Lunchtime Meeting.

Ito Toshio is one the security guards working at the Enako Shopping Center, he is the one who came up with the idea of buying Ryoichi drinks on that occasion; he recently got married and right now he is facing some problems at home, so he has been a little distracted all day.

During his lunch break he is taking more time than usual thinking about how to solve things with his wife. Suddenly Ryoichi walked through the door and after seeing his fellow guard feeling down he knew there was only one thing he could do: turn around to avoid talking to him. However Toshio acted faster than him and before Ryoichi could leave the room he stopped him by calling his name:

“Ah, Morita-san, sorry, I took more time on my lunch break, right?”

“Ah no, I just arrived here earlier.” Answered trying to avoid talking too much with him.

“Sorry, I just, I have so many things going on right now.”

“Ah, I see. You probably want to be alone for a little longer, so…”

“No, there is something I would actually like to ask you.”

“DANM IT” He thought.

Ryoichi sat in front of him and proceeded to have his lunch, he took out one of the drinks Toshio and the other guards bought for him and started drinking it.

“Have you ever been in love?” Asked Toshio out of the blue.

Ryoichi spited the sip of the drink he took and then answered.

“I-I guess so.”

“I am too, I just got married a couple of months ago, but things are starting to get different between us, it’s like something is missing.”

“How did I end up in this conversation?” Thought Ryoichi.

“But I don’t know exactly what that something is, maybe we never were really in love, maybe it was something completely different.”

“Hold on one second, he hasn’t been married for long, how on earth is he falling out of love already?” Thought Ryoichi, and honestly I am thinking the same.

“What do you think?” Asked Toshio.

“That you are an idiot.” Thought Ryoichi. But he just said:

“I don’t know.”

Toshio smiled and answered:

“Me neither. I don’t know what to think or what to do.” And he leaned on his seat with his face towards the ceiling.

“Well, there is no fire that burns forever.” Said Ryoichi trying to end the conversation.

Toshio didn’t move but Ryoichi’s words stuck with him.

“You are right.”

“Eh?” Asked Ryoichi, not knowing what he was talking about.

“There is no fire that burns forever, however even if the fire has almost extinguished it can always burn again.”

“EH?!” He still hadn’t understood what he was talking about.

Toshio stood up from his chair and said:

“I just need to reignite the fire between us, that’s all it takes.” Then he put his hand on Ryoichi’s shoulder and thanked him. “Thank you boss, you always know what to say.” Then he left.

Ryoichi was left alone in the security room still not understanding what just had happened.

At the end of the turn, when everybody had already left, he went to the security room to find a plastic bag with a note from Toshio:

“Thanks for your help boss.”

Inside there were 10 bottles of the soda he had for lunch.

“Not this again!” He thought, hitting his face with his palm. “I finally managed to drink all the ones they gave me and now he gives me even more.”