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Bachira Yuu found joy in the smallest things: it could be seeing a specific type of onigiri she loved still present in the fridge of a konbini; a smile from the barista as she asked for her usual afternoon coffee order; a ray of sunlight shining through the cloudy sky after days of rain; a new kind of paint she had bought that had a specific, amazing density… She was used to seeing the world with a lens so specific that by then she barely even noticed she did exactly that.
That day, though, Bachira Yuu was simply nervous. The sun shining in the freezing morning did not matter; the almost finished painting for her kindest commissioner did not matter; the warm cup of coffee waiting for her at the kitchen table did not matter. She simply looked at her reflection in the mirror, and asked herself once again the same question:
Do I look okay?
Now, the source of such doubt was one more suitable for a teen, if we have to be completely honest. Bachira Yuu, though, had no experiences with just what she had to do, so she found that doubt understandable and still very, very annoying.
She observed the way the dark orange dress flowed around, it was neither too tight nor too loose, neither too showy nor too dark, it was… one of her favorite dresses, and one she maybe should have kept for a better occasion, maybe the third time, or the fourth. It was no matter, though, because the way she looked in that dress too made some sparks of joy light up in her chest, and that was enough to make an actual decision.
She sipped on her coffee while frantically recalling if she had all she needed, found out she was almost forgetting her perfume, and was quick to spray that on her wrists and neck as soon as the cup had been washed. She was just about to put on her shoes when she heard steps coming down the stairs, a sound she could have recognized everywhere, a sound she had missed way too much.
“Morning,” she smiled at Meguru, who seemed way too sleepy to have heard her greeting. “It’s early for you.”
“Gonna sleep again,” was all he slurred, “you’re leaving.”
She hummed. “I have to do the thing I told you about. I’ll be home for dinner, I hope, I’ll let you know if I’ll be late.”
“Have fun,” Meguru yawned, “where are you even going anyway?”
She took a moment to answer, but when she did, she had a genuine smile on her lips. “On a date.”
*
“Is he going to be okay?” Iyo asked as her husband locked the front door to their house.
“Why wouldn’t he?” Issei asked back.
“He’s barely come home, and we’re already leaving him like this…”
“He knows we have an appointment today,” he reassured her, “and I’m sure that he’d rather relax with all his videos instead of having to deal with us for the day.”
“That’s no reason to…” she sighed, she sat down in the passenger seat of the car, “I’m scared he’ll lose his spark the more he stays here.”
“I’m sure he will be fine,” he started the car, “and if he isn’t, I will text us. He always does, right?”
“He does,” that simple truth was enough to make a small smile appear on her face, “I wonder if she…”
“It’s going to be okay,” his voice was calm, his smile kind, “she’s sweet, Iyo, and she’d understand, if we will have to leave a bit earlier.”
“She would,” she nodded, she checked her phone when it pinged, trying to read the new message.
Yoichi Son
You already left?
Jst woke uo
We have. Is everything alright?
Yes
Good day in Tokyo
What are you doing there anyway?
We are going to meet with a friend ! We will be home for dinner 👍
Got it
Have fun
Iyo put her phone back in her bag and went to choose an album to listen to while in the car, even if the car ride wasn’t going to last too long. It didn’t matter. She was honestly looking forward to the day, and the music she chose matched her mood perfectly. Issei even turned up the volume a bit at some point.
Everything was going to be okay.
*
Yuu got off the train and looked for the escalator for almost four minutes before being able to leave the platform. She held her bag tight to her side, she looked around the crowd and took her phone only after having gone through the turnstiles.
The nearest exit to that platform should be the West one. If it’s okay, we could meet at Marunouchi Square, right outside the station!
She struggled with following the directions to get to the square, as Tokyo Station was unfamiliar to her and way too crowded for her liking, an understandable detail, considering it was Tokyo Station and it was a Saturday morning.
She reached the open air and was able to finally breathe. It was cold outside, a soft wind messed up her carefully wrapped ponytail, she did her best to reorder the few locks out of it, and stood still, in a lighted portion of the square, feeling the warmth of sunlight gently melting on her.
