Little Kazu - Alone... At Last
When he heard the not-so-scary-anymore Sakurai’s voice in the restaurant, Kazu turned in his direction, hoping to see Satoshi with him. To his disappointment, the man was alone.
Though disappointed, Kazu was not surprised. He had expected that Satoshi would not come to the restaurant. The reason? Well, it could be because he was busy at work but Kazu strongly believed that Satoshi was mad at him for what happened on Saturday.
It wasn’t his intention to let Jun and Masaki join what should be a date between him and Satoshi. But, he had a reason for doing so. He didn’t know what to expect, wondering if it was a good idea to go on a date with Satoshi. What if the date didn’t go as well as Satoshi wanted and he decided he didn’t want to be with Kazu anymore? He was too nervous the whole week thinking about it. So, when Jun offered himself to come with him to the date, he immediately agreed.
But, now, it seems like a stupid idea. Satoshi must be mad at him for doing it. That’s why he didn’t come to the restaurant today. He didn’t want to see Kazu.
“Are you okay, Kazu?”
The not-so-scary-anymore Sakurai asked him with a look of concern. Beside him, Masaki also had the same look. Why did they look at him that way? Were they worried for him?
“Yes, Kazu is okay,” answered Kazu. He felt inclined to ask about Satoshi. “Hmm… where is Satoshi? Did he go somewhere else for lunch?”
Both Sakurai and Masaki looked at each other before Sakurai answered.
“He is in the office. He asked me to bring lunch for him,”
“Oh…” said Kazu. Why wouldn’t Satoshi come to the restaurant? Perhaps he was avoiding Kazu because of what Kazu did last Saturday.
“He is not avoiding you,” said Sakurai as if he could hear what Kazu was thinking about. “He had a meeting and it went past lunchtime. So, he asked me to bring the meal for him,”
“Really?” Asked Kazu. Despite what Sakurai had said, it still couldn’t stop him from thinking that Satoshi was mad at him.
Sakurai nodded his head. “If you don’t believe me, why don’t you go and see him? I’m sure he will be happy to see you,”
Masaki said you should eat now. So, he sent one of his guys to bring your food.
Satoshi read the text message sent by Sho. Good! He was grateful for Masaki’s action. He had an online meeting with a client earlier. Fearing that it might end late, he had asked Sho to bring a takeout for him. However, once the meeting was done, he realized how hungry he was and contemplated going to a nearby cafe to buy lunch. Thanks to Masaki, he didn’t have to do that.
He was relieved that the meeting ended a bit later than scheduled. It provided him with the reason not to go to Masaki’s restaurant today. No, he wasn’t avoiding Kazu. More than anything, he wanted to see the former pixie. However, he didn’t know how to react around Kazu after what happened during their ‘date’.
The sound of the intercom interrupted his thoughts on Kazu. That must be the delivery guy from Masaki’s place. He told the guard to let the man in and headed to the entrance. His eyes widened in surprise when he saw a familiar face standing in front of his office. It was Kazu!
“Is this a good idea?”
“Yes! I’m sure he will love the surprise!”
When Sakurai told Kazu that he should be the one to deliver the food to Satoshi, he was worried. He doubted that Satoshi would be happy to see him. However, the fear disappeared when he saw Satoshi in the office. The man smiled widely upon seeing Kazu.
“Kazu!” Exclaimed Satoshi. He hastened his steps when he saw the former pixie. Words couldn’t describe how happy he was to see Kazu. Once Kazu was within his reach, he raised his hands, wanting to hug the man. However, his arms hanging awkwardly in the air, remembering what Sho had told him earlier.
“Sorry, is it okay if I hug you? If you’re not comfortable, I won’t do it,”
To his surprise, it was Kazu who moved forward and hugged him. Without thinking, he wrapped his hands around the man’s waist, feeling happy.
The hug didn’t last long when he felt something hot on his back. Reluctantly, he let go of Kazu, realizing that the reason he felt hot was because of the take out that Kazu brought.
“Sorry, Kazu should be more careful,” said Kazu. Satoshi simply shook his head and took the plastic bag from Kazu.
