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 Posted: Wed Jul 01, 2009 4:13 pm
It had been a rather uneventful day to say the least. Chiharu had finished working at the ramen shop two hours ago and yet all she'd managed to do with her spare time was just meandering. Without a watch she'd guessed that it was probably around six right now. The sun wasn't as much of a bother now as it'd been in the afternoon so she wasn't particularly looking for shade. She sighed and decided to just go with the flow. She continued walking down the street that she'd been on until the first turn.
The next street that she'd chanced upon was fairly empty. There were a few people here and there talking about abstract things. From what she could tell there wouldn't be much excitement here. She stopped by a stand selling roasted chestnuts. There wasn't really an apparent reason for why she stopped, but she figured that stopping now would benefit her later. Not having to get lost and wander around in search of the ramen shop.
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Posted: Wed Jul 01, 2009 4:33 pm
Glaring at the sun like it was the source of all his problems, Yemon slipped out of the main flow of foot traffic onto a side street. There were only a few people here, but even escaping from the insufferable press of other bodies didn't calm him. Mainly because it didn't change the fact that he had spent the entirety of his only day off that week wandering around looking for something. Something he couldn't find, obviously, but that was because he didn't have the slightest clue what to look for.
Still feeling guilty about his fight with his older brother, Yemon had decided to purchase something for the priest. the only problem with that was, well, he had no idea what to get. He barely knew anything about the man and, not surprisingly, he had never bought an apology gift before. It wasn't like he'd ever had a reason too. Sighing, Yemon brushed his fingers through his hair. He only had one option left. He had to ask someone.
There was a girl not far from him, near a stand of roasted chestnuts. Allowing himself another sigh, hating that he had to ask for help, he approached the girl with a bright smile. "Um, excuse me?" He cleared his throat softly, standing a couple of paces away from her. "I was wondering if you could help me?" Yemon fought back the urge to cringe. He always hated asking for help.
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Posted: Wed Jul 01, 2009 4:43 pm
Chiharu wished that someone she knew was around. She hated wasting her days wandering around the streets with no goal. That was always the worst. With the sun glaring down at her and no one particularly interesting around she had to face the facts. Perhaps today was meant to be another boring day. She figured that there'd probably be better things to do back at the ramen shop. Ken seemed like the kind of guy who wouldn't hesitate to dump a task on you.
Just as she was about to leave the shade she'd found she heard a voice. It was pretty obvious that the person was talking to her considering the fact that there really wasn't anyone else around them. To her surprise she saw someone near her age decked out in rather flashy clothing.
"Sure I can.", she offered. She took note of his unusually bright smile as she responded. She never really noticed these kinds of things, but it seemed pretty clear to her that his smile was just a facade.
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Posted: Wed Jul 01, 2009 5:04 pm
Yemon noticed that the girl look slightly surprised at first, like she hadn't expected someone to speak to her. And it was probably true. Still, that hardly mattered. She agreed to help without even asking what it was he needed help with. Rather stupid, all things considered, but he couldn't help but be grateful for it. Nice people were easy.
"Ah, good." He bowed to her. Now he had to explain his problem. How to do so without sounding like a complete a**? Still smiling, he straightened. "I've found myself at a bit of a loss, actually." Rolling his shoulder sheepishly, he folded his hands together inside his sleeves, an absent habit of his. "My brother and I had a fight a few days ago. I'm afraid I said some rather harsh things. I've been out all day, trying to find something to get for him, something to apologize with and... I haven't found anything." He let his eyes drop, looking ashamed. Only he wasn't, but that really didn't matter. "I was wondering if you could make a suggestion?"
Hopefully the girl would have a decent suggestion or two. And hopefully he would be able to find something before the shops closed. And hopefully Keitaro would like whatever it was. Yemon's lips compressed into a thin line, though he was still smiling. Too many hopefully's for his liking. Why couldn't this be easier?