She was brought back to the present by a voice, almost excited, calling for her. She turned around, trying to identify where it came from, and couldn’t help the smile that took over her face.
Isagi Iyo and Isagi Issei were kind people, she had found. They had met barely a few days before, but they had left such a good impression on her that she had been more than enthusiastic when they asked if she was free to grab a coffee in a café in Shibuya. She was so grateful for them, as her son had found a friend, and that was all she could have wanted for him, a companion to share his passion with. Meguru deserved someone as kind as Yoichi, and she had the urge to thank them once again, for something they had no control over but that she was way too grateful for.
She waved at them, walking to reach them, and bowed in front of them. “Good morning, Iyo-san, Issei-san.”
“Please, there’s no need,” Iyo smiled, bowing too, “good morning to you too, Yuu-san.”
It made her smile, the same formality they wished she was less careful with.
“Such a nice morning at that!” Issei bowed too. “It has been cloudy for way too much time…”
“It has,” she nodded, she could barely justify the happiness in her chest, “it’s so refreshing, a sunny day after all this time…”
“It’s not even too cold,” Iyo nodded, “a perfect day!”
It was. It really was. “I have to admit, I am quite unfamiliar with Tokyo’s structure, it has been years since I’ve stepped foot in the city, I hope that won’t be a problem!”
“Ah, we’re on the same boat as you, Yuu-san,” Issei laughed, “we’ll do our best not to lose ourselves!”
“Good old teamwork,” Iyo smiled, “shall we go?”
*
The metro trip, at the end, had been calm enough. They had a bit of difficulties with the tickets themselves, but, in the end, they didn’t even lose track when changing in Ginza, and getting out of Shibuya Station had been difficult in a normal amount, considering the known chaos in that place. Yuu quietly observed the people walking through the Shibuya Scramble Crossing from a window still in the building, simply fascinated by that ordained and precise crowd. It made her smile to herself, the sight of a clear sky towering above the busy District.
“As chaotic as always,” Issei smiled, noticing her staring. “Fascinating.”
“Really,” Iyo added, “Tokyo is as busy as always, today.”
“I think I’ve crossed that crossing only once,” Yuu said, “brings back memories, in a way…”
“Well, to reach the place we have in mind we would have to cross,” Iyo said, a smile on her face, “you’ll be able to enjoy it again surely.”
She nodded, her mind briefly seeing once again that same scenery, more than twenty years before. She had been a teenager at the time, barely of age, and she still had the pictures she had taken with him in a photobook in a wardrobe of her bedroom. She thought it was fitting, crossing that place once again with someone as them.
She turned to them, a warm smile on her lips. “Please, lead the way!”
*
The café felt way too cozy to be in a crowded center as that one. It was on three floors, Yuu could clearly see the rivers of people wandering under them through the windows beside their small table. It fascinated her, crowded places always did, they made her want to fix an easel and paint en plein air as she had not done in years, doing all she could to capture the busy scenario with soft brushes that melted into the detailed background. She almost missed that, she almost wished to stop by to do exactly that, as her hometown was in no way as messy as Shibuya, so, maybe…
“I wanted to thank you again,” she couldn’t help but say as she focused back on the table, “for having your son be friends with Meguru.”
“What’s there to thank us for?” Issei smiled at her. “We’re more than happy they had met, Yoichi has never been that outgoing at all, so it’s a relief for us too, that he…”
“Indeed,” Iyo nodded, “thank you too, Yuu-san, really.”
“I can still barely believe it,” she added, “I have been… missing a lot of his recent matches, busy with commissions and such, I was so relieved when I found out we could have seen him play in a stadium as that one, against a team as important as that too…!” It made her smile grow wide. “I have never been happier for him, it’s the first time he looked so happy to be on the field… I appreciate your son being a friend to him, I...”
