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.