Chapter Text
“Ah, this is amazing, thank you again,” the boy said, vigorously wolfing down the meal in front of him. It was nothing fancy by any means, just tea on rice; but it was what the boy had requested after saving him from the river, and he felt obliged.
“Your parents must have been awful cooks if this is the height of your culinary experience,” he said to the boy, hoping to garner some more information about the situation of his new young companion. But despite the playful intention of the statement, it had the opposite effect – the boy stopped eating, lowering his chopsticks along with his head.
“I’ve never known my parents,” he replied quietly. “I live in an orphanage.” He laughed, and the sound felt forced. “Well, I lived in one. They...they kicked me out a few days ago. I’ve been wandering around since.”
Silence fell between them. He watched as the boy ran his fingers around the edges of his bowl. It was small, made from porcelain and decorated with a simple blue and white pattern, common in this type of establishment. Hair-line cracks peppered the surface, and he looked on as the boy stopped at a larger chip, playing with it absentmindedly. There was a sadness, a loneliness in his expression that he knew all too well.
But just before he was about to crack a joke, try to make light of the situation, the boy raised his head, and any trace of upset was gone, replaced by a genuine smile.
“But then I met you,” he said, picking his chopsticks back up. “And you’ve given me the best meal I could have ever asked for. I don’t think I could thank you enough.” And he continued working his way through the rice, which had at this point begun to cool.
He watched the boy, raising his hand to signal the waiter to bring a fresh bowl.
“Well. You’re welcome, Atsushi.”
And he continued to smile his fake smile, saddened by the fact that this boy, despite everything, could find wonder in such a simple thing, when he himself could find it in none.