Chapter 2: Chapter 2: Dinner

- Ryu -

I was lying in bed. The only things breaking up the darkness were the bright rectangle in my hands and a ray of moonlight that sneaked through the curtains. I had taken a bath after dinner, and now I was about to get Daisuke up to speed.

Daisuke: "How did things go with your dad?"
Ryu: "Fine, I guess."
"Turns out an old friend of his moved into town."
"We are having dinner with his family tomorrow."
Daisuke: "How nice."
"What else?"
"Surely your dad had more to say."
Ryu: "Apparently, his friend's daughter has trouble making friends."
"She has a 'gift'. I don't know what it is, but I imagine it made others wary of her."
Daisuke: "But since your own 'gift' protects you, you should be fine, or so your dad thinks."
"I'll call it a day. Keep me updated!"
Ryu: "Yeah, I think I'm gonna sleep too. Good night."
"May Nicole grace your dreams with her presence."
Daisuke: "Shut up."

Just ask her out already, man.

I turned off my phone and put it on the nightstand. Next, I turned around and closed my eyes.

I wonder what her gift is.
Something that could lead her to become a loner, either by making others wary of her or vice versa.

There were several possibilities, so I would have to wait until I met her to learn more.

- - -

- Rihona -

It's almost time for dinner, huh?

I picked up my phone from the desk to check the time. I was mostly ready for the occasion, having changed into a white, long-sleeved blouse, a black frilled skirt, and tights.
All that was left was to prepare mentally. Mom and I worked hard to prepare today's dinner, so I feared I would mess up and say something weird to our guests.

Worrying will get me nowhere. I need a plan.

Despite thinking that, I had no idea how to begin formulating said plan.

Let's see, most people like talking about themselves, or so I heard. Actually, I read that in a book, but let's not split hairs.

All I had to do was to reply to whatever they said in a way that allowed them to keep talking. It sounded simple enough, but it was easier said than done, more so for someone with the social skills of a pistachio. That someone being me, of course.
I headed downstairs and went to the living room. Dad was sitting on the couch, waiting for our guests.
"Wow, who is this lovely lady?"
"I'm not in the mood for this," I said.
"I was just trying to lighten up the mood. You seem kind of tense."
"I wonder whose fault this is."
"Hehe, sorry. It's not like I expect you to befriend this boy just because he is my friend's son, but, why don't you give it a try? You may be surprised."
Dad leaned in, "The truth is, he has a 'gift', too."
"Is that so...?"
"Yes, but," Dad winked, "you will have to ask him what it is."

 

The doorbell rang, signaling our guests' arrival. Dad answered the door, while Mom and I stood a bit behind him.
"It's been a while, Takahiro," the man said.
"Indeed. Please come in."
"Thanks for having us." The man said while bowing. The woman and the boy accompanying him did the same. The three of them took off their shoes and entered the living room.
"Nice to see you again, Hinata-san."
"It's been almost a year, hasn't it?" Mom said to the visiting couple.

Last summer, my parents went on a trip with them, that was where they first met my mom.

"This here is our daughter Rihona."
"It's a pleasure to meet you," I greeted him with a bow.
"The pleasure is mine. My name is Akaishi Hiroshi. This is my wife Satomi..."
"Nice to meet you, Rihona-chan," the woman said.
"...and our son, Ryu."

The boy, who was around my age, was staring at me ever since he arrived. My first thought was that I must have overlooked something about my appearance tonight.

Are my bangs uneven? Are my glasses too dirty? Or maybe they look crooked?

On the other hand, he looked good in his blue jacket, grey shirt and black pants.
While my mind went into overdrive looking for reasons to worry, he just kept looking at me.
"Ryu?"
When his father called out to him, he snapped back to reality and apologized in a hurry.
"I am sorry! It's just that, yesterday..."
'Yesterday'? Did something...? Ah...

I had seen him before. This boy was there, yesterday, at the convenience store. Under the orange-tinted sky, I saw him leaving the store, talking to his friend about a "parent talk".

"You are... that guy from yesterday."
"I see," the man, Akaishi Hiroshi, was grinning, "so you ran into each other. Well, we live in the same area so that's not surprising."

After the introductions were over, we all headed to the dining table.
During dinner, Akaishi Satomi spoke to me.
"So, Rihona-chan, what school did you transfer to?"
"Um... Aimoto."
"That's where Ryu is studying, right?"
"Yeah."
"Wouldn't it be nice if you ended up in the same class?"
"Yeah, but I wouldn't count on it. There are lots of groups per year, after all."

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He was right. Even if we attended the same school, we could easily spend the next two years without running into each other.

The rest of the dinner went well. Once we were done, the adults went to the living room and reminisced about their youth, while I stayed in the kitchen to wash the dishes.
"So... Aoyagi-san..."
Is he trying to make small talk?
"Y-yes?"
"Nice house."
"Thanks."

Ryu remained silent, but after a while, he spoke again.

"So... Aoyagi-san..."
"Akaishi-kun..."
"How do you pass the time? You have, uhh, hobbies or something?"
"I do, but, small talk isn't among them," I said.
"I see. I play a card game with my friend sometimes. Have you heard of 'Alter Fortuna'?"
"Yes! Wah, I mean, yeah. I have some cards."

By 'some', I meant 'loads' of them, but who cares about the details?

- - -

 

- Ryu -

 

To think she was the girl Dad was talking about...

My parents and I came here to have dinner with one of my dad's old friends and his family, and his daughter was none other than the cute girl with glasses I saw yesterday.
I tried making conversation with her after dinner but she kept giving me short answers. However, once I mentioned Alter Fortuna, Aoyagi's demeanor changed, like I had flipped a switch. It turned out that she liked collecting cards, and even built a couple of decks. But when I asked how good she was, she reverted to how she was at the start.

How could I mess up like that? I had already heard that she was a loner, of course, she hadn't played with anyone!

Even if that were not the case, she would probably hesitate to play face-to-face with someone due to her gift. While it is possible for gifted to tell when someone nearby was using their gift, doing this required training, so considering that they were already a small group, the ones who could do this were even rarer.

Basically, she must have been afraid of being called a cheater.

"We should play next time."
I got no reply. Aoyagi stopped scrubbing the plate in her hands and stared at it.
"Actually, I heard about your gift from Dad."
Upon hearing that, she took a deep breath.
"I..."
"Don't worry, you can't read my mind unless I let you. That's my 'gift'."
"Is that so?"
I curved my lips up and gave her a thumbs up, "Yup, so please rest assured."

 

- - -

- Rihona -

After our guests left, I changed into my pajamas, brushed my teeth, and went to bed.
"A mind I can't read..."

Can I really befriend him?

I spent years isolating myself from others to the point that even talking to others via the internet was kinda hard.
I had nothing interesting to say. That fact would remain no matter if it was a conversation face to face, a video call, a messaging app, or an old-fashioned letter.
Well, it's not like I had his contact info.

Next time I see him, should I- No, it's fine.
Although... Ahh, what should I do?

I squirmed around on my bed until I finally fell asleep.

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