RP Log: Kenya, Hiyoshi

[speedy_k]

Date: March 7 (backdated like wow)
Rating: R, for mentions of gore
Summary: Kenya and Hiyoshi go on a "date", to see Sweeney Todd. Because Hiyoshi's mother just happened to send two tickets instead of just one.....


Six-fifteen sharp, and Kenya was standing in the lobby of Nissay Theatre, waiting for his "date". He'd even thought about bringing flowers... He chuckled at himself at the thought. Hiyoshi probably just thought of him as "the guy who got the other ticket", and somehow he just couldn't imagine the flowers going over well.

Well, no matter. He'd work on that. But for now, he'd settle for little things like this.

Hiyoshi walked into the Nissay Theater a few minutes late. He had not meant to be, but Hiyoshi had panicked about what to wear. After reminding himself, strongly, that it was not a date and therefore it did not matter, Hiyoshi had dressed in casual dress and hurried off. He thought he looked nice, in dark pants and a tight white v-neck sweater shirt. Hiyoshi's brother had given him the sweater for Christmas, and this was the first chance Hiyoshi had to wear it.

Spotting Kenya, Hiyoshi walked over to him and pulled out the tickets. Hiyoshi handed one over to Kenya. "Oshitari-san."

Kenya stared when he spotted Hiyoshi, and had to resist the urge to whistle. Damn he looked good. Kenya himself had gone for black slacks, a pale blue mock turtleneck, and a black blazer.

"You look good, Hiyo-kun." He decided he wouldn't be himself if he didn't comment, but he behaved himself and tried to keep it as non-pervy as possible. They were in public, after all.

Kenya took the ticket and tucked it into the pocket inside his blazer. "Shall we?" he asked, gesturing up the stairs. "Wouldn't want to keep our seats waiting," he grinned as he gently nudged Hiyoshi towards the steps with a touch to his lower back.

"Thank you Oshitari-san." Hiyoshi gave the other a quick once over, glad that Oshitari had known how to dress for the theater. "You too." Far too many people thought it was okay to come see a show in whatever they decided to throw on.

Twitching a little at the touch to his back, Hiyoshi walked towards the steps. "No, I suppose we wouldn't." Maybe he should give Oshitari a talk about inappropriate touching in public. That had been far too intimate for them to be taken as friends by anyone who had seen.

If it happened again Hiyoshi would just have to slap his hand away, though he would hate to cause a scene...

Kenya gave a small bow of thanks at the compliment, then followed Hiyoshi up the stairs.

"It's been a while since I've been to the theatre. Mom tried to make me go while I was back home, but she wanted to drag me to some frilly Italian opera that all her socialite buddies had been raving about." Kenya had hated the opera since he was a kid. Musicals were fine. He loved a few of them, actually, but constant singing in one of the languages he didn't know? Not so much.

"I've never liked Opera too much, or Ballet." Hiyoshi frowned. "It's all the same too; someone loves, some dies, some kills someone else...." Shrugging Hiyoshi stuck his hands into his pockets. He found Opera occasionally interesting, but on the most part repetitive.

Kenya nodded. "Yeah. And if I'm going to watch something without subtitles, I'd like it to be in one of the languages I do know. Mom's obsessed with Italian, though, and I don't know a whit of it."

They approached the doors to the auditorium, but the doors were closed, which meant they weren't seating people yet. They were a little early, after all, and the ushers would be opening the doors soon.

"Italian's not that hard to pick up, especially if you know any of the other romance languages." French, Spanish, and Italian were all very similar, and they all had their roots in Latin.

Looking around, Hiyoshi tried to estimate how long they would be waiting. Not too long, maybe ten minutes at the most.

"And, oddly enough, I'm fluent in Spanish." Kenya shrugged. "Mom tried to get me to learn more languages as a kid, but I quit at three. I just didn't have the motivation to learn more. I was more interested in playing sports, running track, things like that." He chuckled a little. He'd been way too active a kid to sit and study any longer than he absolutely had to.

He watched the doors open from the inside, ushers taking their places.

"Looks like they're ready to start seating," he commented, pulling his ticket from his pocket.

