Chapter Text
December 23, 1958, Takeru Takaishi arrives safely in Japan. Adorned with the usual winter coat, suit and tie, fitting of an academic, and on top, his favorite fedora. Proceeds to walk to his destination, memorizing each path and sceneries he's taken. 'It's as pretty as I remember this place have been, but of course not without changes too.' He thinks fondly. Before his mind gets filled with words he's yet to jot down in his pocket notebook, he sits at a nearby bench to once again reread the contents of the letter he received before coming here. It was from his older brother, Yamato Ishida. The latter proceeds to read;
"Dear Takeru,
I hope this letter finds you well, it's been a while since I've written to you, and I'm sorry it isn't as often. I heard you're interested to continue your writing here for a year or two? If so, I'm happy to hear that. Father misses you, and I know it won't be easy for you to leave mother. After all she's been used to you being close. This will come off a surprise, that I'm going back to the army earlier in the season for reasons I can't even disclose. I'm writing to you now, in the request you'd arrive here in December. Our old man, even if he won't admit it himself, needed company, and he's known to overwork at the publishing. It's going to be your first holidays after a long time here, I hope you'll consider. I know you have your doubts, but don't worry, I've written to her too. She said she understands, and she's just waiting until you finally know about this yourself, as well as the decision you'd finalize on this matter. Do write to me as soon as you can. That's all for now, wishing you both well always.
Sincerely your brother,
Yamato"
The second smaller page that came with the letter was just the address of both their home and their father's workplace.
Takeru smooths the contents fondly as he sighed with a hearty grin on his face. "He's as stoic as father is. At this age you'd think he'd utter "I love you" easily now. One won't even think he's with someone."
To him, those three words come the easiest. I guess in his way, he's a romantic or he likes to think he is, but he can't really know for sure because he hasn't really fallen for anyone. He's met people, but never on the pretense of the eventual being true lovers. He's kissed, but never as far as slept with them. The feeling of even starting there somehow dreads him even when he's convinced he does love the lady before him. He wonders why, but stops as he shakes his head in defeat.
'I'd take ages figuring this out again.' His eyes spots a clock that indicates he's got 3 hours left before his father's shift ends. Then his stomach begins to growl. He pats it gently, and chuckles.
"Since I have more time left, and the office is nearby..I should eat something." He scans the area as he walks, unsure of where he can find food.
He walks a few steps and spots a food cart nearby a park.
There were three guys that occupied the long seat provided. He tries to get a closer look if there is any chance that they were done. As if on cue, the cook notices him.
"Stay sir! It won't be long til' they finish" Flashes a bright smile on the now stunned lad.
"Ah oui - I mean yes! Thank you." He can feel his cheeks turn redder not just from the cold, but from the little French slip up there.
'I guess this is it. Where I actually start talking to someone else in this language that I haven't spoken in by mouth than by paper and pen.' He breathes softly as he leans into a tree. He still knows his letters, or rather words, but due to staying in France for years with his mom, he sounds more like an actual full blood foreigner than Japanese with the way his accent fails him to get the right words across as he speaks.
As he looks back he sees the bright eyed chef signaturing at him that he can come by and sit now.
Takeru smiles back, and approaches his cart.
As he sits down, he looks at what's before him in awe.
"So what can I get you sir?" Daisuke now asks, looking through his own blue eyes in such an easy air.
"Umm I'm sorry, I'm not sure what to get, yet I was amazed by your.." He looks at him uneasily not knowing the word for the assemble in front of him. "Charrette?" His hands making up gestures, trying to find a way to put the whole sentence across.
"Charretō?" "Ah! Charlotte!" He deduces confidently.
Takeru then snickers, and tries once again to look for a word or something until he finally composes and taps the wood gently "No haha, I was amazed by this thing you own.." He tries to find some confirmation in his eyes that he finally understands what he was reffering to. The latter looks longer at him without batting an eye that somewhat makes his stomach feel more than hunger, but has twists and turns from it. Then Daisuke proceeds to laugh loudly.
"Oh now I know! You meant," He also taps the wood coincidentally near the fellow's hand before him. "Cart or, "Cart"
Now remembering that was the word he was looking for, he smiles at him gratefully and says, "Yes! That! Thank you!"