“It’s okay,” said Satoshi. “Let’s eat together,”
Satoshi brought Kazu to the pantry. The office was empty as everyone went out for lunch today. He eyed the plastic bag, feeling glad that Masaki packed food enough for the two of them.
“Take a seat,” said Satoshi as he took two plates and other cutleries from the cabinet and put them on the table. Then, he sat next to Kazu, who was looking around the pantry with curiosity.
“Is this a kitchen?” Asked Kazu. “It is too small and there is no stove,”
Satoshi shook his head. “We call this a pantry. We don’t cook here. Usually, we make coffee or tea here. We also gather here to chit chat before or during work. Some staff prefer to eat here during lunch instead of going out,”
“Oh…” responded Kazu. “Isn’t it too small to gather? Can everyone in Satoshi’s office fit in here?”
Again, Satoshi shook his head. He took out the container from the plastic bag. Then, he opened the container, scooped some of the noodles into a plate and gave it to Kazu. “We usually gather in group,”
“Oh… sorry, Kazu has too many questions because he is stupid. He doesn’t know a lot of things,”
“You’re not stupid, Kazu,” said Satoshi. Kazu was a bright person, in his opinion. All of these things were just new to him. “By the way, how did you get here?”
“Sakurai gave Kazu the direction and Kazu got here by himself,” explained Kazu as he took the first bite of his noodle. “But, Kazu thinks Junny followed him to make sure he arrived safely,”
Satoshi nodded his head. That seemed likely. From what he saw, Jun was rather protective of Kazu.
The two of them ate in silence. It was not uncomfortable but Satoshi could sense that something was bothering Kazu. Deciding that it might be better to ask, he opened his mouth at the same time as Kazu.
“Satoshi…”
“Kazu…”
It was awkward at first but the two of them ended up laughing.
“What is it, Kazu?” Said Satoshi, urging Kazu to speak first. He was itching to caress the man’s cheek but stopped himself as he remembered what Sho had told him earlier. Kazu might not be comfortable with his touch yet.
“Hmmm…” Kazu began. “Kazu has a question for Satoshi. Hmm.. why didn’t Satoshi come to the restaurant today? Is Satoshi trying to avoid Kazu?”
Satoshi contemplated how to answer the question. He wanted to tell the truth to Kazu but he was afraid that it might hurt the former pixie. But, their relationship had just begun and he believed it was important to be truthful.
“I had a meeting,” said Satoshi. “It should have ended before lunch but it ended later than expected. In fact, it just ended a few minutes before you came,”
“Ah… so Satoshi is not avoiding Kazu?”
“Hmmm… well… I was actually relieved it ended late,” He noticed the way Kazu’s expression turned solemn upon hearing the revelation so he quickly added. “But, I’m not avoiding you. I was just… hmm… I thought… hmm… I don’t know how to explain,”
Satoshi was never good at words. What should he tell Kazu so that the former pixie would understand his reason for being relieved that he had an excuse not to go to the restaurant today?
Without thinking, he reached out to touch Kazu’s hand. It calmed him somehow and he hoped Kazu was comfortable with what he did.
“Is Satoshi mad at Kazu for bringing Junny and Masaki to our date?”
Satoshi shook his head. “I’m not mad at you. I’m mad at Matsujun and Masaki for interfering.”
Before Kazu could say anything, perhaps to explain why they were there, Satoshi quickly continued.
“I know they want to protect you. Sho-chan explained it to me. How anxious you were about our date. Ne, Kazu, tell me. Are you okay being alone with me right now?”
Without hesitating, Kazu nodded his head. It was a relief to see that.
“Kazu had no experience in dating. He was afraid that Satoshi would think he was a boring person during the date and no longer interested to be with Kazu,”
Satoshi smiled. If Kazu still had his pixie memory, he would probably know that Satoshi also had no experience in dating.
“I am similar to you in regard to that, Kazu. I never dated anyone before. But, I want you to know that I will never force you to do something you don’t like. I want to make you happy and comfortable, Kazu,”
“And Kazu wants to make Satoshi happy too. He promises that he will not bring Masaki and Junny to the next date,”
“Great!” Exclaimed Satoshi excitedly. “So, do you want to redo our date this Saturday?”
