[ She can tell when he's distracted, and she very certainly isn't helping matters. She should feel better, knowing that he isn't interrupting a patient who needs his care, but instead she sounds almost like she doesn't know what to say. Maybe she's a little distracted, too. ]
Oh. [ She mutters quietly. She almost leaves it at that, but then she feels the weight of the bag she'd been carrying, bringing it around so that it's in view. ] Well, I've brought some lunch for us. Would you like to take a break?
[He frowns and takes out his pocket watch, but his eyes widen with surprise when he's taken note of the hands. It's really that time of day already? He quickly slips the watch back where it belongs and shoots a smile Susato's way.]
Yes, that would be lovely. Thank you. We can have a seat in the cafeteria.
[ She'll give him a more confident nod upon seeing that smile. After three days of festival junk food (delicious as it was), she decided to go with something else, despite the fact that there were already discussions about new menu items. Inside the bag, there is a spread of different flavored sandwiches, not unlike the ones she made for 76 upon his recovery from being a noctaere.
She'd added those to the Wild Harvest menu, too. Maybe she's hoping it'll go over just as well, but for now she just nods, giving a wary glance at the door where she'd just come in. ]
Of course. I remember where that is.
[ So she's not shy about leading the way. Perhaps she's still going over the words in her head, but it's not long before they're there. She automatically sits, unwrapping the bag to reveal the box of sandwiches, and also both flavors of cookie (sakura-shaped and dawn-shaped). ]
I . . . Um, did you enjoy the rest of the festival?
[Yujin glances into the office before leaving it, just to be certain he hasn't left anything that cannot go unattended for a while. There's nothing in there that actually falls into that category, but there's always that nagging feeling of paranoia which leads to questions like 'have I left the stove on?' and 'have I remembered to lock the door?' Speaking of which, let's lock that office door before leaving it.
When Susato sits at the table, he follows her lead, making himself as comfortable as possible. There's a very light ache in the small of his back, which likely came from a bit too much gardening in the greenhouse the other day.]
Yes, of course. Though, I will admit, the grandest enjoyment came when that costume was replaced by my normal clothing once more. [Which was followed by a different enjoyment soon after, but... Well, he should tell Susato about that soon, he knows that. He simply doesn't know how to tell her.]
[ She may have noticed a slight wince when he sat. Susato does what she can to help him when she notices him working around the greenhouse, but some aches and pains here or there are unavoidable, she supposes. She lets it be and cracks a smile as she sets out everything, and she pushes one of the sandwich boxes Yujin's way. ]
I miss my cloud already. Still, the flowerworks were more than enough to make up for the loss.
[ Among other things... She truly doesn't know how to tell him either. Truthfully she was probably only half-paying attention to the show by the end, but here it is. Her best attempt. ]
There's... something I should tell you about that... actually.
[He takes that sandwich box with a bright smile and a grateful nod of the head. Susato's cooking never misses the spot it's meant to hit, and he hadn't noticed just how hungry he is until he was snapped out of his work. Still, he doesn't dig in just yet, instead listening to her as she speaks. He still thinks it's a shame that cloud disappeared. He really wanted to keep it.]
Oh? About the flowerworks? [His brow raises a bit. He has his own memories associated with that event and for a few paranoid seconds, he wonders if that's what Susato wants to talk about.]
[ Susato catches that brief moment of paranoia, but it passes so quickly she thinks she might have imagined it. She definitely doesn't have the time to process it. Maybe that was just him realizing how hungry he was again? (Did he even eat breakfast this morning?)
Nah, she's just dragging this out. She shakes her head to keep her eyes from going wide, and manages to resist slapping herself in the cheeks. ]
No... Well– [ Yes? Wait. No. Nope. ] Not exactly the flowerworks themselves. But I...
[ ...She'll quietly let Yujin sweat it out for a few seconds more before she gathers herself. ]
[Oh, he was ready to sweat it out, alright. That's why the actual revelation feels like a thump to the back of the head in several ways. He'd noticed that Susato and Kazuma had been growing closer, but even so, he hadn't quite expected it'd take that turn. Should he have seen it coming?]
Oh! Ah... [What... What does he say to that? What does any father say when their daughter tells them they kissed a boy? "That's rough, buddy"?] I see.
. . . [ Well, it's not like she was planning to go into detail, but that reaction still somehow seemed... reserved. Maybe it just hasn't sunk in yet, but that also seems so very much like her father.
Fingers tense around her box of sandwiches, which remain uneaten. ]
Maybe I shouldn't have said anything, but I vowed to keep no more secrets.