“Yoichi too,” Issei nodded, “he seemed to be having way more fun than usual… I remember the day of the last match he had before he left for Blue Lock, he looked way too down, if you think that soccer is what gives him the most joy…”
“I hope at least that dinner cheered him up a little… I sadly mistook the tradition again…” Iyo said in a half-sigh, “he always reminds me when it’s too late…”
“I was more than happy to eat that tonkatsu anyway,” Issei reassured her, “it was as good as always!”
“Ah, that must be so nice…” Yuu smiled, “I am often too busy to properly cook elaborate meals, but the other day, when Meguru came home, I was finally able to surprise him! He devoured two plates, but he was always never picky with food…”
“Ah, on this note,” Issei interrupted himself only because their orders came in. He went to carefully stir his hot cup of tea, “what do you do for a living, Yuu-san?”
“I paint,” she said, she put some sugar in her latte, “have been since I was a kid, I studied Art History and Architecture in University, but I never really used my degree other than to understand the basis of painting and… help me out with finding just how I wanted to create. Nowadays I mainly paint commissions, my clients are few but… loyal, we could say, so I am rarely if ever without something to work on.”
“Oh, that sounds wonderful,” Iyo nodded fast, “you make me so want to see some of your works, really, I’ve always enjoyed losing myself in museums, so…”
“Ah, well, I… might have something to show,” she smiled, half embarrassed and half flattered, “back in the days I’d sometimes organize exhibitions with paintings some friends and I had made, when I still lived in my hometown. I’ve always been… active, in the community, and even if I never actually sold much, knowing people might have come to that small center to look at our works has always made me feel glad I was still on with that… hobby, by now full-time work.”
“What kind of subjects do you paint?” Issei asked. “I’m no expert in art at all, sadly, so I’m not even sure how to formulate the right question…”
“Ah, it’s okay!” She was quick to reassure him. “There’s no right or wrong questions, really, I’m always happy to chat about art and explain anything, really… I’m an abstract artist, I haven’t drawn realistic landscapes or people in a… oh, a long while… I mostly paint concepts, if that makes sense.”
“As in feelings?” Iyo asked.
She nodded. “I use mostly oil paint and whatever feels more right to add texture or specific details, I usually get commissioned with a simple prompt based on… experiences, or emotions, maybe simply only colors at times, and I… transport my most accurate representation of that on a canvas. I mostly paint on… quite large canvases, it gives me more freedom to expand on just how I want to represent what has been asked.”
“That sounds interesting,” Iyo nodded, “and quite tiring, if I may add.”
“It’s what I do best,” she smiled, she looked at her mug for a moment, she debated elaborating, but she decided that maybe it was… best not to do so, not at that moment at least. “What about you? How are your jobs?”
“Ah, I’ve been working in the make-up industry for years now,” Iyo said, she took a sip of her tea, “no, that sounds way cooler than it is… it’s an office job, I mostly work with data collected in research and tests, check if products are safe and in range with the related laws… it’s a simple job, but I am mostly just happy I can be in the field, even by doing as little as that one.”
“That seems cool,” was all Yuu was able to comment, “do you find it nice? I never worked in an office at all, I have no idea what that feels like…”
“Normal commute job, really,” she smiled, “fixed hours, fixed pay, fixed holidays… as I said, not as cool as your dedication, Yuu-san.”
“I feel like your field is way more useful than mine,” Yuu couldn’t help but say, “I’ll now know that if I can still buy a specific foundation it’s because you checked everything was safe and nice, Iyo-san!”
“Oh, that’s putting so much more on my shoulders than there actually is,” she laughed to herself, “to be honest, I’ve always aspired to be… some kind of artist myself, when I was just a girl I was so obsessed with make-up products that I only wished I’d be able to do just that, do photoshoots or fashion shows, meet so many important figures and travel the world… In the end I opted for a… safer option, job-wise, as the stakes were too high and I felt myself as not skilled enough to reach a level as that one.”
“It’s a shame,” Yuu gave her an understanding smile, “but, I have to say, I can now explain to myself just why you look even more stunning than the other night, Iyo-san.”
