"Ugh" Ayaka opened her mouth almost as soon as she sunk her teeth into the taiyaki. "This fish doesn't taste like fish"
"Maybe that's because it was made with batter" Mira commented.
"Hey guys!" A boy called out as he and Kakashi crossed the road. "I didn't expect to meet you here"
"Hibiki!" Mira exclaimed and ran to him. "I didn't know you'll be going shopping, I would have came with you"
"Actually, it was a last minute decision" Hibiki replied as he hugged Mira. "Apparently, Kanade wants to run a cafe during the break, so she's having me pick up some things and setting up at the beach. We could used some pairs of hands"
"Well..., I'm not busy right now so I'll send Kakashi and Ayaka to you as soon as I get this stuff home" Mira said, pointing at the load on Kakashi's arms.
"But you said you're not busy, how come I get to go!?" Kakashi questioned. "Ayaka, don't you have a problem with this?"
"I can't wait to see the cafe, maybe Kanade-sensei would let me work with her" Ayaka smiled. "Besides, there are a lot of fishes at the beach"
"Than it's decided" Hibiki said. "I'll see you guys tomorrow"
Hibiki waved at them before entering a taxi.
"He seem responsible" Kakashi remarked. "Who is he?"
"He is Yaze-sensei's teammate" Ayaka replied.
"Really!?, That means he's also Strong. He should be able to teach me some things"
"I don't know" Mira said. "He barely even go on missions"
Few hours later, Kakashi, Ayaka and Mira had already came back with their stuff. Mira and Ayaka had gifted some clothes that they bought for Kakashi.
...
A week have past and the beach vacation was quickly approaching, just a day left. Kakashi had spent his entire week helping Hibiki and Kanade setup their little cafe.
During that time, he wasn't able to get Hibiki to teach him anything, mostly because Hibiki was a long-range fighter so there was nothing new he could teach him.
Kakashi and Ayaka sat at each end of the little dinning table that Ayaka bought the other day, except for that Ayaka has been acting strangely. She woke up early to prepare the meals, changed their separate beds in a bunk bed, bought a new blanket and even repainted the room which made Kakashi a little bit surprised that the Academy would allow that.
They were enjoying their breakfast of rice topped with vegetables and seafood with a side dish of omelette and fried fish.
"This is really good" Kakashi complimented. "You really are you good cook"
"Of course I am" Ayaka boasted.
"How are you able to afford this much?" Kakashi asked. "I mean, after all the stuff you've spent your money on I don't think you'll have much left to prepare a meal like this"
"I been saving up since when I was admitted into the Academy, besides, I get all my seafood free of charge"
"For free!?"
"Yes, I am a goddess after all" Ayaka boasted with a smile on her face.
[She really looks cute when she claims to be a goddess]
"Do you magically make fish appear?" Kakashi had meant it to be a joke but Ayaka took it seriously.
"Of course not. Since I'm a neko(cat) goddess, people offer me seafood instead of money and other valuable, I mean who will take money anyways when you can't eat it?"
"You could try buying something with it!?" Kakashi said to himself.
"The little money that is offered is used to maintain the shrine" Ayaka said and bit one side of the fried fish.
"I find it hard to believe that you're a goddess"
"What!" Ayaka yelled. "You think I'm lying!"
"I didn't say you're lying, I just said I find it hard to believe. Why haven't anybody tell me?, And I haven't even seen one person calling you a goddess"
"You know what, why don't we go to my shrine?"
"Sound fine to me"
Ayaka paused for a while.
"But not today, I'll show it to you some other time"
"Sure" Kakashi replied and continued with his meal.
The room was quite for a while, making both of them uncomfortable.
"I wanted to ask you something" They both said in unison.
"Okay, you go first" Kakashi said.
"No, it's fine. You can say want you want first" Ayaka replied.
"It's nothing, you can tell me what you wanted to say" Kakashi insisted.
"Okay" Ayaka nodded and adjusted herself on the chair. "Kakashi, let's get married"
"Pfffffftttt" Kakashi choked on the fish and quickly reached for the glass of water beside him."What?!!!"
[This is the second time she is choking me, I might die the third time]
"Let's get married?"
"W--what the hell?!, Why would you say something like that?!!!"
"Well, I've been thinking... Since we stay in the same room doesn't that make us look like married couples and you said you like my cooking, we've also slept on the same bed before" Ayaka said shyly.
"But that's doesn't mean we should get married"
"But I mother said if a man likes your cooking, it means he likes you and I should do everything to pin him to me"
[What the hell has her mother been teaching her!?]
"See, I like you Ayaka, but not like like. We are too young to get married and you barely know me, we should take it slowly, okay?"
"How?"
"We can start by going on dates and trying to know each other better"
"Okay, let's do it!"
"Go on a date?" Kakashi asked, his face was beginning to turn red.
"Yes, then you can learn more about me because I know everything about you" Ayaka said with her bright blue eyes staring into Kakashi's.
"That just made me uncomfortable"
"That means we will be going a date tomorrow" Ayaka inquired.
"But we'll be going to the beach"
"Then we'll make it our first beach date!" Ayaka jumped up. "I'm going to buy something to wear"
"But you've already bought a swimsuit!"
"You've already seen that one, this on will be special" Ayaka said squatted in front of Kakashi. "It will be just~for~you~"
Kakashi heart skipped a beat as he watched Ayaka leave the room.
"She's really messing with me" Kakashi said and covered his face, embarrassed by what just happened.
...
In a typical setting, a shoin-zukuri house stood in the middle of a snowy place. A teenage red haired girl dressed in a pink kimono slowly opened the sliding door, letting the sunlight to illuminate the room, she elegantly walk in and sat down on the tatami mat that were placed on the polished wooden floor.
The room was mostly empty, except for the alcove with strange flowers which were carefully arranged on it and another tatami mat with someone else sitting on it. The man sat on the mat, facing the walls which were covered with newspapers of recent incidents that involves demons.
At the back of this serene environment, a shishi-odoshi gracefully positioned in a garden. The bamboo pipe, which was long and slender, is supported at an angle, with one end submerged in a stone basin filled with water. As the bamboo fills, it tips to pour the water out and produces a distinct, rhythmic clattering sound as it strikes a stone base. This sound echoes softly throughout the garden, creating a meditative ambiance.
"You called for me" The girl said as she adjusted herself on the mat and bowed her head.
"There was a demon that attacked on of the research labs in Tokyo" The man said with a husked but silent voice.
"Yes, I heard about it. All the children died, except one" The girl confirmed.
"That survivor is the vessel I need to ...cough...cough..." The man suddenly started to cough out blood, but before the girl could stand up to help him, he raised his hand, signifying her to stop and reach for one of the flowers. "Don't worry, I'm fine"
He said and chewed the flower.
"Okay" She bowed her head again.
"I want you to bring the vessel to me"
"Okay" she bowed and stood up. "I'll be taking my leave"
"..." the man kept quiet and then spoke up. "Make sure you don't run away from Kato this time, and, wash that dye off your hair"
"Yes sir"