Delicate Crunch

Natsume and I placed our orders. Since she didn't know what to pick, I recommended the spicy fried chicken with rice. It's what I always get whenever I come here, and it never fails to impress me.

"Here we are!" the waitress smiled as she came back with two plates.

I watched as Natsume's eyes widened at the sight of the food. It was like a child who has seen something for the first time. Who knows? Maybe it is her first time.

"Thank you," I said.

"Not a problem," the waitress replied. "If you need anything else, wave at me."

"We will. Thanks."

I took out a wooden pair of chopsticks and snap them apart. All the while, Natsume was still lost in thought.

"You should probably start eating," I scoffed. "It's gonna lose its warmth soon with how cold it is out here."

"A-ah! Yeah, my bad."

"Don't apologize for something like that."

I took a bite, and the spiciness exploded in my mouth, far more intense than I anticipated. My eyes watered as I tried to cool it down, blowing desperately while the heat seared my tongue. I barely managed to get that one bite down before I was forced to swallow.

"Pft..." Natsume attempted to cover her mouth, but I heard it all too well.

"W-what?" I muttered.

"Sorry... I didn't mean to laugh. It was just... Aha... Kind of funny."

"Oh, yeah? Why don't you take a bite? Let's see how do you."

"It can't be that bad."

She scooped up a bit of rice topped with a small chicken piece. Just when she was about to take a bite, she noticed me staring at her intensely.

"C-can you stop looking?!" she exclaimed as quietly as possible.

"What? I need to personally witness this moment. The great Natsume Nabi, who courageously wanted spicy food, laughed at me for not being able to handle it. Well, it's your turn now. Go on."

"I can't eat properly if you keep staring at me."

"Shouldn't have laughed."

"Yozora..."

I let out a small chuckle. "Fine, fine."

I turned my head away, to which she lifted the chopsticks to her mouth. I know that because I can see her from the corner of my eye. The problem with that is that she noticed it too.

"Yozora!"

"Aha... Damn..." I coughed as a way to keep my laughter in. "I'm sorry. I couldn't help it. I'll actually look away now."

This time, I turned my seat all the way around to give her full assurance. The sound of her blowing on the bite caught my ears, followed by a subtle crunch.

"Eh?" she mumbled.

I turned back around, expecting her face to be redder than a tomato. But... it wasn't. Instead, she seemed completely fine.

"Did you... Did you eat it?" I asked.

"Yeah, I did, but... Wasn't it supposed to be spicy?"

"Wha... What...?" I reached my head over to look at her plate. "You got the same thing, didn't you?"

"I mean, you were the one who ordered it." Her face morphed into a smile. "Hm~ I think you might just be weak, Yozora."

"I refuse to believe it. Excuse me!"

I waved at the waitress as she walked by. "Yes? How can I help you?"

"My friend's dish. It's the same thing as mine, right?"

"The exact same. Was that... not what you wanted?"

"Oh, no, I was just checking. Thank you."

"No problem!"

As she walked away, I felt myself slouching down in my seat, defeated. The tables have now turned, as it was Natsume who was intensely staring at me.

"Well, Yozora?" she smiled. "Anything you wanna say to me?"

"I... I'm sorry for doubting you."

"And?"

"For laughing at you."

"And~?"

"W-what else is there?"

"Oh, you know. That I'm better at handling spices than you."

I immediately hesitated. For the longest time, Nae and I have argued over who could handle spicy food better. It was just a fun little competition that grew into a fierce rivalry. Even though it's not her, it was still tough for me to admit.

"You... can handle spices better than me..." I mumbled.

Natsume let out a soft giggle, and before I knew it, it bloomed into a wholehearted laugh. I froze, unable to look anywhere. The way she tried to hide her mouth with her hand, and the way her eyes crinkled with barely-open lids... I couldn't deny it. It was... cute.