"You seem like you were pretty active as a kid." And had stayed active as an adult. Hiyoshi was the one behind the desk after all, not Oshitari. "I've heard that after the 4th one it's all downhill."

Pulling out his ticket Hiyoshi nodded, moving towards the ushers.

Kenya nodded. "I've heard that too. But there are some who just possess a talent for it, I guess, and I'm just not one of 'em."

He grinned a little and snatched Hiyoshi's ticket, then handed both of them to the usher.

The usher looked at the tickets, then turned, leading the two towards their seats.

Hiyoshi twitched as his ticket was snatched away, stifling the urge to snatch it back. He wondered if his reflexes were as good as Kenya's. Grumpily, Hiyoshi waited for the usher to hand the tickets back before shuffling off to their seats.

Damn his mother, she'd gotten orchestra seats in the center of the center row.

Now Hiyoshi had to get her something really good in return.

"Wow. These are really good seats," Kenya grinned. "Were they a birthday present or something?" Tickets for seats like this weren't exactly cheap, Kenya knew.

He took a moment to look around the auditorium. He'd never been in this one, but it was as nice as the ones his mother had dragged him to in years past.

"Hmm. I know exactly where my mother would sit in this place," he pondered aloud, noting the box seats high above them.

"They were a gift." Hiyoshi grumbled, blushing and glancing at his hands. His mom bought season tickets usually, but she did not particularly like plots like this.

"You sat in the boxes?" Hiyoshi had always wanted to sit there; he bet they were nice and quiet and the view was good.

Kenya nodded. "Every time that I go with my mother, that's where we are." He pointed to one box in particular. "Mom would insist on that one, here."

He shrugged. "Mom always raves about how they're the best seats in the house. Personally, I think they're overpriced, and the view from up there actually isn't all that good. The only up-side is that you get these big, plushy armchairs. It sucked when I was little, and couldn't see the orchestra from up there."

Kenya looked around his own seat, pondering. "Actually, these seats are better, I think. I like being closer to the performers and being able to see their faces, instead of just blurs."

"You'd get to see the whole stage..." Actually, no, the box angles would cut off the part of the stage closest to the box. "Or not."

Hiyoshi frowned. Hmm, maybe box seats weren't all they were cracked up
to be.

"Orchestra seats are nice, but so are ones in the Mezzanine." Hiyoshi nodded at the balcony that overcast half of the orchestra. "For one thing, you're not all on the same level, so unless someone really tall sits in front of you, you can see."
Kenya nodded. "Those are good too. I've sat there a few times." He laughed a little. "Last time I did, though, I was the poor sap who had some really tall guy right in front of him. I kept leaning to one side or the other, but then the people behind me griped, so I ended up missing more of the show than I saw."

Kenya looked around, noting that the auditorium was pretty full now. The lights dimmed and he checked his watch. "Must be about to start."

Hiyoshi nodded, sitting forward in his seat in excitement. As he heard the opening strums of the orchestra, he couldn't help the small, secretive smirk.

He wondered how much Kenya knew about Sweeney Todd.

Kenya leaned back in his seat and got comfortable, settling in for the performance.

He wondered exactly what was going to happen. He knew it was a horror thing - Hiyoshi wouldn't be quite so interested in it if it wasn't - but aside from hearing that it was creepy enough to have given a few people nightmares, he didn't know much about the play.

And Hiyoshi had a rather suspicious smirk...

Kenya hoped that he wouldn't end up being one of the ones to have nightmares about this...

Watching the prologue avidly Hiyoshi pondered that he really did not think the mood in the theater was right for this piece. Everyone still felt light hearted, and there were a number of teenagers in the audience. Hiyoshi wondered why.

As soon as The Ballad of Sweeney Todd started people began to quiet down, and the mood became darker. Some of them even flinched at the line 'swing your razor wide, Sweeney' and Hiyoshi's smirk broke into a grin.

Some people just did not do their research.

Okay, he knew this was horror, but... Something about the music, and the words, made him wonder if he was in for more than he bargained for.

