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A famous bakery in the city has its doors open to customers from all over the island. Thoma is sitting at a rectangular table and shares the space with the Kamisato brothers, who are sitting opposite him. The expression on his youthful face is not the best and the explanation is on his flat plate, with the cutlery served on the side.
He recognizes the value added to the store and how highly refined the products distributed are. However, at the moment, his green eyes see a kind of miraculous sweet that offers poor digestion if eaten.
And Ayato doesn't seem to be aware of this little detail, or pretends not to be, since it was he who chose Thoma's dish. The smile that adorns his cynical countenance is concrete proof that the commissioner enjoys messing with his friend.
Despite this, Ayaka keeps her composure and remains impassive in the face of her brother's antics, while she sips her tea and prays for the other's soul.
"Try it, Thoma," he said, smiling.
Not a request, an order. The boy swallowed dryly and looked at the exotic dessert above his plate. At first glance, it looked like a three-colored dango, but there was something different about the soft texture, the strong smell, and especially the brownish coating. Could it be a new recipe for sale or another joke by Ayato? The second option is the most likely, since he didn't allow him to look at the snack menu when they arrived.
Thoma has always been respectful and obedient to the orders of the Kamisato family, but maybe today he could make a small exception and go against Ayato's wishes.
"Sir, I think I'd better not."
The other man raised an eyebrow.
"Oh, and why such an attitude?" he asked.
"Because I don't want to..." Thoma coughed for a moment, clearing his throat at Ayato's momentarily serious expression. The young man examined the dubious consistency once more before drawing the consequences and challenging him accordingly. "I mean, the candy in question doesn't look healthy enough to eat."
The commissioner, for his part, rests his elbows on the table and takes a more thoughtful stance against the answer given, but without letting go of the genuine smile on his face.
"As far as I'm concerned, that's fine." He stopped talking for a moment and looked at the candy. "I think so."
"Y-You think?!" He despaired.
Ayaka covers her mouth with her fan to prevent laughter from escaping into the room.
"Right." The man moistened his lips, and Thoma followed the movement of his tongue with his gaze. "I chose this food especially for you to taste, so I don't suppose you'll refuse me, will you?"
He said the words with such conviction and grace that he had no choice but to wag his imaginary tail and excitedly obey his master's orders.
"Not at all, my lord!"
Ayato's happiness tripled.
"Good boy. If that's the case." He picked up the spoon on the table and brought a portion of the candy to his friend's mouth. "Then say 'ah' for me."
Thoma's excitement dissipated like mist. He felt his cheeks heat up to the tips of his ears as he stared at Ayato's sly smile. In a vain attempt to respond, his trembling lips uttered incoherent words that only served to make his face flush with embarrassment.
At that point, Ayaka had finished her tea and opted to give the boys some space alone. When she signaled to go to the bathroom, Thoma was left in his brother's hands without mercy. It was a given privilege and Ayato didn't waste the opportunity to continue the suggestive teasing after the girl had left.
"Thoma?" he called, flicking his wrist for attention.
The boy startled in his chair.
"H-Hum," he muttered. "With your permission."
Thoma leaned his upper body against the table, his teeth perfectly aligned with the spoon, and licked the sugary substance before swallowing it whole. Still frozen, his eyebrows raised in surprise. His taste buds had been completely overwhelmed by the delicious sugar of the candy he had eaten. It wasn't as bad as he'd imagined, and even more delicious than he'd expected.
For a moment, he lifted his naive gaze and found Ayato with an expression that was indescribable to him. Aware of his awkward position, Thoma pulled away abruptly and wiped the corners of his mouth with a napkin, avoiding eye contact at all costs.
"So?" After seconds of silence, Ayato hummed the sentence, genuinely confused by his own thoughts.
"It's delicious, sir. I liked it very much."
"Good." He smiled. "We should come to the bakery more often. Just the two of us."
Lastly, Ayato put the same spoon in his mouth, and Thoma coughed for the second time that day.