Overdue Overture [Yuuto, Mirai]

It had been a few days since the incident, and he was more than glad for the noise to have finally died down. But, he still had obligations to fulfill, and tonight was one of them. A rather sizeable stack of blank paper set neatly on a coffee table, and Yuuto himself kept himself busy getting dinner ready. He hadn't been on a date like this in quite some time. He had taken Saiko out for dinner, to see a cat cafe, and to see various points of the changing of seasons.

This, however, was considerably more foreign by comparison. Nevertheless, it did not shake his resolve or confidence, and his body seemed to flicker around his home, zipping from the kitchen to the living room, tidying things up and making sure that everything looked as presentable as possible.

While he finished a pair of chicken katsu sandwiches, he set the plates at the table, complete with tea and water, before finally sitting down and checking the stack of paper on the coffee table one last time. In truth, there was some nervousness he felt. He...didn't truly know how he felt about Mirai. Perhaps it was the base instinct he had that desired not to hurt her that had led him to now.

Certainly, she was a beautiful woman, but, the thought of romance had only recently come back into his mind. After so much time thoroughly dismissing the idea, it felt...strange, to be in this situation again. How long had it been since he had questioned himself on his own feelings toward another? Well, he would have to find out about this as he went.

Mirai was meticulous in choosing her dress, her hair style, her heels, and even her perfume. She wanted it all to say… I’m sweet. I’m innocent. I’m serious. I’m comfy. It also needed to show him that she was a woman behind the dozens of shihakusho that filled her closet. She could not let Yuuto down, or she would be letting herself down too. Dressed and ready to go, Mirai made her way to Yuuto’s place.

At Yuuto’s door, Mirai knew he would sense her outside, yet she hesitated anyway. She rapidly went over different plans in her mind to keep things straight, nervously rehearsing the dinner. It was hard to rehearse and cover all angles when you didn’t know what was prepared behind the door. ‘You can do this…’ Then Mirai knocked and waited, heart racing in her chest, wondering if she should flee.

No, foolish woman,’ she thought, eyes closed as she waited. ‘You gathered the courage to confess… You can’t run now.’ When Yuuto opened the door, he’d find Mirai in a flowing black dress that ended below the knee, accented by a matching belt at her waist and black heels. Her hair was pulled back into a braid, and her make-up was light, but flattering. She smiled, and in her hand was a gift wrapped box.

Before he opened the door, he took a quick breath, straightening his clothes out -- it wasn't anything really fancy, an open suit jacket with dress pants, complete with a dark, violet-colored shirt underneath. Nevertheless, he made sure that he was still as presentable as he was during his work hours as a Captain. Then, he opened the door, and...honestly, found himself taken aback a bit.

Mirai hadn't chosen anything particularly lavish either, but, honestly, he appreciated and enjoyed the comparative simplicity far more. It was cute, and he found himself smiling as he stepped to the side, quietly gesturing for her to come inside.

"I made some chicken katsu sandwiches. And, I thought it'd be nice to do some origami. I hope that's okay, I haven't done something like this in a while. The last time I went on a date like this, it was a public outing, but, I felt that something more quiet would be better, given...recent events."

The door was open and it all began. Mirai’s smile grew once she saw Yuuto dressed up. She stepped inside and moved away from the door to let him close it. As she looked around his place, realizing something felt different, she muttered, “Such a gentle art…” Origami was a fitting choice for Yuuto, aside from the music he often played. Turning back to him, she handed over the box. Inside were a dozen freshly prepared Madeleine cookies, bought since Mirai couldn’t cook. Mirai tried choosing something Yuuto may not have eaten before. How often did he visit France?

“My pain is mostly gone; just a few small aches,” Mirai said, tapping at her shoulder with her fist to show she was okay. Though she could not show it hear, having almost been blown up triggered a few problems for Mirai. If she seemed at all tense, it was why, though Yuuto would likely chalk that up to nerves about officially being out with him. “Why don’t we eat? Let’s not let it get cold.”

With such a quiet room, it wasn't hard for him to hear the mumble as she came in. It was true that origami was a more gentle art than others, but, there were some more...esoteric benefits that he associated with the folding art.

"Gentle though it may be, such a dexterous art is excellent for perfecting a nimble touch. Plus, there's several different types of origami, and some origami animals have particular meaning, most notably, the crane."

As she handed over the box, Yuuto canted his head slightly to the side. He didn't receive gifts often, and was far from expecting something like this. Nevertheless, a warm smile emerged as he looked at the contents. Some type of confection, ones he didn't immediately recognize. But, the gift was assuredly well-received.

"That's good. I'm just glad you weren't hurt any more than you were. You didn't have to do something like this, you know. But, maybe we can enjoy them together as dessert for tonight, hm?"

