Sugar, Spice, Something Nice

The mild sizzle of meat filled the air. Crow hummed a light, cheerful tune, his usual carefree self on full display. The rich aroma wafted into the living room, reaching Hinata’s nose.

Her eyelids fluttered. Then she sat up, instantly alert, quite alarmed by her own unguardedness.

“Morning, sunshine!” Crow greeted her.

Hinata quickly rubbed her face, probably cursing under her breath. “You’re noisy. And what’s that smell?”

“Stir-fried beef and mushrooms.”

Her stomach growled. Her cheeks flushed.

“Now, that's a compliment,” he joked, a grin tugging at his lips as he set two bowls on the coffee table, one for the rice and one for the beef.

“Alright, dig in! Absolutely no poison.”

Hinata eyed the food warily as she picked up her bowl. She gulped, scooping a spoonful of the savory meat into her mouth. Her eyes widened slightly as the flavors hit her tongue.

“Well?” he asked, head tilted. “Not bad, right?”

“It’s edible,” she answered. “I’ve had worse.”

Crow chuckled. He rushed back to the kitchen and quickly prepared his meal. As he returned to the table, he sensed her caution as she ate, making him hesitate.

“Uhm... mind if I join you?”

Hinata raised an eyebrow at him and nodded slightly. “Whatever. It’s your place.”

Relieved, Crow took a seat. “Cool. Thanks. I mean, it’s nice having dinner with someone other than the TV.”

Her eyes flicked up briefly, meeting his. “You live by yourself?”

“Yeah. Pretty much.” his response was casual, but his tone hinted at a depth that was hard to miss.

Hinata glanced at him. Something in her shifted. For a moment, she wondered about him.

Crow peeked at her bowl like a kid hoping the guest would stay for seconds. “So, uh... would you like more?”

She felt a weird stir from within her. Most people had a tension, a twitch, a tell—something that warned her to brace.

But this guy? Just... warmth. And second helpings.

“I’m good,” Hinata replied, almost grudgingly, “It was decent.”

“Decent? That’s a five-star. Next goal: ‘good.’”

She rolled her eyes but said nothing. She continued eating, though her pace had slowed.

Crow kept talking, filling the space with his usual light chatter. This time, it didn’t feel forced.

And for once, Hinata didn’t mind the noise.

— • —

Hinata sat on the couch, clutching the TV remote. She pressed buttons with furrowed brows as she tried to figure it out, her eyes glued to the screen.

"Alright, almost done," Crow murmured, sliding the final plate into the dish rack. He had barely dried his hands when his phone buzzed from the counter. Dylan’s name flashed across the screen.

"Crap," he mumbled as he connected. “Hey, Dylan. What’s up?”

“What’s up, my ass?” Dylan’s voice crackled through the phone. “Dude, where are you? We’ve been waiting at the venue for, like, an hour. You missed soundcheck, man.”

Crow winced, rubbing the back of his neck. “Ah, yeah... Sorry, something came up. Kinda got sidetracked.”

“Sidetracked?” Dylan’s tone was both concerned and suspicious. “You okay? You’re not ditching us, are you?”

“No, no! Nothing like that,” he quickly reassured him. “Just... a situation. Hard to explain.”

“A situation,” Dylan repeated. “You know, if you wanted a night off, you could’ve just said so.”

“It’s not that,” Crow insisted. “Stuff happened. Anyway, uh, are you playing Arena tonight?”

Dylan snorted. “Maybe. Depends on how the gig goes. Might need to blow off some steam afterward. You gonna be on?”

“Maybe,” he said, his voice lighter. “I’ll see.”

“Okay, man. Just... don’t go MIA on us, alright?” Dylan’s voice softened. “Take care of whatever’s going on.”

“Will do. Catch you later.”

Crow hung up and set the phone back on the counter.

"Great," he mumbled. “Now I just sound like a flake.” He turned back to the sink, wiping the surface with a sigh.

Then—

"Hey,"

He looked up. Hinata stood at the kitchen’s entrance, holding the remote towards him. “I think I broke it.”

Crow blinked. “Broke what?”

“Your TV.” She shrugged, her face completely deadpan. “All I see are bright colors.”

The tension unraveled between them as Hinata’s dry comment lingered in the air, her stoic face betraying a hint of embarrassment.

— • —

The night stretched on, and the neighborhood settled into silence.

Once the cleaning was done and Hinata had relaxed, Crow found his moment. He slumped into his chair, tapping his arcade stick as he positioned it on his lap.

Dylan was already online, waiting in the lobby. Crow joined him. The two of them jumped into matches, their banter flowing easily like always. But tonight, he was off.

Eight consecutive losses later, he slouched in his chair, the words "DEFEAT" glaring at him from the screen. His shoulders sagged, and he pinched his brows.

"Ugh. That was garbage," he muttered, staring at the screen. “What even was that?”

A ping from Dylan’s direct message popped up.

Dylan: You good, man? You’re playing like a noob.

Crow scoffed, typing back.

Crow: Just off my game tonight. Probably tired or something. I’ll be fine.
Dylan: Sure bro. I’m beat myself. Let’s just call it.
Crow: Yeah. Thanks. Catch you tomorrow, dude.
Dylan: Later.

He stared at the screen as Dylan’s username disappeared. Without anything else to do, he hovered over his character, his cursor idly circling.

“R,” Crow murmured, leaning forward. “It’s not just the name, huh...”

He still can't absorb it. He looked at the in-game Kanno Hinata he admired: strong, spirited, cheerful.

Curiosity got to him. He looked at his door, his fingers twitching nervously. Then, he pushed himself out of his chair, quietly tiptoeing toward the door.

He eased it open, just enough to peek.

The dim light of the living room revealed Hinata sprawled across the couch. She was sleeping soundly, hair slightly tousled, arm hanging off the couch.

Crow froze, staring. “You seriously look like her.”

A chuckle escaped him, but it was filled with disbelief. He gently closed the door, his mind racing. He went back to his desk and powered off his PC.

“I’m going crazy,” he said to himself.

He climbed into bed, grunting as he threw himself on the mattress. Minutes later, the eureka moment hit him like a freight train.

“No freakin’ way,” he whispered, eyes wide. “Kanno Hinata. The actual Kanno Hinata is in my apartment! Right there. Sleeping on my couch!”

He buried his face in the pillow. “Okay. She looks like her, but she’s not her. Completely different. Total one-eighty."

"But still! She’s real. She’s... badass. And really, really scary.”

Crow rolled onto his back, hands clutching his head. “I’ve been playing as her for years. This is insane.”

He stopped, narrowing his eyes. “Wait... what if her name’s not even Kanno Hinata? What if I just assumed? I didn’t even ask for her name.”

A groan escaped him. “What the hell am I thinking? Even so, she's someone who had a bad day.”

Crow exhaled a long breath, staring at the ceiling like it had all the answers. “Alright, just... relax. Be normal. You got this. She just needs a break.”

He chuckled softly at his ridiculousness, flicked off the night light, and sank into the dark silence. The scent of stir-fry still clung to his shirt, a reminder that someone else had shared his world today. Familiar, and not.