“Un!” Kazu beamed. “Let’s do it properly this time!”
Though disappointed, Kazu was not surprised. He had expected that Satoshi would not come to the restaurant. The reason? Well, it could be because he was busy at work but Kazu strongly believed that Satoshi was mad at him for what happened on Saturday.
It wasn’t his intention to let Jun and Masaki join what should be a date between him and Satoshi. But, he had a reason for doing so. He didn’t know what to expect, wondering if it was a good idea to go on a date with Satoshi. What if the date didn’t go as well as Satoshi wanted and he decided he didn’t want to be with Kazu anymore? He was too nervous the whole week thinking about it. So, when Jun offered himself to come with him to the date, he immediately agreed.
But, now, it seems like a stupid idea. Satoshi must be mad at him for doing it. That’s why he didn’t come to the restaurant today. He didn’t want to see Kazu.
“Are you okay, Kazu?”
The not-so-scary-anymore Sakurai asked him with a look of concern. Beside him, Masaki also had the same look. Why did they look at him that way? Were they worried for him?
“Yes, Kazu is okay,” answered Kazu. He felt inclined to ask about Satoshi. “Hmm… where is Satoshi? Did he go somewhere else for lunch?”
Both Sakurai and Masaki looked at each other before Sakurai answered.
“He is in the office. He asked me to bring lunch for him,”
“Oh…” said Kazu. Why wouldn’t Satoshi come to the restaurant? Perhaps he was avoiding Kazu because of what Kazu did last Saturday.
“He is not avoiding you,” said Sakurai as if he could hear what Kazu was thinking about. “He had a meeting and it went past lunchtime. So, he asked me to bring the meal for him,”
“Really?” Asked Kazu. Despite what Sakurai had said, it still couldn’t stop him from thinking that Satoshi was mad at him.
Sakurai nodded his head. “If you don’t believe me, why don’t you go and see him? I’m sure he will be happy to see you,”
Masaki said you should eat now. So, he sent one of his guys to bring your food.
Satoshi read the text message sent by Sho. Good! He was grateful for Masaki’s action. He had an online meeting with a client earlier. Fearing that it might end late, he had asked Sho to bring a takeout for him. However, once the meeting was done, he realized how hungry he was and contemplated going to a nearby cafe to buy lunch. Thanks to Masaki, he didn’t have to do that.
He was relieved that the meeting ended a bit later than scheduled. It provided him with the reason not to go to Masaki’s restaurant today. No, he wasn’t avoiding Kazu. More than anything, he wanted to see the former pixie. However, he didn’t know how to react around Kazu after what happened during their ‘date’.
The sound of the intercom interrupted his thoughts on Kazu. That must be the delivery guy from Masaki’s place. He told the guard to let the man in and headed to the entrance. His eyes widened in surprise when he saw a familiar face standing in front of his office. It was Kazu!
“Is this a good idea?”
“Yes! I’m sure he will love the surprise!”
When Sakurai told Kazu that he should be the one to deliver the food to Satoshi, he was worried. He doubted that Satoshi would be happy to see him. However, the fear disappeared when he saw Satoshi in the office. The man smiled widely upon seeing Kazu.
“Kazu!” Exclaimed Satoshi. He hastened his steps when he saw the former pixie. Words couldn’t describe how happy he was to see Kazu. Once Kazu was within his reach, he raised his hands, wanting to hug the man. However, his arms hanging awkwardly in the air, remembering what Sho had told him earlier.
“Sorry, is it okay if I hug you? If you’re not comfortable, I won’t do it,”
To his surprise, it was Kazu who moved forward and hugged him. Without thinking, he wrapped his hands around the man’s waist, feeling happy.
The hug didn’t last long when he felt something hot on his back. Reluctantly, he let go of Kazu, realizing that the reason he felt hot was because of the take out that Kazu brought.
“Sorry, Kazu should be more careful,” said Kazu. Satoshi simply shook his head and took the plastic bag from Kazu.
“It’s okay,” said Satoshi. “Let’s eat together,”
Satoshi brought Kazu to the pantry. The office was empty as everyone went out for lunch today. He eyed the plastic bag, feeling glad that Masaki packed food enough for the two of them.
