Overdue Overture [Yuuto, Mirai]

Even if it was for the briefest of moments, he would still notice such a reaction, and in an instant, withdrew his hand back to his side. Though she didn't attack or lash out, he would be a fool not to acknowledge those signs, even if small and subtle.

Her conclusion was not...entirely unfounded, but it was rather bleak. Was it realistic? Possibly. In his line of work, in the two centuries that he had lived, he had known many men and women with serpent's tongue. People who would sacrifice everything for the sake of keeping that one deception, bringing it to the grave. There were too many people in this world and the one of living for him to completely disregard such an idea.

"It would be naïve and short-sighted for me to say that such a thing doesn't exist. "

He took another bite of his sandwich, taking a moment to think before he swallowed and leaned forward a little.

"There will always be secrets for people to hide, or just that there are some things that people aren't comfortable with revealing to everyone. Learning more about them, discovering those secrets, can make you grow close with someone, garner trust with them, and create a stronger bond. It's in that vulnerability from removing that mask where the test of that companionship lies."

‘Damn it to fucking hell.’ Mirai cursed herself the moment his hand lifted away. His touch wasn’t unwelcome, but she was still unfamiliar with contact like that. That one little glance probably created a rift between them, no matter large or small, that was unwanted. That also wasn't something she knew how to fix...

Mirai mimicked his actions and used a moment of eating to think herself. Dates were supposed to be this cute, romantic, lovey-eyed thing, right? No matter how much she wanted to, she wasn't sure how to provide something like that for him. The closest she came was the dress and nice hair style. 'I need to do better.'

In his words, Mirai found a glimmer of hope. She finished her bite and set the rest of the sandwich down, before looking at him, eyes filled with curiosity. What kind of question could she ask to actually get to know him more? If that is what it took to get closer to someone... Oh no... She didn't know what to ask, or how to ask it.

"Well, I..." The words slipped out as easily as one breathed. She didn't mean to hint at any sort of desire to speak, so when they escaped, her face suddenly turned bright red. 'What is this? Why is my face so warm?' Mirai turned away from Yuuto and randomly spoke, "W-Well, what could I ask to try and get to know you better?"

Well, it seemed that his response had flustered her -- that was...certainly unintended, but, he couldn't help but chuckle a small amount. Resting his head against an open palm, his elbow lightly pressed against the table as he looked at Mirai, despite her looking away from him.

"What kinds of questions have you heard from observing others? What do you want to know about me? Well, first and foremost, it'd be important to look at the person you're talking to."

A light teasing tone came from the Captain, though he remained unmoving. He wasn't exactly sure why she was suddenly so shy about it, but, he wanted to see just what exactly she had been hearing and seeing through her observations. He didn't want to give her all the solutions, he wanted to keep the onus on her, to have her learn and improve without being given the answer sheet.

Mirai looked over as he rested his head and something… changed. Mirai’s heart was racing. ‘What is this?’ she asked herself. Another glance in Yuuto’s direction and she had to look way quickly, her blushing intensifying. She put a hand over her chest and another on her face. ‘What is happening?!’

“I-I can’t,” Mirai spoke honestly, but she tried to anyway. Instead of looking away this time, she suddenly put both her hands on Yuuto’s face and blocked it from her sight. “Stop looking at me like that!” With those eyes and that damn smile…

“You ask a question first. Maybe it’ll give me an idea!”

As she continued to avoid his gaze, he kept his head rested against his open palm, patient as she took the time to try and think. Eventually, though, she suggested he ask a question first to give her an idea. Sure, he could do something like that. His gaze seemed to drift off as he retreated to his own thoughts, thinking of what could he ask to get to know her better.

"Hmm...let's see..."

There were a few things that came to mind, but, one in particular that rose above the rest, causing that smile to return to the Captain's face, shifting his arm to rest his chin against from the front.

"Here's one. What's your favorite manga that you've read as of recent?"

Waiting for a response was like watching a loading bar on a computer screen slowly move to the right. Mirai couldn’t help but think about the million different things he could possibly ask that she didn’t even have an answer for. Hesitant about fully facing him, she merely side-eyed him until the question finally came. She quickly relaxed, surprised at his choice. There were a lot deeper or telling questions he could ask, but he simply chose something about her interests.

“Uh, oh…” Mirai took a moment to think. “Well, I recently came across this teenage, slice of life, school manga called Ouran High School Host Club. I can’t find all of the volumes in a single language, so I have a mixture of Japanese, Spanish, and English. I also can’t find volume three through six, so I am missing a big chunk of information. It’s not surprising; the books are so old, it’s hard to find any I like.”

