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The director of Bell Liberty stood as we approached, and the messy-haired young man at his side did the same. I thought I recognized him from previous visits Shinomiya and I had made to the school, years ago, but I couldn't remember his name. I hung back, allowing Shinomiya to reach them first. If I was lucky, the young man would introduce himself again, or maybe Shinomiya would remember him.
The director extended his hand. "It's good to see you again, Dr. Shinomiya."
Doctor... somehow hearing people call him that always made my heart beat a little faster. He was someone important, someone who made a tangible difference in people's lives. Of course, he'd scold me for thinking that my work was less significant, but how could painting compare to the work of a surgeon who literally saved lives with the work of his hands? I couldn't help being proud of him.
"You too, Director Sakaki," Shinomiya clasped his hand in a brief handshake, offering a small but genuine smile. "And this is... Asahina, is that right? Forgive me if I'm wrong, it's been a long time."
The young man grinned, reaching out to claim a handshake for himself. "That's right, Asahina Yuki! You remembered me!"
"You do tend to leave a strong impression," Sakaki muttered dryly, but he was smiling.
"Haha, I can't help it!" Asahina offered his hand to me as well. "Hello again, Iwai-san! I know it's been a while, but do you remember the sketch you drew for me a few years ago? I still have it hanging in my room!"
Asahina's handshake was firm but brief, as if he could sense that I was uncomfortable with it. "Ah, yes, I still remember. The cat sleeping in a sunbeam at the archery range."
"Yeah, Wakasama! You said you knew his dad, Tonosama."
"Sorry to interrupt," Sakaki cut in, "but I understand that Dr. Shinomiya needs to get back to the hospital before 2pm, is that right? We can chat while we have lunch."
I was grateful to be rescued from the weight of Asahina's enthusiasm, though I tried not to let my relief show on my face as I settled down at the table. Nothing special, just a smaller, semi-private table in the corner of the school cafeteria, but I felt a smile curling my lips as I looked around. There were subtle changes to the large room, tables arranged differently, newer fixtures installed here and there, but for the most part it was the same as always. Though I hadn't spent much time in the cafeteria, skipping most meals, I had been dragged there often enough by Shinomiya that I couldn't help associating the place with him.
I let my hand brush against the outside of his thigh as we sat down, and he shot me a brief, embarrassed glance. I just smiled in response.
Though we were dining in the cafeteria, lunch was served to us by a couple of students who explained that they were members of the cooking club. I was shocked when they set the plates in front of us; the meal looked like something that would be served at a high-class restaurant, not a school cafeteria.
Director Sakaki chuckled a bit at my look of surprise. "The cooking club started taking over the cafeteria back when my cousin was still a student here." I simply tilted my head in response, and he added, "Oh, sorry. Sonoda Eiji."
"Didn't he just open a restaurant downtown?" Shinomiya asked. "I saw something on the news about it, how he's so young and already so successful. They said there's a waiting list at least three months long already, and he's only been open for three weeks."
"Yup, that's Sonoda-san!" Asahina was beaming with pride. If I remembered correctly, the two had attended Bell Liberty at the same time, so it was only natural that he'd be happy for a personal friend. "Man, I miss his cooking... it was amazing, being able to eat it here every day!"
Lunch tasted at least as delicious as it looked, and for a while, the conversation turned to compliments about the food and Asahina's detailed review of each item he sampled. His excitement was infectious, his comments spurring me to eat more than I normally would as I attempted to savor the different tastes he described. In the end, I had to conclude that he had an exceptional palate; the food was good, there was no denying that, but it seemed that Asahina was describing flavors that I just couldn't detect.
Since I couldn't contribute much to the conversation, I let the other three discuss the meal. Quiet observation was more my style, anyway. I'd spent countless hours honing my skills, challenging myself to remember the details of a scene to be recreated later in pencil or oils.
And one thing that stood out almost immediately was the quiet intimacy that Asahina and Sakaki shared. Of course, Asahina had been the student council president for all three years he'd been at the school, so it made sense that he'd be close to the then-assistant director. But that didn't explain the matching bands on their left ring fingers, one a slim band of hammered silver, the other a slightly wider, more traditional gold ring.
I looked down at my own hand, smiling at the sight of the simple gold band that encircled my own ring finger. There was no mistake.
