her the moment he notices her interest. His voice breaks and he lifts his sleeves to wipe at his eyes.
“Are you crying?” Haruka asks.
“My next shift starts soon,” he answers, without actually answering the question. He fumbles in his jacket for money and throws a bill and few coins down on the table. “For the meal.”
He storms out of the restaurant, leaving Haruka to count the scattered money. It’s exact change because of course it is. She rolls her eyes as she shoves the money into her pocket and starts cleaning the table. There isn’t much to clean, Tarou never leaves a mess, the one thing about him that doesn’t drive her nuts. But as she wipes down the table, she pauses at the sight of a single drop of water resting on the table-top. It’s nowhere near his drink. There are other things it could be, probably, but there’s only one explanation Haruka can think of.
As she wipes away the tear, she smiles to herself. The all powerful Momoi Tarou has more weaknesses than he realizes.