Ryuuto and the Scientist (3)

A home improvement store…the way Sato described it is a place to get household items when things get old or break. She said she needs a lightbulb and some copper wire…sounds like it’d be pretty easy to find at a home center shop nearby — though knowing Sato, Sunday will be more than just going to the shop and buying those two items. Shopping, finding a place to eat, and exploring the place! I remember her saying these words last night.

Now, there is one place, quite tourist-y to be honest, that does fit these areas of criteria for a Sunday outing.

I checked my computer screen, with the map pulled up and zoomed in on a certain entertainment district –Akihabara.

I sighed, opening a new tab.

Thanks! I really appreciate that...

Been quite a while since someone outside my family said something remotely like that to me. Another odd situation–Sato really is something else. I’ll at least show my appreciation with this day trip.

That does bring another wrinkle into the situation: with the several outings over the past few weeks, I was starting to gauge my bank account somewhat more cautiously than I was initially thinking of doing. Living expenses…

A reminder lit up on my phone to buy a ticket for the convention next weekend. The admission fee for this one is only ¥1000 since it’s a smaller event, compared to Anime-Tokyo’s ¥2500 fee. These expenses are adding up, unfortunately…I really should find a part-time job somewhere….

 I typed away for job offers, narrowing down by location, pay, and hours flexibility. The ones near the central campus do have more competitive pay, though factoring in the commute and such…

My phone buzzed again, this time a social media notification. Wait, this is big news…. rumors that international cosplayer Eris-sama may be at this convention to preview her Anime-Tokyo debut.

Anyways, I’ll move that thought to later in the week, I should be focusing on the current task. There’s one near this campus, looking for weekday evenings, conversational English is highly recommended, and that seems to be incorporated in the higher pay. Perhaps I’ll submit an application here, won't hurt.

***

After an uneventful Saturday of planning, busywork, and lounging around, the day finally arrived—

“Wowww–” Sato gazed at the buildings in awe. “That building’s so cool! All the different colors!” As we stepped out of the station, we were greeted with a mirage of colorful LED displays, crystalline window fronts decorating the taller buildings, and an abundance of people roaming the streets.

“It sure is…alright, that’s our first stop, we should be able to find what you’re looking for in there.” The multi-story electronics building in front of us– probably anything she wants to get, if it’s not there, it might not be anywhere else, besides online shopping.

Cameras, cell phones, laptops, computer parts, cooking elements, small appliances, laundry units, and all serviceable parts in between–

“I could spend an entire week exploring this place–” her eyes scanning back and forth between the different shops, mesmerized by this newfound paradise. We spent the next several hours scouring the place, eventually finding some of the items on her list: light bulb, copper wires, rubber gloves, safety goggles…

Wait a second….why does this sound like materials used to psychologically interrogate someone with? I hope this doesn’t land us on any watchlists.

At the end of the scavenger hunt, we settled to have lunch at a cafe I had looked into the day before.

“Ahh, I’m starving—” Sato exhaled as she sat down, taking no moment to spare before perusing the menu. “Ooh, this looks delicious!!” she pointed at the large image on the special menu.

“Special Two-set Lunch for Couples,” I read before it registered in my mind. What!? This wasn’t on the menu when I checked online…mini-pastries, two entrees, a shared dessert, and drinks…it is a good deal, to be honest. But it clearly says for couples—I’d be caught dead from embarrassment before ordering this.

“I see, the Two-set lunch for c-”

“And the dessert looks amazing!!” She could barely contain her excitement. Before I could interject, our waitress walked over to greet us. 

“Welcome to our cafe, are we feeling ready to order, or need a few more minutes?” the waitress asked kindly.

“Is she asking if we’re ready?!” Sato asked me, pointing at the couple's set. “Should we get this? It looks soooo good–”

The waitress noticed Sato’s gesture and nodded as she started speaking to me. “Ah, you’re looking at the couples set! Yes, it’s quite popular. Sounds like your girlfriend made her choice–”

“Yes!” Sato exclaimed. She obviously did not understand the question the waitress was asking!! She’s done it now… the embarrassment of walking back this situation to clear this miscommunication, plus disappointing Sato at this point–

“We’ll have the set, yes–” I mustered, and the waitress smiled. I turned back to Sato. “Ah-what do you want to drink?”