Near as Kenya could figure, this Sweeney guy was a psycho, who apparently murdered people. Well. He could deal with that. He'd seen some gruesome movies in his time, and watching some of those American medical TV series had gotten him used to seeing blood and guts - even if it wasn't quite the same as watching someone get killed...

But it looked good and freaky, so he leaned forward, amused that the girl beside him seemed like she was already trying to bury herself in her seat.

The actor who was playing Anythony looked familiar, he was really tall too. From the dramatic sighs echoing through the theater Hiyoshi figured he was the reason for the teenage girls. Still, he had a very robust voice and it fit the part well.

Glancing at Kenya Hiyoshi was glad to see he was interested as well.

If Kenya freaked out though Hiyoshi could offer to sleep with him.

Wait, that didn't sound right.

Blushing Hiyoshi determinedly focused on the musical as Mrs. Lovette
began The Worst Pies in London.

Kenya raised an eyebrow at the song. A little weird...

But then again, something told him the whole show was going to be a little weird. Maybe even downright creepy.

He heard muttering behind him, something about pies out of people, and turned around to shush the guy. Kenya wanted to find out by watching, not by having some guy ruin it for him.

Half the fun was in the suspense, after all.

Hiyoshi would have turned around and glared, but Kenya had already shushed them. Some people didn't know how to take theater seriously. He didn't want to be distracted during the song of Sweeney Todd's back story. Hiyoshi had always felt more then a little sorry for Todd's wife, who was raped by the villainous judge after her husband was sent
away. Todd's daughter Johanna also inspired a lot of sympathy in him.

Watching Sweeney Todd's transformation from vengeance seeker to homicidal maniac, and Mrs. Lovett discovering that 'everyone went down well with beer' Hiyoshi glanced at Kenya as the first act came to a close.

The lights came back on as the intermission started, and all Kenya could do was stare at the stage and blink.

After a moment, he turned to Hiyoshi, his own eyes a little wide. "You..." He poked Hiyoshi in the nose with his index finger. "...are just a little bit twisted," Kenya laughed.

"And it's a damn good thing I have a strong stomach." He glanced at the now-empty seat on his other side. The girl sitting there had dashed out, her hands cupped over her mouth like she was about to get sick.

He couldn't really blame her, actually.

Hiyoshi stifled the urge to bite Kenya's finger. Given what they had been watching, it would have been appropriate though. "The humorous, or dramatic, use of cannibalism is an age old tradition."

Smirking Hiyoshi sat back in his chair. "Are you saying you can't handle it? I first heard Sweeney Todd when I was 10."

Kenya raised an amused eyebrow. Hiyoshi actually looked...confident, for once. It was a good attitude, Kenya decided. Hiyoshi looked downright sexy when he wasn't blushing or embarrassed or like he was trying to hide from the world (not that Kenya didn't think he was sexy anyway. The confidence just made it a different kind of sexy).

He leaned towards Hiyoshi a little. "Of course I can handle it, Hiyo-chan. I'd be ashamed of myself if I couldn't," he grinned.

"Ten? That's a young age to get exposed to something like this."

"How old were you when you started sneaking glances at horror movies?"
Hiyoshi questioned, also leaning a little closer. It was merely so they could speak without being overly loud. "Boys are fond of monster stories; this is just another monster story... with a twist."

Hiyoshi would never admit that after the show he had not been able to eat anything no prepared by his mother for a month, and that for six weeks he had waited until his parents were asleep to creep into their bed.

Kenya pondered... "Twelve, I think. Mom tried to keep me sheltered. Failed miserably, but she doesn't know that," he winked. He stretched a little, since it was the intermission, and his arm just happened to land resting across the back of Hiyoshi's seat.

"And you probably don't want to know what I was sneaking peeks at when I was ten," he grinned, remembering his dad's huge collection of porn hidden in the closet of the spare bedroom. Stacks and stacks of magazines, boxes full of videos...

Hiyoshi snorted, shifting in his seat. "A pervert at age 10? I believe it." Hiyoshi had not even thought about sex until they had started teaching it in his health classes. "Maybe your mother shouldn't have tried so hard."

Horror films taught you the virgins survived, after all.