“You flatter me,” her smile was kind, genuine. “I still have a long way to go, I haven't actively practiced seriously in way too much time, but… I appreciate your compliment, really.”
“Well, it’s more than deserved,” Issei added, a light amusement in his voice, “considering we left home late because of all the time you spent putting the make-up on.”
“I barely have appointments as important as this,” Iyo said, “I had to look the best, right?”
“It suits you,” she reassured her, “it brings out the burnt sienna in your eyes.”
Iyo looked at her for a moment. Yuu did not notice the way she hid her smile with another sip.
“I’m an electrician,” Issei said, adding to the conversation after a moment of silence, “you could ask me anything about circuits and I’ll go over everything I know for hours, and still… I can’t wrap my head around just how soccer works…”
“He’s very selective with his memory,” Iyo joked, “really can’t remember a single detail about something he isn't particularly interested in.”
“I am more than interested in soccer!” he said in a laugh. “I just cannot keep all the rules in my head at all…”
“Ah, well, that’s something I understand,” Yuu smiled, “it took me way too many years to understand that they changed field side mid game. I wonder if there’s a reason for that… And I have yet to understand what an offside is, to be honest."
“Can’t help with that!” Issei grinned. “No clue, at all.”
It made the whole table snicker, laugh to themselves. Yuu could now maybe explain to herself a bit better the cause of the warm sensation in her chest.
It felt like a deep cobalt blue base with bright fuchsia specks. It felt like splashes of gold that might have seemed random, but that had been added carefully with the smallest brush she owned. It felt like the warmth of clouds during dusk, a scenery as realistic as it could get, with soft orange shades on its corners, something that was just…
She had rarely met people that made her imagine a canvas as vivid as that one, even when she had painted by impulse as a teen, for any positive or negative reason, she had barely had a clear picture in mind, what she actually wanted to represent or express.
She remembered vividly the image in her head when Meguru was born, the only time bright yellow pain had no negative connotations in her head, the only time she was able to use it to express its more common, joyful meaning. She still had clear in her mind the canvas she had painted the first night after she had met him, the last morning she had seen him, and she still remembered the disappointment in, once again, not being able to perfectly represent the picture in her head.
At the end of the day, nothing ever actually matched what she really wanted to show: no matter how many attempts she made, something was always off. She had at some point stopped trying, with those few subjects, but now, in the coziness and warmth of a morning as that one, she simply wanted to try again, with this new image, just to see if this time could have been the final, perfect one. Sure it could have been, sure she could have reached a level of details as when…
“I wonder just what is going to happen from now on,” Issei hummed, having calmed down from that moment of laughter, “with Blue Lock, I mean…”
“That’s a mystery,” Yuu said, “Meguru told me all he could, but he too has no idea about the next steps…”
“I say it’s going to be alright,” Iyo said, a smile on her face, “I am simply happy Yoichi was able to have as much fun as he seemed to have, he barely told us anything at all, but… his eyes shined, when he did.”
“Ah, Meguru told me every possible anecdote,” Yuu snickered to herself, “from the details of their routine to just what he hated most about the place, nothing spared at all… it was a nice listening, I had missed his chatter keeping me company while painting.”
“Ah, on this note!” Issei seemed to have suddenly remembered something. “Yoichi too likes to draw! He never, ever shows us anything, but he does have a few full notebooks filled with pencil drawings…”
“Ah, that’s amazing!” it honestly made Yuu feel so happy. “Meguru sometimes used to paint with me with acrylics, he never had enough patience for oil paint, but he…”
“So many artists in the family!” Iyo grinned. “Love, please don’t feel left out!”
“I’m the best at Pictionary though,” he proudly bragged, “since all you artists always have something so complex in mind… My team always wins against yours!”
“Too proud, too proud,” Iyo giggled, “makes me want to have a rematch…”
“I don’t know Pictionary,” Yuu admitted, “but from how you talk about it it seems quite fun!”