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Posted: Wed Jul 01, 2009 5:27 pm
Chiharu was aware of how foolish she'd been to accept his request for help without first asking about what it was in the first place. But in this case what other answer could she have given? She was bored out of her mind and he had looked like he genuinely needed help. It was never a crime to be helpful from time to time and if worst comes to worst she could always pretend that she had something better to do.
So he had needed help with an apology gift? That kind of thing had never been one of strong points considering the fact that she'd never done anything worth giving a gift over. And what made this harder was the fact that this man was his brother. Being family it really shouldn't be that hard finding something to give to the other.
"He's your brother?", she paused for a brief second musing over the best type of gift to give in a situation like this. "Well, considering the fact that he's your brother you should probably start with his interests and go from there. You'd need to get something that didn't look like you'd just hurriedly picked from a store.", she blinked. Well then, she couldn't given a vaguer answer she thought with a sigh.
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Posted: Wed Jul 01, 2009 5:46 pm
Yemon bit hard on his own tongue. She just had to say the most obviously and unhelpful thing he could think of. If maybe she had stopped to think about what he said, that he'd been at this all day, she wouldn't have said such an inane thing. He'd thought of that, couldn't help of thinking that every time he walked into a store. It didn't help because he knew absolutely nothing about the priest. Letting his breath out in a sigh, Yemon debated even continuing the conversation. It was rather obvious she wasn't going to be any help. How silly of him to think that she could even come close to him. Still. He didn't have much choice in the matter.
He let his smile faulter a little, looking even more like he was ashamed. What a pain. "Well, you see... I barely know him at all. We had just met the day we'd gotten in that fight, you see, and I, uh, haven't a clue what he would like." If he ever acted like this for real, he was going to shoot himself. It was degrading. Maybe he could just tell Keitaro about it and suffer the laughter that would ensue. Maybe that would be enough of an apology? Except that Yemon could not allow himself to be laughed at. Then there would be another arguement and... Yemon shook his head, scattering his thoughts. Back to what he was doing. "I know it sounds odd, but something generic might work for this situation, really. I just... don't know what would be considered a good gift."
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Posted: Wed Jul 01, 2009 6:53 pm
Chiharu sighed. It was clear that they weren't going to get anywhere taking everything into consideration. She was surprised that he was still here. He just didn't seem like the kind of guy who would waste time doing remedial things like this. She personally would've left by now if she didn't consider that rude. She already knew that she'd be know help in this situation, but it didn't help that he was being so persistent about it.
She noticed his change in expression almost immediately and held back another sigh. If he thought that this was so bad he should've just left and saved them the trouble. And it would've definitely helped them decide on a gift if either of them had a clue what this person was like. He obviously had no clue so Chiharu couldn't possibly know either. "A typical apology gift would be what? Chocolates, cards, flowers, and other items of the like.", she suggested. She would've gone with just an apology, but it didn't seem like that kind of suggestion would please him.
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Posted: Wed Jul 01, 2009 7:37 pm
Chocolates. Cards. Flowers. If Yemon hadn't been so momentarily speechless, he would have laughed out loud. He was trying to apologize to his older brother, not date him. This girl was not going to be any help, none at all. Why had he even thought that a girl would be able to help him, anyway? Schooling his expression to that same blissful smile.
"I see. Of course." He cleared his throat, really trying not to laugh. Still, if this conversation was about to be over, he might as well have a little fun. the entire day had been a waste and if he went home now, in his current mood, he'd probably end up in another pointless fight. So. His smile twisted a little bit, turning mocking as he decided to fall back on the thought he had earlier. "I suppose that information would be helpful if I have any intention of wooing my older brother." He laughed. "But since I am trying to apologize to a grown man, chocolates and flowers are a completely useless suggestion. Thank you for... well, nothing." With one last mocking smile, he turned back toward the main thoroughfare. Well, even if he didn't get anything accomplished, he still felt a bit better.