“Take a seat,” said Satoshi as he took two plates and other cutleries from the cabinet and put them on the table. Then, he sat next to Kazu, who was looking around the pantry with curiosity.
“Is this a kitchen?” Asked Kazu. “It is too small and there is no stove,”
Satoshi shook his head. “We call this a pantry. We don’t cook here. Usually, we make coffee or tea here. We also gather here to chit chat before or during work. Some staff prefer to eat here during lunch instead of going out,”
“Oh…” responded Kazu. “Isn’t it too small to gather? Can everyone in Satoshi’s office fit in here?”
Again, Satoshi shook his head. He took out the container from the plastic bag. Then, he opened the container, scooped some of the noodles into a plate and gave it to Kazu. “We usually gather in group,”
“Oh… sorry, Kazu has too many questions because he is stupid. He doesn’t know a lot of things,”
“You’re not stupid, Kazu,” said Satoshi. Kazu was a bright person, in his opinion. All of these things were just new to him. “By the way, how did you get here?”
“Sakurai gave Kazu the direction and Kazu got here by himself,” explained Kazu as he took the first bite of his noodle. “But, Kazu thinks Junny followed him to make sure he arrived safely,”
Satoshi nodded his head. That seemed likely. From what he saw, Jun was rather protective of Kazu.
The two of them ate in silence. It was not uncomfortable but Satoshi could sense that something was bothering Kazu. Deciding that it might be better to ask, he opened his mouth at the same time as Kazu.
“Satoshi…”
“Kazu…”
It was awkward at first but the two of them ended up laughing.
“What is it, Kazu?” Said Satoshi, urging Kazu to speak first. He was itching to caress the man’s cheek but stopped himself as he remembered what Sho had told him earlier. Kazu might not be comfortable with his touch yet.
“Hmmm…” Kazu began. “Kazu has a question for Satoshi. Hmm.. why didn’t Satoshi come to the restaurant today? Is Satoshi trying to avoid Kazu?”
Satoshi contemplated how to answer the question. He wanted to tell the truth to Kazu but he was afraid that it might hurt the former pixie. But, their relationship had just begun and he believed it was important to be truthful.
“I had a meeting,” said Satoshi. “It should have ended before lunch but it ended later than expected. In fact, it just ended a few minutes before you came,”
“Ah… so Satoshi is not avoiding Kazu?”
“Hmmm… well… I was actually relieved it ended late,” He noticed the way Kazu’s expression turned solemn upon hearing the revelation so he quickly added. “But, I’m not avoiding you. I was just… hmm… I thought… hmm… I don’t know how to explain,”
Satoshi was never good at words. What should he tell Kazu so that the former pixie would understand his reason for being relieved that he had an excuse not to go to the restaurant today?
Without thinking, he reached out to touch Kazu’s hand. It calmed him somehow and he hoped Kazu was comfortable with what he did.
“Is Satoshi mad at Kazu for bringing Junny and Masaki to our date?”
Satoshi shook his head. “I’m not mad at you. I’m mad at Matsujun and Masaki for interfering.”
Before Kazu could say anything, perhaps to explain why they were there, Satoshi quickly continued.
“I know they want to protect you. Sho-chan explained it to me. How anxious you were about our date. Ne, Kazu, tell me. Are you okay being alone with me right now?”
Without hesitating, Kazu nodded his head. It was a relief to see that.
“Kazu had no experience in dating. He was afraid that Satoshi would think he was a boring person during the date and no longer interested to be with Kazu,”
Satoshi smiled. If Kazu still had his pixie memory, he would probably know that Satoshi also had no experience in dating.
“I am similar to you in regard to that, Kazu. I never dated anyone before. But, I want you to know that I will never force you to do something you don’t like. I want to make you happy and comfortable, Kazu,”
“And Kazu wants to make Satoshi happy too. He promises that he will not bring Masaki and Junny to the next date,”
“Great!” Exclaimed Satoshi excitedly. “So, do you want to redo our date this Saturday?”
“Un!” Kazu beamed. “Let’s do it properly this time!”