True Love, Sweet Lies

Chapter 2 pt 4

-Shopping centre-

We spend the tea of the day going around to Mr. Sakura's legal clients.

(So this is what the chief meant by a job that only he could do.)

Every client looks overjoyed to see Mr. Sakura.

(Even the children at the orphanage love him. I guess he must be a nice person. That's why he's so...)

Naomasa: "This next one is the last."

-Bakery-

The last place we stop at is a brand new bakery.

Baker: "Oh, Mr. Sakura!"

Naomasa: "It's been a long time. Have you had any more problems since we last met?"

Baker: "No, not at all."

They wave, and the man who appears to be the store's owner smiles.

Baker: "Thanks to that talk of yours, everything's gone back to the way it was before."

Naomasa: "Oh good...that's a relief."

Baker: "Who's that with you?"

Mr. Sakura answers the owner in a subdued voice, who's looking at me puzzled.

Naomasa: "My assistant."

Y/N: "Nice to meet you. I'm y/n."

Baker: "Nice to meet you too. Mr. Sakura was a great help to me not so long ago. When I wanted to remodel this place, I hired a contractor just down the street. But there was some trouble when it came time to pay...And it was all the worse because I'd known the guy since we were kids. It was Mr. Sakura who stepped in and cleared everything up so well."

Naomasa: "Sir, that's really quite enough..."

Baker: "He was unsociable at first, and he never smiled, so I wondered if things would work out. But, how can I put it? He really understood the inner workings of the heart. I ended up hugging the guy in tears. I was so happy that we could stay friends. It was all very impressive. And he's still so young."

Naomasa: "No, I was just doing my job."

Baker: "Oh, no need to be so humble about it."

The owner lets out a shrill laugh, then brings a tray out front.

Baker: "Please, help yourself to some of my bread."

Naomasa: "No, thank you... But I appreciate the offer."

Baker: "Oh, don't be so stingy!"

Just then, somewhere in that mass of inexpression, I catch a glimmer of an emotion.

(Oh... is he happy? Or maybe embarrassed...?)

Naomasa: "No. This is too much..."

Baker: "Don't mention it!"

Naomasa: "Thank you. If you ever need my help again please don't hesitate to call."

Baker: "Sure, stop on by again some time!"

Y/N: "Thank you!"

The two of us leave the store, hands full of bags overflowing with bread.

-Pavement-

(So, there's picked vegetables and oranges from Mrs. Tatsuno...and the bread from the baker, plus the meat and the fish... I can't believe how much food that is. It must be heavy.)

Y/N: "Mr. Sakura, are you okay with all that?"

Naomasa: "Yes, it's fine. I like it."

Y/N: "?"

(...Oh, maybe he means that he can we everything because it's all good that he likes? Mr. Sakura seems to have trouble following conversations.)

???: "Oh, Mr. Sakura!"

???: "Bow-wow!"

Naomasa: "!?"

A woman with her dog approaches us, looking happy.

Woman: "It's been so long. You were such a big help to me..."

Naomasa: "Oh... I-It was nothing."

Woman: "Did you have some work to do nearby?"

Naomasa: "Work... yes."

Woman: "Oh, then I wish you'd stopped in at my place too."

Naomasa: "I'm sorry, were in s bit of a hurry..."

Y/N: "?"

Naomasa: "Let's go."

Y/N: "O-Okay!"

I bow to the woman walking her dog, and leave quickly. Mr. Sakura is acting very strange. His expression is stiff, and his eyes move rapidly, never seeming to rest on anything.

(This isn't how he acted around his other clients. I wonder what's wrong...?)

-Living Room-

Yuriko: "Mm... Meh. Meh..."

Naomasa: "..."

-Pavement-

(That reminds me...This is just how he looked when Miss Yuriko was nuzzling him...)

Y/N: "Um..."

Naomasa: "What?"

Y/N: "Mr. Sakura, are you... nervous around animals?"

Naomasa: "!"

Y/N: "Oh, uh, you don't have to tell me if you don't want to..."

Naomasa: "...I'm not very good with them."

Mr. Sakura, now looking awkwardly in the other direction, seems nothing like the cold and aloof man I've become used to...

(His ears look a little red...)

I've got a warm, fuzzy feeling in my chest again.