Division-A

Episode Sixteen. (May 31st, 2123. Division-A, South District.)

Akino was curled up in his bed, hugging his knees to his chest in a cocoon of blankets. He scratched his kneecap, entirely awake but with eyes still closed, observing the orange tint of his eyelids. He laid there, waiting, until his alarm went off. The boy begrudgingly pushed himself up and reached for the clock to turn it off. Patting his hair down, Akino leapt up from bed and stripped himself of his clothing, instead putting on a short sleeved hoodie and athletic shorts. His nose twitched, sensing a sweet aroma coming from the kitchen. Curious, he slipped his sandals on and walked into the kitchen.

Bright rays of sunlight poured through the open sink window, shedding light on Sakagami bringing a plate of fruit out from the fridge. Next to the plate of watermelon and grapes sat two plates of stacked pancakes bathed in sweet caramel syrup with a red cherry on top that reflected the sunlight back at the window with its slick skin. Beside the nicely displayed pancakes stood a plate of sizzling eggs, its yolk standing high and mighty next to a cup of juice.

With his mouth agape, Akino slugged towards the meal, overcome with hunger. His smile was massive, allowing for a single string of drool to swing down from his bottom lip. "Wow, where did you get this at? Out of town? It must have cost a fortune."

Sakagami pulled out the chair and sat in it, already having her hands on the utensils. "Well, it wasn't cheap," she confessed, "but I made it myself."

Akino turned to her, head tilted back with skepticism. "You didn't."

Sakagami smirked, arching her shoulders as she lifted a fork full of tender pancakes into her mouth. "Go ahead and try it," she muffled between bites.

Sliding his bottom into the seat and resting his elbows on the corner of the table, Akino extended his neck out towards the food to get a whiff. His suspicions were confirmed: that sweet aroma was definitely coming from the syrup. He pushed his fork into the pancakes, watching the syrup flood into the indent he formed. His fork dug into the pancake like butter, severing it from the main body and dipping it into the syrup along the rim of the plate. Sakagami watched closely as he chewed it. The corners of his mouth uplifted and his eyes were closed, fully savoring the taste.

The blonde slouched back in her chair, silently applauding herself with a smug expression.

Akino swallowed and opened his eyes, shiny with love. "Where did you learn to do that?!"

Sakagami dipped her fork into the yolk of the egg, breaking the surface and allowing it to cover the rest of her plate. She twirled her utensil around the whites of the egg, toying with it. "I'd always make Tamagoyaki or some other Japanese dish since that's what you preferred, so I never knew that I'd have a natural talent with western foods."

Akino shoved a mouthful of pancakes into his mouth, nodding with approval. "I think I like the pancakes more." He finished chewing before he continued. "Mhm, how do you make these?"

Sakagami continued spinning the food around her fork. "The instructions came with the box." She giggled. "There's no way in hell I'd try making them from scratch."

Mouthful after mouthful, Akino continued stuffing his face until not even a single crumb or puddle of yolk was left on the plate.

"You're all dressed up, where do you plan on going?" The mother asked as she rested her cheek in her hand, ignoring the food in front of her.

Akino chugged the glass of juice, finishing it with a single breath. He put the cup back down and grabbed the napkin to wipe the mustache from his face. "Me and the others are going to the Smile Festival today, is that okay?"

"Yeah, but-." Before she could continue, Akino emerged from his seat. He dusted off his lap and started towards the door. "Hey! Aren't you going to eat any fruit? It'll go bad soon."