Fat. Beautiful. Tasty. Ravenous.

Interlude: Fat Gum

I get to the agency around noon. I didn't allow Aiko to see how exhausted I was because she seemed worried enough but I actually ended up falling asleep on the train across town. When I got home I barely had enough energy to eat the leftovers in my fridge before passing out again in bed.

But I can't say I regret it. It was worth it knowing she'll be safe and fed for a long time.

The guilt at having let her get to the point that she did has been nearly all-consuming. It was the least I could do for her.

I should've realized how selfish I was for staying away from her these past couple weeks. I was just avoiding telling her the truth about me and unwittingly pushed her to nearly die due to this quirk of hers.

She shouldn't have waited. Why did she wait?

"Fat," Suneater calls quietly, poking his head in the doorway, "Everything okay?"

I motion him in with a tired smile. "Suneater! Sorry to come in so late, I was feeling under the weather."

"I see," he says, eyeing my shrunken form as he closes the door behind him, "Are you okay now?"

His confidence has grown quite a bit since he started working here. It feels like it's grown most of all when he's addressing me, which I'm nothing but pleased about.

"I'm doing alright, I hope things weren't too busy," I respond with a slight hint of guilt.

He shakes his head, "I saved a cat from getting hit by a car. It bit me though..."

I can't hold back the tiny chuckle that comes bubbling up. "That sounds exciting!"

His responding look is frazzled.

"Fat," the receptionist, Maki, says through the door, rapping on it lightly, then sticking her head in as well.

"Maki, yes, how are you? How is your son?" I ask, greeting her with a bright smile.

"Oh he's doing better today, thank you, sir," she titters, always pleased to be remembered, "There's a message for you waiting in your voicemail. I was going to just write it down but I figured you might want to listen to it yourself."

I nod, offering her my thanks and she pops her head back out the door to head back to her perch.

It's a little odd that she would suggest I listen to a voicemail when she could have taken the message herself but I suppose she thinks it's important.

Suneater watches with mild interest as I hit the speaker button on the phone at my desk, then the voicemail.

"You have one message," the robotic tone says then pauses to play the message.

"H-Hi Fat-kun," Aiko's slightly timid voice comes over the phone and electricity immediately zips through my body, my heart jolting to life, "It's Aiko..."

Suneater doesn't fail to notice my reaction but stays silent while we wait for her to continue talking after a long pause.

"I just wanted to call and say thank you for what you did for me, both today and for Taishiro being here tonight. I'm positive that was your doing..."

Now Suneater gives me a look that says he knows I haven't told her the truth about me. But it's not judgmental. More sympathetic than anything.

"I... owe you a lot," she goes on, her voice sweet and musical just like the day I met her. Hearing it reminds me of last night and the little mewling sounds she made when we were on the couch. The message continues "...and, if you want- since we're friends or whatever now- I could take you to lunch. Wherever you want. You can get whatever you want. How does that sound?"