"I wasn't a pervert! Just...curious. My dad would wander back into the spare room when he looked stressed out, and he'd always come back looking relaxed. So I wondered what was so special about the room and wandered back there myself. And then I tried to figure out what was so special about the stuff in the room. I didn't really get it until I hit thirteen and they started doing sex-ed in school."

Right about then, the lights flickered, signaling the end of intermission. The other people started settling back into their seats, including, to Kenya's surprise, the girl from the seat beside him. Though she looked a little green...

"Right." Hiyoshi bet Kenya had been the type to make dirty jokes and snigger with his rowdy ten year old classmates. Crossing his arms he leaned back in the chair and just then noticed that Kenya's arm was resting on the top.

Well, it wasn't doing any harm.

"No, really!"

Kenya was about to say more, but the theatre went dark and the curtain went up, so he kept his mouth shut. He felt a little distracted though... Had such strong temptations to do things... like run his fingers through the back of Hiyoshi's hair, or slide his arm off the back of the chair and onto Hiyoshi's shoulders...

Neither of which was likely to go over well. So he behaved and kept his arm in place, determined to watch the rest of the musical.

Act two opened up showing how prosperous Sweeney and Mrs. Lovette had become in the time since they had taken to murdering, and using the body parts for pies. Hiyoshi thought the scenery was all top notch, especially the way it seemed to just swing into place.

The action picked up now, with Sweeney Todd killing left and right, and Anthony on his desperate search for his sweetheart.

Shifting a little to the right Hiyoshi brought himself closer to Kenya. It wasn't an encouragement or anything, he just wanted to see the stage better.

Kenya smiled a little at Hiyoshi's shifting. Apparently Hiyoshi wasn't finding him all that uncomfortable to be around anymore.

Good.

He fidgeted a little in his seat, not noticing when his fingertips brushed against Hiyoshi's shoulder. He kept watching the scenes on stage before him, and had to wonder... How could everybody not notice that people were going into Sweeney's barber shop and not coming back out again? Wouldn't the cops have caught the guy already?

The acting was excellent, and Hiyoshi found himself clutching the arm rest as the musical came to a climax. It was all still so cool; he guessed good plays never went out of style.

After the cast had come out for curtain call everyone started clearing out of the theater. Standing Hiyoshi brushed his pants off. "Did you like it?" He looked at Kenya for the first time since intermission.

Kenya nodded as he stood and stretched a little. "It was good. Freaky, but good. I'd wonder how much I should trust my barber, but there's no bakery under his shop," he grinned.

The girl beside him had made a quick exit again, so Kenya went out that way, since the people on Hiyoshi's other side seemed to be content to sit and talk for a bit.

Hiyoshi followed behind Kenya. "You go to a barber?" He blinked. "Someone who uses a big sharp knife near your throat?"

Hiyoshi hoped Kenya was joking. Because the fact someone still did that made Hiyoshi's brain spin.

Kenya laughed. "For my haircuts." It was either call the guy a barber, or sound like a girl and call him a stylist. "I shave at home, thank god, and if I didn't, I'd start, after seeing this."

He pondered it a little. "I don't even think that kind of barber exists anymore."

"Oh." That made sense. Hiyoshi just usually called the guy who cut his hair 'the guy who cut his hair. And who didn't have an automatic razor now-a-days. Stupid question, Hiyoshi.

"Probably not."

Kenya chuckled and stretched again, feeling a little stiff from sitting for so long.

By the time they got back into the lobby, Kenya had reasoned that Hiyoshi probably figured they were just going to go their separate ways. But...

He didn't want to go home quite yet.

Kenya glanced at Hiyoshi out of the corner of his eye. "Feel like joining me for dinner, Hiyoshi?" he asked, feeling oddly shy. Huh. Maybe because if Hiyoshi went, Kenya could actually call it a date.

Hiyoshi was feeling characteristically sulky by the time they got to the lobby. He had made a fool of himself, and after doing so well too. Stupid mouth.

"...dinner?" Hiyoshi blinked, and considered Kenya's offer. He was hungry, though it was pretty late by now and eating would throw off his schedule. "I am a little hungry." It was okay to change things around, now and again.
Kenya grinned. Yes! More time with Hiyoshi!