“Fun and hell,” Issei nodded, “for the losers anyway.”
“Look at you,” Iyo had such a radiant smile on her face, “I’m positive if Yuu-san and I teamed up we would win for sure!”
“That’s a challenge I’m willing to accept,” he grinned, he looked at Yuu, “if it’s something you’re interested in, of course.”
Yuu was too happy to stop herself from nodding. A sure occasion for a… second meet up. It was honestly all she could have hoped for. “If you’ll have me.”
“Of course!” Iyo nodded too, as happy as her. “We could almost team up… us three against the kids, could become way too intense though. Yoichi never liked losing at all…”
“That’s why he always teams up with me…” Issei whispered, more to Yuu than to Iyo.
It made her laugh. It made the warmth intensify and the picture clear up even more. She was so glad they…
Still, all she could do was laugh to herself, smile way too wide, and not mask her happiness at all. They weren’t either, so… it was okay to do so. It was going to be okay.
*
The restaurant was small, situated in a side road of a side road. Yuu had never been there at all, and would have probably not even noticed it, had Issei not known about it already. The structure was seemingly traditional for a restaurant, with wooden beams and such a calm atmosphere it helped her feel a bit more at home, we could say. They were sitting at a small table, waiting for their dishes. The only thing they served was tonkatsu, which was apparently something Issei was passionate about, Yuu was not one who enjoyed cooking that much, and frying anything meant almost an hour of cleaning after, for her anyway, so she rarely if ever ate fried, homemade dishes. Still, when her portion of warm rice, miso soup and fuming cutlet in a cabbage plate was served to her, she couldn’t help but actually realize just how hungry she was, and how inviting the serving looked.
“I’m sorry we had to walk so long to get here,” Iyo apologized as they started eating, “Issei has been telling me about this place ever since we stopped by… years ago, by now.”
“I’d never forget an amazing tonkatsu,” was all he offered as he took a bite of it after having dipped the slice in its sauce, “this could almost rival yours, dear.”
Yuu took a small bite of her and couldn’t help but light up. “Almost?”
“Her cooking skills are to the stars,” he bragged again, on Iyo’s behalf, “a goddess indeed.”
“What’s up with you today?” It simply made Iyo smile.
“Can’t appreciate my wife at all?” he smiled back. He looked again at Yuu. “You’ll have to try her cooking one day, it’s simply indescribable.”
All Yuu could think was that that was a wonderful plan, considering the one she was eating was the best cutlet she had ever tasted, something that made her extremely curious about Iyo and her cooking. She couldn’t help it, she nodded, enthusiastic. “That’s an offer I can’t refuse at all, I would be honored, really.”
“I’ll make sure to make the best of the best,” Iyo smiled at her, “just so you’ll have an excuse to stop by another time.”
“I won’t need excuses at all,” she reassured her, “I haven’t felt this happy in way too much time, really.”
“I’m glad,” Issei smiled too, “this really is a perfect day, mh.”
“Couldn’t get better,” Iyo nodded, “ah, by the way, at what time is your train? You must have quite a long way to go, getting back home.”
“Ah, well, it’s in a few hours anyway,” she quickly dismissed her worry, “and we all know even if I get to the station earlier the train will arrive when the clock strikes the exact time, so… we do still have enough time, no need to worry!”
That seemed to actually reassure her enough. “We still have to check for our train, but the ones we usually take stop every half an hour, so I’m sure we’ll have no problems too anyway.”
“Perfect then!” she nodded. “Ah, Issei-san, your choice of restaurant is brilliant, by the way.”
“I know, I know,” it made him make another proud face, something that made her smile, “I know every place and every place I know is fantastic.”
“Ignore his theatrics, please, he gets exuberant when he’s nervous,” Iyo whispered to her.
“I really don’t,” he was quick to say, “Yuu-san, do you see her? Throwing me under the bus like this…”
“I’m right, love, you know it,” she smiled.
