Sushi

23 | Golden Crunch Roll

"Happy Friday the 13th!"

"I have never met anybody who gets excited over Friday the 13th."

"Well, little things like that are what makes you the Rosaleen I know."

"You just have to embrace today with open arms. If you do, bad luck won't come to you... or so my dad says."

*laughs*

"With my clumsiness, even embracing a day like today won't work."

"You sound... sad. Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, of course! Everything's alright."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"I don't want to lie to you. Today hasn't been the greatest day, honestly. Waiter duty plus clumsy Nick equals a dreadful day."

"Oh, no... what happened?"

*sighs*

"It's stupid. You'll laugh at me."

"Nick, I would never laugh about your problems. Your feelings are valid."

"I... I was carrying a tray of food and drinks over to a couple. The next thing I knew, I stumbled forward over my own foot as the tray flew out my hands and dropped on the ground. Nobody got hurt, thankfully, and the man was kind enough to help me out."

"..."

"..."

"..."

*sighs*

"But the woman suddenly stood up and told me how pathetic I was for being unable to do a simple task. She went on to degrade me in front of everybody, saying I'm worthless and better off elsewhere. Her partner apologized and dragged her out to speak to her shortly after..."

"They came in after a while, and she apologized for her behavior. I accepted her apology, of course. But I still feel hurt inside, you know? I guess it's from my past experiences..."

*mumbles*

"Probably from my family too..."

"Nick..."

"See? Stupid, I know. You know what? Just... forget what I—"

"You're not worthless; you're not any of those words she said. People make mistakes, and that's okay. We learn and grow from mistakes, after all. And you're definitely wanted at Sushiria, flaws and all. So what if you're a clumsy guy? You'll always be the Nicholas Stake everybody knows and loves. People like her aren't worth listening to at all."

"So... you love me?"

"Nick..."

"Joking, joking."

"Jokes aside, thank you for saying all of that. It... means a lot to me, more than you'll ever know. Today just happened to be one of those hard days, unfortunately... but getting to talk to you and hear your voice is already making me feel better, even if just a bit."

"You're welcome, Nick. Hearing the sadness in your voice earlier really pained me..."

"Please let me know if you ever feel sad again, okay? I don't want you to be sad on your own with no one there for you."

"Y-Yeah, I... of course, I'll..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"It's okay to cry. I promise I won't make fun of you. Let it all out if you need to."

"Ugh... I hate crying..."

*laughs*

"Why are you so nice to me? I don't deserve... someone like you."

"Do you need me to come over there?"

"Wh-What...? No, don't force yourself. I know you aren't fully comfortable with the outside world. Can't blame you. It's a terrible place out here."

"If it means getting you to feel better, then I won't hesitate to get out of my comfort zone for you."

"God... you're the sweetest person ever, you know that? I seriously cherish you so much."

"But no, really. I'll be A-okay! Thanks to this talk, now I just need some fresh air and some upbeat music to get back on my feet again."

"If you change your mind, call me back. I'll run there as fast as my small legs can take me."

"Definitely. And... that invitation to Sushiria... take your time with it, alright? No rush. I really meant what I said with the whole me not wanting you to feel uncomfortable."

"Heck, there's gonna be tooons more events. Of course, if you prefer not meeting at all, I'm cool with that too. I invited you just in case you may be interested."

"In fact, we can call as usual on that day instead while I try sushi for the first time. You'll get to hear my honest reviews and great asmr sounds."

*laughs*

"I mean... yes, you're right. I'm not fully comfortable with the outside world, but I'm capable of adjusting to it overtime. I need to make myself do the uncomfortable in order to make it comfortable."

"So that invitation is very much open, and I'm interested in it. Plus, it would be nice to see the punny guy I've been talking to for the past twenty something days."

"Ahh... you never fail to make me smile."

"Aw... you too, Nick! I'm sure you can tell I'm smiling now based on my tone."

"Yeah, I—oh, I should take your order right now. Boss is calling for me."

"Will you be okay?"

"Rosaleen, I'll be okay. I promise."

"Then... one Golden Crunch Roll, please."

"No sadness when you're eating the sushi, got it? I'll talk to you tomorrow."

"Don't forget about your usual saying."

"You're quick! I was going to say it."

*laughs*

"Same price, same guy."

"Now I can eat in peace."