Thorns and Roses

Chapter 10

The interior was obviously boasting in glamour and even the foods were very enticing. When the Sakai brothers saw the price ranges, they asked Yui to just bring them somewhere cheap or at least let them pay the bills after. However, Yui was adamant on treating them a good meal. So, after ordering and while waiting for their food, the table fell silent for minutes until Jiro spoke first.

"How's your research paper? Did Aya finish the part I told her about?"

"Yes. Souta also helped her." Yui casually responded.

"Those two always bicker but ends up helping each other."

"Oh, you'll get used to them. They're literally tom and jerry. They're exhausting me sometimes." Yui and Jiro laughed on her words.

Meanwhile, Kei just silently listened to them, eyes gazing back and forth between them, still processing the fact that Jiro was talking so casually to Yui like they've been friends for a long while. Until his eyes caught Yui's. The lady shyly smiled at him.

"Sakai-san, are you okay?"

Kei glanced at Jiro and smiled at Yui. "Yes, of course. I'm just not used to seeing you and my brother like this."

"What do you mean?" Jiro hissed at his brother which make Yui chuckled.

"Senpai was so nice to help us finish our research paper, so I thought to let him have a meal with you. I figured out, since you haven't been home for a while, you must've missed eating with him."

"That's really... so nice of you. Thank you. But, you don't have to do this." Kei casually responded and glanced at his brother.

"It's okay. This is the least I can do after you saved me that day and for asking you to be my personal... bodyguard." Yui shyly bit her lower lip on her last word, giving that awkward glance at Jiro sitting in front of her then to Kei.

"Don't mention it. It's really fine. We should be thankful that you gave me a job." Kei laughed.

Before anyone could speak again, their food came one by one. The steak looked amazing and other courses pleasingly enticing their appetite. They all thanked the food and Yui before staring cutting their own medium-rare steak.

Yui was busy slicing her steak when he noticed Jiro touching the plates one by one while Kei was also busy cutting his meat into pieces. This gesture confused Yui at first, but she instantly knew the reason behind it.

"They're all still hot. So, make sure you blow them first, okay?" Jiro silently said to Kei, leaning to his side.

"Okay. Here."

It was as if it's a very common thing for Jiro to do, and Kei exchanged his plate with Jiro after cutting the steak into pieces before continuing Jiro's originally. This scenario happening in front of her made her smile.

"Kimura-san, do you want me to do your steak, too?" Jiro asked so nonchalantly that Kei secretly glanced at him.

"O-Oh, thank you."

Jiro extended his arms, leaned forward, and stared cutting the steak into pieces.

"There you go."

Yui smiled and put a small piece in her mouth, so they all started digging on their steaks. Jiro served them soup one by one and constantly reminding his brother whether the dish was still too hot for him to eat or not. Because of his brother's condition, although he may tell whether something is hot or not, Kei won't be able to tell if something is burning him of not unless Jiro cools off his food.

Seeing Jiro cools off Kei's food every time before he gives it to his brother to eat somehow made Yui's chest warm up. She could see the care of Kei and Jiro for each other with just a simple meal and she secretly admired the two even more. She thought that this kind of bond and relationship, even between family, is beautiful.