“Ah, I hope your nervousness passes,” Yuu said, maybe a bit worried, “it’s been such a nice morning, this one… I hope you… are enjoying yourselves too!”
“We are,” Issei said, a warm smile on his face, “the nervousness is gone, no need to worry!”
“He likes to show off,” Iyo whispered again.
“C’mon—”
Yuu couldn’t help it, he snickered. “I’m happy to know that! I’m happy you…”
Iyo spoke only after a few moments. “More than happy about how this day has been going, really. And I’m way too happy to know you too are…”
Yuu nodded. Her face felt warm, she tried to distract herself from that by taking another bite of her dish. It calmed her down enough, really, and the lunch went on quietly after that, with small talk and simple discussions about her hobbies and theirs, finding out just how similar Yoichi and Meguru had been as kids surprised her a bit, but it also made her simply happy, they seemed to both parallel and contrast with each other, a duality that made her feel, once again, glad Meguru had found someone. The atmosphere, the smiles, their words, it all made her feel a kind of happiness she could barely describe. She hoped she was not going to miss it too much, once home again.
*
It was maybe three in the afternoon, and Yuu, who knew it was almost time to start heading back, was still, observing a dress from a shop window of a clothes shop they had passed by. The dress was nothing… special, really, a simple bright yellow design with a pastel floral pattern on the edges of the skirt and the short sleeves. It was… simply beautiful, of a color that reminded her of Meguru’s eyes, with light blue and purple little flowers that matched with its base color perfectly.
She had probably looked at him for too long, considering Issei’s voice called her out of her trance. “That dress looks very nice.”
She hummed. “I’ve been meaning to buy something of this color for a while… the other one I have is by now so old, it’s… about time I replace it.”
It was half a lie, that one: she wasn’t going to lock her dress in a far corner of her wardrobe, of course she wasn’t, but… the dress in the window felt as the first dress had felt, she still remembered buying it, and she thought she would have… liked, to remember having bought that one too. A memory of that day, something she could have treasured, if she…
“Do you want to try it out?” Iyo asked, she checked her watch. “The metro stop is five minutes from here, we’re in no rush, if you’re interested.”
Yuu debated her options for a moment: if, on one hand, she wouldn’t have wanted to bother them with making them wait for her to try it on and pay for it and all the rest, she was aware that was a brand that didn’t have shops around where she lived, and she felt like, if she was to leave that only chance, she wouldn’t have found it again at all, be it because she wouldn't have found it around her or because she wouldn’t have gone back to Tokyo anytime soon.
Still, she really couldn’t do that to them, they had come a long way to meet with her, and wasting their time like that was way too rude to do it.
She was just about to say that it was fine and unimportant when Iyo gasped. She gave her a glance, she looked in her direction to find her looking at a high-low beige skirt, it was worn by a mannequin, and it was paired with a pair of nude leggings underneath and a wool sweater of her eyes’ color.
It made Issei nod to himself. “Okay, I get it, it’s brief-shopping time!”
“Ah, there’s no need—” Yuu interrupted herself only because she was not actually sure of what to say, or to do.
“It doesn’t look bad,” Iyo hummed to herself, “and it’s not pricey either, I…”
“I don’t mind,” Issei said, answering the doubt they both had, “I should have expected it, actually…”
“Don’t start,” Iyo’s tone was not resented nor upset. Simply amused. Yuu noted for the nth time just how much they got along, she wondered if she too could have been like that, had he been still there, had they… given her a chance. It didn’t make much sense, mixing up her past experience with what she was living in the present, but she couldn’t help it, the comfort was the same, the joy, the calmness, it was all so…
It made her smile. “We won’t take long, Issei-san, it’s a promise.”
“Don’t worry, I’ve been meaning to buy myself a shirt anyway…” he gave her a smile, “I’ll take this chance right away.”
So, they separated: Issei went on his own to go and look for himself, while Iyo and Yuu gave each other compliments over compliments as they tried out their own clothes. They all ended up buying something for themselves, and went back on their half long trip to the Station.
