Temptation of the Breeze ~ Have You Never Been Mellow, Part 2
1214 Words
So after quickly wearing my shoes, I just let my body follow to where Noemi would take me.
And in the midst of her hand-holding adventure, she elicited a few giggles.
Giggles that were really like her.
Mellow... and innocent.
She really knew how to take it easy.
We walked – more like dashed – along the length of the waterway pavement, not minding the throngs of people who would notice us.
Eventually, we're out of the waterway and into the northern part of town.
She led me into the various streets, minding the people and objects we may inadvertently bump into.
She made the stop at...
DazzleWorks Game Center.
The only arcade in town.
But it's also the largest ever in this somewhat insignificant town, boasting three floors of coin-op game goodness.
She then made our run for a rhythm game machine once we formally entered the premises.
The machine itself is bright and colorful, with several keys that must be pressed according to the rhythm of the song being played, and a handful of people were witnessing an old prodigy really killing it.
He was playing a fast-paced EDM song, and his hands were so quick yet perfectly-timed to the beats.
No wonder he got the rare SSS rating at the end – and the thunderous applause of the audience gathering right behind him.
Once his performance was over, he left the machine, and everyone else dispersed peacefully.
We were then the solo occupants of the machine.
“So... are we gonna play or what?”
“You will.”
Me? Then what's she gonna do?
Oh well.
I dropped a 500-yen coin into the machine, and the game prompted me to select the difficulty.
I chose “Easy”, because I've never touched this game before.
I was then prompted to choose the song.
This was where she stepped in and picked one...
...and it's the exact same one she hummed back at the waterway, to my pleasant surprise.
OK, since the song itself isn't fast-paced, I could nail this good.
The song then started, and she began humming again.
On my end, I already knew what to do, as I've witnessed how my predecessor did it.
Just time the button presses right to where the notes on the screen will touch the line below.
As the actual song being played on the machine's speakers and her humming of the same song synchronize...
I felt something awakening within me...
...which prompts me to get the notes right every time.
The song then ended, and I was greeted with...
“STAGE CLEARED! You've unleashed a full combo!”
The results screen then showed what I've accomplished.
“Excellent: 100
Great: 20
Good: 0
Miss: 0
Fail: 0
Score: 296557
Rating: SS”
“Not bad for a newbie.”
She then declared.
“Wait, you've played this before?”
“Uh-huh. It's because that machine carries the song closest to my heart. Every time I play it, I've nailed the patterns and beats down pat, and I was able to get the highest rating of SSS all the time. Never mind that it's an entry-level song.”
“Well that's good. All that arcade action has made me all hungry.”
“And I know the perfect spot for it!”
She then grabbed my hand again, and led me to a nearby place within the town's northern part.
“'Tenraku-ya'. Never seen this before.”
“It just opened last month.”
“Oh.”
We then went inside, sat at an unoccupied table, and were handed down the menu by one of the restaurant's waiters.
“You can order anything. I'll pay the entire tab.”
“Thanks.”
So, this restaurant doesn't employ the usual conveyor belt in serving its sushi.
It's because there are around five chefs who do the job of making them all.
“OK. I think... I'll have the caviar sushi. I've never had it before, to be honest.
“That's a good call. As for me... I did have a go at it. I first tasted it at a social gathering not too long ago, and... ugh. it felt like salty blobs of jelly running down my throat. In short, awful.”
“Then what's your favorite sushi?”
“Pretty much everything else.”
“Man, you are this picky.”
We ended up ordering three pairs each of caviar sushi and California maki, plus a glass each of lemonade.
Once we've finished everything and paid for it, we both left the sushi restaurant.
The scenery outside was not that crowded, so Noemi just casually leaned forward with a coy poise.
“Hey, Gunpei. Since I can consider you my friend from now on, why don't we try to meet each other every weekend at the Shiokaze Trail?”
“Makes sense. That place is the town's central meet-up hub. The northern and southern plazas can't hold a candle to this center of relaxation, to be honest.”
“Then it's settled. And... one final piece of advice.”
“Go on. I'm all ears.”
“Try your best to find a comfort from inside you. This will help ease your stress.”
“Well, to be honest... you motivate me to do so. So I'll definitely be your friend from now on and meet up whenever we can.”
“That's great! So now... we'll see each other again next weekend. By for now!”
“Bye, Noemi.”
She then left, heading further north.
So, this girl named Noemi Kuroyanagi...
To be honest, this was the first time I've ever befriended someone outside my school.
The friends and acquaintances on social media don't count.
My remark about her being the goddess of mellowness?
Yeah, she could help out with her generous servings of moral support for me to get through this tough school life of mine.
***
“Oh yeah. I recall Noemi being the picky eater that she was. Yeah, she hated caviar on pretty much everything. The very presence of those fish eggs made her squirm.”
“Ahaha. Well, on my end... my preferences in food have become a lot less picky. Carrots, bell peppers, onions, broccoli, eggplants, shiitake mushrooms, and okra... I'm confident that I've left being childish behind by having the courage to eat these.”
As for Harumi...
“There's one thing I hate the most in this world... and that is shrimp! I'm allergic to those freaking sea cockroaches, and they should be rightfully called so! Seeing these pathetic little critters is enough to make me wage war on them! And what do you mean, they're immune to beam weapons due to their exoskeletons? One whack of the mace and they're dead!”
Man, what kind of vendetta does she have against innocent shrimp to earn her eternal disgust, besides the fact that she's allergic to them?
“These creatures are scum... so I can't enjoy shrimp tempura ever. That means I consider myself picky.”
Good thing she calms down.
“Well... that doesn't mean you should disavow tempura ever. Have you ever heard of vegetable tempura?”
“Nope. Can't say I have.”
“Maybe you lived in a place where no one dared to sell or even cook these.”
“Yeah, you could say that. But you mentioning it... makes me wanna try it!”
“You'll have your chance. Go ask your parents or something.”
“I will.”
“And yeah, before I forget.”
“The painting, right? Well... good news. It's now in its final stages, and you can see my work tomorrow!”
“Great! I can't wait.”
She then stands up, employing the same coy poise Noemi had.
“That's all for today's dose of stories we share. So... see you tomorrow!”
“I will.”
We bid each other goodbye as she heads north.
And as for my groceries...
It's still a fair morning, and the sun isn't at its hottest, so I don't worry about my groceries losing their freshness too much.
So, about her painting.
The only clue she gave me was that it is a still-life one.
I wonder if Harumi's skills are as good as Noemi's.
If so, I can consider her to be her worthy successor.
But as her potential lover? That's another matter altogether.
- Writer
