“I love you.”
The only thing I could do was to look at the person clad in black suit in front of me in shock. This confession being surprising was part of the reason, but the biggest reason for my speechlessness was the two scary elderly gentlemen standing on the left and right of the said person. With their glares on full force, it feels like they’re trying to kill me just with their eyes - and God, with how intense they looked right now, they might as well succeed.
“…So?”
The person in front of me, calmly sitting on his chair expressionlessly - seriously, even as he confessed, his expression didn’t change at all! - asked, as if hurrying me to answer. Honestly, I could understand why he’s impatient (after all, a good five minutes have probably passed since his initial confession), but please, please understand how I can’t understand what’s going on in here with my natural-born slow processor of a head.
Anyways, all of this weird happenings started a few moments ago…
· • —– ٠ ✤ ٠ —– • ·
“I guess it’s time to close up!” I said to myself as I looked at the clock on the wall.
It’s a bit late for an introduction, but hello there! I’m the owner of this modest cake shop. Making sweets have always been my number one passion since I was young, so being able to open up my own shop is like a dream inside a dream. In any case, today has been quite busy, and almost everything sold out but two slices of chocolate cake. Such a huge success warrants a night full of gratitude and some beer, I’d like to think.
Just as I was walking towards the door to flip the sign to ‘closed’, an elderly gentleman walked into the shop, looking around with apparent interest. With his neat, black suit, white slicked back hair and impeccable courtesy, he looked like one of those butlers in afternoon TV dramas. Can’t believe people like him actually existed!
“Welcome!” I said, as I corrected my relaxed posture, “We’re very sorry, but we only have two slices of chocolate cake remaining for today…”
“That is quite alright,” the gentleman replied, as he approached the almost-empty showcase with the cake slices in it, “I’ll take both of them, please.”
“T-thank you very much!” I replied in joy, “I’ll wrap it up just a second…”
As I said that, the gentleman smiled kindly. After finishing up with the payment and giving him his cakes, I was about to say thank you once again when I noticed the gentleman looking at me with a deep-meaning stare.
“…Uhm, is there anything I can help you with?” I asked.
“…Miss,” he started, “You are going to close up after this, right? Is your place far away from here?”
Not quite understanding the meaning of his question, I replied honestly: “Umm, yes, quite. But I can still catch up with a train-”
“It’s dangerous for a young lady to walk by herself this late, is it not?” He didn’t even let me finish my sentence before replying again.
“Thank you, but it’s still very crowded outside, so I think it’s alー”
“No, no, letting a young lady go by herself this late hurts this old man’s heart,” he said, “If you’d like, I’d very much be happy to drive you home.”
His words were meant as a question, yet his tone and expression won’t let me say ‘no’ - he was a kind, courteous elderly person slash butler just then, but now everything about him seems so overwhelming I couldn’t bring myself to reject his… nice offer.
“Ah, uhー”
“Well then, I’ll be waiting outside, so please finish your preparations promptly.”
Correction: he didn’t even let me say ‘yes’.
· • —– ٠ ✤ ٠ —– • ·
I was surprised to see a luxury black car outside of the shop, and even more surprised when I realised it was the gentleman’s car. Heck, I was too surprised to even realize he hadn’t even asked me where my house is, yet he’d already started the car and moved away from my shop… to God knows where.
And now here we are, in this place I’m not familiar with at all… seriously, where is this!?
“Answer him, young girl!” One of the two gentleman - the one who looked starkly similar to the one that had ‘kidnapped’ me a few moments ago, rushed me to answer, still with his unchanging death glare, “How dare this low-born girl make oyakata-sama wait like this.”
80% scared and 20% surprised - did he just say oyakata-sama? - I straightened up my back and replied with a small voice, “I, uh…” I started, “I’m sorry, but I don’t even know who you are…”
The man sitting down on the chair looked surprised for a while.
“Do you often lose your memory like I do?”
“…Excuse me?”
“We’ve met a few times.”
“…Really!?”
“…Do you really not remember?”
