All or Nothing

Volume 1: Chapter 3 Part 2

"Welcome to Akiusha Tokyo. Please take a seat and have a look at our menu. I'll come by and take your order when you're ready."

A woman who appeared to be in his late 30s approached the couple and welcomed them into the restaurant with a slight bow. Kiyotaka and Kei gave a slight bow back and took the closest table for two.

Being the gentleman he was, at least what he believed and from what he saw on the internet, Kiyotaka pulled out the chair opposite to him and beckoned Kei to sit down on it. Kei was a little surprised for a moment, but smiled with a blush and sat down on the chair with a "thank you". He moved over to his own seat opposite her and sat down.

The restaurant's menu was already placed on their table. Kiyotaka and Kei took one each and began reviewing the options they had.

Unlike the casual city-like and generic options that were available in Pallet Cafe and one of the other restaurants accessible on the campus, Akiusha's menu was filled more with local and greener dishes found in the Miyagi prefecture. For Kiyotaka, this was a welcome as he felt curious about the different prefectures of Japan.

"What do you think, Kiyotaka?"

"About the restaurant?"

"Well, yeah. Also, what are you thinking of ordering?"

"It's definitely a different environment. It feels like I'm not even in the school anymore and I'm out in the rural sights of the north. It's quite nice."

Kei gave a happy smile when Kiyotaka gave his opinion. It seemed she was enjoying seeing her boyfriend enjoy the experience of this new restaurant even before they had the food.

"What about you, Kei?"

"I feel the same as you Kiyotaka. It feels different... It kind of feels like I'm back at home again."

"You lived in Miyagi prefecture?"

"Well yeah. I'm actually from around Kyoto, but my family moved to Sendai quite a few years ago after... that day... Basically, scenery and atmosphere like this is not new to me."

"I see... That does explain you being quite knowledgeable about the place."

Although impressed by Kei's knowledge of the place she lived in for a number of years, Kiyotaka did not fail to notice that she sounded a little sad and angry, and that her fists clenched a bit. He wanted to question her about it but he also knew now wasn't the time to do so. He turned back to the menu, wanting to quickly make a decision on what he should order and change the subject.

"Well I guess I'll go for the Akiu-sha lunch. I would like to try these homemade harvested ingredients. What about you?"

He took a good look at Kei, seeing her calm down a little or two to finally decide and then looked back at Kei.

"Oh. That is a nice choice. It seems to be a traditional and a popular dish. In that case, I'll go for the other one. The Akiu-Sha Bowl in the Field. Oh and the smoothie too."

Having made their decisions, Kiyotaka gestured his gaze toward the woman who welcomed them. Catching onto the message, the waitress moved over to Kiyotaka's table with a notepad in hand.

"Made your order yet?"

Kiyotaka nodded and responded.

"Yes. Could I get the Akiu-sha Lunch and my girlfriend here will have the Akiu-sha Bowl in the Field please."

"Sure. Would you like any drinks?"

"We'll both have the Yamamoto Strawberry and Mixed Berry Smoothie."