The Rise of Poison

Chapter 8: A long walk home: Part 2

      The boys decided to walk into a nearby noodle restaurant. A doorbell jingled overhead, alerting an older gentleman from behind the bar. Cleaning a glass in his hand, he looked over at them. 

"Evening Boys," he said.

    He wore white gloves, black shoes, and a black apron with a white shirt and black pants underneath. He also had black hair and a thick black mustache.

  "Mr. Ichigo! It's good to see you," said Yuuto. 

   Mr. Ichigo chuckled. 

"It's good to see you as well. Would you two like something to eat," he asked as he put down the glass cup. 

They looked around the restaurant. Inside was hectic and there weren't any available tables, so they took a stool.

"Yeah! Can I have the duck soup? Kenta, what do you want," said Yuuto.

"The usual," he said. 

Mr. Ichigo nodded his head and went back to place in their orders. He returned a few seconds later. "Do you young men want anything to drink?"

"Green Tea please," Yuuto said.

"Sake," said Kenta. He smirked.

"Kenta, every time you come here you always ask for that. You're not old enough to drink sake. You have to be at least twenty."

"I am twenty! I've been seventeen for three years!"

He laughed and shook his head. "Nice try, Kenta. I'll get you your Oolong Tea."

      And again, he left.  While he was away, Yuuto took off his hood and dropped his school and gym bag on the bamboo floor. Yuuto leaned on his side and propped his arm on the counter. He put his head in his hand and sighed. He looked back at the tables.

 "Now I know why Central was so empty. Everyone is inside trying to get away from the cold."

  Kenta glanced over his shoulder. He saw a military police officer with two men wearing green robes sat at a table in the corner of the restaurant. The police officer looked over at the bar, then went back to talking to the two men. 

 "Yuuto, can you put your hood back on please," asked Kenta.

"Why?"

 He looked at Kenta, confused.

"Just do it, ok? You have black and blue hair and you don't need to bring any attention to yourself," he muttered under his breath.

 "Okay, dad..." 

He popped his hoodie back on. 

"Better?" 

Kenta rolled his eyes, "Yes, it is."

 Mr. Ichigo came back with their teas. He placed the porcelain teacups in front of them. He picked up the silver kettle and poured the steaming tea for them. 

 "Here you go," he said with a jolly smile on his face. "So, how you boys, I mean young men, been? Didn't you both just recently turn seventeen?"

Yuuto smiled at him. "I've been great! I just recently-"

 He took a sip of his hot tea "-Ye-Ow! That's hot!"

"Yuuto, the tea is always hot. Why, do you not get it by now?" Mr. Ichigo shook his head as he chuckled.

Kenta leaned over to his friend,  "Shh, there are people here."