“I’m so sorry, I’ve been really busy recently…”
Wait, why am I even apologizing? I’m kidnapped here! I should be calling the police!
…But for some odd reason, I feel like not even the police would be able to help with my predicament…
The man in front of me look like he’s thinking - just for a short while - and then he looked like he’d just gotten a sudden insight. He reached for his hair and started brushing it with his fingers carelessly, destroying his perfectly neat hairstyle.
“…!”
“Do you remember now?”
Now he looked familiar. Isn’t he Hachina-san, the really, really, really, amazingly beautiful person who had came to my shop a few times a few months ago and suddenly disappeared!? Yes, yes he is! Come to think of it, his voice did sound familiar… and how did I fail to notice the Buddha-like mole on his forehead!?
“…Hachina-san...?”
His expressionless face didn’t change, but for some reason, to me he seemed glad - a bit happy, even, as he said: “Yes, yes I am.”
“Oh!” I said, squirming and feeling a bit embarrassed I couldn’t identify him faster, “I-I’m sorry about that, Iー”
“That’s okay,” He looked noticeably amused now, “More importantly, what’s your answer?”
What answer? I was about to ask, but then remembered what’s going on in the first place. So basically, Hachina-san ordered the scary elderly gentleman to kidnap me (now I feel bad using the word, it sounds so ominous) in order to confess his love to me. I understandーーwait, no, I don’t understand at all!
“Uhm, so, let me get this straight…” I started, trying not to mind the two glaring men, “Hachina-san, you, uh, wanted to meet me to…” I stopped for a while, feeling a bit embarrassed saying the word, “…confess to me, is this right?”
“Exactly,” He replied instantly.
“Well, um…” I started, not knowing how to phrase the words correctly. After all, this is the first time somebody ever confessed to me! I know, I know that sounds sad - but it’s true. I was starting to think I don’t have any attractive feature as a woman. I continued, “I’m really, really happy to hear that, but… I don’t know you all that much, Hachina-san. And you, too, have only seen and talked to me a few times, right?”
Hachina-san stared at me, as if prompting me to continue. It takes everything I have to not lose all of the strength in my legs: after all, the two men beside him are really scary, and they look like they’re about to rip my heart out just a moment now…
“So… what about we start out as friends, first? We can get to know each other more, and maybe then I’ll get to know Hachina-san’s charms - or maybe you’ll change your mind first, who knows. After all, I barely know anything about you apart from your name, Hachina-san, and you, too, I think, only know a small part of me,” I said, “But… I’d really love to know you more… if you’re fine with it, of course.”
Without these two gentlemen death glaring me, preferrably.
He stared at me - but for some reason the stare felt a bit softer now.
“I see, I see,” He nodded to himself, “I guess it really was too abrupt.”
“Well then, let’s start from being friends.”
Hachina-san said again, and started to think.
“I wonder what it is a friend does. Hey, Touya-san, what do you think friends do together?” he asked the man beside him.
“Well, oyakata-sama, as far as I know, they go out to eat meals together and talk about useless things,” the man answered politely. Well, he’s not wrong, but not 100% right either… I think…
“What about you, Jouichi?”
“Don’t friends fight all the time?” he said, as he crunched his fists.
S-stop it, gentlemanly Sir, if you’re the one who said it, it sounds like someone’s going to lose their life over petty fights on whose idol’s the prettiest!
“Really?” Hachina-san turned to ask me.
I gulped, “Well, no… I mean, yes, but not in that sense…”
“…I don’t quite understand,” Hachina-san finally concluded, and called my name. “So I guess, I’ll just let you lead the way.”
Hearing him say my name in his beautiful voice - not to mention with that pure, beautiful face! - made my heart beat three times faster. It feels like my heart’s going to leap out of my chest… I bet my face is all red now.
"Uhm… I’m not sure I’m capable, but…” I said, “If you’re okay with it, then I’ll do my best, Hachina-san.”
Honestly, I’m really not sure how this relationship will end, but might as well enjoy the ride…
Since I don’t think I’d be able to run away anyway.
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