The cooking club students returned to clear away the empty plates, leaving coffee and a layered dessert in a tall glass in their place. Strawberry mousse layered with some sort of cake, maybe? With all the fresh whipped cream and strawberries arranged artfully on the top, I couldn't help thinking of Keita. He would have been thrilled to be presented with something like this. I, on the other hand, was already full. While everyone else ate, I forced myself to try a few bites, which were quite delicious, then proceeded to push the remaining contents around with my spoon.
Shinomiya was watching me out of the corner of one eye. I knew that look, the one that meant he was going to scold me later about not eating enough. I frowned in response; surely he'd noticed that I'd finished my lunch? Ah, he was smiling now. He knew.
"Iwai-san, you've been quiet for a long time now," Asahina leaned forward. "Did you not like the food? But you did eat most of it..."
"Oh, no, that's not it," I murmured. "I was just thinking..."
"Hm?" Asahina tilted his head. "What is it?"
My eyes flicked from him to Sakaki, who was watching Asahina's animated reactions with a gentle, fond smile. He was resting his chin on his left hand, which only made his rings stand out more. It seemed that neither one was making an effort to hide them, so it was probably fine...
"Well... you and the director also have matching rings, so I was watching you..."
"Takuto!" Shinomiya hissed, shooting me a sharp glance.
"What?" I shrugged. "They're not trying to hide their intimacy..."
The director looked a bit scandalized, but Asahina just giggled. "Haha, are we that obvious? Well, we are married." He glanced at Sakaki with a grin that could only be described as lovestruck.
Sakaki coughed, but he was smiling faintly as he spoke. "Well, you're obvious, Asahina."
I shook my head. "There's a warm familiarity... it comes from both of you. It's calming."
"Calming?" Shinomiya had finally recovered enough to speak again. "That's an odd observation."
"I don't think so," I quietly protested. "It's nice, that peaceful sense of intimacy between two people, whether they're old friends or a couple. Not overwhelming, but always there. Something constant, I guess that's what I'm trying to say..."
Asahina nodded, eyes darting from my hand to Shinomiya's. "So that's it... you guys too... I wondered why you two always seemed to visit at the same time, Iwai-san! So you've been together for a long time, then?"
I was silent, not sure how much information to volunteer. To my surprise, Shinomiya was the one who answered. "Since we were students here. That's why I keep making time to come back. This is where I met Takuto. And this school is full of memories for us."
He glanced at me, and my cheeks colored. Not all of those memories had been good, but they had all shaped the relationship that we shared now. I looked down at my hands folded in my lap, spirits buoyed up by the sight of the gold ring. Not a wedding ring, but the promise of our future. Though it was probably time to stop stalling and take the next step...
"I know what you mean! I met the professor here, and this place is full of memories for us too!"
Wait, did that mean...?
"Asahina," Sakaki groaned, pressing one hand to his forehead, hiding his face. Was he blushing? It was hard to tell...
Beside me, Shinomiya made a quiet noise of disapproval. "You met here? Weren't you the student council president? And Director Sakaki, you were a teacher."
Asahina realized the implications of his words, and slapped his hands over his mouth in a way that would have been comical if his eyes weren't wide and filled with panic. I nudged Shinomiya with my elbow, not bothering to hide the motion from the other couple. "Don't. Keita and Kazuki were the same, after all..."
"I didn't approve of that either," he huffed.
"Your approval wasn't required," I reminded him, softening it with a smile.
Sakaki coughed, rubbing self-consciously at his cheek, which was still rather pink. "Never mind that. Iwai, you mentioned wanting to meet the current art club members. I know Dr. Shinomiya needs to leave soon, but the club is meeting after school, so it's the perfect opportunity. If you have the time, that is."
I nodded. "I have time. But I thought you were helping Asahina with his educational observation assignment today..."
"Haha, I can observe the professor's class prep any time I want! But I think it would really encourage the art club members if you could spend some time with them, Iwai-san!"
Well, Asahina certainly recovered quickly. But... "Er, just how many members are in the art club?"
It was Shinomiya's turn to nudge me. "You wanted to work on your shyness, didn't you? This is the perfect opportunity, don't look for a reason to back out."
Asahina giggled. "Yeah, you two really are a couple!"
Shinomiya's face turned red. I had to cover my mouth to keep a quiet laugh from slipping out.
Yeah, coming to the school today had been a good idea...