With a silent, solemn nod, Yuuto reached to take her by the hand, gently guiding her to the table and sitting down next to her.

"I hope you enjoy it."

In manga, movies, and books, dates usually went on across from each other. The number of calculations that went through Mirai’s head when Yuuto sat down next to her was innumerable. Even thought her head was in chaos, her expression stayed as calm and soft as it normally was. A key skill in any social situation was to be able to control your emotions, no matter how powerful or overwhelming.

“I’m sure I will,” Mirai said. She reached for her sandwich, a shine in her eyes as she picked up the sandwich and went to eat it. After a couple of chews, her smile grew and a hand came to her cheek. “Mmm,” she said, finishing the bite. “Delicious. I haven’t had one of these in…” Mirai stopped, thought, and couldn’t recall. Was she that old? “Well, let’s just call it a real long time. I can’t actually remember.”

Mirai set her sandwich down and curiously eyed Yuuto. “You didn’t make all of this from scratch did you? I doubt you raised the chicken, but you often surprising me.” She was clearly making a joke, but wanted to know how skilled a cook he was.

At first, everything seemed fine. That was, until Mirai suddenly put her hand on her cheek, presumably as some kind of reaction to the sandwich. Given her proclivities, he figured it was something she picked up from the manga that she frequently read. But, it still incited a light chuckle from him, a hand raising over his mouth as he finished his own bite of the katsu sandwich.

"I did. I live alone, so...someone has to do it. Plus, when I was in the World of the Living after my...dismissal, I didn't exactly have the ability to just buy everything pre-made. It keeps me busy, is far from a bad skill to have, and I get to make all sorts of things that you couldn't get from stores, restaurants, or fast-food chains."

He gingerly wrapped his fingers around his cup of tea, bringing it to his lips and taking a quiet sip. Something felt off. Obviously, she was smiling, but, for some reason, even as it grew in response to the sandwich, something felt strange. Nevertheless, he set his cup down, a soft smile spreading across his face as he turned to face her.

"Just because you see it in a manga doesn't mean you need to replicate it, you know. It looks a bit silly, is all. I'm glad you like it, though, I thought it would be a nice, simple meal."

Mirai tensed at that blatant call out. She often mimicked what she saw in different forms of entertainment to seem as normal as possible, or at least like she could express more normal emotion. Was that wrong? What else should she be doing?

“Well, it’s delicious. Thank you,” Mirai picked up her sandwich and continued to eat.

Careful… Don’t overdo it.

As she chewed, she watched Yuuto pick up his tea and followed suit. She did not mimic his behavior, which might have made her come off stiff and nervous, and she realized that. Mirai sighed and set the tea down after taking a sip.

“I still have difficulty fitting into normal society,” Mirai explained. This was something Yuuto would be aware of, though not to the depth that it actually reached. Her years of being in neglectful and abusive environments prevent her from understanding many ‘normal’ social cues. “It’s not easy to change that.”

Seeing her tense, Yuuto felt a bit guilty. He had tried to make it seem casual, but, it didn't seem to do much to soften what seemed to be a hefty blow. He was glad that she enjoyed the meal, though he found his gaze turning toward the table, a hand lightly coming up to rub the side of his neck in mild embarrassment.

As she explained herself, his head was quick to rise back up, though his eyes swiftly went to the table again, this time in thought. He didn't know the full details of her past, but he could glean any number of guesses and theories from his interactions with her, even their first meeting when she was the right hand for a band of common thugs in the Rukongai.

"I know. I don't mean to ask that you change overnight. It's...not easy, but, there are ways to get better at it. Observe people, see how they interact in a natural environment. Ask questions, of our division members and of others. Maybe try and draw information from places other than entertainment and media."

He leaned over, slowly reaching to gently touch her shoulder, smiling softly at her.

"I...hope I didn't offend by saying that. I didn't mean for it to be an insult."

Mirai tensed. It was only for a moment. She always tensed under anyone’s touch, but the difference here was that she didn’t retaliate. There was a short glance toward his hand, nothing more. She looked back to the table.

“I have been observing people for years now, actually,” Mirai said and then sat up straight, looking up to the ceiling. “I have noticed too many lies; everyone wears a mask that hides what they feel. They behave in ways they think will attract those they wish to attract. Only the truly confident and strong take off those masks and speak their facts, and then the weak fall in line behind those long-casted shadows, only to make a new mask that mimics the one casting it.”

"Truly, it's a sad cycle," Mirai gave a thin-lined smile and raised both eyebrows as she looked to Yuuto. She assumed what she said was something he would argue with. He often did his best to have a less bleak look of the world, or of people in general. Mirai found herself very cold in comparison to that warmth he showed. Maybe it was why she was so drawn to him, other than the safety he offered.