Hmm...now, where to go... "Ooh. I know a great Chinese place about a block from here, unless you're in the mood for something else..."

And Kenya was so paying. If Hiyoshi argued, well, then Kenya would just say that Hiyoshi would have to treat him to dinner sometime. Which meant another little "date"...

"Chinese?" Chinese actually sounded really good. Hiyoshi could almost hear his stomach gurgle at the thought of something nice, hot, and sticky. Chinese food was a luxury he rarely allowed. "That sounds fine. Which way?"

Mentally Hiyoshi counted up how much money he had in his wallet. If need be he could pay for Kenya as well, though he wouldn't mind going dutch.

"Mmhm. It's the best Chinese I've ever had," Kenya nodded, putting a hand on Hiyoshi's upper back (he'd noticed Hiyoshi's earlier twitch when he'd touched his lower back) and leading him out of the theatre.

"I usually go there every other week. Most of the servers know me by name." And knew to give him the check, should he ever show up with somebody. "They've got these awesome chicken lettuce wraps for an appetizer...Mmm. Makes me hungry just thinking about it."

He grinned and put both hands into his own pockets as they walked, respecting that Hiyoshi didn't seem to like to be touched, much.

The hand on his upper back was much more appropriate, though Hiyoshi still resented it. "If you go there every week it must be very good." Slipping through the crowd Hiyoshi was sure to stick to Kenya's side.

"They're not one of those places who serves heavy appetizers are they?" Hiyoshi thought that appetizers should be light. A salad was a good appetizer, or soup.

Matching Kenya's pace Hiyoshi relaxed. It looked like the other wasn't going to be touching him so much.

Kenya noticed when Hiyoshi relaxed and smiled to himself. Little touches, few and far between, and in appropriate places. Right. He'd remember that.

"Hmm...I guess whether or not their heavy depends on your appetite, but yeah, they're probably on the heavier side. I've gone with people sometimes who get an appetizer as their meal," he shrugged. There had been some days, though, where Kenya had been hungry enough to eat almost a whole appetizer and a meal (though he did usually take some home, just so he could have it for leftovers the next day).

They rounded a corner, and Kenya could see the enormous stone horse statues that were the restaurant's trademark. He inhaled deeply as they got closer. "Mmmmm...I can smell it already."

"Hmm." Well, it was not like Hiyoshi was planning on eating much. Depending on what the menu offered he might just have the appetizer. He also had a sneaking suspicion that Kenya was going to try to steal the check.

When the approached the restaurant Hiyoshi blinked. "Those are...rather large horses."

Kenya nodded. "Yup. They're kind of like the mascot."

He would've held the door, but it was kind of hard to hold a revolving one. So he lead the way in.

The hostess grinned at him. "Kenya-kun! This isn't your usual night," she smiled. "Special occasion?"

Kenya grinned. "Something like that. My friend and I just saw a show at the theatre, and thought we'd get some dinner," he explained, nodding in Hiyoshi's direction. "Is my usual table open?"

The girl looked back towards the table Kenya usually sat at, in the corner of the restaurant. "It's just being wiped off. You're lucky it's a slow night, or I'd have to make you wait." She picked up two menus and two sets of utensils, and led them towards the table. "Rei's on tonight, so she'll take care of you two."

Kenya nodded. "Thanks, Michiru."

He laughed a little. "I wasn't kidding when I said they know me," he grinned sheepishly.

Stepping into the restaurant Hiyoshi took a deep breath. It smelled really good. He watched the interaction between Kenya and the hostess, feeling a small twinge of... jealousy? No, it must be hunger pains.

"I can tell." Hiyoshi rolled his eyes. "By name and everything." Kenya probably flirted with the wait staff, Hiyoshi thought sourly.

Kenya chuckled. "I insisted they call me by name once I started having their schedules practically memorized," he shrugged.

The waitress was out to them right away. "Hey, Kenya-san. How've you been?"

"Can't complain. How're you and your boyfriend? You guys were having trouble last time I was in, right?" Kenya remembered that. The restaurant had been dead, so Kenya insisted she sit and talk with him. He'd given her a little advice, and hoped it helped.

