Later that evening, after saying goodbye to my family and closing the restaurant. Sayuki invites me for dinner.
At first, I decline, but Sayuki doesn't falter so she keeps asking until I give up.
"It's a celebratory dinner for your almost one month stay with the restaurant. Also, it's our treat to don't worry about it."
I could only sigh, but normally, if it's free I would take a bite.
"Fine, I'll be there."
"Hahaha finally, we'll see you later at dinner."
Sayuki walks in the other direction, while I remain on my path. 'The Kobayashi family is making such an effort, but… it looks too much. Oh well, it's free so why should I complain. Also, I should bring a gift in return.'
Before returning home, I looked for a nearby ATM and checked my balance. Seeing an ample amount of money, I withdrew 500 yen and walked to a nearby bakery.
"Welcome, how may I help you?"
The cashier welcomes me as I enter. He looks in his twenties and wears a pair of glasses. I check the cakes, from tiramisu, matcha, and many more. Undecided, I bring out my phone and text Mio.
'Hey, Mio, what kind of cakes does Sayuki like?'
I waited for a moment and received a reply from Mio.
'Hmm, a cake. Well, you could go for a matcha cake, but I'll ask Yuu if he has some suggestions.'
'Sure take your time.'
'Hmm, a matcha cake, it's a nice choice but it's better to have more options than none.' While I wait, I ask the cashier for some suggestions.
"Um, excuse me."
"Yes sir?"
"I would like to ask for cake suggestions?"
His glasses glimmer, he brings out a menu from the counter and presents to me the cakes.
"Can I ask for their age, sir?"
"Hmm, age? The mother is in her forties while her daughter is in her twenties."
With a smirk on his lips, he swipes along with the pages of the menu and presents it to me.
"Here we could suggest a matcha cake, a chiffon cake, or a mango tart cake. There are more choices here, but it seems that you are in a hurry, so I picked our best, based on your preferences."
The cakes look delicious, and if I were to pick, I'd gladly choose chiffon and mango tart. But, because of the occasion, I think matcha or chiffon can do the trick.
My phone rings and receives a message from Mio.
'Yu, suggest a chiffon cake or matcha. But if I were you I'd pick chiffon since it's one of Sayuki's favorites.'
Then chiffon cake it is. I looked at the cake and it had a white coat on top of it and a crispy-looking exterior. But still, chiffon cakes are soft, so maybe it's just aesthetics to look crispy.
"One chiffon cake, please."
"Ok sir, coming right up."
He walks into the kitchen and I sit on a nearby chair for a moment. I look around and can't help but feel warm. The color of the lamps, the aroma of coffee and cakes, makes me want to stay here a while. why? Because I like cafes.
But the man returns with a box in his hand. I stand from my seat and walk to the counter, with the cash prepared. He presents the cake to me, closes it, and wraps a red ribbon around it.
I give him the cash after he finishes, and I thank Mio and Yu via text.
'Thanks to the both of you.'
I return my phone to my pocket and hold the cake box. He then places the receipt on top of the box and bows.
"Thank you for your patronage, please come again."
He gives a bow and I also bow in return and leave the bakery
-----------
After dressing myself, I was supposed to go to their apartment room, but I received a text message from Sayuki.
'Hey, Kazuya, just stay in your room for a moment, I'll fetch you soon.'
I felt like my pride was punctured since I always arrive early, whether it was a date, an event, or any important trip. 'Oh well, I'll just wait then.' I sit on the floor and play solitaire for a while.
Then, a knock comes from the door. I sweep my cards on the side and look at the mirror for one last check before leaving.
I open the door and Sayuki welcomes me. Her short hair, pinned on one side, her black and white dress looks like a jellyfish, and she looks adorably cute in my eyes.
Come to think of it, why is she wearing these fancy clothes even though this is just a regular dinner. Well, as for me, I wear a blue polo and black pants with black rubber shoes.
She looks at me for a moment, and her cheeks slightly blushing. When I notice it, I turn away for a while. 'what's with that reaction, I should remind you Kazuya you're ugly, and you will always be ugly.' My composure returns and I face Sayuki again.
"Hey Sayuki, what are you staring at?"
I call her and snap her back from reality.
"E-eh, oh, I'm sorry Kazuya. I was mesmerized by your looks?"
"..."
'What! Why is this happening to you Sayuki, wake up!' I'm not used to what they call 'praising' because I love and hate myself. If my family says that, I'll accept it. But if it's other people, I'll want to ask them why.
"Nano, don't get me wrong Kazuya, you look good today, i-i mean you always look good. I'm sorry."
"N-no, uh… It's ok Sayuki."
This is the first time I see Sayuki like this. 'Losing composure
…because of me?' I shrug it off, and shake Sayuki a little."
"Wawawawawawa. Stop shaking me Kazuya!"
"Sorry, I'm just waking you up."
holding her shoulders for a while to help her stop the dizziness, she bows at me and apologizes after that.