[ She can still hear Reaper's laugh through his armor when she mentioned that she told Yujin everything. That it was easier, better for Reaper to keep secrets from his own parents. She refused to believe it, of course, but she still hates the vague feeling that he's right. ]
[No more secrets... Yet another unintentional harsh blow. He's already hidden so much from his daughter for most of her lifetime, and even so, she's the one being frank with him. And it's not as if he means to hide any more from her now, but he hadn't known how to address the latest development with Sholmes. ...Well, he'd have to address it in the same manner Susato had, he supposes. There's truly no sugarcoating something like that.
His head tilts forward a bit. He can't quite look her way anymore.]
... I'm glad that you told me. And it should go without saying that I have no objections. Kazuma is a good man. [His fingers begin to drum against the side of the sandwich box.] For the sake of transparency, you ought to know that... I'm in a similar situation.
[ He is a good man. It does go without saying, though hearing it from Yujin, she can't help but visibly relax her shoulders, a feeling of relief coating her like a blanket. That feeling still persists, even through Yujin's next words, though Susato does find herself stopping suddenly in the midst of playing with a flap on the box.
She'd been just about to open it-- ]
What? [ Genuine, innocent confusion. ] You mean you also...?
[He chances a quick glance towards Susato's face, sees those innocent doe eyes and feels even more flustered about it all. 76 told him a lot about the future and about acceptance- about Pride, but... Well, they aren't from that future, now are they? And Susato had a mother who Yujin loved very much. It's a bit difficult to admit to her that he would feel that way about anyone else.]
Yes, I... Ah... I suppose I'm in a relationship of sorts now. [He doesn't know what else to call it.]
[ . . . Mother is dead. As much as Susato wishes things were different, that she could at least remember her face, it's a fact, and she would not be so cruel to assume that Yujin could never love anyone else in that way.
She was furious, thinking he had fathered Iris, but that's something different entirely. You can't cheat on someone who's dead.
That said, Susato really doesn't know how to react. Her mouth hangs open, and she feels a pang in her chest, like she's being left behind again, though she quickly realizes that's not the case. (In the first place, wasn't she the one who wanted to tell him that...? Sure feels distant now.) ]
That's...! That's wonderful! A, A bit... a bit sudden, perhaps? [ Should she have seen this coming? She's confused. ] Um... isn't it wonderful?
[Yujin had been fearing anger, or at the very least some indignation, but... In a way, Susato's confusion feels just as awful to him. His fingers play with the sandwich box, rotating its angle from left to right and back again.]
It is wonderful. Truly. However, I don't believe it's apt to call it sudden. One ah... [He trails off for a second, then tries again.] One might say it was almost seventeen years in the making.
[ Seventeen years. There's a bit of a pause as she considers this oddly specific time frame. That's just about as long as she has been alive, and she opens her mouth to say as much, but as the thought crosses her mind, so does an epiphany of a legendary partnership.
[ No, wait. She's probably wrong. She is hesitant, but speaks the name like some sort of taboo. ]
Mr... Mr Sholmes?
[ She might have assumed it was a lady, at first. Surely Yujin met plenty of women across their various cases, and maybe one would have had an impact on his life as much as Ayame did. It's not like Susato would have ever known.
She closes her mouth, still unable to say anything more, but the more she thinks about it, the more sense it makes, and her expression seems to ease to match. ]
[... Yes. Hum. This is uncomfortable. At the very least, he can take a bit of comfort in the notion that it's out in the open now. She knows. He doesn't know how she feels about it, but at least he doesn't have to carry it around as a secret.]
... I'm aware it sounds odd, given that we're both... Well. However, such a thing does not change my feelings. [His fingers are still fiddling with the sandwich box as he speaks, tips digging into the corners.] And I hope... that you can come to accept it for what it is. A partnership built on care and trust, that is.
[ Susato stays quiet for a while while Yujin speaks, and probably for a little while after. Everything is still sinking in, but she feels compelled to speak, because she'd rather not leave her father lingering in that uncertainty for any longer. It's not as if this changes anything about how she feels either.
It's just... unexpected. Though the fact that it feels as such is probably a failure on her part. ]
No, it's not... it is not that odd. You already had a very strong partnership, did you not? One that you were able to pick up right where you left off, after ten whole years. Not even most marriages could withstand that. Not even with the most dutiful of wives.
[ Though who is she to speak of marriage, anyway, or being a dutiful wife...? ]
[Oof, that... That is certainly a comparison that she's drawing, there. He knows what she means to say, but it does stir a bit of flustered nervousness to have his partnership with Sholmes put on that particular level. Not only that, but there's a bitter question in the back of his mind; one which asks whether his marriage to Ayame would've withstood it.