"We're better, yeah. The advice you gave me last time worked like a charm," she smiled brightly. "Water for you, Kenya-san?"

"Yeah, like always," Kenya nodded.

"And what can I get you to drink?" Rei asked, turning towards Hiyoshi.

Knowing the wait staff enough to know their personal problems? That was a little weird. Hiyoshi was sure other people would think so too.

When the waitress turned to face him Hiyoshi fumbled a bit. "W-water's fine."

Rei nodded and trotted off to get their drinks.

Kenya glanced at Hiyoshi and raised an eyebrow. "You're looking at me like I'm weird. What's on your mind, Hiyoshi?"

"Nothing." Hiyoshi unfolded the napkin from around his silverware, placing it on his lap. "I'm not looking at you weird."

Kenya was so different. If Hiyoshi went there every day he'd barely remember the waitress' names.

Kenya chuckled a little and shrugged. Sure looked like it to him, but pressing it wouldn't do any good.

"So. Figured out what you're getting yet?" he asked, noting that Rei was headed their way with their waters.

Hiyoshi frowned at the chuckle, and then took to staring at his menu.

"I think I might just get the pin rice noodle soup." It looked hearty, and the soup would sit well on his stomach.

"Ooh, that's good. Haven't had that in a while," Kenya replied, watching as Rei set their drinks down.

The girl took out her notepad and wrote down Hiyoshi's order, then glanced at Kenya. "Your usual, Kenya-san?" she asked, grinning.

"Yes, please," he answered, smiling back. Rei was the first server he'd had at this place, and she'd mastered the art of discreetly slipping Kenya the check without his guest noticing.

She nodded, writing that down, too. "I'll go ahead and put your order in," she smiled, turning and heading towards the kitchen.

"Sankyuu, Rei-chan."

Kenya leaned back in his seat, his foot accidentally bumping against Hiyoshi's.. "So, talk to me. You've gotten quiet, since leaving the theatre."

There was definitely something between Kenya and the waitress. It was natural to be friendly, of course, but this was... well. Like they were friends. It was odd. They *had* to know each other outside the restaurant.

"Maybe I'm thinking." Hiyoshi twitched his foot, then shifted in his seat. "What's your 'usual'?"

"Chicken fried rice. Love the stuff. And the portion size here is big, so I usually eat half, and take the other half home for later."

Kenya nudged Hiyoshi's foot lightly. "Can I ask what you're thinking about?" he half-pouted.

That made sense, though Hiyoshi wondered if Kenya ever got bored of his order.

"You can," Hiyoshi nudged Kenya's foot back, "but that doesn't mean I have to answer."

Ooh, footsies. Kenya tapped his foot against Hiyoshi's, then backed it away a little, to see if Hiyoshi would seek it out.

"But...now I'm curious," Kenya pouted. Besides. Observing somebody only showed him so much. The real detail in getting to know somebody was in their thought processes.

Looked like he was going to have to really work for the right to those.

Hiyoshi was not going to be beaten in a simple battle between feet. Sliding his foot over he knocked it against Kenya's and smirked. Hah.

"Curiosity killed the cat." Hiyoshi tucked a strand of his hair behind his ear, wondering if he should get it cut soon.

"Good thing I'm not a cat, then," Kenya grinned. "I've actually always been told I have more of a canine personality."

He trapped Hiyoshi's foot between both of his own right as Rei arrived with their dinner.

"Here you go, guys. Enjoy." She set the plates down (the check nicely hidden under Kenya's), then headed to one of her other tables.

"I like fish." Hiyoshi stated, squirming his foot in Kenya's hold. Damn, Kenya had his foot trapped tightly.

Giving the waitress a short nod of thanks Hiyoshi picked up his spoon, waiting for Kenya to pick up his utensils as well. It would be rude to start eating first.

Hopefully his foot would be released once Kenya was occupied with eating.

Kenya picked up his chopsticks. Beneath the table, he crossed his own ankles behind Hiyoshi's. It was an easy enough hold for Hiyoshi to get out of, but if he did, Kenya would just go after him again.

