[ It's somewhere on the busy, chaotic streets of Springstar that Hayame might have caught a whiff of a familiar scent -- something subtle enough that it struggles to cut through the cacophony of other smells that filter through the air, except it's terribly familiar. The smell of steamed rice, of broiled fish, of warm broth. Japanese-style home cooking.
A tiny eatery greets her if she follows her nose. A humble establishment bustling with a number of patrons eagerly chowing down on what looks like grilled saury atop bowls of white rice, with various simple vegetable dishes and bowls of something miso-soup-ish on the side. And while the server apologizes for how busy it is, the young woman eagerly chirps that there's one space left if she's willing to share the space with a stranger.
And the server gestures to a little standing table off in the corner already occupied by one person. Someone that Hayame might recognize.
Gen, who looks up with his chopsticks still halfway to his mouth, laden with still-steaming rice. Frozen for a moment, eyes wide, as he blinks in startled recognition.
'Of course, you can wait for another table,' the server tells Hayame, her tone of voice quickly turning apologetic. 'But our lunch time is almost over, and we're not sure what we'll still have in stock by then ...' ]
slides in a wildcard
A tiny eatery greets her if she follows her nose. A humble establishment bustling with a number of patrons eagerly chowing down on what looks like grilled saury atop bowls of white rice, with various simple vegetable dishes and bowls of something miso-soup-ish on the side. And while the server apologizes for how busy it is, the young woman eagerly chirps that there's one space left if she's willing to share the space with a stranger.
And the server gestures to a little standing table off in the corner already occupied by one person. Someone that Hayame might recognize.
Gen, who looks up with his chopsticks still halfway to his mouth, laden with still-steaming rice. Frozen for a moment, eyes wide, as he blinks in startled recognition.
'Of course, you can wait for another table,' the server tells Hayame, her tone of voice quickly turning apologetic. 'But our lunch time is almost over, and we're not sure what we'll still have in stock by then ...' ]