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It's a peaceful day at Leblanc. Sojiro has a couple customers in his shop, both sipping coffee, one eating a curry. Mellow music is playing, the lighting is cozy, and the coffee is as good as ever.
He nods a greeting as Akira enters the shop on her way home from school.
She sighs softly and falls silent for a long moment.
"I'll stay. For you and Ann. And Ryuji." She murmurs the promise, barely more than a whisper.
Akira closes her eyes.
"I'll stay too. For you, and everyone who's dear to me." The words only barely reach Shiho, whispered against her ear as they are.
They stay like that for a while, nestled against each other, Akira holding Shiho close.
To run her fingers through Shiho's hair...
Akira sighs softly. They're still in public.
As the train pulls in, Akira takes Shiho's hand again. Another drink of her ramune later, the train doors open and Akira leads Shiho out into the neighbourhood that's now her home.
Shiho stands with a warm sigh and follows Akira out, sipping her ramune as she goes. It's a calm, cloudy day.
"So this is where you live?", she asks, squeezing Akira's hand as she looks around at the neighborhood.
Akira nods. "Yeah, at least since last week. It's amazing how fast it's become home."
She finishes her ramune and drops the bottle in a recycling bin by the station. "I live in the attic of this cozy little cafe. Boss — his name's Sojiro Sakura, but everyone calls him that — runs the place and looks after me, you'll probably see him today too. It's down a side street, I'll lead the way."
Shiho nods, disposing of her empty bottle as well, and follows. The backstreets of Yongen-Jaya are quiet, with occasional passerby, mostly residents.
"Cute," Shiho declares when she sees Leblanc.
"It really is, isn't it? If Boss has customers he probably won't want to talk, just so you know. He's very focused on good customer service."
Akira gets the door and comes into Leblanc.
Sojiro is washing a mug when the girls step in. He looks up with a little wry grin. "Afternoon, kid. You two're back early."
"Afternoon, Boss." Akira gestures to Shiho. "Suzui Shiho, Sakura Sojiro. I know we're a bit early for the meeting, but we ran out of things to do in Shibuya and I thought we might as well drop by."
He nods. "Good to meet you, Shiho-chan. Call me Boss, everyone does."
And just then the door opens behind the girls, a familiar elderly couple walking in.
He nods at the girls and then turns to greet his regulars. "Welcome back to Leblanc. The usual?"
Akira nods to Boss, and takes the opportunity to head upstairs while he's distracted.
Shiho follows her up and looks around. "So this is where you live. I see what Ann was talking about. Good taste in posters, though."
"Thanks a lot." Akira goes and sits on the beaten-up sofa against one wall, its pale green fabric faded and worn. She gestures to the CRT TV. "There's a secondhand store across the street that I'm thinking of checking for a used DVD player so there's something to do around here other than help out Sojiro in the kitchen and study, but I only made that plan yesterday, so..." She shrugs, then pats the seat next to her with a little smile.
Shiho sits down next to Akira, smiling softly. "You're doing good for only being here a week, yeah. M-maybe a string or two of fairy lights, or a curtain to give you some privacy from the stairs? Just ideas for later, though."
Akira nods, and lowers her voice to a murmur.
"Boss will probably be busy with his customers for a few minutes at least, but he does come up here sometimes. So, um. Prob... probably best to try now if we're going to."
Shiho blushes brightly and leans close, one hand clasping Akira's. "Yeah, p-probably is."
Akira gently embraces Shiho, one hand on her shoulder, the other in her lower back. She presses in closer, and deepens the kiss.
It's different, doing it in real life. Shiho's... she could break this, if she does it wrong.
Her breath comes a little hotter, a little faster. It's a thrill. Like diving into Kamoshida's palace for the first time...
Shiho presses herself tightly against Akira, lips soft and plaintive in their kiss. She wraps her arms around her, holding her close.
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