‘So… an interest…’ There were a few things Mirai had come to understand about Yuuto’s interests over the years, specifically his enjoyment of certain types of music and instruments. That would not give her much insight to him, especially since she already knew it. So, what was something she could ask that inspired new thought?

Mirai bit at the nail on her thumb as her frustration increased. 'I am so fucking bad at this!!' She tapped her nail against the table, still trying to come up with a simple question to ask that didn't come off stupid, useless, or like something she should already know and understand. "I am such a failure at this..." Mirai let her head drop.

Yuuto's smile grew a little wider at seeing her relax. Good, he had picked something that she could reasonably answer. He canted his head to the side at hearing her answer, bringing up a relatively old series. He remembered seeing a few scattered volumes across several bookstores throughout his time in the Living World. Given its age, he wasn't too surprised that it was hard to find -- an unfortunate reality for those who preferred physical media.

Technology advancing allowed for easier preservation attempts online, though it did sadly leave their real-world counterparts behind. A tragedy -- as, for him, there always would be a difference between reading something on a computer and having the physical copy in his hands.

"Well, I'll certainly have to do some digging myself on that. It's unfortunate that it hasn't been reserialized, though, perhaps you'll be able to find a digital version of it somewhere? It's no true replacement for the physical media, but, it's better than having pieces of it be missing, at least."

Despite him saying that, he made a note in the back of his mind to try and look for either English or Japanese copies of the mentioned volumes, as a surprise gift for the future. As the brief talk came to a close, it seemed Mirai had retreated to her own thoughts, presumably trying to think of something to reciprocate with. His lax expression changed to one of worry as he noticed the biting of her thumb, the subtle changes in her own expression.

Then, she dropped her head, and Yuuto reached out to gently touch her shoulder.

"Mirai, you might be thinking too hard about this. The question itself doesn't necessarily need to be what lets you learn more about me. It could be something you learn from another question branching off that."

Mirai groaned and got up from her seat. Roughing running her hands through her own hair for a moment and then dropping them back to her sides as if defeated, she sighed. “But that’s what I need to do,” Mirai said, a tone more true than normal. “I am not good at getting to know anyone, and the person I am most comfortable with in any world I feel like I only know bits and pieces about. It’s frustrating that I don’t have the skills necessary to make what is supposed to be a romantic time… well, romantic! I have no clue how to be romantic and none of the books I have help with anything between anyone our age. It’s all teenagers and young adults.” Mirai waved her hand, as if waving off any advice in those types of books.

Turning her back to him, Mirai stared at the floor for a few moments. "How do I prove to you that I really am serious about the desire for a true committed relationship, if I struggle to hold the simplest of conversations... Someone like you wouldn't tolerate that for long. I'm well aware of your love of romance..."

As Mirai stood, Yuuto was quick to follow, reaching a hand out for a moment, before letting it fall back to her side. He knew that she struggled, and he wanted her to get better -- desperately so. Yet, he didn't know how. He was a man that, to some degree, prided himself on being a man that anyone could come to for help and advice, whether it be within the Gotei or from students in the academy.

Whether it was advice, words of comfort, whatever it may be, he always tried his best to help. Despite all of that, all of the things he had said to countless students, subordinates, and comrades, this was where he faltered.

He couldn't find the words to reassure her, and, for once, the Captain stood there, his mouth slightly ajar, as he tried to think. But, eventually, he finally gathered himself, taking a half-step forward and gently turned her to face him again, pulling the woman into a gentle embrace.

"I...don't know how to help you. For once in my life, I can't find the words, none that wouldn't be lies. I want to help you, I just...I don't know how. But..."

He broke away from the hug, gently holding onto her shoulders, that warm smile she always saw him with returning.

"You don't have to prove anything. Just by telling me what you have, that alone shows that you're serious about what you want. Besides, I've tolerated a lot worse for a lot longer. Even if you struggle, regardless of our relationship, I will always be here to help as best I can."

It was only then that he fully registered the last part of what she said, causing his face to suddenly light up with red. His love for romance media was something that, like many things about himself, he rarely talked about or flaunted.

"W-Wait...you are?"

Mirai had been someone who watched Yuuto quite closely for a long time. He could hide many things, but the small reactions he had toward romantic subjects became obvious to her a long time ago. However, after being pulled into an embrace, one she struggled to return due to her own insecurities and confusions, he seemed to catch onto… something. Mirai’s rant left her head. She said a whole lot… Which part was he wait what’ing here? Mirai glanced around.

‘Wait, wait, wait… what? What did I say? Did I say something stupid? Did I say too much? I just spouted off anything in my head without thinking. Am I an idiot?!’ she thought. She recalled it all in her head. ‘Oh shit.’ Her face mimicked his, blushing for a completely different reason. “Uh… yes, I am...” was her only response.