✍🏻 Little Matchmaker

18 - The Little Prince and the Fox

Crediting her afternoon nap, Sophie wasn't that surprised to wake up way earlier than usual. When she made it to the living room, Akira wasn't even up yet and with a yawn she walked over to the kitchen, passing by Yuzuru who was sitting at the tree, playing in his hand with one of the cookie's ornaments.
He seemed deep in thought but when he heard her footsteps he got startled and quickly put the cookie back on the tree. As it spun around it revealed the 'Akio 2019' written on the back of it.

"Um, I was just admiring the cookies, that's all," he quickly muttered and stood up, walking over to the kitchen, "would you like some tea?".

"Yeah, sure," she said with another yawn, replying to his statement about the cookies but knowing he will just take it as an agreement for the tea since the yawn drowned the sarcasm.

"Camomile alright with you?"

"Uhm," she let out in agreement and watched him pour the golden liquid into her new I ♥ Toronto mug. Once done, he took out exactly the same mug and poured some tea for himself as well.

"So what got you interested in that particular cookie?" she took a sip of her tea, noting that it must have been made already a while ago.
When no answer came, she looked up at Yuzuru who seemed positively uncomfortable, obviously hoping she would not question what he did at the tree. Well, he was wrong.

"So?" she prompted and he grabbed his mug, walking to sit down on the sofa.

"So?" she asked once more after she sat down next to him, trying to catch his dodgy gaze.

"So, nothing."

"Why that specific cookie?"

"Can't we just leave it be, please?" he pleaded anxiously, still not meeting her eyes.

"I am leaving be everything  with you, Yuzu," she sighed, going with her hand through her hair, "You already know so much about me while I still know practically nothing. So what was on your mind when you sat there?"

Another silence filled the room but she did not plan to say anything more and just let him break it and get her answer. It took a while, but in the end, he shifted in his seat and spoke again.

"Of Mice and Men, and The Little Prince. Those are one of my favorite books. I can't just pick one. But I re-read them recently and still loved them the same as when I read them the first time."

"Are you trying to bribe me to leave the cookie topic be by telling me your favorite books?"

"Yes," he said sheepishly and focused on his mug in his hand, "did it work?"

She only growled and after weighing her options she gave him a short nod.

"They are both great books. I always admired writers who managed to put so much wisdom into such short books."

"Yeah, when I used to compete, I was bit apprehensive about reading anything too elaborate since I barely had any time. So I rather went for shorter ones, like those two. Until I read Harry Potter." He chuckled a little and now Sophie felt like it's truly Christmas. Finally making him talk about books.
"After I read those I actually began to prefer the longer books, like The Witcher or....your Saga."

Oh, not that Clara topic again.

He was looking at her now with hopeful eyes and it was obvious he still wants to plead for his case that it would totally make sense to resurrect her.

"You know, I finished the book this morning and I was thinking....---"

"Don't think, Yuzu. I am not bringing her back."

"She died just before the end. You could make it as if she only lost consciousness and---"

"Nope," she quickly interrupted, leaning more into the sofa, "go and read some fanfictions. There are already plenty out there that resurrected her."