“Iced-coffee!”

“Two iced coffees then.”

“Alright, thank you, I’ll be back with you and your girlfriend's drink,” she smiled as she collected the menus. It took all my willpower to keep myself from saying anything ridiculous or correcting her.

“Ka-no-jo,” Sato said, sounding it out. “I think in class there was a lesson and it meant….girl!” She then pointed at herself. “She was referring to me then?”

“Well, yes,” I replied. True, kanojo can mean girl, yet in the context here... “Kanojo can also mean…girlfriend, as this is the couple’s lunch set we ordered.”

As I mentioned this, her face went from realization to…well, probably as embarrassed as I felt about it.

“Ahaha…got it.” She placed a finger on her chin. “It’s not too popular in the States to have that type of special unless it’s Valentine's. It’s usually kids or seniors. Or eating early dinner, which is mostly for seniors.”

“I see…anyways, it’s a good deal..." I trailed off, figuring out a new topic. “By the way, how was yesterday’s thing you had?”

“Oh yeah! It was fun!” she nodded, and she started recounting the group activities she and the other English program students did. Before long, our drinks and meal came out

“Looks so pretty, just like in the picture!” she gleamed, getting her phone out. “I gotta take a picture and send it in the group chat.”

Moments later, after she sent the picture, Watson and Lafon left new messages.

Watson: Looks delicious!

Lafon: (つ ◕_◕ )つ Give to me.

“Aand a selfie! Iwasaki-kun, look here!” Sato got her phone camera in position, snapping both of us. Showing me the photo, she wore a face of accomplishment like an award-winning photographer. “Let me send this to yo–ah–”

“Oh, got it–” I looked at my phone. Don’t tell me–

Watson: Oh my! Enjoy! ☺️

Lafon: 🗿

“Alright…unsending–” It’s too late for that, Sato!!

***

In the common room, I watched as Sato started twisting the copper wire, forming a circular disc with the wire forming smaller and smaller circles as it reached the center. She then took the two ends of the wire and placed them near the base of the lightbulb, one end on either side. “They call this a pancake coil, kinda looks like a pancake, right?”

“Now, just like in the diagram here,” she pointed at the drawing she had made on the piece of paper. “This coil is just like what’s inside the induction cooker. When the stove is turned on, the electricity goes around in a circle around the loops of wire, and it makes a magnetic field in the shape of a donut like so,” she pointed at the donut-looking part for drawing with arrows. Hold on, describing these things with pastries is … never mind. “The direction of these arrows on the donut actually change directions, kinda like turning a door knob back and forth— because the electricity flowing through the coil goes forwards and backwards in an alternating current.”

“Alternating current,” I faintly remember that concept in high school. “

“Now, what happens when another coil like this gets close, the magnetic field makes the electrons in the coil move around, in a way that makes a magnetic field that opposes the original field.” She put on rubber gloves and then walked over with the contraption towards the induction cooker.

“Iwasaki-kun, could you turn on the stove?” I nodded and flipped the induction cooker on. Once it was on, Sato moved the coil of wires closer to the surface. Once it was about a centimeter off the surface, the light bulb started glowing, brighter and brighter until it illuminated the room with a warm orange glow.

“It’s working!” I looked closer at the surface, seeing as there was still a space of air between the coil and the surface of the stove. “It’s not even touching, like magic!”

“Science…but it is quite magical,” she agreed, looking at the orange glowing lightbulb in wonder. I glanced at her face, showing some pride in her creation. A small smile reached her lips as she stared intently at the light— she had lifted the coil high enough where the intensity of the light was easy to look at. Her nose, the closest part of her face to the lightbulb, reflected a brighter shade of light, almost as if her nose was glowing itself. Her eyes slowly shimmered with the light waxing and waning.

Kawaii  – hold on, what am I even thinking about…