He looks away, clearing his throat softly.]
I... I suppose that's true. Though, now that our dynamic has changed, I do wonder... [He wonders whether that change will break their partnership. A very childish concern, but one he can't quite shake. He doesn't want to bother Susato with it either, though.] ... Well, we'll have to wait and see just how it develops. I assume it's the same for you and Kazuma.
[ ...Aaah. Well, she doesn't need Mikotoba Mindreading in this case to sense that something is bothering him. She was gearing herself up to ask about his concerns, but she quickly realizes that she had gotten too comfortable, despite everything, with Kazuma and herself falling into the background.
She doesn't quite clear her throat the way Yujin does, though she might have tried to mimic him as she... also looks away. Also flustered. (These sandwiches aren't going to be eaten any time soon, are they?) ]
Y... Yes. We're also... [ She trails off and has to re-gather her thoughts before she starts over. ] We're new... to all this. But I don't wish to overcomplicate things. [ At least, not more than she already has over the past few months. ]
[Ahhh, young love. It's actually oddly comforting that Susato is in the same sort of situation that he is, struggling with the same sort of feelings. Perhaps they can navigate their way through this together. He manages a smile at long last.]
Of course. And you'll have more than enough time to explore this terrain on your own pace. No one is in a hurry, isn't that so?
If he is smiling, then so is she. After all, Kazuma is hardly the only person she wishes happiness for (though Kazuma would appear to need the help more so than Yujin. ]
No, I wouldn't say so. Though... seeing Naruhodo-san's house as bare and empty as it is, and thinking about the state Kazuma was in that night... It does serve as a rather stark reminder.
We never know what will happen tomorrow.
[ So no, she's never once felt hurried or pressured, but... the phrase carpe dium comes to mind? ]
[Oof. That's an awfully heavy sentiment to be uttered by a teenager with a crush, but... Yujin understands why she feels that way. She's been through more than enough already in her lifetime to remind her that life is short. His smile weakens a bit, but it's still there.]
Indeed, we do not. We never do, not in this world nor in our own. That's just another truth we all must accept. However, if we must enjoy the time we're being given to the fullest, isn't that all the more reason not to rush through it?
[ No secrets, no regrets. There may have been a feeling left behind, like some things she never got to say to Ryunosuke. Things that, now she doesn't know if she ever will.
She shakes her head quietly, her way of agreeing. ]
It wouldn't feel right. [ To rush. ] For either of us, truly. Kazuma-sama can be impulsive, but I think... there are still some things that he wants work on. Things about himself. They will take time, and I'd like to help him.
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Oh. [ She mutters quietly. She almost leaves it at that, but then she feels the weight of the bag she'd been carrying, bringing it around so that it's in view. ] Well, I've brought some lunch for us. Would you like to take a break?
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Yes, that would be lovely. Thank you. We can have a seat in the cafeteria.
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She'd added those to the Wild Harvest menu, too. Maybe she's hoping it'll go over just as well, but for now she just nods, giving a wary glance at the door where she'd just come in. ]
Of course. I remember where that is.
[ So she's not shy about leading the way. Perhaps she's still going over the words in her head, but it's not long before they're there. She automatically sits, unwrapping the bag to reveal the box of sandwiches, and also both flavors of cookie (sakura-shaped and dawn-shaped). ]
I . . . Um, did you enjoy the rest of the festival?
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When Susato sits at the table, he follows her lead, making himself as comfortable as possible. There's a very light ache in the small of his back, which likely came from a bit too much gardening in the greenhouse the other day.]
Yes, of course. Though, I will admit, the grandest enjoyment came when that costume was replaced by my normal clothing once more. [Which was followed by a different enjoyment soon after, but... Well, he should tell Susato about that soon, he knows that. He simply doesn't know how to tell her.]
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I miss my cloud already. Still, the flowerworks were more than enough to make up for the loss.
[ Among other things... She truly doesn't know how to tell him either. Truthfully she was probably only half-paying attention to the show by the end, but here it is. Her best attempt. ]
There's... something I should tell you about that... actually.
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Oh? About the flowerworks? [His brow raises a bit. He has his own memories associated with that event and for a few paranoid seconds, he wonders if that's what Susato wants to talk about.]
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Nah, she's just dragging this out. She shakes her head to keep her eyes from going wide, and manages to resist slapping herself in the cheeks. ]
No... Well– [ Yes? Wait. No. Nope. ] Not exactly the flowerworks themselves. But I...