Having arrived with enough time ahead meant sitting on a bench in that same square, letting the warm tones of dusk shine over them.
“Ah, Yuu-san,” Iyo spoke up in the quiet peace, “when you mentioned the dress you own, you mean the one you wore at the stadium?”
She nodded, a smile on her face. “I’ve had that dress for more than twenty years, I’ve sawn it and retouched it and cleaned it so many times, it’s… yeah, it was time I found a new one.”
“It must have been very important to you if you cared for it for that long,” Issei noted.
She hummed, her eyes distant. “It was a gift from my… from Meguru’s father, we met during our last year of high school, I… had bought it with him, and it’s been… with me ever since.”
Iyo nodded slowly. “I’m not trying to be rude, but… a memoir?”
She nodded back, she gave her a warm smile. “He died while I was pregnant, in a car accident. The thing I regret most was not having been able to share that joy, when our son was born. I’ve…” she sighed, closed her eyes for a moment, and slowly opened them. “I’ve been holding onto his memory for… enough time to feel only regret when I don’t think about him. Though, I’ve been… going on anyway, I’m so used to his presence in the back of my mind that now, trying to actually let go feels almost like cheating.”
Her smile grew kinder when the silence continued after her words. “I’m sorry for saying it so bluntly, I’ve… it’s alright, and I have been alright for years now, so… Though, yes, excuse me for dropping this on you as suddenly as I did.”
“No need to worry, Yuu-san,” Iyo gave her a warm smile, it made her smile back, “I’m sorry for your loss, I really am.”
“If you ever need any kind of help,” Issei said, “be it for any reason, you’re always free to call us. To chat over a coffee or… show us your current projects or have a carefree lunch in the middle of a hard day. We might be a bit far from you, but we won’t turn our backs on you, you can be sure of it.”
It made her bow slightly at him. It made her smile soften. “I appreciate your support, I do, I… should have talked about sooner, considering…”
“Nonsense,” Iyo reassured her, “you can talk about anything at any moment that feels right, there are no right or wrong times, not with something like this. Don’t worry, Yuu-san, at all.”
“But today was nice,” she said, she looked away from them to observe the sparse blades of grass between the tiles of the square. “Today felt like maybe moving on won’t be as bad or terrifying as it had felt.”
“That’s something I’m happy to know,” Issei smiled, “I too have enjoyed today quite a lot, but, as you said, moving on is hard and not as calm as you wish it could be. It’s okay to take all the time you need, we won’t dare to put pressure on you about this at all.”
“We’ll wait for what you’re comfortable with,” Iyo added, “no matter the… final decision, it won’t be any problem, waiting for you.”
That was honestly all she could have hoped for. It made her want to thank them all over again, until she had no breath left and until they had reassured her enough times to make it laughable.
All she did, though, was slowly stand up, and bow in front of them. That too made that reassurance come out. She was just glad she had met them.
*
Yuu got into the hall and slammed into a strong smell of spices. She was so surprised that her I’m home came out almost shaky.
“Meguru,” she was quick to get to the kitchen, “what are you cooking?”
“Curry!” Meguru had curry sauce dirting his apron, there was way too much rice around the kitchen counters, and she was fairly sure she was, yeah, going to have to clean for an hour at least. “Surprise!”
Still, the chaos of the room did nothing to shadow the simple joy she felt in her heart. “Thank you, really.”
“‘S almost done,” he focused back on his work, “these are the last prawns I’m frying… how did the date go? You look… young.”
“What kind of impression is that?” she couldn’t help but laugh as she portioned the rice in two plates. She helped him out with the sauce and the prawns, and sat at the table with him.
“I mean like…” he thought about it for a moment. “...fresh.”
It made her smile widen. “Okay, Meguru, I get it…”
“You do!” he accused her with a grin. “So?”
“It was good,” she nodded, “the Isagi’s are a kind couple, very energetic, very… nice,” she hummed, she looked away from him, “I enjoyed myself quite a lot.”
