The Writer Cowboy (Part 3)

“You’re not suggesting we go on a d-d-d-date, are you!”

After Simon seemingly asked Tokiko out while they were having dinner at a restaurant in town, Simon shot down Tokiko’s thoughts.

“No, no, no. Not a date. Just hanging out as friends.”

Tokiko narrowed her eyes and pointed suspiciously at Simon with her spoon.

“I don’t believe you.”

“Then don’t believe me. But I’m telling you, it’s not a date. I just want to know what people do around here for fun.”

“Hmm, if that’s what you want to know, then I can definitely help you.”

“For real?”

“Of course! I am popular after all!” Tokiko said with her hands proudly on her hips.

“Popular? I thought you just ‘knew a lot of people.’”

“It’s the same thing.”

“It is, but you sound obnoxious when you say that you’re popular.”

“And you sound obnoxious with every word that comes out of your mouth.”

The two joked in a lighthearted manner. Tokiko was expecting Simon to shoot back at her, but he was eating his meal like a sloppy dog with a smile that said, You got me there!

“You know, if it wasn’t for the fact that you bought me food, my next sentence would’ve burned you to a million pieces.”

“Yeah, right,” Tokiko laughed.

The two finished their meal and Tokiko paid for their food before they left the building and breathed in the fresh evening air of Whales Town.

“Ahh, I’m stuffed,” Simon said.

“I know. I feel like I’m pregnant,” Tokiko said with a hand on her slim belly.

It made Simon chuckle as they walked back to the Tachibana estate.

“See, I don’t know why you don’t always act like this. You’re a lot more interesting to be around if you’re just honest in the way you act.”

Simon then brought up the sentence about how Tokiko didn’t always want to act like the ‘perfect girl’ since they got distracted at the restaurant.

Tokiko then grew silent, making Simon question if he should’ve brought the topic back up again.

“Look, if you don’t want to talk about it, then I’m sorry for bringing it up—”

“No, no, I’ll tell you,” Tokiko said.

She told him about her fear of being seen as a woman unfit for the Tachibana family and gave a bit of history about how her family gained their wealth by importing goods from across the seas.

But through it all, she spoke about it with such a lighthearted tone and even ended it off with a laugh.

Though all Simon had to say about it was this:

“That’s lame.”

“Hahaha!” Tokiko laughed. “What part of it is lame?” she asked.

“All of it. Especially how you have to pretend to be this perfect little girl worthy of her family title. That’s super lame. But if I was in your position, I think I’d do the same thing.”

“Really?” Tokiko asked.

“Yeah. Probably,” Simon nodded.

Tokiko didn’t want to admit it, but she wove her hands together and felt a sense of comfort in Simon’s answer.

I seriously can’t let him know about this, though! If he found out, there would be no end to his ammunition of insults!

That’s what she thought.

“But look,” Simon said.

“Hm?”

As they walked, Simon leaned closer to Tokiko and pushed his shoulder against hers.

“You don’t have to force that ‘noble’ act around me. We’re friends after all.”

It was those kind words that brought a smile to Tokiko’s face.

“Thanks, Simon.”

It was a rare moment where she called him by his real name.

“But what made you think we’re friends?” she joked.

“I mean, after you bought me food, there’s no way we aren’t buddies. Plus, I don’t think you have the generosity to buy food for a starving stranger.”

“What?! A noble woman like me totally would!”

“I doubt it.”

“Why you—”

She playfully punched Simon in the arm, to which he started stumbling to the side and started crying—or at least that’s what Tokiko thought at first.

“Oh my goodness. Simon, I am so sor—OWIE!!!”

When Tokiko ran to see if Simon was alright, the cowboy got a hold of her arm and punched her right back.

“Bahaha!” he laughed.

“What was that for?!” Tokiko yelled, grasping her hurt arm.

“Payback,” Simon said.

“But you hit me way harder than I hit you!”

“Really?” Simon said as he leaned close to check on Tokiko’s arm. “I’m sorry if I did, Toki, but I swear I tried to be gentle… OW!”

When Simon thought Tokiko was about to cry and apologized once more, Tokiko took it as a chance to punch his arm once more—this time with full strength.

“Agh! You little wench! Get back here!”

“Hahaha!” Tokiko screamed as she started running down the streets of Whale Town.

Her goal was to run back to the estate. If she made it there, she’d be safe from another punch.

“Get back here!!!!” Simon continued yelling.

“Never!!!” Tokiko yelled.

***

It was almost pitch black when the two made it back to the Tachibana estate.

“Huff…huff…huff…”

“Ughhh!!! Running…like that… huff… was a… huff… mistake,” Tokiko groaned.

She was leaning against the front door with a hand on her side.

“Yeah… it… was,” Simon added, in the same position and pain as Tokiko.

The two of them had terrible cramps and had to take a breather before heading inside.