[ ...She'll quietly let Yujin sweat it out for a few seconds more before she gathers herself. ]
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I kissed him. I kissed Kazuma-sama.
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Oh! Ah... [What... What does he say to that? What does any father say when their daughter tells them they kissed a boy?
"That's rough, buddy"?] I see.no subject
Fingers tense around her box of sandwiches, which remain uneaten. ]
Maybe I shouldn't have said anything, but I vowed to keep no more secrets.
[ She can still hear Reaper's laugh through his armor when she mentioned that she told Yujin everything. That it was easier, better for Reaper to keep secrets from his own parents. She refused to believe it, of course, but she still hates the vague feeling that he's right. ]
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His head tilts forward a bit. He can't quite look her way anymore.]
... I'm glad that you told me. And it should go without saying that I have no objections. Kazuma is a good man. [His fingers begin to drum against the side of the sandwich box.] For the sake of transparency, you ought to know that... I'm in a similar situation.
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She'd been just about to open it-- ]
What? [ Genuine, innocent confusion. ] You mean you also...?
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Yes, I... Ah... I suppose I'm in a relationship of sorts now. [He doesn't know what else to call it.]
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She was furious, thinking he had fathered Iris, but that's something different entirely. You can't cheat on someone who's dead.
That said, Susato really doesn't know how to react. Her mouth hangs open, and she feels a pang in her chest, like she's being left behind again, though she quickly realizes that's not the case. (In the first place, wasn't she the one who wanted to tell him that...? Sure feels distant now.) ]
That's...! That's wonderful! A, A bit... a bit sudden, perhaps? [ Should she have seen this coming? She's confused. ] Um... isn't it wonderful?
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It is wonderful. Truly. However, I don't believe it's apt to call it sudden. One ah... [He trails off for a second, then tries again.] One might say it was almost seventeen years in the making.
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Oh. ]
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Mr... Mr Sholmes?
[ She might have assumed it was a lady, at first. Surely Yujin met plenty of women across their various cases, and maybe one would have had an impact on his life as much as Ayame did. It's not like Susato would have ever known.
She closes her mouth, still unable to say anything more, but the more she thinks about it, the more sense it makes, and her expression seems to ease to match. ]
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... I'm aware it sounds odd, given that we're both... Well. However, such a thing does not change my feelings. [His fingers are still fiddling with the sandwich box as he speaks, tips digging into the corners.] And I hope... that you can come to accept it for what it is. A partnership built on care and trust, that is.
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It's just... unexpected. Though the fact that it feels as such is probably a failure on her part. ]
No, it's not... it is not that odd. You already had a very strong partnership, did you not? One that you were able to pick up right where you left off, after ten whole years. Not even most marriages could withstand that. Not even with the most dutiful of wives.
[ Though who is she to speak of marriage, anyway, or being a dutiful wife...? ]
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He looks away, clearing his throat softly.]
I... I suppose that's true. Though, now that our dynamic has changed, I do wonder... [He wonders whether that change will break their partnership. A very childish concern, but one he can't quite shake. He doesn't want to bother Susato with it either, though.] ... Well, we'll have to wait and see just how it develops. I assume it's the same for you and Kazuma.
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She doesn't quite clear her throat the way Yujin does, though she might have tried to mimic him as she... also looks away. Also flustered. (These sandwiches aren't going to be eaten any time soon, are they?) ]
Y... Yes. We're also... [ She trails off and has to re-gather her thoughts before she starts over. ] We're new... to all this. But I don't wish to overcomplicate things. [ At least, not more than she already has over the past few months. ]
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Of course. And you'll have more than enough time to explore this terrain on your own pace. No one is in a hurry, isn't that so?
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If he is smiling, then so is she. After all, Kazuma is hardly the only person she wishes happiness for (though Kazuma would appear to need the help more so than Yujin. ]
No, I wouldn't say so. Though... seeing Naruhodo-san's house as bare and empty as it is, and thinking about the state Kazuma was in that night... It does serve as a rather stark reminder.
We never know what will happen tomorrow.
[ So no, she's never once felt hurried or pressured, but... the phrase carpe dium comes to mind? ]
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Indeed, we do not. We never do, not in this world nor in our own. That's just another truth we all must accept. However, if we must enjoy the time we're being given to the fullest, isn't that all the more reason not to rush through it?
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She shakes her head quietly, her way of agreeing. ]
It wouldn't feel right. [ To rush. ] For either of us, truly. Kazuma-sama can be impulsive, but I think... there are still some things that he wants work on. Things about himself. They will take time, and I'd like to help him.
... I want to be good for him.
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