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"You are never coming to my apartment."
Takashi tilted his head, a little surprised at the charged response. Is he insecure about his home or something? Takashi wondered to himself. Thinking back on it, Takashi definitely shouldn't have been surprised by the reaction; sure, Sato seemed like the reserved kid at school who stayed out of trouble's way, but he had already snapped at Takashi a couple of times in their few interactions.
Also, Sato was a prostitute. I shouldn't be surprised by anything that comes from him anymore.
"You should give me your phone number. I'll remember. I don't carry my phone at work."
Takashi shrugged, responding with, "makes sense," before reciting his phone number with ease. He was always stingy when it came to giving out his phone number; after all, he didn't want any girls at school to overhear and bombard him with text messages. Takashi would rather avoid having to reject people if he had a choice.
But Sato and Takashi were in an empty alley in Kabukichou -- there were no fangirls here. If Takashi's phone number got out, he'd know who to blame.
(He mentally cheered for himself; he felt like he was becoming more and more like Aki than ever before.)
Takashi smiled at Sato, satisfied. "Well, that's a wrap!" he said, starting to head out the alleyway. He turned back, and gave Sato a genial wave, before calling out lightly. "Sorry, I got something else to do right now. See you later, Sato-san. I hope things go well for you." Takashi said the last few words with genuine intent. And with those last sentences, he turned around and strode out of the alleyway.
Aki eyed Takashi as he cheerfully followed her into her office, before carefully saying, "You look . . . enlightened."
Takashi hummed happily in agreement, dropping his arm across Aki's shoulders. She nearly recoiled in shock.
"I am enlightened," he said cheerily, before commenting, "Wow, aneki -- enlightened. That's a good way to put it."
Aki plopped down on her chair, beckoning Takashi to continue.
"An opportunity fell right into my lap," he began, watching Aki's brows raise higher and higher.
Takashi paused for the sake of anticipation, before whispering, "I blackmailed the guy into tutoring me."
Aki couldn't help it; she snorted, coughing back a laugh.
"I know that doesn't seem really big," Takashi continued, undeterred. "But I'm not really . . . like you. Or Rina, or Hikari. But I think I'm working my way up -- " Takashi smiled softly to himself, whispering "-- maybe otou-sama would finally be proud of me."
When Takashi glanced up, Aki seemed to be grimacing in concern. "What?" he asked apprehensively. Aki immediately shook her head and ruffled Takashi's hair reassuringly -- which only made him more nervous.
"I'm happy that you're . . . setting goals and achieving things," Aki was visibly contemplating her words. "Just always be aware of what it is that you really want to achieve."
Takashi listened carefully -- he always valued Aki's advice, but most of the time, her words were far too enigmatic for him to understand.
"Thanks for supporting me all the time," Takashi responded sincerely. "It means a lot that you're slowing yourself down to walk besides me."
Aki clucked her tongue immediately. "You're not a burden, Taka-kun, so don't say shit like that. Besides, life's not always about the race. Why stay within the lines? I'm not, but I'm happy with what I'm doing. Remember that, Taka-kun."
Takashi nodded attentively. He certainly understood what Aki meant; she was absurdly intelligent and capable -- Takashi was sure she could do anything. But instead of continuing the family business like Rina and Hikari, Aki marched to the beat of her own drum. Part of Takashi felt a little conflicted about that -- after all, if he were in her position, he would be doing all he could to improve the business and make his family proud. By now, however, he understood that Aki was a very different person from the rest of them.
"All right, I guess I should try to do some homework while I wait for the guy to text me." Aki snorted again. "Night, aneki."
Takashi tilted his head, a little surprised at the charged response. Is he insecure about his home or something? Takashi wondered to himself. Thinking back on it, Takashi definitely shouldn't have been surprised by the reaction; sure, Sato seemed like the reserved kid at school who stayed out of trouble's way, but he had already snapped at Takashi a couple of times in their few interactions.
Also, Sato was a prostitute. I shouldn't be surprised by anything that comes from him anymore.
"You should give me your phone number. I'll remember. I don't carry my phone at work."
Takashi shrugged, responding with, "makes sense," before reciting his phone number with ease. He was always stingy when it came to giving out his phone number; after all, he didn't want any girls at school to overhear and bombard him with text messages. Takashi would rather avoid having to reject people if he had a choice.
But Sato and Takashi were in an empty alley in Kabukichou -- there were no fangirls here. If Takashi's phone number got out, he'd know who to blame.
(He mentally cheered for himself; he felt like he was becoming more and more like Aki than ever before.)
Takashi smiled at Sato, satisfied. "Well, that's a wrap!" he said, starting to head out the alleyway. He turned back, and gave Sato a genial wave, before calling out lightly. "Sorry, I got something else to do right now. See you later, Sato-san. I hope things go well for you." Takashi said the last few words with genuine intent. And with those last sentences, he turned around and strode out of the alleyway.
---
Aki eyed Takashi as he cheerfully followed her into her office, before carefully saying, "You look . . . enlightened."
Takashi hummed happily in agreement, dropping his arm across Aki's shoulders. She nearly recoiled in shock.
"I am enlightened," he said cheerily, before commenting, "Wow, aneki -- enlightened. That's a good way to put it."
Aki plopped down on her chair, beckoning Takashi to continue.
"An opportunity fell right into my lap," he began, watching Aki's brows raise higher and higher.
Takashi paused for the sake of anticipation, before whispering, "I blackmailed the guy into tutoring me."
Aki couldn't help it; she snorted, coughing back a laugh.
"I know that doesn't seem really big," Takashi continued, undeterred. "But I'm not really . . . like you. Or Rina, or Hikari. But I think I'm working my way up -- " Takashi smiled softly to himself, whispering "-- maybe otou-sama would finally be proud of me."
When Takashi glanced up, Aki seemed to be grimacing in concern. "What?" he asked apprehensively. Aki immediately shook her head and ruffled Takashi's hair reassuringly -- which only made him more nervous.
"I'm happy that you're . . . setting goals and achieving things," Aki was visibly contemplating her words. "Just always be aware of what it is that you really want to achieve."
Takashi listened carefully -- he always valued Aki's advice, but most of the time, her words were far too enigmatic for him to understand.
"Thanks for supporting me all the time," Takashi responded sincerely. "It means a lot that you're slowing yourself down to walk besides me."
Aki clucked her tongue immediately. "You're not a burden, Taka-kun, so don't say shit like that. Besides, life's not always about the race. Why stay within the lines? I'm not, but I'm happy with what I'm doing. Remember that, Taka-kun."
Takashi nodded attentively. He certainly understood what Aki meant; she was absurdly intelligent and capable -- Takashi was sure she could do anything. But instead of continuing the family business like Rina and Hikari, Aki marched to the beat of her own drum. Part of Takashi felt a little conflicted about that -- after all, if he were in her position, he would be doing all he could to improve the business and make his family proud. By now, however, he understood that Aki was a very different person from the rest of them.
"All right, I guess I should try to do some homework while I wait for the guy to text me." Aki snorted again. "Night, aneki."