As he was walking, the good feeling he had was wearing off. He still hadn't gotten anything done. He'd wasted the whole day. Why was this so hard? Letting his thoughts wander again, he tried to think of anything that the priest had said that would give him a damn clue. The only things he could think of were the fears that the older boy had mentioned. Of course, of all the damn things. Maybe he should just sneak into the priests room and root around for some clue. But that... was just wrong.
Blinking, he came out of his thoughts in front of a ramen shop. Pushing his current quest aside, he stepped into the shop. He was barely even paying attention as someone came up and led him to a table. He ordered tea and took a look at the menu. Maybe he should offer to buy the priest dinner, only that smacked off the same thing he'd accused the girl of. Too... date like. Glaring at the menu like it was the worst thing in the world, he let his thoughts turn over and over in his head. What the hell was he going to do?
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Posted: Thu Jul 02, 2009 7:17 pm
Chiharu's eyes narrowed into a glare as he walked away. All in all she had tried to be helpful, and suggest all the things that she would've done. She rolled her eyes and sighed staring off. There were so many things she could've... Wanted to say and do, but she wasn't a fan of arguments and fights and others of the like. What made things worse at the moment was that he was heading off in the direction that she had been planning to go. If she followed him now who knows what he'd think.
She muttered to herself about being too willing to help and set off after him after he was out of sight. If things panned out for her he wouldn't be taking the route she was. Nothing could make this day worse than bumping into that jerk again.
By the time that she'd reached the turn in the road he was out of sight. That was definitely a good thing. Letting her mind wander a little on happier, non-agitating things she let her feet take her to the ramen shop. It was near closing time anyway, so hopefully there'd be no one there that she'd have to serve. Her entrance into the shop was fairly quiet as usual and anyone with their minds on other things wouldn't have noticed her. Though that seemed to be the case with her as well. She walked straight over to the counter to Ken, without noticing that that boy was there.
"Oi, Chiharu!", Ken greeted her with his usual enthusiasm. "It seems we're having a customer before closing time. I just gave him some tea so why don't you go over and take his order?" Chiharu blinked and nodded, she hadn't noticed anyone upon arrival, so whoever it was must've been pretty quiet. To her dismay as she turned around she saw him of all people sitting there with his eyes focused intently on the menu.
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Posted: Fri Jul 03, 2009 4:51 pm
Yemon had been staring at the menu, not really seeing it, for some time now. It wasn't until he developed an itch between his shoulder blades, the feeling that he was being watched, that he looked up. He was the only customer in the room, he knew that. He'd known it when he walked it. He'd figured that they would do their best to hurry him out, since it was obviously close to closing. Of course, being allowed to sit in silence and think was a good thing. Not like he wasn't always alone, in silence, allowing himself to think. He liked it that way, though. It was peaceful. However, looking up to see the girl he'd insulted earlier was a sure sign he was not going to get any more peace. Ah well.
With a pleased smirk, Yemon closed the menu, setting it gently on the table. Then he raised one hand, crooking his finger at the girl, beckoning her to come closer. Ah, this was priceless, really. He didn't think he'd ever eaten in a ramen shop before, his parents favoring American food when they ate out together for some reason he'd never guessed. For once he was grateful, since it would give him a reason to bother the girl with more questions. "Perhaps you could make a recommendation?" He asked politely, fully intending on pretending like he'd never met the girl. Just to see what would happen.
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Posted: Fri Jul 03, 2009 6:00 pm
Chiharu sighed lightly and pursed her lips into a fake smile. With Ken here she couldn't be rude bluntly, but she was fairly certain that he wouldn't blame her too much should she scare a customer away. Besides, they were closing soon anyway, it would probably even be considered a good thing should a customer leave without ordering.
She smiled over at Ken with a genuine smile before walking towards the boy from earlier. That was mostly a buffer for her. Reassuring him that she would do her best with this customer. But that of course was a lie. He had instantly opened up with a question making her wonder if he was honestly expecting a real answer. Either way she smiled at him and tapped her finger on her lip looking as if she was actually putting thought into her response. "Well... For you I think I'd have to suggest eating dirt.", she said in a voice that could only be heard by him.
