Sleeping Princess

 

The light outside was becoming dusk as the afternoon went on. The clouds still threatened to rain at some point in time as they loomed over Hiroshima.

“Are you hungry, Madoka-san?”

Now that she mentioned it, it was around late noon, and time flew.

“Sure…I can eat. Where should we go?”

“Well, I was thinking that we should try something different!”

We began walking around on the sidewalk now. I wasn’t sure where we were going, but I followed her anyway.

“Oh, like what?”

“Well, there’s a hotel right around the corner over here. Why don’t we eat at their restaurant?”

Red flags went off in my head as I turned to her. Alarm bells implanted by Mari-san made me cross my arms as I tilted my head to her.

“Oh, and what’s after lunch?”

“We get each other for dessert!"

She teased as she touched my nose with hers. It was super embarrassing. I glared at her, doing my best not to show weakness. 

“H-Heck no!”

“I’m kidding! There’s an Italian-styled restaurant nearby that I wanted to try out over here. I was hoping we’d experience it together.”

With a push of my shoulder, she danced in front and put her hands behind her back.

“I’ll have plenty of chances to get you into bed another day.”

“…W-What am I supposed to say to that?”

“Hehe.”

Playfully, she spun around as we kept walking. I could tell she was swinging her butt from side to side just to get me riled up.

So, she guided me down a few blocks as we made our way to the Italian restaurant. I rarely had that kind of food. It was rare so this experience will be a little different.

“Right over here, Madoka-san.”

She pointed to a fabulous-looking place. The windows were all glass, and it looked a bit spendy. I was wary of going inside. I was dressed nice...but not enough for a restaurant like that.

But she didn’t care as she led me in with her by hand. I was worried at first, but the atmosphere was actually really nice. The area was dark in tone and made it feel like the perfect place to have a private chat with a lover.

“Table for two.”

Risa-san asked the waitress, and they guided us to a seat by the window. It oversaw the highway, and the afternoon sky was dazzling on its own. I could feel the mood of the day so far shift a bit; things were quieter now as she fluttered her eyelashes at me.

The only thing missing would have been candles to light the mood of the room. Other than that, her pink gem eyes melted on me as we sat together.

“What would you two like to eat?”

The waitress asked.

When I looked at the menu, the majority of it was in English. Not only that, it was full of Italian names which made it even harder for me to decipher. One would think a high school girl at my age would be able to read this by now…

 

 

“Are you having trouble reading the menu, Madoka-san?”

“Eh, n-no! I can read it!”

I lied as I tried to pronounce the first thing on the menu.

“Fetacuuuunii”

Risa-san burst into laughter. Even the waitress was doing her best not to laugh. It wasn’t fair though. She must have seen this menu religiously, so she might have memorized this menu. Me on the other hand…I had no idea what Fetacuuuuuni was in this case.

“Would you like the fettuccini with white sauce, Madoka-san?”

“Oh…is that what that’s called? You mean that delicious pasta?”

I remembered Sophia-san bringing that to school one day. I never caught the name of it…or I have but never remembered the Italian name of it. 

“Would you like me to order, Madoka-san?”

Risa-san gazed at me with her tender eyes. I felt like they were full of pity. So, to not destroy my self-image, even more, I nodded somberly.

“We’d like two fettuccini dinners, two sides of salad and tomato soup. For drinks, how about tea?”

“Will do, ma’am.”

The waitress expressed, politely. I felt as though my demeanor was shattered in an instant. 

“There’s nothing to be embarrassed about, Madoka-san. I go to these kinds of restaurants in different countries all the time. Nothing to be ashamed about.”

“So you did this to show off or something?”

Annoyed, I complained like a child. I knew how I was acting but I couldn’t tone it down.

“That’s not true at all. Actually, I just wanted to impress you. Guess I messed that one up, didn’t I?”

She crossed her arms and leaned back. That’s not the mood I wanted to go with, so I did my best to show a smile.

“Sorry…you were kind of cool when you just said those stupid words in English.”

“Oh, shut up. Aren’t you the snarky kind?”

Why did everyone label me like that? I wasn’t snarky…was I?

As we waited for a meal, Risa-san sat back up and put her finger on her lips.

“Hey…you asked me what makes me attracted to you.”

Out of nowhere, she brought up this old topic. So, I listened to see where she was going with this.

“Well, if you must know what makes you different from the other people I met…”

She tenderly put her hand over her chest...

 

 

“Something just hit me when I saw you that day on the train. As if you were a dim light in a dark room. I take it…it was when I asked myself…who could make someone so sweet-looking cry.”

Before I knew it I was brought back to that day where I was crying over Mari-san. When I was confused about my feelings for her.

“But then it wasn’t just that. I realized who you were because you looked just like your mother. I’ve met you before, and you didn’t strike me while you were in your coma.”

“Then what?”

“That day when you waited for me in the Red Roses, right after Saya-san gave me that reading…everything just clicked.”

“Clicked?”

“The daughter of my worker who I happen to see on the way to work and watches me as I walk away. Then out of nowhere as I’m waiting for my date…you popped in.”

She wasn’t even looking at me anymore as if her soul was watching that scene again in the past. 

“You know, Madoka-san…I canceled the date I had lined up that day the moment I saw you.”

“You…were waiting for a date?”

 

 

I thought back to that day. I remembered she told me to hold on a minute as she typed on her phone. Could it be that she was actually canceling her previous plans?

“Yeah…for months Saya-san had been setting me up with people we met online together. I…just didn’t have a connection with any of them, though.”

She reached out her hand and took mine in hers. 

“But for some reason…when I saw you that day on the train, it was then that you lit a fire in me. And…when the stars aligned and you became my waitress…there was no doubt that things weren’t set up for us to meet like that.”

