Meal Break

After countless of fights against Masami, Ryota manage to hold his sword for at least 7 minutes before she send it flying to the corners of the gym. Ryota was at his limit, panting and sweating, Masami on the other hand didn't show any sign of exhaustion.

"Ah...uhg... you really are too powerful" Ryota managed to say between his breaths

"Well thank you, I'm really glad that you didn't expect me to be weak because I'm a woman, poor Ryosuke had that illusion about me on our first training, of course he regretted it pretty quickly"  Masami glanced at Ryosuke teasingly while he looked away annoyed with a small huff under his breath as he leaned against the wall.

"Anyway, we should take a break" Masami swings softer her right hand and her sword disappeared like dust'

 "Thank goodness, i was on the break of passing out" Ryota put down whatever had left from his wooden kendo sword.

"Ehe I know that you're not so young anymore Ryota dearie but you need to bluild up a lot of stamina if you want to survive outside to your first hunt"

"Hunt?" Ryota asked as Takashi was helping him wear back his jacket

"That's right old timer, tonight you will go to your first hunting of demons." Ryosuke said as all of them started to leave the gym through the door

"TONIGHT?!" 

"Now now there's no need to panic let's go now i want something before the hunt." Ryosuke said nonchalant as he walked upstairs

"But wait wait, you can't possibly thinking I'm ready to fight demons" 

"Relax man, you're not sending to fight an Archdemon, you will be fighting with weak demons like dangalaks from yesterday" Ryosuke said while everyone was walking upstairs on the dining area to sit on a square table and prepare for a dinner

"That doesn't me feel any better than the fact that I....." Ryota the froze suddenly as he looked at a very old style clock beside the wall, the time was 21:11

"Ehm, does this clock go right ?"

"Of course it does, it's a very precious clock which belonged to grandmother" Takashi informed as he started to settle the tableware on the square table while Masami and Sayaka also sit down

"Ah i see..." he looked his watch at his left hand to confirm the time.

"but.....HOLD ON JUST A SECOND, I'VE BEEN TRAINING SO MUCH ALL THIS TIME DON'T TELL ME THAT WAS ONLY 10 MINUTES !?"

"Of course not, if my calculations are correct you were training for at least, 3-4 hours" Takashi said nonchalant as he was setting the chopsticks

"3-4 HOURS? how..when...?"

"Ah yes i forgot to tell you, that gym in the basement as i told you is a parallel place, that means that the time we spent in there affects very little the time in the real world" Masami explained as she fixed her napkin beside her plate

"Pretty handy don't you think old timer? You can train all you want without being worried about your working schedule" Ryosuke said teasingly 

"I already told you Ryota we won't interfere with your work or your program, we understand that each one of us has a life to live, now come sit with us, what will have tonight Takashi?" 

" Seikoku udoku miss Fukunaga" Takashi said 

"Lovely, it's been since I eat some quality ramen"

Ryota sat with everyone looking at them peculiar. Such strange people, they deal with such abnormal phenomena but they still sit and enjoy food like normal people"  he thought. Suddenly he felt someone pulling the sleeve of wrist, he look on his left to see Sayaka looking at him curious

"Don't you like ramen Ryota?"

"Ah, no i like it a lot it's just strange for me to fit to people like you"

"People like us?" asked him with a clueless expression on her face

"Ehm, you know what i mean, you're a sorcerer and you know magic like Masami  and the others are exorcist fighters and all of you are fighting demons, it's not something normal or standard that people i know usually do'

Sayaka look at him deeply into his eyes and said with an emotionless tone

"Do you think we're bad people Ryota?"

"Bad ? no of course..."

"Or evil or dangerous?" 

Ryota look at her confused and troubled

"No no of course not, you protected me yesterday i never thought you were bad or evil people, you also treated me food so i think you're very kind and generous people" he reassured Sayaka like a big brother does to a younger sister

Sayaka look at him with a soft look on her red eyes

"We're just people who fight the evil we aren't evil itself, so please don't hate us or be afraid of us Ryota" 

Ryota understood that his behaviour had troubled the girl. Yes, it's true that all these are completely abnormal and insane for me, but those people are good and since i met them they always try to put me at ease, he thought. Ryota look at Sayaka and gently smiled.

"Don't worry Sayaka, i would never hate you or be afraid of you"

For the first time since he met her, Sayaka beamed with a pleased expression and a nice smile that brought light to her beautiful face that normally was so neutral.

"Got it, hehe" she said with a joyful tone

"Aaah no fair at all, what you two are talking about and having so much fun? I want also to join you" Masami complaint with a playful tone from the other side of the table

"Ryota said he love us" Sayaka said with a childish tone

"What? no i simply meant" Ryota tried to explain

"You don't love us" Sayaka asked him with a sad tone

"Ah my heart has broken, Ryota doesn't love me" Masami said striking a dramatic pose with her hand

"Ah no I love all of you i simply meant that I"

"Ew i don't need your love old timer" Ryosuke complained

"Ah let me speak what I meant to say..."

"Food is here, make room everyone" with a loud voice Nobuyuki carried the disc with the bowls full of ramen on his strong bear arms along with Takashi bringing in some yuba.

"Finally I'm starved" Ryosuke said grabbing his chopsticks ready to eat

"Food" Sayaka eyes were sparkling looking the steamy bowl full of ramen in front of her

"Remember everyone to use your napkins" Takashi said sitting beside Ryosuke

"Make room for me too" Nobuyuki said loudly sitting beside Ryota without any knowledge of personal space making him squirm between him and Sayaka

"Now now everyone remember, good manners make us better people, Itadakimasu" Masami clapped her hands ready to dig in

"ITADAKIMASU" said everyone synchronized and started eating the warm food in front of them

Ryota look everyone for a bit, the he sighed defeated and whispered too

"Itadakimasu" and started eating too