"I'm sorry for teasing you, Yozora," she sighed. "It was an opportunity I couldn't pass up. But, if it's any consolation, I enjoyed this moment like you told me to."

"...Like I care."

"Aw, don't be like that. I'm just joking. Even though I'm better, you can handle spices pretty well."

"Just eat."

"Yozora!"

It took a while for her to stop pestering me and finally dig into her food. By now, it had probably gone cold, but she didn't seem to care. I watched her take the first bite, then another, and another. With every small piece she ate, her face lit up like it was the best meal she'd ever had.

The way she savored each bite made it impossible not to notice the simple joy she found in something so ordinary. I scooped up a piece of my food, staring endlessly at it before putting it in my mouth.

Is it just me, or does it taste better today?

"This feels so surreal," Natsume said as she skipped alongside me.

"What does?"

"Just today in general. When I was walking to your place, it took a whole forty minutes, but I didn't mind. It felt nice just being on my own. Then I got to sit down and eat something super unhealthy. And now, I'm going back the way I came. It's been... two hours, maybe?"

"I mean, I was with you for half of it, so it's more like an hour you had to yourself."

"You don't count."

"Eh? What does that even mean?"

"Hehe, it means that I don't consider you to be a part of my normal routine."

"That... sounds extremely degrading."

"Huh? Ah! W-wait! I didn't mean it like that."

I sped past her, forcing her to put in the extra effort to catch up.

"Yozora!" she exclaimed. "What I meant was that my daily routine is filled with a bunch of idol stuff! So, it's like you're a unique part of it. Y-you know?"

"I know what you meant," I scoffed. "I was just messing with you."

"W-wha... Don't do that..."

"Haha, I'm sorry."

We walked in silence for a bit. At least, until she decided to bump into me for no reason. It's not like I'm the one who started all this.

"Hey, Yozora," Natsume said.

"Hm? What is it?"

"Um... Can I... tell you a bit about myself?"

"Why are you asking such a simple question so nervously? If you want to, then go for it."

"Really? Okay, okay. Uh...

She lifted her head, lost in thought for a moment. It’s strange, really—an idol wanting to open up to someone like me. At this point, it doesn’t even surprise me anymore. I think I've grown numb to the fact that I'm spending my days hanging out with celebrities.

"I guess to start off..." she said. "About five years ago, I was scouted to become an idol. I don't think I've ever agreed to anything so fast. I left home and came here to Japan, where I started my training."

"I can't imagine being away from home that long. Do you ever miss it?"

"Home? Sometimes, I do, but the girls keep me occupied. And now, you're here."

"...If this is an attempt to make up for what you said earlier, it's not gonna work."

"Aw~"

We reached an intersection to wait for the cars to pass.

"Do you ever regret it?" I asked. "Being an idol."

"Hm... I don't think so. Being an idol is fun! It does get kind of repetitive, but there's always something new waiting around the corner. I'm not gonna lie, being financially stable is also a plus."

"Can't relate."

"Oh, hey! Maybe you should try to become an idol."

"What? I can't even sing or dance. Besides, look at these bags. No amount of makeup is covering this up."

"Hahaha! Maybe if you went to bed at a normal time, they wouldn't be so dark."

For a while, we walked down the road. I always thought of Natsume as shy and timid, but she kept the conversation flowing effortlessly. She shared a bunch of random facts about herself, and honestly, I'm sure I'll forget them the moment my head hits the pillow tonight.

"Alright," Natsume said as she rushed ahead. "This is me. The dormitory is about ten minutes from here. I think I'll make it on my own."

"Got it. Make sure to text me when you get home."

"Yep! See you tomorrow, Yozora!"

With that, she disappeared amongst the sea of commuters. Even after she was long gone, I stayed in the exact same spot, watching the exact area she went off to. At least, until I receive confirmation that she's safe.

Ten minutes later, my phone rang.

Natsume: "I'm home. Text me when you get home too, Yozora!"