Himitsu 02 - Dinner

"You're a guest, so just relax." He enthuses, going to the kitchen to begin cooking. Atsuko stays in the living room, sitting on a large gray sofa. As she sits, she remembers the last time she was here, which was for Jun's birthday party last year, on July 16th, XXXX. She closes her eyes to think of that memory, but instead, she daydreams, being whisked away to a foreign and peaceful scene. In her daydream, Jun is dressed in prince attire, while Atsuko is dressed in princess attire. "May I do the honor of dancing with you, princess?" 

"Yes, you may. For I am delighted to dance with you." Atsuko replies, accepting Jun's hand as her heart skips a beat. In a spacious and lit ballroom, lighthearted and gentle music begins to play, causing the two to dance and dance in an endless flow. It's gracious and delightful; their movements synced up together as one. The bystanders merely watch in awe at the performance. Some are inspired, while others are filled with envy. If only they could dance and have the spotlight on them! To feel just as important and cherished. "You look so different!" Atsuko exclaims to Jun. "What are you talking about, broken babe?" However, the daydream takes an unexpected turn when Jun disappears and is replaced by Kenzo, who is dressed in even more dashing clothing, resembling king attire. Atsuko frowns, "Not you again." Atsuko tries to stop dancing with Kenzo, but her body is not in control, and she continues to dance with him. Kenzo raises a brow of concern at Atsuko's unhappiness, "Why aren't you smiling? Am I really that unpleasant to look at?” Instead of replying, Atsuko continues to dance with Kenzo.  Gradually, Atsuko's thoughts of annoyance and unhappiness fade away, and she feels herself slipping into an odd trance. Suddenly, Atsuko jolts awake and cries loudly, feeling as if she almost lost herself in the odd daydream forever with Kenzo. She wonders what it all means and why she keeps thinking of being a princess in a lit ballroom. Jun rushes into the living room, his eyes filled with concern as he approaches Atsuko, sitting on the sofa with a blank expression. "What's the matter, Atsuko?" he inquires, his voice laced with worry. Atsuko stands up hastily, a deep blush spreading across her cheeks as she realizes that Jun has caught her in embarrassment. "I'm okay. Just had a weird daydream!" she stammers, trying to hide her face from Jun's penetrating gaze. Jun sighs in relief and chuckles, "You had me worried there for a second. Dinner is ready. Let's eat."

****

The two of them head to the kitchen, where Jun has prepared a delectable feast for his beloved. Atsuko is filled with excitement as she tries to guess what Jun has made for her based on the tantalizing aroma that fills the room. Her mind races with images of waffles, pancakes, fried chicken, donuts, ramen, steak fries, beet stew, lobster, and macaroni. "No peeking!" Jun teases; he lays the food on the table while she covers her eyes with both hands. After a few moments, Jun is done decorating the table, "You can look now.” Uncovering her eyes, Atsuko smiles, “Ah, this is so cute. I didn't expect a dinner like this." In front of Atsuko is an adorable hot pink tray that has three different sections of food. The first section contains homemade nuggets shaped into various animals, while the second section has yellow and cheesy macaroni. Lastly, the third section of the tray features cute potato tots that resemble small, round, puffy brown clouds. Jun joins Atsuko at the table with a similar dish, his tray being blue instead of pink. He also surprises her with vanilla ice cream shakes to drink. Atsuko exclaims, "Itadakimasu!" enthusiastically before she starts to enjoy the food with the proper silverware. Jun is relieved to see Atsuko enjoying the meal he prepared for her.

"You're such a great cook!" Atsuko compliments, looking at Jun, who turns red.

"It's nothing, really," he replies modestly. "Just a hobby."

“I can see that.” Atsuko agrees with Jun's words, “If possible, could you tell me why we are eating dinner today?" 

"What do you mean?" Jun questions, trying to play coy. 

"Why have you invited me for dinner here?" Atsuko asks again, pretending she's of royalty. Jun catches on and pretends to be a prince, "Fair maiden, I invited you to this humble feast to declare my feelings of love and affection. I've known thou for as long as I can remember, and she enlightens me.” Atsuko bursts into laughter, "Let's stick to daydreams! Jun, you're too cute. Seeing a whole new side to you makes all of this surreal." Jun laughs in agreement, "You started first, Atsuko." 

"I did?" She pretends she didn't try to act like an arrogant princess. As the conversation dies down, a brief silence intrudes, making things a bit awkward for the two. Seconds pass by, and before it can become a minute, Atsuko breaks the ice, "Um, Jun. Is it true what you said? About you inviting me over to show your feelings of love and affection?"

Jun is anxious, wondering if he should reveal how he truly feels. His heart is beating faster, and he can feel the sweat on his palms. He may look like a punk rockstar dude with the orange mohawk and piercings, but on the inside, he's charming and smooth, just like butter on fresh and crunchy toast. Jun takes a deep breath, trying to find the right words to express his emotions. "My words are true. Atsuko, after meeting you and befriending you back in elementary school, I took a liking to you. A doll like you stole my heart...." Jun winks. Atsuko becomes redder in the face more than ever before, not knowing what to say. She is surprised by Jun's confession and is lost in thought, contemplating her feelings for him.