"Fish, huh? Own any?" He could really imagine Hiyoshi with a cute little fish tank. And fish, unlike dogs or cats, were quiet, unobtrusive animals.

He took a bite of his chicken fried rice. "Mmm. Good as always."

Hiyoshi slipped his feet out of the hold Kenya had on them, moving them back to his side. Picking up his spoon he dipped it into the soup, sipping at the hot liquid.

"No, but they're the only animals I would buy." Hiyoshi's mother had given him two goldfish when he had first moved into the apartment, but after they had died Hiyoshi had just cleaned the fish tank out and shut it away.

Kenya pouted a little, even though he knew Hiyoshi would move his foot away eventually.

"You should get some. They'll keep you company. Though I bet you'd go for plain old goldfish, instead of something fancy and tropical and bright-colored." He could see Hiyoshi with goldfish.

"I'd love to get a dog, myself, but they're really time consuming. And with my job, I'd be afraid I wouldn't have the time to train it properly."

"I would not know how to care for something 'fancy'." Or how to pick any out. Oishi-san might know though, maybe Hiyoshi should ask him. Then he could surprise Kenya by having picked out something besides goldfish... even if Hiyoshi really liked goldfish.

"Dogs take a lot of time, and a lot of places won't give a dog to someone who doesn't have the time to take care of it." Hiyoshi's father had gotten a dog a few years ago once he had retired. He complained about not being able to buy one before then. "Puppies
especially need a lot of care." And they pooped all over the place.

Kenya nodded. "I figure, maybe someday when I'm not working for the Agency anymore, I'll get myself one. In the meantime, though, it'll just be little ol' me, livin' alone."

Maybe he should find out when Hiyoshi's birthday is, and give him a fish or two as a present. Hmmm...

"So. How's your soup?"

Hiyoshi started, then blinked down at his soup, taking another spoonful. "It's good." He had forgotten to eat while talking to Kenya.

Kenya chuckled. Seemed Hiyoshi couldn't quite eat and talk at the same time.

So he stayed quiet, eating his own food (and occasionally knocking his foot against Hiyoshi's under the table), and assuring Rei that everything was fine when she stopped by to check on them.

Hiyoshi was grateful for the silence, focusing on eating his soup. He was unused to conversation during dinner, it would take time to adjust. Not that Hiyoshi planned to eat dinner with Kenya often.

Kicking lightly back at Kenya whenever he knocked their feet together, Hiyoshi soon found his soup bowl empty.

Kenya smiled at the footsies. He'd figured Hiyoshi would get tired of it, eventually, and just ignore it. But he was pleasantly surprised to be proven wrong.

He slipped his check card out of his pocket right when he saw Rei walking towards them again.

"All finished?" she asked pleasantly, picking up the empty dishes (and Kenya's card as she grabbed his plate).

"Looks that way," Kenya grinned, patting his stomach and feeling happily full. He'd skipped any kind of dinner before the show, so he'd managed to eat his whole plate of fried rice.

"Any room for dessert?" she asked.

"Not for me, thanks. How about you, Hiyoshi?"

Hiyoshi wondered if Kenya thought he was dumb or something, he could see the other slipping the waitress his card.

"No thank you." Hiyoshi shook his head at the offer of dessert. "I'm full. The soup was delicious." And probably full of sugars or something bad for him like all restaurant food was, Hiyoshi would need to modify his morning work out routine just in case.

Kenya knew, by the way Hiyoshi's eyes narrowed slightly, that he'd been caught in his little scheme to treat Hiyoshi to dinner. He grinned a bit sheepishly. Ah well.

Rei nodded and wandered off to run Kenya's card.

"Well. Looks like our night is coming to a close," he commented, with a small sigh of disappointment. "Unless you'd let me walk you home, but I can't seem to imagine that."

"No thank you." Hiyoshi frowned. "I can get home by myself thank you very much."

Standing up he gave Kenya a small bow. "...I had a really nice night though."

The waitress returned with Kenya's card, and he signed the receipt quickly.

Then he stood and returned Hiyoshi's bow. "I'm glad. Thank you for inviting me," he smiled, turning to walk with Hiyoshi towards the restaurant exit.