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Posted: Fri Jul 03, 2009 6:14 pm
Well, at least he'd been right about the lack of peace. Oh how fun. He felt himself grin in response, even though he probably should be frowning or something. The girl was, surprisingly, putting him into a very good mood. He'd have to ponder that later, once he got home to the shrine. "Is that any way to treat a paying customer?" He asked softly, keeping his voice as low as hers. He didn't want the other man, the owner perhaps, to come over and interrupt. After all, he'd probably take the girl's side and throw him out. "Besides, I don't think it would taste very good."
With a bright smile, he picked up the menu again, pointing at a random listing on it. He didn't even stop to see what he was asking about, because it didn't matter. "Is this any good?" He let his eyes narrow, like he was thinking about something. "You do look like someone who enjoys this food on a regular basis." Let her take that however she wanted. Yemon was inwardly beaming. How did he ever let his anger get a hold of him, when this was so much more fun? "So, is it? I am going to rely on your sense of taste." He couldn't help but smirk, propping on elbow on the table and leaning his cheek against his hand. "Though... that may be a bad idea." He looked at her kimono with obvious disdain before turning back to look at the menu.
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Posted: Fri Jul 03, 2009 7:34 pm
Chiharu chuckled lightly. Surprisingly enough this conversation wasn't going as bad as it had last. Either way they'd both have to keep their cool or Ken would probably intervene. He would most likely take her side, but she'd sure hear about it for the next couple of days. "Mm, but that depends on the customer himself, not the money.", she replied curtly. It seemed like he wouldn't take the hint and leave. Oh well, either way this seemed to be mostly amusing.
"Oh I'm sure that it'll meet your standards.", she replied with her eyes narrowed. In truth she had just merely glanced at what he had pointed at. Either way she had no intentions of actually helping him. She had understood the hidden insult in his next words, but she decided that she'd disregard them for now. No point in getting riled up over such a trivial comment. At his comment on her taste however, Chiharu had to hold back the need to smack him across the face. "Oh right. Like you're one to talk.", she replied politely with a smirk. "So then. Shall I get that for you?"
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Posted: Mon Jul 06, 2009 12:24 pm
Yemon frowned at the menu, as though considering. He wasn't going to get what his finger landed on. He really didn't want to know if it tasted good and by her comment, he was rather sure that it wouldn't. It wouldn't surprise him if she suggested something that was less than what he wanted. Not that he knew what he wanted. "No. What about this one, is it good?" He pointed at one that seemed rather plain, chicken, he thought. Again, he wasn't paying that much attention. He didn't know what to look for and his server wasn't helping. That part was his own fault, of course. "And if you treat the paying customer poorly, that will effect how much he pays, I'm sure." Yemon muttered absently, eyes scanning the menu. Some of the items looked good. Others did not. "Since this is your job, I figured you would be more apt to at least try to entertain me."
And her retort, Yemon looked up, smiling slightly. "Are you trying to imply I have bad taste?" He tilted his ehad to the side, smiling slightly. He supposed that it really was a matter of opinion, but he detested one of the colors she was wearing. Rolling his eyes back to the menu to await whatever comeback the girl had, he sighed. He was going to have to come back here more than once, to try some of these things.
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Posted: Mon Jul 06, 2009 7:04 pm
She took what he said into consideration. He was right about the pay, but base prices wouldn't change, all that would be affected would be the tip... Not like he'd give one anyway she figured. Nonetheless she'd have to be a little nicer to him if she didn't want Ken giving her a hard time about it later on. She sighed he definitely wasn't going to make this easy. "Mm, it depends on your taste. Like I said last time we met. But that one's not bad.", she replied keeping her tone calm. She wasn't about to get riled up over him. Anyhow, she had only tried like two of the types of ramen on the menu considering the fact that she didn't eat here much.
"Why of course.", she replied with a smirk. In retrospect she'd only made that comment as a comeback, but now that she really got a good look at him she realized that she didn't like his clothes anyway. Looked like he was trying too hard to look decent.
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