“Ohhh,” he nodded, “that’s nice! I’m happy they make you happy, Yoichi is also very nice, so I can say that it’s very okay for me!”
“Well, considering they already invited me for dinner and a chaotic Pictionary game… I can say we will maybe see them pretty soon…”
“Ah, yeah, very you,” he nodded solemnly, “did they make you want to paint?”
She nodded, her smile didn’t falter. “I have yet to try, but…”
“Don’t stay up all night,” was all he said, “and! Eat!! Tell me how it is!! I went random with everything, but I don’t think it’s that bad!”
Yuu did just that, taking a spoonful from her plate and savoring it slowly. He had once again gone overboard with the spices, the rice could have stayed on another minute or two, but the prawns’ fried coating was crunchy and perfect, and the mix of ingredients was not bad at all, considering Meguru.
“You outdid yourself,” she said, “it’s delicious, Meguru, thank you, for taking the time to do it.”
“You did the same the other day,” he barely glanced at her as he kept eating, “so, when are we seeing them again?”
It made her smile, the calmness with which he had taken that. It made her feel like it was actually all okay, as his approval was all she could have hoped for, and she…
She told him about her day. She went on detail after detail, during dinner and while washing the dishes (she had his help with that, thankfully). She ended her night in her studio, with Meguru quietly snoring on the armchair in the room while she calmly painted the background of her new project.
She was looking forward to seeing how it would have come out.
Bonus
Isagi woke up to find more breakfast than usual and his mother humming a random melody as she washed the pots.
He had not seen them at all, the previous day, since he had woken up with them gone and had gone to sleep with them still not home. He yawned loud enough to make her turn to him, he sat down at the table ready to devour all he could. “How was yesterday?”
“Amazing,” his mother was quick to say. “I have missed going on dates, so much… we had the time of our lives, I guess your father exhausted himself too much, considering how he’s still sleeping.”
“Yeah,” he hummed, barely awake at all, “good. Happy for you.”
“Thank you, Yocchan,” she smiled wide, “Yuu-san is such a kind woman, she… has things to think about, but… we’ll wait, there isn’t much else to do, and honestly? We don’t mind at all, she’s just so…”
“Win her over,” Isagi muttered, “Yuu… Yuu…?”
“Bachira,” she told him, “your friend’s mum.”
Isagi took a moment too many to answer. “Ah.”
“Yes, she’s amazing,” she nodded to herself, “did you know she paints? That’s alrealy one thing you have in common! And did you know that she…”
And there she started, going from tangent to tangent about her previous day. Isagi almost regretted asking her about it. Still, he ate his breakfast, and went to take his phone from his pocket only once back in his room.
Bachiraaa
Hi
Did you know our parents had a date yesterday?
Hiiiii
Yeah!
DIdnt know w who but yea!!
You?
Barely
Mum told me it was w a friend but this morning she said it was a date
Ohhh
Mum was very nervous about it so i though i t was a date
And o got it rightzs since she told me tje same when she left in the mrnng
Is that bad
?
Don’t you fin it weird at all?
Uh?
No?
She s happy
I get that
But yk we are friends?
Yeah!!!!! What about that?
We
Uh
Well
Im nto sure
I didnt even know mu parents were interested in stuff like that
Fair
Mum has always been single too
But yk if shes happy im happy
Also it means i get to spend new year w you
Whcih is bery nice
We could play until midnight and end the year w soccer and start it w soccer!!
Lmao yea we could
Might be fun…
It simply made him smile, Bachira’s chill attitude about it, it made him feel like, yeah, could be a bit weird, but, after all, Bachira and he got along well, and maybe, just maybe, his parents would have had a reason more to be happy in the morning, or simply someone to spend time with when he was going to leave again.
He tried to take it chill too, after all, Bachira was right: if they were happy with that, he could have been happy for them too. Who knew, maybe Yuu-san could have given him tips on how to actually use all the paint he had in his room that he never learned how to use at all.
He almost looked forward to meeting her too.