“I…guess you could say that.”

Again she brought up the strings of fate like before.

“I will admit, it did help that you are fairly attractive and of course, that was the first thing I thought when I saw you…but then it all just clicked.”

Her hand caressed my fingers.

‘Listen…we both come from a relationship that still holds us, we’ve spoken about this before.”

I nodded, thinking about Mari-san. 

“But you can’t deny that our meeting wasn’t a coincidence. We met at a time where we both were struggling.”

“…Yeah, I know what you mean.”

 

"If our encounters and feelings weren't an indicator of fate, I don't know what would be."

She smiled brightly as she confessed.

“I think we can be perfect for each other…I mean, you're also attracted to me too, aren’t you?”

 

 

"Risa-san..."

 

These were the feelings inside her. It seemed that she felt that our meeting was destined. Thinking about it like that, of course, anyone would come to that conclusion. Out of all the times, we could have met, it had to be on a day where she had a date and wasn’t looking forward to it…only to see me again.

“So, if it was someone else in that spot that waited for you that day, would they be the one in this seat now?”

Maybe that was an unfair question, but it had to be asked. Of course, I knew she was physically attracted to me but was I really just another person to her? Could the girl in this seat be anyone else in Japan?

“Well, Madoka-san…if you weren’t the one who took my order that day…then I would be sitting here alone right now because nobody else made me feel the way you do.”

My date smiled brightly.

“And best of all, you didn’t even realize that you make me feel this way.”

I think I missed something fundamental about how she feels about me. She is attracted to me physically. She showed that throughout the day. But internally, in her heart, something is swirling around within her. It wasn’t strong enough to call love…but it was there.

“That’s…sweet, Risa-san.”

“Oh, did you like it? Do I get a kiss as a thank you?”

I giggled nervously. My heart was pounding all the fiercer now. Thankfully, our food arrived, and I was able to focus on other things. 

“Risa-san.”

I spoke midway through my white pasta.

 

“…You’re easy to talk to.”

I confessed something that’s been on my mind for a while now.

“Hm?”

“You do things that make my heart flutter. It’s hard to look you in the eyes sometimes because I get so nervous…but one thing about you that I admire is…that you're easy to talk to.”

Her small lip raised.

“Oh, am I getting to you?”

I didn’t respond, all I did was smile…like an idiot. 

We both chuckled; it was sweet and a tad alluring how she could easily capture the situation, turn it to her advantage and make me feel…like she mentioned before, a queen.

 

---

 

After our meal, we walked out. But the rain was flooding the streets. Unluckily for me, I left my umbrella in the car like a moron. 

“Well, guess this was the right thing for me to do.”

She brought out an umbrella of her own…as if she planned this. 

“Looks like we can share.”

She laughed as she opened it, pulled me in, and walked with me.

“Your shoulder is getting wet, idiot.”

I complained, playfully.

“I think it’s worth it if my queen is nice and dry.”

“You and this queen business is getting out of hand, Risa-san.”

She stopped, pulled me closer to her, and looked me in the eye as we began walking.

“Oh, would you rather be the princess then?”

 

 

Briefly, we gazed at one another. The rain fell around us, but it was like we were in an alternative world, one where that didn’t affect us. The umbrella fell to the side, she closed in and met my gaze.

“Is it too soon for me to…kiss you?”

I couldn’t hear anything else around us. Not even the heavy rain anymore. Her voice was loud and rang through my ear. My breathing was shallow, her scent captured me as I froze up, unsure of what I wanted to do.

“If you’re not ready yet…I don’t mind, Madoka-san.”

My date eased up on her pressure as she leaned back.

“I know you need more time to get your heart in the right place. But I want to know the moment you are ready…”

 

 

Those bright pink lips landed on my cheek, causing hot air to escape and gather around my face.

“Here’s a taste of what you’ll get when you’re ready, my princess.”

 

I wanted to fall over and pass out. The sensation of being taken, wrapped up in her love was almost too much. I couldn’t say that what I was feeling was love yet…but Risa-san…

Was certainly that much closer to taking my heart away.

 

---

 

The dawn broke as we made our way back to the park. With our date over, I stepped out of the car, still with a stupid smile on my face. That felt like I was in a romance movie, how everything came together.

“Did you have fun?”

She asked, blowing me a kiss.

“I…had a lot of fun, Risa-san.”

“Next time we see each other, it will be for your idol show. That’s going to be fun.”

“You’re coming to that, Risa-san?”

“Of course! It’s going to be broadcast across the globe, and it’s my gift to you. Of course, I’ll be there. I want to see my Madoka-san enjoying herself.”

Like a flood, Mari-san’s words hit me again. She asked me to ask…Risa-san about the tickets didn’t she.

 

“Wait…”

Was it that obvious…the answer? The concert was…

“Going to be broadcasted across the world.”

 

 

All the clues Mari-san teased me with came back to mind…and suddenly, the pieces to how I could help Sophia-san and Taylor-sensei were coming together. 

But there was one thing I had to confirm, so I turned my attention back to a curious-looking Risa-san...

“Hey…do you know…the winning ticket numbers by chance, Risa-san?”

 

Surprised, she put her hands in the air.

“How would I know about that? I just bought them…”

“…You do, don’t you? Was…that the real gift for me? For me…or…us to be on stage together?”

Annoyed, she crossed her arms.

“Eh, how did you find out?! Was I too forward? I need to keep my big mouth shut!”

That was…the answer to my question. Mari-san…must have put the pieces together on what Risa-san wanted to do. Mari-san knew Risa-san was the one who bought them. Over time…she must have put two and two together. 

 

“Risa-san if you do…”

Everything came together, what I had to do.

“I think I need your help…”