CHAPTER TWO
1005 Words
Luke walks down the empty streets, his feet dragging along the pavement. He'd missed the last train home, and now he's stuck walking for miles in the cold night air. He's exhausted, both physically and mentally, after a long day at the office. The weight of his insecurities at work, combined with the frustration of missing his train, has left him in a dark mood. But as he walks, he can't shake the feeling that something is missing in his life.
As he walks, he thinks about Emma. She's his boss, and he knows pursuing a relationship with her is off-limits. But there's something about her - her intelligence, her drive, her strength - that draws him in. He knows it's a dangerous path to go down, but he can't help feeling a spark of attraction every time he sees her at work. But for now, he's got to focus on just getting home and getting some much-needed rest. The night seems to stretch on endlessly, and the city feels cold and lonely.
Lost in thought, he hears a car pull up next to him. He glances over and sees Scott McCall behind the wheel, grinning and waving at him. Scott rolls down the window and calls out, "Hey, buddy! What are you doing walking around at this time of night? Hop in, I'll give you a lift!" Luke hesitates, but eventually climbs into the passenger seat. He's grateful for the ride and really needs to get home to eat some shushi he left at home unfinished.
Scott drives through the city streets, effortlessly weaving in and out of traffic, as he glances over at Luke. "So, tell me, you down for some sushi?" he asks with a mischievous look in his eye. It's as if Scott read his mind, to know he really needs a Shushi right now. "I suppose. But I better not regret this." Luke said "Last time I went out with you, I got my ass behind the cell"
Scott scoffs "You won't! Trust me, my dude.
They were driving for about some minutes than expected, Luke is now a bit worried where Scott is taking him to.
Luke in a worried tone "Dude, where are you taking me?"
Scott replying "It's a surprise, my man! Trust me, you're gonna love it. And I swear, I won't get us arrested this time. There's this new Shushi joint I found, they're the best"
Luke grins "Uh oh, that's ominous. Fine, but if we get chased by angry fishmongers, I'm out."
Scott laughing "Pshh, please. I'm a pro at evading angry seafood vendors."
They arrive at the sushi place, a small, unassuming restaurant with a neon sign in the window that reads "Kuro's Sushi." Scott smiles looking at Luke as they step inside, the smell of fresh fish and soy sauce filling the air.
Scott tapping Luke by the shoulder "Bam! Can you smell that Lukeee!! Welcome to Kuro's, the best sushi joint in the city. Trust me, this place is legit."
But Luke is not that impressed "I dunno, man. This place looks kinda sketchy. But fine, I'll give it a chance."
As they sit down at a table, they're greeted by a server who bows deeply and hands them menus. Scott immediately begins raving about the specialty rolls, while Luke skeptically eyes the menu. But then, a plate of sparkling sashimi arrives at their table, and Luke's skepticism melts away.
Now Luke is starting to get impressed "Okay, okay. This looks... actually pretty darn good. I stand corrected, my friend."
"Told ya! Now, the real question is, can you handle the wasabi?" Scott said smiling
As they dig into the sashimi, Scott dares Luke to eat a dollop of wasabi straight. Luke hesitates, but his competitive nature takes over, and he reluctantly agrees. He grabs a spoonful of the green paste and pops it into his mouth. His eyes immediately water, and he starts coughing and gasping for air. Scott is in hysterics, and Luke playfully pushes him across the table.
Scott laughing "Dude! You're such a lightweight!"
As they recover from their wasabi-induced coughing fit, the server returns with their main dishes: a colorful platter of maki rolls. They dive in, marveling at the perfect balance of rice, seaweed. But as they're savoring their rolls, a group of rowdy diners at a nearby table start heckling them.
"Hey, look at these guys! Thinking they're so fancy with their maki rolls! You two probably never even heard of sushi before tonight!" One of the men across the table said to them.
Now Scott is triggered, and Luke sees It in his eyes he tries to stop him from talking back at the men. "Scott... it's okay, forget about it. Let's just eat our food and we're out of here"
Scott to the rude diner "Excuse me, pal. I'll have you know I've been eating sushi since I was in diapers. So maybe cool it with the accusations, okay?"
Luke grabbing Scott's arm "Come on, man. It's not worth it. Let's just enjoy our meal and ignore these guys."
"Whatever. You guys are probably just posers." The man said
Scott didn't take it in very well, he walks up to the man touching him lightly and asked him "What did you say mister huh?"
The man standing up "You heard me, pal. You're a poser. You think you're hot stuff just because you can eat a few pieces of raw fish. You're just trying to look cool in front of your buddy here. But you're just a pretender. You don't know anything about sushi or Japanese culture." Luke panicking: "Scott, let's just go, man. This isn't worth it!"
Scott looked at Luke and then turned to the man, he pretends as if he's arranging the collar of the man's shirt and then punched him.
Luke rushed to separate Scott from the man, but he got punched straight to the eye by the man. He fell to the floor struggling to see properly.
- Writer