When they made it to the hallways, heading to their rooms, the two stood awkwardly still until Simon raised his hand.

“Well, um… goodnight, Toki.”

“Goodnight, Simon.”

The interaction felt wrong from both perspectives as they turned away from each other. Simon was heading down the hall to the guest room while Tokiko was in front of her sliding bedroom door.

After all that running and joking around, we end the day on a simple ‘goodnight?’ It just… doesn’t feel right.

Tokiko turned to Simon, who continued strolling.

Pen Head, shouldn’t you be gawking over me? You should be on your hands and knees spouting words about how you never want this night to end with me!

But Simon kept walking, though he walked even slower than a backyard snail.

Are we really going to end the night like this…? Ugh! Fine! If it’s going to be this way, then I guess I’ll have to make the first move! Plus, it’s perfectly fitting for me, since a great noblewoman always knew the words to say before leaving an event!

And while Tokiko thought of all that, the truth was that she was nervous.

She balled up her hands and stiffened her shoulders. The girl couldn’t even look in Simon’s direction.

She closed her eyes and abruptly said, “H-hey, Pen Head!”

But while she spoke, Simon had called her name at the same time.

“Hey, Toki,” he said.

Hm?!

Tokiko opened her eyes to find Simon at the end of the dimly lit hallway, facing her direction.

He then said, “Sorry, what were you going to say?”

And that’s when Tokiko flipped the question back at him.

“What were you going to say?”

“No, don’t do that. Don’t spin it on me! Ladies first!”

“Oh, but you see, I forgot what I was going to say,” Tokiko teased as she playfully knocked a hand against her head to feign ignorance. “So you should go first!”

Simon groaned.

“Fine,” he whispered, staring at the wall. The way he spoke with his head lowered showed just how nervous he was.

From the sight, there was a loud bump coming from Tokiko’s chest.

What is he going to say? She wondered.

Simon scratched his cheek with a bashful look on his face.

“I had a lot of fun today. So… thanks.”

Tokiko hovered her hand over her mouth.

What a lame response~, Tokiko thought.

It sounded harsh, but her expression made it clear that this wasn’t the case.

Because although Simon couldn’t see it, Tokiko had an ugly grin hidden behind her hand. It was a grin that spanned from ear to ear.

“I had a lot of fun too,” she said.

The two were quiet after that. It was only for a few seconds, but in that time span the two were dying on the inside and afraid to speak up.

That was until Simon locked eyes with Tokiko. Seeing her, he felt as if he had to say something.

So he did.

“So, Toki… about the thing I said earlier at the restaurant, how the two of us should hang out tomorrow. Can we do that?”

“Pen Head… are you asking me out on a date?”

He was so direct with his message that Tokiko was stunned.

“Not at all! I meant hanging out as friends. There’s nothing romantic attached to it.”

Tokiko narrowed her eyes.

“I don’t believe you.”

“I’m serious!” Simon said with an embarrassed face. “It won’t be a date!”

“Are you sure?” Tokiko asked.

Simon raised his right hand. His expression was serious.

“I swear it won’t be a date,” he said.

Hearing that, Tokiko lowered her hand and giggled at Simon’s gesture.

“Alright, I believe you,” Tokiko said.

“So, does that mean we’ll hang out tomorrow?”

“Of course! A perfect noblewoman can't let her father’s guest be all alone during their stay after all. It wouldn’t be fitting for a woman of my stature.”

Tokiko puffed out her chest as she spoke. The awkwardness between the two had completely vanished.

But…

“Now I wish I could take back my request,” Simon said.

“Nope! You can’t! The decision is final!”

Simon sighed, but smiled right after.

“So, do you have any plans on where we should go?”

“The beach! We should definitely go to the beach! There’s a fisherman that goes by Kali. He knows everything about our ocean and the fish that live there! You can get a lot of notes there!”

“That sounds perfect!”

“Of course it does! It’s my plan, after all!”

Simon couldn’t help but take a jab at her.

“Wow,” he said, “it’s crazy just how self centered you are.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Tokiko said, feigning ignorance. “My suggestion has only your best interests.”

And she wasn’t wrong.

“Yeah, you got me there,” Simon laughed. And Tokiko giggled alongside him.

Simon then stretched his arm upwards as he yawned.

“Well, I’m tired,” Simon said.

After seeing him yawn, Tokiko did the same.

“I am too,” she said.

“I’m going to bed,” Simon said as he rubbed his tired eyes.

But before he left, Simon waved at Tokiko with a gentle smile.

“Goodnight, Toki,” he said, with a tone full of comfort.

“Goodnight, Simon,” Tokiko said, waving back at him.

Simon made a left and headed towards the guest room while Tokiko entered hers.

She got settled on her futon and for the past thirty minutes; she was trying to sleep but couldn’t.

She kept tossing and turning in her futon with a smile that showed just how excited she was for the morning to come.