"Are you sure you're okay with this?"
We're in a world famous hamburger chain. I ask Rin that, who is across the table from me.
"Yep, it's all good. I've been craving teriyaki burgers for a while."
"Ah, you do love them."
Rin chews her burger with a big smile on her face. The way she's using both her hands to eat her burger, Rin looks like a chipmunk or something.
"Well, you're eating a teriyaki burger too!"
"Why wouldn't I? They're the best!"
"That's for sure."
Rin's pupils constrict, like she's remembering something from the past.
"Coming back here, it's really taking me back."
"I'm pretty sure the first restaurant we went to together was one of these."
"Yeah definitely."
Rin longingly stares at the burger in her hands.
"That was definitely... a little while after we first met."
"Yeah, yeah. If I recall correctly, you were crying."
"Hey, you better forget that right now. What's your problem? You're bringing up embarrassing moments from the past to blackmail me into giving you this burger? That's a pretty new low, you know."
"I definitely wouldn't stoop that low."
"Well, this time I won't cry. Hmph".
Hmph indeed.
"You're cute, you know."
I unintentionally let out my inner thoughts. Rin starts to whimper and her face goes all red. She then puts her hand in front of her mouth. Yep, she's definitely cute.
"A-anyways, what did you think of the film?"
"Well, I think we share a general opinion about it."
All of a sudden, we're enveloped in an embarrassing mood, so we shift the conversation towards another topic almost naturally. Since we're childhood, this kind of synchronization is pretty much par for the course.
"What was your favorite scene Tohru-kun?"
"For me, it really was the last scene. The way Monaka-kun was bent on delivering the ingredients across the railroad tracks for the person he loved really got to me."
"Ahh, for sure! I'm sure that scene will go down in history as one of the best scenes in anime."
"And what about your favorite scene?"
"Me? Hmm..."
Rin trails off and looks up at the ceiling. After pausing to think for about ten seconds, she opens her mouth again.
"Hmm, there are a few good ones... but I have to agree, the scene with Monaka-kun was really the best one, it got me crying the most."
"Ah, I know what you mean. I just went 'Uaah' when those two were forced away from each other."
"Yeah, definitely."
With that Rin stares directly into my pupils.
"Hmm, something up Ri-"
There's something off about her stare.
"Oh hey, what's wrong?"
"Ah, no... it's, well..."
Rin starts rubbing her eyes, making herself more flustered in the process.
"Y-you okay?"
"S-sorry, it's just... a little bit of nostalgic tears."
Slender tears fall down her face as her eyes constantly blink, her chest is bound tightly too. It's those tears that trigger an innate response within me: I have to protect her no matter what. I want to pat and hug her right now, but I grit my teeth and bear the pain.
"Haha... looks like I ended up crying."
Her torrent of emotions comes to a gradual stop, as she's laughing at herself.
"Don't worry about me, these tears mean nothing at all. They're just nostalgic tears."
"Yeah, but you're crying."
Rin sharply turns her face away and her lips relax. She's acting childish again.
"Well, it's fine. It happened at a good time anyways."
"What do you mean?"
"You know, the most beautiful time to cry is when you're eating."
Rin's face is immediately washed with pure shock. However, that only lasts an instant. as her face turns red, her pupils constrict and a smile appears on her face.
"Really... you haven't changed at all Tohru-kun."
"Huh, what do you mean?"
Rin shakes her head in response.
"Oh, it's nothing."
All I can do is cock my head in confusion.
And so, our date continues on like this, filled with our version of happiness.