"Aw it's nothing, anything to keep the customers satisfied." He grins.
Daisuke notices he might not have been around the country for long so he decides to help him with his order. "Would you care for ramen?" His customer gives him a curious look. There, that's the expression. He knows he's going to have to present this dish to him since he seems to know the rest of the other dishes written on the menu. "Ramen? Sure! That sounds delightful." Takeru answers. "Alright! One ramen coming right up!" He rolls his sleeves, and starts to cook.
"There you go!"
"Oh wow, so this is ramen!" He starts to take a slurp of the noodles, and then with the soup. Relaxing to the warmth it gives him.
"So, our whole conversation just now." The burgundy head starts, then continues as he laughs lightly "What was all that about?"
The blonde sets his chopsticks gently, and finishes chewing before he answers,
"I just thought it'd be funny to play with you a bit." His expression deadpans.
Daisuke starts to fume then deadpans back at him "Then I'll take this food back-" he reaches;
Takeru quickly gets ahold of his ramen and chuckles playfully "Desolè- I mean, I'm sorry! I'm sorry! It's a joke." He sets his bowl back.
"So, where are you from? The word you just uttered? From earlier "Charretto? Charrette?" and "Desole?"
"Charrette for Cart", and "De-so-lee, Desolè for Sorry" He explains further, "As you can see, I seem foreign but not completely? A hafu? I'm part Japanese, and part French." Looking at his brown eyes, and brows that hints to interest to what he's saying that he decides to talk some more. "I can muster up the right characters or words when I write more than when I speak. Though I guess it's also because I'm adjusting to the place once again that my accent, and my clear memory of words fail me."
"A half. That makes sense." He smiles as he continues to boil some more noodles as they converse.
"You seem good with English, you can say words clearly." His current conversational buddy says.
"Well, Americans have been here for quite some time now, and some would stop by, and eat here too. I don't really read as much unless it's about food and cooking. So I guess I learned effectively by trying with broken English at first, to listening, and now to be able to utter clearer sentences than I'm used to hehe." Daisuke notices Takeru's untouched meal and offers,
"Let me reheat that for you if you like?"
"Oh sure, wait- will that cost more?" He teases.
"Hey. I might if you keep that up." He huffs as he proceeds to reheat the ramen anyway.
That earns a bright laugh from the latter. That made the young cook laugh with him too.
Upon giving the newly heated ramen back, he hears Takeru let out a yelp. "Oh no, it's almost time! I have to finish this quick. And how much do I owe you?" He says frantically.
"That'd be ** yen." Daisuke says as he's polishing some of his bowls.
His new friend sets the money down and tries to eat quickly until he burns a bit of his mouth by trying to gulp it all down at once. "Ow-" He hisses in pain. Daisuke quickly picks up some snow nearby wraps it quickly with one of his clean cloths and rashly presses it on Takeru's lower lip. "Hey, hey! Slow down." He gently places his other hand below the latter's jaw to check on where he's burnt himself properly.
Blondie, not only he's already frantic, he now feels himself heating up not just from embarassment, but rather with a flattering feeling that starts to twirl all over his insides by the person checking up on him. Flattered, in a way he's never felt from the few dates his been his whole life and t h i s wasn't even a date. He closes his eyes in reflex, like someone who's about to be kissed.
"If you really need to go, it's alright. You can make it up to me by bringing someone else with you the next time you drop by!" Daisuke smiles widely unsuspecting of Takeru's reactions. While the cloth of ice is still being pressed by him, "Just keep pressing this cloth until somehow it numbs the pain. You really should hurry to where you're supposed to be headed to!"
Takeru's expressions softens in awe of the kind but radiant person before him.
"I'll definitely comeback." He winks.
The other taken aback, yet still flashes a smile "I'm counting on that!"
Takeru dashes without caring for the slips and misses he'd have to deal with on this winter day. Because in his mind, he made a discovery, or rather they both made a discovery that maybe food and words, a strange communication of it's own isn't as foreign together. They both filled each other in with both those things didn't they? Definitely, truly did. And he cannot wait for the next time he runs into him again.