Chapter 7: Serenade for Strings

[spiritsandsuchtrainee]

Mysterious flickering lights, circuit breakers tripping, and outages were all affecting the Seasoning City metro line for weeks. The trains weren't on time and neither were the people of Seasoning City. Timely bosses who usually chided their salarymen underlings for their tardiness were huffing and puffing as they raced from the subway in a desperate attempt to make it to their desks before the clock ticked down to 8 AM.

They weren't the only ones huffing and puffing, though; Mob and Reigen had chased their target down and cornered him before he could make his way to another train line and the two were exhausted. It was nothing short of a miracle that the two of them had managed to make it to the last train of the night before the doors closed behind them.

Mob collapsed one of the train's empty seats, his damp palms pressed down atop the poly-cotton blend of his gakuran slacks. It was only by sheer miracle that they weren't soaked through. Sweat seemed to be pouring from every pore on Mob's body.

"Sorry," Mob said apologetically. "If I had been faster, we wouldn't have had to do so much running."

Comments

[mp_strikinglyblessed]

"You're my deshi," Reigen repeated. Was that suddenly the wrong answer? Mob was pinning him to the spot and their simple shopping trick was threatening to derail entirely much like the trains. "Look, Mob... .. ..."

[spiritsandsuchtrainee]

"Oh." Mob guessed he had gotten the wrong impression. It wouldn't have been the first time. Still, it hurt to be wrong this time.

28%... 29%... 30%... 31%...

[mp_strikinglyblessed]

Mob's disappointment was palpable. Even if no one could tell just by looking at them, Reigen could. As many mysteries as Mob's brain contained, Reigen still knew how to read him better than anyone else, and his student's pain wouldn't wait for Reigen to stop stumbling over his words.

"Hey, hey." Reigen turned to fully face him. "Just let me finish talking, okay? We are friends."

[spiritsandsuchtrainee]

Mob peered up at Reigen carefully.

"...you're not just saying that, are you?"

[mp_strikinglyblessed]

"I'm not." Reigen put a hand on Mob's head, giving his uniform bowl cut a gentle ruffle. "You're still my deshi when we're at work, understand? But we're not at work right now."

[spiritsandsuchtrainee]

Mob's expression may have only shifted slightly, but the relief he felt was clearly palatable to someone who knew him as well as Reigen did.

"That's good because I was planning on making some salmon onigiri for you." Mob still held a can of salmon in his hands from earlier. "Onigiri is really the only thing I can cook well."

[mp_strikinglyblessed]

“O-oh. I see.” Reigen was completely disarmed once again by Mob. “Tonight?”

[spiritsandsuchtrainee]

"Yeah, it won't be very hard since we'll be making rice already."

[mp_strikinglyblessed]

When was the last time anyone had made food for Reigen that he hadn't paid for? The question popped up in his mind as they continued their journey to the meat section.

"Very well. You're in charge of the onigiri. But you won't be able to say you can't make anything else after tonight." Reigen gave Mob a firm pat on the back.

They finished up their shopping--since Mob was in charge of the onigiri, he paid for the canned salmon and rice bag, while Reigen paid for everything else.

The sky was a deep purple by the time they made it back to Reigen's apartment. He removed his vest and stretched his neck from side to side, unused to lugging that many groceries home at once.

"Alright. First thing's first. You're on potato duty. That means washing and dicing them - no bigger than a quarter inch on those." Reigen approached a small cd player he had sitting neatly on one of his end tables and checked what was inside--ah, yep. Still the classics. It'd do. When he pressed play, a gentle swell of strings from a symphony filled the apartment. He adjusted the volume until it was just loud enough to be a pleasant part of the background.

[spiritsandsuchtrainee]

Mob didn't know why he was surprised that Reigen liked classical music, but he was nevertheless. But now that Mob thought about it, most people probably wouldn't look at him and think he liked eating out, either.

"Okay," Mob said. He wasn't sure he could do it, but he was going to give it a try. Mob gave the potato a wash, just like he had seen his mom do plenty of times before.

"Did your mom cook for you a lot, Arataka-chan?" That's what his friends called him, right? And he was technically a friend right now. It was probably OK for him to not call him master.

[mp_strikinglyblessed]

Mob's question hit his ears as he was turning back towards the kitchen--rather, it slammed into him like a shockwave that evaporated his body's strength and sent him tripping and tumbling over his own couch.

[spiritsandsuchtrainee]

Mob turned to face Reigen, potato in hand, his expression ever-so-slightly puzzled.

"Are you okay?"

[mp_strikinglyblessed]

"Mob..." Reigen wheezed, having clipped his ribs on the side of his couch. He held his chest, as if trying to keep his panicking heart in it. "There are some things you don't say, even as a joke."

[spiritsandsuchtrainee]

"Joke? What do you mean?"

[mp_strikinglyblessed]

Reigen felt woozy on his way back up to standing with the realization of Mob's sincerity.

"You called me--oh come on, it was fifteen seconds ago, you know what you called me."

[spiritsandsuchtrainee]

"Arataka-chan?" Mob repeated.

[mp_strikinglyblessed]

Reigen waved his hand wildly--if he was still dressed for work, he would have tossed salt to cleanse the air. "Yes. That. No."

[spiritsandsuchtrainee]

"You don't like it?"

[mp_strikinglyblessed]

Was he finally losing his mind? Did he hit his head during their chase on the subway? Was he dreaming? Reigen pinched himself--still awake.

Reigen approached Mob and wordlessly put a hand on his shoulder. He gave it a squeeze. Yep. Still awake.

"It's a lot more than just not liking it. Do you even understand the meaning of calling someone that?"

[spiritsandsuchtrainee]

"I thought your friends called you that."

[mp_strikinglyblessed]

"They don't."

[spiritsandsuchtrainee]

Mob paused, contemplating. There was only one explanation that Mob could conjure.

"So that man was your boyfriend?"

[mp_strikinglyblessed]

Reigen spluttered. "I--WHAT--NO! Why would you even--LOOK! That guy's a bartender. Understand?? It's different. He's like that with everyone."

[spiritsandsuchtrainee]

"So it's okay if I'm a bartender, but not if I'm your friend?"

[mp_strikinglyblessed]

Was Mob seriously trying to debate him on the fairness of calling him by his first-name? With cutesy honorifics?

No. Puberty willfulness be damned, Reigen had never lost an argument with anyone, and he wasn't going to start now with his own student. Especially not ever this. Never over this.

"Mob. Think about this fairly. Do you call everyone by their first names like that?"