"I'm sorry Kazuya if you still hold a grudge then I could buy you a treat."
"Hahaha!"
I can't help but laugh, because she's so adorable. As I laugh, I notice her blushing a little and pouting. I apologize to her in return.
"Haha, I'm sorry for my rudeness."
"Well, you better. Anyways, shall we go?"
"Wait, I'll grab something for a moment."
I walk back inside my apartment and return with the cake in my hand. Sayuki see's the cake and drools a little, 'huh, so chiffon cake sealed the deal' she wipes off the drool and regains her composure.
"Is that a chiffon cake?" She asks.
"Yes, anyway shall we go?"
"Sure, follow me."
We walk to the elevator and elevate to the highest floor. After using the elevator, we walk to a nearby staircase to the roof.
"Mom! Ms. Niko! We're here!"
Sayuki caught the two's attention. But I'm distracted because of how wide the roof is. If we were to use my room which is like a rectangular room, I think it could fill over twelve rooms without space.
"Hello, my dear, and Kazuya! Come, sit with us!" Said Ms. Kobayashi.
We walked towards them and I could only be mesmerized by the reception here. It looks like a party venue for rich men and women, and those who like fancy wine and beer.
"Hello, you two." Said Ms. Niko.
"Hello, Ms. Niko." Said Sayuki
"Hello, ma'am."
Ms. Kobayashi giggles softly, and Ms. Niko glares at her in annoyance.
"Ooh, so now they are calling you Ms, how lovely."
"Tch, you dare tease me just because of my body. I could even rip off your breast if I wanted to."
"Hahaha, come on now Niko. It's just a joke."
Ms. Niko looks away as she clicks her tongue. I and Sayuki are amused by their bond to each other.
"Come on now, take a seat you two."
I sit nearby Ms. Niko, while Sayuki sits near her mom. Ms. Kobayashi, wearing a grey gown, her lips with hues of red, and her loose hair flows with the wind. It looks like she just finished working.
While Ms. Niko is wearing a black polo and black pants and looks like a man. I remember that one time, during work she's mistaken for a man because of what she was wearing. Because girls' clothes can't fit her anymore, that's why she resorts to menswear.
The silence breaks, as Ms. Kobayashi stands and brings her wine glass with her.
"We are now gathered today, to celebrate my good friend's rise to fame, and to congratulate her two best employees."
She holds a spoon and hits her glass with it, while we clap our hands because of what we achieved.
"With that, let's eat first before the meals get cold."
Ms. Kobayashi returns to her seat and opens the lid of every container. The aroma of every meal made me drool, especially the shrimp and chicken teriyaki.
"Let's eat, guys."
"Thanks for the meal."
-------------
Man, I'm stuffed. Thank you for the meal.' After a few minutes of eating, we started to eat the chiffon cake that I bought. Seeing Sayuki's drooling face made me giggle, and she's too precious in my eyes. While Ms. Niko and Ms. Kobayashi continue to talk while eating the cake.
Ms. Niko's s about to pour wine into her glass, but it's already empty. She sighs deeply and stands up from her seat, calling Sayuki to join her to get wine. Me and Ms. Kobayashi remain and I notice that she's staring at me.
"Is there a problem Ms. Kobayashi?"
She shakes her head and eats a piece of the cake before speaking.
"No, there is no problem Kazuya. But I can't help but think, why don't you want to go home and work for your family, rather than risking your life here. You only got lucky because of me."
'Hahaha, damn.' I laugh awkwardly before explaining.
"Well if you ever heard my explanation from Sayuki, then you know im stupid and naive. I want to repay them for what they did, and I'm thankful that they raised me well."
"So, you went here to Tokyo, to get a job, so you could repay them. That's your dream all along?"
Ms. Kobayashi stares at me seriously, which makes me shiver. I… I don't know what to say.
"Yes… But, never mind."
"Go on, don't be shy. Tell me what you wanted to do."
I take a deep breath before speaking.
"I wanted to disappear… I-im sorry, I'm such a selfish prick. I know they love me, but I don't want to be a burden to them. So I waited for the right time to leave them and pay all the debt I have to them."
Ms. Kobayashi stands up from her seat and sits near me, and gives a pat on my shoulder.
"So young yet you are thinking such things like this? You should just enjoy your youth without having this mindset."
Tears fell from my eyes and she pats my head to relieve me. Ms. Kobayashi smiles at me warmly, and she continues to pat me.
"Thank you, Ms. Kobayashi."
"Your welcome Kazuya. You can always ask me or Sayuki if you have problems."
I wipe my tears and laugh with Ms. Sayuki. They continued to chat until Kazuya brought up a topic.
"Hmm, you want to know how I raised Sayuki?"
"Yes, I'm curious Ms. Kobayashi."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, ma'am."
She drinks a glass of water before speaking.
"It started with a broken condom."
"..."
Maybe I shouldn't have asked that.
Chapter 7 end
To be continued.