Spicy Haven – Don’t worry I will make a good impression

(Time: 6:42 PM, the day of the date)

Zane hesitated for a moment outside the glowing neon sign of Spicy Haven. The bold letters flashed red and orange, casting warm hues onto the sidewalk. Inside, the hum of chatter, laughter, and the unmistakable clinking of chopsticks created an inviting, yet slightly overwhelming, atmosphere.

Standing beside him, Kira looked up at the sign with a grin.

“Spicy Haven, huh?” Kira stretched, her hands clasped behind her head. “Man, I love a place that openly challenges your taste buds to a duel. I like it already.”

Zane rolled his eyes. “It’s just a hotpot place. Don’t make it sound like we’re about to storm a fortress.”

Kira snorted. “You clearly underestimate the power of a good spice burn, Zane. I’m starting to think you lack true culinary courage.”

Before he could argue, Zane spotted Kimiko through the glass window, sitting at a booth in the corner. She was sipping from a tall glass of iced tea, her fingers drumming on the table. Despite her casual sweater and jeans, the sharpness in her expression made him wince.

“She doesn’t look happy,” Zane muttered under his breath. Kira, who was casually strolling behind him, smirked. “Well, you’re just off by 45 minutes. Scratch that—43 to be exact.”

Zane groaned, rubbing the back of his neck. “You’re not helping, you know. It’s not my fault—”

Before he could finish, Kira cut him off with a teasing grin. “It’s not your fault that you spent 30 minutes in front of the mirror fixing your hair. Five Times.”

Zane turned to her, his face reddening slightly. “Hey, I gotta look presentable!”

Kira shrugged, brushing past him to push the door open. “Sure you do. Now go on and present yourself.”

Zane narrowed his eyes at her. “What about you? You’re coming too, you know.”

Kira tilted her head, looking past him toward the interior of the restaurant. “I saw something I need to check out first. Don’t worry; I’ll join you two before you can even miss me. Promise.”

Before Zane could argue, Kira slipped through the door and veered off toward a tank of lobsters near the corner. Zane sighed and made his way toward Kimiko, hoping to salvage the situation. Meanwhile, Kira’s exploration began.

She stopped in front of a large lobster tank near the kitchen, crouching to peer at the crustaceans inside. “Hey there, little guys,” she said, tapping on the glass with a curious look. “What’s it like being a fancy dinner? Must be tough. Do they at least let you unionise?”

One of the lobsters twitched its antennae, and Kira leaned closer with a grin. “Oh, so you do have thoughts. Blink twice if you’re planning a tank breakout. I’ll keep it secret.”

A small nudge to her side made her glance back. A boy, barely eight, blinked up at her.

Kira gasped, exaggeratedly clutching her chest.“Oh no! Sorry, kiddo, didn’t mean to block the escape route.”

The boy shrugged. “It’s okay.”

Kira squatted down to his level, giving him an appraising look. “Wait, hold on. Are you lost? Or do they let kids roam free here? Or—” she leaned in dramatically, narrowing her eyes, “are you actually a really small man, and I’m being super rude right now?”

The boy blinked before bursting into laughter. “No, no!

Kira grinned, nodding sagely. "Good to know. So, where's your adult backup? Siblings? Parents? Lobster overlords?"

"My sister," the boy said with a sigh.

“Ohhh, I see,” Kira nodded sagely, sitting cross-legged on the floor. “But wait… if you’re here with your sister, why are you hanging out solo? Did she just ditch you?”

The boy sighed. “She doesn’t really care about what I’m doing.”

Kira clicked her tongue and leaned in conspiratorially. “Yeah, sisters can be the worst sometimes, huh? But hey, she’s family. You… kinda gotta roll with it. Just make sure she knows you can beat her at rock-paper-scissors if she gets too bossy.”

The boy grinned. “You’re funny. Are you here alone?”

Kira’s eyes widened in sudden realisation. “Oh no! I totally forgot what I was here for!” She jumped up, flashing the boy a peace sign. “It was great talking to you, kid, but I’ve got a good impression to make. Stay safe; don’t let the lobsters scare you!”

She hurried off toward Zane and Kimiko, leaving the boy laughing behind her.

Zane sat across from Kimiko, who had her arms crossed, her gaze fixed on him like a hawk.

“You’re late,” she said the moment he reached the table, her tone low but cutting. “Forty-five minutes late. And after disappearing on me last night, no less. Care to explain?”

Zane winced. “Uh… I—”

“Don’t even try to make an excuse,” Kimiko interrupted, crossing her arms. “Do you have any idea how worried I was when you just left Yamada like that? You don’t even answer your phone, and then you stroll in here like everything’s fine?!”

