in the ataraxis of aftermath

suizokukan station

"Thank you."

Naoko glanced at Keyla, beside her.

"I love it," said Keyla, eyes wrinkling happily.

You do? Noako thought.

"I really do."

---

"Did you like it?"

Keyla asked this sometime much later, after they had left the sanctuary of the sea tunnel to head to the other exhibits. They had found some stray tables and chairs and had settled down to have lunch. Keyla's legs swung amicably, occasionally knocking against Naoko's shins (not that she minded).

It took Naoko a moment to answer the question.

"I didn't really like it, when I first came here," Naoko admitted, looking at the cracker clutched in her hand.

"What! You didn't like it?" Keyla seemed personally offended by this fact. "Why not?"

Naoko shrugged, trying to find a way to word her answer nicely.

"There wasn't anything of value here," She managed.

When she looked up, after a brief silence, she saw Keyla smiling, very gently, like she understood something that Naoko hadn't quite said.

"Nothing of value!" She squawked, and the moment was gone. "It's so pretty here! How could you not want to visit this place every day?"

Naoko laughed as Keyla poked her shoulder, mock-accusingly.

"I can't believe you knew this place existed - for who knows how long! - and waited all this time to show me!"

"I didn't wait-"

"Yes, yes you did! You knew about it! And you said nothing! I can't believe you! This place is awesome! I want to live here! I want to get married here! I want everyone in the world to know that I once lived and got married here, in this place! Forever!"

"Get married?" Naoko couldn't stop giggling.

"Well, maybe not get married," Keyla chuckled, face flushed. "But at least go on a date here!"

"But what about the mold?"

"Pah!" Keyla dismissed this with a wave of her hand. "A good date doesn't care about mold!"

"Is that what makes a good date?" Naoko pretended to think this over. "I didn't know that. That's very specific."

"Shut up!" Keyla shoved her shoulder, laughing.

Naoko drew her legs up to her chest and smiled, feeling strangely... content.

"Okay, fine, Mrs. I-know-it-all," Keyla propped her chin into her hands, grinning back warmly. "What makes a good date?"

Naoko's stomach clenched.

"What does that mean, exactly?" She said, more to buy time than to clarify, to give herself a few more seconds to remember him.

"Uh, let's see..." Keyla frowned, tapping her chin. "I guess it means... things you like in a person? Not just 'like,' though. Like... like-like."

"That's a lot of likes."

"Shush! Just answer the question!"

Naoko pulled at her fingers, trying to think, trying to remember.

He had been tall, she thought. And smart. With dark hair and calm eyes that crinkled up when he smiled. Someone who would share an umbrella, or open the door for others. Someone reliable. Honest. Someone everyone liked.

"Who was he?" Keyla asked, reverently, and Naoko jumped.

She must have been speaking aloud. Naoko blinked and recollected her thoughts.

"Seisaku," She muttered, finally. "Saisaku Sareta."

"Seisaku, huh? He sounds nice."

Naoko swallowed.

"He was."

Keyla smiled at her. It was a different smile. It was full of sympathy and... something else. Naoko couldn't place it. But it made her nervous.

"What about you?" She asked, trying to make her constant shuffling look normal. "What do you like the most in a date?"

Keyla huffed out a slow breath, chewing on her lip thoughtfully.

"What do I like in a date, huh?" The other girl frowned. "I don't know. I think there can be good points to everyone, you know? I'm not picky. Now c'mon. I wanna find the biggest fish in this whole museum."

"Aquarium."

"Whatever."