“Kimiko, I—” Zane tried to speak but was cut off immediately.

“Don’t ‘Kimiko’ me!” Her voice rose slightly before she caught herself, glancing around the restaurant. She exhaled sharply, her tone softening but still laced with frustration. “Look… I’m not mad for no reason, okay? You’ve been acting strange lately. Just… don’t leave me hanging like that. At least tell me what’s going on.”

Kimiko sighed, her anger melting into something softer—concern. “Zane… I just want to help. You don’t have to go through whatever this is alone.”

Zane nodded, feeling the weight of her words settle on him. Before he could say anything else, Kira cleared her throat loudly.

“Well, this is awkward,” she said, sliding into the booth beside Kimiko with a broad grin. “She sure has a spirit! Hi there! I’m Kira. You must be the famous Kimiko.”

Kimiko blinked in surprise, her frustration briefly replaced by confusion. “Right, and what is exactly going on here…?”

“Oh, right, introductions!” Zane gestured awkwardly. “Kimiko, this is Kira. She’s… been helping me out.”

Kira leaned forward with an easy grin. ”‘Helping out’ is a bit modest, but sure, let’s go with that. Zane’s told me all about you.”

Kimiko arched an eyebrow, her frustration not entirely gone. “Is that so?”

“Absolutely.” Kira smirked. “He talks about you all the time. Couldn’t stop if he tried.”

Kimiko’s cheeks turned faintly pink as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “Well, that’s… sweet of him.” Her tone was polite, but her eyes flicked back to Zane with a hint of suspicion. “So, where did you two meet?”

“Oh, you know,” Kira said casually, picking up a menu, “the usual. Found him half-dead in front of my place, patched him up, and now we’re best buds. Classic origin story, right?”

Kimiko’s eyes widened, her concern returning in full force. “Half-dead? Zane, you didn’t tell me this!”

Zane chuckled nervously. “Uh, yeah… I guess I forgot to mention that part. But I’m totally fine now!”

“So,” Kira began, drawing out the word, “what’s the deal with you two? Childhood friends? Secret lovers? Or one of those awkward ‘we don’t talk about our feelings, but everybody knows’ kinda situations?”

Zane nearly choked on his water. “What?! None of those!”

Kimiko’s eyes narrowed, though a hint of pink still lingered on her cheeks. “That’s none of your business, actually.”

Kira laughed, clearly enjoying the tension. “Relax, I’m just teasing. You two are fun to watch, though. Like one of those drama shows—except with more awkward pauses.”

“Kira…” Zane muttered through gritted teeth.

Kimiko sighed, shaking her head. “Is she always like this?”

“Pretty much,” Zane admitted, shooting Kira a look that she completely ignored.

The waiter arrived with menus, temporarily cutting the conversation short. Kira immediately started flipping through the pages with wide-eyed excitement.

“Okay, okay, what’s the spiciest thing they’ve got?” She muttered, scanning the menu. ”‘Inferno Pot’? That’s a bold name. Oh, wait—‘Dragon’s Breath Special’? Sold!”

Kimiko raised an eyebrow. “Do you always pick food based on how it sounds?”

Kira grinned. “Absolutely. What about you? Let me guess—you’re the ‘extra mild, no spice’ type, huh?”

Kimiko crossed her arms. “I can handle spice just fine, thank you.”

“Oh, really?” Kira leaned forward, resting her chin on her hand. “Wanna make a bet? Loser pays for dinner.”

Kimiko smirked. “You’re on.”

Zane groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Do you two seriously have to turn this into a competition?”

“Yes,” they replied in unison.

As the evening went on, the table became a battleground of banter and challenges. Kira and Kimiko went head-to-head in everything from who could eat the spiciest dish to who could come up with the best pun about chilli peppers.

Despite her initial frustration, Kimiko found herself warming up to Kira’s chaotic energy. There was something disarming about her—like a storm that was impossible to resist.

At one point, Kira leaned back, fanning herself dramatically after taking a particularly fiery bite. “Okay, I’ll admit it… This one’s a bit much. My tongue feels like it’s in the ninth circle of hell.”

Kimiko smirked, casually taking a bite of the same dish. “Guess that means I win.”

“Hey, hey, hey! Don’t celebrate yet,” Kira protested, quickly reaching for her water. “I still have my dignity.”

Zane chuckled softly, watching the two of them with a mix of amusement and relief. For the first time in what felt like forever, things felt… normal.

But as the laughter continued and the hotpot simmered, a shadow of unease crept into Zane’s thoughts. He couldn’t shake the feeling that this moment of peace wouldn’t last.

For now, though, he pushed the worry aside. Tonight was about friends, food, and maybe, just maybe, a small glimpse of happiness.